Magic Sticks & Evil Frogs - 4AD Actual Play 3
Further into the darkness...
The intrepid undergrads push further into the Tomb of Dread. Click here to read the previous chapter.
“Not a single coin of treasure!” Garron shrugged after he searched.
Faelith and Ithar just shrugged. “I’m sure there’ll be something further in, big guy,” Thessa reassured him. “Just keep that sword swinging and we’ll all be rich.”
They had no idea which of the two doors to try.
“We shall let the ancient gods decide,” Ithar said, “chanting and flipping a coin.”
Completely random. None of the others had the faintest idea why he needed to chant. But north it was.
Learning their lesson from the previous door, they tried the door and it was unlocked. Peering in through the lamplight.
Door – Roll 5 - Unlocked
Room Contents – Roll 8 – Minions – Roll 1 – d6 Zombies – Roll 5
Treasure – NoneRoom 3
A blast of foul rot blasted their noses, and they all winced. Then they saw the shambling corpses and heard their moans.
“They’re disgusting!” blurted Faelith.
Ithar announced, “It is because they’re the evil undead young wizard. Zombies. Our curate told us about these things, and it’s our sworn duty to destroy them.”
Garron and Thessa didn’t care what they were, they were already readying their weapons for the fight.
And so they waited…and waited…
Expecting a violent assault, the four just sat and watched as the zombies shuffled around like senile octogenarians.
Garron and Ithar’s patience wore thin, and they sprinted towards the pack. Thessa singled out one that had managed to get stuck facing the wall.
Zombies – Level 3 creatures
Garron – Roll 3 + 2 - Kill one Zombie
Ithar – Roll 6 +1 – Kill two Zombies
Thessa – Lightning Bolt – Roll 2 + 1 – Kill one ZombieThe big warrior swung his blade in a wide, practiced arc, sending one’s head tumbling onto the floor. Ithar swung his mace with a ferocity none had yet seen. The heavy mace-head battered the first one, and he immediately spun and caught a second directly in the chest.
Garron nodded, impressed by the holy roller’s skill.
Thessa made short work of the zombie with her dagger. Stabbing it repeatedly as it tried in vain to turn and face her.
They heard a tremendous crackle as lightning shot from Faelith’s wiggling fingers. Everyone jumped aside as the bolt flew by and the final zombie collapsed into dust.
“Watch where you’re firing those things,” shouted Garron, “you could have killed us!”
“The spell knows where to go if I pronounce everything correctly. No need to worry,” Faelith grinned proudly.
“And if you mess it up?”
“I don’t know, I never have.”
They searched the room and found nothing. Garron was becoming visibly irritated at the lack of loot. Thessa just fondled the gem in her pocket and didn’t care.
There was only one door leading north, making their decision easy. But this one was locked.
Door Locked - Level 3
Thessa attempts Lockpicking – Roll 1+1 – Fail
Attracts wandering monster – Roll 3 – Minions – Roll 5 – d3 Trolls – Roll 1Thessa set out her lockpicks with a grin. The last lock she picked was to the Registrar’s office to change her attendance record in the official ledger.
This was easy…well, not exactly easy. Actually, it was damn hard, the tension wrenches all seemed a bit too short.
Thessa tried to hide her embarrassment as Garron waved his hand and said, “Step aside!”
But they heard footsteps from the south before he could run to the door. Plodding and heavy, deliberate, not zombies.
Out of the darkness loped an awkwardly-proportioned green-skinned troll almost as tall as Garron. It growled and drooled and ran towards them.
Troll – Level 5
Garron – Roll 4 + 1 + 1 - DeadGarron met it head-on with his blade. Skillfully staying clear of its groping claws, his sword slashed and stabbed until it fell in an awful heap.
He continued to hack the downed monster over and over. The others just watched in horror.
“What are you doing?” asked Ithar.
Garron, breathless, replied, “I’ve heard these things can re…ren..regon…”
“Regenerate?” asked Faelith.
“Yeah, that.”
“I don’t think he’s going to now.”
They stared with disgust at the messy pulp at Garron’s feet as he wiped the green ichor from his face. Garron looked down with delight at the shiny stones that had fallen from the troll’s pouch.
“Gold,” he exclaimed as he snatched it up. “But wait a minute, this stuff feels too light.”
“That’s pyrite,” Faelith remarked, “Fool’s gold. We learned about it in alchemy last semester. It isn’t worth anything.”
“Fool's gold?” yelled Garron, about to throw the stones down the hall.
“Wait!” Faelith yelled. “We may be able to use that. Idiots…uhh, I mean monsters…can’t tell it isn’t real. We might be able to bribe one of these creatures down here if we have to.”
Garron just snarled and tossed her the rocks.
Thessa was already back at the lock. She had to prove herself after her previous failure.
Thessa attempts Lockpicking – Roll 3 – SuccessShe smiled and wiped away the sweat from her forehead as the latch clicked open.
Room 4 – Corridor
Room Contents – Roll 3 – Treasure protected by trap – Roll 4 – Bear Trap attacks lead (Garron)
Level 4 trap
Treasure – Fireball staff (2 uses)The old door creaked open into a short hallway. Garron stepped inside and immediately felt the tripwire.
A massive, rusted bear trap snapped shut, barely missing his right ankle.
“Damn that was close.” He said under his breath. Then he laughed loudly to show his complete lack of fear.
A trap like that must be protecting something truly valuable. Dreams of gold, silver, and gems filled his head as he looked around.
Then he found it. The grandest of all treasures…a big stick.
Somebody carved on it with a knife…symbols, runes, or something. Garron tossed it aside and scanned around for something else.
Faelith’s eyes lit up as she grabbed and held it lovingly.
“I hope you like your stick wizard. It almost cost me my foot!” Garron said sarcastically. “Let’s keep moving!”
Room 5
Room Contents – Roll 5 – Vermin – Roll 5 – d6 Vampire Frogs – Roll 2
Treasure – NoneThe corridor ended in a damp, wet room. Water leaked in from somewhere above and formed a slippery algae on the floor. The four scanned the room carefully.
From the deepest, darkest corners, they heard them.
“Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit…”
Garron just squinted with confusion as the tiny fanged frogs hopped towards them. The little pale blood-suckers hopped rapidly after them.
Vampire Frogs Level 4
Garron – Roll 2 +2 – Dead
Ithar – Rool 2 – Miss
Thessa – Roll 3 + 1 – DeadThe hulking warrior’s blade slashed one of the undead amphibians, slicing it nearly in half and sending it flying against the wall. Ithar’s brought down his mace with holy furor, missing the frog by inches as it leaped away. The shock from the mace against the stone rattled his teeth.
Unfortunately for the bloodsucker, it hopped directly toward Thessa, who was well-hidden in the shadows. Her knife made short work of it.
“Evil comes in many forms say the Scrolls of Purity,” Ithar continued, “page 350 verse twelve - for it was that any creature, large or small, that doth enter congress with the evil spirits shall be transformed wholly or in part, by the powers of the darkness…”
The others immediately tuned out Ithar’s pious ramblings and were searching for treasure. Thessa noticed a small pile of jewelry but didn’t take it.
She pretended not to notice, subtly guiding Garron in that direction.
The rogue could guess its value, but she decided it was worth the loss to keep Garron happy. After all, he was a killing machine, and he needed motivation. She could always lift it off him later if she changed his mind.
He raised the jewelry worth 120 gp into the air with a smile.
“Now this is much better!”
“Wow, you should keep it. After all, you’re the one who destroyed that troll and saved us,” Thessa remarked with fake admiration. Mission accomplished.
A red light shone from beneath the north door. Otherworldly echoes reverberated from the room, and a fog machine-like mist poured from under the door.
Things were getting pretty creepy…
Loving the dynamic between the characters. Thessa is swesome.
Great write up. Enjoying the angst between characters.