Investigating the ruins of the monastery:
Locations (chosen from Scarlet Heroes):
Wine Cellar, Pantry, Vault, Sickroom, Punishment room, Library, Stairwell, Relic chamber.
Simple underground layout:
Each area except the Hall is a ‘Major Location’ where something might be present. From Scarlet Heroes tables there is roughly a 65% chance per location of “something there”. Total Skeleton numbers = 3d6 (11). We’ll say 1d6 per Encounter and the rest are in the Vault.
(Stair contents = none, Sick Room = Encounter. Door? 50-50 = Yes. Pantry = empty, door 50-50 = no).
Naki and Ghost give the stairs a once-over from the outside ruins (Stair Location contents = none) but declare it clear, so lighting their lanterns and torches they proceed downwards. Their lights show a crumbling hallway extending away into darkness with roots and vines poking through the walls and ceiling. To their right is an open entryway with remains of pottery and glass containers, and broken cupboards and shelves. To their left is a door, swollen shut in its frame. Nothing can be heard, so Morgan and Vasily line up - the door caves in on the first solid kick, Vasily grabs his weapon by instinct, but Morgan is caught unawares by the boney hands reaching for him from behind the door frame.
[The dice said no wandering encounter and that the skeletons in the sick room are making no noise. 2 PCs attempt to open the door, with the standard 1-in-6 (2,1 = Yes). How many here? 2. Surprise? Morgan is surprised]
Skeleton - AC13, HD1, Att Claws 1-6, Move 40, App 3d6, Save F1, ML12, XP25
Special: Half damage from edged weapons, only 1 point from arrows, sling stones etc.
Round 1:
The combat is in a doorway/hallway, so 2v2 is all that is reasonable. However Trix has a spear and if not surprised (d6=6, no) attacks with -2 from the back line at a random target.
Group Initiative for simplicity:
Skeletons = 4
PCs = 2
The Skeletons grasp at their living foes, Morgan feels a strong hand close around his shield-arm but wrenches it free (Sk1 miss) while Vasily is raked down his shin painfully, deeply shredding his skin (Sk2 hit Va, -5HP, on 6HP). The three humans retaliate, Morgan off balance and ineffective (Mor miss) but Vasily smashes his great sword through the skull of his attacker, sending shards everywhere and dropping his foe (Vas hit Sk2, -4HP, on 0HP, dead). Trix drops her shield for a two-handed grip on her spear and pierces the Skeleton through the spine, breaking it and causing it to hang at an obscene angle for a few seconds before falling to the ground (Trx hit Sk1, -3HP, on -2HP, dead).
The group enter and spend 10 minutes or so searching the room - they discover remnants of chairs, beds, potion bottles, bandages and leather straps, but nothing of value. They proceed a short distance down the tunnel to discover another pair of entryways, this time there is a door blocking the right side entrance. A group of 4 skeletons armed with flails stalk out of the left opening.
Punishment Room = Encounter, 1d6=4 Skeletons. Wine Cellar (door) = Encounter 1d6=5 Skeletons + Treasure. That’s all the Skeletons so the Vault will have something else guarding it, or some sort of trap/puzzle etc.
Round 1:
The Skeletons fight 2 abreast in the hallway, 2 PCs and Trix with her spear can fight. This time, Naki and Vasily take the point while Morgan will attempt to Turn. Naki has borrowed Morgan’s stout walking staff.
Group Initiative for simplicity:
PCs = 6
Skeletons = 2, and are surprised.
Ghost intones her protective spell (Protection from Evil) and the Skeletons cannot help but flinch from the radiant power. They are staggered by Morgan’s pleas to his god, but here in the corrupted monastery the Skeleton’s power is greater and they do not flee (Mor fail Turn). Vasily, Naki and Trix lunge with their weapons, breaking bones of a Skeleton but the negative energy keeps it upright (Vas/Nak hit Sk1, -3HP, on 1HP). Morgan switches places with Naki while they have the initiative, and the three humans once again attack - Vasily crushes the damaged Skeleton (Vas hit Sk1, -1HP, on 0HP, dead) while Morgan and Trix are not able to breach the guard of the other (Trx, Mor miss). Ghost prepares an oil flask, while Naki tries throwing his silver dagger (Nak hit S2, -2HP, on 3HP) which lodges in the eye socket of the nearest enemy. It carries on fighting, as does another that steps in to replace its fallen comrade. Flails swing but shields and blades ring out with successful parries (Sk2, Sk3 miss).
Round 2:
Group Initiative:
PCs = 6
Skeletons = 5
Vasily destroys the ‘one-eyed’ Skeleton with a mighty chop (Vas hit S2, -4HP, on -1HP, dead). Ghost passes Naki the oil flask which the Halfling cannot risk throwing yet, but prepares for when the last Skeleton steps out into view (“can Naki see the last Skeleton?” = no. Naki holds action for now). Morgan attacks the front-line Skeleton with a mighty swing which sees it in a thousand pieces (Mor crit Sk3, -16HP, on -14HP, dead). The final Skeleton steps up, raising its rusty flail and deflecting Trix’s spear (Trx miss) only to be met by a flaming oil flask (Nak hit Sk4, -4HP, on -1HP, dead). Even as it burns it attempts to claw and bite at its foes, scorching Morgan’s chainmail (Sk4 miss).
The group forgo searching and immediately attempt to open the nearby door, to hopefully sustain Ghost’s spell. Unfortunately it does not give (5,2) and the group has to spend the better part of an hour battering it down. (Ghost’s spell has long since faded). Once the final blow is given, there is an almighty crack and splash, and the smell of rancid vinegar forces its way into everyone’s nostrils. “Some sort of wine cellar if I had to guess”, says Morgan, holding his nose. He raises a light and peers through the massive hole in the door, only to sway back as a bony hand grabs for him.
(PCs were not surprised). Will the door or broken barrels of wine present any obstacle in the doorway? Likely = No, but everyone is on -1 to hit (PCs = smell/fumes, Skeletons = slippery floor). If the PCs somehow end up fighting in the Wine Cellar, they will have another -1.
Round 1:
Group Initiative:
PCs = 6
Skeletons = 3
Vasily and Trix stab at the nearest Skeleton ineffectively (miss) and Morgan has to blink away tears from his streaming eyes (miss due to smell/fumes). Ghost attempts to throw one of her daggers, but unsuccessfully (miss). The first 2 Skeletons push into the doorway but stumble in the debris and slushy floor (Sk1/Sk2 miss).
Round 2:
Group Initiative:
Skeletons = 5
PCs = 3
Other Skeletons push past to the front line, but are no more effective than their bony brethren (Sk3/Sk4 miss). Morgan raises his holy symbol but a coughing fit prevents proper recitation of his prayers (fail Turn). Vasily hacks a chunk from the door-frame (miss) but Trix is able to land a glancing blow (Trx hit Sk4, -1HP, on 7HP). Naki grabs one of his Holy Water flasks and lobs it, but curses as it splashes into the sodden floor ineffectively (miss).
Round 3:
Group Initiative:
Skeletons = 5
PCs = 1
The claws of the undead are parried easily, and Morgan is even able to push his foe to the ground (Sk3 miss, Sk4 fumble, trip). The Skeleton grabs at his ankle and tries to pull him down but Morgan kicks it away (Mor fumble, save avoids) and Vasily removes the grasping hand at the elbow (Vas hit Sk4, -2HP, on 5HP). Trix and Ghost are unable to land any blows (both miss).
Round 4-8:
Morgan smashes a Skeleton into pieces, his mace clearly best suited for fighting these monsters. Naki chips the skull of another, while Ghost and Trix are left choking in the awful fumes, and need a moment to recover. Morgan is briefly distracted by the sound, which is enough for a bony fist to punch him in the head, ramming it into the door frame and knocking him out cold. Naki quickly steps in as Trix shakes off the coughing fit, and pulls Morgan’s prone body away from the melee. The Skeletons have an equally bad time, 2 of their number slipping and their fellows stepping over them to attack the living. But these new undead warriors find their way through the guard of the heroes, causing Vasily a bruised hip, and pulling Naki to the ground, pummelling him into unconsciousness. In return, Trix is able to smash the skull of one of her foes, and Ghost has taken her time to light an oil flask and causes a direct hit, burning a skeleton away as it stands staring back at them in silence.
Round 9-14:
Vasily and Trix are in the doorway, Ghost behind them with oil and daggers. They face the last 2 skeletons, both with cracked bones. The battle continues with swings and parries on all fronts, Vasily getting in the first ‘wound’ on his foe. But Trix has the bad luck of stone dust shaken loose from the ceiling landing in her eyes, she swings wildly and knocks Vasily over, and she does not see the claw that rends her chest open, bright blood gushing. Vasily swings clumsily from the floor, but is overwhelmed by bony fists and blacks out. Ghost throws her last dagger and flees, feeling a slash down her back as she goes.
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