i don't know why i have this idea that anybody out there reading this blog sort of rolls their eyes when we get to another one of these dcc game posts. it's not like i even look at my blog statistics to see what's popular or not (because basically no one reads any of it), and most every post gets the same number of comments whether it's an rpg post or not (by which i mean, zero comments).
but here we are again, back in the realm of dungeon crawl classics! since before heddy got here, we've been playing akane's d&d campaign, and elle has said she's ready to get back to dragonbane whenever akane's ready for a game-mastering break. so what happens? msg goes poking his nose around the goodman games site and finds they've just released this giant mega-dungeon book called "caverns of thracia." it's a reworking of a classic olden-days d&d module from 1979 (before even msg started playing that game!), and it sure looked and sounded exciting, so we ordered ourselves up a copy and when it came i called dibs on being the judge. i was thinking, we just did that portal under the stars funnel a while back and have the 1st level characters from that. so we can have heddy roll up a level 1 character and jump into this mega-dungeon, since it says it's for level 1 and up. and then, whoosh. i started reading the dang thing.
i never played d&d back in the day (wasn't even alive back in that particular day, in fact). dungeon crawl classics, as my faithful readers know, was my first rpg. so even though dcc is a pretty brutal game, i wasn't expecting this olden-days module to be even deadlier than a normal dcc scenario!
they're totally going to get slaughtered in this thing, i became convinced the more i read. so i decided a better approach than pulling out those level 1 characters, just to off them really fast, would be to do the first bit of this dungeon as a funnel. with 7 players, they'd have 28 freaking characters at the start, so even mass casualties would leave at least a couple to escape and run back to town with their tails between their legs. then those survivors could tell the 1st level guys what they saw, and whoever goes back in will be better prepared.
so how did that work out? let's see!
Judge Claire: Okay, folks! Time for our mega-dungeon mega-cast of mega-characters who all do we have going into this pit of terror and peril?
Heddy: My four are Shemp Shuckley (a corn farmer that everyone says has terrific stats), Ham Handwarmer the halfling glovemaker (who even I can see is lacking in almost everything though not disasterously so), Groovy Glynette (a halfling dyer with much better rolls than Ham), and Azey Crates (a trapper with three 8's in her stats and a luck penalty on initiative).
Hettie: I've a guild beggar called Antwerp the Agile (who's actually got stats just shy of Shemp's), Rudy Roots (rutabega farmer with exceptional hit points), Tandy Tunely the Minstrel, and Noir Mehl (a startlingly smart armorer whose low hit points probably won't be helped by her luck bonus on saves against traps).
Akane: Mine are: Kindly Minely (a dwarf who mines and has extraordinary fistiness of +4 for unarmed attacking), Pestra Poorshot (who is a hunter so poor at shooting due to unagile), Beryl Offun (a cooper, which i learned is a barrel maker, so low in hit points but extreme in personability), and Nanda No-toes, a clumsy woodcutter of awful luck and penalty on receiving magic healing).
Ariel: I've got a fortune teller called Ruri Media. She's great! And she has fortune-telling cards! Then there's Granny Grains (whoosh, only 1 hit point for this rice farmer), Vinnie Velo (an urchin! 5 big hit points! super lucky!), and Short Ensimple (another dwarven miner. what? he's got hit points and not too much else).
Elle: I'll start with the somewhat worrisomely named Nora Hemlock (an armorer, okay overall, good hit points), Mendi Mageworth (18 intelligence on this mendicant, but will she live to become a mage?), Imlero Nh (my second armorer and the group's third, hmm. solid in pretty much everything but the brains department), and Lea Chandler, a weak, clumsy, rude, unlucky outlaw.
Sasha: Here come some more duplicate ocupacions! Stubbly Stamps is a dwarven miner, Buspar Tiedy is a ropemaker with sad stats everywhere but personality and stamina, Stumbly Stamps -- you guessed it, another dwarven miner, so I made her Stubbly's sister, and Connie Tistra, a strong con artist who sucks at most everything but strength.
MSG: I've got Carson Quickfoot (a mendicant with a 40' speed from his lucky sign), Noor Ratchet (dwarven rat catcher, solid and stolid), Brandy Aidt (a weak elven navigator with okay intelligence and luck), and Chopper Glaive (a 5-hit-point butcher).
Judge Claire: Wow, that's a big crew.
MSG: This is a re-do of a '70s D&D module though, right? I'm betting we burn through these guys pretty fast.
Judge Claire: No spoilers, but also no argument from the Judge on that. Okay! The over-two-dozen of you are villagers from a town some miles away from a disreputable wilderness where there are supposedly some ancient ruins. You're in the local pub one day when some adventurers come into town and start telling tales of their adventures in a portal under the stars.
Hettie: Or possibly mis-adventures?
Judge Claire: Only the survivors made it here, so they spin it as pretty adventuresome. At any rate, you hang on their every word and decide that that's exactly the life for you! Those old ruins are half a day's march from here, and suddenly you feel like they're just calling for you to take that hike and delve into them for treasure. You follow a series of landmarks you've heard about in all the tales until you reach the crumbled remnants of an ancient road, weedy and shot through with high grass, leading directly into a dense, dark forest. What do you do? Oh, but first everybody write your characters' marching order down so we know who's in front.
Heddy: That sounds ominous. Do you want our order from 1 to 28? Or just our order within our own four characters?
Elle: It usually goes 1 to 4 for your own characters.
Judge Claire: Yep, that's it.
Heddy: Done. Anyone object to pushing on into the woods on this road?
Hettie: It seems anticlimactic to make an about face and hike another half-day home out of last-minute fretfulness.
MSG: And probably unwise to blunder into the trackless woods instead of taking the road.
Judge Claire: All right, then. Darkness closes in around you as the thick boughs overhead shut out the sunlight. It's dim and quiet and smells of earth and old leaves as you move in under the trees. The tension is thick initially, but the longer you make your way through shadowy woods, the less your nerves maintain their jitters. Mileage may vary by character, of course. Then! About ten minutes into the woods ... the front-liner with the highest luck needs to make an Intelligence roll to see if you notice something.
Heddy: 8.
Hettie: 14 here.
Akane: It's 5 for Nanda No-toes.
Ariel: Granny has a 13. Whew! I'm glad it's worse than Hetty's because Granny's pretty dumb.
Elle: A woeful 4 for my outlaw.
Sasha: Buspar's a 7.
MSG: 11 for me.
Judge Claire: Hettie's up, then.
Hettie: Noir rolls a total of 7, showcasing once again my superlative affinity for the dice.
Judge Claire: Your opponents roll pretty badly too.
Ariel: Opponents? Uh-oh!
Judge Claire: From the darkness ahead lumber four burly, rough-furred humanoids with the ears and snouts of hyenas! It's a patrol of gnolls, armed with polearms! Roll initiative! Heddy, in a 0-level funnel, that's a d20 plus the highest Agility modifier among your characters.
Heddy: 16, then.
Hettie: 11 for me
Akane: It's 9.
Ariel: Me too! 9!
Elle: 18.
Sasha: Nice. 11 for me.
MSG: A big, fat 1 here.
Judge Claire: Wow, MSG. Not one of your characters has an initiative bonus?
MSG: Nope.
Judge Claire: All right then. Elle, your group is up.
Elle: Lea is up front and Chaotic. She'll rush the lead gnoll and slash at it with her sword. Big miss. Imlero is neutral and not bright, so she'll follow Lea's lead. Aha -- that's a crit.
Sasha: Even nicer! The dice are on fire for you tonight, Elle!
Elle: Don't jinx me. d4, for 0 levellers, right? That's a stunning crack to the forehead. +d3 damage and the foe falls to the bottom of the initiative count next round. 7 points total from my club. What the hell, I'll say Mendi is emboldened by this stunning success and rushes to attack the stunned gnoll. 13 to hit.
Judge Claire: That is in fact a hit.
Elle: 4 more points.
Judge Claire: It's still up.
Elle: Nora is not emboldened, and hangs well back out of polearm reach.
Judge Claire: Heddy is next, then.
Heddy: Is there a penalty for firing into melee?
Hettie: Yes, and a miss is highly likely to kill one of our characters.
Heddy: Got it. Azey Crates will unlimber her sling and go for one of the other gnolls. But she misses by a mile. Ham charges in with his dagger to stab at the injured gnoll. Misses by even more than a mile. Glynette will try her staff on it as well if there's room.
Judge Claire: There is, but she's the last who'll be able to crowd into position.
Heddy: 13 was a hit before, so I assume it still is? Only 2 points of damage, sadly.
Judge Claire: Sash or Hettie.
Hettie: I'll defer to someone likely to roll better.
Sasha: Okay, let's see if that's me. Buspar goes for one of the next gnolls ... 15! Pretty good. Assuming this guy's not tougher than the last -- damage is 2. Connie tries to dagger the same one. But she sucks. My dwarves will play it safe this round.
Hettie: I'm next then? Antwerp has a sling and will fire on one of the unengaged fellows. A clear miss. Noir has a 16 intelligence and only 1 hit point, so she'll leave the valor to someone else this round. Rudy dashes up to take a stab with his spear. Ah, an 18 hits, I assume, and damage is ... 4
Judge Claire: Was that on the one Antwerp fired at? Or the one Buspar hit?
Hettie: Strategy would suggest the one already wounded, but honest compels me to admit I assumed I was attacking the same one Antwerp did. Tandy will gang up on that one as well, but with a mere 7 to hit.
Judge Claire: Akane or Ariel is next, then.
Ariel: You can go, I don't mind!
Akane: Very polite! However, also safer -- but I don't mistrust a girlfriend like Ariel. Pestra will unleash an arrow at the one not yet in combat. Very missly. Nanda hurries with a handaxe to attack the opponent of Rudy and Tandy. Beryl sees the poor effort of Nanda and tries to do better. Unsuccessful! Kindly Minely will exert prudence this round.
Ariel: So my turn now? Granny goes for the one Buspar and Connie attacked. Boo. Vinnie tries next ... swish. Can Short squeeze in on one of the ones already ganged up on?
Judge Claire: The melee is pretty thick at this point. I'll say you can fit in to attack the same one your other characters went for.
Ariel: 13! That's a hit, right? 3 points of damage! That's all for me.
Judge Claire: The gnolls go. Who's got the worst luck out of Lea, Imlero, Mendi, Ham, and Glynette?
Elle: That's Lea -- unless someone else is worse than a 4.
Judge Claire: The lead gnoll attacks you with a 10.
Elle: Shockingly, it misses. I have a bad agility but as an outlaw, I'm in leather armor, so my AC is 11.
Judge Claire: All right then -- what about Buspar, Connie, Granny, Vinnie, and Short?
Sasha: Anybody worse than Buspar's 7? No? It's me then.
Judge Claire: It misses with a 2. Rudy, Tandy, Nanda, and Beryl?
Akane: All my characters but a mining dwarf are so low in luck. Beryl has only 4.
Judge Claire: 17. Damage is --
Akane: Also, she is unlucky enough to have only 1 hit point. No need to roll damage.
Ariel: Aw!
Elle: Not to be insensitive, though, but our experience take just went up for this fight.
Sasha: Yes!
Judge Claire: The last gnoll goes for Lea, then, since I know she's got bad luck too. Or maybe not, since it misses her. MSG, it's your turn.
MSG: Damn. That one attacking Lea means they're all in combat now, so Brandy can't use her shortbow. Chopper will try to get into the hole where Beryl went down. That's a 12.
Judge Claire: A miss, unfortunately.
MSG: Damn. Noor goes for the uninjured one then. Nice, 17! 2 whole points of damage.
Judge Claire: Hey, better than 0 points. Top of the initiative order -- Elle.
Elle: Lea tries to take down this leader gnoll. I roll a 14 --
Sasha: Yes!
Elle: -- but my strength is 4, so that makes it a 12.
Sasha: Erf! Sorry about that.
Elle: Imlero gives it a try ... 15 this time, for 3 points of damage.
Judge Claire: It's tottering but still on its feet.
Elle: Mendi rolls an 11. Over to you, Heddy.
Heddy: Maybe Ham can get his dagger into this guy and finish him off. Nope. Glynette's our last shot then. 11. At least that guy's last in the initiative this round, though.
Hettie: Yes, but no one else can squeeze into that pack.
Elle: I love your confidence that the other three gnolls won't kill anyone this round.
Heddy: I wasn't trying to say it quite that bluntly, but that is what I meant.
Hettie: These games have really sparked your bloodlust, haven't they?
Heddy: I feel goaded by that. My corn farmer rushes in to help Noor fight that gnoll she's the only one attacking. He spears it with -- only a 9. I hope that wasn't a fatal mistake.
Hettie: You can blame me if you need to, darling.
Sasha: My turn? Dwarves to the rescue! Stubbly and Stumbly go for the one Mr. Corn just missed. Miss for Stubbly, hit for Stumbly. Don't get your hopes up, though -- she's got - 2 on damage rolls from bad luck. 1 point. Buspar goes for the one he's been on ... miss. Same for Connie.
Hettie: Rudy tries to spear his opponent. 19, fantastic. Maximum damage of 8.
Judge Claire: It's totes dead.
Hettie: Does that make room for Tandy to get around and flank the leader?
Judge Claire: No, but you can go for the one Buspar and the others are attacking.
Hettie: I miss anyway. That's it for my troupe this round. Akane?
Akane: Has Nanda room to arrive at another opponent?
Judge Claire: Yes, the one on Noor, Shemp, and the dwarf siblings.
Akane: A roll of poorness. Could Kindly find someone to punch?
Judge Claire: Really? Unarmed combat? You can also fit in the tussle Noor and Nanda are in.
Akane: I have +4 with fists because of a lucky sign: raised by wolves. My total is 16. For damage, 5 points.
Judge Claire: That kills it. Ariel, your turn.
Ariel: Okaysies. Granny spears at hers ... miss-ola! Short misses it too ... but Vinnie hits! 4 points!
Judge Claire: Dead as well.
Ariel: Yes! So, with all those guys dead, there's gotta be room around the leader, right?
Judge Claire: I'll say yes.
Ariel: Ruri's going for it, then. 16!
Judge Claire: It had one hit point left, so it's dead.
Ariel: Yay!
Judge Claire: A fatality in the fight means the survivors get 3 xp each.
Heddy: I'm guessing it takes a lot fewer experience points to go up a level in this game than in D&D.
Hettie: Significantly fewer.
Akane: I am remembering 10 from the other game of Dungeon Crawling Classics that we played.
Judge Claire: Right. But in this case, I'm giving you advance notice that nobody is leveling up while we've still got more than seven characters going. If you hit 10 xp, you can send some guys back to town to level up and press on with the rest, but we're not leveling up 16 characters to tromp through the dungeon as 1st level adventurers.
Ariel: I don't know ... that sounds kind of fun to me!
Sasha: Yeah!
MSG: The down side is that it takes a lot of work to level up to first.
Ariel: Sure, but it's fun and cool!
Judge Claire: All right ... well, um ... let's see how it goes then. No sense debating all this when you might lose 12 characters in the next fight anyway.
Akane: My characters become wary if a next fight will kill twelve. We should sneak carefully and go around this next fight to the fight after that.
Elle: I don't think it works that way, but sneaking carefully is never really a bad idea in this game.
Sasha: Sneak mode! Let's go!
Judge Claire: Are you sure? Sneak mode will be slow, so I'll actually be rolling for more encounters that way.
Hettie: I vote that we just proceed without further speculative digression.
Elle: Seconded.
Judge Claire: You continue on, then. Ten minutes further into the jungle ... oop.
Akane: Is this an "oop" of more encountering?
Judge Claire: Yeah, that's two sixes in a row on the encounter die. To be honest, I only rolled because I figured it would probably not be an encounter. Since Noir is still alive and I assume up front, Hettie needs to make another Intelligence check to see what she sees or hears.
Hettie: Tremendously better this time. 19.
Judge Claire: Up ahead, you see four giant rats devouring something in the underbrush just off the road.
Hettie: I will pantomime a bow and arrow shot and point to the rats to give our ranged attackers a round of surprise.
Judge Claire: All right, everyone who has a ranged weapon can take a shot.
Heddy: Azey Crates has a sling, but I'm sure a 7 misses.
Hettie: Let's see if Antwerp can do any better. 13.
Judge Claire: Hit!
Hettie: Only 3 points though. I would be shooting at the biggest one.
Judge Claire: It's still alive then.
Akane: Pestra's arrowing is a success this time, since 17 is more than 13. I am shooting the large rat of previous injury, for 6 points.
Judge Claire: Now it's dead.
MSG: Brandy takes aim with her shortbow and hits for 4 points on the next largest one.
Judge Claire: The other three all seem about the same size. 4 points kills the one you hit. Initiative time!
Heddy: 13
Hettie: I get an 18 thanks to Antwerp being "the Agile."
Akane: Only 6 here.
Ariel: 15 for me!
Elle: Another 18. My characters are getting proactive this game.
Sasha: 18 for me too! Charge!
MSG: 17 for me.
Judge Claire: Who's up first for the 18's?
Hettie: Strategically, I recommend letting Antwerp go first with her sling.
Sasha: No objections here!
Elle: I'm good with it.
Hettie: A miss with an 8. Noir, Tandy, and Rudy will all gang up on one of the remaining rats. 17 from Noir for 3 points.
Judge Claire: Dead.
Hettie: Rudy and Tandy spend their round making sure of that, then. Elle? Sasha?
Elle: I'll go. Lea makes a run at the last rat. Misses. Mendi tries to do better ... and does with a 10. Is that a hit? If not, Imlero gets an 18 and does a minimum of 3.
Judge Claire: Mendi swings and misses, but Imlero kills the rat. No one got injured or expended any resources, though, so no xp.
MSG: Does that mean I get my arrow back? If not, it's a resource expenditure, right?
Judge Claire: I wasn't planning to track ammunition for 0 level characters. Do you want me to?
MSG: Let me double-check how many it says come with the bow. Looking ... looking ... okay, the answer is no, let's not track ammunition.
Judge Claire: Good. Not long after the rat encounter --
Sasha: Wait!
Judge Claire: Yes?
Sasha: What were the rats eating? If it's some dude, does he have anything on him?
Judge Claire: Ten percent chance it was a dude. If so, ten percent chance he's got something worthwhile on him. You can roll, since you had the idea to look.
Sasha: Woohoo! No, woo-foo. I roll 86, so it's not even a dude.
Heddy: You literally 86'ed your own idea.
Judge Claire: Moving on ... another ten minutes venturing ahead -- really? I need to stop rolling this encounter die or you'll never get to the dungeon. Three 6's in a row! All right, Hettie, roll your Intelligence check while I see what this one is.
Hettie: Even better this time. Noir gets a 21.
Judge Claire: The creature rolls okay, so you don't surprise it. But it's really slow, so it's going last anyway. Ahead of you on the road, you see a 10' by 10' heap of primeval slime oozing its way along the road. With your 21 check, you notice that wherever it oozes across the grassy tufts jutting between the stones of the road, they hiss and dissolve. We'll keep the previous initiative since we barely used it and the creature is going last anyway.
Heddy: Can our ranged attackers all go first instead of being broken up across our individual initiatives?
Hettie: I'm for that.
Judge Claire: I'll allow it.
Hettie: Antwerp also gets a 21 on her to hit roll, then. Assuming that's not a miss, damage is 5 points.
Judge Claire: The sling stone strikes it with a "ploop!" and seems not to do a ton of damage.
Ariel: Uh-oh.
MSG: Brandy fires her shortbow. Does an 11 hit?
Judge Claire: Yes.
MSG: 3 points.
Judge Claire: It seems to do less than that. Also, roll an Intelligence check.
MSG: Natural 20. Seems like a waste of a crit roll ...
Judge Claire: Maybe, maybe not. You notice that where your arrow stuck into the thing, the arrowhead is corroding and melting. The shaft of the arrow is not, though.
MSG: I'll warn everybody that this thing seems to eat metal.
Heddy: Azey rolls an 18 with her sling for 2 points of damage.
Judge Claire: Another "ploop," but I just realized slings do bludgeoning damage not piercing. So you and Antwerp both do full damage. Brandy's still doesn't seem to have had as much of an effect as it should have.
Akane: The shortbow of Pestra twangs hopefully ... but failingly with a 9. Unless 9 hits a slow-moving slime?
Judge Claire: Nope.
Hettie: Noir suggest that if this thing really is all that slow, we should back up and just keep lobbing missile fire at it. My other characters follow her advice.
Akane: This advice sounds superior. I accept it.
Ariel: Me too!
Elle: I'm willing to try that strategy. Hopefully it's not just a slow-to-react but lightning-fast leaper.
Judge Claire: Anyone breaking ranks to rush it? No? Then on its turn, it oozes forward by 10 feet. It's much too slow to catch you if you stick to Noir's idea, so your slings eventually do it in. If we were tracking ammo, Brandy's slime-eaten arrow would be an expenditure of resources, but we're not, so it's not. Another no-xp encounter, guys. A short way beyond the slime's sickly, dissipating goo, you see sunlight streaming down on the road -- looks like a substantial gap or clearing in the trees ahead.
Heddy: Let's hurry before Claire decides there's no way her encounter die will roll four 6's in a row.
Hettie: Affirmed.
Judge Claire: Approaching the sunny area, you see that with light to help it grow, the grass upon the road is rank and high -- easily waist-high in most spots.
Heddy: What's that to a halfling, then? Over our heads?
Judge Claire: Yes. You and the dwarves too. Since this is an unusually short party, your vision is pretty restricted. As you reach the edge of the wood, the taller characters see that the forest is broken to the left by a stone foundation strewn with rubble, so old and decayed that it has a few trees growing through it. It looks like this, with the arrow being your line of sight:
Elle: As an outlaw, Lea is thinking this looks like a good place for an ambush. Any chance she can use her criminal skills to sneak closer and look around without getting spotted by whoever might be lurking around the ruins?
Judge Claire: Sure.
Elle: My roll is a 14.
Judge Claire: When you peer out from the edge of the high grass, you see six gnolls apparently standing watch, including one of them that looks pretty large, like the big guy you fought before -- and one who looks even tougher. That last one has a longsword. All the others have battleaxes.
Elle: Okay. Here's my plan to fuck with these guys. All our melee characters hide in the trees to the sides of the road where it's still shady. Our ranged people sneak up, unload on the longsword guy, and retreat back along the road. I'll sneak back to the group and let them know. Do I need to roll again?
Judge Claire: No, the watch-gnolls looked really inattentive. Like a one on the d20 inattentive. Does the group like this plan?
Heddy: Sounds great to me.
Hettie: I'm in.
Akane: I have a concern. What if our firers of distance weaponry are less stealthy than Lea the outlaw? A step on some twig or stick could leave them in danger of gnolling. Pestra says this because she is very unlucky.
Elle: How about this, then? Any archers or slingers who aren't feeling lucky stay back on the road well past the spot where we've got our ambush set.
MSG: That's even better.
Heddy: I agree. Unfortunately, Azey Crates is pretty unlucky and not very smart either, on top of being Chaotic. So she feels fine about participating.
Judge Claire: All right. In that case, who has the worst Luck out of everyone going up to shoot?
Heddy: Azey's is 8.
Hettie: 14 for Antwerp.
MSG: 15 for Brandy.
Judge Claire: Then Azey needs to make a Luck check. Heddy, roll the d20 and try to get under your 8.
Heddy: Nope. That's an 18.
Judge Claire: As you approach the firing position, then, you stumble on a rock and really hurt your toes, which makes you cry out reflexively. There's an immediate bark of alertness in the gnoll language from the direction of the ruins. Everyone roll initiative, I'll map this out.
Heddy: Sorry everyone. Even better, I roll a 2.
Hettie: Another 18.
Akane: Exceptional rolling for you tonight, girlfriend Hettie! My attempt ... only 7.
Ariel: 21! Woohoosies!
Elle: A spectacular 20 for me.
Sasha: 6.
Judge Claire: Ariel, you're up first.
Ariel: I'm just waiting for them to come to us!
Elle: Same here.
Hettie: Likewise, except that Antwerp will fire her sling and retreat, assuming I have line of sight. 16 to hit.
Judge Claire: Minus 2 for medium range on a sling makes it 14, which misses the big guy.
Hettie: Yikes.
MSG: Brandy fires her shortbow. If I'm at medium range too, that's a 16. And I'm rolling damage, because if a 16 misses, we're all screwed. Uff. 1 point.
Judge Claire: Again, that's better than zero points. Akane, it's your turn, since the gnolls still haven't moved.
Akane: My characters remain ambushly.
Judge Claire: The gnolls charge. The big leader is fast. He gets all the way to Azey, but that consumes his action, so he can't strike. Everyone with initiative 7 or higher who was holding can get a free action for surprise before the next round begins. Ariel first.
Ariel: Granny goes in with her spear! 18! Only 3 points, though. Vinnie tries to club him! 16! 4 more points! Ruri stays hidden to maybe get a second wave of surprise. Elle's next, right?
Elle: Right as ray-guns. Lea moves up to this underling gnoll and slices at it with her shortsword. That's a 16 ... for 1 point. Imlero heads up to the leader. Club smash -- only a 14. I'll spend a point of luck and hope that's good enough.
Judge Claire: It is.
Elle: Nice. But minimum damage of 3. Mendi will reposition to here, and Nora follows Ruri's lead to stay in the reserves. I'll hand it off to you, Het.
Hettie: Noir can get to the leader, just barely. But misses as expected. Rudy uses his movement and action to get into place behind the big guy. Tandy will position herself to attack next round.
MSG: Noor and Chopper advance to be able to reach combat next round. Brandy already went, and Carson will do the whole second-line-of-attack thing.
Judge Claire: Akane?
Akane: Nanda is able to reach this gnoll number 2, and so, attacks. A miss. Pestra advances to shoot at the large but not leader gnoll ... also a miss. Kindly Miner repositions closer to battle.
Judge Claire: Okay, back to initiative order. Sasha is next.
Sasha: Looks like Buspar will fit in right here to dagger the leader, Connie can get behind gnoll number two, and my dwarves will move their stubby little legs to get ready for next round. Dagger! Nope. Dagger! Dammit. Okay, I'm done.
Heddy: That just leaves me, right? Azey already went, and Ham and Groovy are shorties, so they'll just reposition closer to the action.
Judge Claire: Whew! New round, then. Aers is up.
Ariel: Looks like I'm just attacking this leader guy. Granny-spear! Swish. Dwarf-club! Swishity-swish. Aannd ... urchin-power! Yes, Vinnie gets a 17. That'll be 4 points of damage.
Judge Claire: He's looking pretty bruised. Elle?
Elle: Lea will will slice the shit out of this gnoll number 2. 13 to hit for 3 points of damage. Imlero is next on the leader with a 13 to hit. Bummer. Mendi comes clubbing on gnoll number 2 with a 13 for 3 more points.
Judge Claire: Gnoll number 2 goes down.
Elle: Nora's still playing it safe. Het?
Hettie: Noir tries to smack the leader, misses. Rudy tries to spear him, same. Antwerp will move up and sling gnoll number 1, since he's still unengaged. Miss. That leaves Tandy to boldly circle over here and gouge big bad number 2. 15 hits, and a nice 4 points of damage.
MSG: Me next? Noor goes for BBN2 as well. But misses. Chopper heads up to gnoll number 1. 16 hits for pff, 1 point. Brandy's kind of ticked that Chopper didn't wait for her to shoot first, but she's lawful, so she doesn't go for the shot and risk hitting him. She'll reposition to here though because the word was there were 6 gnolls and we've only seen 4 so far. I'm done.
Judge Claire: Akane?
Akane: Nanda moves to strike gnoll number 1. 13 hits, yes? Damage of 4 points. Pestra follows the lead of Brandy. Kindly Minely moves to punch the large-size gnoll here. 14 to hit, and 3 to damage.
Judge Claire: Gnolls' turn! Numbers 3 and 4 move in and engage, but it takes their whole turn to get there. Gnoll leader is pissed off. Let me see the character sheets of everyone in his reach. Looks like Buspar and then Azey have the worst luck. Sword to Buspar. 14! Minimum damage is 4
Sasha: Ouch. So long, Buspar.
Judge Claire: Second attack.
Heddy: Second attack!?
Judge Claire: Longsword to Azey. Hit.
Heddy: Also no way I can take that.
Judge Claire: Big bad second in command goes for Tandy. Does a 9 hit?
Hettie: Just barely not.
Judge Claire: That leaves gnoll number 1, who chops air with his battleaxe. Sash, you're up.
Sasha: I'll move here, here, and here, and then Connie daggers gnoll number 1 for a hit and 3 points.
Judge Claire: Dead.
Sasha: So then Stumbly clubs at the secondary leader ... hit! 2 points!
Judge Claire: Heddy?
Heddy: Ham can get to the vice gnoll, and Groovy moves closer to the action with gnoll 3. A miss from Ham.
Ariel: My turn! It's Grannytime! Natural crit 20! Go, granny! And I get a 4 on the die plus my luck for 5 on the crit table. What's that?
Judge Claire: Solid strike to torso, plus 1d6 on this attack. Could be the end of gnoll leader ...
Ariel: 12 points!
Judge Claire: He goes down hard.
Ariel: Yes! I can still move now that he's dead, right? I'll Granny-rush number 4 for next round. Then Short heads up here and Vinnie urchins his way over to number 3. Club! Only a 12, which misses I guess.
Elle: My non-lurkers move into combat here, here, and here. Imlero clubs the secondary gnoll -- with a crit. Only a 1 on the table, though.
Judge Claire: Add 1d3.
Elle: 5 points. Another minimum damage disappointment.
Judge Claire: So close, too -- he looks like he's in really bad shape.
Elle: Lea tries to finish him off, then. That's a miss. Over to you, Het.
Hettie: Noir and Rudy try to do some damage to number 3. Noir hits for 2, Rudy misses. That's all for me.
MSG: In that case, Noor the rat catcher goes for the second-string leader and misses. Chopper attacks gnoll 4 with a 17 for 2.
Judge Claire: Akane's turn.
Akane: Only Nanda can reach an enemy this round. Her roll is 15 and damage of 2 on gnoll 4.
Judge Claire: Gnolls attack! Leader B goes for Lea. Hits. Damage is 3.
Elle: That's enough. Lea coughs blood and dies.
Judge Claire: Gnoll 3 attacks Rudy. Crit. Let's see what the table says ... oh, not too bad. Assuming you live, you're swept off your feet and prone next round. Damage, though, is 8.
Hettie: Rudy is definitely prone next round. As well as all the rounds thereafter.
Judge Claire: Gnoll 4 goes for Nanda. Whoop, it fumbles ... and trips itself prone. Sasha?
Sasha: Gnoll 4 gets Connienatored! 21 to hit! Max damage 6! Leader B gets Stumbly-Stamped! Er, no, Stumbly goes fumbly. That's a 5 of the fumble table.
Judge Claire: You fall prone.
Sasha: Whew, I'll take it. Stubbly comes running to help his sis ... miss. Sorry, Sis.
Heddy: All right. Ham hacks at leader number 2. Miss. Glynette misses with her staff too. Since Azey's dead and Shemp is lurking down the road, that's it for me.
Judge Claire: Back to the top of the initiative order, then. Ariel, take it away.
Ariel: Okay, if Granny moves here and Short moves here, we can all gang up on this number 3 guy. You're about to get Grannyfied, number 3 guy! Woohoo! Another crit! And my crit roll is 5 again! An extra d6, right? 7 points!
Judge Claire: He's up but on his last legs.
Ariel: Then here's some Shortification! Well, that didn't work as well. I miss. But I've still got Vinnie. Urchin! Nope, 10.
Elle: It looks like my only character who can attack without crowd-surfing is Imlero. That's a roll of 18, total of 20 --
Judge Claire: One hit point left. It's dead.
Hettie: On my round, Noir attempts to club the first-mate gnoll ... exceptional! I get a crit.
Judge Claire: Wasted because he was also on his last hit point. Multiple fatalities means everyone gets 4 xp this time around. And if no one objects, I think this is a good spot to end the session.
Heddy: I'm pretty worn-out with all the fighting, so that's fine by me. Is it my imagination, or is there a lot more fighting in this game?
Akane: Much more than with a D&D game run by a novice in Dungeon Mastery. But also I think a little more than the other DCC game we played. That one, lots of traps on top of fights. Also, weird, creepy, and puzzling things.
MSG: This is an update to a '70s D&D module, and those were very combat oriented in a lot of cases. But I'll also point out that three of the fights tonight were just bad luck on the encounter die. I see some stairs down on that map, so we'll find out the truth of it once we get down in the dungeon, I'm guessing.
Judge Claire: No spoilers from me!
Heddy: I wasn't complaining by the way. Just observing and hoping for fewer random encounters next time, I suppose.
Ariel: I had fun! Good job, Claire! You're always the best game master ... I mean, except when someone else is being the best game master. I mean ... you know what I mean!
Judge Claire: Definitely. And thank you!
until next time, then, dear readers!
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