D&D Beginner's Game: Act 1, Scene 3: The Hunted

Guffy

The Dungeon Master wrote: »

The room has changed little since she first arrived in it - there's still the door to the north, though now it is closed, barred by a quarterstaff and blocked by rat bodies and gore and blood and metal. There is still a door to the west. There is still a door to the south. The pit in the south east corner has changed, the platform is mostly gone though the anchor posts remain. There's still a diagram on the east wall, which initially makes no sense to her but when Fector notices her interest he mutters that Echtrae said it's some kind of trap on that western door. Once she knows that she can follow the individual strands of the diagram and see that it's a gas release triggered by the opening of the door, shooting out of the left hand side of the frame.

OOC : That'd be your monster Wisdom score coming in to play. Note - knowing the trap is there does not make you a thief, and does not mean you can disable, remove or destroy the trap with a die roll

For my future benefit, Echtrae's spellbook now contains the following :
Protection from Evil, Feather Fall, Magic Missile, Sleep.
Note : he has a scroll of Speak with Animals, this is a Cleric spell and is not available to be read or learned by a magic-user. Also worth mentioning that Feather Fall is an Advanced Edition spell so casting it may cause the fabric of this reality to split apart and let in race/class distinctions and druids. Be careful!
#EchtraeSpells

Ooc have i learned my spell yet or am i still studying?

The Dungeon Master

OOC : Game time is malleable. You don't need to "role play" the study unless the other characters make you do it by walking around going "It's been 33 minutes, are you done studying yet?" Forcing you to rp another 27 minutes of it. What I'm trying to say is that it's Nebelwerfer's fault! If anyone feels the need to justify us skipping the study hour - yes, Phantom Alric, I'm talking to you! - bear in mind that Echtrae didn't wake up during the zombie incident and so had a 3 hour head start on the other characters who would have to have dogmatically reset their 8Hr alarms after 3 combat rounds, giving him ample time for spell transcription and study.

OK, rise and shine everyone, it's day 2 in the dungeon. Magic users and Clerics, declare your learned spell! Everyone else... uh.... just do some stretches, you don't want a cramp during a sword fight.

Nebelwerfer

Webby wakes suddenly, beguiled by some omnipotent power, he feels a sense of misplaced guilt is cast upon him.



As he rises, he looks around him and feels that sense of dread again.

"Time for some... Scrubba Dub Dubbing..." he says as he wraps his hands together, ready to face the good fight.

He walks over to the rat bodies, with the intent to throw them down the hole.

"They wont get me a second time... Oh no!".



Ofcourse, Webby did not forget the lootz he found in the stomach of the Rat King only a day before.

As he pushes the remnants into the pit, he kicks exploratorily into the innards of the rats, to ensure no goodies get left behind.

The Dungeon Master

While none of his exploratory kicks reveal anything, as he moves the rats he sees some of them have already had their digestive tracts opened by Lalwende's frantic feeding the night before, spilling out so much more than just chyme and bits of Stu's face. He finds a small idol of a six armed heavily moobed man carved from bone, a star-shaped medallion, a gold anklet shaped like two intertwining snakes and a matching arm-band.

Nebelwerfer

Webby notices the spoils coming from the spoiled, quickly looking over his shoulder to ensure no other member of his party notices the goods.

Using the small chamois, which he fashioned from the ever versatile rat skin, he cleans the jewelry with the intent to shove it into the bag, much like the other spoils he has gathered thus far.

As he is about the put the medallion away, a small glistening catches his eye. It is then, he decides all these spoils are too majestic to put away and instead decides to wear it.

He puts on the anklet with matching armband and then puts on the medallion.

"Look at me guys, look at how pretty I look" he says, as he turns around to his party, stroking his beard with a look of pride on his face.

The Dungeon Master

OOC : Just in case you're holding your breath waiting for those twin snake arm/ankle bands to bite him or turn him into a snake or cut off the appropriate limb, breathe! It's just jewellery. Recap - gas-trapped door west, door south, pit in south east corner.

Guffy

Ooc: sorry can we get a player role check. Do we have a thief?

The Dungeon Master

OOC : Party check in!
Echtrae - Magic User

Webby Frothfist - Halfling
Poppy Goodchild - Halfling
Fector Hammerchop - Dwarf

Note : Fector is on Autopilot at the moment, but if/when Duffman returns, he's available to be driven, unless you guys get him killed in the mean time. He has a crowbar and big arms - sometimes that's all the lock-pick you need.


Meera Trakos, Elf is on Pause, potentially returning to the game shortly.


Alas, where once you had a plethora of purloiners, now... well... your thieves were :
Aesc - missing, presumed dead.
9 Lives - Dead. Then alive. Then dead again, but may have as many as 7 lives left.

Nebelwerfer

Webbby has developed a sudden strut in his step, some may call it swagger.

After some heavy buffing, his bling glistens in the dimly lit dwelling of the labyrinth. This much swag should be on the surface, catching sunlight and blinding passers by.

"Need to get out, yo!" Webby mumbles to himself.

"Aint got no bithness bein locked up on dis place..." he says, slightly louder.

He makes his way over to Poppy, swagger all the way.

"Hey Smart Lady! Figured out a way to stop dat trap from springin all over dis place?"

"We gotta bounce!"

He turns to Echtrae and flicks his chain.

"Hey Homeboy! We ready to go?! Lets BOUNCE!"

Guffy

Echtrae casts an envious look at Webby's riches. He blinks the green eyes away, for now.

"The southern door seems the best, unless you fancy your chances with the trap?

Hey Poppy, sorry again for your loss, you up for tagging along?"

Nebelwerfer

Webby grabs into his bag and offers Poppy the wineskin.

"Pour one for your homeboy?".

"See... I noticed you found the trigger mechanic for that door...". he says as he readies his next question.

"Soooooooooo....."

"Do you think we can somehow prevent the trigger from activating, by lodging it stuck, perhaps with a small blade, arrow or stealthy peg leg?".

Professor Moriarty

Poppy looks at the wineskin and wonders what exactly she is being asked to do. "Why not pour it yourself, Webby? I'm afraid all I can do try to understand the diagram and I think I figured out the trap and where it's probably located. Disabling it isn't my forte." She turns to Guffy. "Thanks Echtrae, much appreciated. He was a good friend. Sure, I'm happy to join you. Safety in numbers and all that."

Guffy

"Maybe if we threw stones at it from a distance?"

Professor Moriarty

"isn't there a long staff somewhere? Perhaps we could build a barricade, hide behind it and push the door open with the staff?"

Nebelwerfer

"OK so none of us know what to do with the west door then. We arrived from North, so i think South will be our best option...".

Webby looks at the spring mechanics of the trap again, previously pointed by his superior intelligence companions, and shakes his head.

"Best not to take risks unless absolutely necessary...".

Webby makes his way to the south door to see if he can look beyond it.

He turns to his fellow shorties.

"Everybody ready to leave the comfort bubble?".

Guffy

Ech feels like a giant among migits as he stands up with his pack.

"Lets go"

Guffy

Echtrae opens the southern door and peers through

Professor Moriarty

"Hold on. If a door is guarded then that indicates it is protecting something. I vote that we try to open the door with the trap. Webby? Echtrae?"

Nebelwerfer

Professor Moriarty wrote: »

"Hold on. If a door is guarded then that indicates it is protecting something. I vote that we try to open the door with the trap. Webby? Echtrae?"

"Either protecting something or intended to keep people out...".

"Either way, unless you have a plan on opening that door or you are in fact a thief or burglar of some kind... the risk of opening that door is too high. Gas means everyone is exposed and noone gets away...".

Wrbby points towards the south facing door.

"I'll be waiting behind that door if we decide to wrecklessly go through, i'll be behind you if we can craft a solid plan..."

Professor Moriarty

"Okay let Echtrae having the deciding vote. I think we should try to come up with a plan but if he votes against then we'll go through the south door."

Guffy

Ecthrae is waiting impatiently at the open southern door.

"As much as I like treasure, I enjoy life more."

"Come on" he beckons as he steps through the southern door.

Professor Moriarty

"Okay, majority rules. Let's go." Poppy joins the others as they step through the door.

Nebelwerfer

Webby checks beyond the door, to see what lies ahead.

The Dungeon Master

Guffy wrote: »

Ecthrae is waiting impatiently at the open southern door.

"As much as I like treasure, I enjoy life more."

"Come on" he beckons as he steps through the southern door.

Professor Moriarty wrote: »

"Okay, majority rules. Let's go." Poppy joins the others as they step through the door.

Nebelwerfer wrote: »

Webby checks beyond the door, to see what lies ahead.

Assaulted by a wave of iodoform with the faint afterstench of decay, the party enters a long, stone-flagged room, dimly lit - apart from a bright plinth in the center.

The East Wall is lined with tall glass tubes. By the West Wall, they can see an oversized metal cauldron.

The party cannot make out the South Wall. No other exits from the room appear visible, bar the doorway they are currently standing in.

Guffy

Echtrae cuts off a piece of his robe and holds it over his mouth and nose as a make shift air filter.

"Ugh the stench.

What are these?" He muses to himself as he walks over to the glass tubes for closer inspection.

The Dungeon Master

Guffy wrote: »

Echtrae cuts off a piece of his robe and holds it over his mouth and nose as a make shift air filter.

"Ugh the stench.

What are these?" He muses to himself as he walks over to the glass tubes for closer inspection.

Each tube is a column - stretching from floor to ceiling, capped at either end with perfunctory metal housings. They are filled with greenish liquid, and strange shaped shadows drift within.

Guffy

Some see a science experiment, Echtrae sees "stay away" flashing in big green neon letters.

He walks back to the western wall, keeping an eye south, to see what he can make out.

Professor Moriarty

Poppy wonders if this is a threat or an opportunity to expand the party. She approaches the tubes cautiously and examines them carefully.

The Dungeon Master

Guffy wrote: »

Some see a science experiment, Echtrae sees "stay away" flashing in big green neon letters.

He walks back to the western wall, keeping an eye south, to see what he can make out.

The dim light from the centre of the room allows Echtrae to make out what seem to be cells to the south.

On the west wall, he can see the cauldron. The vat stands about 2 metres tall and about the same across. At it's base are a couple of bins.

The stench of decay is stronger here, emanating from the bins.

A small metal step ladder is affixed to one side of the cauldron.

The Dungeon Master

Professor Moriarty wrote: »

Poppy wonders if this is a threat or an opportunity to expand the party. She approaches the tubes cautiously and examines them carefully.

On closer examination, Poppy can make out that inside the tubes are various animal and humanoid creatures, nothing entirely normal, most with additional limbs, tentacle faces, cat heads on dog bodies etc. Nothing appears to be alive.