Monday, July 26, 2010

Fun With Carousing Mishaps

Over at Jeff's Game Blog, there is a table for Carousing Mishaps. Through the past S&W sessions, we've tried our hand at carousing a few times; Gloin has tried and failed twice and our resident Cleric, Old Man Halgron, succeeded twice and failed once. He was awesome enough to write up a little fiction to cover his loss. Enjoy!

Nawanog, local tavern cook and Halgron’s long-time friend, wrote:

So, Old Man Halgron rolled in one night, stumbling, piss drunk, armored and covered in gore. He was swinging that damned flail about with his spindly arms, scaring everyone half-way to hell and yelling, “So when I reached in that crack to get the diamonds, the demonic bugger crawled out on to me, drilling into my flesh and sucking out my blood! Cuthbert’s wrath took care of ‘em though! We popped his bloated tick ass – splattering the wall with my nearly divine blood, favorite of Cuthbert that I am! Haha!” He winked at me and began laughing uncontrollably - I could see ropes of saliva whipping through the air from the corner of his mouth as his head jerked this way and that. I took a step back.

“Wonderful, my good man, wonderful – have a seat and tell me more!” said I, praying the old fool would let go the flail.

“More ale, then! A round for all!!” he said, continuing, “So we slew the goblins, we slew them all – you shoulda seen me!” He motioned as if to strike, but I threw up both hands, terrified. He paused, eyeing me, or something behind me, carefully, “Amazing I was, Cuthbert’s brightest star, no doubt! Wait - where’s that fool singer you keep around here? He should hear this!!” He craned his neck, turning left. Now I could even see a piece of bone in his stringy white hair..goblinoid maybe? Or maybe it was a broken beak of some kind? Also, when did he get that silly Cuthbert eye patch and why was it on his forehead?

And that’s when the elven nobles entered, dressed in expensive furs and silks and escorted by a few city guards. One guard said, “All stand to recognize the noble lord – “

“Well, she’s beautiful – I love elven girls!” Halgron blurted, dropping his flail and darting toward the noble, sloshing ale all over. Quick old fart when he’s drunk! Before anyone could react, he’d swept up the elf in his bloody, dirty arms, and was smothering him with kisses. Horrified, the guards pried him off, restrained him and began apologizing to the lord.

One guard looked at Halgron, “You sir, have embarrassed us one too many times! Some time to sober up in jail will do you WELL!”

At that point, Halgron’s friend Galathos appeared, with a bag of gold extended. “Take this, friends, and be off. He’s drunk and means no harm, as any fool can see!”

So ended one of the Old Man’s less successful attempts at carousing.

Wealth wasted: 100 gold
Fine: 175 gold

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

S&W White Box: Recap; Session Nine, 7/19/10

On 2nd shift for this one, so I was not present...

Recollections of Fen Sen the Archmagus 9
It was the 6th of Planting and we’d just finished piling up the chests to take with us when we left when we heard a bit of a commotion and an Elven warrior in plate mail lugging a massive pike found himself staring at the business ends of our steel. He hailed Dantry, and we invited him to adventure with us as one’s defense cannot have a surfeit of warriors. Better that I share the spoils of adventure with several than not cash in at all. The concept would prove quite fortuitous the same day only a few hours later.
We discovered a statue of a middle aged woman holding an infant in the center of a large circular room. After making our basic preparations, spiking the door open and establishing a guard, the warriors attempted to shift the statue. While it did not budge, the slightest touch caused us to hear a woman singing a lullaby most loudly.
This was bound to attract the attention of the dungeons denizens thus we prepared ourselves. Nigh had we girded that a flock of those retched flying bloodsucking anteaters tried to approach. With only a minor wound to our newest addition, Galathos slew two with his long bow and I slumbered three more. The Old Man used his flail giving the foul beasts the righteous blessing of his god.
Over the next two hours we slew two monster ticks the size of adult cats, found a corridor connecting us with what had been Old Guard territory in the northeastern section of our map, discovered several traps, and begun a battle with miserable goblins.
After a lull several more goblins attacked, this time dropping mighty Galathos with two arrows to his heart. I saw and heard the crash of his plate mail encased body and feared the worst. We managed to defeat the raiders only a few minutes later.
The Old Man made to verify our comrade’s passing and discovered the faintest bit of life in our stout redheaded mad swordsman. The arrows to his heart were slowed by one of the heavy plates in his maille leaving them only lightly embedded in his ribs. The heads dislodged and removed, and both of St. Cuthbert’s daily blessings of healing spirit later our ranseur and flamberge wielding carnage dealer was somewhat hale.
With little monetary gain to show for our wounds we decided to ignore our adventuring party’s weakened state and finish exploring several chambers before returning to the City for some well needed rest and recuperation. We were most glad we did as within an hour, and without casualty, we had discovered a sack heaping with gold coins and twenty heavy lead bars. One of those bars had a thin layer of lead over gold.
Gathering up our discoveries we headed to the exit making sure to give the Clerics of Galanthor a suitable gift of 17 gold, 5 silver, and 6 copper coins.
As usual I planned upon giving another significant sum upon my return when our efforts had been rewarded.

Monday, July 19, 2010

S&W White Box: Statistics Up To Session Eight

Well, it's another Monday and I am stuck at work on the 2nd shift, so no game for me this week again. Our DM, Bill, was gracious enough to post this nice summation of the numbers game through the first 8 sessions.

Enjoy!

Dungeons of Castle Greyhawk Campaign
(Castle of the Mad Demi-God, Castle of the Mad Archmage)
Swords & Wizardry: White Box

After a glorious eight adventures the party of intrepid explorers have survived just over half of “the Storage Rooms” (being the first level of the dungeons below Zagig Yragerne’s castle, the so-called Mad Archmage). They began their spelunking on Starday the 8th of Coldeven, CY 576 and as of Earthday the 6th of Planting are still at it after twenty-seven days (including downtime).

When not delving they have been doing their part in stimulating the economy of the Free City of Greyhawk- spending coin at various locales, most notably including: the Outdoor Survival store (run by Eggler Greggle Gleggler the renowned cobbler); Arneson’s Arms & Armor (with an extensive pole-arm department); and at the Green Dragon Inn (where their growing tales of derring-do and (more importantly) their growing pile of coins have secured them permanent residency).

And for amusement in their downtime: Old Man Halgron has been splitting his time between proselytizing the young females of Greyhawk and asking for forgiveness at the Temple of St. Cuthbert; Galathos has been involving himself in the nefarious underside of the Thieves’ Quarter and the Slums; Fen Sen has been studying and learning in the University Area and Clerksburg; and last but certainly not least, Gloin has become the life of the party and leads the Greyhawk social scene in carousing.

Cast of Characters
Fen Sen the Seer (2nd level Magic User)
Galathos the Swordsman (3rd level Fighting Man)
Old Man Halgron the Priest of St. Cuthbert (3rd level Cleric)
Gloin the Dwarven Warrior (2nd level Fighting Man)

Hirelings
Karhl Fen Sen’s Porter/Lantern-bearer
Harolde Fen Sen’s Porter/Lantern-bearer
Willem Galathos’ Porter/Lantern-bearer

Characters Met
Frahnk the ex-Porter/Lantern-bearer
Terabithia the Elven Warrior-Seer (2nd level Fighting Woman, Magic User)
Talin the Dwarven Warrior (2nd level Fighting Man)
Bill Harker the “Magic User” and Ivan his crow “familiar”

Opponents Defeated
47 Kobolds
18 Old Guard Regulars
1 Old Guard Corporal
5 Magublek goblins
4 large Spiders
6 Zombies
1 Ghoul
1 insane Fighting Man
17 Giant Rats
4 Stirges
6 Skeletons
3 giant Centipedes 
 
Total Accumulated Coinage
1,691 gold orbs (gp)
2,650 silver nobles (sp)
2,330 copper commons (cp)
 
Notable Retained Treasures
Rusty magical dagger (+1 to hit and +1 to damage something undisclosed)
Red tear drop shaped magical gem, now provides infravision in Halgron’s left eye
“Cursed” marionette (clown doll)
Magical potion (vaporous grey liquid, made taster feel light and semi-transparent)
Priestly scroll of Protection from Chaos
“Magical” potion of “Reduction”
Brass key

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

S&W White Box: Recap; Session Eight, 7/5/10

What's this, a session I was actually able to attend? Thankfully the holiday actually stuck and I got off from work. Of course, now that Monday was a holiday, I imagine we will all work on Saturday since they won't have to pay any overtime. Kind of makes you wonder what the purpose of a holiday off might be...



Recollections of Fen Sen the Archmagus 8


Moments before the group led by Galathos was to leave, Gloin arrived giving Talen the opportunity to stay with his Elven companion.
While we waited Gloin regaled me with his adventures upon the lake cruise, which I have distilled into a few simple words: he had a great time!
The others returned without Talen and Terabithia but with the Old Man, hence it was for us a net gain. Both our new friends indicated they might be rejoining us once they’d solved their issues in the City.
With our original adventuring group back together we pressed on within what we were calling “The Old Guard Area” on the map.
We discovered a large chamber with a well and proceeded to inspect it discovering what may have been a water elemental. Using Galathos’ grapple and a rather fragrant 8 day dead kobold corpse we went fishing. When that proved a failure, our large redheaded warrior offered to go down there with the ensorcelled dagger, and we promptly agreed.
After a few minutes we hauled him up beaten and battered at the edge of death. Gloin then offered to descend and finish the elemental as it had to be near death with the dozens of wounds inflicted by Galathos. We agreed and lowered him down and a few minutes later we raised him close to death’s door. Seeing the beating our warriors had taken in such a short time, I declined taking my turn in the well and made pains to disabuse the Old Man from doing so as well.
We then decided to slay the beast by polluting the well and reducing its life giving water. While we could do nothing for the moment about the amount of water we certainly could pollute it and all of us voided our bladders with the Old Man voiding something else. As he put it he was going to hang his ass over the side and give the beast a shit sandwich. What a colorful turn of phrase that still brings all these years later a grin to my face. Hence that room became known as “The Urinal.”
We moved on encountering some undead, a group of kobolds, and a group of giant rats. The former were burned with oil and filled with arrows returning them to death while the two latter groups I put to sleep and then we easily delivered them from the miserable existence that was their life. We kept one named Snotbill who under Gloin’s interrogation gave us some useful information. The few Old Guard survivors had abandoned the area and descended one level deeper into the dungeon fortifying their holdings there. He also told us of two different goblin tribes and an orc tribe holding sections of this level and gave fairly decent directions to their areas upon our still incomplete map. These directions helped greatly in our future planning, such that it was with Galathos effectively leading us not only in combat but increasingly outside of it as well.
Snotbill also confirmed there was an entrance controlled by the Elves however he had not personally seen it and another controlled by the Dwarves, the one we descended maintained by the Clerics of Galanthor.
We encountered yet another group of kobolds and put them to blade as well. Snotbill took the opportunity to attempt an escape earning Galathos’ gauntlet punching him in the face. The blow slew it, not a terrible loss.
We discovered a great deal of treasure, including a gold bracelet, several gems, piles of coins, a fairly nice painting, chunks of quartz, marble, and hematite, a vial of some ensorcelled liquid labeled “Reduction”, a semi-ornamental silver candlestick, a new set of plate mail, a crossbow, a short bow, a huge number of arrows, a large black pearl, and four books. Enough to fill our packs and thus we returned to the City for resupply, healing, and adventures betwixt sheets. That young librarian sure did well for me, but I digress.
We sold everything except the potion and the brass key resulting in a massive influx of coin. Gloin and the Old Man spent a great deal of it in their usual pastimes with the dwarf electing to spent some more time enjoying the fruits of his labors. Galathos commissioned himself a suit of field plate armor, and I purchased a cart to increase our hauling capacity before converting most of the rest of my coin to gems.
We returned to the Castle ruins and the brothers of Galanthor were happy to see us. They were even happier when I thanked them yet again for their storage of my cart and for the care and up keep of my mule, and happier still when I gave them 36 gold pieces for their continued efforts on our part.
The Old Man gave them something as well. Galathos, well he was Galathos.
We descended deciding to finally solve the Painted Statue and found the paints we’d stored there had been stolen. The Old Man painted it black and then it demanded red. Deciding we really were going to solve it, we returned to the City collecting every prime paint color plus pink and then returned and proceeded to paint her red, then white, then blue, then yellow, and finally pink before the fair voice fell silent. We tried all manner of ways to get the voice to reveal its secret to no response.
Galathos flew into a rage, snatching his pick axe off Karhle’s pack and proceeded to break the statue into tiny pieces.
We then decided to travel through the goblin area to reach the southeastern end of the level as it was much quicker than going through the areas formerly of the Old Guard.
After slaying two of the foul beasts we discovered a concealed treasure room we could not get into. An hour’s work with Galathos and his pick and we had an opening two feet wide by three tall, sufficient for me or the old man when unarmored. I decided it was my turn and ventured forth.
Within were four chests, only one locked. Using the lockpicks I managed to open it to everyone’s amazement, including my own. Within there was nothing, even after I explored it for concealed compartments within the lid, walls, and bottom. I decided to check underneath and shifted the chest tripping the trap.
The other three chests began slowly sinking into the floor, and I was having none of it. I hollered for Wilhelm’s help as he was armored now in leather courtesy of his master and because he was just a bit stronger than my porters. I then began hauling the chests out of the holes. By the time Galathos’ man got there I’d freed all three of the sinking chests and heaved the two lighter ones to the opening.
With Wil’s help I got the heaviest chest to the opening and then sent the lighter ones through before having him lead the chest while I pushed it out from behind. I was the last to leave the concealed chamber and while it hadn’t been very dangerous I did earn more than a little respect from my colleagues, admittedly much of it I’d lost for refusing to attack the elemental.
Our haul was the three chests of average construction, 84 gold, 155 silvers, 806 coppers, four clear gems, and a cloak pin in the shape of a silvered rose. We split the coin between the porters, and the gems went into my pack as usual. The cloak pin Galathos put on, before I’d had the opportunity to verify if it was ensorcelled or not.
We then prepared to move on leaving the chests in a pile against the south side of the main east-west corridor. We’d collect them later unless the goblins swiped them beforehand.