Session 15 Downtime: I Didn't Choose the Hench Life...It Chose ME!

 

I decide henchman and mercenary recruiting costs will be doubled for all Bros henceforth due to Bloody Brogallo's reputation ("He'll make you rich...but your blood will soak the gold!").

Since the Bros are starting to approach upper levels, I'm going to make use of reaction rolls to decide their respective courses of action, when required.

There's lots of activity in this downtime session - let's dive in!

Blastikus

• Blastiboy decides it's time to stake out a piece of turf for himself. He begins fortifying and expanding the Obsidian Citadel as shown below. He's going to make it look like Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça, but more Lovecraftian cuz, you know, "the stars are right" etc, etc. 
• (11) Stone buildings (barracks and storehouses)
• (4) 200ft Curtain walls with battlements
• (4) Bastion walls with battlements
• Siege engines will be added after wall construction is complete
  
  
• Blastikus is an impatient sort, so he pays the upcharge of 50% to double construction speed (DMG pg 106). He further sweetens the pot by offering the laborers settlement rights in the surrounding area. A reaction roll of 95% plus his 10% Charisma bonus means the laborers are more than willing to accept terms, especially after seeing how easily the mage and friends cleaned out the tower. This is definitely safer than being Hobgoblin playthings in the western cities. Everything will be ready by 1 October 2025 due to his generous terms. This gives Blastikus some time to get more loot and continue his research.
  
  
• He assigns Methikles the task of continual brewing of Potions of Extra Healing. One potion will be available every week at a cost of 400gp per dose. After Methikles builds up a reserve, Blastikus will re-evaluate what the next project will be.
  
  
• Ever the pragmatist, Blastikus is getting nervous with the potential hostiles and the fact that Johnny Crush was obliterated by the now deceased windwalker. He makes a trip to Tallow Watch, recruits some new henchmen and puts them under Jack Stabby's command.
  
  
• The mage's new minions are:
• Jack Stabby, L4 half-orc fighter (LE)
• Johnny Smash L1 half-orc Fighter (LE); Equipped from KIA gear
• Denzel Ramondo L1 Fighter (CE); Equipped from KIA gear
• Dexiu L1 Cleric (CE); Equipped from KIA gear
  
  
• Blastikus decides that the loot on the treasure map isn't worth his time, but it would go a long way towards appeasing the new recruits (and toughening them up a bit in the process). He gives the map to Jack Stabby and tells him to run the expedition as he wishes. He then sends the hench-bros to hex 312.309 and tells them to scout along the way and report back. We'll check in on them in the next session.

Brogallo

• Bloody Brogallo is making a name for himself and is contemplating making a larger move to impact the area. He has some decisions to make:

1. Does he put some distance between himself and Blastikus, out of his own self interest and before things go bad again? Reaction roll: 54% = Neutral. The peace offering seems to have worked and the environment is stable for now. Not yet time to depart, but he remains ready to leave on a moment's notice.
2. Does he take himself out of the local action for a few months and pursue the hoard described in his treasure map? Reaction roll: 71% = Neutral with a 55% of positive. A 91% followup means not yet. Perhaps he'll use it as an excuse to make an exit when the time comes...

• Brogallo decides it's time he had some lackeys personally loyal to him. The mercs are nice, but they are a fickle bunch at the best of time. He hires the following henchmen from Old Brightwood:
• Adisan L2 Fighter (CN); Equipped from KIA gear
• Cilanwan L2 Thief (NE); Equipped from KIA gear
• Salazar L1 Illusionist (NE); Equipped from KIA gear
• Gamalak L1 Thief (CN); Equipped from KIA gear
  
  
• He sends the hench-bros on a western scouting mission to see if there's somewhere appealing he can occupy as his stronghold. Blastikus' actions in fortifying this musty tower has him thinking some stone walls between him and future unpleasantness is probably a good idea worth emulating.

Dejing pan Ark

• Dejing has been contemplating her immediate future in light of her association with the Band of Brogallos:

1. Does she form her own thieves guild somewhere far away from the immediate area, which is still very dangerous for her? Reaction roll: 32% = Uncertain with a 55% negative. A 11% followup means that now is not the time. Perhaps after gathering some more intel...
2. Does she slip away from the Bros before something ugly happens? Reaction roll: 100% = Enthusiastic (first natural 100 of the campaign BTW) means that she is addicted to the rush and can't tear herself away from the bloodsoaked action and ample loot...yet.

• She definitely is feeling vulnerable after literally having her armor dissolved by the thessalhydra and losing her former meatshields in the process. She decides more bodyguards are needed and makes her way to Valthrun. She recruits the following henchmen:
• Harithu L1 Thief (CE); Equipped from KIA gear
• Nopka L1 Magic-User (CE); Equipped from KIA gear
• Rundok L1 Fighter (CN); Equipped from KIA gear

Kleptikos

• Kleptikos is feeling pretty content with the loot he's accumulated, but is ever mindful of the danger involved in doing so. Decision time!

1. Does he form a guild before one of the other cutthroats gets the idea first? Reaction roll: 48% reaction =Neutral. Stability and complacency win the day.

Krall Diacan

• Krall is getting nervous with all the recent escalations of threats and decides he needs to perfect his poison skills. He'll be out of action for the next 5 weeks as he researches insinuative poisons (see DMG pg 20). He'll be unavailable until 29 May 2025.
• Krall, much like the others, is feeling a little exposed without suitable pin cushions to absorb sharp things aimed at him, so he makes the trip with Dejing to Valthrun to recruit some minions:
• Pashar L1 Thief (N); Equipped from KIA gear
• Sirriax L1 Fighter (LE); Equipped from KIA gear
• Stang L1 Fighter (CE); Equipped from KIA gear

Voon deGoon

• Voon is enjoying the loot, but is not an immense fan of Bloody Brogallo's leadership style. Decision time!

1. Does he split off before something slimy and hungry decides it wants to taste-test Voon? Reaction roll: 53% reaction =Neutral. He's been influenced by Kleptikos so stability and complacency win the day again

Looks like we're running the hench-bros for a few sessions...let's see if they survive the meat grinder.

Session 15 Part 2: Crushing the Cult of Dagon

I wanted something weird for the Bros to fight as part of the Circle of Pelagea Dagon cult, so I broke tradition and picked a Thessalhydra from MM2 instead of pure random rolls. Plus it felt right as a boss monster vs the rando hydras I've been rolling - let's see what happens. I decide the cult's spies have seen the Bros coming and sent the avatar of Father Dagon to deal with the interlopers.

No surprise (4-3) so we proceed to initiative.
Round 1: Thessalhydra wins 3-1

Thessalhydra hits Brogallo for 12hp

Thessalhydra hits Voon deGoon for 8hp

Thessalhydra hits Kleptikos for 8hp

Thessalhydra hits Blastikus for 7hp

Thessalhydra hits Jack Stabby for 5hp

Thessalhydra hits Culrink twice for 10hp, killing her

Thessalhydra hits Yelu Falone twice for 12hp, killing her

Brogallo hits twice for 17hp; -1 head

Voon deGoon hits for 5hp

Kleptikos hits for 8hp

Krall Diacan hits for 8hp

Blastikus casts Charm Monster, but loses the spell due to Thessalhydra hit

Round 2: Thessalhydra wins 6-3

Thessalhydra hits Brogallo for 3hp

Thessalhydra hits Voon deGoon for 4hp

Thessalhydra hits Dejing pan Ark for a total of 30hp (including tail grab+bite and acid). Her leather armor and all potions fail the acid saving throw and are destroyed. She's naked and angry!

Thessalhydra hits Blastikus for 1hp

Thessalhydra hits Jack Stabby for 2hp

Brogallo hits twice for 13hp; -1 head

Kleptikos hits for 4hp

Krall Diacan hits for 11hp

Round 3: Tied 4-4; all actions simultaneous

Brogallo hits twice for 21hp; -1 head

Voon deGoon hits twice for 15hp; -1 head

Kleptikos hits for 8hp; -1 head

Krall Diacan hits for 12hp; -1 head

Blastikus casts Polymorph Other (let's go with "white fluffy bunny" cuz that's hysterical) on the Thessalhydra which fails its save. It fails the mental check and now believes it is a white fluffy bunny. Awesome!

Thessalhydra hits Brogallo for 8hp

Thessalhydra hits Voon deGoon for 6hp

Thessalhydra hits Jack Stabby for 9hp

The Bros give Dejing pan Ark a spare cloak and garments, but this will do little to soothe her ire at losing her hench-bros and armor. The cultists will pay for this humiliation!

Their blood is up as the Bros approach the village. The cultists are waiting for them as the ragged villager cultists form ranks to protect their leaders who are in the middle of a ritual. Blastikus knows that this must be related to the astronomical and metaphysical conjunction he warned the Bros about and tells them as such. Every cultist must die if the Bros are to live!

I roll a d8 and come up with a 6. The Bros have 6 rounds to stop the ritual before the Avatar of Dagon appears (let's go with a reskinned Shoggoth from Deities and Demigods First Printing because I want to flex with my Old Skool collection...)

I've rolled up the Dagon Cult as a group of Pilgrims from the MM. We'll be using the campaign mass rules as described in Campaign Procedures and Generators for the troop battles and the Bros will engage in standard AD&D combat

The Circle of Pelagea cult stats:

• 44 are equipped with Leather armor and club
• 44 are equipped with Leather armor and dagger

Leaders:

• Patriarch L8 Cleric
• Canon L6 Cleric, assistant to the Patriarch
• Curate L4 Cleric, assistant to the Patriarch
• Adept L2 Cleric, assistant to the Patriarch
• L5 Monk, bodyguard to the Patriarch
• L1 Fighter, bodyguard to the Patriarch

The Brocenary stats:

Brogallo's Mercs:

• Brocenary Lancers First Cohort, 10 medium horsemen with Lt and Sgt
• Brocenary Lancers Second Cohort, 24 light horsemen with Capt and 3 Sgts
• Brocenary Crossbowmen, 24 light crossbowmen with Capt and 3 Sgts

Blastikus' Mercs:

• Brocenary Lancers Third Cohort, 17 light horsemen with Capt and 2 Sgts
• Brocenary Cataphracts First Cohort, 15 heavy footmen with Capt and 2 Sgts

No Surprise 6-5

Round 1: Tied 4-4; all actions simultaneous

Brogallo charges and hits Patriarch for 18hp

Voon deGoon charges and hits Canon for 16hp

Kleptikos charges and hits Curate for 6hp

Dejing pan Ark charges and hits Monk for 6hp

Adept hits Krall Diacan for 6hp

Brocenary Lancers First Cohort score 7 kills on Cultist Unit 1

Brocenary Lancers Second Cohort score 14 kills on Cultist Unit 1

Brocenary Crossbowmen score 9 kills on Cultist Unit 1

Brocenary Lancers Third Cohort score 13 kills on Cultist Unit 2

Brocenary Cataphracts First Cohort score 10 kills on Cultist Unit 2

Cultist Unit 1 score 7 kills on Brocenary Lancers First Cohort

Cultist Unit 1 score 8 kills on Brocenary Lancers Second Cohort

Cultist Unit 1 score 8 kills on Brocenary Crossbowmen

Cultist Unit 2 score 6 kills on Brocenary Lancers Third Cohort

Cultist Unit 2 score 5 kills on Brocenary Cataphracts First Cohort

Cultist Unit 1 fail morale and flee; Brocenaries run them down and kill them all

Cultist Unit 2 fail morale and flee; Brocenaries run them down and kill them all

Round 2: Tied 5-5; all actions simultaneous

Brogallo hits Patriarch for 13hp

Voon deGoon hits Canon for 9hp, killing him

Kleptikos hits Curate for 6hp

Dejing pan Ark hits Monk for 5hp

Patriarch hits Brogallo for 8hp

Canon hits Voon deGoon for 4hp

Curate hits Kleptikos for 2hp

Monk hits Dejing pan Ark for 3hp

Cult Fighter hits Jack Stabby for 2hp

Round 3: Bros win 3-1

Brogallo hits Patriarch for 19hp, killing him

Kleptikos hits Curate for 7hp, killing him

Krall Diacan hits Adept for 8hp, killing him

Dejing pan Ark hits Monk for 9hp

Blastikus hits Cult Fighter hits for 6hp, killing him

Jack Stabby hits Monk for 7hp, killing him

The Bros have wiped out the Circle of Pelagea, ending the threat...for now.

Downtime will be interesting...

Session 15 Part 1: The Purging of the Obsidian Tower

 

"We have a problem," Blastikus announced as he entered the feast hall where the Bros were enjoying the numbing effects of a fine batch whiskey that followed their more than acceptable evening meal.

"Pfft...what else is new?" Voon chuckled after emitting an epic belch that would shame an ogre. "Who needs to die to let me get drunk in peace?" The rest of the group quietly chuckled, still lost within the warm embrace of the liquor.

"The Thing that's imprisoned beneath our feet," Blastikus quietly retorted, fixing his boon companions with a grim stare.

Instantly and now painfully sober, Brogallo rose to his feet and said, "That's a harsh joke to make on a fine night, my friend. You are joking, yes?"

"Sadly not. I've been studying the carvings on the upper levels of the catacombs and comparing them to the astrological progression. The carvings are all wards against the Outer Dark and used by insane fools to call down the abominations that live there. These particular wards are tied to the progression of our cosmos and other, stranger planes. We are approaching a time of a particularly rare alignment where the stars are right and that will significantly weaken the barriers between our realm and the frozen insanity where the Thing originates. This means that its power will increase dramatically and it will be able to summon whatever multitude of horrible thralls it has bound. All the indications show this abomination has been bound here a very, very, long time which means it is very, very angry and looking for revenge. It knows us and will most likely blame us for its imprisonment."

"We had nothing to do with trapping that monster here," objected Krall. 

"I'm sure it will love to debate the finer points of extradimensional summoning protocols and rituals. Perhaps you'd like to brew some tea and invite it over for a stern lecture?"

"Fine - point taken. Let's kill it and then take care of those freak villagers with the serpent fetish. I'm getting bored," Krall said as he shakily rose to his feet. "But maybe we wait until I can only see one suicidal mage in front of me."

In the morning, the annoyingly hung over group of Bros gather their apprentices and make their ways to the dungeon entrance. Leaving Blastikus' mercenary group to guard the fortified entrance to the depths, the Bros retrace their steps to the 2nd level summoning room. I check for random encounters every turn but the Bros luckily seem to have pacified the first level and most of the second level.

Blastikus, expecting trouble, casts Conjure Fire Elemental and the boys get ready to rock and roll.

I rule that no surprise is called for since both sides are aware of each other. We proceed to combat.

Round 1: Air Elemental wins 4 to 1
Air Elemental uses its whirlwind ability, insta-killing the hench-bros Johnny Crush, Shen Pisakar, Tuqtamur Haoennor, and Zahm Al-Bashir since they're all under 3HD. Everyone else takes 8hp.
Brogallo hits twice for 34hp, Kleptikos hits for 4hp and Voon hits with a crit for 22hp, killing the elemental.

What a difference a few months and decent kit makes! Krall is pissed, though, since he just lost his brand new hench-bros...c'est la guerre.

The Bros finish exploring the remainder of level 2, not finding anything of note and again not encountering any wandering monsters. They find a set of stairs leading down and make their way to level 3.

Right off the bat, the boys get a random encounter in room 1 and a roll on the DMG tables comes up with 2 Black Dragons that are in their lair. This doesn't make any sense, and I invoke my DM ability of Reskin Monster. Let's just say they're formless black entities radiating the frigid cold of the void between the stars and go for it!

No surprise (6-4) so we proceed to initiative.
Round 1: Bros win 3 to 2
Brogallo hits twice for 31hp
Voon hits for 8hp
Kleptikos hits for 12hp, killing Formless Void #1
Fire Elemental hits for 19hp
Blastikus casts Magic Missile for 16hp
Jack Stabby hits with a crit for 14hp, killing Formless Void #2

The Conjure Fire Elemental spell expires and the boys are now on their own. They collect the mountain of gems and platinum pieces that these abominations had been bound to as guardians. Deciding that the loot will be safe for now, they elect to press on and return for the treasure later.

The rest of the dungeon level is surprisingly empty until we get to the last room. Appendix A pg171 TABLE V. F.: CHAMBER OR ROOM CONTENTS (d20) comes up with Monster Only (13 on a d20) and I roll an Aerial Servant. NICE! This builds on the theme built with the Air Elemental on level 2. Time to bleed!

The Aerial Servant wins surprise 3-1. Ouch!
Surprise 1: Hits Brogallo for 17hp
Surprise 2: Hits Voon for 23hp

Round 1: Bros win 5-1
Brogallo hits twice for 17hp
Voon hits for 14hp
Kleptikos hits for 6hp
Fire Elemental hits for 14hp
Krall hits for 7hp
Blastikus casts Lightning Bolt for 36hp; Aerial Servant fails save and is killed

All in all, a mixed bag of emotions for the Bros tonight. Doubtless the ample loot will go a long way toward soothing their grief over the hench-bros that were ripped apart in the Air Elemental's blender attack but, hey, Murder Hobo-ing Ain't Easy!!!

Let's see what happens in part 2 of our session...

Session 14 Downtime: The Reunion Tour

 

"Sergeant, please confirm what I'm seeing. Look at the southern approach, just beyond the hills we use for catapult practice", Captain Titus said to Sergeant Domitian as they stood guard on the newly built palisades surrounding the Obsidian Tower.

The sergeant looked in the indicated direction and replied "Confirmed sir. I count about 30 horsemen and about as many infantry. Looks like crossbowmen. Those must be their officers in front. I think they might be in the mood to parley...they're not in formation and I don't see any siege weapons."

"I concur. Send a runner to alert Master Blastikus and tell the men to suit up, just in case we need to make the grass grow", the steely eyed captain said, loosening the sword at his hip. "Man the ballistae, but don't fire unless I give the command". 

"Yes sir!", Domitian responded, before turning away to execute his commander's orders.

Titus, a veteran of many campaigns, kept the intruders in his sharp stare as their troops wisely halted just outside of ballista range and two of the officers continued forward on horseback. One was clearly a hardened warrior in well maintained banded mail and the other a somewhat nondescript man in leather armor. Possibly a scout or an advisor, but clearly someone accustomed to blade work, judging by the well kept blade at his side. Both had seen recent combat based on their bound wounds and bedraggled appearance.

"That's far enough stranger," Titus called out, "State your intent or suffer the consequences."

"Tell your liege that Brogallo would speak with him," the warrior called out. "We have business to discuss."

"Well, well, well...look who finally made an appearance," Blastikus said to the captain as he took his place next to him on the parapet. "Ho, Brogallo! You've got a set of balls to show your face around here after leaving me to die at the claws of that dragon. Give me a reason not to splatter your brains all over the field."

"I killed Zenabarithon two days ago and brought you some presents. Now are we going to scream at each other like street whores or speak like the comrades we once were and can yet be again?"

Blastikus softly chuckled to himself as he quietly said to himself ,"Hmph...he always had a knack for being a charming little bastard, in a crude sort of way." Addressing himself to Brogallo, he called out "Fortune favors the brave, my friend. Tell your men to behave and then advance to the gates with Kleptikos. We can have a drink and talk about what brings you to my door."

Downtime Activity

• Brogallo feels out the mercs over the treasury funds recovered from the usurpers. A reaction roll of 77% = Friendly. Brogallo convinces the troops that since they all bled for the funds, they are the rightful owners. The Bros distribute generous bonuses to all troops with promises of more to come and, as is frequently the sad case in military history, greed defeats honor. The mercs continue their loyal service to the Bros, rapidly forgetting any lingering sense of obligation to the plundered citizens.
  
  
• Brogallo makes a peace offering to Blastikus (The spell books of the recently deceased Man Lee and Manderbro, a +2 Staff, a Brooch of Shielding, a Figurine of Wondrous Power (Serpentine Owl), and a Wand of Negation) in the interest of soothing any past grievances. Of course, these are all former possessions of the fallen Bros and of little use to Brogallo personally so he's not really impacted by his ostensible generosity.
  
  I decide the loot is worth a +20% bonus (mainly due to the spell books). A reaction roll of 61% + 20% = Friendly means Blastikus is more than willing to bury the hatchet.
  
  
• Brogallo proposes reuniting the original Bros, noting that as a combined force they have a much better chance of surviving the increasingly dangerous threats that are manifesting. They both exchange tales of their victories and setbacks, with Blastikus eventually deciding that Brogallo's proposal had merit. After all, it would be easy enough to convince Krall to kill Brogallo in his sleep if things started to fall apart again. Krall was a bloodthirtsty bastard after all, and the prospect of yet more loot would quickly melt any objections.
  
  
• Having discussed the odd inhabitants of the village of Eastsea, they agree that something suspicious is going on. It was just a little too coincidental that Brogallo was ambushed by a hydra, normally an extremely rare abomination, so soon after leaving the village. When coupled with the fact that they Bros have encountered not one, but two such monsters (see Session 6) in their travels indicates there are events in motion that are far from usual.
  
  
• Dejing pan Ark and her henchmen ask to join the Band of Brogallos. A reaction roll of 38% + 25% = Uncertain (36% = positive) means that Brogallo is willing to accept the former usurper, reasoning that the more duplicitous conspirators are now crow food and it's better to have more swords than less for some of the future endeavors he has planned.
  
  
• The Bros secure the treasure in the second level of the tower's dungeon, knowing that the threat of the hostile air elemental trapped therein will deter the mercenaries from running off with the loot. Blastikus makes note of some future purchases and spell research he will undertake to make a more permanent location for their loot.
  
  
• Brogallo, Voon deGoon, Kleptikos pay each the mercs 100gp combat bonus pay; officers get 100gp/level
  
  
• Brogallo, Voon deGoon, Kleptikos all have enough XP to advance and are in training until 24 April 2025
  
  
• A random roll on the rumor table decides the newly reunited Bros will investigate the Hamlet of Eastsea to see exactly what is going on with those fishy bastards

Session 14 Part 2: Hydra Head Games

Flush with success over the usurpers (and with one of the cohort in chains along with her henchmen), Brogallo confers with Kleptikos and they agree to continue on the trail of the Tallow Watch usurpers while the trail is hot. They decide to make their way westwards and begin searching for the sweet, sweet loot that the junta is  temporarily holding for the Bros. They travel south and hit the road to Valthrun without incident, but as they begin their journey to the city, they are attacked by a 14 headed hydra in hex 307.295. Life gets complicated sometimes...

The hydra surprises the Bros 5-2 and is 17" distant. It spends the surprise segments closing to melee range and attacks the Bros directly, somehow sensing that they are the leaders of this expedition.

Round 1: Tied 4-4
Kleptikos and Man-Lee all wound separate heads
Brogallo and Voon de Goon each kill 1 head
Hydra scores multiple d12 hits on all party members
12 heads remaining

Round 2: Hydra wins 4-1
Hydra scores multiple d12 hits on all party members; Man-Lee and Manderbro are not happy
Bros each kill a head
6 heads remaining

Round 3: Bros win 6-4
No Tiki, Man-Lee and Manderbro each wound a head
Voon de Goon kills 1 head
Hydra kills Man-Lee and Manderbro
5 heads remaining

Round 4: Hydra wins 6-1
Hydra wounds remaining bros; No Tiki is near death
Brogallo and Voon de Goon each kill 1 head
3 heads remaining

Round 5: Hydra wins 2-1
Hydra kills No Tiki
Brogallo and Voon de Goon each kill 1 head
1 head remaining

Round 6: Bros win 6-5
Brogallo kills final hydra head

Well, that sucked. The Bros lost one of their frontline fighters and both magic-users. Based on this unfortunate setback, Brogallo decides that the Tallow Watch junta will have to wait for now. Considering the heavy wounds of the remaining Bros, he thinks a little humility will go a long way and decides to pay a visit to Blastikus' nearby tower and see if some gifts will help soothe hurt feelings and allow him to recover in the mage's tower.

Session 14 Part 1: Berserker Beatdown

 

Brogallo and Kleptikos decide that the usurpers (and the Old Brightwood treasury funds they stole) are too good of a target to ignore. Brogallo recruits two more mercenary companies with officers, successfully hiring 27 crossbowmen and 24 light infantry per DMG pg 30. He pays to kit them out, but of course, doesn't trust them to keep quiet if they successfully defeat the usurpers. Working with Kleptikos, he discretely purchases enough poison from underworld contacts in Old Brightwood, Tallow Watch and Valthrun (type A and type C, per DMG pg 20) to kill them all after the treasure is recovered. Let's not forget that both of the Bros are Neutral Evil, not to mention bloodthirsty bastards, so this is absolutely in character! If the existing mercs have a problem with this, well, they can be dealt with as needed...

I randomly roll for direction and distance and find that the usurpers have fled northeast and are 8 hexes distant, putting them in Hex 311.289. I roll up an NPC Party for the usurpers per DMG Appendix A pg 175 and decide that they'll have a group of berserkers as fanatic followers, mainly because I'm tired of bandits and want something a little different. I roll up a group of 52 berserkers with leaders per MM. In terms of loot, I decide the treasury will be Treasure Type H (again per the MM), and the berserkers will have additional loot per their MM entry.

Brogallo leads his warband out of Old Brightwood (starting hex 302.295) and begins searching. I'm using a d6 to determine random direction on the hex map and checking for random monsters as the Bros enter the hex. I hit paydirt immendiately as hex 303.294 comes up with...a white dragon! Of course, this must be Zenabarithon and his hungry mate looking for snacks!!

I check for surprise and the Bros win 4-1 which gives them 2 segments of surprise attacks. Zenabarithon was caught lacking by his opp!! Encounter distance is 12", so I decide the boys catch the dragons in mid-flight. The bros open fire with all available missile weapons and roll insanely well, scoring 29hp on Zenabarithon. ROF of composite longbows is pretty devastating in surprise attacks!

Round1: Bros win initiative 4 to 1

The mercs are affected by the dragons' fear aura and all flee in terror. One of the captains and two of the sergeants come from sterner stock, make their saves and stand fast. Missile fire from Brogallo, No Tiki, and Voon deal 14hp total, killing Zenabarithon!

Manderbro casts Melf Minute Meteors for 6hp against the female dragon. Manderbro casts Fireball for 30hp and the dragon makes her save, taking 15hp

Zenabarithon mate rolls 21% for breath weapon, so goes for a claw/claw/bite attack on Man-lee, hitting for 4hp

Round 2: Bros win initiative 6-2

Missile fire from Brogallo, No Tiki, and Voon deal 21hp total, killing Zenabarithon's mate. Vengeance is a dish best served cold (HA! see what I did there?)

The Bros spend 16 turns rounding up the terrified mercs (see Dragon entry in MM for fear aura effects) and fortunately don't encounter any more trouble while doing so. They continue searching for the usurpers and have the following encounters while doing so:

Hex 304.294: The home of Yuancheng Al-Khatib (Lawful Good)

Reaction (20% reaction roll + Kleptikos 30% = 50% Neutral): The old hermit tells PCs he saw the usurpers fleeing northeast towards the villages. Being a good and kindly soul, he takes Brogallo aside as he turns his mount to continue his journey and says "Be careful if you go to the village of Eastsea. They are a queer and secretive people that have an unsavory demeanor about them. I don't know what they're hiding, but I think it is a deeply ingrained evil".

Hex 307.293: The Hamlet of Eastsea (Chaotic Evil)

Reaction (84% reaction roll + Kleptikos 30% = 114% Enthusiastic Friendly): Brogallo and Kleptikos immediately notice the odd appearance of the village and its inhabitants. There is an abundance of serpent imagery decorating the interiors and exteriors of their homes and there is an unmistakable marine odor of rotting fish, though the village is nowhere near the sea. The villagers themselves seem to have an oily sheen to their skin and speak with an excessive sibilance. Their jewelry repeats the serpentine motif seen on the buildings, though they oddly try to hide the items if they notice anyone staring at them too intently. Mysteriously, they are perhaps too enthusiastic in their welcome of the Bros as they tell Brogallo that they saw the usurpers heading north towards Cornhenge. They say there are about 60 savage looking troops led by a group of a dozen adventurer types. Brogallo and Kleptikos, hackles raised at the eerie villagers' behavior, thank them and quickly depart before the situation can spiral into chaos.

Hex 307.292: The Hamlet of Kendra (Lawful Good)

Reaction (95% reaction roll + Kleptikos 30% = 125% Enthusiastic Friendly): The villagers have received word from their friends and relatives in the village of Brofield (hex 302.291) about Brogallos victory over Zenabarithon and great the Bros as heroes. They tell Brogallo that two of the villagers followed the group and saw them make camp in the ruins in the mountains near the town or Welland. They think the group is looking to loot the town.

Hex 307.291: The Hamlet of Cornhenge (Lawful Neutral)

Reaction (46% reaction roll + Kleptikos 30% = 76% Friendly): The local chieftain tells them the usurpers were seen heading northeast and they should check at Kendra. The Bros spend the night to recharge.

Hex 311.289: The Ancient Graveyard

The boys make contact with the usurpers who have set up camp in the fields surrounding the ruins of an ancient temple and graveyard complex.

Neither side is surprised (5-5) and encounter distance is 14". We proceed to combat using our mass combat rules.

Round 1: Bros win initiative 6-1

Crossbowmen hit berserker unit 1 for 8 kills

Lancers 1st Company hit berserker unit 2 for 4 kills

Lancers 2nd Company hit berserker unit 2 for 11 kills; berserker unit 2 wiped out

Brogallo hits berserker unit 3 for 9 kills

No Tiki hits berserker unit 3 for 8 kills; berserker unit 3 wiped out

Voon de Goon hits berserker unit 1 for 11 kills

Kleptikos hits berserker unit 1 for 1 kill

Ah-Soh misses L10 berserker leader

Man-Lee hits L10/L7/L6 berserker leaders for 6hp

Manderbro casts Sleep against L1 berserker elites, taking out the unit

Berserker leaders all hit Ah-Soh, killing him

Remaining Berserker troops fail morale check with 38% and flee the battle

Round 2: Bros win initiative 6-5

Crossbowmen hit Usurper leaders, killing Kybold and hitting Mara for 8hp

Lancers 1st Company get 8 hits on Mara for 31hp

Lancers 2nd Company get 11 hits on Faris for 44hp

Brogallo hits Faris for 10hp, killing him

No Tiki hits Jue Basha for 5hp, killing him

Voon de Goon hits L10 berserker leader

Man-Lee hits Ienepa with Melf's Acid Arrow for total of 10hp

Manderbro hits Ienepa with Burning Hands for 6hp

Berserker leaders hit Kleptikos for 3hp

Dejing hits Brogallo for 4hp

Round 3: Bros win initiative 5-3

Brogallo kills Ienepa

No Tiki kills Olag

Voon de Goon hits L10 berserker leader for 14hp

Man-Lee hits Mara with Burning Hands for 7hp

Manderbro hits Ienepa with his staff, killing her

Dejing hits Brogallo for 7hp

Berserker leaders hit Kleptikos for 7hp

Round 4: Usurpers win initiative 3-2

Remaining berserkers fail morale and flee

Remaining usurpers fail morale and surrender:

• Dejing pan Ark - Human Female Lvl10 Thief (True Neutral)
• Yelu Falone - Human Female Lvl3 Cleric (Neutral Evil) 
• Culrink - Surface Gnome Female Lvl3/3 Illusionist/Thief (Chaotic Evil) 

A lot of action this session with more to come. Stay tuned for part 2...

Session 13 Downtime: Methikles Is Breaking Bad

The Bros are starting to move up in the world, so I decide it's time to start building up their secondary capabilities.  

1. Blastikus and Krall set about dividing their very lucrative spoils and come to amicable agreements on division. They both have enough XP to advance, so they'll be unavailable for 2 weeks in training (23 April 2025). 
   
   
2. Blastikus begins brewing Potions of Extra Healing with the help of Methikles. He starts today (7 April 2025) following the rules on DMG pg 116. This means that he will be able to brew 4 potions at a cost of 1600gp by 23 April when he will be out of time jail. This should help his survivability significantly.
   
   
3. Blastikus, knowing the value of cannon fodder from recent events, makes a trip to Valthrun and recruits 17 light horsemen as well as 30 heavy footmen and accompanying captains and sergeants. A heavy force to be sure, but he'll need a personal retinue when in the field as well as someone to keep an eye on the Obsidian Tower while he's away. 
   
   
4. Krall Diacan decides to begin his poison research per DMG pg 20. He will be out of action for 5 weeks at a cost of 3,000gp/week as he studies under a master and builds his inventory of components. Krall will next be available for adventure on 23 May 2025. Painful, but worth it in the long run.
   
   
5. Krall decides it's time to get some hired muscle and recruits some henchmen from Tallow Watch. Following the guidelines on DMG pp34-35, Krall gets lucky with his rolls and recruits the following (after paying the fees and buying their kits, of course):

• Shen Pisakar (L2 assassin; Neutral Evil)
• Tuqtamur Haoennor (L1 fighter; Chaotic Evil)
• Zahm Al-Bashir (L1 fighter; Chaotic Evil)

I don't think I'm going to try to recruit any new party members yet since I'm going to try to level up their henchmen in the next few sessions. Let's see if the Hench-bros make it through the meat grinder...

Session 13: The Oni Revenge at the Broken Tower of Kzan

 

As noted in Session 10 downtime,the Blasti-bros are in need of funds and have decided to follow up on the Oni treasure map discovered in Session 7. I decide that, since the map shows a tower in a ruined city, the Bros will probably need some strong backs to help dig out whatever might be there so they'll need to kit out some hirelings (recruited from Old Brightwood). A quick trip to the PHB, DMG (and, in a rare appearance) the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide (more on this in a bit), yields the following kit out at a cost of 995gp:

• 10 laborers (each with pickaxe, shovel, two 50ft ropes, sacks, bullseye lantern, 10 oil flasks and tinder box)
• 5 sets of crowbars, drills and hammer/spikes
• 2 wagons with 2 draft horses each

So why did I bother with this on a solo game? Mainly because 1) I felt like it and 2) it's what I would make an in-person group figure out if I were running a real game. I also used the heretical DSG because it does have bits and pieces that are useful to the Old Skool style of campaigning and the PHB did miss a few things for underground exploration (Blasphemy against St. Gygax - burn the heretic!!! Yeah, yeah...piss off...)

With treasure map in hand and lackeys in tow, the Blasti-bros begin the journey to the Broken Tower of Kzan. Starting from their home base (the Obsidian Tower of the Deep Ones in hex 304.298), they keep to the southern road to Valthrun (I should probably name the roads at some point..), before veering off into the wilderness at the ruined village in hex 306.303 and making their way through the nearby ruined city. 

While cautiously making their way through the ruins, our Bros are waylaid by a dozen werewolves. Fortunately, the boys learned from their ass-whooping at the hands of the wraiths and have equipped themselves and the mercs with silver weapons in the last downtime session so they should have a fighting chance against the lycanthropes.

Neither side is surprised, so we proceed to combat. 

Round 1: Bros win 3 to 2

The merc charge into combat and get 4 hits on the changelings, scoring first blood. Sully, Krall, Luisa and Mog join the charge also scoring some hits, but no casualties. Blastikus and Marsh make a full move to get into spell range. The werewolves retaliate, killing 2 mercs, ending the round.

Round 2: Bros win 6 to 1

Marsh casts Suggestion on one of the werewolves (fails his save) and convinces him that one of his companions is really a party member in disguise who is trying to kill him so he should defend himself.

Blastikus casts Charm Monster from a scroll (successfully making his check to cast a spell above his allowed level), and convinces another lycan to turn on his packmate. The rest of the Bros all miss as do the mercs. The werewolves kill another 2 mercs forcing a morale check which they definitively pass with a 94%.

Round 3: Werewolves win 4 to 2

The werewolves kill another 2 mercs (forcing another morals check which they handily pass at 89%) and score hits on Luisa and Mog. Krall and Mog do solid damage on another two beasts but fail to take them out. The charmed lycans score more hits on their packmates, but no fatalities.

Round 4: Werewolves win 6 to 3

The werewolves kill another merc which finally breaks them and the survivors flee with their lieutenant. Blastikus casts Lightning Bolt, killing two werewolves and seriously wounding another two. Blastikus casts Burning Hands, scorching another 4 of the beasts. The lycans seriously wound Brother Scully who will suffer the Curse if he's damaged much further. The charmed lycans continue scoring hits on their packmates, but still can't finish them.

Round 5: Werewolves win 5 to 4

The werewolves kill another merc which finally breaks their morale. The survivors flee with their lieutenant. Brother Sully, having fought valiantly, finally succumbs to his wounds and is torn to shreds. The OG Herald of Chaos goes screaming into the Seven Darks. Krall and Mog drop two more werewolves in retaliation as Blastikus and Marsh both score hits with their thrown daggers.

Round 6: Bros win 4 to 3

Marsh casts his second Burning Hands, scorching another 4 werewolves and killing one. The rest of the Bros are ineffective this round, clearly disheartened by the fall of Brother Sully. The werewolves score more hits on Luisa, but she's still in the fight and not yet at the point of contracting The Curse.

Round 7: Bros win 3 to 2

The Bros continue to score hits on the lycans, but not enough to take any of them out of the fight. The beasts again hit Luisa, who is starting to veer dangerously towards the point of no return.

Round 8: Bros win 5 to 2

The Bros kill another beast, forcing a morale check which they pass handily. The werewolves are otherwise ineffective this round.

Round 9: Werewolves win 5 to 1

The werewolves get some good rolls and slay the ill-fated Luisa. The Bros kill another lycan, forcing a morale check which they fail.

Round 10: Werewolves win 4 to 3

The remaining 2 werewolves attempt to flee, allowing the Bros some free attacks that slay one of the cursed beasts. Marsh and Blastikus order their charmed minions to chase down and slay their fleeing packmate, ending the combat.

A search of the area finds the sole item the pack possessed: a +5 Defender shortsword! A nice item to be sure, but gained at a heavy cost of the party's two clerics. They quickly bury their fallen comrades with the help of the grunts and continue with their journey.

They find the ruined city at the foothills of the mountain range (hex 309.304) where a random encounter shows a group of 88 brigands on the move. Neither side is surprised and the Bros win initiative 2 to 1, so I decide they attempt a parley. Luckily for the boys, it works (46% reaction roll plus Mog's CHA bonus of 25%, followed by a 34% for a positive result) and I rule that the brigands are desperate villagers displaced by Zenabarithon's attacks. The boys warn the brigands about the remaining werewolves in the ruins to the west and the brigands respond by letting the Bros know that Zenabarithon and his mate have made their lair somewhere in this mountain range. They part on good terms, with the brigands moving towards the main road to the south and the Bros camping within some still standing buildings in the ruined city. The night passes uneventfully.

In the morning the Bros make their way through the mountains and finally reach the ruined city on the other side. A random encounter check comes up positive for an Ogre in its lair, so I rule the remaining six Oni have made a camp in the ruins waiting for the Bros to finally arrive to finally enact their vengeance for their earlier losses. 

Unfortunately, I misplaced by notes so I don't have a detailed battle report. The result was definitely a pyrrhic victory for the Blasti-bros. Although they ultimately vanquish the Oni, it comes at a great cost as Marsh and Mog are both slain. The battered and bruised duo of Blastikus and Krall are the sole Blasti-bros survivors (along with the lackeys). They claim the hoard of the Oni which includes several useful magic items and another treasure map, in additional to valuable gems, jewelry and coinage. After securing the loot, they move on to the Broken Tower of Kzan. 

Closely supervising the laborers, Blastikus and Krall direct the drudges to dig out the collapsed tower and soon discover the loot promised in the treasure map. Promptly stowing their finds, the Bros break camp and expeditiously make their way to the southern road which they follow to Valthrun and ultimately back to their current stronghold, the Obsidian Tower of the Deep Ones.

Upon arrival, Blastikus and Krall each pay 1000gp to the peasants as danger pay and, let's be honest, bribes to secure their (probably temporary) loyalty. Blastikus offers them protection and free land in the hills north of the tower if they found a village and work the land. They enthusiastically agree and set about building their new homes. Of course, they don't realize that this is an empty, though manipulative, gesture by Blastikus since he has no claim to the land in the first place. Hey, they ARE lackeys after all, so they don't know any better...

Blastikus and Krall set about dividing their very lucrative spoils and come to amicable agreements on division. We'll check with them in a downtime report.

A Public Service Announcement

Since we live in a functionally illiterate society where the majority can neither speak properly or write basic prose competently, I present the following as a public service announcement for the betterment of humanity and the advancement of our species:

THIS is ROUGE

THIS is A ROGUE

Learn to fucking read and check your work before hitting "post", you primitives. That is all...