« Defenders Log Entry #18: Don't They Have Anything Better to do? | Main | Defenders ADVENTURE LOG #20: Return of the Halflings »

Defenders Log Entry #19: Creepies and Crawlies and Kittens (oh my!)

Felix, 4th level fighter, 42 hp, played by Alex
Drew, 3rd level ranger, 25 hp, played by committee
Morgan, 4th level fighter, 22 hp, played by Alan
Quentin, 4th level druid, 16 hp, played by Jeremy
Perry, 4th level thief, 13 hp, played by Sean
Balinor, 1st level fighter, 10 hp, played by Joel
Cassian, 1st level cleric, 9 hp, played by Katherine

When we last left the jubilant party, they had just found loads of money and treasure and completed Abbey Isle! We then trained and picked up proficiencies, which took about two months.

Balinor and Cassian both gained 3rd level, and Drew got 4th! Perry is about 500 XP from 5th level, and Quentin is about 1500 XP from 5th level. The others are NOWHERE near.

Balinor and Perry picked up Sprinting, and Morgan learned longbow. Then the hp rolls came-- they were totally absurd.

Cassian had 9 hp at 1st level, and rolled an 8 and a 6 on 2d8, +2 from con, to total 25 hp at 3rd level! Drew rolled an 8 on a d8 as well, (+1 from con), and rose from 25 to 34 hp. Balinor rolled a 10 on a d10 (+4 from con) and rose from 19 to 33 hp!

So the current party state is:
Felix, 4th level fighter, 42 hp
Drew, 4th level ranger, 34 hp
Balinor, 3rd level fighter, 33 hp
Cassian, 3rd level cleric, 25 hp
Morgan, 4th level fighter, 22 hp
Quentin, 4th level druid, 16 hp
Perry, 4th level thief, 13 hp

We returned to Restenford and had a long debate about whether to do the gnolls or the burrow worms. The burrow worms would please Almax, and were underground predators. The gnolls would please the Baron, but they had really long ranges and high speeds, enabling them to shoot us continously from a distance. And they also had a couple of Worgs and a bunch of wolves around. We decided that perhaps the gnolls were a bit much, and we should attempt the burrow worms.

Meanwhile, Perry used his spying ability to see if there were any people in town who might be tipping off the bandits. He noticed that Monty, the rather poor owner of the bait shop, seemed to be paying an inordinate amount of attention to the Baron's troop deployment. Alarmed, Relkin told Perry he could investigate further. Perry later noticed that a master of a logging caravan went into the bait shop, which was odd. Furthermore, he noted that Monty palmed something to the master. Unfortunately, Perry wasn't able to determine what it was, and the caravan left. We decided to put it on hold for a bit and destroy some burrow worms.

We traveled east for a day or so and trekked about the farmlands, staying in barns, and searching for "wormsign." We found the older tunnels, and Drew tracked them around back to the newer trails, and continued looking until we actually noticed a small amount of movement in the grass ahead. Quickly we determined that the worm was only about 50 feet distant and burrowing slowly. Perry noted that he could not hear it even when he stuck his ears to the ground.

We were timid and unenthusiastic about acid sprays hitting us. I should mention that a wise precaution we took was to leave all of our expensive items back in Restenford, ie. the magic hammer, armor, shield, bracers, etc. Quentin cast a _Spike Growth_ in the area in front of us to trip up the worm, should it try to emerge and charge at us. Cassian slung a rock at the area were it was, and bonked it soundly. It stopped moving.

Cassian bonked it again, and a head and pincers rose from the surface and looked around. About a hundred feet away, Cassian, Drew, Morgan, and Perry all fired at it. They all missed. One arrow bonked off its plated head, and it disappeared back down. It then dug deeper, and not wanting to get surprised, we left.

Deciding that was totally ineffective, we came up with another plan. When we spotted the next one, Quentin cast a _Plant Growth_ behind it, causing the tunnel to seal up and block its quick escape route. This would force the worm to burrow if it wanted to escape. The plan was to engage it above, and if it fled, have Felix chase it, and attack from behind, with two _Aid_ spells on him courtesy of Cassian.

We stood near where it was, and bonked it. It rose out of the ground, and Drew let off a point-blank shot while Balinor, Felix, and Morgan closed with it. It was very difficult to hit, but Balinor's hammers were up to the task, and with some help from Morgan and Drew they damaged it greatly. It swung at Morgan with its pincers and missed. Then it let loose an acid spray, hitting Felix full on and doing 20 points of damage. His pack held, but one of his short swords and his shield was ruined, and his clothing was in bad shape. Balinor cracked it twice, and it fell over (about 60 points of damage done to it).

It was about the size of a large horse, and though it doesn't digest its prey, the burrow worm spits acid all over it and drags it down to its lair.

We continued tracking and found another trail a few days later. Again, we went with the same plan, and once again the worm burst through the opening-- though this one was much larger than the first. We smashed it for awhile, and it missed Morgan again. Suddenly Morgan inflicted a wound... and it fled down the tunnel, running straight into the plant growth. As planned, Felix charged after it, but it hit with a horrendous barrage of acid, destroying his armor, shield, and helmet. With a yelp he came running back, and Balinor hopped down after it. Cassian through a _Light_ spell and Balinor was able to attack. He damaged it further, but Bessie's handle flew off and it grabbed him with its mandibles and started doing acid damage to him, pinning both of his arms down. He yelled for help, and Morgan came running down. Morgan swung at it, and it dropped Balinor, intending to kill Morgan. Of course, it missed. From below, the prone Balinor smashed its noticeably softer underbelly, and it died.

Balinor realized that he had not considered gravity. The worm dropped on him, and scrambled desperately to get out of the way, but was smooshed by the body, taking additional damage and saying "ow." Morgan pulled him out.

We headed back to town and repaired the armor and replaced Felix's collapsing equipment, as well as renotching Bessie's new handle, then set out again.

Strolling casually through the farmlands, we looked up and saw a nine foot tall blue humanoid munching on something, leaning casually against a tree, human swords tucked around its belt. Just a SINGLE blue ogre. Heh.

With a cry of "For Darellon and Celeste!", whoever they are, we charged. The ogre dropped the kitten's head it was munching on in shock, with a ring of steel drew out two huge bastard swords. Drew shot and missed, while the party sprinted at it.

The ogre could have been quite dangerous... except that it chose to swing at Morgan. Naturally, it missed twice and we reached it. Balinor missed twice, Morgan missed, but Felix smashed it, Perry double backstabbed it, and Drew shot it for maximum damage through the head with point-blank ranger cool shot.

It died.

(Around 50 points of damage, too)

It had 45 gp, a silver belt, two bastard swords, a broadsword, and a chain. A _Detect Magic_ revealed that the chain was magical, and the fighters couldn't help but notice that the bastard sword was pretty nice.

We continued traveling around, and found the third burrow worm. As before it rose up, and this time it caught Felix and dragged him down with it. Balinor charged after and smacked it from behind. Felix tried to free himself when it belched acid at him... destroying everything-- his two swords, armor and helmet, though his clothes and the shield made it. In trouble, he raised his shield defensively, but Balinor managed to destroy it on the next hit.

We also found the lair of the things-- a juncture of several very old tunnels, that went noticeably deeper. We will return there and hopefully determine what is down there-- hopefully some of the gear of the various bandits and travelers they have eaten.

But first we returned to Restenford. Relkin, the legal commander who does our salvage tax, asked us if we'd killed a hill giant. He explained the belt was a sign of a hill giant chieftain or something, and he valued it at, oh, 3-5... thousand gold pieces!

Oh yeah, and the bastard sword was rated by Gaston as a +1/+1 quality weapon.

And the chain, identified by Peltar, gives the wearer additional ability to block with his sword! Morgan with his single weapon combat style seems the logical choice-- if only it worked with hammers...

So we paid the bastard sword as salvage tax plus credit, and hopefully the Baron will like that weapon (since he wields it).

Now to excavate a burrow worm's lair, and then we have to decide what to do next. Perry has suggested the demon worshipper problem in Trun.

It is likely that Perry will train, and possible but unlikely that Quentin will as a result of the adventure. Either way, we're all quite pleased at our progress into the lower mid-levels!

Joel/Balinor

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://blog.telvar.net/mt/mt-tb.cgi/86

Post a comment

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)