Game Log II: Wraith of the Cave Monkeys

Dire Cheese Stats (D&D Red Book)
AC 4, HD 2, hp 12, AT Bite d6. Loot nil. XP 30

The party fished themselves out of the pool after falling through the pit trap from the roof above. Torches and lanterns soaked, they had to rely on Bulger’s low-light vision and Bowden’s sole Light spell to try and find shelter in the natural cave system.

What they found where ghouls lurking in the next cave, though they were able to pull Bulger out after the dwarf was paralyzed. Shortly after they had finished with ghoul’s, Ted the cleric realized that she could have tried to Turn them (noobs are fun).

They were much less lucky at the next encounter. Coming to a four way juncture, they tried the eastern door which opened into a dark, warm cavern heavy with the musty smell of something living inside. Bulger crept in axe at the ready, covered by Bill the thief and her bow. Just as they crossed the threshold, they were swarmed by a pack of Cave Monkeys (Rock Baboons), some armed with crude clubs.

Bill was quickly swarmed and overcome, while Bulger held his own. Back at the door Ted and Bowden did what they could against the raving monkeys. After downing a couple of simians, Ted tried to rescue Bill and dove into the room. Wounded, Bowden slammed the door to buy time to down a Healing Potion. It turned out to be a fateful decision as in that few seconds, both Ted and Bulger went down under rabid simian fury.

Suddenly, everything depended on the first level mage without a single spell left to cast.

There were three Cave Monkeys left, hammering at the door. Bowden quickly gathered all his rations and threw them down the western corridor. Then he wrenched open the door, hiding behind it as two of the monkeys burst into hallway. Winning initiative, Bowden dove through the opening and slammed the door shut behind him, trapping himself in a room with his bleeding companions and the remaining savage Cave Monkey.A few rounds and a handful of lucky rolls later, the monkey was dead and Bowden was being hailed as a hero by his companions.

They spent the next two days resting in the room, using the last of their rations, sneaking back to the pool for water and eating roast monkey. Finally, they set out again, heading west and encountering no further resistance until they accidentally triggered a spiked pit trap (though, at only d4 damage, it was determined to be more a spiked ditch trap).

They then found themselves in a vast cavern with a curious statue at the south end. Approaching, they saw it was a man made of barrels. Curious, Bulger poked the barrels, causing the fearsome Barrel Golem to spring to life and attack. During the battle, both Bill and Bowden were struck from behind with rocks, though everyone was too caught up in the battle to investigate at the time.

Defeating the Barrel Golem, they began to loot the room. Harb, used the distraction to sneak into the room and pull something from inside the destroyed Golem’s body before racing away.Barrel Golem
AC 2, HD 6, hp 40. D d8, Loot: special , Xp 100.

In the golem cave, Ted found a Ring of Protection +1, Bulger found an expensive silver amulet, Bill found a +2 Spear while Bowden found a Sleep scroll.

Now, with only one Healing potion and no rations, all they have to do is find a way to escape…

In Seach of In Search of the Unknown: Game Log 1

After Google utterly failed to work, we went audio only on skype and finally got a game going. Cast of Characters
Bludger the Dwarf, played by Dave.
An aged one-eyed dwarf who after years of being an NPC caravan guide, decided to try his hand and become a proper PC.

Theodosia Calcifer III ("Ted"), played by Doc X.
A cleric of Gucci, the god of fashion and manners who has left home seeking to remove the stain on her family name left over by her cousin Bill.

Billasia Calcifer (“Bill”), played by Ace
A young thief, rumoured to have made her money in sheep-pimping. No one is sure if this is true, but she does have a nice collection of sweaters. Exiled from the family, she has tagged along with Ted, much to the cleric’s dismay.

Bowden T. Baggers, played by Vlad
A young wizard recently sent out from the Tower of Magery to gain experience. A bit of a rube.

Mostly strangers to each other, a group of adventured gathered in the common room of the Twig and Berries Inn, each in search of the same treasure. Bludger the one-eyed Dwarf picked a fight with a group of farmers. In the melee, he grabbed the tablecloth from Ted’s table ("the centerpiece is still standing!"), angering the cleric and causing her to knock him unconscious with her mace. Bowden and Bill leapt into the fray, the theif promptly relieving the Dwarf of his money and wineskin. To avoid angering the famers further, a Halfing who introduced himself as Harb Sharptoes invited the group upstairs to the common room; he had a proposition.

Harb promised to take them to an abandoned stronghold located not to far from the city of Bastion, once home to the warrior Rogaine and his companion, the wizard Zell the Unbeknownst. The next morning they set out, but Harb quickly led them into an ambush. Harb’s two companions where killed, but the Halfing escaped.

The party, now calling themselves the Wild Stallions, returned to town for the night. The next day, they set out again, only to wander from the path and entered a shallow cave, home only to a young Owlbear. They were victorious but mauled and badly wounded. Returning to town, they sought healing from the shrine of St. Cudgel of the Blessed Bludgeoning (and stocked up on healing potions). They then befriended a slightly burnt out alchemist called Rufus, who attempted to access some potions they had found and purchased the body of the baby owlbear. The next morning, after hearing some reports of a full gown Owlbear attack on the south gate where three guardsmen were killed, they set out again, this time arriving at a door located in a cliff-face overlooking the town.

Entering through the splintered door, they walked down a long corridor, only to trigger a Magic Mouth trap. After getting into an insult contest with Bludger, the mouth faded and they continued deeper into the stronghold where they came across some bodies. Looting, three of the bodies stood up and the Wild Stallions battled the skeletons. Exploring ever deeper into the stronghold, they found a room overgrown with fungus and infested with Jumping Maggots. Barely escaping with their lives, they took refuge in a kitchen, only to be attacked again by a savage Dire Cheese.

After a rest and a lunch of cheese sandwiches, they were ambushed by a party of Orcs and almost lost Ted the cleric to a hail of arrows. After some uneventful looting, they accidentally triggered a pit trap and where dropped into a underground lake some 20’ below.

Still to come, more adventures of the Wild Stallions!

In Search of In Search of the Unknown

So the group took a vote and it came out unanimous for old skool D&D! Huzzah! I’m going right back to the roots and will be running B1-In Search of the Unknown using Red Book straight up.
This is all the background they are getting...

Background
The Nether Regions are spread wide and long across the southern parts of the continent known as Arthurland. The Nether is a wild region full of ancient magic, lost treasures and wandering monsters. Each of you has come alone to Bastion, the only city in the Nether, following the legends of Zell the Unknownst and Rogaine the Bald. Rumour has it that they disappeared many years ago battling Orkish Hordes to the south, leaving behind a hidden stronghold, abandoned and just waiting to be plundered.

Our adventure begins as you enter an inn called the Twig and Berries located in the poorest part of town called Poxhill. Inside a wretched collection of scum and villainy gather around a miserable fire, eating thin gruel and drinking watered down margaritas.

What do you do?...