Well, here we go - with the conclusion of Tim's Scorn campaign, our band of cretins are running rotating one-shots. I got short straw to run first. Joe's out with his own projects, so we recruited one of our "loyal viewers" to join the frivolity.
The game: Shadowdark. The scenario: Kabrel's Tower
The miscreants:
- Mike: Beregar, Sea Wolf; Aran, Halfling Thief
- Tim: Mire, Elf Mage
- Paul: Ignatius, Human Priest
Opened the session in my usual one-shot ritual: Random Hats! Along with a few character questions.
I initiated the scene with a deceased mutant being brought in by farmer Mordecai to the sheriff. The party, of course, was recruited to investigate.
They accompanied Mordecai to his farmstead, where he reported that the mutant's companions had absconded with a couple of farmhands. Mordecai's wife and son emerged from their home, relieved that he had safely returned. The party stayed the night, and was fed by the missus. Wulfram, a stout boy of 15, volunteered to guide the party.
Leading them along an abandoned trade road, the party spotted a figure on horseback. Aran diverted into the woods to flank.
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| sup, yo. |
The figure disappeared, reappearing with a few companions, most with obvious 'changes.' Plus, Naked Dude. Who charged Ignatius.
Ignatius, not wanting whatever the fellow was offering, dodged. And Beregar split the fellow asunder, taking some acidic blood damage...
Aran realized that the horse was not normal, and shot at it instead of the rider. The rider cast a spell on himself and encouraged his mooks. The horse bit Aran on the head.
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| Mynd you, hørse bites Kan be pretti nasti... |
The party managed to fend off the baddies, and Mire slept two of them. With that, the leader disappeared with a curse.
The party awakened and questioned one mook, who claimed fealty to Medeg, a Chaos goddess. The mutations were gifts from the goddess to make him more perfect. Ok. Mr. Pinchy. Ignatius attempted to coerce more information out of him at the point of a sword, and the zealot responded by thrusting himself onto the blade...
A mysterious vial of viscous pink fluid was recovered from one of the bodies, and Mire was able to identify it as a healing salve of some type. Aran, heavily injured by nasty horse bites, risked it, and after some smoking and hissing, was healed, although with a hairless, pink scar.
The party trailed the horse and rider to an abandoned tower, of course. A guard was spotted on top, which led to an involved discussion on approach/incursion strategies. The discussion was interrupted by the original baddie sending a couple of mooks out to patrol. In spite of 'bat ears' the mutants didn't hear the party, and were shanked.
With this, Mire attempted to approach the tower, sleep on his mind. He was spotted, but fortunately Ignatius one shotted the remaining guard.
The party grappled to the top of the tower, went through the guard's pockets, and Aran crept down to reconnoiter the ground level. The room was quiet outside of a glowing disc on a column. This disc was investigated, and although Aran put up a good effort, it was removed, but not without damage.
Down we go.
Into the rooms below, the party crept. Aran listened at the door, hearing something shuffling on the other side. Ok, on three.
One, two... door opens. Hi, what are you guys doing?
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| welcome wagon |
Toby the Ogre squinted at them – are you big brains, too? You don't look like them. “Oh, of course we are.” and where are the big brains? Oh, down there. They are giving people baths. They want to give me a bath, too. But I don't want a bath...
Do you want to wrestle? No thanks. Really? Oh ok. Sad ogre. He goes back to watching the door. The party is followed by the sounds of sighing.
Party explores onward. Tracks were found across the floor of the caverns to rooms and down a corridor. Mire alarms a door in case of baddies.
Downward, and in the next chamber, a faceless, overly-muscled mutated dwarf attacks the party. Definitely signs of having taken a bath...
Into the next corridor, which looped down. A defaced statue caught the party's eye, which allowed them to be surprised and challenged by a heavily armored (and tentacled) guard. Fortunately, his blows went wide, and the party bum-rushed him.
The chants of the remaining baddies were heard, calling on Medeg to bring her twisted gifts upon new “recruits.”
Apparently it was bath time.
The party rushed in, surprising the bad guys as they tossed a few bound captives into a pool, tinted to unnatural colors by alchemical means. Mire attempted a sleep, which was effective on one of the four. Their old nemesis responded with a choking cloud of spores, temporarily disabling Aran and Beregar. One of the foes whacked Ignatius with a mace via elastic limbs. These mutations were annoying. Battle closed.
The party had minor success, and Aran and Beregar were able to extricate themselves from the cloud and shake off its choking effects. Mire fell, and was forgotten in the scrum. Ignatius managed to drag the kidnapping victims from the water, and one of the baddies fell, although the remaining two were found to be annoyingly resistant to dying. They eventually fled, shouting curses behind themselves.
The three victims were made of stout stuff, and none had yet succumbed to the effects of the “bath.” Ignatius was not so lucky, and (roll) became Chewbacca-level hirsute.
Words were said over Mire, and loot retrieved from the fallen foes.
DM Notes:
A fun run and revisit to Kabrel's Tower. I'd attempted to make the scenario a bit more cohesive, as I'd forgotten elements in prior runs,. I think it worked better. Mike did suggest that I get into the meat of the scenario more quickly, as a one-shot. I agree, I'm just not good at starting in media res, or at least without a bit of run-up. Something to work on.
Naked Dude is always disturbing...
And this was the first party to not take up Toby's offer to wrestle. Toby has a sad.
The last battle was a slog, with poor rolls on both sides, other than one PC death... It gave the baddies a chance to flee to end the battle. In a campaign, we now have recurring nemeses.
This was the first time I had ever run an online game. So, why not do it live... I kept it bare-bones, no tokens, no lighting, just reveal rooms like I would at an IRL table. Thankfully I had patient players, ha.
Tonight is the home campaign, and tomorrow we roll up on a one-shot helmed by Paul. Should be interesting...
Paul's upcoming session (7 EST) can be seen here:
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