Chronicles of Arcania: B/X Homebrew game.

Game Master Peet

"You may be right Ferrous. But do you all mind if I take a little more time to check?"
If the rest of the party agrees, Brathas will spend a turn searching the door, the nearby floor and walls, and other possible locations for a switch.

Bah sure search for what is not there elf and Brathas.
The dwarf leans against the corner opposite the secret door. He keeps looking down both hallways for signs of trouble but is resting while the others search.

12:30 AM, Day 5

Brathas continues examining the door, and the others join in while Ferrous keeps watch.

But nothing more is revealed about the door, aside from the fact that knocking on it reveals a hollow sound from behind. The only thing that is visible are the seams around it.

So would you like to:

* Try to get the secret door open? (if so, how?)
* Continue up the hallway to the north?
* Something else?

Might as well continue north

Walia says, "One of you stronger types could bash the door down with my mace. Just find what side has the hinges or lock and it should come down."

Army Ranger style!!!

"Let's keep going north."

"Let's go north. We might find a way around to the other side of this door," Zynazyr adds.

"Alright, let's go north, but when we are attacked from behind, remember that I suggested we try a little harder," Ana grumps.

12:40 AM, Day 5

The party leaves the secret door behind and carefully proceeds up the hallway to the north.

The passage continues north for 60', after which it divides into two brances, one going east and the other continuing north. You can see a door in the west wall to the north just past the intersection. The passage to the east narrows after 20'.

At this point you are fairly certain that you have reached an area that you have mapped before when you looked out onto the hallway from the jester's tomb.

TIER 4 MAP UPDATED.

So would you like to:

* Try the door in the western wall?
* Continue up the hallway to the north?
* Head down the eastern hallway?
* Something else?

Should look at the door...

Brathas will examine the door in the western wall. Searching for traps and listening at the door as well.

12:50 AM, Day 5

The party carefully heads towards the door.

Brathas pulls up and examines the door. But before he has much time to look, the group hears a BANG! coming from behind them to the south.

Then there is a bass rumbling, gradually getting louder. Within moments a large stone ball appears, rolling towards the party from the south. It is wide enough to block the entire hallway to the south, and looks heavy enough to crush anything it rolls over.

TACTICAL MAP UPDATED

TIER 4 MAP UPDATED

Guys, this is not a combat but it will be resolved like a combat, with the Stone Ball going last.

So Everyone is up. Let me know what you want to do.

Does it look like there is enough clearance in the corners that Brathas can lie flat on the ground, against the wall, and let the boulder pass by? That is his first instinct. Otherwise, he will move into the passage to the east.

Does it look like there is enough clearance in the corners that Brathas can lie flat on the ground, against the wall, and let the boulder pass by? That is his first instinct. Otherwise, he will move into the passage to the east.

Debatable. Looks like a tight fit... you might take some damage but not full damage.

Brathas will dive to the ground and press as close to the wall as possible.
Any dice rolls needed?

Walia screams Watch out!!! as he moves to grid coordinate 12.11 out of the way of the boulder.

Brathas will dive to the ground and press as close to the wall as possible.

Any dice rolls needed?

Let's call it a dodge save. So you need a natural 13.

Walia screams Watch out!!! as he moves to grid coordinate 12.11 out of the way of the boulder.

Wallia runs down the eastern hallway out of the path of the boulder.

TACTICAL MAP UPDATED

Dodge: 1d20 ⇒ 6
Brathas is going to take at least some damage...
My thought was that the eastern passage seemed too easy an out, like that was the real trap and the boulder an illusion. We'll see.

For once, Fistep follows the priest to the corridor. Come on Ferrous, Ana...Zynazyr

Ferrous frantically follows Fistep's footsteps for the foyer to the East.

Ana ducks into the east passage, not willing to test her theory that the ball may be an illusion.

Zynazyr turns to face the sound, concerned what it might be. When he sees the large ball, he freezes for a moment, wondering where to go. The yell from Fistep snaps him out of it, and he follows into the east hallway. He turns to see Brathas lying in the hallway and grimaces at the thought of the potential outcomes.

My thought was that the eastern passage seemed too easy an out, like that was the real trap and the boulder an illusion. We'll see.

It's not a bad guess, a lot of early D&D stuff had traps like that.

Brathas ducks down at the edge of the hallway, trying to stay under the ball, while the others run towards the eastern hallway. Everyone makes it safely though Fistep in his heavy armor only barely makes it around the corner before the ball rolls by.

The whole corridor shakes as the ball rolls onward. Chips of plaster fly when the boulder grazes the walls to either side.

As the ball passes Brathas, there is a sickening crunch! Brathas squeezed into the corner but was a little too big, and the ball ran over his arm. It continues rolling, but a little slower now.

1d10 ⇒ 2

Brathas: 2 damage. Could have been worse.

1:00 AM, Day 5

The ball rolls on past, and the dust settles. Brathas picks himself up and the others looks around.

From your current position you can see past the narrow passage to the east. It widens again after 10', and runs for 20' before turning south. There is a door in the north wall facing the south passage.

Brathas looks over the door he is standing in front of but finds no traps. The door is locked.

TACTICAL MAP UPDATED

TIER 4 MAP UPDATED

So would you like to:

* Try the door in the western wall where Brathas is?
* Continue up the hallway to the north?
* Head down the eastern hallway and turn south?
* Try the door in the north wall of the eastern passage?
* Something else?

Brathas picks himself up.
"We are not the first people to walk this corridor. Many of the locals are too lost in their delirium to avoid the trigger. So has this trap been set off before, and does some great mechanism put the boulder back in place? Or was it something different we did, not just walking down this corridor, that activated the trap - like opening a casket? We'll need to know if we ever want to come this way again."
Brathas would like to look back at where the boulder came from to see how this trap works. He'd like to check the hallway for tripwires or pressure plates as he goes.

"Are you ok, Brathas?" Zynazyr says from the safety of the side hall. "Before we move on, can you get that door open?" he adds pointing to the one he is standing at.

He peeks down the hall to the north and then looks at the floor. "Ferrous, can you tell if the floor to the hallway is slanted? We should be careful that the ball doesn't come rolling back," he says nervously.

2d6 ⇒ (4, 1) = 5

The floor seems to be level here, but Ferrous can see evidence that the ball has rolled down this passage before.

I have one player suggesting returning to the south end of the hallway to look for where the ball came from, and one suggestion to open the door in the west wall before doing anything else.

Any other votes or suggestions?

"I am fine, Zynazyr." Brathas sounds frustrated. If Ferrous shares his information, Brathas relaxes a bit.
"Okay, that's good to know. We will have to figure out the trigger before it resets. But I can take care of this door here."
He pulls out his tools and gets to work at picking the lock.
Tinker: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Judging by these indentations in the wall. Ferrous said running his hand over deep gouges in the dungeon corridor's stone walls. I would hazard to say that this isn't the first time that ball rolled this way. In fact I believe where we are standing now was probably designed for the purpose we just employed. Namely avoiding that big ol' rock.
Ferrous stood guard as Brathas fiddled with the locked door.

He pulls out his tools and gets to work at picking the lock.

Tinker: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Brathas is quickly able to make progress with the lock. It opens with an audible 'click.'

Opening the door a little bit, Brathas can see a 5' wide passage that runs for 10' and then opens up into a larger chamber. Without entering the room though it is impossible to make out details from the doorway.

So, what now?

* Enter the chamber Brathas just unlocked?
* Return to the south end of the hallway to investigate where the boulder came from?
* Investigate the door to the east?
* Continue North up the passage?
* Head south down the eastern passageway?
* Retrun to Camp?
* Something else?

Let's open the door all the way so we can better see what is in there.

"Well done, Brathas. Let Ferrous enter first since he can see. I don't want to stay in the hallway too long in case that ball comes back," Zynazyr says.

Walia says, "That would be prudent, Zynazyr."

Maybe I should throw some of these glows into the room? as he steps up just the other side of the door and draws his sword just in case.

Ana shrugs. "If Ferrous won't go first, I will. I can see heat emanations as well."

Ana opens the door and gets ready to go in.

When the door is half way open, there is a small 'click,' and then a 'TWANG!'

arrow trap: 18 - 1d20 ⇒ 18 - (19) = -11d6 ⇒ 4

An arrow shoots out of the room and strikes Ana in the chest.

Ana: 4 damage.

Ana steps forward carefully. She is able to make out a 30' x 30' chamber. There is a large box (perhaps another sarcophagus), and beside that there is a statue depicting a woman with a bow, which is aimed at the door. It seems as if the arrow came from this statue.

Strangely, the sarcophagus seems to be a little warmer than the rest of the room.

TIER 4 MAP UPDATED

Wallia: Do you wish to heal Ana? You can lay on hands for 1d4 and you have 1 spell left (which would heal 1d6+1).

Does the rest of the party wish to enter the room? If not,
what do people want to do?

Walia moves into the room and puts his right hand on her shoulder while he takes out his holy symbol with his left hand and says, "Jerm dinnnourus polimenitap."

Lay Hands
1d4 ⇒ 4

Ana: 4 damage 0 damage.

Ana is now healed back to full.

"Thank you, my friend," Ana says, a bit breathless. "Perhaps that will teach me to be a little less overly ambitious."

Pardon Ana I was lost in thought about what kind of contraptions could reset that giant boulder. My best bet would be like many other things we have seen here there is some hydraulic process occurring. Either way probably best that you went first. Ferrous says the last part as he takes a level hand drawing an imaginary line from his head to Ana's chest level where the arrow struck.
He shruggs and then enters the room next to Ana. Looking at the bizarre sense of warmth coming from the Sarcophagus he gestures to Ana and then the sarcophagus. Is that normal?

Holds his shield in front of him, and enters the room.

"I think not, my dwarven friend. We should be cautious."

Also enters the room. Like Ferrous, Brathas is still preoccupied with thinking about the boulder trap.

1:10 AM, Day 5

Ferrous says the last part as he takes a level hand drawing an imaginary line from his head to Ana's chest level where the arrow struck.

Actually the arrow would have passed over Ferrous' head. Whoever designed the trap assumed someone of human height.

He shruggs and then enters the room next to Ana. Looking at the bizarre sense of warmth coming from the Sarcophagus he gestures to Ana and then the sarcophagus. Is that normal?

Certainly unusual for a sarcophagus. Either a living creature is inside, or the interior is mildly heated somehow.

The group files into the room.

Once the light is brought in you can see:

This room is decorated with scenes of hunting, showing a woman on a chariot shooting arrows at gazelles on a plain. Opposite the door is a sarcophagus made from carved ebony. You can see a few small holes at the base of the sarcophagus, as well as small holes here and there in the base of the wall. A bronze statue of a fierce, determined-looking woman in armor drawing a bow stands beside the sarcophagus, and the bow is pointed right at the door.

Searching the room reveals no secret doors or traps. There is only the sarcophagus in the center.

So would you like to:

* Open the sarcophagus?
* Leave and continue up the hallway to the north?
* Leave and head down the eastern hallway and turn south?
* Leave and try the door in the north wall of the eastern passage?
* Something else?

How big are the holes?

"From the look of those holes I would say something has made that sarcophagus it's home. Let's be ready when we open it. Maybe we should bang on it to see if something comes out?" Zynazyr says as he looks around the room.

I think it more likely that this room will fill with liquids. Perhaps if we plug the holes first?

How big are the holes?

Big enough to get your arm into one, but not much more than that.

Brathas will examine the holes at the base of the walls. He is looking for any signs of what might pass through those holes (such as dead insects or shed exoskeletons near the holes for vermin, or mineral deposits for water).

Ferrous also walks over to the wall to inspect the holes in the wall. Specifically to answer if the holes look man made or natural.

Walia eyes the reliefs and checks out the religious significance of this sarcophagus. Not touching while making sketches in his notebook.

These reliefs were done by a master...