Daedalus, the Original DM's page

Thank you all again! I'm glad you all enjoyed yourself. Best of luck to everyone in the new year!

(I'll mark the campaign as inactive tonight)

Thanks! Sorry, forgot to put it into gameplay: Blacklock, you got a Bag of Holding (type I), Athromar gets a +1 heavy steel shield, and Phineas gets a Cloak of Elvenkind.

Since I take it nobody else has anything to add.
Kassen bids you all farewell as you prepare to leave the crypt, reaching into his coffin and retrieving several items, "Allow me to reward you for your efforts, valiant heroes. To each of you, he gives a scale off of his armor, and also bestows a magical shield upon Athromar, an enchanted bag to Blacklock, and a magical cloak to Phineas. [b]"May these protect you all your days, and in your hour of need, ask for my assistance and my armor will aid you." With that, he vanishes, returning to his eternal rest.
The journey back to Kassen is somber and uneventful. Roldare is thrilled to see Dimira again (who, in turn, is overjoyed that her brother survived) and, between Cira's help and his sister's caring, seems to regain most (but not all) of his sanity. After a day of traveling, you finally make your return to Kassen. find a celebration underway in your honor. Mayor Uptal is there to greet you at the gates, but his joy at your return quickly turns to horror when he finds out what has happened. The news quickly spreads throughout town and the harvest celebration turns melancholy. The folk do not blame you for what happened, and most are rather grateful that this new menace is ended. The grand feast is still held in your honor, but it is not the same as it was in previous
years. This year, many are drinking to help forget that they have lost friends and loved ones, and plans are made to return to the crypt and bury the slain townsfolk. Still, you have returned home, triumphant and the new heroes of Kassen.

Congrats on finishing the module! Thanks for putting up with my ever-iffy posting schedule. Feel free to post what happens to your characters after their adventure and what they do in the future.

No, sorry. Still a bit to go. I’ll wrap it up soon-holidays have kept me busy, sorry.

Asar hesitates for a moment, then tells you, slightly reluctantly, "A bit of history, first. You see, long ago, Asar and I were adventuring companions, but shortly after we found a great deal of treasure, we parted ways. I used my share of our spoils to found your hometown, but I'm sure Asar must have felt cheated after our last quest, and I imagine that's why he attacked in the first place. As for what was stolen, the only thing they took was an amulet from each of us- a memento of our final adventure. They are two of three parts to a map and key to a great treasure vault." he pauses for a moment before continuing, "Don't worry about me, young ones. By putting Asar to rest, you have also restored me. The amulet matters not to me now- the primary cause for my return was because of my old companion's desecration. With the tomb now cleansed, I may return to my rest as I please."

Sorry for the delay. (I keep saying that...) Nothing like an annual fever to keep me off the boards.

Kassen sighs, "Tomb raiders. They came some months back and stole something very valuable to him and I. He returned as a spirit of vengeance, I merely returned from my rest."

Just let me know when you’re ready to move on. Between Dimira and Kassen, they should be able to answer most questions about the adventure.

As Phineas lifts his lantern to the flame, the magical fire sparks and lights the wick with ease. As the lantern, too, begins to glow, a gentle, warm breeze drifts through the room, coalescing into a ghostly blue figure that you recognize as Kassen himself, sitting on the end of his own coffin, "Thank you, heroes. I may once again rest easy thanks to your efforts."

The girl wakes up easily- she shows signs of being injured recently, but her wounds have been healed in part by the steady flow of healing energy in the chamber. As Phineas continues to heal, her wounds vanish, and when asked, she begins to tell you what happened,
"Thank you so much for saving me. As you may have figured out, I was part of a group of villagers that came out to set up non-lethal traps, set out puzzles, and otherwise make the quest something of a challenge. Nothing that hasn't been done a dozen times before. However, this time was... different. The first day went fine- we se the pillar of arrows up with blunted arrows, put pillows at the bottom of the pit traps, reactivated the golem, and so on. However, that night, we were set upon by skeletons. So far as I know, I was the only survivor" she wipes away a tear, "Asar dragged me away, and asked me all sorts of questions about what the town's defenses were like, what had happened since it was founded, and other questions like those. He was keeping me alive while he decided what to do with me, but I don't know how long I was unconscious, but apparently he hadn't decided to kill me. Once again, thank you so much for saving me. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

Asar, having dropped his guard just a split second too soon, just barely misses blocking Phineas' attack. However, the effect is dramatic, with the Phineas' quarterstaff, guided by Erastil himself, it would seem, connecting with the skeleton's skull. In his empty eye sockets, the blue flame lighting them flares, and his skull shatters, his skeleton fracturing like glass as it crashes to the ground.
For a moment, there is nothing but the sound of his sword clattering to the ground, then silence. It hits you: you've won!

Congratulations! That just managed to hit his AC of 20 and certainly took out his last hit point (yep, he was riding on 1 HP there!). On his dry bones, you find little more than a well-crafted set of chain mail and a massive greatsword, which still has more than a little blood on it.

Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Asar recoils as Athromar's channel slams into him, Phineas' blow not even fazing the skeleton as it bounces ineffectually against his armor.
"So be it! You will be the next to die!" he calls out, moving around Phineas to strike at Athromar, his bones covered in cracks, and looking as though he's about to splinter into pieces.

Power Attack, Combat Expertise: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 182d6 + 14 ⇒ (5, 5) + 14 = 24

Party up! Phineas gets to take an AoO against Asar, and depending on whether or not that kills him, Athromar may or may not take 24 points of damage. You're so close! You can do this!

As always, sorry for the delay. Going to be spotty for the rest of the week, but then it should be mostly smooth sailing for the rest of the adventure. Thanks so much for your patience.

Blacklock manages to bring his club into a solid blow with the undead monstrosity, who roars in pain. Meanwhile, Phineas manages to score a blow on the back of his leg, and Asar moves out of reach from the cleric, focusing on bringing Blacklock down, but also fighting more defensively than before. Despite the more cautious attack, it is still devastating, and Phineas drops to the ground once more. However, Asar looks like he's just barely holding on to the last fringes of Unlife.

Power Attack, Combat Expertise: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 222d6 + 14 ⇒ (5, 6) + 14 = 25

Party up! Blacklock takes 25 damage, putting him on the ground at -7. You're almost there!

Oh, my bad. To prevent a somewhat anticlimactic end, let's say that Athromar's channel applies to the damage as you take it, putting you at -1.

Asar easily avoids Blacklock's swing, and retaliates with another mighty blow of his own.
Power Attack Blacklock: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

Fortunately, Blacklock, on the defensive, manages to avoid the blow.

Party up!

Phineas' attack, while hopeful, is easily parried by Asar, wielding his massive sword like a twig, "There are no gods down here. It's just you and me!" he roars, retorting with a massive swing; dropping Phineas to the ground with a singular, devastating blow.

Power Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 172d6 + 14 ⇒ (6, 6) + 14 = 26

Ouch! So, Phineas drops, taking 26 damage, leaving him at -7 HP. Party up!

Still around; hopefully getting a post out tonight. Between getting sick and finals I haven’t had much time, sorry. He’s on his last legs, though.

I know. I can almost feel it. Unfortunately, I’m wiped out with a fever today and doubt I’ll be able to post, but hopefully soon. You’re so close!

Asar, already extended with his attack, fails to retaliate as Blacklock retrieves his club, failing to knock the weapon back out of his hand. At the same time, while Athromar's magic leaves the skeleton smoking, it seems to have less of an effect as it should. The damage the menace takes does little to stop him from easily parrying Phineas' blow, though, and he barely seems to give the cleric any note as he guts Blacklock with his sword, leaving the rogue bleeding on the ground.

21 damage to Blacklock, leaving him at -2. Party up!

That is correct.

Athromar's channel, while relatively weak, still burns the remaining skeletons in holy fire, their dust settling to the stone floor. Even Asar takes a solid amount of holy power, his dry bones smoking as he slams the flat of his massive sword into Blacklock's club, knocking it away just as the rogue manages to recover it.

Party up! Blacklock is disarmed again (sorry). Asar is starting to show some damage on his old bones.

As Athromar flutters back into consciousness, the skeletons pay him no attention, instead focusing on Phineas and Blacklock. Phineas finds himself the focus of two skeletons, but manages to block most of their blows, with only one managing to find its way through his guard. Blacklock fares similarly, with Asar's blow going wide, and the skeleton attacking him only scoring a shallow blow.

Phineas and Blacklock each take 4 points of damage. Party go!

I think you can make it. Especially when it's just down to Asar (which it almost is- these are the last skeletons). You are currently in the correct square (not that it matters too much). Look on the bright side! You're about to draw fire away from the clerics ;)

As Athromar lays on the steps, Phineas does his best to revive him, but unfortunately it's not quite enough to revive the fallen cleric. Blacklock, for his part, fails to land a damaging blow, his dagger skating off the skeleton's ribcage. In retaliation, the undead lashes out with its long, skeletal claws, landing one good blow. Phineas, perhaps in desperation to stay alive, manages to avoid one skeleton's attacks entirely, and avoids Asar's clumsy blow. Unfortunately, he can't avoid everything, and one skeleton lands a pair of blows on him, leaving him wounded but still standing.

Blacklock takes 4 damage, Phineas takes 8. Party go!

Phineas' channel turns three of the skeletons to dust, leaving only one, smoking next to Asar. "Weaklings! Your corpses will prove much stronger, I'm sure."
As Blacklock cautiously ventures to the side of the stairs, Asar snarls at something, and two more, what seems to be the skeletons, make their way out from the shadows. One charges Blacklock, leaving itself open to an attack from Athromar, who unfortunately swings wide, and the skeleton attacks Blacklock, who nimbly dodges the clumsy blow. Meanwhile, Phineas is set upon by two skeletons- the survivor of his channel, and a new one which ventured into the light. While he avoids one clumsy blow, two more land on him, leaving him wounded. Finally, Athromar finds himself just barely unable to avoid taking another devastating blow that leaves him near death's door.

Phineas takes 9 damage, Athromar takes 19, and Blacklock escapes unscathed. Sorry for the delay (traveling and the holidays and all, but we're getting close to the end now! Party up!

Yep. That was poor Blacklock. I sometimes feel bad for how often I bring him close to death.
....Sometimes.

As you form ranks to defend agains the undead horde, Asar points with his sword and his undead minions move in, stepping to the side or charging in, as they start to surround the staircase. Phineas takes a pair of blows from the first skeleton, his unsteady blow doing almost nothing to dissuade the bloodthirsty undead. To his left, Athromar fares a little better- at first. He manages to deflect one of the blows aimed at him, and an attempted flank by a skeleton moving behind him is easily parried. Meanwhile, Phineas takes another hit from a charging skeleton. Finally, Asar charges in, wielding his greatsword in a massive blow, leaving Athromar in bad shape as he's not fast enough to deal with the undead menace before him.

I swear, I only added one level of fighter. I'm also kind of surprised there are still skeletons 'alive.' I half expected them to have been dusted by now. Anyway, Phineas (not Blacklock) takes 14 points of damage, and Athromar takes 21. Party up!

Sorry all for the delay. I definitely want to finish, especially when we’re on the home stretch. If I don’t get to the update tonight, it’ll be tomorrow.

I'm really busy for the next couple of days, but I'll move along as soon as I get the chance.

Athromar, hearing the commotion, likewise runs into the room, sending a golden wave of energy filling the room. When the light fades, most of the skeletons surrounding Blacklock are nothing more than dust, leaving only Asar attacking the rogue. "Bah! Weaklings, all of them!" With a wave of his hand, four more skeletons rush out, clawing at the rogue. Fortunately, he manages to dodge out of the way of all the attacks- all but one, that is. Asar swings his massive sword at the same time as another skeleton, and Blacklock's twisting dodge of the one puts him directly in the path of a powerful, massive blow that nearly cuts him in half and leaves him within an inch of death, lying on the floor next to his club.

Ouch! So, the skeletons were all destroyed by Athromar's channel, but Phineas takes 23 damage, putting him at -9 HP. Party up!

Botting Athromar in the morning to keep things moving.

The whole party is up again, just so you know.

I'll let you use your first rolls. How are you carrying the Sunrod?

Blacklock's swing crashes into the skeleton before him, but he merely grins a skeletal grin. Behind him, two skeletons rush in, their bony claws scoring paired wounds on Blacklock's back. As he turns around to defend himself, he sees even more skeletons previously in the shadows, many of which rush him, in a flurry of attacks that Blacklock is barely able to avoid and dodge in time. However, he turns around at just the wrong time, and Asar's greatsword slams into Blacklock's club, leaving his hands stinging and his club clattering to the ground.

Blacklock is thoroughly flanked, disarmed, and has taken 10 damage. Party up!

The skeleton is out of reach- about 10 ft below you. You're on the top of a staircase, you just saw it hiding there. It can't reach you, either.

As Blacklock retreats, he hears a voice call out, "Go on! Run! Run back to your home. I will come for you there! In the meantime, this woman- I had hoped to keep her alive to learn more from her, but I think her usefulness has ended now. Are you not the heroes of Kassen, come to protect the weak?" the skeleton laughs mockingly.

Blacklock opens the doors (fortunately not trapped), and the wide brass doors swing open on silent hinges to reveal a vast crypt. The only light beside the sunrod he carried emanates from a torch mounted above the crypt, flickering with a pale golden fire. Tall pillars march across the chamber, ending at a dais on the far side, on which is set a large stone sarcophagus. A single form rests beside the coffin, that of a comely woman in tattered clothing. She appears to be asleep or unconscious. As he enters the room, a dry, merciless laugh drifts from the dark recesses of the crypt.
"So, Kassen’s heroes have come to fight me once again. I have been expecting you for a few days now. You will all make fine minions in my army of the dead. Come and meet your fate.” With that, a wicked-looking skeleton strides into view from beside the coffin, wearing polished mail and brandishing a enormous, cruel sword in both hands. A cold blue flame burns in its empty eye sockets, and at a wave of its bony hand, red eyes appear in the darkness, and skeletons begin to move out of the shadows. It's impossible to tell how many there are, but there are a half-dozen at least, with shapes still moving just outside the reach of the sunrod. Blacklock's keen eyes pick out two skeletons, standing in wait on either side of the staircase he entered on.

Here it goes! Map and Soundtrack updated. Blacklock and Phineas can go before the skeletons. Have fun! I've increased the difficulty considerably. You've been having it just a bit too easy ;) Most of the room is still in darkness, too. So have fun with that.

Once everyone is safely across the bridge, Blacklock studies the statues. He finds that they are actually on a wheeled track. Stepping on the pressure plate would have likely caused them to rush forward and push whoever triggered the trap off the bridge.

Before you, the set of grand doors awaits, promising the final resting place of Kassen and the end of your journey. What will you do?

Nah, I won't make you use the nat 1. I'm not that cruel ;) I'm already planning on increasing the difficulty of the final boss a bit, so I'll give you a pass here.

Blacklock doesn't find any traps- at first. The first part of the bridge has no traps, but as he goes to cross it, something catches his eye. On closer inspection, he notices that almost the entire bridge is a giant pressure plate. With almost no difficulty (DC 15), he manages to wedge the pressure plate to where it won't trigger.

There doesn't seem to be anything special about the pits- they're 40 feet deep, so a fall could be deadly, but they just seem to be normal pits.

The glowing rod clatters to the floor in a vast chamber, the light from the sunrod just barely illuminating the damaged vaulted ceiling high above, numerous cracks covering its surface. In the center of the room, a 10-foot-wide bridge crosses a deep chasm. On the other side, a pair of stone statues depicting villagers holding shields and spears watch over the end of the bridge in front of a set of grand brass double doors, just at the edge of the light.
But beyond that, Blacklock sees nothing. No spinning blade-saw traps, invisible liches, undead hiding in wait, giant oozes prepared to eat him, or even a simple vampire.

As you return upstairs, you find one solitary bloody skeleton reforming, but it is quickly dispatched by twin channels from Athromar and Phineas, letting the restless dead sleep for the last time.

The night passes without too much incident, though there is some evidence that there were a few zombies or skeletons outside your door for at least a little bit. Roldare, while Cira has been making some progress, seems unlikely to make a full recovery any time soon- his fragile mind seems to have shattered. The next morning, you all prepare for your exciting dungeon delve to continue.

Cira rushes in, followed by Blacklock, broken out of his panic. Seeing the situation, she wastes no time, spinning out a couple of explosive flasks and detonating them against the swarm. In a matter of seconds, the swarm is reduced to a few confused bats flapping around, with many more lying on the ground, unmoving. After checking to make sure everyone is all right, Cira returns upstairs to comfort Roldare and continue calming him down.

Venturing past the fear pool room, you see that this next chamber was once blocked by an iron portcullis that has since been lifted. Inside, there's nothing of note beyond more a large fissure in the ceiling, several empty alcoves in the sides, and more sarcophagi. A new hallway leads to the north, but turns away after a short way.

You may recall we started this game with four players. While I'm a bit too busy at the moment to get a full post out, if anyone wants to bot our ex-alchemist, be my guest ;). Otherwise, I'll hopefully be able to get a post out this weekend.

Yeah, sorry for the delay. Life happened. I'll get a post out soon enough, but I do have a way for you to deal with the swarm. Because they are diminutive, weapons can't harm them.

So, the site going down today messed with my posting. If it's stable tomorrow, I'm hoping to get an update out then.

If nobody can think of a solution by this evening, I'll move along tomorrow.

Hmmm... it's a shame that there's no backup of any sort, isn't it? You could really use something explosive right now ;) I think you can come up with something.

Ugh. Wanted to post last night, but the site was down for me. Anyway, I think I will have the spell affect swarms. Seems reasonable enough.

While Phineas' spell does seem to have an effect, with hundreds of the flying rodents losing their aggressive nature and simply streaming past you as they head outside, it's not enough, with plenty of the bats still aggressively attacking those inside the room.

One of the swarms was calmed, the other made its save. Athromar gets two turns this round,and both he and Phineas take 3 points of damage (one of which is bleed damage) and need to make a DC 11 Fort save to avoid being nauseated. Party up!

Hmmm... Good question. I'll think on it for a bit, search the boards. I'm leaning towards yes, but at the same time, I think I need to step up the difficulty a bit- you're having too easy of a time ;)

While Athromar manages to brush Blacklock as he flees, the spell doesn't do anything for the primal feeling of terror Blacklock is experiencing, and he continues his mad rush towards the entrance.

Fear effects aren't suspended via Protection from Evil

However, as the sound of Blacklock running fades away, a new sound emerges as hundreds of bats stream out of the next room, swarming into shapes as they attack!

Everyone can go before the bats. Have fun!

Yes, they are the same coins as before.

Blacklock finds no traps on this door, and opening it reveals a long chamber, with a shallow reflecting pool dividing it, running from one end to the other. The water looks cloudy and stagnant. What must have once been marvelous murals covering both walls are now scorched and ruined, the original subject lost in the destruction.

As you enter this new room, you each catch a glimpse of your reflection in the pool, and you feel a wave of supernatural fear wash over you as your reflection rots, becoming a disgusting visage of what you once were. While those strongest of faith manage to hold on to their sanity through quiet prayers, Blacklock is less fortunate, and his eyes bulge in terror as he scrambles out of the room, screaming. To the south, you hear a great commotion of rustling and squeaking start up, seemingly in response to Blacklock's screams echoing through the crypt.

Blacklock is Frightened for 3 rounds, and something may be happening to the south. What do you do?

Blacklock easily destroys the zombie in the back, and while Athromar's swing goes wide, it does just enough for Phineas' shot to embed itself deeply in the zombie's rotting flesh, and twin clouds of spores fill the enclosed space. Once they settle, and you get a chance to explore the room, you find a recess in the southeast corner of the room contains an old bag. Sitting atop a large bloodstain, this pack holds some rotten rations, a map (detailing the area and pointing out the entrance to the crypt), a potion of cure moderate wounds, a pouch with 13 gp, and a small handbill (of a type typically found posted in taverns). Although faded, the handbill clearly reads as a notice of employment, telling all those interested to meet at “The Ranger’s Lament.” The handbill does not mention a time, date, or who the employer might be.

Combat over! Can I get two Fort saves from Athromar and Blacklock, and one from Phineas?

Despite Blacklock's success, the others are in no better shape. Both zombies lunge at Athromar. While one nearly trips over its own feet, the other manages to break through Athromar's defenses as he tries to attack.

Athromar takes 5 points of damage and needs to make another Fort save. Party go!