Greyhawk Dungeon Delving

[scottyg]

Adventure log from our most recent session. I've been DMing a party through my version of the Greyhawk Castle dungeon complex.
The Party
Fleak Pingle: A 5th level wood elf ranger
Finn: A 4th level human fighter
Jolly Torbuck: A 1st/1st hobbit fighter/thief (henchman)
Solindor: A 4th level human cleric of Pelor
Magrim: A 1st level human magic-user (henchman)
Tharendell: A 3rd/3rd grey elf fighter/magic-user

The party made the two and a half mile trek from town to the Castle Ruins. Once there they made their way to a cave located in the ravine surrounding the castle. The cave lead to a large cavern the party refers to as The Elf Gate, most likely because of the elves dwelling there. The elves recognized the party and without delay raised a portcullis that was blocking the party’s progress. The party was surprised to see that the elves now seemed to be sharing their cavern with a small group of gnomes. The party did not question this, and the elves gave no explanation. Other exits within the cavern lead to the ruins above and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd dungeon levels. The party informed the elves that they wished to go to the 3rd level. The elves raised another portcullis, and the party made the long descent.
The party had been to the 3rd level before, and their goal now as to find steps to lower dungeon levels.
At the bottom of the steps the party headed south to continue exploring a maze like area they assumed was the southeast corner of the level. The hallways they explored twisted and turned, but all lead to dead ends. As the party was searching one of these dead ends for secret doors they were attacked from behind by a band of bugbears who hurled hammers at the party as they charged. The party’s formation change was awkward, which resulted in the bugbears closing and inflicting some (minor) damage that could have been avoided. Once settled, the party quickly dispatched the bugbears. The party looted the bodies and moved on.
Once the party believed they had exhausted the maze’s possibilities they followed a westward passage they had ignored earlier. It U-turned back east and ended in steps that went up. The party believed they lead to the 2nd level, so they ignored and headed back the way they came.
They decided to head north. At an intersection the turned down a southeast passage and after a short distance they could see light ahead, dim with a bluish tint. They could see the passage opened up into a larger cavern. They sent Jolly ahead to scout it out, but two figures stepped into the passage and called out to the party in Common and Elvish. They advanced cautiously into a large cavern lit by some kind of bioluminescent lichen or moss. 20 or so elves were counted. The elves explained that they were the guardians of the Eastern Stairs. If the party wished to descend the party would need to pay their toll: gold now, and a magic item upon their return. After some debate the party politely declined, and turned around to search for other routes to the deeper levels. Continuing north the party came to a Y type intersection. To the right a door was visible. The left passage twisted out of sight. The party went right. Pushing the door open they came face to face with a pair of berserker guards in a short passage. A large chamber with more berserkers could be seen beyond. The guards yelled a warning/war cry and charged the party. The party remembered the Y intersection behind them and fearful of being surrounded, Tharendell cast a web on the berserkers in front of the party. Several of them were trapped. A pair made it through and the party cut them down. The party had guessed correctly and more berserkers came rushing at them from behind. The party was prepared though, and the slogged through the melee. The berserkers were led by a towering barbarian who inflicted some serious damage before the party managed to bring him down. The party lit up the webs and finished off the berserkers that were trapped within.
The berserkers carried some minor coinage, but there leader wore a thick platinum chain with a platinum medallion depicting the evil god Nerull. The eyes were large emeralds.
Behind a loose stone in the their lair they also found a chest. Jolly found no traps, but Solindor received a harsh reminder that low level thieves weren’t that reliable. There was a poison needle trap on the chest. The party also learned a valuable lesson: never let the only character with a slow poison spell memorized open chests. Moving quickly they could make it back to town to save Solidor before he went from mostly dead to all dead, but it cost a nice chunk of gold. In town the did get the chest opened, it contained 1,500 GPs.

[scottyg]

Part 2.
After healing and resting in town the party returned to the dungeons, back to the 3rd level and moving north past the berserker barracks. At a 4-way intersection the party turned right (east) into a wall of eye watering stench, feral, garbage, and excrement. Forcing themselves ahead they entered a chamber, 40’ N to S, 20’ E to W. A door to the south, the northern half of the room was piled with garbage and refuse, and they could see the giant rats scurrying in the filth. En masse the rats emerged and rushed the party. Fleak, Finn, and Solindor advanced to try to hold the hoard back from the rest of the party. They hacked and bashed, as the rats reached them, and began climbing up their legs, back, etc. looking for vulnerable spots to bite. After the swarm had reached the party, the south door opened and 4 ratmen rushed out with swords drawn. A chaotic melee ensued. Eventually the party killed all of the attackers. But there was no time to rest. The sounds of the fighting had attracked attention. Into the room from the north oozed an ochre jelly. Nobody in the party was sure whether it was immune to certain spells, or safe to attack with metal weapons, but after some very low rolls on their hurled oil attacks they were forced to melee and killed it quickly. Searching the now human forms of the wererats the party discovered several pieces of jewelry on them and a few valuable knickknacks in their lair: silver candlesticks, etc.
After a short rest the continued north. After a while they came to a door on the right side of the passage. As usual it was stuck. Finn rushed it and crashed through, almost rushing right into the gelatinous cube waiting on the other side, but he was able to check his momentum. The cube died quickly. They continued searching northward, occasionally exploring a room or passage east or west with nothing discovered. Eventually they found themselves outside another door. Finn put his shoulder into it, and bounced off with a loud thud. So Fleak gave it a try. The door flew open, and the party was greeted by nine gnolls, ready for action. A volley of arrows flew at the party from straight ahead. The party rushed in to close with the gnolls. A door to the north opened and through it emerged a black robed spell caster. He began spell casting. Magrim and Solindor began spells of their own. The party won initiative and Magrim’s magic missile popped the wizard, not doing much damage, but spoiling the spell. Moments later the wizard was caught by Solindor’s hold person spell. The melee with the gnolls ended. Tharendell lay unconscious on the ground. The Party took the gnolls’ coins, found a magic ring and scroll on the wizard, and his spell book in the small chamber beyond. The party returned to town and we called it a night.

[mindcontrolsquid]

Great story, scottyg! Your players certainly came away with a decent haul that session, if I do say so myself. Tell me, would they have entered the Black Reservoir had they taken the toll and progressed down the eastern stair?

[scottyg]

If they made the right (wrong???) turns.