This session was played on 05/04/22 wherein the PCs delved for 1 day. Needing 1 day of rest as per ACKS rules the PCs can engage in actions again starting on 05/06/22.
Session Report
The Party returned to the sealed Temple of Lamalla beneath the Tower of Knowledge in Turos Orn. Drakon (Patron Palatine Fighter level ???) charged the party this week with a goal to "clear" level 1 of the dungeon so he could have the Tower mages extend the magic ward across level 1 and thus "claim" that portion of the dungeon.
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| boom |
As a reminder this is my homebrew dungeon. PCs are aware that it has many levels because last week they fell down a hole into a very deep level indeed onto the blue dragon lair of Sheila the Beautiful. Before the session kicked off a few of the players mentioned on the mics they wanted to look into how they might attack or heist Sheila's spot. I'm also sure there was much private PC scheming about such things between sessions. Yet they came on tonight ready for a more modest goal of "clear level 1".
Did they?
The 1e AD&D Player's Handbook advice on PC play encourages players to stick to their session goal (1e PHB page 107-109). In this section Gygax gives some of the following advice:
-"avoid unnecessary encounters"
-"do not be sidetracked"
-"likewise, there are times when objectives must be abandoned"
Eventually the players voted on doing the 3rd thing lol
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The party entered the sealed temple with the warded door closing with a creak behind them. They went back through a nearby room with a whales/fish themed bas relief and came to a room filled with rubble as if the back corner had collapsed. Sticking out of the rubble was a Blue Metal Robot hand thing.
Daria cast Detect Magic and claimed it was indeed magic.
Ambrose (PC Cleric level 1) decided to investigate. He took hold of the hand to see if he might pull a golem from the rubble or something but there was a flash of lightning as we was shocked and sent flying across the room, seemingly dead.
Acton (PC Cleric level ???) and Daria (PC BladeDancer level ???) hurried to apply healing and Ambrose did indeed barely survive, but his arms were all seared and destroyed by the harsh shock. He'd never use them again. His Mortal Wound, as per ACKS rules, deemed he'd need 4 weeks of rest to adventure again. He was done for tonight.
The party carried Ambrose body about 50' back to the dungeon entrance and left him lying there next to the blue robot hand. They didn't want to open the door out of the dungeon because the Tower mages claimed they'd only open the wards twice per week. Once to enter and once to exit. The party refused to end their delve after 20 minutes so, sorry Ambrose you can sit here and wait for us to get back.
On the way past the bas relief the party had a weird strike of luck and Daria's Detect Magic was still going. They had been through this room the previous week but didn't detect magic in it. The bas relief of the whales and fish were showing as magical.
Brian (PC Wonderworker Level 1) guessed this meant the whale(s) must talk of course and strangely enough that's what was in my notes. The whale spoke Ancient Zaharan and it said "ask me a question". Brian asked "where is the treasure horde" and the whale described the location of a secret door near a canal and the party was pretty sure, based on last week's delve to level 2, they knew where it was.
They kept looking around level 1 of the dungeon, however, and discovered a small pool with magic music playing from it. Specifically it was playing the song "Aqua Lung" by Grammy award winning heavy metal artist Jethro Tull. Swolus (hench fighter to Acton) noticed a small tunnel in the pool that went directly down.
While I took a break to grab a drink apparently the PCs debated/argued/decided this "clear level 1" mission wasn't cutting it; they wanted the treasure horde the bas relief whale told them about! Off they went.
On their way they came upon some fishmen at the altar the party destroyed last week. The fishmen appeared bummed the altar was gone. The party had surprise on the fishy fellows and dispatched them without too much trouble. However when dead the fishmen turned into humans. The party was confused but didn't linger to investigate long.
Down on level 2 they fought some translucent skin igauna kind of creatures. The party surprised them too and only Olivier (PC Paladin level ???) took a hit. Crossing a bridge over the nearby canal they came to a barracks room they killed a bunch of iganuamen in last week. The whale's directions seemed to lead here and the party spent a few turns searching for secret doors. Kortes (PC Explorer level ???) found one. Beyond it was indeed a chest.
Acton picked up the chest and went straight back to the dungeon entrance. With no encounters on the way it was a pretty short night for the delve proper. There was about 2,500 GP worth of treasure and thus XP in the chest so it was a decent take for a session. Not extraordinary but nothing to scoff at.
Were they wrong to get sidetracked, ignoring Gygaxian "Successful Adventures" best method by not sticking to the "clear level 1" goal? Next week actually answers the question!
I had some time left to hang out on the mic after the delve. Most of the players had logged off but Amrbose and some other players were curious about the Blue Metal Robot Hand. They started asking the Tower mages all about it. Somehow Doc Brownstone, the dwarven machinist patron player based on of Dubzaron was there. He had even hopped on the mic to hang out after session I think. When the Tower mages (NPC) started advising the PCs chop of Ambrose's hand and shove the robot fist on it, Brownstone was aghast. Calling them crazy idiots, nerds, and the like.
Conor (PC Barbarian level 1), however, had a bearded axe. Right there. In his hand... I mean, can you blame him?
Some wires were wiggling around on the robot fist and the tower mages, including Seth Rogen the Burned Out (NPC Mage level ???), were like "go go go! do it!"
Conor chopped off Ambrose's arm in the basement of the Tower of Knowledge. Science!
Once it was decided the arm was coming off I typed up some crazy odds on what might happen and shared them in the chat room. It was like 1 in 3 chance the fist would attach to Ambrose and work. 1 in 3 chance nothing would happen and he'd simply bleed out and die. 1 in 3 chance the fist would come to life and choke him out and he'd die. Not great odds for our hero.
Ambrose rolled the dice in the chat and ... the fist worked! The metal fist hooked onto his stump.
Ambrose the Cleric now has a Power Fist. It gives him extra strength, it gives him the ability to shock people now and then, but it may also haywire and shut down. Real D&D is quite unpredictable.
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| it has other side effects |
Ambrose stated simply "a power fist is worth dying for". Amen, friend.
Deceased
Dama (L1 Venturer) played by RR. Current total xp: 75. DECEASED. Poison gas in Session 3.
Darius LeVay (L1 Assassin) played by JB. Current Total XP:451. DECEASED. Poison gas in Session 3.
Donald the Guardsman (L1 Fighter) played by MP. Current Total XP:570. DECEASED. Intra-party justice in Session 3.
Felix (L1 Thief) played by Nicholas. Current Total XP:431. DECEASED. Poison gas in Session 3.
Hektor (L1 Paladin) played by Moai. DECEASED. Cause of Death: goblin warg rider throat removal surgery in Session 2
Leonidas the Inquisitor (L1 Cleric) played by RR.Current Total XP:498 DECEASED. Frozen undead blistering cold aura left his skin frostbitten and broken in Session 6. Body not recovered.
Mard the Mage (L1 Mage) played by Nicholas. DECEASED. Frozen undead blistering cold aura left his skin frostbitten and broken in Session 6. Body not recovered.
Yolo Baggins "My friends call me Swaggins" (L1 Gnomish Trickster) played by J. DECEASED. Paralyzed and eaten by ghouls in Session 12. Body not recovered.
Jack Filcher (L1 Thief) played by C. DECEASED. Shot full of arrows by Inthorn's brigands in Session 12. Body not recovered.
Swoleous Maximus (L1 Paladin). DECEASED. Captured then drawn and quartered by Inthorn the Brigand warlord in Session 12. Posthumously named "Petty Hero of Turos Tem" by Legate Valerian. Ashes offered a place of pride in the Hospital.
Damianus (L1 Cleric). DECEASED. Captured and beheaded by Inthorn the Brigand warlord in Session 12. Posthumously named "Petty Hero of Turos Tem" by Legate Valerian. Ashes offered a place of pride in the Hospital.
Bucky (L1 Barbarian). DECEASED. Became a illegal pit fighter during his downtime. Had two bouts to the death, winning the first and losing the second. Was killed by Young Jack Sparrow who sashayed into the ring, drank rum, and mogged on Bucky before putting a dagger into his ribs, killing him. This happened during downtime between Session 17 and 18.
Broll Wolf-Eater (L1 Barbarian). Current total XP: 1079. DECEASED. Carried off by harpies after falling for their enchanting song in Session 19.
Brother Franklin (L1 Cleric). DECEASED. Decapitated by a mad cultist of a Lovecraftian slime thing in Session 19.
Felix the Elder (L1 Bard). Total XP 825. DECEASED. Captured by mad cultists and fed to a Lovecraftian slime monster in Session 19.
Templar Flavius Africanus (L1 Cleric). Total XP 7. Killed by the claws and beak of mad harpies in Session 19.
Xendi (L1 Explorer). Total XP 6. DECEASED. Carried off by harpies after falling for their enchanting song in Session 19.
Yllmeeton (L3 Shaman). Total XP 4,563. Bludgeoned by the corpse of a bowmen by Rosie Odonnel hag in Session 21.
Longinus (L2 Assassin). Total XP 2,036. Had his face ripped off by Rosie Odonnel hag in Session 21.
Mandonio (L3 Fighter). Total XP 4,779. Charred to a leprous crisp by diseased Dragon breath in Session 22.
Corydon (L1 Joker). Total XP: 0. Burnt to a crisp by chimera breath so thoroughly his corpse wasn't even fit for the crows. Died with a smile on his face and a song in his heart. that's life and as funny as it seems... some people get their kicks, stomping on a dream... In Session 25.
Donny Keebler (L1 Elven Spellsword). Total XP 2,238. Had his legs burned completely off by chimera fire breath in Session 25.
Marina (L2 Fighter). Total XP: 2,204. Burnt into ash by a chimera fire breath in Session 25.
Gundro (L2 Gnomish Trickster). Total XP: 2,575. Had his mouth and tongue bitten off by a lizardman ambusher in the dank sewers below Cyfaraun in Session 26.
Polydoros (L1 Fighter). Total XP: 0. Had his legs ripped off and eaten by Akira monsters in the dark canopy of the Viaspen Forest in Session 28.
Odrum (L1 Explorer). Total XP: 287. Javelin to the heart from the hands of weird vine goblins hidden in the walls of Ferigno's lair in Session 30.
Garvin the Nutless Wonder (L1 Mage). Total XP: 0. Fell off the side of Ferigno's lair 20 feet to his death in Session 30.
Blackmoon (L1 Assassin). Total XP: 768. Choked to death by BOB from Twin Peaks while stealing treasure from Ferigno's dragon horde in Session 30.
Xanthus (L2 Cleric). Total XP: 2,364. Choked to death by BOB from Twin Peaks while hanging out on the roof of Ferigno's lair in Session 30.
Lord Zyklon (L1 Elven Spellsword). Total XP: 0. LORD ZYKLON DISEMBOWLED LORD ZYKLON upon finding himself on the losing side of the Desolation of Turos Tem.
Turin (L1 Cleric). Total XP: 0. Eaten by Wargs in Session 32.
Rat Face (L2 Thief) Total XP: 1,577. Seemingly grabbed in the dark by a Xenomorph in Session 36. In a sinkhole your party can hear you scream!
Smarticus (L1 Mage) Total XP: 0. Captured by a Xenomorph in Session 36 for all the party to witness. Taken deep into a sinkhole.
Hearticus (L1 Cleric) Total XP: 0. Gored to death by giant horned beetles in Session 39 after projectile vomiting all over himself from the stink of sewer sludge.
Mickey Mouser (L1 Thief) Total XP: 0. Gored to death by giant horned beetles in Session 39 in the happiest place on earth: the Cyfaraun sewer!
Aenes (Level 1 Paladin) Total XP: 62. Swarmed by giant flies in the sewer beneath Cyfaraun in Session 40.
Acianus (Level 1 Mage) Total XP: 0. Chopped to pieces in Session 42 by a six armed demon statue from behind and quickly forgotten about by his compatriots who saved MadEye and lamented Hardar instead. But I'll never forget you Acinanu nanu...nanite... nananaa...
Hardar (Level 2 Mage) Total XP: 2,832. Chopped up in Session 42 by a six armed demon statue as he held his Darth Vader Choking Grip spell long enough for his compatriots to escape an unwinnable battle. His dream to become the most evil being in the universe suffers eternally the indignity of being remembered for self sacrifice and laying his life down for his friends.
Nubbs (Level 3 Thief) Total XP: 4,017. Swarmed by scarabs which bored into his ears and brain in Session 45.
Grummz (Level 1 Dwarven Vaultgard) Total XP: 0. Ripped limb from limb by a throng of skeletons and their undead golem leaders in Session 46.
Grommzs (Level 1 Dwarven Vaultguard) Total XP: 2,168. Torn to bits and eaten by trolls in session 48
Rapunzel (Level 4 Priestess) Total XP: 11,540. Torn to bits and eaten by trolls in Session 48.
Schizo (Level 1 Mage): Total XP: 0. Frozen to death by an assassin's guild ruffian bard wielding a Wand of Cold in session 54.
Marteen (Level 1 Thief): Total XP: 0. Fell to his death in Lamalla's Temple upon a pile of dragon horde gold. Corpse eaten by Sheila the Beautiful, an Ancient Blue Dragon in session 56.
Alexa this is so sad play "Robot Rock" by Daft Punk.
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