Session 20: Restock This

Persistence and gratuitous searching pay off.

Session report for Thursday, August 1, 2024. Four players had adventures for one day.

Characters

Deadleaf, elf assassin level 3
Fomo, halfling thief level 1
Garth, magic-user level 1
Troy, ranger level 1

After last week's wilderness adventures, most of the usual suspects were locked in time jail. Deadleaf and Fomo were joined by Garth the magician (Fluid/Bard) and Troy the ranger (Bob/Stacks). Because they were short handed and low level, they decided to hire a few men-at-arms and plunder the local megadungeon known as The Pig Pen.

Deadleaf and Fomo took up scouting positions 90 feet ahead of the party. From time to time, or when they encountered a door, they would regroup with the party to update their maps. Exploring this way can take a little bit longer than normal, but they can often surprise monsters and scout out enemy positions instead of blundering into them.

The party found evidence of orc activity such as footprints, broken weapons, and old candy wrappers - but no orcs. The scouts surprised a nest of giant rats in the first room. Deadleaf pelted them with arrows and Fomo ran back to get the others. After clearing the rats, they found some loose electrum pieces amongst the refuse.

They scouted much of the first level of the dungeon and found much of it empty. They cleared a path to the rear exit of the dungeon (found in the first session!). In another dead-end room they found the corpse of a halfling bloated with rot grubs. No sign of any other halflings.

The mapper (Brig/Bastion) would have been pleased with the quality of his map, but he was too busy complaining about finding no treasure. Session time was running down and they decided to take a chance in level 2. They descended a spiral staircase.

They exited the stairs and entered a large room full of empty cots and orcish graffiti. No guards were on duty today. Down the hall they ran into a spear trap that failed to pierce Deadleaf's armor. I believe that is the second time they ran into that one - no wonder the orcs keep resetting it!

The party came to a large room with a dining table, and four unexplored exits. This was it; if they didn't get paid in the next room or two, they'd have to go home empty handed.

One door led to a storage room. The players swept the room for hidden objects, poking and prodding with spear butts. They found nothing and made a lot of noise in the process.

When they opened the next door, they were surprised by a small pack of 5 large gnolls. They leapt on the front line, and to take advantage of their surprise, tried to overbear the puny humans before sticking them with their swords. Deadleaf and Troy had a high dexterity, though, and avoided the surprise attack! The mercenary at the door was not so lucky. He was bowled over and knocked unconscious before he knew what hit him.

The players won initiative and fought back. Deadleaf fired arrows at the gnolls as he fell back and killed a gnoll. Troy and the mercenaries stepped up to fight. Garth did not have any suitable spells for the occasion so he lobbed flasks of oil amongst the enemy. And Fomo crept in through the doorway hoping to score a backstab. The gnolls fought back but the party stood strong.

On the next round the players made good on their attacks. A well-placed torch ignited some of the oil and gave a gnoll the hot foot. Fomo took his shot - although he was spotted, he got in a solid hit. Troy laid into another gnoll taking advantage of his extra damage against giant-like creatures.

The gnolls had lost one of their pack and most of their hit points (they were all floating at 1 or 2) so they retreat out the back door. Party gave chase - all except Fomo, that is.

Down the hall and around a corner, the gnolls avoided some kind of floor trap by leaping. The party followed suit and pursued down the hall.

This was new territory to everyone, including me. What did the gnolls run into? Appendix A delivered again. Waiting in the upcoming chamber was an NPC party led by a Lawful Neutral Cleric. Wait - we've met these guys before!

The party ran into the room and watched the other party slaughter the wounded gnolls. After a few tense moments, the characters parleyed (reaction: Neutral/Positive). They exchanged information about the local area and updated each other's maps and parted ways.

seek, and ye shall find (treasure)!

When the party returned, they found Fomo in the room where they fought the gnolls with two things: a barely conscious man at arms, and sacks coins. While they chased gnolls, he searched the room and found loose stones with a treasure stash behind!

THE VANQUISHED
12 giant rats: 96 xp
2 rot grubs: 0 xp
5 gnolls: 190 xp
Total: 286 XP

THE SPOILS
1530 electrum
18 gold
11 silver

THE SCORE
Deadleaf (level 3 assassin, E): 463 XP & 765 ep, 9 gp, 2 sp
Fomo (level 1 thief, E): 202 XP & 255 ep, 3 gp, 3 sp
Garth (level 1 magic-user, E): 202 XP & 255 ep, 3 gp, 3 sp
Troy (level 1 ranger, E): 202 XP & 255 ep, 3 gp, 3 sp