Game Report #5 - Centipedes, Fire Beetles and Rats, Oh My!

Returning for Game 5 last night were L, L2, M, S (via Skype), J, J2, H, G, G2, and C.  D has been a part of the group, but this was his first time in this game, and D2 and S2 were new both to the campaign and the group.

L, L2, D, D2 and S2 all had to generate characters for the game:

Having had a character reach level 1 before dying, L was allowed to roll up a new first level character, rather than five zero levels.  His new character is Snowflake, a Veteran (1st level fighter).

L2 drew up the following characters: a prisoner named Reaper, an outlaw named Billy the Kid, a woodcutter named Paul Bunyan, a guild beggar called Tiny Tim, and an orphan named Gorgoron, who styles himself "the soul slicer."

D created 2 mushroom farmers, Weeder and Weeder Jr., Fred the Cobbler, an astrologer named Stewi66 and a ditch digger named Gravedigger ("He's got dreams, you know!")

D2 has an alchemist named Dave, a hunter called Teriyaki, Pikachu the jester, Sparta the cobbler, and a City Guard named Jerry.

S created a jester named Latula, a scribe named Meulin, a jeweller called Kanaya, a mercenary called Damara, and a smuggler named Kurboz.

After the new characters were created, we reviewed experience levels, and Eridan had reached level 1.  Eridan opted to become a Medium (1st level Magic User).

Three months have passed since the party returned from their last adventure, while everyone healed, and Eridan completed his training as a Mage.  As Aetherus brought Eridan back to the Hall, Ockhena took the opportunity to ask him if there were other towns or villages nearby, or just Kemper Village.  Aetherus explained there had once been a town two day's hike southwest, and another town one day's hike due south.  As the party discussed their options after breakfast in the main hall, Pyotr came in and asked them to try to eliminate the kobold threat, "because the Hall is getting crowded, and we want to build some houses between here and the river, but the kobolds raid at night and destroy the work and kill anyone outside after dark!"

The party agreed this would be wise, and spent the rest of the morning discussing strategy.  Should we block all the entrances then flood them out via the river entrance?  If so how will we get any of the treasure out of a flooded cavern system?  What if we send a separate party into each entrance and trap them all?  Do we know where all their exits are?  We know about three, but we don't know if that's all of them!  They finally agreed to use the tunnel closest to Milburn Hall, and go directly to the caverns below.  Their next discussion centered on tactics:  Do we split up and explore in different directions?  Do we make noise to draw the kobolds, or move as quietly as possible to surprise them?  Should we have one party explore while another guards our way out?  They opted for the latter, and at noon, ate lunch in the Hall, then started off for the kobold's lair.  They'd been into the caverns several times via this route, and made their way in with no trouble, with every third character carrying a lit torch for the long crawl in through the dirt tunnel to the cavern.  For the tunnel crawl, Snowflake led them in, followed by Billy the Kid, Tiny Tim, Gorgoron, Reaper, Paul Bunyan, Eridan, Gamzee, Damara, Meulin, Dave, Teriyaki, Pikachu, Jerry, Kaza Rune, Sammy, Enteri, Brock, Gilder, River, Anja, Ockhena, Fred, Weeder, Weeder Jr., Stewi66, Gravedigger, Rudy, Draco, Salvador, Shern, Justin, Richard, Rose, Pinky, Mordecai, Max, Ven, Ron, Don, Vladof, Bandit, Torque, Tediore and Maliwan.

Inside the first cavern, they split into two groups, Team A, with Teriyaki, Pikachu, Jerry, Kaza Rune, Sammy, Enteri, Brock, Gilder, Fred, Weeder, Weeder Jr., Stewi66, Gravedigger, Rudy, Draco, Salvador, Shern, Justin, Richard, Rose, Pinky, Mordecai, Max, Ven, Ron, and Don headd off to explore, while the rest, Team B, stood guard at the entrance to prevent an ambush.

Team A was exploring a large cavern, and was surprised by a pair of fire beetles.  Teriyaki died before the party cut them down.  In the next cavern, Stewi66 kicked a lump on the floor, and narrowly avoided getting splashed by acid falling from a hole in the ceiling.  They considered kicking the lump again so they could catch some acid, but Salvador the alchemist wisely said, "No way, I'm not letting acid splash on my arm while I try to catch it in a vial!"  They tried to get some from the floor, but it had already spread too thinly to gather in the vial.  They continued on, finding dwarven runes carved in one wall, a completely charred, illegible book in the same cave, and later, a stone statue of a man reading a scroll.  Stewi66, Fred, Weeder, Weeder Jr., and Gravedigger decided to head back to Team B, but as they got there, the Team B asked to be led back to Team A.

Maliwan, bringing up the rear of Team A, heard noises behind him, and turned to see them being stalked by at least three giant rats at the very edge of their torchlight.  The party turned to do battle, as Team B arrived from the side.  Before the rats were dispatched, River and Bandit both fell, and the party decided it was time to leave.  They carried River and Bandit, and dragged what turned out to be 14 giant rats back through the caverns to the entrance.  On their way, they spotted an killed a giant centipede and Dave claimed the corpse and brought it along.  As they crawled out through the dirt tunnels, Maliwan again heard noise behind him, and turned to see three kobolds tracking them and getting closer.  Only three characters were left underground, so they opted to exit quickly and attack the kobolds when they came out... but they never did.  The kobolds saw the bright sunlight flooding the tunnel when the party wasn't in the way, and retreated into the dark.

Back at Milburn Hall, the party skinned the giant rats so Gimli and Kaza-Rune could attempt to create more leather armor from them, and Maliwan decided to gut the rats and check their stomachs for valuables.  He got lucky and found two gems, which they were able to sell for 2000 gold pieces total.  Rest and Recuperation allowed the party to heal and gain their experience, and several more characters have finally reached first level.  Ockhena and Richard each train to become a Medium (1st level magic user), Anja, Gamzee and Pinkie will become Apprentices (1st level Thief), Justin becomes an Acolyte (1st level cleric) and Rose becomes a veteran (1st level fighter).

Next Game - 15 Feb 13

We'll play Game #5 on Friday night, 15 Feb 13... same place as usual (my Dining/Room/Kitchen) from 1900 thru 2200.