Monday, February 10, 2014

Delve #11 -- Ouch!

The Delvers:
  • Ragnorf -- male 2nd lvl Dwarf -- AC - 2;  HP - 20;  mace
  • Norfaz -- male 2nd lvl Fighter -- AC - 2;  HP - 22-4 = 18; war hammer & crossbow
  • Gylvair -- male 2nd lvl Elf; AC - 4; HP - 13; longsword  (sleep & magic missile)
  • Taggert -- male 2nd lvl Fighter -- AC - 4; HP - 13; 2-hand sword

Using her resmaining healing yesterday and ALL of her healing today (so there won't be any healing tonight) Fasboo managed to get Ragnorf back to full but not Norfaz (who is still down 4 hp).

Ragnorf in particular did not feel like returning to Entrance A . . . and Gylvair was able to talk them into investigating Entrance G . . . so that is where they went.

Room 16 was empty so they proceeded on to room 17 where they encountered 4 of the Lizardfolk.  The scaleskins didn't attack right away but instead addressed the group in a language that none of them understood.

[Note:  All four delvers knew Common and Dwarvish but the only other languages between them were Gnoll (by Norfaz), Latin (by Taggert), Hobgoblin (by Ragnorf) and Greek and Taltish (by Gylvair).]

Norfaz replied first in Common, then in Gnoll, neither of which the Lizardfolk seemed to understand.  Then the others tried different languages until Ragnorf addressed them in Hobgoblin . . . at which point the scaleskins attacked (unsuccessfully).  The party replied (it was one on one) with Norfaz getting a kill and Gylvair's Longsword carving 7 hp from his opponent.

But the following round both Gylvair and Taggert's opponents landed critical hits on the delvers, doing 7 and 8 hp respectively.  Fortunately Gylvair was able to kill his Lizard with a return crit and Taggert did enough damage to off his as well.  The following round Norfaz finished off the last one.

As I've come to expect, the attempts at first aid healed nothing (two 3s were rolled).  A search of the bodies resulted in a whopping 17 gp.

First trying the southernmost western door, they discovered a corridor that eventually turned south (after an arrow trap gave Ragnorf a single hit), where they could see a four-way intersection.  They decided not to get too far from the exit so they returned to Room 17 and tried the other western door.  It eventually turned north and ended in a door.

Returning to the room they opened the north door, which revealed a steeply sloping corridor headed down.  Closing this, they left room 17 and proceeded north along the corridor to the eastern door which opened onto a small room with a couple of Zombies who staggered toward the party.  These should have been easy to kill but Ragnorf took 14 points of damage before killing his and a "crit" by the other Zombie dealt 8 damage to Norfaz before he bested his. . . . (and you guessed it, the first aid rolls were both 1s, so no relief there).

The Zombies had no treasure of course, but a search of the room found a hiding spot in the wall that contained a star sapphire worth about 200 gp.  They had taken far more damage than they should have in both fights so they decided to call it a day.

As they came to the stairs up to the G entrance a flight of 6 Stirges (wandering monsters) zoomed down and attacked the party.  There dice were very good (and they won every initiative) so that by the time the delvers had killed them, the party was in very sad shape:
  • Ragnorf had 1 hp left
  • Norfaz had 3 hp left
  • Gylvair had 6 hp left
  • Taggert had 2 hp left

And wonder of wonder, first aid restored one hp each to both Ragnorf and Norfaz as well as two hp to Taggert.

Delve 11 Results:
  • Net Injuries -- Ragnorf 20 - 18 = 2; Norfaz 22 - 18 = 4; Gylvair 13 - 7 = 6; and Taggert 13 - 9 = 4
  • 4 Lizardfolk killed
  • 2 Zombies killed
  • 6 Sturges killed
  • Treasure -- 17 gp & 200 gp star sapphire
  • Rooms mapped -- 1

-- Jeff

8 comments:

  1. Walking out of the Undercity with a total of 52 points of damage is going to leave them very vulnerable for Delve #12 because a night's sleep and Fasboo's limited healing won't be able to do much to help that.

    They will be looking for a simple expedition on the marrow with an easy in and out.

    These should have been relatively easy encounters . . . but the monsters' die rolls were good and they had a number of "crits" (double normal dice). More and more they (and I) mourn the early loss of Conrad . . . another Cleric would help immensely.


    -- Jeff

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  2. Too bad someone hadn't thought to give them time for recovery between delves!
    Ouch indeed! Still, they all survived, which is something.

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  3. Well "the Seer" set it up so that each group would delve for three successive days . . . then (unless they draw another black bean) they get to have some rest . . . but right now this group is really hurting and the geas will force them into another delve in the morning.

    I actually just finished running it . . . but I've not written it up yet but it should be posted later tonight or early tomorrow.


    -- Jeff

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  4. That's some serious brinksmanship with the hit points again. Any chance they'll be able to rescue a cleric held prisoner in the dungeon? or find the bugbear chief's healing potion stash?

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  5. Please remember that this is NOT a pre-planned dungeon. Even I don't know what is beyond any door . . . that is determined by drawing cards and throwing dice.

    Would I like to throw in another Cleric? Sure . . . but I'm not about to force the issue. One might be found or one may never show up . . . I don't know any more than you do about it.


    -- Jeff

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  6. I think I'm the one who suggested G. Sorry 'bout that. ;-)

    Plus, I think I'd ask for a refund on those first aid kits.

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  7. Ragnorf: 'Dzhanno, mate? This bally advanturing lark bally hurts!
    Norfaz: Tell me about it. Even my aches hurt and my hurts ache.
    Ragnorf: Wages aren't that crash hot nyver.
    Norfaz: 'Til we got vhat star sapphire fingy today I was finkin' of putting in me CV for a job deep sea fishing off of vhe Aleutian Islands, or ice road truckin' in vhe James Bay, or carryin' livestock 'cross vhe Andes inna horseless chariot fingy.
    Ragnorf: Yeah. Gotta be sumpin easier nor scurryin' underground getting beat up by gobbos, gekkos an' ghools.
    Norfaz: ... an' zombies.
    Ragnorf: Yeah, an' zombies.
    Norfaz: One fing...
    Ragnorf: Yeah?
    Norfaz: Zombies is dead, right? Vhey don't feel no pain.
    Ragnorf: Yeah, and...?
    Norfaz: Werl... we is achin' and hurtin' and feelin' aw black n blue. We know we're alive. Cos we's got feelin's.
    Ragnorf: Vhis is 'alive' is it?
    Norfaz: Yeah. I reckon.
    Ragnorf: Well yez kin stick it.
    Norfaz: 'Snot vhat bad -
    Ragnorf: Too right it is, amte. Zombies can't die; already dead. Vhey don't feel pain. Vhey don' haf to be skeered of nuthin'. Don't know vhey're alive vhem zombies...

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  8. Yes, for the most part the first aid kit dice have been pretty pathetic . . . but they have helped once in a while . . . and I've always liked having "necessary expenses" available for characters to spend their hard-earned loot on . . . (not that I really have much treasure lying around for them in the first place).


    -- Jeff

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