Rift City Campaign - 48-50 Happy Fourth Birthday!

 Background
A nostalgic dungeon delving game using the Moldvay Basic D&D rules which we have now been playing for four years! It is an open table format game with who ever turns up heading into the dungeon.  The game is currently socially distanced being playing using Discord.

 

Chapter 48 July - Covering the same ground

We had the full party of our six regular characters continue questing to find the fabled hoard of Riha the Bejewelled.  Trekking back to the ruins, over the pit, down the trapdoor and, as usual, wander around a few rooms slaying some monsters and not finding much of note.  Innara did manage to level up and gain access to fourth level spells!

Chapter 49 August - Somewhere new

With only three adventures (Berg the Dwarf; Halvor the Templar; Innara the Wizard) we decided to pick a new cave.  Heading further down the path we found a cave in which some giant lizards were nesting.

Our first plan was to send in a swarm of snakes but they all mysteriously died as they approached.  Next we tried shooting a few arrows to try and attract a single Lizard out of the cave.  This resulted in all of them rushing forward.  Here we discovered they had a fiery aura.  Having lost about half the total hit points of the party in one round we promptly fled from the salamanders!

The Lizard returned to the cave and while we licked our wounds we looked for ways that we could defeat them.  A polymorph spell turned the first one into a rabbit who was instantly cooked by the aura of his companions. (one down).

Using the Censer of summoning Innara sent an Air Elemental into the cave.  This powerful being was just able to kill a second salamander before being consumed by the burning aura. (two down).

Innara unleashed all her magic missiles into the next and webbed up the entry way when it tried to charge at us.  Burg finished this one off with missile fire (three down).  She and Halvor then engaged the last one in melee (four down). 

Berg ate the cooked rabbit while the rest of us collected a few gems from the cave.  Then we staggered back to the city and spend some time in the pub finding out about other recent goings on in the city and listening to tall tails of a old fisherman claiming he slew a dragon.

Chapter 50 Sep - Return to Salamander Cave

Kate returned to bring the party size up to four.  Not wanting to go hunting for hidden treasure chambers without our Thief we returned to Salamander Cave.  We started with the western door and ended up in a corridor that just looped back into the main room.  After spending some time looking for secret doors we moved to the southern door.  

This was locked and with no Thief we reverted to brute force and Berg chopped the door apart with her axe.  Hearing some sounds from the other side an invisible Halvor poked his head through the shattered remains and could see a Dwarf, Human and Halfling.  Telling this to the rest of the party Kate stepped forward and spoke to them.  

This new group were not being particularly friendly.  Innara and Berg had a hushed conversation while Kate was trying to convince them we were all hunting monsters together.  Suddenly Berg pulled Kate away and Innara tossed a fireball into the room.  Startled Halvor asked what was happening.  Lying Berg said they are attacking us.  Halvor, who could not see into the room from his current position accepted this and stepped into the doorway shouting at them to stop as we were all monster hunters from rift city.

As he did so a dwarf appeared (from invisibility) and shot him with a crossbow bolt.  That was enough to convince Halvor these were clearly brigands and not lawful citizens.  Calling upon Yrt he unleashed the wrath of god.  In the usual form of poisonous snakes.  A human and one dwarf died from the poison but the last two dwarves were still alive.

Halvor and Berg charged forward and attacked.  Innarra flung magic missiles at the well armored dwarf.  Kate was yelling directions to aid our initiative but her sling shots were not being effective.

With a dozen snakes hanging off him the male dwarf staggered to the door trying to flee and pulled it open (he passed eight poison saves).  Halvor got lucky and hacked down the female dwarf.  This allowed Berg to charge over and stab the other one as he entered the room to the east.

Halvor shouted to close the door while we secured the current room but Berg advanced to check out the shadowy forms moving around.  She was swamped by four specters and instantly killed (-8 levels).

Kate was able to destroy one of the monsters with her magic axe and Halvor turned the others but not before Innara was drained (-2 levels).  A sad end to a great day.

Collected our loot, and the body of our friend, we returned to town.  Halvor organized a lavish funeral for Berg using the stash of gold she had accumulated.  He also cast dispel evil and other rituals to ensure she would not return as an unliving fiend.

Loot from the other party was the best we had found yet.  A pair of +2 swords; magical Plate for Kate; magical shields; another bag of holding; helm of telepathy and a pair of rings of invisibility!

 

Game notes

We may not be finding the right monsters but the best way to get loot continues to be slaughter of other adventuring parties.  The chaotic characters in the party just went straight for killing them.  Resulting in the only way to play Lawful characters is either Lawful Stupid or Lawful Evil.   They are either two stupid to see the wool is being pulled over their eyes or just evil enough to follow the letter of the law if not the intent.  Halvor is walking a fine line between the two.  He is on a mission from his god to wipe out evil in these caves.  Anyone who gets in his way is clearly working for a minion of darkness and must be destroyed.

The first chapter is a little light on detail as we joined the game from the caravan we were staying in in Wales (the advantage of an online game) but did not make any notes.  

This campaign has now reached the fourth anniversary of playing Moldvay basic!  I do not think anyone expected it to keep going this long.  Well done to Red Orc for his consistent efforts to keep us playing.

This is the second time the party of got level drained.  Berg had only just got back to level 7 after the last time.  Innara almost quit the party.  Level drain and stealing players cool stuff have always been two things players hated in the game.  Like training costs it was something we just house ruled out of the game most of the time.  Strange how it seems easier to accept a character death rather than a character reduction.

 

Image Credits
Deviant art from robd2003.