DM Brainiac's Dungeon Crawl Classics

Game Master Brainiac

"We should block the hole to keep the monster out!" Eyehope exclaims as he looks for something to stuff into the gape.

Lol

Pip[/i] largely forgotten, as he is so small, begins to run away from the creature toward the…wiser members of the troop.

[b]Dell and Dee look to one another. ”Time to go brother. I’m sick and possibly won’t make it much further.” Dee hands Dell all their slingstones, dagger and sling.

”Go well, sister.” Dell returns, giving his sister a hug, then following Pip to the hole.

Dee, now revealed as Dell’s sister stands straight and lights her pot of oil before tossing it at Master Cur.

Foomph: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Oh, great throw! Plus a further -1 for being sick. So…4! And also, completely forgot that the jack’o’hell had someone grappled. Probably great then that I Dee missed….raiiight?!?

Alasdair’s eyes widened in panic as he was grabbed - ”No please, I…” - he futilely tried to escape.

Str: 1d20 ⇒ 9

Halifax fumbled to retrieve his awl with trembling hands, hacking at the tentacle - ”Alasdair no! Unhand him!”

Slice!: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Damage if it hits: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Cur Maxima nimbly dodges the awl and the hurled flask. Alasdair struggles in vain to escape the monster’s grasp. The pumpkin creature draws the minstrel back and throws him into its mouth! Its internal green flame burns the unfortunate man trapped inside its hollow body. Cur Maxima scurries away and up the wall again, out of melee range!

Alasdair takes 1 point of damage each round he is trapped inside. He can attempt to escape by prying the beast’s jaws apart but it is nearly impossible for a mortal (DC 20 Strength check to get its jaws open long enough to escape).

Are we still in Initiative/rounds?

Just to recap:

Currently Dee is standing where she was, feeling both stupid and stupidly unarmed. Whoops, should have kept a dagger.

Dell and Pip ran to the breach in the wall, not sure how far they have made it.

Alasdair screams in agony, his ukulele dropping to the floor below as he tries to escape the unyielding maw.

STR: 1d20 ⇒ 6

Still in initiative, yes. But Cur Maxima will not pursue anybody running into the breach so once everybody is there (or dead), everybody will be out of initiative.

Percolation sings about the abomination.

"Please release him!" - Halifax shouts - "I can pay!"

”Halifax, I don’t think the monster deals in financials! Run!!!” cries Dee. With that, she heads to the breach.

Dee runs for the breach, spurring Halifax to join her as well. Behind them, they can hear Alasdair's agonized screams as the green flames inside Cur Maxima roast him alive!

The screaming causes the massive titan to stir in its sleep. However, the screams soon cut off as Alasdair succumbs to his wounds, his flesh charred and blackened.

Alasdair takes another 1 point of damage, which reduces him to 0 HP.

Eyehope Eudie piles the debris into the gap in the breach once Dee and Halifax are safely through. It would seem you are safe from Cur Maxima, at least for the time being.

The shadowy passageway continues ahead of your group...

Dell rushes to embrace his sister.

”Don’t ever do that again!” Dell admonishes his sister, who replies with a hacking cough. She accepts the return of her equipment and sniffs bravely.

”On we go, *koff koff* I guess…”

"I've had dreams of penetrating deep into a dark smelly hallway. Providence." Says Mister Wanderful as the group heads in.

Dude beams at Mister Wanderful. Ecstatic to be in the company of one who sees so clearly. "Truly, The Lady is with us, she guides our steps. We must only read Her signs correctly."

The gongfarmer keeps his eyes out for signs from The Lady, while Clucky is watchful for any signs of the killer jack-o-lantern. Those walls look entirely too thin for his taste, but there seems to be little choice beyond heading down that dark passage that runs alongside the main room where the titan sleeps and the demonic maniac dwells. What did it call itself? Cur Maxima? The famer curiously takes down one of the cages holding the strange, glowing creatures and gives it a little shake to see if the thing is alive. If the cage can be held easily enough, he finally shrugs and holds it in one hand like a lantern, the basket with his hen in the other as the fowl clucks softly to itself.

Fennik the elf looks thoughtfully around, picking through the debris in the room and also at the glowing insects, seeming rather bemused at this strange place - for elves are long-lived, and this is certainly something new for him. Mickey keeps peering over her shoulder behind them, walking in a sort of hunched, feral crouch with the heavy stick in her hand. She is clearly thinking that horrid thing is going to come crashing through the breach in order to reach them.

Fennik will search around, looking for secret doors or anything useful. Clucky will use one of those glowing creature cages for a lantern, if they're small enough? What do the creatures look like? Beyond that, Dude and Clucky are both keeping an eye out ahead (for different things, of course), while Mickey keeps a sharp eye out behind them.

As Clucky looks closely at the walls, he spots two niches ahead. Concealed in in the shadows there, partially hidden by debris, are two ragged people with crazed looks in their eyes.

Realizing they've been spotted, one of them, a man, leaps out and yelling something unintelligible. He hefts a makeshift spear. The other person, a woman, breaks into a run down the path ahead, shouting for help!

Oceanshieldwolf, scranford, and Albion may act first! Both people are within 30 feet of your group.

Lou still reminiscing about some of his good times with Gretchen is a bit slow to react, but then realizes that the running woman is probably not an ideal situation. He drops a sling bullet into his sling and whirls a bullet at her retreating figure.

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 sling
1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Bullet

And the bullet glances off the ceiling sending out chips of rock onto Lou's head.

Lester slings his chisel at the retreating woman as well.

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 Chisel
1d4 ⇒ 4 Chisel tip

Lester makes a strong throw but is thwarted by the rain of debris from Lou's unfortunate sling show and throws the chisel into the ground only a couple of feet in front of him.

Franc turns his attention to the closer target and attacks with his spear.
1d20 ⇒ 17 Spear
1d6 ⇒ 5 Spear tip

It's becoming obvious that though Franc has the worst stats... he's the most effective...

Franc impales the man in front of him on the end of his own spear! The man’s eyes widen, and he coughs up a large amount of blood before sagging on the end of the spear.

The other woman continues to run away...

OSW and Albion may still act.

Halifax wipes the tears from his eyes, but still he can see the image of Alasdair being burned to death - it will always remain carved into his worst nightmares - ”We never should have come…” - he babbles without reaction.

Lisa draws out her club and stands watch, in case any others decide to attack them - ”Are they our enemies…?” - she asks to no one in particular.

”Who cares?!” - Artemis growls in response, dashing after the woman.

Not sure if Artemis can reach her (he has Speed 35). If he can, he attacks:

Shortsword: 1d20 ⇒ 4
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

If he can’t, he does not chase her further.

Pip blinks as Franc ends the man on the end of his spear. Pip looks at his own spear, and then to the dying man.

”B-but they were probably just like us…trapped, a long time ago…
and we’re now going to be like them….” he blubbers to anyone who will listen.

Dell and Dee race after the others….

I must have not paid enough attention to the description - I thought the caged flaming pumpkins were the same size as Cur Maxima…

The glowing creature in the cages actually aren’t pumpkins. They are actually massive insects the size of grapefruits. They have oversized sensory organs that look exactly like human brains under a thin sheath of opaque exoskeleton, and glow a greenish-white color.

Artemis slashes at the woman, but she dodges his attack! She continues to shout as she runs along the tunnel, dodging debris as she heads towards a light ahead...

Everybody may act. She’s 60 feet from the group in the front. Anybody who chased after her the last round may move into melee with her and still attack this round. Others will have to use missile weapons or move twice to be adjacent to her.

"Please manually ignite my oil engorged tip." The elf says to his mates. He runs and launches his flask.

oil: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

The appearance of the crazed humnas strikes the Misfits, and they are slow to react here. Only when the woman flees the scene does Gauwrd react here, "Crap we gotta get out--" his words are interrupted by the *TWANG* of a bowstring as Aerond sends an arrow at the fleeing woman...

Shortbow: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Gauward utters a sailor's curse here, "Too late! We gotta get out of here!" He yells as he moves further up the passage, followed by Cyne, Aerond and Mirinde.

Dell and Dee halt their strides as the oil flask is thrown.

Not getting in the way of flaming oil…

Oil Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

The burning oil immediately engulfs the woman in flames! She shrieks as she stumbles a few a steps, then she falls to the floor, her screams fading away as she succumbs to her burns!

Combat over.

"I bet that's the first time, you've satisfied the burning desires of a women." Eyehope says.

Dell and Dee wait back from the burning woman, looking toward where she was running to and trying to see if the light she was heading to contains more of the woman’s people…

Looking carefully ahead, Dee spots a raveling tripwire running perpendicular to the hall just ahead of where the woman feel. Snapping the wire would likely trigger a trap, but now that you know it is there, it is easy to avoid.

At the end of the hallway, just beyond the trap, is a ladder fashioned lashed together branches, broken spears, and twists of rope. The ladder goes up into a rough passage into the ceiling, three to five feet wide as it rises. There are several tiny holes in the wall, and they let in the dim light from the main chamber of the prison.

Dee puts his finger to his lips and tells all those coming where the trap is by indicating it with his other hand. Dell keeps watch on the ladder’s top.

Do you mean light from the grapefruit sized insects in the previous chamber is let into this room through small holes in the walls? And this room has a trap near where the woman died, is lit by holes in the wall from the previous chamber and has a roughshod ladder going up?

The woman was running up the hall towards the ladder. The trap was located in the hall near where the woman was running--presumably she was aware of the tripwire as she avoided it. The light you saw earlier is the light coming in through the holes in the wall in that ladder shaft, which is created by the insects in the main prison room.

Perhaps this map will help. You're currently at the base of the ladder in 1-5.

Clucky winces at the violent end of the man, but judging how he'd been wielding that spear it could very easily have been any of them instead, he deems. The grisly, burning death of the woman is another matter entirely though, and he retches at the sight and smell of the charred flesh that fills the corridor.

Fennik stoops down to snatch up the spear, nodding a bit as he twirls it around, getting the feel for its weight. Unable to touch iron, the wooden haft of the weapon gives him some comfort in knowing he can now better protect himself. Mickey sneers behind him. "Don't poke yourself in the face with that, pointy ears." Glancing back at the urchin in the ragged pink dress, the elf ignores her jibe and continues his search of the body before moving along the passage after the hen farmer - who has gathered himself together. Mickey fixes Clucky with an expression filled with scorn and disgust at his weakness. He wouldn't have lasted a single day in her shoes - if she'd had any. And she'd sure as hell have eaten that chicken as soon as she'd gotten her hands on it. Still might, for that matter - the farmer sleeps very deeply, after all.

The companions take care to avoid the tripwire, Clucky thanking Dee with a smile and a nod for bringing it to their attention. In the lead with the others in the vanguard position, Dude kneels down beside the woman to see if they can glean any clues from her charred remains. "She likely turned her back on The Lady's orders. She chose her own fate. We shall not fail Her. I shall not fail Her." He murmurs the last softly, smiling and nodding as he completes his search. Behind the stinky gongfarmer, Clucky holds the cage with the strange, translucently glowing insect inside and peers upward, trying to see how far the ladder goes. He's quite doubtful as to its structural integrity...

Fennik will take the man's spear, if that's OK with the rest of the party? Does the fellow have anything else? Same question about the charred corpse of the woman. Can we see how high the ladder goes? Does it look... uh... 'safe' to climb?

Both people only have spears on them. The first ladder leads to a second and a third, all makeshift, all a bit rickety but serviceable. In total, they climb 60 feet up to a chamber above.

Hearing the woman's agonized screams cut short Cyne pauses here, peering up at the ladder while stepping over the tripwire. "Sounds like they are chasing us down here into an ambush," he mutters to himself. Gauward slips behind the ditch digger nodding silently in agreement. The two elves warily approach, their eyes peeled up where the ladder ascends. "If the ladder is dangerous, then maybe I should go first." the halfling grimaces here clearly not too happy about this...

Fennik speaks for the first time, the elf usually quite aloof and uncaring in his demeanor. "Likely the screams have alerted whoever might be waiting above. I would recommend whoever goes first to bring along another flask of oil, if you have one. Light it as you approach, then throw it inside before you scramble in. Perhaps it will grab their attention, if anyone lies in wait. Those proficient in battle should follow quickly. Or at least, those with weapons. I suspect that few of us are warriors." He smiles self-deprecatingly at that.

Eyehope takes the charred spear from the burned woman. The smell made him hungry. Licking his lips, the beggar frees a knife and carves at the woman. Eyehope turns to the others. He proudly shows the blackened dome with melted eyes perfectly mounted on a spearhead. "To put a scare into their friends."

The group heads up.

Pip swallows, trying not to vomit. He isn’t exactly sure this is what is meant by “grand adventures” and is also beginning to wonder if perhaps tales of glory and high valour aren’t cover stories for events such as those unfolding before him.

The doughty hobbit nods, breathes in and out a few times and then follows the rest.

The ladder creaks and groans under your feet, but it holds. One by one, you begin to ascend the series of ladders to the chamber above.

Several of you have passed the midway point of the vertical passage when suddenly, a section of the wall is torn away! Cur Maxima looms on the other side, green fire flickering balefully within its eyes and mouth.

Tendril: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (3, 1) + 1 = 5

You are surprised, and before you can react, its tendrils whip forward to grab Eyehope Eudie! They pull him off the ladder and rip him in half, bones breaking and blood flying as the mendicant is murdered right before your eyes!

"I apologize once more. You bring this destruction on yourself," the pumpkin monster says calmly as it clambers away, clutching Eyehope's gory remains. "Kindly make your way to the nearest exits at this time if you value your lives. I appreciate your understanding."

5 damage to Eyehope, which will kill him.

Mickey screams as the man is dragged away right next to her, though the urchin doesn't care a whit for Eyehope. It is her own safety she fears for now.

Fennik glances down, the slightest tinge of surprised alarm might be glimpsed reflected in the eyes of the elf, but oddly he doesn't seem outwardly afraid as his grey eyes betray none of his emotions or thoughts - perhaps it's an elf thing.

Clucky, further up the ladder, spares a quick downward glance and grimaces at the scant protection afforded by these paper-thin walls as he murmurs a soft prayer for Eyehope's soul - and for all of them, for that matter. He is all too aware that the tone and words of the monster, spoken in that crazily soft and polite manner, is entirely creepy and unnerving so he instead focuses on climbing - the basket containing the blissfully sleeping hen is hooked into the crook of his arm at the elbow while he grasps the rungs of the makeshift ladder with both hands. He hopes fervently that it continues to hold...

Ahead, Dude is muttering under his breath, over and over. "..the Lady is with us, my life for Her, those who believe in Her words shall be made safe, the Lady is with us, my life for Her, those who believe..." as he climbs toward the opening a short distance above.

"Get moving!" - Artemis growls from further down the line, after being showered by the blood of the unfortunate Eyehope - "We can't stay here in this damned ladder!"

You killed Eyehope. Heartless. I will mourn his loss forever.

The tentacle entwined upper-half speaks with lips forming words, but without a diaphragm, sounds are impossible.

Sloe observes carefully. He thinks the beggar is saying "Any spare coin?"

You hurry up the ladder, making it to the top and hauling yourselves up into the room above. This is a long, low chamber with the offensive odor of too many humans living in too small a space. Light comes in from several tiny holes in the walls. Around the room is a ragged group of humans – adult men and women in over-worn clothing, unkempt and filthy. There is one dwarf here, as ragged as the rest but wearing a rusty suit of scale mail. The dwarf sits at a low table against the interior wall, his back to the shaft. There are sleeping pallets around this room, a small cooking area partitioned off by a low circle of blackened rocks, several hanging bundles, and two woven cages holding the glowing giant insects you saw in the main chamber.

It doesn’t take long for the people here to notice your presence. They cry out, and the dwarf turns to glare at you all. ”Invaders! Defend the sanctum!” he shouts. The people all grab clubs and charge at you!

They are upon you before you can react, assaulting the front rank of the party. Pip, Cyne, and Franc are able to dodge, but the others are not so lucky. Halfiax and Slow Moe each get clubbed, wounded but still standing. But Dude, poor Dude... A club connects with his skull with a sickening crunch. The gongfarmer falls, blood and bits of brain matter leaking from the fatal fracture in his head.

Clubs vs Front Rank: 1d20 ⇒ 51d20 ⇒ 141d20 ⇒ 71d20 ⇒ 51d20 ⇒ 191d20 ⇒ 14
Damage (Halifax, Dude, Slow Moe): 1d4 ⇒ 21d4 ⇒ 41d4 ⇒ 1

Another of the ragged survivors pushes into the gap in your ranks that Dude has left. He attacks Clucky, badly wounding the chicken farmer!

Club: 1d20 ⇒ 12
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

The dwarf stands and draws a battleaxe, but he hangs back for now...

2 damage to Halifax, 4 damage to Dude, 1 damage to Slow Moe, 4 damage to Clucky.

Everybody may act. Anybody who wants to get into melee has plenty of targets to choose from. The dwarf is 40 feet away right now and hanging back out of melee.

How. Any assailants are there in the ragged band of sanctumites?Is it one-on-one or are we being mobbed by a greater number?

There are 12 humans attacking you, plus the dwarf, so 13 enemies total.

"Where did all of these people come from?" Cyne yells as he clumsily returns the attack against the first ruffian!

Shortsword: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (19) + 0 = 19
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Geez, can't you tell? This is their HOME!" Gauward retorts in reply as he moves up to assist here.

Staff: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

The two elf siblings hang back from the fray although Aerond decides to loose his last precious arrow at the dwarf, hoping to score a lucky blow.

Shortbow: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

A fight response kicks in as Pip stabs with his spear.

Fooshk!!!: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Fwish!!!: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Dell and Dee works back to back (or side to side) to dispatch their ragged foes:

Fipk!!!: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Tweee!!!: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Whippt!!!: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13
Skeppsht!!!: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0

Their blows are..not greatly made…

Sloe plunges his pitchfork into the kinetic chaos flooding towards him.

Attack: 1d20 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 - 1 = 18
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 5

Percolation and Mister Wanderful look at each other. Each one thinking the same thing. They rush headlong into the table, driving hard for the opening.

Str: 1d20 ⇒ 3
Str: 1d20 ⇒ 7

"Why are you attacking us, you idiots?!" - Halifax retorts with unusual aggressiveness, perhaps because he is about to get mauled to death. He swings his awl in self defense.

Awl: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
Damage if it hits: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

With a deep scowl, and silent as death, Artemis moves forward to stab one of their opponents - "Come on then you bastards. You will find we are no easy pickings!"

Shortsword: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Damage if it hits: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Lisa however does not move to engage, instead standing defensively and ready to strike with her club if anyone comes close.

Ready action?: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3
Damage if it hits: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

Dude's seemingly ceaseless litany is truly ceased forever when his brains spill out of his head, his skull cloven by the heavy mallet wielded by one of the feral men they stumbled into.

Clucky cries out in pain as he feels ribs break under the force of the blow by another, and he readies his pitchfork, thrusting it toward his assailant even as he struggles to breathe.

Fennik, ever silent and inscrutable, wields his spear and thrusts it at the same man.

A strange bloodlust enters into Mickey's eyes, and her lips peel back in a savage smile that is truly disturbing to behold. With a primal scream, she launches herself at one of the men, attempting to brain him with her own heavy stick!

Clucky's Pitchfork Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 6
Pitchfork Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Fennik's Spear Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 4
Spear Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 4

Mickey's Heavy Stick Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 7
Pitchfork Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2

Botting scranford as requested.

Franc, Lester, Lou Attacks: 1d20 ⇒ 111d20 ⇒ 31d20 ⇒ 7
Franc Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Sloe Moe impales the person attacking him on the end of his pitchfork, killing him! Percolation and Wanderful charge through the opening to get to the dwarf. They try to shove the table into him to knock him down but he stands firm.

Halifax wounds one of the crazed assailants, while Artemis swiftly dispatches another with a swift stab of his sword!

Franc continues to prove his unexpected battle prowess as he hammers an enemy to death. Lester and Lou both miss.

Neither Clucky, Fennik, nor Lisa manage to land hits.

Dee and Cyne attack the enemy Halifax wounded, finishing him off. Gauward batters another opponent, bashing her brains in with his staff!

Morale: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 21d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 171d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 171d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 161d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 101d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 101d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 181d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

With four of their number dead, one of your attackers panics and runs away. The other seven remain resolute, however. They swing their clubs with reckless abandon. Several of you manage to dodge out of the way, but both Franc and Halifax take heavy blows to the skull. They both fall to the ground, lying still...

Attacks (Slow Moe, Franc, Gauward, Halifax, Dee, Cyne): 1d20 ⇒ 81d20 ⇒ 121d20 ⇒ 81d20 ⇒ 111d20 ⇒ 101d20 ⇒ 51d20 ⇒ 5
Damage (Franc, Halifax): 1d4 ⇒ 21d4 ⇒ 3

The dwarf sneers at Percolation and Mister Wanderful. ”You’ve made a grave error,” he says as he swings his axe at Wanderful! The elf ducks back behind the table, avoiding the blow!

Battleaxe: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

2 damage to Franc and 3 damage to Halifax. I’m afraid that’s enough to kill both of them! Everybody may act! There are six humans still attacking you, plus the dwarf.

Lou is already getting tired of all the death surrounding him. He sees the brave Franc fall, surprised as he thought he was a mighty warrior. He attacks one of the remaining humans with his pitchfork.

1d20 ⇒ 1 Pitchfork
1d8 ⇒ 5 Tines

Not used to close up combat, Lester is forced by necessity to strike out with his chisel while eyeing the spear that Frank just released in his death.

1d20 ⇒ 17 Chisel
1d4 ⇒ 3 Chisel tip.

"Why? Why! Why".