4/13 Game

The Dwarven Imperative.
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T1Mirage
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4/13 Game

Post by T1Mirage »

Nice Game.

I can't remember the last time I really seen green slime used effectively in a combat. I had fears with all the pit traps all night that one with barbed spikes and green slime would be in there. It really took down the party pretty hard. If the wizard went down, I would have tried climbing a statue for an sembelence of higher ground, only to perish from no constitution.

We will definitely have to go through rooms slower and more cautiously - looking at doors, floors, etc. for any type of clues; as well as focusing.

With all that said, I say we get back to the dwarven hold with an Wind Walk spell. I think we could use a good re-stocking of equipment, potions, and scrolls.

Bob - Is there any chance that we can get a trapfinder npc from the stronghold? I know probably slim to none.

Lastly, as a party, can we find a way to defeat the wyvern more straight forward? I'm not good with dungeons. No real room to manuever, besides there may be an alternative route.
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Lars Porsenna
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Post by Lars Porsenna »

I don't see a way we can defeat the wyverns without either a small army, flying mounts, or a combination of both. The terrain around the nesting grounds was IIRC fairly open (we could see them from a fairly significant distance), which means the wyverns can dictate the tempo of the battle. With as small a band as we have (and ESPECIALLY if the orcs are using the wyverns as mounts), even with Manansi and Heydrich machine-gunning them, the numbers would be too great, and all it would take is dropping either one to shift the battle irrevocably (IMHO) to defeat (Moraim is definitely NOT a ranged fighter...he has a single mundane light crossbow he never uses).

Going into the Maze is IMO the best option right now; the hope is that we can trap or engage the wyverns in their lairs, and perhaps reduce the number we need to fight all at once...

Damon.
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erilar
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Post by erilar »

IIRC, our directive from Kelez-mar was not to destroy the wyverns, but rather more of a recon role - am I correct?
"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged into the depths, and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer
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T1Mirage
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Post by T1Mirage »

Damon - A frontal assault would be hard but can't we find a middle ground between that and the dungeon.

Lance - I believe you are correct. It may be more of 'why'. As well, IIRC, there is an orc encampment near the wyvern lair. Could some of the orcs be captured and possibly reveal the truths happening? Is that along something that your character can do, as he is one to change people's mind?

If this is correct, I'm trying to understand how/why the wyvern are in league with the orcs.

Both in and out of character, I propose doing the following:
1. Find out as much as we can about the area (unscented-invisible fly over the area, clairavoyance, stone tell, etc.)
2. Get back to the hold quickly (teleport / wind walk)
3. Confirm primary/secondary objectives
4. Develop a plan / know what to do when we get to where we are going.
5. Re-equip / re-arm (spells, materials, etc.)
6. Request assistance of a dungeoneer.
7. Learn about wyverns (via sage, spells, research, etc.)

We have some gold, we have options, we've seen how we succeed and how we can fail. Let's use some of the resources on hand before crawling into a hole in the ground and clanking through a dungeon.
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erilar
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Post by erilar »

If we capture an orc, I'm quite sure that Manansi can get much, much more than just name, rank, and serial number out of him. :) (And that's without resorting to anything unsavory like torture.)

Manansi has no access to the Illusion school, so no invisibility help from me.

I don't think that we have a poor chance of succeeding in the Obsidian Maze as-is, although we should begin to use much more caution.

That said, there's no guarantee whatsoever that we can get to the wyvern lair via the Maze. On top of that, underground travel through a (legendarily) dangerous and occupied dungeon may not be the most expedient route. Underground travel and navigation is slow and tricky as-is, let along through areas occupied by dangerous creatures.

IMO, we should return to Kelez-mar very soon. My preference would be to go immediately after camping to re-learn Teleport. My second choice would be to first make one more recon attempt at the surface entrance to the wyvern lair (including the orc camp).
"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged into the depths, and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer
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NukeHavoc
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Post by NukeHavoc »

"Pah ... things get a little tough, and you want to run back to civilization? One run in with some flesh-eating slime, and you think this duguer-cursed dungeon's defeated us? You'd let the scum best us so easily? [spits] I once spent a year crawling through kobold-infested tunnels barely three feet diameter looking for the Scourge of D'lormas ... this is nothing!

I thought men were made of sterner stuff that than... though perhaps the slime loosened your spine a bit.

Look -- the wizard, he knows spells that can get us past locks and such, eh? And he's handy with that magic that takes you from here to there. Not something I'd normally want -- me legs are good enough -- but handy in a dungeon, especially THE dungeon of all dungeons! And Ulaa has blessed Moriam with the ability to shape stone and even summon the earth itself to aid us!

Now a delver might be handy, but we've only been down here a scant hour! Let's rest a bit, catch our breaths and then see what else this dungeon can throw at us before sullying our honor by running back to the hallowed halls of Khelez-Mar like thrice-beaten curs!"

-- Kull
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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T1Mirage
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Post by T1Mirage »

"Master Kull, while I respect your fighting prowess, it may behoove us to use the wisdom of clerics and knowledge of the wizards for these matters. Even the Shining One (aka the Glorious H-Dawg) knows when to place chivalry aside to fight wisely and not foolishly. At the very least, we need to be cautious of the traps as Manansi mentions. Our deaths in a trap infested hell would bring no glory to Heironeous..."

::Looking at both dwarves:: "... nor to the glory of the dwarves and their noble cause. It may be a good reason to return to your people, as our fight is not with the dungeon and it's inhabitants but with the wyvern and orcs."

::Taking up a spot to rest:: "I shall pray upon this in the hopes Heironeous provides vision on how to proceed with this quest. I shall also find a spell to lessen the noise of our armor."
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Lars Porsenna
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Post by Lars Porsenna »

"Now, just hold on here," Moraim says in his gravelly voice, beard bristling a bit. "No need to get all hasty here and supplicating ourselves to the Glory of Hieroneous (only slightly less glorious next to Ulaa...and well the rest of the Dwarven Gods...). Look, I admit we didn't prepare so well here. I admit that I did not prepare so well."

Moraim pulls out his well-worn Book of Grudges and writes something. You notice the book is very thick and much-filled. It is difficult to make out the thick dwarf-runes, but those of you with the knowledge notice he is scrawling "Duergar" in very precise strokes.

"I think with a better selection of spells, better knowledge of our enemies, and a bit more caution we can persevere. That being said," the dwarf says, pulling out a rotten bag, half spoiled foodstuff falling out, "I could use more dwarf-rations, unless Kull can slay us up some lizard-burgers..."

Damon.
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erilar
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Post by erilar »

"I don' tink our chances in de Maze are de issue, mon. We must be keepin' in mind our goal. De dwarves wan us to learn about de wyvern problem. We need to be askin' ourselves if de Maze is de best way to be goin' abou-tit."
"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged into the depths, and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer
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EvilGenius
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Post by EvilGenius »

Sorry I didn't post earlier, but here are my thoughts on this.

You guys did okay with the dungeon, honestly. The green slime trap was very difficult (and designed to somewhat discourage kick-in-the-door style dungeoneering). :)

You did miss the Naga treasure however, by failing to actually search the dias. I kept waiting, but the most anyone ever said was they stood on the dias and looked around, which wasn't enough to find the cleverly hiden secret compartment with the treasure and the keys to the locked doors. :)

Regarding heading back to Khelez-Mar, that's certainly viable. You mission was to find where the wyvrens were coming from and why and then stop it if it was a potential threat to Khelez-Mar.

You know where, but not why. Since the orcs are involved somehow, you can also assume a threat to khelez-mar (though probably an indirect threat at this point).

So retreating to Khelez-Mar to restock on supplies isn't at all out of the question. And even recruiting a dwarven trapfinder is certainly reasonable (and definitely possible).

As to continuing in the Maze or not, that's up to you. You originally thought of going into the Maze because it seems a strong possibility that the 100' diameter, 60' deep hole from whence the wyvrens are coming is connected to the Maze in this area.

Those of you who are slightly familiar with tales of the Maze will know that there are far flung areas of the Maze connected by long passages. So even though you're several miles away from the Wyvren hive, and you're in an area of the maze with an actual dungeon complex, that complex almost certainly doesn't extend for the several miles to the wyvens.
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Post by NukeHavoc »

EvilGenius wrote:Those of you who are slightly familiar with tales of the Maze will know that there are far flung areas of the Maze connected by long passages. So even though you're several miles away from the Wyvren hive, and you're in an area of the maze with an actual dungeon complex, that complex almost certainly doesn't extend for the several miles to the wyvens.
OOC: But just to be clear on this ... we think it's likely there's some sort of tunnel from the complex to the pit.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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EvilGenius
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Post by EvilGenius »

NukeHavoc wrote:OOC: But just to be clear on this ... we think it's likely there's some sort of tunnel from the complex to the pit.
Yes, that's exactly correct.
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Post by NukeHavoc »

erilar wrote:"I don' tink our chances in de Maze are de issue, mon. We must be keepin' in mind our goal. De dwarves wan us to learn about de wyvern problem. We need to be askin' ourselves if de Maze is de best way to be goin' abou-tit."
"Ah'm not one to wall from a fight, but those orcs, and those wyvrens ... in the open, the odds ... well, ah'd rather take mah chances with the thrice-cursed duergar traps and fight the wyvrens where they don't have the skies against their back."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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T1Mirage
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Post by T1Mirage »

"If we go back in, what would our plan be? I am not impressed or confident in following our current headstrong approach. Tell me all you know as I do not know of these tunnels."

OOC: I'm open for ideas if we really want to do this. We can try to get some augury, communes, etc. I can go almost totally defensive... restorations, neutralize poisons, etc.

Resist Energy Mass and Bear's Endurance Mass over Hero's Feast.

As per Bob's statement, can we make some kind of check that there is a gate or tunnel to the wyvern hole. We may be able to use a Find Path spell to help us.
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Post by NukeHavoc »

OOC: The only reason to fall back to Khelez-Mar is to recruit a trap-finder NPC. A secondary reason would be to take a few days to scribe scrolls or brew helpful potions, but aside from that I think we have everything we need right now, it's just a question of tweaking our spell selections. If our wizard takes more knock spells, and our clerics focus on divination magic, we'll be able to find (or get hints about) possible traps and/or paths to the wyvrens.

Kull, being Kull, could undoubtedly be talked into some sort of guerilla war against the orcs, but OOC, I don't think that would be successful -- the sheer number of wyvrens means that orcs would be able to respond in force fairly quickly once a few of their patrols go missing.

Stealth recon through the UnderOerth remains our best bet, IMHO.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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