Didn’t see this one coming, did you? Maybe you did. Anyway, I’ve been soloing some Dungeon Crawl Classics again. I continued the adventures of Agnes, Bazel, and Prudence. Here’s their funnel: Part 1 and Part 2. And the survivors level 1 character sheets: Agnes, Bazel, and Prudence. I went a little more random with this one, things got kinda crazy but, hey, it was a lot of fun. Let’s get into it. The Tools
Normally I would’ve used some Story Cubes, but my kids had them when I started this newest adventure, so I decided to go full Adventuresmith for story/content inspiration/generation. The Adventure (Chapter 2)At least a year has passed and the solstice has come: the day Agnes, Bazel, and Prudence leave the village of Oldtree and take the lodestone to the altar in the dungeon. They are prepared with rations and gear. Prudence, having done her studies, performs the ritual. A moment goes by in which nothing happens. Then they all feel it, a sucking sensation at their feet that goes up through their heads. Everything contorts into impossible vistas, and then they fall to a dirty stone floor. The party collects themselves, taking in their new surroundings. Everything is very green, the walls and floor a sickening green stone which faintly glows. The smell is acidic yet slightly sweet. They're standing around a strange altar/statue made of an orange colored stone, apparently much older than the one used to come here. Although heavily eroded, they make out similar features to the counterpart. The writing is much more alien on this one, and their lodestone is gone. Prudence takes a closer look at the carvings and writings... Int check: 20 After a little time she is able to deduce that it has similar instructions as the other, but it seems like the destination is not predetermined. Prudence is pretty sure that their destination here was not predetermined as well. Bottom line, there's no guarantee of getting back home. A moment is spent digesting this fact. They then decide to leave the chamber through the one exit they see, figuring they might as well explore and hopefully get some idea of where they are. Do they encounter anything in the hallway? Yes (d6): 6 No (d6): 1 Nature of encounter? Trap (d20): 20 Monster (d12): 12 Adventuresmith: Hack & Slash: Traps: melee attack trap, trigger: pressure plate. pendulum (log) The adventurers leave the chamber and come into a large hallway. Suddenly... DC 9 Reflex saves! Agnes: 7 Bazel: 21 Prudence: 9 A large log swings from the ceiling, clipping Agnes in the head (for 1d6: 3 damage). Bazel and Prudence are able to dodge out of the way, and let the log slow down before steadying it and helping Agnes up from the ground. She has a lump but she'll be okay. They examine the trap. A pressure plate connected to a release for the rope. Does the trap look recently set or old and forgotten? Recent (d12): 10 Old: (d10): 10 ?! All examine the trap. The log is old, petrified even. The rope is not so old, but the notch in the wall is ancient. It almost seems like someone has been maintaining this trap, although this place looks nothing like somewhere a person would regularly be. The growing bump on Agnes's head is a reminder that the group needs to keep on their guard and proceed cautiously. They collect themselves and move on. The hallway turns to the right and widens. From the odd eldritch light, they can see it goes on further than the one they came from. After roughly 60 feet there is a passage to the left. Is there an encounter here? Yes (d6): 3 No (d6): 1 Nature of encounter? Trap (d12): 3 Monster (d10): 1 NPC (d8): 4 Adventuresmith: Freebooters: Character: Fighter - Female Dwarf, Evil Name: Berin STR 11 DEX 15 CON 11 INT 5 WIS 10 CHA 11 LUCK 10 Appearance: unsmiling, deep voice, scarred Vices: self-pitying, murderous, boastful Gear: Chainmail, poultices and herbs She's evil and murderous so let's give her some combat stats, just in case... AC 16, MV 15' Level (1d4): 4 HD: 4d10 (22 HP) ATK: Dagger +4 (1d4+4) Being on their guard, they're able to notice the shadow of a stout figure in the glow from the left hand passage. Agnes tries to sneak up and investigate... Dex check: 4 But she turns the corner and finds herself face to face with a dwarf... Berin the Dwarf's Reaction? KILL! (1d20): 11 Curious/Chatty (1d20): 6 Who immediately pulls out a curved dagger and screams a dwarvish battle cry, making Agnes jump back! Initiative! Agnes: 12 Bazel: 19 Prudence: 15 Berin the Dwarf: 17 Round 1 Bazel, apparently prepared, looses an arrow immediately at the dwarf. Attack: 7 It clangs against the stone wall. The dwarf continues screaming and swipes at Agnes. Attack: 17, Damage: 8 The former outlaw clutches a blossoming wound on her stomach and collapses. Prudence grips the blade of her sickle, letting it cut into her palm (burning 4 points of Stamina). Still holding the blade, she points at the Dwarf and utters a Sleep spell... Spell Check: 17 Berin Will Save: 10 A ray of shimmering dust surrounds the raging dwarf, and she collapses to the floor, snoring. Bazel and Prudence run to Agnes, is she okay? Roll the body! Agnes' Luck: 17 Luck check: 2 She is! There is a nasty gash and Agnes is definitely hurt, but the cut wasn't as deep as it looked. She will live, for now. -1 to (1d3, 1=STR, 2=AGI, 3=STA: 2) Agility Agnes collects herself and sits against the wall, eyes closed, praying to the ancestors and natural spirits that grant her power... Lay On Hands: 16, Healing: 6 I didn’t see anywhere that says Clerics can’t heal themselves, so… House Rule! While Agnes recovers, Bazel and Prudence investigate the snoring dwarf. What should they do with her? Agnes voices her opinion: "Kill her." What do they do? Tie Berin Up (d12): 10 Kill Her (d20): 11 Leave Her Alone (d12): 11 Bazel and Prudence are torn. It would not be honorable to slay a defenseless, sleeping foe. Maybe the dwarf was just afraid and thought she acted in self-defense? Agnes stands up, walks past her two companions, and slits the sleeping dwarf's throat. "I have no wish to be nearly disemboweled again," she says. Bazel and Prudence shrug, being mostly in agreeance with Agnes, but still feeling conflicted. They search the dwarf, taking the poultices, herbs, and the dagger. Her chainmail, while decent, was dwarf size, and thus too small. After all that, the group finds themselves in a huge space, with carved pillars, multiple exits, and a large, stepped platform leading to an ascending staircase. Bazel swears he could feel a draft of fresh air coming from up there. Yay blood! Do they get out or explore this dungeon further? Get Out (d20): 19 Explore Further (d20): 2 What's at the top of the stairs? Wilderness (d20): 7 Sewers (d20): 2 More Dungeon (d20): 6 Let's see what Adventuresmith can give me for wilderness... It was at this point that I realized I could take screenshots of the Adventuresmith app instead of having to type everything out. Nice! They emerge into strange woodlands. The air has a strange-yet-familiar quality, and the sunlight filtering through the trees creates strange shadows and the colors of the forest seem to shift and change. Apparently the dungeon entrance is in a cliffside and only a relatively narrow path is carved along it, leading down. Upon looking out, the party realizes that they are essentially on the wall of a bowl-shaped depression. Below them, in the center of this circular region, Bazel thinks he spies some kind of structure and what looks like a road or path of sorts leading from it. Agnes and Prudence see it too, and can see a pass in the circular cliff wall that the path leads through. It's on the other side of the bowl. Being in a strange new place, possibly even a new world, they decide to check out the structure below, and begin making their way down the cliffside path. The rock of the cliffs has a similar green tint as the dungeon, but fainter, and splotchy. Chunks missing from some spots show the green bolder, as if these chunks had recently broken off. As fast the group can think the word "rockslide," a rumbling starts. They run. DC 10 Reflex Saves! Agnes: 12 Bazel: 16 Prudence: 7 Rocks fall and tumble down and across the path as the group nears the bottom. Bazel and Agnes dodge them, but one knocks Prudence down. 1d6: 4 damage Eventually the rocks stop falling. The air is hazy as everyone gets up from where they had taken cover. Prudence is bruised but okay, and manages to find her belongings. There is something of a path, although it was more like a wide game trail. It seemed to be heading towards their destination, so the group follows it. A couple hours in, it is clear that the daylight is fading, so they bushwhack out a space to camp a bit off the path. They take turns on their watches. In the dark just before dawn, a predator of these woods takes notice of them... Oh my. Who's on watch?
Agnes (d6): 6 Bazel (d6): 1 Prudence (d6): 6 Agnes/Prudence/Even/Odd, (d20): 16. Even, Agnes is on watch. Agnes hears some noises, maybe? Int check: 10 She can tell something is in the bushes beyond the dim light of the glowing embers of their campfire. Agnes shouts to alert her companions as she throws a glowing smoldering log at where she heard the noise. Jumping out to avoid getting burned is a large horrid-looking creature. Looking something like the bastardization of a rabbit, octopus, and maybe a deer, the monster opens its mouth wide, revealing sharp pointed teeth, and hisses. It's awful. Maybe I should give this thing some stats? Giant Beetle from the DCC book looks good, but I'll tweak it a little. Giant Tentacled Jackalope From Hell: Init +2; Atk bite +3 melee (1d6+2) or antlers +3 (1d4+2); AC 15; HD 2d8+2 (15 hp); MV 40’ or climb 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will -3; AL N. Initiative! Agnes: 4 Bazel: 11 Prudence: 10 Tentacled Jackalope: 15 Round 1 The monster makes to gore Agnes with its antlers... Attack: 5 But Agnes is able to step aside. Bazel barely rolls over from his bedding and looses and arrow... Attack: 8 Friendly Fire 50/50 (d100): 47 New Attack vs Agnes' AC: 11 The arrow whizzes by Agnes' nose. Prudence casts a spell, still thinking of Sleep... Spell Check: 7 A small puff of smoke erupts from her hand, quickly dissipating. Agnes brings her scimitar up to strike at the beast... Attack: Nat 20! Crit roll on Table III: 4 Another Attack! Attack: 18 And in a fervor, makes two rapid strikes, slicing into the beast, severely wounding it. Two large, charred, bloody cuts now decorate the monster's body. The smell of burnt fur and flesh fill the air. (Forgot to mark down the damage rolls but I think the thing only had 1 HP left!) Round 2 The creature, in bad shape, realizes that this is no easy meal and turns and runs away. Bazel makes to shoot another arrow but Prudence stops him. "Save your arrows." *victory music* As the sky slowly begins to lighten, the party realizes they will not be able to get back to sleep and decide to head on. The shifting shadows of the woods are distracting and make it hard to keep track of direction... What will they encounter next? Find out in Part 2! I’ll post it in about a week. Thank you for reading, hopefully you’re enjoying reading it as much as I enjoyed making it. I’m letting Adventuresmith really take the reins so far as story content, and throwing more control over to Miso for decisions, letting it be much more random. I’m liking it a lot. Thanks again, hope to see you next time.
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