Post by mearls on Feb 15, 2008 18:20:09 GMT -6
Today I ran the first session of my OD&D campaign at the WotC offices. Yes, we're rolling original D&D-style in the very heart of the land of fourth edition.
Here's a log of what happened. I'm trying to crank this out as quickly as possible before I forget everything that happened. So, don't expect grade A fiction prose, but I think this gets across the gist of what's going on.
Two brave adventurers set out from Port Town to delve into the depths of Kardallin's Palace, the fighting man Robilard and the magic-user Frederick. Robilard sought out the place upon hearing rumors of a cult of Set operating out of the dungeon, while Frederick's reasons were less clear. However, it is already obvious that the two enjoy an at best uneasy alliance. Robilard does not trust the magic-user to forego throwing charm person on him, while for his part Frederick seems worried that Robilard's zealous embrace of Law might lead to a conflict between the two.
Our heroes entered the dungeon and opted to head to the eastern wing of level 1, where minions of Set are said to dwell. While traveling down a wide corridor, they encountered the skeletal remains of a slain adventurer. Frederick threw a rock at the skeleton's skull to see if it concealed a tripwire, only to watch as eldritch energy spilled from the skull as it animated.
Luckily, the animated skull proved eager to talk rather than fight. It seems that the skull was that of a greedy adventurer who was cursed by Odin to rest here until an adventurer sacrificed 50 gp to the gods on the unfortunate's behalf. In return, the skull would accompany its benefactor and answer three questions about the dungeon. When this service was complete, the adventurer's spirit would finally return to Valhalla.
Frederick, much to the surprise of Robilard, happened to have 50 gp on his person and glady sacrificed it for a new ally.
The group ventured further into a dungeon, coming to a dead end passage where a number of lizard men tripped a hidden portcullis. With the party trapped, the lizards spilled from a secret door the party missed and attacked. The dice were with the adventurers, in particular Frederick's use of charm person to net himself a new ally, Slazzrik. With the lizard men defeated, Slazzrik showed the characters the hidden lever needed to open the porcullis, and away they went.
Further exploration yielded two choices: head back to the entrance and seek another path east, or travel down a narrow passage. The PCs opted for the narrow corridor. At several points the characters had to strain to squeeze down the passage before reaching an open area before a door. As yet unbenownst the party, the passage is too narrow for them to head back down it.
The next room held a statue to Set that charmed Robilard, causing him to empty his backpack of the treasure found by the characters thus far. While the fighter made his impromptu donation to the forces of evil, a cleric of Set and several orcs emerged from a nearby secret door. Slazzrik held back the orcs long enough for Robilard to throw off the statue's charm. Alas, the poor lizardman fell, his head caved in by an orcish flail, but not before Robilard slew the cleric with a crossbow bolt and Frederick dashed into to finish the last orc with a lucky dagger thrust.
A search of the cleric's hidey hole yielded several sets of clerical robes, along with holy symbols of Set. Donning this attire, the adventurers headed east where they found a large chamber decorated with several murals depicting Set triumphant.
After pausing to inspect the room, they headed south. The next chamber was filled with skeletons clad in platemail. The undead formed a neat rank before the adventurers, while one clad in armor inlaid with silver strode before them. A quick parlay yielded a few important facts:
1. The undead were here to guard the entrance to the Guards' Tomb, where Kardallin's honored warriors are laid to rest.
2. The undead hate the followers of Set for infesting this area of the dungeon.
3. Seeing as the characters were wearing the vestments of priests of Set, the undead would like them to remove the robes or renounce Set. Otherwise, they'd be turned into shish-kabobs.
The adventurers, seeing the wisdom in avoiding violence, did as requested. Unfortunately, the captain of the dead was not yet finished with them. It was not enough to simply renounce Set, he declared. They had three days to find the high priest of Set on level 1, kill him, and bring his head to this room. Otherwise, the characters were cursed to a horrible death.
The PCs agreed, gathered up the robes, and fled the room.
That's where we called it a day.
I have at least two more people who want in on the game. Today was a little bad, in that we only had 30 minutes at lunch time due to a heavy workload for the next week or two. Still, we'll be playing again next week.
So far, so good. The sense of improvisation in the game, the idea that anything can happen, really made the game a lot of fun.
Here's a log of what happened. I'm trying to crank this out as quickly as possible before I forget everything that happened. So, don't expect grade A fiction prose, but I think this gets across the gist of what's going on.
Two brave adventurers set out from Port Town to delve into the depths of Kardallin's Palace, the fighting man Robilard and the magic-user Frederick. Robilard sought out the place upon hearing rumors of a cult of Set operating out of the dungeon, while Frederick's reasons were less clear. However, it is already obvious that the two enjoy an at best uneasy alliance. Robilard does not trust the magic-user to forego throwing charm person on him, while for his part Frederick seems worried that Robilard's zealous embrace of Law might lead to a conflict between the two.
Our heroes entered the dungeon and opted to head to the eastern wing of level 1, where minions of Set are said to dwell. While traveling down a wide corridor, they encountered the skeletal remains of a slain adventurer. Frederick threw a rock at the skeleton's skull to see if it concealed a tripwire, only to watch as eldritch energy spilled from the skull as it animated.
Luckily, the animated skull proved eager to talk rather than fight. It seems that the skull was that of a greedy adventurer who was cursed by Odin to rest here until an adventurer sacrificed 50 gp to the gods on the unfortunate's behalf. In return, the skull would accompany its benefactor and answer three questions about the dungeon. When this service was complete, the adventurer's spirit would finally return to Valhalla.
Frederick, much to the surprise of Robilard, happened to have 50 gp on his person and glady sacrificed it for a new ally.
The group ventured further into a dungeon, coming to a dead end passage where a number of lizard men tripped a hidden portcullis. With the party trapped, the lizards spilled from a secret door the party missed and attacked. The dice were with the adventurers, in particular Frederick's use of charm person to net himself a new ally, Slazzrik. With the lizard men defeated, Slazzrik showed the characters the hidden lever needed to open the porcullis, and away they went.
Further exploration yielded two choices: head back to the entrance and seek another path east, or travel down a narrow passage. The PCs opted for the narrow corridor. At several points the characters had to strain to squeeze down the passage before reaching an open area before a door. As yet unbenownst the party, the passage is too narrow for them to head back down it.
The next room held a statue to Set that charmed Robilard, causing him to empty his backpack of the treasure found by the characters thus far. While the fighter made his impromptu donation to the forces of evil, a cleric of Set and several orcs emerged from a nearby secret door. Slazzrik held back the orcs long enough for Robilard to throw off the statue's charm. Alas, the poor lizardman fell, his head caved in by an orcish flail, but not before Robilard slew the cleric with a crossbow bolt and Frederick dashed into to finish the last orc with a lucky dagger thrust.
A search of the cleric's hidey hole yielded several sets of clerical robes, along with holy symbols of Set. Donning this attire, the adventurers headed east where they found a large chamber decorated with several murals depicting Set triumphant.
After pausing to inspect the room, they headed south. The next chamber was filled with skeletons clad in platemail. The undead formed a neat rank before the adventurers, while one clad in armor inlaid with silver strode before them. A quick parlay yielded a few important facts:
1. The undead were here to guard the entrance to the Guards' Tomb, where Kardallin's honored warriors are laid to rest.
2. The undead hate the followers of Set for infesting this area of the dungeon.
3. Seeing as the characters were wearing the vestments of priests of Set, the undead would like them to remove the robes or renounce Set. Otherwise, they'd be turned into shish-kabobs.
The adventurers, seeing the wisdom in avoiding violence, did as requested. Unfortunately, the captain of the dead was not yet finished with them. It was not enough to simply renounce Set, he declared. They had three days to find the high priest of Set on level 1, kill him, and bring his head to this room. Otherwise, the characters were cursed to a horrible death.
The PCs agreed, gathered up the robes, and fled the room.
That's where we called it a day.
I have at least two more people who want in on the game. Today was a little bad, in that we only had 30 minutes at lunch time due to a heavy workload for the next week or two. Still, we'll be playing again next week.
So far, so good. The sense of improvisation in the game, the idea that anything can happen, really made the game a lot of fun.
