More Skulking in the Darkness

Picking up where we left off last week I came to the realization that, though it’s been a month in “real life”, they’ve been playing one really long day in the game… the day began With the pegasi depositing the group in a mountain pass overlooking the swampy ruins of Xak Tsaroth at dawn. Since then they walked down the mountainside and into the swamp, been ambushed by draconians while crossing open water on a fallen tree, crossed more bridges and made their way to the central plaza, entered the Temple of Mishakel and fought a bunch of Dragon Hatchlings, Fought some draconians in the upper part of the temple, took the elevator down, fought some more draconians.. then some more .. then some ogres… then some more draconians…. That’s a long day… So I convinced them to fnd a moderately secure location to have a bit of a rest or they might have to start making vigor rolls and suffering fatigue. Their first inclination was to press on – a couple of htem nothing that they were pretty vigourous and could take it…

Eventually they were convinced that some rest was required… A couple (game) hours later a patrol of Draconians searching for the intruders interrupted their slumber…


Caramon and RAistlin were on watch and heard the patrol coming and hastily awakened the others (who started the encounter “shaken”).

They all got pretty good cards and rolled some amazing recovery rolls and were, for the most part, all awake and fighting before the Draconians even took an action!

The group went back to sleep for a couple more hours (hoping that no one would miss the patrol or figure out where they had gone…). After some breakfast they continued their exploration – following their de facto leader - the curious kender (played by the five-year-old…).

The Kender next blundered into the Draconians barracks…


I should not that she’s figured out that, while curious, she can exercise SOME caution in the form of entering new areas with some stealth and observation. While very stealthily entering this room, she was completely oblivious to the rumbling of the snoring draconians… it was Tanis, the half-elf ranger, that drastically failed in his attempt to be stealthy that woke the Draconians.


After the first round of combat…


After another round or so…

These draconians that I originally thought would be too powerful are proving to be little challenge to these seasoned explorers…

After that they Kender lead them on a circuitous tour of the ruined under city eventually returning to where they had come down the elevator to check a door they realized they’d forgotten…


Here they found three more draconians. I decided to make one of them a wildcard sorcerer – just to make it more of a challenge.

Goldmoon got beat down pretty good- Incapacitated with one mighty blow!!

Raistlin cast a 3d6 bolt and hit with a raise (making it 4d6 damage and managed to roll this:


What are the odds of that!? 1:1296!?

The two lesser draconians were easily overcome, but the sorcerer eventually realized he was outclassed and cast obscure and scarpered – to go fetch some reinforcements!

And that’s where we had to call it a day!

I have to admit I’m a little concerned the players might be loosing sight of what they came down here for in the first place – Keira at one point (tired of opening doors and finding more monsters to fight) suggested that they just go back up and leave…!? At one point they had started going in the “right” direction, but then decided to turn back and check out other empty corridors… Do I need to send draconians by the dozen chasing them fro every direction other than where they need to go!? Probably wouldn’t work – they’d just try and stand and FIGHT them all!?

Maybe alert them to the sinister sounds of and undetermined “many” approaching draconians could spur them on their way….