AD&D Greyhawk Adventures: The Temple of Elemental Evil

Game Master Anselth

Gnobby looks back, "Andre, nobody's coming that way, charge this snake!"

"Oh no you don't", the plucky hobbit says, "Not to my friends". .

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9 Vicious Halfling sling bullet

1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Stone damage (Large Creature?)

Galavaine frustrated at being lookout, knowing its importance watches those rats carefully trying to blot out the dangerous snake.

"Come on Andre. Show the viper your metal!"

Gnobby looks for an alcove, recessed doorway, or side passage to jump out at the snake from the side or behind between his friends and the advancing snake. There is no way he takes things head on.
If no place to hide or handy alcove, Gnobby holds his ground.

Gnobby ducks through the open door to his right, finding himself in a musty room filled with broken furniture and tattered clothing.

Andre looks to Sir Galavaine. "Hold the line, Galavaine, while I engage this serpent!" He charges at the snake, presenting his shield to protect against the viper's fanged maw.

Andre steps in front of the snake just as it strikes down at Podo. He feels his sword slip between the scales as the beast's fangs bounce off his shield. The snake thrashes off his sword, writhing on the ground until Andre spears it again and the movement ceases.

The rats, thankfully, still seem unimpressed with Sir Galavaine's presence.

Galavaine is a hero in his own mind, methinks.

"Good sir your blade struck true with the strength of thy faith." The priest turns his head briefly to flash a smile.

Stepping Past Andre, patting him on the shoulder, "Well struck, Andre!", Tarmin approaches the slain beast and attempts to extricate her arrow from its carcass. She then goes in search of the arrow that missed, hopefully still intact.

"Thank you, friend Tarmin," Andre says as he turns to watch the corridor he had come down for the bandits. "One would think the brigands would come at the sound of battle. Perhaps we caught them whilest marauding?"

"I doubt they keep a snake such as this loose? Would that they use it as a guard dog. Tis unlikely. Perhaps the snake's home bears some clue to his status. I shalt do the same with the rats and spare limb."

Sir Galavaine heads inside the room to the leg and begins to search it, shooing the rats away with his mace. Shield still raised in case they trun out to be feral.

"Hmm rats are the size of cats. Assistance would be good." Galavaine stops his left foot from touching the ground and holds the pose waiting for help. Caught between his faith of courage and common sense.

He will give everyone a bit of time to decide and then attack.

Gnobby fires a bullet from his sling at a rat
1d20 ⇒ 19
Hit AC 1 Damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

For the Fellowship of Hommlett

Sallandrya starts towards the room where the now vanquished squamata lays but with her keen peripheral vision catches Gnobby lobbing a deadly bullet at an unknown assailant. In a very fluid and near artistic motion the Ranger Priest pivots ever so slightly and changes direction; running down the hall, coming up behind the Gnome and all the while notching two arrows together then taking a double shot the instant she has a target.

To Hit
1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 = 8

damage
1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 2 = 10

To Hit
1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 + 2 = 20

damage
1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 2 = 10

I took the liberty of going all Legolas and fired two arrows more for visual effect coolness than anything else, since we are allowed two shots anyways, aiming for either the largest or the closet threat among the rats.

"Thank you Sir Andre", His eyes widened slightly in fear at the quickness of the snake. He then reloads his sling and looks for another target.

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17 Sling Attack
1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 Sling bullet damage

"Rats the size of cats? Foul sorcery is afoot, I say." Andre advances into the room with Sir Galavaine, confident their heavier armor and unshakable faith will protect them against such inconsequential vermin.

Seeing Gnobby , Sallandrya , then Podo fire missiles at an enemy to the rear, Tarmin tears her arrow from the body of the great snake and turns and seeing the large rats threatening Galavaine, sends the the arrow through the air, trailing a thin stream of serpentine ichor.

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Followed swiftly by an more clean elven arrow

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Galavaine picks a different rat and brings the hammer down hard on its back, hoping the creature is not too fast.

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Gnobby's bullet brains one of the writhing mass of rats. Apparently, his move to violence is all that is required to finally goad the rats into action, causing them to stream from the room at Galavaine and whatever other targets present themselves.

Sallandrya's first arrow sticks in an exposed beam in the wall, while her second skewers a rat to the same beam. Podo's bullet takes down another of the vermin, while Tarmin kills two more of them. Andre cannot connect with his sword, but Sir Galavaine crushes yet another of the creatures to the cobbles. Even Pettry wades into the fray, knocking one rat against the wall with his staff, where it crumples, lifeless.

The rats just seem to keep coming, and two attack each of the three that struck at the mass with melee weapons.

The rats' teeth chatter off of the heavily armored paladin and cleric, while Pettry yelps and jumps backwards, avoiding the teeth of the foul creatures.

There are six left, two each on Pettry, Sir Galavaine, and Andre. I can't update the map right now, but the others all have clear line of sight to at least two of the rats. It's the group's turn.

Gnobby picks a rat on the edge of the combat to avoid getting too involved in this fray. He draws his two blades and swings wildly at the rat missing completely.
Lsword hit1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9
Dagger hit1d20 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0

Seeing the rats swarm around her companions, Tarmin grimaces as she realizes that shooting arrows into that confusion would be very dangerous.
She advances quickly ,drawing her longsword, attempting to skewer on of the rats threatening Pettry

1d20 ⇒ 1
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Sir Galavaine continues the fight with gusto, aiming for the necks.

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

"One must clear the rats from a new home first! Ha two for me Andre."

Go Pettry!!

Believing Pettry's lack of shield and protective armor gives him the greatest chance of being harmed by the vermin, Sallandrya reorients herself and steps a few paces closer to angle her shots and aims for each of the rats closing in on the Magic User.

First shot

1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 + 2 = 17

1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 = 5

Second shot

1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 + 2 = 14

1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 = 7

GM Anselth please modify "to hit" if there are penalties.

Andre has similar reservations about Pettry's safety, and intercepts any rats that make it past Sallandrya's deadly aim.

Tarmin, Gnobby, Andre, and Pettry fail to hit the rats, the diminished number making it more difficult to target an individual, rather than just a large mass. Sallandrya manages to pick one off, shooting between Tarmin and Pettry, who looks over his shoulder and smiles when the arrow takes the rat. Sir Galavaine crushes another, leaving four of the giant vermin.

Sir Galavaine Rat: 1d20 ⇒ 5
damage: 1d3 ⇒ 1

Andre Rat 1: 1d20 ⇒ 8
damage: 1d3 ⇒ 1

Andre Rat 2: 1d20 ⇒ 18
damage: 1d3 ⇒ 1
disease%: 1d100 ⇒ 65 no disease

Pettry Rat: 1d20 ⇒ 6
damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3

One of the rats somehow finds a gap in Andre's armor, biting him for 1 point of damage. The others are unable to find a way to harm their targets.

Tarmin curses under her breath as the point of her sword narrowly misses one of the vermin. Changing her stance to properly handle the swift moving animals, her arm darts out in a blur, intercepting the movements of the rats currently crawling around on Pettry.

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
1d8 ⇒ 6

Andre winced as one of the rats found a slip of unprotected skin, drawing a bit of blood from the warrior. He ignored the pain, and continued stabbing at the rats menacing Pettry.

Gnobby rushes one of the rats from behind after the jostling and confusion of combat.
Backstab longsword 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 4 - 1 = 23
Backstab dagger 1d20 + 4 - 3 ⇒ (10) + 4 - 3 = 11
Damage lsword x2 2d8 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7

Sir Galavaine looks down at the vermin. And waits. Then just at the creature prepares to leap forwards he strikes hard and fast. Whipping the hammer across its body.

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Gnobby, Tarmin, and Andre finish off the rats. Sir Galavaine kicks the nearest corpse away and against the wall. He is able to see now the skeleton of what was probably a young adult human, and beyond that, the half wall conceals a staircase leading down.

Gnobby is searching the skeleton before it hits the ground.

Gnobby finds nothing of interest or valu on the skeleton. It's hard to tell if it was a bandit, or someone who came here for some other reason.

I have been making some hardware upgrades to my home PC and it isn't running, so until I get it fixed, I won't be able to update the map. If anyone has any questions about where things are, let me know and I will clarify as best as I can

Gnobby explains, "After combat, there is no reason to lead with stealth. We made a heck of a racquet smashing things. Let's put the big knight in front for a while."

Gnobby still remembers the spider in the tower too.

"I'm wondering why these animals reside here? The guards we fought were in an exterior location, they perhaps did not venture this far into the keep..." Tarmin trails off, wiping rat blood from her sword and placing it back in t's scabard. Looking back towards the great snake, she strides back to its lengthy corpse, and taking her dagger makes a great rent in its belly. She examines the contents of the snakes stomach, in order to determine what it ate to become so large.

"Agreed," said Andre, moving in front of little Gnobby. "Down the other passage? Or through the double doors?"

"I shall guard the rear then. Gnobby's words are sooth. Andre does that rat wound require attention? Remember bravery is one thing, healing is another." Sir Galavaine adds for everyone's benefit and soul.

He moves slowly backwards and sticks to the task of rearguard.

"Double doors. They may have muffled our combat."

"'Tis but a scratch. It can wait until we've found these brigands and dealt with them." He strides towards the double doors, and pushes them open, presenting his shield to ward off any incoming missile fire or blows.

Andre, the doors at the far western end of the e-w corridor?

Shaken by his near brush with death, Podo is strangely quiet. Did you see the teeth on that snake"? "They were bigger than my arm".Podo whispers to no one in particular.

Picking up her arrows and those Sallandrya shot, Tarmin trots back to where the others stood.
"It appears that our serpentine friend hunted and recently supped on one or more of our erstwhile brigands. Methinks they did not use the keep proper, but occupied just the tower as a lookout location. " Tarmin says, handing Sallandrya her arrows.

"Have we searched all the rooms? Did the brigand have anything?"

I'm sorry, I got confused - thought there was a double door somewhere. Yeah, let's head down the western passage.

Sallandrya nods in thanks as she accepts a few arrows back from Tarmin, she looks over to her scouting partner and asks, "how fare thee good Podo?"

After checking on the Halfling, she will place herself alongside valiant Andre in the vanguard of the company.

The ranger will tear a few strips of cloth bandages and tie them on the returned arrows, *she will dip two arrows prepared in this manner in oil for a full minute while lighting a torch from her supplies.

"Does anyone have a free hand to hold a torch and keep close?," Sallandrya will keep the specially prepared arrows in hand with her bow arm and offers the torch to one of the fellowship.

Did we search the rooms we have been through?

If a search roll is needed
1d20 ⇒ 2

*DM Anselth: can I prepare two arrows this way, I'm not expecting extra damage but was planning to use these arrows to light the way ahead of us or to use as a distraction by setting flammable areas/items alight.

Pettry takes the proffered torch from Sallandrya. "All I need to do is drop it if I need my hand free..." His knuckles are white on the hand gripping his staff, apparently more shaken by the close encounter with the rats than he's trying to show.

There are two doors, one on each side, at the south end of the southern corridor which you did not open. in the western corridor, there are two doors on the southern wall, one on the northern wall, and a set of double doors at the end of the passage. There is also one door in the northeast corner of the large, main chamber most of you are standing in.

Salla, you can do that with the arrows, though it will do little more than provide light unless they strike something extremely flammable. And it will (obviously) destroy the shafts.

Map is updated, as well.

Advancing to stand beside Pettry at the entrance to the hall, Tarmin pauses to grasp Podo's shoulder and say to him "It will take a bigger creature than that to defeat us, Podo.", she squeezes his shoulder then moves on.

"Well," Andre says, as he continues down the southern passage. "Let's get back to finding these brigands." He advances down the corridor and opens the left-hand door on the southern wall.