Chronicles of Arcania: B/X Homebrew game.

Game Master Peet

Seeing and recognizing the danger Taklishim summons a spirit for defense....

"Ware the drinkers of blood, dehydration is swift through the lose of blood."

A spirit shimmers into being...

A protector spirit? Summoning a protector will allow you to continue acting on your own. The protector spirit has AC 6, 5 HP, THACO 19, move 40', and attacks once per round for 1-6 damage. I put the icon for a protector on the map.

If this is the kind of spirit you want then go ahead and roll an attack. Also you can move the icon if you want - as long as it starts within 30 feet of you. It will follow orders you give it but will otherwise try to attack the enemy closest to you and keep between you and your enemy.

Since you currently have a -3 penalty to hit between the dizziness and thirst, you might prefer to conjure a warrior instead. Conjuring a warrior means you cannot move or take any actions at all, but the warrior has AC 4, 9 HP, THACO 18, move 40', and attacks twice per round for 1-4 damage each hit.

If you want a warrior spirit, the icon for it is the blue guy just off the map to the left of you. Drop it where you want and make an attack.

If I don't hear from you within 24 hours I will assume things are OK they way I have them and roll for the spirit.

Warrior Spirit seems better at this moment...

I have place him and will attack the stirge and hopefully engage others before they get to the door.

THACO 18: 18 - 1d20 ⇒ 18 - (6) = 12
Damage 1d4 ⇒ 2
THACO 18: 18 - 1d20 ⇒ 18 - (1) = 17
Damage 1d4 ⇒ 3

Recognizing the danger the stirges represent, Zynazyr moves over in front of Taklishim so he can see into the room and casts sleep.

Sleep HD affected: 2d8 ⇒ (4, 1) = 5

A warrior spirit appears and begins flailing at the stirges, but misses with both swings.

A puff of sparkling dust seems to fly from Zynazyr's fingers, and...

...the closest five stirges fall asleep!

Too bad you didn't roll more hit dice, but the stirges all blew their saves.

FYI guys, I should have mentioned this before; because stirges are small and flying around, you CAN move through the space of a conscious stirge if you want.

Ana, Fistep, and Montague are up.

Nice job wizzy!

Charges into the room his shield held out in front of him, and swings at one of the two stirges that weren't put to sleep!

Attack: 16 - 1d20 ⇒ 16 - (20) = -4
Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Charges into the room his shield held out in front of him, and swings at one of the two stirges that weren't put to sleep!

Fistep deftly cuts one of the stirges out of the air.

Natural 20! This means you get another swing, and since your first swing took down one you can aim the second at the other one, as in cleave.

Don't forget though that you are still dizzy from the centipede venom and have -2 to hit, so your THAC0 is currently 18.

THACO+2: 16 + 2 - 1d20 ⇒ 16 + 2 - (4) = 14
Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Initiative: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 5) = 7

Take that you blood sucking bastage! he exclaims as his sword slices through the stirge. With such a precise attack, he pivots and slices at the second stirge.

Fistep's second swing goes wide.

Haven't heard from Montague or Ana - we know Ana has issues lately. So I'm botting them this round.

Montague steps forward with a dagger in hand, and throws it at the remaining stirge.

Thrown Dagger (-1 thirst): 16 + 1 - 1d20 ⇒ 16 + 1 - (19) = -21d4 ⇒ 1

The dagger strikes the Stirge for a small wound.

Ana is too far away to reach the stirge so she steps in front of Montague and takes a shot with her shortbow:

Shortbow: 20 - 1d20 ⇒ 20 - (11) = 91d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

But the arrow goes wide.

The remaining Stirge makes a morale check...
morale: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7

And chooses to remain and fight. It attacks Fistep with alarming speed...
Stirge: 17 - 1d20 ⇒ 17 - (15) = 21d3 ⇒ 1

And latches on to Fistep's back. Doing 1 point of damage. The stirge is now latched onto Fistep's back, making it easier to hit, but it will do damage automatically each future round.

Ferrous is up. Ferrous' move is only 20 so he won't be able to enter melee witht he remaining stirge unless he runs (which would mean no attack this round. Closest he can get and still attack is behind the spirit or behind Ana. If he is attacking at range from those points he will have a -1 to hit from the character in the way.

On mobile so can't manipulate the map. Ferrous will move forward 5' and should easily kill the closest sleeping stirge.

The sleeping stirge is squashed under Ferrous' axe.

Round 2 Initiative:
Block 1: The whole Party
Block 2: The last Stirge

You guys all get to attack before the Stirge, so have at it.

Argh! That ain't good! he yells and runs backwards towards his comrades, and then launches himself against the wall trying to squish the stirge between his armor and the wall.

Go ahead and make a to-hit roll against AC9; if you hit the stirge will be dead. And don't forget to move your icon, or tell me where you are going and I'll move it for you.

Smash Stirge: 17 + 2 - 1d20 ⇒ 17 + 2 - (16) = 3

Warrior Spirit...

To help Fistep first unless he frees himself, if in needed attacks sleeping stirge....

THACO 18: 18 - 1d20 ⇒ 18 - (12) = 6
Damage 1d4 ⇒ 1

THACO 18: 18 - 1d20 ⇒ 18 - (5) = 13
Damage 1d4 ⇒ 4

Fistep crushes the stirge against the wall, and the warrior spirit stomps on the sleeping stirges until they are all dead.

Combat Over.

3:20 PM, Day 1

The party looks over the room they have just claimed from the stirges.

The sparkling in the pile of dust in the center of the room turns out to be four gemstones! Montague and Ferrous both agree that the two smaller ones are worth 50 gp each, the medium sized-one is worth 250 gp, and the large one is worth 500 gp! Clearly this room was once used as some kind of secret cache.

There is a small hole in the top of the west wall, and there is a hint of daylight coming through. Clearly the stirges who nested here would venture outside the pyramid to hunt.

Fistep also discovers a secret door in the north wall, opposite the entrance you came in by.

The stirges themselves can be cleaned and skinned and provide fourteen half-meals.

More interesting, though somewhat puzzling are the various urns, amphorae, and jars around the room (some with stirge nests built on top of them). Each contains something different. Descriptions to follow.

Room Inventory

The containers are:

* A small clay jar containing a pint of blood - the blood is still liquid but has an acrid smell to it. There is a mark on the jar that reads "DB".

* An amphora holds a rolled-up piece of hide. The hide is covered in short black hair, but held in the light it seems opalescent. The jar is marked "DSB". Nobody is sure what animal it comes from.

* A small glass vial holds a tiny amount of clear liquid, though there is considerable calcium buildup around the rim of the lid. It is marked "M".

* Several jars hold five varieties of medicinal herbs.

* One jar has seven mummified bats.

* A large amphora has four long feathers. They look like peacock feathers, except they are gold in hue.

* A medium-sized clay jar has a dozen strange spikes. They are about eight inches long and are made of a hard material like horn or chitin.

* A large amphora has five pickled scorpion tails, similar to that of the scorpions you saw earlier in the hallway.

* On jar holds a spiral horn, about 16 inches in length.

* A jar full of mummified frogs.

* A gallon of a copper colored acrid oily liquid. The container is marked "FS".

* A small unmarked glass jar has a clear jellylike substance in it.

* One jar has a a spool of fine, translucent thread which seems to sparkle a bit in the light.

* A jar marked "C" has a long (4') narrow scaly tail, pickled in brine. The seal around the stopper is rimed with calcium buildup.

* A small jar marked "G" has a dried hand. The hand is human in size and shape, but the skin is grey and the fingers end in claws.

Nothing you find in here looks particularly edible or drinkable, though you may sample things if you wish.

Overall, Ana, Talikshim, and Zynazyr all believe that this collection was intended to be used as reagents in magical research or other magical operations. They would be valuable if brought back to civilization, but the various containers are rather bulky and not practical for carting around a dungeon.

"Thank the serpent these herbs are enough to make many herbal poultices, an I have both a mortar and pestle to do so...."

Takes a second look over the stuff....looking for sturdy empty vials or flasks hopefully metal......

Hey Montague.. he says and points out the secret door that he noticed. Care to see how it opens?

loot, food and water updated.

FYI we still have 4 quarts for those that have some thirst.

Ferrous sets about finding rocks or other loose material to plug up the hole leading to the outside. He grumbles under his breath as he does so.

"These are magical materials," Ana says, examining the feathers more closely.

Zynazyr looks around at the various containers and shares what he sees with the others. "Very interesting indeed. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to use most of this right now. However, this secret room maybe a good place to make camp, unless we want to go back outside to deliver some food to the others. Just to let you know, I can only cast one more spell today. Fistep, can you hand me a container of water? I'm thirsty. If we are stopping now, I'll have something to eat also."

"Let me get a snack first".

Montague eats two half portions of food and drinks some water.

After wiping his mouth off he goes to the door to check things out.

1d6 ⇒ 3 Find Traps

1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18 Tinker

Ana will take a break to consume some water, but she ate a half-portion earlier and so will consume only a half-portion.

Taklishim eats a half portion and drinks some water as well...

"It is either hunger and thirst, or after effects of venom, but I feel poorly..."

Re: Food

"Let me get a snack first".

Montague eats two half portions of food and drinks some water.

Ana will take a break to consume some water, but she ate a half-portion earlier and so will consume only a half-portion.

OK, Ana, you said you were eating in the centipede room and I asked you how much. So I take it that is what you are referring to. And when you say a "half-potion" of water I will assume you mean a half-pint.

After eating sparely, Montague and Ana are able to stave off the worst of their hunger and thirst, and feel much refreshed.

Because they have eaten at least three half-meals of fresh food, Ana and Montague are no longer under thirst effects for the rest of the day. Drinking a half-pint of water on top of this means that tomorrow your thirst count only goes up by 0.5 instead of 1 (and thirst penalties are rounded down). You needed to go by trial and error to find this out.

Does anyone else want to do this? It would be easier for me if everyone was eating and drinking the same amount, though I don't mind keeping records for characters separately if necessary.

At this stage, characters have eaten and drank the following:

Ana: 3 half-meals, 1 half-pint
Ferrous: 2 half-meals, no water
Fistep: 2 half-meals, no water
Montaguye: 3 half-meals, 1 half-pint
Talikshim: 1 half-meal, no water
Zynazyr: 1 half-meal, no water
NPCs Outside: 1 half-meal each (6 total), no water

For the record so far you have found 46 half-meals of fresh food and 6 half-meals of preserved food. You found 1 gallon (or 16 half-pints) of water.

Ferrous sets about finding rocks or other loose material to plug up the hole leading to the outside.

There is plenty of debris in the room where the centipedes were, and after a short foray there Ferrous comes back with more than enough material to plug the hole.

"However, this secret room maybe a good place to make camp..."

This is a perfectly valid strategy, as wandering monsters do not use careful movement and as a result rarely find secret doors - generally only when they already know they are there or are specifically looking. From the looks of this room, nobody has been here aside from the stirges for a long long time. The hole the stirges used to get in and out could also be used as a smoke hole if you make a fire.

Re: Poison

"It is either hunger and thirst, or after effects of venom, but I feel poorly..."

If the group wishes you can rest until the dizziness experienced by Fistep and Talikshim wears off - it looks like a break is being taken to eat anyway. It's not in-character knowledge, but will turn out to be only 1 turn (10 minutes) of waiting. Had you failed more saving throws it could have been hours.

Re: Secret Door

After wiping his mouth off he goes to the door to check things out.

Montague finds no evidence of traps here.

You don't need to make a tinker roll to open the secret door unless I specifically say that you can't figure out how to get it open. And I have already rolled in secret for your perception. If you wish to take a full 10 minutes double checking, let me know - this would allow a second roll for everyone participating.

After plugging up the hole towards the outside except for small crevices between the rocks to allow air flow into the room Ferrous sits down to have the last bit of the fire beetles in his possession and take a small drink of water. I think that the people outside should be told of the stirges. Just because we killed the lot in here doesn't mean there's more of them out hunting.

This should put Ferrous at the 3 half meals and 1/2 pint of water mark like Ana and Montague. No problem in cleaning up the paperwork.

Watching everyone else eat and drink, Zynazyr realizes how hungry and thirsty he is too. He gets some water from Fistep (half-pint) and takes some of the beetle meat out of his pack (full meal)

This should put me at the same place as the others. Should I reduce food/water on inventory sheet or let DM do it so we don't double up?

Taklishim lets the first food and water settle into his system....
From post above....both food and water

He drinks a bit more water knowing that thirst can make people over drink and run out of provisions....

3:40 PM, Day 1

Okay, I am going ahead and saying you guys decide to rest the extra time until Talikshim and Zynazyr recover from the poison. Fistep: I am also assuming that you are eating and drinking the same amount as everyone else unless I hear different from you.

While you are waiting, the spellcasters decide to use the time by looking over the unidentified scrolls to see if they can decipher any of them.
3d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 3) = 10

Talikshim manages to identify one of the other scrolls as a scroll of cure light wounds. The other two scrolls will take more time to decipher.

The way I see it you have a few options:

* Open the secret door to the north
* Return to the hallway and go north to the next door down the hall
* Return to the hallway and go south down the stairs
* Return to camp and rest. Zynazyr and Talikshim are down to one spell each, while Ana is out of spells.

I'm ok with eating at the same time

Fistep takes a bit of a break to eat a half-meal and drink a half-pint of the precious water, being careful not to waste even a single drop.

He waits until everyone seems ready and has finished their meals. We're in hostile territory and the shaman and I are still a bit dizzy...seeing as we seem, for the moment, to be in a sheltered out of the way area, we should wait for this dizziness to pass. he says while gesturing to the shaman.

We could camp here too... into and out of this room is secret doors

"I agree," Ana sighs heavily. "I need a rest."

Agreed we can take a rest here. I will take first watch as I am uninjured.
Ferrous says with a grunt. During his watch Ferrous will search the room the are in currently very thoroughly in case anything was missed.

Taklishim finds a comfortable spot and unfurls his bedroll....

Okay, that seems like a consensus. Do you want to bring the others from outside down here?

personally I have concerns about that many people in a relatively confined area. The only air supply is the hole that I covered up with rubble and the two secret doors. Usually secret doors seal pretty tight as a glowing border of leaking light around it would rather ruin the secret nature. My vote would be that in the morning we turn this room over to the people outside and make this their new base.

Fair enough. Though unblocking the air hole would solve the air problem. So you will return to the others in the morning?

The party makes camp in the small room. The characters settle down, swap stories, and make plans as to what to do next.

PING!!! XP are awarded when you make camp. Talikshim gets 197 XP. Everyone else gets 361 XP. Record this on your sheet and don't forget to increase this by your bonus for having a high prime requisite; everyone gets +10% except Montague and Zynazyr who get +15%. Round off to the nearest integer. Calculated totals are in the spoiler below. Montague should be fairly close to leveling up.

You will note that you got XP for the scorpions you avoided. However, had you killed them they would have also provided food, which you did not get credit for.

Zynazyr, Anastoria, and Talikshim pore over the items the party has found, hoping to identify them.

Zynazyr is able to identify the three magical cones of incense. They are cones of incense of perception.

Incense of perception - This incense can be burned to enhance a person's perceptive talents. A full turn must be spent in meditation while inhaling the incence. Afterwards, anyone who inhaled the incence while meditating has their chances of detecting anything (i.e. finding traps & secret doors, hearing noise, and so on) by 1 in 6 for a period of 2 hours. This also affects a magic-user or elf's ability to detect magic and a cleric's ability to detect evil.

Zynazyr also identifies one of the unidentified scrolls as a scroll of ventriloquism. The other scroll remains unidentified.

Zynazyr and Ana both conclude that the one intact page of the spellbook contains the magician spell light.

Adding Spells to Spellbooks: Now that you have scrolls it is possible to add those spells to your spellbooks.

* A person's spellbook in the hands of any other caster works like a scroll. Thus the spellbook with light in it counts as a scroll, though it is bulkier.

* A caster may add a spell from a scroll to his book if he has successfully read it. Zynazyr may therefore use the ventriloquism scroll; both Ana and Zynazyr may use the light one. Talikshim may use the cure light wounds and resist cold ones. Note though that a scroll provides an "extra" spell that does not count towards your spells per day, so you may want to keep some of the scrolls to be used normally, rather than expending them to write the spells in your books.

* A prepared caster can teach a spell to another prepared caster of the same class. This takes 1 hour per level and the spell to be taught must be cast in the process.

* Talikshim can record cure light wounds and this will allow him to prepare the reverse, cause light wounds, which he cannot currently cast. However, the scroll is probably more valuable as backup healing.

Casters: please record what you are doing when you list what spells you prepare for the following day. Zynazyr and Ana - you should come to some decision about who gets which scroll.

8:00 AM, Day 2

The party wakes up and goes through their morning routine. Everyone gears up for the day ahead.

The fire beetle glands that provide you with light have dried out. One of them has gone dim, though the 11 others still provide more than enough light.

You have 22 half-meals of fresh food remaining... only it isn't so fresh anymore. This food will have to be eaten today or preserved in some way (by smoking or drying, perhaps). (Actually, Ferrous could probably "take it" if the food went a bit off, but for everyone else, no.) You also have six half-meals of preserved food. Yesterday you had three half-meals each, the equivalent of half-rations. If you stay on that diet you will be hungry and surely lose weight, but overall you think you can survive on it.

You have 5 pints of water left. Again, you think you can survive on what you had yesterday if you get that every day, though you would prefer more.

The people outside have only had one half-meal and no water, and are likely getting very hungry and thirsty.

Everyone in the party has a Thirst count of 0.5, which provides no penalty (you round down). You have a hunger count of 1, which does not cause any penalties (hunger count is divided by 3).

The people outside now have a Thirst count of 2 and a hunger count of 1.66.

"We should consume this meat or pass it to the others to smoke, salted meats would just increase our thirst."

Eats a half portion to break his fast of the evening.

"I would like the scroll that I can read, if you don't mind, Zynazyr."

Assuming Zynazyr agrees, Ana adds light to her spellbook.

Ana will also consume a half-portion in the morning.

Rather than lose this food, I recommend that we share it with those above," Ana suggests.

Everyone should eat at least a half-meal, then I agree we can send the rest upwards. He eats his half meal of the 'fresh' food, his face a bit of a grimace.

He sighs, Food is nice, but we really need to find water... for us and those outside He pauses, getting up to get his sword and shield. Better press on and moves over towards the secret door.

So, do you want to:

* Rendezvous with the folks outside now, or,

* Explore for a while first, going through the secret door to the north, or,

* Explore for a while going some other route?

ALSO: are you going to feed the goblin? He is now awake, though still gagged.

Noticing the goblin looking at the food, he offers a half portion....maybe a full portion for a goblin sized captive....

In goblin
"Want to eat?"

Points at the secret door, Ferrous is right, if we clear this secret door, or at least know where it leads, we can bring the people down to here. Making many trips back to the surface will become increasingly problematic

He looks over at Montague, Think we can take another look at the door and then if its clear I'll open it?

Btw, do we recover any hit points for over night?

Zynazyr nods at Ana's suggestion. "Yes, of course you can have the Light spell. Perhaps you can teach it to me when we have the opportunity. I'm not sure what to do with the Ventriloquism scroll. I don't think I would use it very often but it could come in handy. I think I will leave it as a scroll for now."

Looking over at their captive, he adds "Make sure the goblin's hands are secure and he is gagged. I'm going to have enough trouble sleeping as it is." He then does his best to get comfortable in order to study his spellbook before going to sleep.

In the morning, he also has a half-meal. "I agree that we should see what is on the other side of the secret door. Once the area is secured, we can bring the others down out of the elements."

Once breakfast is completed, he gathers his things and waits for the others to open the other secret door.

Noticing the goblin looking at the food, he offers a half portion....maybe a full portion for a goblin sized captive....

In goblin
"Want to eat?"

The goblin, though gagged, nods. When the gag is removed, he digs into the food that is offered like a ravenous animal. When done, he looks up at Talikshim.

"Is that it? I'm starved! Very bad things happen if a wizard is starving! He goes crazy and turns into a giant crocodile! Then he eats- mmmph!"

Ferrous shuts up the goblin with the gag.