The Restenford Defenders Golden Adventurer Awards
Vote for your favorite Defenders moments! Everyone who reads the summaries can vote!
The Defenders Greatest Battles
Which battle do you think was the most exciting and victorious?
(1) The Defenders vs. the Green Diamond bandits (Summary #4)
The Defenders, then a group of seven 1st level characters, were ambushed by a dozen bandits. Despite having our two woodsmen Held before the battle started, and despite the deaths of three party members, the Defenders defeated the bandits, saved a kidnapped merchant, and cleared the area of bandits.
(2) The Defenders vs. Brinea the Sea Hag (Summary #15)
Despite having only five 2nd level party members capable of fighting, and the party possessed only one weapon that could affect the opponent, and had to fight blindfolded or be struck dead, the party managed to eliminate Brinea at the cost of the death of the entire party. Captain Nbod's ghost from the inn in Benct was destroyed and sea hag was dead forever. An evil artifact was sent to the Pope of Nevron for destruction or protection.
(3) The Defenders vs. the Grey Philosopher (Summary #34)
The Defenders were a group of 5th level characters when they encountered the Grey Philosopher, his two guardian skeletons, and about a hundred other skeletons on consecrated evil ground in a ruined Khargish city. First Quentin held the giant skeletons at bay and destroyed the normal skeletons with the Rod of Thorns, and then the party killed the Grey Philosopher between holy water, magic weapons and flame blades. With the numerous wounds from the GP's "thoughts" the party barely survived intact.
(4) The Defenders vs. Teknaas/Kaal na Ka (Summary #41)
The Defenders were still 5th level when they fought the mastermind behind the fog monster attacks. The wizard/ lycanthrope Teknaas and his daughter Maryanne were aided by weird zombies that could Slow the opponent, and a pair of pig guardians. The battle was very close, and ended with Morgan and Quentin dueling with the wereboar with everyone else down and dying.
(5) The Defenders vs. Caxathoros the Demon (Summary #51)
The Defenders were a party of 5th and 6th level characters when after slaying the dangerous 12th level wizard Irinia, they encountered the demon Caxathoros and his three henchmen in the throne room of the floating castle. Despite two deaths and numerous devastating abilities, the party held on to defeat the monster permanently.
(6) The Defenders vs. the Queen of Grottoes' clergy (Summary #56)
The Defenders, 5th and 6th level, fought the high priestess, two of her minions, and a powerful demonic squid called a tribute gatherer. Two Defenders perished and the spellcasters all got blasted with acid, but the fight ended when Quentin turned into a crocodile and Donald rode him through the water, blasting Magic Missiles out of the wand until the squid had died.
The Defenders Worst Battles
Which battle do you think ended in the most demeaning, frustrating, tragic, or unprofitable way?
(1) The Defenders vs. the blue ogres (Summary #5)
Coming off their first true success, the 1st level Defenders were promptly overwhelmed. Two people perished, two others were critically injured, and no treasure was ultimately gained as the party's lone magic weapon was taken from them as they were unable to defend themselves.
(2) The Defenders vs. the skeletons on Abbey Isle (Summary #8)
The 1st and 2nd level Defenders fought bravely and slew about 50 skeletons in the charge up the beach. They also managed to break virtually every weapon. About a half-dozen weapons were shattered in a single combat thanks to an unprecented 8 fumbles. Felix destroyed his short sword. Gaston destroyed his bastard sword, borrowed Tyveris' hammer, and then damaged that as well. Some people began grabbing skeleton weapons out of desperation, and broke more than one of those also.
(3) The Defenders vs. Ozymandius and the Hindus clerics on Abbey Isle (Summary #8)
Just after the skeleton encounter, the Defenders reached the fortress. Hoping that the group would accept a bribe to leave the island, the Defenders were instead ambushed and completely frozen between a Web spell, Charm spell, and numerous Light spells. They were captured, had all their valuables taken, and nearly ransomed back to the Petethalian navy. Several of the stolen magic items were never recovered.
(4) The Defenders vs. Brinea the Sea Hag (Summary #15)
This one appears on both lists. Why? EVERYONE DIED ON BOTH SIDES. And another party had to come and save the Defenders from complete annihilation.
(5) The Defenders vs. the Lord of Pondscum (Summary #36)
The Defenders, at 5th level, encountered a creature that commanded treants against us. Despite numerous pleas by the party druid, the creatures attacked us as they were enthralled. The party wizard was bashed on his head twice in the combat, no seemed able to affect the creature, and then a Confusion effect took out almost everyone still conscious. In the end, the party fled as fast as it could from the location, branches and rocks pelting them.
(6) The Defenders vs. the faun creature (Summary #45)
The Defenders, a group of 5th and 6th level characters, attacked a faun creature and managed to use just about every attack that the creature was immune to. Two-thirds of the party missed the entire combat from the start, and there was even a fatality. The creature was finally destroyed by Donald as it escaped, but no treasure was recovered. The Rod of Thorns was lost as a favor for Raising Felix.
(7) The Defenders vs. Traywick (2nd attempt) (Summary #47)
The party, again 5th and 6th level characters, managed to fall right into Traywick's trap, clearly at his mercy for over a half an hour. Finally deciding to go banzai, the party tried to charge through, and instead Felix was roasted by a laser bat. Moments later, Almax and Peltar showed up to rescue the party, most of which had been sleep-gassed by this time.
(8) The Defenders vs. Bogomel (Summary #63)
The party, primarily 6th level, stumbled onto a secret meeting between the Blue and the Gray and some gnolls. The party charged, was blasted by a fireball, recovered, found the wand wielder, got fireballed AGAIN, and then took him out. The man turned out to be an unwitting servant of the bandit group, was truly stupid, and became Cassian's henchman, but not before the fireball wand exploded in Quentin's face. The bandits and gnolls got away easily.
(9) Honorable Mention: The Defenders vs. the Worgs (Summary #36)
The party encountered a group of Worgs. Half of the party was Held. Then the Worgs were Entangled. One worg was nearly slain, but then healed by a companion. A Dispel went off freeing the Worgs who promptly ran and never came back.
Most Interesting Party Death
(1) Annwvyn (Summary #3)
The party's first casualty came when the the party thief was killed instantly in his sleep by fungus beetles, and his body wasn't even noticed until the beetles had nearly dragged him underground, where he became fertilizer for fungi.
(2) Ethan (Summary #4)
After losing two characters on the field of battle against bandits, Ethan the woodsman was blown away from full health by a ballista bolt shot from the fortress, after having only been with the party for less than a week.
(3) Perry (Summary #15)
Perry the thief was selected to the cushy job of "bait" when he was left unblindfolded so that the desperate party could find Brinea. He was simultaneously killed by the death gaze and strangulation damage.
(4) Haladir (Summary #33)
Haladir the thief (a lot of these are thieves!) was killed in his first adventure when a falling gargoyle head crushed him while examining the outside of a building in the Khargish ruins.
(5) Felix (Summary #47)
Felix was the lone casualty in an ulimately meaningless escape attempt from Traywick's dungeon. Holding out a Continual Light, the laser bat opponent drew all the light in... and shot Felix through the head killing him instantly (after the first shot missed).
(6) Kodo (Summary #51)
Kodo was the first unfortunate to discover that Caxathoros the demon had the ability to assassinate people after Blinking to their backside. From full health, Kodo instantly died as a huge pike entered his stomach and went through from the back.
(7) Felix/Kodo (Summary #56)
While fighting the high priestess, Kodo and Felix found themselves flung toward a gigantic demon squid by some mental telekinesis power. Both were swallowed and killed, though Kodo did manage to throw the Horn of Valhalla away before he got eaten.
The Results!
The results of the voting for the Defenders best and worst battle, and most spectacular death are in!
There was a great diversity of responses.
For Best Battle:
Caxathoros the demon vs. the Defenders (game 51) (6 votes of 14)
For Worst Battle:
Traywick vs. the Defenders (game 47) (4 votes of 12)
For Best Death:
Felix and Kodo's death by drowning by the demon squid (game 56) (3 votes of 12)
Thanks for tuning in!