Rollohi-ep036-script

36.1 - the great dungeon and my decision not to progress

So far, I've avoided using too many external tools. I felt like once I shift away from a d6, I'm losing sight of testing the variant rules for combat. 

 

In this situation though, the d6 tells me that these ancient ways are what I call a "dead" dungeon. There is no vast ecology of predators and prey. Instead, the party faces only traps, mostly caused by entropy. 

 

This will not, then, be any use in testing variant rules for combat!  

 

I could skip forward. But that would be unfair to the dungeon and the potential for claiming lives. So instead, I'm using a set of dungeon generating tables I wrote – longhand – for my oracle d6 rules, for a completely different fantasy world. I hope to see it in action once I'm happy with this world, Rollohi, and the variant rules can all be written down with little chance of revision. 

 

My first roll was for the entrance, when the party slew the last goblins. That is months ago for me, but might be more current for you. Without going into great detail, I found it was obscured, and might involve a teleport. Well, you've seen a partly-made-up, partly-oracled solution to entering. The next question is what is the first room like, and that was at the other extreme, at the most elaborate end; and the theme, which is antique. We can expect the golden rule to be applied in important chambers, while intermediate chambers will be square and severe. I can also check how consistent the theme is, and I get a roll of 3, mixed. That means that the original build when intact is antique but sections will be ruinous and more like a regular dungeon.  

 

Another important question, though not usual for OSE, is whether the "level" of the dungeon is different from the level as read. Are challenges going to be harder than level 1, in effect. I get a 5, yes, a level above. So level 2 threat traps mixed in with level 1 threat traps.  

 

Finally how connected are the challenges are to later challenges. I feel like the consistent theme is broken ancientness, but I roll anyway, and my answer is 4, yes but only trivially. That makes sense, some traps will be traps like flagstones that have nothing under them, others will be shifting passages that can tumble sideways or collapse and crush their occupants. 

 

I know none of this is going to make sense, so I'll write my tables into my session blog at some stage, no promises when. It is a slower, clunkier system than Jon Cohen's One Shot in the Dark but does provide detail that otherwise I would have to make up on the fly. 

 

Now we ask about exits. And again, I get "hidden." Lose 1 supply if the party can't locate it. Now, there is a challenge table but I think, given the idea of time breaking down what may once have been working parts, it's more a practical search. This particular party has several members that can locate such hidden exits, and after a few checks Kylie indicates a likely area for searching and Xantu finds the shifting wall. 

 

Next, passages. The exit leads to (d6 roll) 2, 20' of straight passage, before the next room. Is there a trap? 3, no but the footing is not good. 

 

Next chamber: a d66 would normally decide dimensions but now, we either have 1 2 3 for square, or 4 5 6 gets significant and obeying the golden rule of proportion. It's square. It has (d6roll) 4 a double-size exit, roll again, the massive double doors feature a wicket door to one side.  

 

Does the room contain any opportunities? No. So after a short exploration period the team focuses on the wicket door, checks that it is not trapped, and uses a STR check to get it open. Xantu rolls a nat1 for that. 

 

I will leave this interlude here. It gives you the idea of the process. But in the world around the monastery, things have changed. 

36.2 The greybeards take over

 

Do retainers become available? No, not for long haul missions. 

 

Do royal messengers intervene? I ask this because I learned that the monastery is a royal grant. No. 

 

Does Viscount Yibh Espeque intervene? Yes and [extra oracles required] in a positive way, since this discovery lies under their demesne. Does this involve higher level adventurers? Yes and reinforcements from the viscount directly. 

 

So the party eventually is offered the role of scouts. But this is not what they are here for.  

Ingle is intrigued at the ancient way, but sees little chance for real gain. Jack likes it: this is where he excels. Umbert feels that at any moment he might stumble upon a great secret and gain advancement with his guild. Eryn is now against any further progress. Kylie is in accord: her initial enjoyment of the lucid-dreaming-like quality of the "now" superimposed upon "then" has waned and she wants to return to monster hunting. Xantu feels much the same, though willing to soldier on, reluctant to seem the grumbler. CiedPod feel they could press on but on the whole, see no gain here.  

 

The vote is taken and the Glass Shields bid the Laketown Greybeards farewell once more. Winter Solstice in Laketown beckons. 

But what do they say about the giant driver ants?? 

As expected Ingle drives the discussion. 

"Viscount Espeque may have made his decision but we need to let him know about Ouzi's problem" 

"You mean Baron Jazz problem" Jack corrects 

"Not his name but sure " 

"I can write the Viscount" Umbert offers then, seeing surprise on some faces, continues: 

"I don't even need to sign our party to it, since I belong to the Wizards Academy. It can just be a this is to let you know missive." 

"Ain't fair though, without saying summat a th greybeards" Pod objects. 

Its an easy vote yes for the majority though Cied contrary votes against Pod and both Jack and Umbert raise qualified conditions. 

 

 

"So younkers, ya got a new big menace?" 

"I'm afraid so... or rather, put it like this. In recent days, we stumbled upon an account of giant ants that could wipe out all of a county if left unchecked "