Rift City Campaign - 57-59 Here be Dragons!
Background
A nostalgic dungeon delving Moldvay Basic D&D game
which we have
now been playing once a month for several years. It is an open table format with who ever turns up heading into the dungeon. The game is
currently socially distanced being playing using Discord.
Chapter 57 April 2022 - Finding a dragon
Party: Ugli & Heedor Dwarfs; Brigham Cleric of U'ta (shining shield, invisible); Inarra the Wizard (invisible) Halvor Cleric of Yrt (shining shield, invisible)
Having hired another Dwarf we went looking for a new cavern deeper down the path to explore. We found another cave entrance with a Hydra standing watch at the entrance. A fireball and Ugli's sword soon put and end to this menace.
We battered down a locked door and headed east and then south. Here we lost contact with the presence. Before we could turn around though two black dragons came through the southern arch dragging a sack full of treasure, attracted by the noise we had made. A Fireball, snakes and good old fashioned blades quickly put paid to this pair and gave us a lucrative reward.
Working out that the dragon was to the east but unable to find a direct route we started south to find a way around. In the next chamber we encountered a pair of giant wurms that swallowed Ugli! We were just able to get him out of the creature before he was dissolved in its acid. Healing spells patched him back up enough for us to return to the city. We came back with 25,000 crowns what seemed at the time an impressive haul.
Chapter 58 May - Elementals and Snakes slay the dragon.
Party: Heedor; Halvor & Inarra
Determined to find our prey, the sleeping dragon, three intrepid heroes returned the next day. Ugli was still recovering from his wounds and being tended to by Brigham.
Carefully searching chamber 21 we found a secret door. Halvor used his helmet to check if the beast was still sleeping and sensed another alien presence approaching from the south. We waited for it to enter our chamber and as it did so Inarra tried to trap it in a web. The Djinni turned to smoke and reformed attacking our wizard. Heedor and Halvor responded with swords and hacked the elemental being down.
This left us with more treasure than we had ever seen. It was going to take us eight trips to get it all out. We each filled a sack, and Halvor's bag of holding and started the long journey back to town. On our third trip we encountered a second blue dragon flying around, presumably looking for who had killed its mate. Double barrelled blast of fireballs finished this one off and we continued collecting coins.
A band of Troglodyles had been watching a lone dwarf (as the others were invisible thanks to magic rings) treck back and forth to the cave carrying a large sack of something. They decided to attack the dwarf but were unprepared for a web entangling most of them. We finished off the few that were still free and then peppered the web with arrows before setting it on fire and killing the last few injured and burn survivors.
Returning to the cave for the final time a Hydra was stiffing around the entrance to the secret door, perhaps drawn by the smell of blood. This too we hacked down. At end of the day we had killed two Blue Dragons, a Djinni, 19 Troglodytes and a nine-headed Hydra as well as having dragged 99,513 gold coins worth of treasure out of the dungeon! Our biggest haul yet.
Chapter 59 June - The Dragon Cave (again)
Party: Ugli & Heedor Dwarfs; Brigham Cleric of U'ta (shining shield, invisible); Inarra the Wizard (invisible) Halvor Cleric of Yrt (shining shield, invisible)
Having waited a week and purchased all the potions from the shop and once again headed to the draconic caves to hunt for monsters. This time we headed east back into the chamber where we killed the black dragons. To the north, behind a portcullis, was some giant lizards guarding a pile of treasure. While the wizard looked on the others charged in. Three sword and Brigham's sling soon put paid to the Lizards. The room contained 3119 crowns in mixed coinage and an impressive set of jewellery. Over 30,000 crowns worth including a platinum necklaces and tiara set with gems.
The passageway south had collapsed into a deep rift. We turned around and headed back to the wooden door. Listening with the helm we detected anther Dragon! Preparing ourselves we summoned snakes, cast bless and charged into the room. Inarra fire balled the dragon, pit vipers blinded in and then Heedor chopped it down with a single blow [having failed the save it only had 2 HP left after the fireball]. We then had the fun of making seven trips to get all the eighty thousand coins and gems in the dragons horde out of the dungeon.
As we were returning from our sixth trip, loaded down with silver coins, we encountered a wandering monster, a Wyvern sitting in a nearby tree. A magic missile from Innara and a might swipe of Halvor's magical sword finished the beast off. We found its nest, and another six thousand crowns, nearby. As we were carting back silver at this point we swapped over the content of the bag of holding and added an extra trip to our daily exercise. Being invisible Innara and Brigham guarding the nest while we took the gold home. We then returned and finished off the trip we had previously been working on.
Returning for our final trip a group of tribesman wanted to know what we were doing. Heedor told them we were collecting rocks, not believing her, they offered to help. Breaking into three groups the first five followed the two Dwarves into the caves. Six set up to guard the entrance and, as the other six went to enter, all twelve got vaporized in a fireball from an invisible Inarra. Ugli and Heedor attacked hacking down the five warriors remaining while taking a few minor wounds in the process. After that we collected the rest of the coin and talked about getting some mules for our next trip into the rift.
Returning to the city we sold the gems and jewellery. Our final total was 103,589 crowns worth of loot recovered from the caves. Our best expedition yet.
Game notes
Fighting dragons we are now having the problem of carrying capacity. In Moldvay Basic encumbrance is measured in coins (cn) and a character can only carry 1600 cn of equipment and treasure. Our standard adventurer with plate armour, weapons and a pack is already carrying ~800 cn leaving only room for another 800 of treasure. The bag of holding fits 10,000 cn but we are still ending up spending half the session walking up and down the hill carting treasure back to our home. More bags of holding are clearly needed. Given most of us now have over fifty grand with nothing to spend it on the plan is to go to a major city next session and see if we can actually buy some magical items.
Image CreditsDeviant art from sandara.
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