DM Brainiac's Dungeon Crawl Classics

Game Master Brainiac

Clancy has been eyeing the flying skulls - truly an abomination. He wonders briefly if he could use Justicia's magic to turn them, but figures they are not truly undead, but rather mere constructs of the wizard. He listens distractedly to the conversation and adds his own thoughts. "It seems likely to me that it must be this Thesdipedes who must utter the word needed, though that's only a guess on my part. These skulls are definitely keeping tabs on us, though. I suppose if we take some time to read the books and are met with resistance, we can figure there is something worthwhile to learn amongst the texts."

I'm okay with taking time for Mirinde (or whoever) to peruse the texts more thoroughly. If it draws a reaction, we can probably reason that there's something worthwhile here. If not, we've only wasted a bit of time. GM, can Clancy cast that spell without offending Justicia, and obviously without the whole Spellburn ordeal? Or is it usable by Wizards and Elves only?

Clancy can cast the spell without offending Justicia or needing to use spellburn. The scroll simply allows wizards and elves the chance to cast it when they normally wouldn't be able to do so.

You keep watch in the library as Mirinde pores over the massive tome. The skulls remain in the outside hall, perching near the ceiling but keeping their ruby eyes focused on you.

Much time passes, but there doesn't seem to be any indication what "word" Thesdipedes is supposed to know that might help you...

The flying skulls make Roscoe nervous so he sees what will happen if he closes the door so that the skulls can't watch them.

"Well I certainly don't know for sure, but perhaps we'll have to find this Thesdipedes corpse, use that scroll to ask him what the word is, then figure out how to use it".

Mirinde looks up from poring over the tome's contents, her eyes glazed over with fatigue. "Yes I agree. Our next step should be to locate his corpse....I have the means to question it now."

Clancy, who had been eyeing the scroll in curiosity, speaks in response. "Lady Mirinde, I too have the ability to use the scroll without the need to expend a piece of my life force - and without the risk of offending Justicia. Though I have come to accept your acceptance of the Lady in Blue as your patron, I fear for what she might do to you were SHE to take offense. In any case, I offer my own services in casting the spell, should you wish."

Once Mirinde is ready and watching how the flying skulls react to having the door closed on them by Roscoe, the cleric is ready to head out.

Particularly if the door is closed, Istevan will take the time to look around the room and flip through some of the other books (though he doesn't expect to find much). If the skulls cannot be kept out, he'll mostly keep a wary eye on them.

"Well, it was worth a look, I suppose. And it's good to take a short rest when you can."

When everyone is ready to go, Istevan will lead the way to the previous room, and venture toward the second door on the west wall. Reaching for the handle, Istevan quickly pulls his hand back: "Degan? Traps?"

Degan takes a look at the door as requested.
Find Traps: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

"Good reasoning, Roscoe. It seems likely to me that Thesdipedes is dead, and this incantation would let us get the 'word' from his corpse. I hope the word turns the constructs back into villagers, but I don't know for sure."

I'll assume going forward that Degan checks for traps on every door and corridor unless stated otherwise. Will make rolls for him when necessary. Going to move through a few areas to keep the pace going.

Degan finds no traps. The second door on the left opens into a comfortably appointed lounge area has an upholstered sofa, several chairs, and a table. The walls are decorated with framed drawings of various men and women. There is nothing of value here.

The door on the right side of the hall opens into a sparsely appointed bedroom. There is a small, untidy bed, a dresser, a chair, a stool, and a shelf. A cursory examination discloses a few items of value atop the dresser and shelf: a golden bust of a dragon head (worth 40 gp) and a sack of 30 sp.

Mirinde glances back at the floating skulls here, a thoughtful look on her face. "It seems whatever we seek will not be found here. We should return to the chamber where the sorcerer fled from us."

Clancy glances around the bedroom for a moment, then begins to search in earnest. "If I were a powerful wizard, I might have a secret door hidden in my bedroom to access my lab in privacy. Perhaps we should take a closer look." He grins at the others. "Besides, maybe we'll find a few hidden treasures beyond the obvious ones!"

Search check: 1d20 ⇒ 18

I'll just roll the d20 and let you interpret that one, GM! Basically searching the dresser, the bed, the shelf and the walls. Even moving the bed to see if there's a trapdoor underneath.

Clancy's search is not in vain. He discovers that two legs of the bed are hollow! If they are shattered, or if the bed is lifted and someone reaches into the legs from below, two items can be extracted: from one leg, a scroll of ward portal; and from the other, a razor-sharp, well-oiled dagger.

+1 on damage rolls with the dagger.

Mirinde passes over the dagger with a shudder, but when she sees the scroll her eyes light up with avarice, "That scroll will prove...useful. If I may..." she takes the scroll and stores it in her pack inside her grimoire. "It will take time to peruse it further, we should press on."

Knowing that Degan tends to stay out of Melee Roscoe grabs the dagger and presents it to him. "Perhaps this would be something useful to you. It can be thrown so no need to get too close".

What happened to the flying skulls when Roscoe shut the door after entering the last room?

Istevan follows along blithely -- happy to help Clancy search a room, or to take the lead in case there's danger on the other side of a door.

Before heading back to the room with the emerald slab, Istevan suggests opening the remaining door in the corridor.

iirc, there's a door on the left wall, maybe opposite the bedroom door?

The skulls remained outside but moved to follow you again once you emerged.

The door in the corridor opens onto another hall that continues to the west, apparently bypassing the other exit from the entry foyer. Here, Degan's caution in searching for traps pays off, as he finds a pit trap hidden along the corridor. Luckily, a hidden switch nearby allows you to safely disable the trap.

Past the trap, you enter a wider hallway, but before you can take it in you must raise your weapons to defend against a charging emerald man!

Roscoe may act before the enemy!

Degan accepts the dagger from Roscoe with a nod.
"Thank you."

He takes some satisfaction in his skill set paying off with the pit trap, but once the charging construct appears he knows it is time for the others to bring their skills to bear.

Confident now that he has their number Roscoe rushes in determined to hit this onein the same vulnerable areas.

1d16 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17 Handaxe 1
1d16 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18 Handaxe 2

1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7 Edge 1
1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 Edge 2

Nice, Roscoe! And that second strike is a Crit, by the way! Halflings, I believe, are the only class that can score a crit using the d16 dice for an attack roll!

Roscoe makes quick work of the emerald eidolon, causing it to shatter into fragments! A few seconds after its defeat, however, several doors along the hallway open, and six more of the constructs rush into the hallway, swords at the ready!

Everybody may act!

"Back!" Istevan cries, "Degan, find that switch again."

Not sure how wide the corridor is, but I wouldn't want to be swarmed by 6 people at once. Can we retreat back to the pit trap and then drop them in it? Maybe with Zathra and Istevan holding them at the edge / pushing them in?

Degan will try to do as Istevan asks - fall back across the pit trap, then ready to drop at least the frontmost constructs into it.

Mirinde nods in agreement with the strategy here, holding her fire until one of the constructs manages to make it over the pit trap.

Clever!

You quickly fall back down the corridor, rushing past the pit trap. The emerald constructs follow in hot pursuit, forced to move single file as the corridor narrows. Once the lead two constructs are standing over the pit trap, Degan hits the switch that activates the trap! The constructs plummet into the pit, falling 10 feet onto a bed of spikes! They shatter into emerald fragments as they are destroyed!

The remaining four constructs hesitate on the far side of the pit...

Istevan relaxes slightly, and turns a little to whisper to the others: "That worked pretty well! Should we reset and see if they fall for it again? Otherwise, we could try to shoot them down, or... I guess we could go around behind them -- try to sneak past on the other side, or push them toward the pit from over there?"

"We can easily pick them off here," Mirinde replies, "However if we are looking for a way to undo their transformation then we need to bypass them."

"Good idea you had, Istevan."

"We don't even know where we are trying to go, though. Is there another way we might go that avoids them?"

Degan will check the hall behind the party for secret doors.

Don't know what the mechanic there is, other than Mirinde gets an automatic check at +4.

"Should I be mapping as we go?"
That's another old-school thing, having a designated mapper.

lol -- well, I tried making a map last week, but between East/West and right/left directions, I got pretty turned around.

When I suggested going around them, I was mostly thinking of Braniac's description of the corridor we are now in "apparently bypassing the other exit from the entry foyer," which made me think that, if we returned to the room with the emerald slab and took the door on the left, we might come out behind the constructs. That's just a guess though.

Looking at the former constructs at the bottom of the pit: "It's too bad we have to kill them. As you said earlier, it's not their fault they're like this. Is there a place where we can trap them in a room?"

I think the only place with two exits were we could trap them is in the currently unexplored corridor to the west, but I imagine there's a construct guarding that room as well.

Istevan's willing to just shoot these people down with his crossbow if it comes to that, he's just unwilling to make that call on his own.

"Let's go back to the foyer and try the western door in the north wall. It might let us get around the constructs.
Does anybody have spikes and a hammer to jam a door shut if we need to? Although these constructs could probably smash a door down, it would buy us some time."

"Just a dagger and some crossbow quarrels... Might be useful in a pinch? Ha! I guess I know what to buy the next time we see a smithy."

"We may be able to find some spikes in one of these storage rooms," Mirinde suggests.

"I guess that might work. The other option is I could chop them all down".

"If it doesn't work, we'll have to chop them all down anyway," Istevan says with a grin.

The flying skulls continue to follow from a distance as you return to the foyer and head to the western door this time. Unlike previous passages, the walls, floor, and ceiling of this 100-foot by 10-foot hallway are a pebbled, dark gray tone, made of some stone you’re not familiar with. A faint sense of motion is evident in the walls, though it’s hard to pin down. There is a door at the far end.

Intelligence check: 1d20 ⇒ 17

"Ware! these walls are made of rare negatively-charged lavalite. It has the property of restraining certain spirits, including ebon spirits here, they must be lurking in the wall!"

Istevan freezes, sword in hand: "Can they get out and attack us? Should we turn back?"

"Common please"?

"It would be a bad idea to proceed further!"

Degan has no idea what 'ebon spirits' might be.
He holds his dagger and looks around warily.

"Sorry, friends. I guess this was a bad suggestion. I guess we go back and shoot some green people."

"THAT, was a very fine plan!" Clancy exclaims as two of their pursuers are dropped into the pit and the other four are kept at bay on the far side of the gulf. The cleric feels badly for the unfortunates that had been transformed, but six of the creatures would have surely overwhelmed them in a fight. Picking them off one at a time seems cruel, but definitely a safer proposition then surviving a straight up melee fight.

When the group decides on finding an alternate route, Clancy glances around at the walls of the corridor and suppresses a shudder at the thought of these dark souls swimming behind the strange stone. "It sounds like a trap, sure enough. I could perhaps channel Justicia's magic to drive them back, but the other hall seems a safer option, if we can pick off those guardians at a distance."

I've got a sling I can use, but we're probably better off relying on those with higher damage ranged weapons taking the shots from the edge of the pit.

Sorry for the long delay! I'm going to just hand-wave this part to keep things moving and get us back up to speed.

You stay on the far side of the pit, dispatching the emerald guardians from a safe distance, though it depletes much of your ammunition. The flying emerald skulls continue to silently observe you from a safe distance.

Anybody who uses ranged attacks only has 1d10 pieces of ammunition remaining.

The hallway beyond the pit trap is now safe to traverse. Searching carefully along the path, Degan discovers a well-hidden secret door! A narrow stretch of mortar under one stone is mounted on a spring. Pressing on the mortar causes it to recess about 2 inches into the wall, allowing a hand to reach under the stone and find a latch. When the latch is depressed, a spring releases and the door can then be pushed open.

This 20-foot by 20-foot room is dark and unlit. Thick carpeting covers the floor and heavy velvet curtains hang from the walls. Three grotesque objects are arranged throughout the room. Opposite you, a pale human corpse leans against a sarcophagus propped upright. Nearby is a table supporting a bell jar containing what appears to be a human brain. On the south wall is an ornate brass frame holding a human skull. In the center of the room is a comfortable chair.

The corpse next to the sarcophagus is the body of a tall, thin man. The skin is dry and cracked, pulled taut over the bones, and it appears this cadaver has been deceased for many decades, if not centuries. The sarcophagus is plain and unadorned except for astrological symbols carved on the inside where the head would go. A plaque on the sarcophagus reads, “Thesdipedes.”

The glass jar holds a bluish fluid that contains a human brain. The brain is old and bloated, apparently of great age. A plaque on the jar reads, “Istrobian."

The skull appears to have been shattered and painstakingly re-assembled. Every part is put back in place, including tiny slivers smaller than a fingernail. The ornate brass frame is inscribed with the word, “Gobur.”

Remaining arrows: 1d10 ⇒ 10

Mirinde nods in satisfaction, "It looks like we have found the elusive Thesdipedes." She pats her pack containing the valuable scroll therein. "If we have time enough to rest here I can study the spell further."

1d10 ⇒ 9 Arrows remaining.

Roscoe looks at the items and searches the room for any other secrets it might hold.

What are the watchers doing at this time?

He then looks at the corpse and tries to talk to it.

"Hey are you in there? What's with all this other stuff and who made the labels"?

Clancy smiles as Roscoe asks questions of the corpse, then turns to Mirinde. "It seems your magic is unnecessary." The cleric looks over the various objects. "Hmm... disassembled? With the intention to... put it back together? From different bodies, maybe?" Clancy shudders as he pokes around, trying to find anything hidden, or perhaps make sense of the astrological symbols.

So the body is missing a head, correct? And then there's a head, and a brain - all with different names? I'm reminded of Young Frankenstein, but the brain would be named Abby Normal...

Remaining quarrels: 1d10 ⇒ 3
I dunno if it matters, but I noticed that arrows come in groups of 20; quarrels in groups of 30. On the other hand, Istevan might have been taking more shots than the rest.

With a quick glance inside as the party enters the room, Istevan urges the rest of the group forward, and tries to quickly close the door to keep the skulls out.

"I'm happy to keep watch at the door, Mirinde, if you need time to prepare the spell."

The corpse is not missing a head. It is fully intact.

The corpse does not respond to Roscoe's question. There doesn't seem to be anything else of value in the room. When Istevan tries to close the door quickly, the flying skulls swiftly swoop forward to stay in the room and keep you under observation.

Mirinde's eyes narrow here, "Such a valuable spell must not be squandered here. Should it prove safe to do so then we can rest here whilst I study my spell and copy it to my grimoire."

Istevan groans as the skulls slip inside the door.

"As you wish, Mirinde. Depends if you care about these skulls spying on you, but we should be able to protect a room with only one door for as long as you need."

Degan takes a look at the astrological symbols inside the sarcophagus. "Do any of you know what these symbols mean or why they are here? Do they constitute a spell of some kind?"