- 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.
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