GM West's DCC Adventure - Hole in the Sky (Inactive)

Game Master Stiehle

Chopper looks at the huge.... creature, and hangs his axe on his belt. He doubts he'd be able to harm something that big with such a weapon.

"We need to find the lady. Quietly so that thing stays asleep?"

Larry mutters. Maybe that breach might help?

It might indeed Mutters Bukharina, very very quietly.

Marco turns to the others. "I can try and be quiet"

Walking along an invisible, seemingly endless bridge over the vast ocean around mid-spring or thereabouts.
Weather is clear and cold with moderate winds.
Early evening of the third day.

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The group starts to make their way across the floor, eyeing the gargantuan sleeping beast warily...

So the map below has a Marching Order set up. Please move your icons over to give me some indication of where your at in the group moving across the floor toward the breach in the wall on the left-hand side of chamber. No need for single file or even double file, as there's plenty of room to spread out, if you want. Let me know if you're doing anything else of note, as well. I'll give you all a couple days to get something up and make a post. If anyone is remaining outside the door, let me know that as well, otherwise I'll presume you've all made your way inside once the titan didn't jump up and start attacking after the first brave souls shimmied under the crack. Also looking to see if we've lost any players over the past couple months. I think we're good to go with everyone still on board, but it can be hard to tell in a group this size!

Map

Attack Roll Modifiers/Dice Chain

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Done. Not doing anything special except trying to move as quietly as possible!

Looks good to me

Larry whispers. We should check to see who is in the nest. If it is heavy enough, maybe it will smash the guy's skull if we drop it on his head.

Done I think, we are he vanguard party after all.

Hmm..If we can get people who are good with climbing, then they can get up to the breach and then the branch to see who is in the cage.

Having squirmed his way into the thorny tower, Tater begins to process the details available -- especially the matter of scale. Is the snoring beast before them even tall enough to reach the suspended cage? Is there any sign that it climbs the interior walls to reach that lofty prison? And what about these strange bugs: is there evidence that the creature avoids them in any way? He takes note of the breach, and sees the majority of the group heading toward it, but makes no move in that direction yet. We need a plan.

Stave glances down at the crowbar dangling from a belt loop at his side, and looks back up at the daunting characteristics of the snoozing monster. He sees the bones and branches scattered about, and begins to creep along the wall (counterclockwise) to seek out sturdy and pointy pieces that might be used or reworked as spears. If this comes to a fight, I'm going to want something with a bit more length than my prybar.

Just as Stave is beginning to creep past the doorway, O'Dweeds hisses, Hey! Hey, Stave! Lemme borrow your tinderbox! I wanna try something. And with an owlish blink, Stave passes over the small kit. O'Dweeds moves away from the tower quietly and looks for one of the grassblades, a question of burning in his mind . . . .

Tater: remaining near the doorway
Stave: creeping along the floor, headed to the right, looking for improvised weaponry options
O'Dweeds: moving outside, hoping to learn if the grassblades can be burned

Berry's going to join the breach-group heading inside, Charmy will wait in the room for about 10 minutes before going back outside to inform the others of what's going on, Stormy is waiting outside the door as a guard of sorts...

Berry says to the group heading into the breach, "I'll go along inside this breach with the rest of you. I might be able to help if anything's been locked up.", as he tries to keep his speaking voice down so as to not wake the snoring titan.

Berry joins the others that are venturing inside the breach as he fumbles around for a torch to draw out- but not before going up to Charmy and telling him to wait for about 10 minutes in the interior room with the sleeping hairy giant/titan and then to go crawling back outside to inform the others about what's happening inside- to which Charmy silently agrees with a deferential nod.

Stormy, in the meantime, is whiling away the hours outside- half wondering if he'll have to dig up some Graves... just in case.

Marco tries to head to the breach in the wall.

sneak stealth?

AGL: 1d20 ⇒ 16

In some strange prison dimension with no way home
Weather is clear (you think...) with no sun and an eerie red-tinged sky
No telling what time it is on your first day in this dimension, four days after meeting with the Lady in Blue.

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Most of the party heads toward the breach while others wait near the door, watching the rest make their way across the littered floor of the strange structure. They all eye the sleeping titan, who continues to snore thunderously as the leading edge of the group get to about halfway across the floor, Marco doing his best to move as silently as possible. Thus it is with complete surprise that a tremendous roar and gout of greenish light flares from somewhere above, and those near the door see a thick tendril, like a gigantic green root, wrap around Miner, dragging him upward as he screams in terror. The entire party freezes and necks crane as they look up to see a massive gourd-like creature that has detatched from the wall about thirty feet above the door. It is easily twenty feet or so in diameter, with ropy tendrils that sprout from the top, acting as hideously long arms and legs. Its eyes, mouth and nose appear to be carved into its flesh, revealing the plant monster's interior that burns with bright green fire (OOC - Yep, think a hideously gigantic jack-o-lantern!)

With a careless flick, Miner's body is tossed from the grasping tendril into the maw of the creature, and his screams rise higher - though thankfully his body can no longer be seen within those eldritch flames. Over Miner's dying shrieks, which seem to be growing even more shrill - with no indication of stopping as you would hope - a soft, cultured voice sounds throughout the chamber, easily heard by all despite the screams of the monster's victim. "Ahhh... a terrible shame, that. I do apologize, for my eternal task at times makes me too quick to pass immediate judgement before offering mercy to trespassers. This violence is senseless, and can be avoided if you but leave this dimension. Refuse, and you will be destroyed." The monster shuts its jaws, and still you hear Miner's screams, the creature's eyes still glowing bright with that unholy green flame that burns within it...

Plant Monster 'Surprise' Attack: 1d24 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25 vs Miner's AC = Hit! Grappled!

Somehow, the nearby titan continues to snore, apparently undisturbed by the screams of the dying Miner and the roar of the plant creature when it attacked. But for how long can it possibly remain asleep?

What do you all do? No rolls are needed at this time, unless of course you choose to attack - in which case you can make that roll. Recall that a couple of you are outside the door, others are just inside the door (next to where Miner was standing a moment ago) and the rest of you are roughly halfway to the breach in the far wall. Details of your positions can be found on the Map link (along with an artists rendition of the plant monster attacking another hapless party!) The creature is 30' above the door and those in the center of the chamber are about 30' away from all of the walls (including the breach), so figure that's a total range of about 50' or thereabouts. I'll write out Grumbaki fully by figuring his surviving PCs are scrambling back under the door and running away to whatever hellish fate awaits them in this strange new world.

Map

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May I inquire oh mighty one, on how we are to leave this dimension? We do not have ways in interplanar travel unfortunately. And if thee permit me to ask an additional question, what precisely are the terms of thy eternal duty, and how do you define tresparser?

The remain brothers simply have no idea what is going on anymore

The thing continues to stare at the transfixed party from where it is perched upon the wall like an ugly tumor, its baleful green burning eyes fixed upon them as the dying screams of Miner still resonate from within its clenched mouth. It seems to have no interest in further discussion...

Bucks hears the scream and draws his sword. He considers wriggling under the door, but decides it is still safer outside. He steps to one side just in case it opens.

Chopper pulls his axe off of his belt. While he can't attack a creature 30' up, he can chop any tentacle that swings his way! He (and Stinky) hear Lilly's reply and wait. Stinky also pulls his dagger, hoping he doesn't have to use it. It might scratch the thing....

Marco gets out his weapon

"I don't think we can bargain with it!"

Berry tells the others closest to him, "We have to make a run for it!" as he starts to sprint towards the direction of the distant breach way up ahead of him.

Charmy decides not to wait out the full 10 minutes that he was supposed to wait for but instead ducks under the doorway to alert the others waiting outside. "Help! There's a big pumpkin monster that's stuck to the door- it ate somebody already!"

Stormy was content to guard by outside with O'Dweeds when at least two others scrambled out from under door in a right panic. Looking to his lone companion, the two guards were soon accompanied by a third as Charmy made his way outside to inform the two of what's occurring inside. Stormy will hesitate before scrambling under the door with his shovel at the ready.

The two brothers make a run for the breach as well.

Bucks considers his situation. The group is inside, but so is a REALLY big monster. Were they seriously considering fighting that.... But then he hears 'pumpkin monster'. What? He ducks down and passes under the door for a look.

Seeing the brothers, and a couple others running for a breach along the wall he hustles along the wall in that direction as well. Don't have Perception so I don't know if he even noticed the pumpkin monster.... He's really more intent on not losing all of his potential allies and not needing to use his sword on something stupidly big and dangerous!

Chopper keeps his eyes on the baleful green burning eyes as he backs in the direction of the breach. Stinky decides to let others fight the thing and turns to run to the breach. He hopes it goes through to somewhere rather than being just a short hole in the wall where they'd all get stuck!

Will give another day or two to see who is making a break for the breach and who is standing fast to face the terrifying behemoth that looks to be the world's biggest, murderous jack-o-lantern.

O'Dweeds hears the screams, if faintly, and continues his hurried examination of the grassblades' properties.

Tater hustles his way back under the door and outside, moving away from the doorway while following the exterior surface of the "tower".

Stave picks up the pace as he seeks anything sharper than his crowbar in the detritus of the tower floor.

To battle it is then, as Bukharina retreats a fair bit, letting her midly burlier comrades take positions at the frontline.

Marco rushes forward.

"Wait for me!"

In some strange prison dimension with no way home
Weather is clear (you think...) with no sun and an eerie red-tinged sky
No telling what time it is on your first day in this dimension, four days after meeting with the Lady in Blue.

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A little more than half the party flees toward the far wall and the safety(?) of the breach they spotted from the door as others turn to face the monstrosity that still hangs above the door some 30' above them. Two others linger outside the door, in the strange and frightening new world that you have found yourselves trapped in. The creature continues to watch those arrayed in a ragged battle line as Miner's pitiful screams fade to silence, paying no heed to those that flee as it opens its mouth to speak again in it's strangely cultured voice that is menacingly soft and yet carries throughout the entire chamber quite well. "Very well. You have been warned. Cur Maxima will bring death to all trespassers." And then the bulky creature is scrambling down the vertical wall, using its tendrils like the legs of a bulbous spider to close in on those that have stood to fight...

Cur Maxima's Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

The map shows my understanding of who is standing their ground to do battle and who is fleeing to the breach and the couple of folks that are lingering outside of the door, one of whom seems particularly interested in the grass growing out there (it's nothing special, just like normal grass except for the exotic color of a sort of purplish hue.) Let me know if I'm mistaken now or forever hold your peace! Those who have posted you're lining up for battle, go ahead and roll initiative! Just roll a d20 and add your Agility modifier. If you beat Cur Maxima's initiative roll, you can make a ranged attack before it reaches you or 'ready' a melee attack for when it comes into range, should you prefer. Or you can take any other action you'd like, of course. Those who have rolled lower on the initiative count can post your actions as well, though whether your action occurs or not depends on whether you're still alive, of course.

Map

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Berry's running for the breach, Charmy's on the outside of the door- unable to decide what to do next, and Stormy just entered inside the door to see what all the fuss is about.

Berry frantically runs towards the open breach, hoping that the titan doesn't wake anytime soon.

Charmy looks panickedly at the others outside of the hut but doesn't say anything as of yet. If told to go back inside, he'll do just that... although he won't readily verbally volunteer that little tidbit upon his own initiative, however.

Stormy, having just slipped past under the door to see the Great Pumpkin Monster bearing down upon those that stood their ground, opts to ready his attack for when it comes into reach of his shovel.

Stormy fights: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (17) + 0 = 17.

Stormy wins initiative and can ready his attack! Go ahead and roll your attack and damage - both of those are on your character sheet.

The brothers are still heading to the breech.

Bucks: 1d20 ⇒ 9
Chopper: 1d20 ⇒ 2
Stinky: 1d20 ⇒ 18

Bucks sees that some of the party is stopping, apparently to fight.... He switches to an open run for the crack in the wall. He sheaths his sword hoping to not hurt anyone as he pushes by.

Choppper doesn't look back, not wanting to see anyone killed.

Stinky hesitates, then turns and readies his javelin. Maybe if they hurt the thing it will decide not to continue the fight?

Initiative?: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Throw: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
damage?: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

PhilipGastone here dotting due to pw troubles

Marco readies for the fight but runs.

initiative: 1d20 ⇒ 6

In some strange prison dimension with no way home
Weather is clear (you think...) with no sun and an eerie red-tinged sky
No telling what time it is on your first day in this dimension, four days after meeting with the Lady in Blue.

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As Cur Maxima races toward the group, fully half of them turn to fight with Stinky several paces behind the front line, readying a javelin to throw!

Franhk's Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
Bukh's Initiative: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (18) - 2 = 16
Marx's Initiative: 1d20 ⇒ 17
Engels' Initiative: 1d20 ⇒ 20
Burke's Initiative: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (14) - 2 = 12

Two of the comrades connect with their blackjacks, though the damage seems minimal. The others miss badly as the monster's vines twist and whip around, one of them grasping Burke, who is quickly and horribly torn to pieces as the other vines growing from its pumpkin-like head tear at his arms, legs and head - though at least his dying scream is mercifully cut short. Marx just barely avoids another grasping vine that brushes the hairs on the top of his head! Stinky's javelin strikes true, lodging into the body of the creature, but it doesn't really seem to notice the sharpened stick jutting from its flesh.

Engel's Blackjack Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 15 = Hit!
Blackjack Damage: 1d3 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

Marx's Blackjack Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 17 = Hit!
Blackjack Damage: 1d3 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1

Stormy's Shovel Attack: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13 = Miss!

Bukh's Pitchfork Attack: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13 = Miss!

Franhk's Cudgel Attack: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13 = Miss!

Burke's Battleaxe Attack: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12 = Miss!

Cur Maxima's Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 211d6 ⇒ 6 vs Burke = Hit!
Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (2, 6) + 1 = 9
Cur Maxima's Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 91d5 ⇒ 1 vs Marx = Miss!

Stinky's Attack = Hit! Damage = 5!

Those making a run for the breach push past the debris and find themselves in a gloomy chamber that smells like autumn leaves after a heavy rain. The chamber is lit by several of teh same strange globin buts you saw in the main chamber, though these are contained in a hand-woven cage that hangs in the center of the room. The rough-hewn chamber is full of debris, and walking across it will be difficult. To your far right you see a shadowy passageway, slightly curved as it appears to run along the interior wall of the huge chamber you just exited. You can see faint light from the passage, as though illuminated by tiny cracks in the wall that allow the strange light from the main room to shine in.

Just a heads up, normally there is a -1 penalty for 'firing into a melee' and a miss has a 50% chance of hitting an ally. However, this thing is enormous (see the picture on the Map link), so I'm ruling no penalty and no chance of hitting an ally unless you roll a natural '1'. I've also got a crudely drawn map going so you know relative positions, location of rooms and passages, etc.

Map

Attack Roll Modifiers/Dice Chain

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Stinky sees his javalin sink into the creature. The size of the monster is scary, but he pulls out his dagger anyway. The blade was much more than what he'd used as a belt knife for eating, but it seems really small for this thing! Seeing Burke torn to shreds almost makes him turn and run, almost makes him lose control of his bowels! But instead he charges in to try....

attack: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
damage if that hits!: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

The two brothers have a change of heart after hearing the screams and head back to help

Thank you for rolling on behalf Stormy, GM West- I'm still a bit uneven with my posting schedules as a whole. :)

If Charmy finds himself the only one still standing outside all alone, he'll try to scramble back under the doorway to certain doom.

Stormy will hold his ground, even if he made a poor showing at attacking Cur Maxima.

Berry, once inside the breach, will attempt to find anything that might be useful among the debris on the ground.

base roll: 1d20 ⇒ 17. possibly luck or int?

Marcus looks around.

"Anyone have a torch?"

Absent-mindedly replying to Marcus as he's examining the debris upon the floor, Berry mumbles, "I've got one on me, have to dig it out from my sack."

Definitely -1 to both Int and Luck rolls here, so 16 adjusted total for either.

Stormy grimly notes that he'll have to recite a silent prayer to both Burke and whomever it was that had previously gotten ate by the enormous pumpkin beast- he'll have to ask about it... if he survives. Like that Patty Smyth/Scandal 'Warrior' song. ;)

The brothers are heading back to help

In some strange prison dimension with no way home
Weather is clear (you think...) with no sun and an eerie red-tinged sky
No telling what time it is on your first day in this dimension, four days after meeting with the Lady in Blue.

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Feel like I'm losing folks here... maybe DCC doesn't translate well to play-by-post? In any case, I'm going to help things along and summarize a bit here...

Those that fight the beast find that their weapons, while perhaps doing some amount of damage, isn't nearly enough to hurt it nearly enough. The thing seems to be toying with them, taking one or two with its tendrils and either tearing them apart or tossing them into its glowing mouth, where their dying screams echo in the chamber briefly - though not briefly enough, in the minds of those who glimpse their own mortality in the face of this horrifying behemoth. Then it retreats up along the wall beyond the range of their weapons, still carrying its last victim, waving them around as they cry out in terror before popping it into its glowing mouth, ending their cries forever. The thing doesn't look particularly hurt, but again its voice rings out in the chamber in a soft, threatening voice. "Please consider this as your final warning. I have been more than patient with your pathetic attempts at rebellion. Leave, or face utter destruction!"

Eventually, the survivors retreat to the breach under the watchful gaze of Cur Maxima and find themselves in a gloomy chamber that smells like autumn leaves after a heavy rain. The chamber is lit by several of the same strange glowing bugs you saw in the main chamber, though these are contained in a hand-woven cage that hangs in the center of the room. The rough-hewn chamber is full of debris, and walking across it will be difficult. To your far right you see a shadowy passageway, slightly curved as it appears to run along the interior wall of the huge chamber you just exited. You can see faint light from the passage, as though illuminated by tiny cracks in the wall that allow the strange light from the main room to shine in.

Berry begins to pick around the debris, looking for something useful as the others...

Those searching please make an INT check. Going forward, if you are attacking an enemy, please make your own attack rolls. It's not much fun for me to run combats when I'm doing all the rolling. Again, maybe DCC just isn't meant for pbp gaming. At this point, I'm going to make this an official 'roll call' pause. Those that post in the next 10 days will be considered active and those that don't will not be continuing on - their characters will be the ones killed in my post above. If I've still got everyone somehow and you've all just been really quiet or something, I'll just roll randomly to see who is dead. Figure it got three of those standing and fighting while the others fled. Yeah, this thing is really, really powerful and you aren't going to hurt it appreciably with those miserable little farm tools or tiny swords you call weapons. Those outside... not sure of your intentions? Are you continuing on with the adventure?

Map

Attack Roll Modifiers/Dice Chain

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With his dagger making a deep slash wound in the huge monster, that wasn't even deep enough to bleed?, Stinky finally realizes that fighting it was probably the dunmbest thing he'd ever done. He turns to run for the gap in the wall, following the others.

Chopper and Bucks clear their way through and start looking around.
Int Bucks: 1d20 ⇒ 2
Int Chopper: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

The two remaining brothers head back into the room as well and looks around.

Int Larry: 1d20 ⇒ 3
Int Daryl: 1d20 ⇒ 12

My main issue is that well, I dont know what I am doing. As was clearly evidenced by buying blackjacks (I must have slipped on something reading wise, I was reading 2D6 for damage on them) And well, what are our realistic options? It doesnt seem to be bargainable, we have to get past it, I dont think we can stealth past it, and we dont have tools or magic to get much done either.

The comrades unleash a furlly of probably ineffective attacks.
Marx: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (15) - 1 = 14
damage: 1d3 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1 or damage: 2d6 - 1 ⇒ (6, 3) - 1 = 8
Engels: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (13) - 1 = 12
damage: 1d3 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1 or damage: 2d6 - 1 ⇒ (2, 5) - 1 = 6
Bukharina: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (16) - 1 = 15
damage: 1d8 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0

The thing was harassing you for sure, but it wasn't blocking your path to the breach - as evidenced by the fact that about half of the party made it there without any problem. And yeah, you missed the bit about thieves using some weapons (blackjack, garotte, dagger and dart gun) more effectively with a successful backstab attack - which uses the second damage range. I just thought your guys preferred heavy bags of sand to whack folks into submission or something. And I knew there'd be a learning curve, but rolling attacks is pretty clear cut. Attack modifiers and damage are printed on your character sheets. That's really all I'm asking for at this point, until we all get a little more comfortable with the system.

Marco looks around the area in the gloomy chamber.

INT: 1d20 ⇒ 3

"Anyone see anything??"

What is this place? I'm lost

Larry is far too much in shock while Daryl has better luck.

Reporting in as well here, GM West. :)

So would it be fair to say that those who survived Cur Maxima also get to join the others in the breach? How about those still remaining outside of the door- do they remain there or should we presume that at some point they also make it to the breach?

One last attack and damage roll for Stormy- for old time's sake. I don't mind it if he does ends up being pumpkin food in the course of retreating to the breach if Cur Maxima does land a hit on him.

attacking: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (19) - 1 = 18.

damage potential: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3.

One final attack from Stormy as he follows after the others, that chose to fight, into the breach.

if he survives to get in the breach to search around: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (12) - 1 = 11.

Berry notes the glowbugs in their cages, as he digs out his torch from his sack. "Maybe we wouldn't need to use any torches. Are those cages that those glowing bugs are in- are they removable?"

Charmy's still outside but for how long with the other two folks about?

Glad to see there's still interest! Those outside can immediately make a run for the breach. They might be among the victims snagged by Cur Maxima as I previously described, but the dice will determine that. If the folks outside aren't joining the party (either because of player choice or the player fails to check in), I will presume they flee in terror from the thing rampaging beyond the door and become lost in this dimension forever.

Aux Armes Citoyens, chargez Bukharina tries to bluff the cur Maxima as the comrades fake a charge and then run for the breach, having had a pre established cunning plan that everything Bukharina says with a fake not-French accent is a cunning lie or deception.

Marco shouts "Come on! Inside!"