Well hello! It's me, DM Dubs. I have returned to post session reports even though I did not DM this session. This was another session by DM JB. You may notice that the last session report was Session 94. This is one reason I've been slow to drop more session reports. I was trying to figure out what happened in Session 95 and 96. But I couldn't do it! I don't know who DMed these or what happened. I think I was a PC in one as Liano the Elven Enchanter and we convinced Jerry "The King" Lawler to pay us way too much cash to go patrol around the sewers under Dubzaron. But that could have been another session. Who knows! Not me! Let this be a lesson to you: keep good session reports!
I am thankful for my Co-DMs while I am on a DM hiatus but do hope they will make better reports in the future. Below is a fine session report by DM JB of which I was NOT a pc. I enjoyed reading about their crazy adventures and wild capers. I'm sure you will as well. I believe this session was played on 02/17/23.
-DM Dubs 06/29/23
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| gnoll |
Neutralio - fighter
Brolly - explorer
Jeev - henchmen venturer
George - beastermaster
Delros - barbarian
Silas - assassin
Wolf - henchmen
Dubs continues to be on hiatus so others step forward to run sessions, myself among them. I had 2-3 things to run this evening. One old, 1-2 new. The players were based out of Spen and opted to return to the dungeon I ran last time, way out in hex 37.30. That may not mean much to you but to the players that means a two day journey east past the protection of the Auran Empire.
For starters I must note to myself to keep better records of what happened in the session.
I didn't think the players had a great time in the previous delve so I was motivated to have new stuff available. Therefore, I was surprised when the players decided the revisit the gnoll encampment and their elf wizard leader. Never underestimated the psychological pull of revenge!
Generally, monsters don't camp out the approach areas to dungeons ready to ambush players. That's more of a fortress thing. So it seemed reasonable they would be vulerable to attack, especially since it was an uncleared hex. It was something like nine days since the previous delve, so while the players discussed their plans, I made wandering monster checks against the camping gnolls. Two hits, some horses (I skipped that) and some angry bees. Props to ACKs for it's easy to resolve BR combat mechanics. 17 angry bees versus 10 gnolls. The gnolls should have won but the bees got really good rolls. I changed the scale so each side counted as more than one unit, and 8 bees survived.
The players overland traveled to the site, more or less knowing way. They traveled through a friendly dwarf hex and also encountered a lair of giant pill bug looking things. I forget what they were and forgot to write it down. My bad. The players avoided the bugs and moved on.
There were some other encounters as well. On the bridge leaving Spen they met a cleric but he wasn't quite friendly enough to hire. At some points they also encountered some giant spider creatures. I can barely remember.
They reached the destination hex (remember they had a map to lead them there) and already knew an alternate route to the gnoll camp so they took that route. Nevertheless, there was a random encounter as they traveled and lo and behold - it was either giant bees or a giant spider. I think it was bees. The insects were surprised and the players moved on.
Skipping the open approach to the gnoll camp the players came up from the southern cliff area which allows approach without being subject to long-range missile fire. Silas the assassin performed admirable sneak-and-peek manuevers and spotted... BEES... coming and going from the open-mouth stone-head dungeon entrance and one of the gnoll tents. I tried to be coy about it but the beastmaster identified the creatures and that was that.
Oddly, the player never opened the tent flap. I suppose they were concerned about waking sleeping gnolls. Anyway, asertaining the threat they formed a forward line and charged with one group and fired arrows with another. Nuetralio cleaved through most of the bees in the first round and whole business ended fairly quickly. The session was quite different in flavor because the players brought heavier hitters with them. (edited)
The players entered the mouth and discovered where the bees had been eating the gnolls. One of the players adjusted his nerd glasses and informed me that GIANT KILLER BEES are herbavorous. Yeah, ok buddy.
Upon entered the stone first room the players encountered a column / statue / construct with a giant single eye that lit up and immediately tried to fry them with a laser beem. If I recall correctly Nuetralio was able to charge it despite a floor-moutned sconse (reach weapon ftw) and the party destoyed it in the opening round.
They searched around the first room and figured out how to unlock a locked door, sort of by accidenet. They entered a water pool room with a timeless kind of angelic matronly healing character speaking to them in ancient Nobiran. They players sussed out this was a place they could get some healing.
On the way out they encountered some cave dwellers who were friendly enough. They offered mutual food. For some reason the players refused the offer of uncooked, rotting meat. (Will this affect the beastmaster's grade?) They offered hard tack which broke of the teeth of the cave dwellers. The players showed their new friends the rotting gnoll bodies found in the mouth entrance and that got them out of their hair.
There were some other encounters as well. On the bridge leaving Spen they met a cleric but he wasn't quite friendly enough to hire. At some points they also encountered some giant spider creatures. I can barely remember.
They reached the destination hex (remember they had a map to lead them there) and already knew an alternate route to the gnoll camp so they took that route. Nevertheless, there was a random encounter as they traveled and lo and behold - it was either giant bees or a giant spider. I think it was bees. The insects were surprised and the players moved on.
Skipping the open approach to the gnoll camp the players came up from the southern cliff area which allows approach without being subject to long-range missile fire. Silas the assassin performed admirable sneak-and-peek manuevers and spotted... BEES... coming and going from the open-mouth stone-head dungeon entrance and one of the gnoll tents. I tried to be coy about it but the beastmaster identified the creatures and that was that.
Oddly, the player never opened the tent flap. I suppose they were concerned about waking sleeping gnolls. Anyway, asertaining the threat they formed a forward line and charged with one group and fired arrows with another. Nuetralio cleaved through most of the bees in the first round and whole business ended fairly quickly. The session was quite different in flavor because the players brought heavier hitters with them. (edited)
The players entered the mouth and discovered where the bees had been eating the gnolls. One of the players adjusted his nerd glasses and informed me that GIANT KILLER BEES are herbavorous. Yeah, ok buddy.
Upon entered the stone first room the players encountered a column / statue / construct with a giant single eye that lit up and immediately tried to fry them with a laser beem. If I recall correctly Nuetralio was able to charge it despite a floor-moutned sconse (reach weapon ftw) and the party destoyed it in the opening round.
They searched around the first room and figured out how to unlock a locked door, sort of by accidenet. They entered a water pool room with a timeless kind of angelic matronly healing character speaking to them in ancient Nobiran. They players sussed out this was a place they could get some healing.
On the way out they encountered some cave dwellers who were friendly enough. They offered mutual food. For some reason the players refused the offer of uncooked, rotting meat. (Will this affect the beastmaster's grade?) They offered hard tack which broke of the teeth of the cave dwellers. The players showed their new friends the rotting gnoll bodies found in the mouth entrance and that got them out of their hair.
The players did some more exploring, some more attempts at tracking and largely ascertained this area remained unvisited for a long time. Eventually they encountered another eye statue and this time it's laser beam brough Nuetralio to 1 HP. (Who says you need "balanced encounters" to have balanced encounters?) They healed him at the secret fairy healing water room and continued the delve.
The next room had a giant, giant chest. The players have become rightly afraid of booby trapped chests. I had fun with Silas. "You open the chest. You heard it snap open, spring loaded. You heard a click. [audible sigh from the players] It holds itself open."
Inside they found a lantern (magic?) and some treasure - a paltry amount, to be sure, but there was a magic shield.
This is about when the players called it a night. On the way out, they met some kobolds who demanded payment and they gave in.
If there were encounters on the way back I forget.
Grading. I'd prefer grading to be a little tougher but I've got to stay within the precedent set by the lead GM. I am concerned my barbarians are not playing savage enough. I'm watching you! If I docked the whole party for not fighting the kobolds we'd be playing 5E, so forget that.
Tuck - barbarian, E (fought well)
Neutralio - fighter, E+ (excellent damage output and risk taking)
Brolly - explorer, E (kept the party out of danger on the road)
George - beastmaster E (used magic sling for good effect and identified the killer bees... must be one of those newage beastmasters that doesn't eat raw meat)
Delros - barbarian, E (risked trap danger to open chest)
Silas - assassin E+ (used infiltration tactics when appropriate)
GM grade: B. Good call making up lore on the spot and good call rolling random encounters for the gnoll gaurds / maintaining a living dungeon. Didn't roll all the hit points for the first gaurd statue. Didn't kill any of the PCs. (edited)
February 19, 2023
The next room had a giant, giant chest. The players have become rightly afraid of booby trapped chests. I had fun with Silas. "You open the chest. You heard it snap open, spring loaded. You heard a click. [audible sigh from the players] It holds itself open."
Inside they found a lantern (magic?) and some treasure - a paltry amount, to be sure, but there was a magic shield.
This is about when the players called it a night. On the way out, they met some kobolds who demanded payment and they gave in.
If there were encounters on the way back I forget.
Grading. I'd prefer grading to be a little tougher but I've got to stay within the precedent set by the lead GM. I am concerned my barbarians are not playing savage enough. I'm watching you! If I docked the whole party for not fighting the kobolds we'd be playing 5E, so forget that.
Tuck - barbarian, E (fought well)
Neutralio - fighter, E+ (excellent damage output and risk taking)
Brolly - explorer, E (kept the party out of danger on the road)
George - beastmaster E (used magic sling for good effect and identified the killer bees... must be one of those newage beastmasters that doesn't eat raw meat)
Delros - barbarian, E (risked trap danger to open chest)
Silas - assassin E+ (used infiltration tactics when appropriate)
GM grade: B. Good call making up lore on the spot and good call rolling random encounters for the gnoll gaurds / maintaining a living dungeon. Didn't roll all the hit points for the first gaurd statue. Didn't kill any of the PCs. (edited)
February 19, 2023
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