Re: D&D vs HQ

From: Stewart Stansfield <stu_stansfield_at_e1YAh5uds5-TXcGsF5tpy9b8cJ2hdRYymhaCtQmRcCv8tsE52AigLKsi0TXZt>
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 12:12:40 -0000


THE SECOND SESSION, CONTINUED...   Mungo heard the sound of a fire crackling behind the door. After Shortbow checked for traps, Shar duly booted it in.  

The large, l-shaped room held a workshop to the north; while in the south there was cosy sitting-room, with plush furniture and a burning fire. Doors stood to the north and the east. From one of the chairs a 'Mysterious Man' rose to greet the party.  

Mysterious Man: "Oi! What are you doing here? And what have you done to my door?"
Shortbow: "Sorry, we're just adventuring through. Don't mind us." Mungo: "What are you doing here?"
Mysterious Man: "I live here! I was reading a book until you disturbed me!"
Mungo: "Does it have any pictures?"
Mysterious Man: "No. Now begone, I am busy." Mungo: "Erm, where exactly did you get all this furniture in a dungeon like this..."  

At that point, there was a scratching on the door to the north. The Mysterious Man sighed, and claimed that they were always trying to get in. The party asked that if they defeated these monsters, the Mysterious Man would let them rest. He agreed. Shar wandered over to the door, and opened it. One female drow and two male drow stood on the other side.  

There now followed an argument in drowish. "What are you doing here?" Shar asked. "Ask her if she comes here often," Mungo added, helpfully. Things rapidly deteriorated and a full-on barney started. Shar slaughtered one drow warrior, but Shortbow was cut down by another. Mungo cast his Magic Stone spell, which produced three magical sling bullets. And duly missed with the first two, the useless git. Thankfully the third hit the drow priestess on the head, and she ran off screaming, followed by the remaining warrior. "Take that you drow bint!" Mungo shouted, ecumenically.  

Mungo and Shar asked if the Mysterious Man could heal Shortbow. He happily agreed, and they rushed off after the drow, following a twisting corridor that took them to a room occupied by three gnolls
(and a gnoll baby in a crib)! The gnolls were tucking into their
lunch, and looked pretty bemused by the commotion. The drow had disappeared. Not wishing to tackle three 2HD monsters themselves, Shar and Mungo gave a cursory wave and dashed back down the corridor, to the sitting-room of the Mysterious Man.  

When they entered, they saw that the Mysterious Man was bent over Shortbow... not healing her, but trying to sink his fangs into her neck! Now this really unsettled the players. A vampire... on the first level of a dungeon?!  

Anyway, Shortbow recovered slightly, and managed to thrust away the vampire with her magic short sword. Proudly thrusting forth his symbol of Tiamat, Mungo attempted to rebuke the vampire (probably for reading a book with no pictures in it). Like that had a chance. But at least the (un)holy symbol was keeping the vampire at bay.  

"Quick!" said Mungo, "Let's force him back towards the fire!"  

"Okay," nodded Shar, who was rapidly disassembling the incongruous plush furniture to provide a stake, or flaming brand. "Perhaps the gnolls had some garlic?" Mungo added, helpfully.  

Gradually Mungo forced the vampire back towards the fireplace, and let out a cry of victory as it neared the flames. "Ha! We've got you now, dickweed!"  

At which point the vampire turned into a bat and flew off. "Shit. Forgot he could do that," mumbled Mungo. But Shortbow was ready, and let loose an arrow which flew straight up the bat's arse and it plummeted to the ground, resuming human form, by the south door.  

The party rushed to stop him, but Shortbow's arrows and Shar's greatsword had no effect on the fanged creature of the night, who was attempting to open the door and flee. Seeing this, Mungo spurred forward and leapt on the vampire's back, in an attempt to drape his
(un)holy symbol around its neck. Meanwhile Shar was thrusting
burning brands at the vampire's cloak, much to Mungo's obvious 'delight'.  

Mungo failed to place the symbol around the vampire, who manhandled Mungo around and promptly sank his fangs into Mungo's neck.  

DM: "Okay, take four points of..."
Mungo: "Damage? Shit, okay I can take that..." DM: "No, take four points of permanent Constitution damage!" Mungo: "Waaaahhh... but my Con was only 8 to begin with!"  

This really pissed Mungo off. So he cast Magic Fang on his teeth, and started to bite the bastard vampire back. There now followed four rounds of combat as a vampire and a deranged halfling were trading bites. 'Thankfully' the vampire failed each time, but Mungo drew vampire blood twice. While all this was going on, Shar had his stake ready, and as a very pale, fanged Mungo jumped off, threw it straight through the vampire's heart.  

Much relieved, the party gathered up the treasure, which included thirteen potions, ten scrolls, cash and gems, a mithril shirt and rapier (from the drow) and a much-needed wand of Cure Light Wounds. More baggage for the runts.  

At this point, Shortbow and Mungo both levelled-up (the drow didn't, because he started harder). And there came the following exchange:  

Mungo: "Bloody 'ell. A vampire. Shit. That was hard for first-level characters..."
DM: "Well, you are on the fourth level of the dungeon." Mungo: "Well, architecturally maybe, but these are supposed to be first-level encounters, right?"
DM: "No, you entered the fourth level of the dungeon." Players: blanche.
Mungo: "So, when we bypassed the front gate, we weren't being 'clever' and finding a back entrance to the dungeon, but actually threw three first-level nitwits straight into the fourth level of the fucking dungeon?!"
DM: "Yep."  

After that we needed another drink, and fortified ourselves with the fact that two members had gained a level. Mungo was now a sorcerer, and could cast extra spells, so we went after the gnolls. Two Sleep spells later, they were snoring away, and were butchered in cold blood (actually, we even cocked that up, as one of them awoke). As Shar and Shortbow searched the room, Mungo took the baby gnoll and sacrificed it to the great goddess Tiamat! She was pleased with this
(he rolled 20) and blessed him for a whole day, which chuffed Mungo
to bits.  

Onwards Shar, Shortbow and Mungo travelled. From the vampire's lounge, they found a corridor that circled the temple, and followed it. They tried a side door, and not finding any traps, Shar was immediately struck by a poison needle.  

DM: "Lose one temporary STR point."
Shar: "Shit, that's so bad! That reduces my strength bonus..." Mungo: "Oh shut the fuck up you snivelling wimp. I lost four permanent CON points, which gives me a -3 bloody penalty!"  

And so on. The room contained an ogre, and combat followed.  

Mungo: "I'll cast Sleep... nah, I'll save it for later." DM: "Right, the ogre attacks Shar, hits... and does... fourteen points of damage.
Shar: "Fuck! That's me down to -7 hp!"
Mungo: "Okay, I'll cast Sleep."  

The ogre was defeated, and there ended the second session...  

Addendum  

Mungo the Maleficent, LE male strongheart halfling, Sorcerer 
1/Cleric 1 of Tiamat, 1800 XP
STR 7, DEX 14, CON 4, INT 7, WIS 15, CHA 16
AC 19; HP 6; Attack -1 (Hvy Pick), +4 (Sling) Feats: Theocrat, Thug
Domains: Scalykind, tyranny
Equipment: Breastplate, heavy pick, sling, wand of Cure Light Wounds            

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