Tales of the Fortress of Gilesh and its hiring of mercenaries to clear out the surrounding encampments of evil had reached your ears and made you dream of pockets filled with gold. Upon reaching the Fortress by hitching a ride with a strange man on a wagon, you were directed to the Inn os Slaughter, one of the finer eating establishments for the ruthless mercenary crowd of Gilesh. Your assignment: 500gp bounty for the head of the Nerull cult leader, 100gp bounty for any acolyte, and 5gp bounty for any minion or humanoid found living in the mines.
The party followed the map given to them which led to the Mines of Gilesh. Within, they fought several encounters with temple guards and members of the cult, ultimately wiping out the cult at that location. A few kobolds were also amongst the slain. Total bounty was 23 minions x 5gp = 115gp plus 700gp for the cult leaders = 815gp bounty total.
All items were sold except for the silver snake ring with FAS initialled on it, the 2 sunrods, the half plate, the potions, and the vials of unholy water and acid. The group fund gets the healing potions (3 CLW CL3, 1 CMW CL3) and the sunrods. The banded mail goes to the cleric while the vials are up for bid or sale. Resultant shares come from 1965gp worth of items sold, gems, and coins. Items accounted for 40% of the take while gems accounted for 50% of the take. So total reward was 1965gp + 815gp = 2780gp divided by 6 yields 463gp apiece. So shares are:
EX = 975 per person
Details can be downloaded here.
The party returned to the mines after hearing an empassioned plea from a farming couple for the rescue of their son. Upon entering, they ran into a few old traps, and found bunches of rats gnawing on the bodies they left. They uncovered a tomb after receiving a shock from the trap guarding it. Within they found a magical ring. They then decided to return to the large chamber and fought waves of skeleton defenders ending with a large Troll skeleton. The cleric's turning was especially useful in destroying quite a few skeletons. The party then sacked the 8 tombs, fighting fire beetles and a wight which they quickly disposed of. The group then headed towards the Kobold warrens, setting off a spear trap, but finding and disarming a steam trap. The last room entered was the Kobold temple where they found 13 kobold defenders. The barbarian and the monk jumped into the fray and with their lower ACs, eventually succumbed to the quantity of enemies. The group finally killed all of the defenders except for two who went to get reinforcements, losing the monk in the process. The barbarian was healed up so he could stand, but then the barbarian opened the treasure chest without having the rogue check it first. A cloud of confusion gas came out and in the resultant mess, the ranger put two arrows into the barbarian, killing him.
As the party went back to tend to their losses, they were intercepted by a patrol from the keep who demanded their loot. They changed their story and asked for 50% of the loot, but that was still too much for the ranger who let arrows fly, killing the sergeant. The rest of the patrol fled, leaving the party to wonder whether they should return to the village by the keep or not.
EX = 1545 per person (that survived!)
Having become something of outlaws, the party went back to the village and secretly rested and sneaked out. On their way out, the innkeeper told them of the bandits in the nearby caverns. If they could find the bandits, they may be able to find proof of a connection between them and the corrupt patrolmen.
Descending back into the mines, the party fended off a large batch of rats, then walked into a large spider's web trap. They quickly dispatched the spider with no damage, finding some nice studded leather armor on an old corpse. They then went in search of kobolds, but found none. The kobolds seem to have fled to find a safer lair after having been attacked twice before. They're not too stupid mind you. Maybe they will exact their revenge someday. The party fought some skeletons, found an old dead spider, and ran into a nasty Xorn. From there, they went down a long tunnel into the lower mine levels. There they were charmed by a lovely harpy. The ranger quickly dispatched her with his poignant arrows. They went further to find a sacrificial altar with a dead goblin on it. This seems to have been an offering place for the nearby ogre. After defeating the ogre, the group went into a small cave to find another Xorn! After that tough combat, they decided to rest in this small cavern before continuing to seek out the bandits.
EX = 1110 per person. Since I had designed this part for a party size of 5, and 8 came, I decided not to penalize people for when a large party shows up. Wouldn't want people cancelling if they found out 5 or more are already coming. So in the future, I will make encounters variable based on party size to make sure people get enough experience. To accomodate this time, I will multiply EX by 8/5, or 160%, so it becomes the 1110 EX you see above.
The party continued and ran into a goblin ambush. They dispatched the guards and climbed into the goblin lair, and then retreated, waiting for a goblin attack, but none came. They decided to search a boulder, and behind it they found a wraith which they turned quickly, sending it away with their holy might. They then assaulted the goblin lair, finding a tough fight. A timely alchemist fire lobbed by the goblin leader singed a few hairs. They finally managed to clear the room, and then chased a lone goblin to find a warren of worg riders. After the monk fell again, they dispatched this enemy, but then decided to rest again. The next morning, they attacked some bandits, then followed a hallway to a door which when opened yielded a nasty surprise for the cleric. Three rogues sneak attacked him and almost killed him. The party attacked, and in the fight, the dwarf got surrounded and sneak attacks brought him down. The party then went down a hallway, and the cleric fell into a pit, but luckily his armor protected him from the spikes at the bottom. They then entered the room of the bandit leader and he struck the ranger by surprise and knocked him unconscious. After the bandit leader fell, the group found their way back to the village and were escorted to the keep where they proved their innocence.
EX = 2385 per person. Tough encounters yield plentiful experience! As for Hero points, I decided to award the following people one hero point: Gary, John, Dave M., Paul, and Dan. Greg gets one posthumously, but they don't carry over. I factored attendance, impact of the character on the party, and heroic actions. Non-combat characters get more weight from the first two criteria, while combat characters get equal weight.
The group was conscripted into the defense of the fortress. They had a few days to prepare, so they bought some healing potions, made some scrolls, and bought a few misc items. During the night before the attack, a sapping group of goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears broke through into their tower. The party fought this incursion off without armor in a few cases. Afterwards, they were attacked from the air by 2 dire bats with goblin riders. Then an earthquake brought down the front gates, and the enemy army broke through. A hill giant was clearing out tower after tower, and the party stood against it, though the monk and the cleric fell. The group decided to scale down the outside walls and make a run for it as the fortress was overrun. They decided to head South towards Nor.
Items from last adventure distributed. It was discussed that item distribution could not be held up when people miss, so if you plan on missing in the future, please send email about which items you would want in what order. Results: Joel - gaseous form potion, David B. - jump potion, 20 masterwork arrows, Gary - +1 ring of protection, Dan - +1 studded leather, 23 masterwork arrows, John - Scroll, potion of barkskin, amulet of natural armor +1.
EX = 1517 per person. Two hero points awarded, one to John, and one to David M. posthumously (a recurring theme). The hill giant was by far too tough for them to stand toe to toe with, yet they sacrificed to enable the rest of the party to bring the creature down.
Dead Pool - 985gp now.
The party fled South towards Nor, and came upon a pair of Dwarves displaced by the goblinoid attacks. They quickly joined up and continued South until finding a tower. They cleaned the tower of a band of Bugbears, then came down to an olcient bridge. There they found a cowering militia man in a hidden chamber and he led them to the Temple of Fharlanghn. The high priest gave them a proposition to kill the dragon terrorizing the land in exchange for some items he had made to help defeat the dragon. The party accepted and went into the Marsh of Mormos. To avoid crossing a bog, they descended into an old cultist chamber where they headed a low noise of machinery. The elf went off by herself and was ambushed by a gray ooze. She would have died but for a heal spell from the cleric. They then went down a flooded corridor to a central chamber where they were ambushed by a group of water elementals. The elf went down, and the cleric took a critical hit, but the party finally triumphed. They continued towards the sound, now louder to find a room with a strange device in it. The elf went up to it and was attacked by a carrion crawler. She was quickly paralyzed, but the remaining party members quickly dispatched the beast. They then went to the end of the corridor and through a secret door to attack the black dragon. The dragon hurt everyone with its acid breath and massive attacks, finally bringing down the cleric, but ultimately, the party won out. They returned to the temple to get a hero's welcome.
Items distributed from last adventure - Potion of Blur given to Greg. Dan deferred an item to have priority later.
EX = 1700 for 3rd level characters and 1600 for 4th level characters (which includes Joel since his ECL is 4 Two hero points awarded, one to Joel and one to David B. as they hadn't earned ones yet and they have attended enough now and used their abilities to more effect.
Dead Pool - 985gp still.
The party decided to scout out the crypt of Ladrius of Despised in the western barrens. They arrived to find a solitary guardian, a damaged flesh golem. The golem put up quite the fight, and even triggered an electrical trap part way through to heal itself and damage the group. It was a lengthy battle, but eventually the golem was beaten. Within the tomb was quite a bit of treasure, but no remains of the old wizard. Is he even dead? What happened to his remains?
The party then decided to head out to the abandoned fortress to the southeast. On the way, a pack of dire wolves almost did them in. They entered the overgrown keep via a collapsed wall in a tower. Inside they scouted around until being overrun by a swarm of centipedes. The druid used his fire spells to great effect in stopping the swarm. Continuing their search, the party found a barricaded room. When they broke in, a crazy orc shaman cast a fireball on them. They later found a band of Gnolls with details on a raid against a hidden Temple of Pelor south of here. After defeating a dire wolverine and meeting a lone druid names Malnavar, they decided to double time south to allieve the Temple of the gnoll threat. Malnavar stayed behind to continue his work on the fortress.
EX = 2500 for 3rd level characters and 2267 for 4th level characters (which includes Joel since he is EL4
Dead Pool - 985gp still.
The ranger tracked the Gnoll raiding party to a small abandoned farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, beating up a band of orcs along the way. It turned out to be the cover for a secret temple of Pelor where the priests research and meditate in privacy. The Gnoll surprised the defenders, so the priests collapsed many of the hallways with their magic. Exhausted and trapped, they hid in secret rooms, waiting for the inevitable.
The party found a pit down the first hallway which the rogue jumped clear of, but then 4 Gnolls attacked, and one bull rushed the separated rogue, who fell down the now open pit. Eventually, the ranger picked off each Gnoll and they rescued the rogue. Down the next hallway, they met a Gnoll sergeant with a nasty bow and 4 of his troope. After finishing them off, they found another pit, but the rogue disarmed it incredibly well, finding the switch to disable it. The next room revealed the Gnoll leader, his hyena companion, and 5 Gnolls. After a tough fight (where the rogue went down again, the 3rd time that night, using his hero point once as well to avoid being killed!) the group then found a troll and 2 last Gnolls. They decided they were not up to fighting him head on, but instead tried to lure the stupid beast to the pit. They suceeded and the Troll failed his save, plummeting down 40 feet to the spikes below. Fire was then their friend.
The party finished digging through, and found 6 dead priests and 1 live one, as well as another pit trap and some contact poison. The rogue expressed his dislike of temples and their traps. The live priestess asked to be taken to her father, the high priest of Pelor in Vittria.
EX = 3025 for 4th level characters and 3175 for 5th level characters (which includes Joel since he is EL5 One hero point awarded to each of Joel, Dan, Paul, and Greg for lifting the siege of the Temple of Pelor.
Dead Pool - 985gp still.
On the way to Vittria, the group quickly dispatched a band of 16 goblins and managed to take out a manticore with a last arrow critical from the dwarf doing 30+ damage! Take note of that since arrow criticals play an important role later!
The party entered Vittria and found out about the strict rules on entry and magic use. They saw the high priest and received their award for the rescue of his daughter. They were asked to seek out a merchant who was having trouble with fey in his warehouse. The group fought the Thorns for quite a while, expending most all of their magic and items doing so. Many hero points fell the wayside and after going down once and falling asleep twice, the rogue finally bit the big one when the dwarf used an arrow to wake him up (with permission from the rogue) and was criticalled for massive damage. With the priest asleep and the druid out of spells, the dwarf finally won out on an arrow contest with the last Thorn. It was close, a hero point made all the difference!
EX = 2200 for 4th level characters and 2063 for 5th level characters. Even though I argued for 5th level start, after reviewing the numbers, I decided that Joel needs to come back as 4th level since no one is even 6th level yet. Experience adjustments catch characters up quickly anyway, and Joel technically was approaching EL6, not level 6, there is a difference of 1000EX there. Anyway, I want to be fair to other players who stick with the same character, and make dying and starting a new character a penalty in balance with death. If Joel had been raised from death, he would come back as 5th, so a new character must be < 5th.
I believe the only hero points are Dan with 2, Paul with 1, and Gary with 1. Correct me if I am wrong.
Dead Pool - 5490gp and a ring of protection +1 (1000gp) and an amulet of natural armor +1 (1000gp)
The party was tasked with escorting the envoy into the Faerie realm in order to save the city of Vittria. Upon entering a clearing with a galloping unicorn, they were attacked by a band of wild elf sorcerers. Under the barrage of magic missiles, the cleric fell as well as several other members of the party. Not wanting the fight who they thought were allies, the party hesitantly attacked, but eventually had to slay the elves in order to defend themselves. They continued down the path where the wolf alerted the group to danger ahead. They were then attacked by a flood of spiders led by 2 Ettercaps and their pet monstrous spiders. The spider poison damaged many of the party. Advancing further down the path, they arrived at the glade where a band of redcaps and their summoned demon held power. The demon coordinated its attacks with the redcaps, bringing great damage to the party who was almost out of answers until the last redcap fell, and the demon went back to his plane of origin. The dryads returned to reward the group.
EX = 3467 for 4th level characters and 3250 for 5th level characters. One hero point apiece for saving the town.
Hero Points left: Gary - 2, Joel - 1, Dan - 3, Paul - 1, Greg - 1, David - 1. Please let me know if you think this is incorrect.
Dead Pool - 7490gp - enough to raise dead I believe.
After the group finally stopped purchasing items with their money, they set off on a trade ship to Nor which carried foodstuffs. The first day was calm, but the second day and night was very stormy. That night, the party was set upon by 3 shadows, which killed the entire party. They then dreamed of an elfen maid which bade them to return to Nicidus to confront their enemies there. The party then woke up, no worse for wear, but shaken. The entire crew had experienced haunting dreams and visions that night. The storm drove them off course, but they sailed into Nor at the end of the next day in a light rainstorm. The docks we busy, and they witnessed a group of guardsmen pulling a body from the water. The dwarf thought he saw a bit of bluish flesh in the wrappings.
The party entered town and proceeded to visit many of the establishments. Inns, mercantile, temples, armorers, weaponsmiths, jewelers. Eventually they tried to get into the Temple of Wee Jas and were unsuccessful. The guardsmen spoke to them, and an audience with the King was planned. The party went to rest in the Dragon's Trove Inn, but after getting in trouble with the bouncers, decided to stay elsewhere. They went to the Lucky Mermaid and noticed a drunken man being escorted to his room. After finding him missing, the cleric tried to act drunk to see what befell him. Once in his room, the cleric was set upon by an assassin who had been invisible. Luckily, the assassin missed his attempt, and the cleric tried to chase him down, but only got a few whacks in with his spiritual weapon.
The group them had audience with the King, and he told them a long story of why they were on the same side. The King controlled the drug trade, and the goblin invasion turned out to be an elaborate plot by the High Priest of Nicidus to disrupt the drug trade. Essentially, it was a play for power as whoever controlled the caravan route controlled the money from the drug trade. He said that the High Priest was trying to kill the party and that he and the group were fighting the same fight. He offered a bounty to the players on giants and trolls nearby, and promised usage of his armorer if they brought back at least one bounty.
The party went North to an old tower which had been taken by a hill giant and some war ogres. The nearby villagers guided them. The party defeated 2 ogres, a swarm of centipedes, and finally the hill giant. On their way back to the King, the Druid was taken down by an assassin, but managed to barely survive (hero point). Something has to be done about this assassin, otherwise it is just a matter of time until the entire party bites it.
One last thought - how did the assassin know when and where to ambush the party? Was he tracking them? Had he paid off the guardsmen? Did he have scrying powers? Whatever the case, the party has decided they need to go to Nicidus via the overland route through the forest in order to uncover the truth.
EX = 3800 for 6th level characters and 4583 for 5th level characters.
Hero Points left: Gary - 1, Joel - 1, Dan - 3, Paul - 1, Greg - 1, David - 1. Please let me know if you think this is incorrect.
Dead Pool - 7490gp - enough to raise dead I believe.
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