Quick Rules for Monster PCs in OD&D

"Other Character Types: There is no reason that players cannot be allowed to play as virtually anything, provided they begin relatively weak and work up to the top, i.e., a player wishing to be a Dragon would have to begin as, let us say, a “young” one and progress upwards in the usual manner, steps being predetermined by the campaign referee."

Somewhat famously the passage above can be found at the end of the descriptions of characters within the original edition of dungeons and dragons. For my own games of OD&D I decided to embrace this passage (who wouldn't want to play a dragon?), as below you will find my attempt at making the above passage into actual rules. 

from Dragon Quest Monsters

Monster Characters: The referee should work with any players who wish to play as creatures normally classed as monsters. These level up as fighters, and gain any abilities and weaknesses of the chosen creature. For every major ability (e.g. breath weapon, gaze attack) the experience required to level up is doubled. 

Monster Level Limits: Monster characters may level up as high as a fighter of hit dice equal to the monster's listed hit dice. Characters cannot have a level limit of lower than 4th level. 

Note: Any modifiers to a creatures hit dice are static and applied every level (e.g. a 1st level hobgoblin (1+1 HD) has a 1+2 HD without constitution modifiers, a 2nd level hobgoblin has 2+1 HD without constitution modifiers). A bonus of +2 or more to HD is considered a "major ability".

Lesser Level Limits (Optional): Characters may be allowed to level up beyond their level limits, requiring double the usual amount of experience points per level.

Laser (Acid) Pistols!

Recently in my ongoing Hill Cantons campaign (the same one from a year ago) the players have recently become more embroiled fighting against the Eld. I really like the eld as baddies, but i found that they really missed something like a laser pistol to make them feel truly like the science-fantasy creatures I've portrayed them as. As such I came up with the following eldish Acidblaster, following the same rules for eldish artefacts as those found within the Misty Isles of the Eld. 

Acidblaster

Artifact Category: C

Damage: 1d8+1

Resale Price: 100 gp

A sleek chrome pistol with a glass blub attached at the back. The pistol is reloaded after each shot with fresh eld blood through a syringe-like spike at the end of the bulb (whoever loads the blaster takes 1 damage). The blood then mixes with clear liquid from inside the blaster, increasing its caustic properties into a highly acidic bolt when fired. 

from Kenny Starfighter

Art Appreciation Post

Short post to show off the blogs banner art, made by my friend Emma. Made using watercolours and coloured pencils. The full image is sadly a little too large to use all of it as banner art and therefore I thought it prudent to give it its own post. I think it gives a good idea of a typical fantasy party; an elf in a green cloak, an axe wielding dwarf, a gnome wearing a pointy hat, and a tiefling, all taking a rest beneath a starlit sky. I am very happy to have the original piece framed at home. 

If you're reading this Emma, thank you for not only being a great artist but also a wonderful friend.

 

by Emma Svensson

Against the Cult of the Recap God

Following up from the adventures in the Keep on the Borderlands, that party has since continued their adventures in the classic adventure: Against the Cult of the Reptile God. For a bit of background on the previous events of this mini-campaign see the "reviewcap" of that module. It is worth noting that this campaign is set in the world of the Hill Cantons, so certain setting-specific adjustments were made during the course of the adventure. 

Written below is a recap of the events of this particular playthrough, with a brief review of the module itself at the very end. Happy reading! 

Characters

• Bear Stormpissed - Level 5 Fighter
• Jarno Ironbraid - Level 5 Dwarf
• Pearl the Reckless - Level 5 Magic-User

Followers

• Dromat - Level 3 Fighter 
• Ranulf - Level 2 Fighter
• Galdrel - Level 2 Elf
• Argo - Loyal Dog
• Mika - War Ocelot

Graveyard

• Hillcox - Level 1 Fighter
• Banjo - War Dog

Note: Character levels are taken from the end of the adventure. 

Cover Art by Tim Truman

Action Report

Following up their adventures in the Caves of Chaos the party travels northwards to investigate the mysterious village of Orlane. The group had previously heard rumours of people of the village mysteriously disappearing only for some to return acting strangely, seemingly without memories of their previous lives. 

On their way to the village the party find two dead elves. Upon further inspecting these bodies the players find a letter wherein the local boyar of Orlane asks for help in uncovering a supposed conspiracy. 

Arriving in the village the party find it to be very still and near dead place. Villagers seem to hole up in their houses and visiting the nearest inn they find it to be occupied by many unsavoury patrons. Regardless the party purchase a room though they refuse all offers of free drinks from one of the other patrons. 

Following up on the letter they found on the road, the party decide to pay a visit to the local boyar. Meeting with the man who is named Zacharias and after dispelling any suspicionsm, they are told that the village seems to be under some sort of a curse. For a year the people have periodically been going missing with only some returning, many people have also packed up and left the town due to this. Zacharias himself suspects an old sorcerer living in a nearby grove named Ramne to be behind the disappearances. 

Before heading back to the inn the party investigate the grove but are turned back after Pearl is temporarily blinded by the sorcerer himself who shouts for the party to leave. 

The groups rest is interrupted by a sudden ambush during the night, luckily both Dromat and Argo are able to hear something approaching and warn the rest of the group. The ambushers themselves are a duo of strange ill-smelling lizardmen whom the party are able to easily dispatch. 

The party leave the inn only to hear the screams of several people echoing across the nearby hills. Following the sound the party discover tracks which seems to lead from the now ransacked boyars manor all the way into a large and fetid marshland. 

The party spend their night in the manor and the next day once again decide to try and follow the tracks into the marsh. In this they are ultimately successful and the party finds themselves entering into a strange barrow-like structure dug into a mound of earth. After fighting some guards and exploring the first few rooms finding nothing, the party make their way back to the village. 

Once again the group visit Ramne the magician who learning of the partys excursion into the swamp immediately warms up to them. According to him the village is plagued by a strange cult dedicated to some sort of serpent known only as Explicitica Defilus. The village sun-dome Ramne says,is one of their headquarters and he urges the characters to mount a raid against it, offering to help himself. 

The characters take him up on his offer and together they discover what Ramne has said is in fact true, as the temple houses several chaotic monks whom the party manages to defeat before concluding their scouting mission. 

Realizing that this cult must be the very same the party faced at the end of their adventures in the Caves of Chaos they decide to leave the village and head north to the city of Dregendorf to rest up and gather supplies and men-at-arms before mounting a proper assault against the village temple. 

Arriving in the city of Dregendorf itself the party purchase both supplies and spend some time in the alehouse carousing. Finding the city much to their like they all pool their resources and buy a townhouse in the city. Through having a bit too much to drink Bear manages to drunkenly marry a woman working at a nearby "house of pleasure". Luckily for both parties the match is in fact a good one and the two fall in love. 

With their larders stocked and with three new hirelings and several animals acquired, the group make their way back to the village of Orlane to wrest it from the cult of Explicitca Defilus. 

Check out Petar Gnip for some great maps for the adventure

A Return in Force

As the group ride into Orlane they are saddened to find the grove of Ramne burnt to the ground with no trace of the wizard. As it is nighttime they all decide to immediately take revenge for the old mage and mount an attack against the corrupted sun-dome. 

Delving through the upper levels the party discover many normal amenities such as a kitchen and common room, though importantly also a trapdoor which leads the party into an underground complex. Here they fight and defeat a half-ogre and also come into conflict with a group of robo-dwarves. These almost kill the party by collapsing the ceiling on top of them, though the party are able to flee before this happens. 

Heading further down into a natural cave system, the group find two cells with a prisoner in each. One is one of Zacharias' two daughters and the other a man simply calling himself Frank. Both had been captured and taken below, being used as servants for the evil clerics above. 

Heading back up to the temple proper the party take an alternative route and come face to face with the turncoat head cleric. She is paralyzed by use of a wand and slain, but not before she is able to kill Frank. 

Finding no other routes the party take a large staircase leading up to the top floor of the temple. Here they encounter and defeat a large group of skeletons and are almost ambushed by a group of goblins throwing burning oil. As the characters are busy fighting the goblins a woman with scales and snakes eyes appear in one of the doorways, beginning to weave a magic spell. Thankfully she too is paralyzed by use of the wand and captured as the group defeat the last of the temples inhabitants. 

As the group discuss their next course of action the paralysis wears off and the woman is able to take the form of a large snake and slither out of her bonds, fleeing into the night. As they still consider the village to be hostile territory the players once again travel to Dregendorf to rest up. 

---

Returning to the the marsh for their final assault against the cult, the party are overjoyed to find Ramne waiting for them! Being a mage of great power he easily escaped the mob of angry villagers who burnt down his house, now joining the party to free Orlane of its curse. 

Delving through the lair of the reptile cult the PCs encounter many strange creatures; a caged woman with the appearance like that of a songbird, several more lizardmen, one giant weasel and several giant snakes, loosing their hireling Hillcox on the way. The party also encounter the ghost of the mayor of Orlane. Speaking with him, the party swear to defeat the reptile cult and rescue his remaining family. 

Heading through a secret door the party come face to face with the snake-eyed priestess they had previously captured. As battle is drawn she turns into a giant snake and summons undead to aid her against the party. Though Bear is bitten by her poisonous fangs he is able to resist its effects, Jarnos dog Banjo is sadly not so lucky and perishes. The party are ultimately able to slay the priestess and take from her the keys needed to open the nearby prisons. 

Inside the cells the party find Zacharias eldest daughter and wife but also a magician none of them recognize going by the name Glamdalf, claiming he had traveled north looking for an oracle to answer several cryptic dreams. All three have managed to resist the hypnotic gaze of Explicitica Defilus, and have been kept here awaiting whatever grisly end the cult has planned for them. 

After enlisting the captives the party tacitly enter the chamber of the serpent goddess, readying themselves for battle. They hears a loud hiss as the horrific creature appears, slinging a deadly fireball towards them. Realizing the grave danger the party is in, Ramne throws himself before the front line - absorbing the attack and getting brunt to ash. Little time is left for the party to grieve as the hypnotic gaze as all who are clear of mind can hear the approach of many angry lizardmen. 

As another spell puts many of the hirelings to sleep, those awake make a desperate effort to defeat Explicitica. Jarno and Galdrel are turned by Expliciticas hypnotic gaze and begin attacking their party members, leaving Bear to fend for himself in the front row. With the aid of a clutch light spell from Glamdalf, Bear is able to duel and slay using his enchanted blade Moonblood.

The party gather what they can from the hoard of Explicitica and rush their way out of the underground temple, before they are overrun by lizardmen. Arriving on the outside they let out a sigh of relief as they are greeted by the morning sun. 

As they travel back to Dregendorf the party reunite Zacharias family and say their goodbyes to Glamdalf. Before leaving he helps identify the PCs magical items, telling them to beware of events in the south. The party decide to spend their next few weeks in the city, taking some well earned rest. 

by Jim Holloway

GM Thoughts

By jove was this adventure a banger! It should be noted that as of me posting this, it has been a little less than a year since the events described herein were played through, the campaign having ended since then. In total the adventure was played through in eight total sessions, being sessions eight though fifteen of the campaign. 

Using keep on the borderlands as part of the set-up for this adventure worked really well, especially since this adventure is not as low-level friendly as you might expect (more on that later). The final battle against Explictica Defilus really felt like the culmination of a an epic quest against the cult as a result of this interweaving (one of the players even cried when Ramne sacrificed himself). I would absolutely recommend this approach to anyone else who wants to run both these modules in succession. 

As the characters were more mid-level no one had the displeasure of having their PC die throughout this adventure. In contrast to general OSR attitudes I actually do think this is quite a nice thing. It is rare that having your character die is a positive experience, though I think the risk of character death is important to establishing stakes in any given situation. A few deaths on the part of the party hirelings or animals only reinforce these stakes whilst not harming the PCs themselves. 

This is not to say that I "went easy" on the players or fudged the dice. The PCs survived the adventure mostly in part to their own burgeoning player-skills (and of course a little luck considering the high amount of instant-death poison in the adventure). The growth of the Players themselves was quite notable when put in contrast to the groups previous adventures. Considering their approach and plan of attack when encountering monsters, as well as keeping a good feel for whether they were in over their head is the biggest reason for why this adventure did not see any PC deaths. 

At the end of the keep of the borderlands i bemoaned me not throwing in more Hill Cantons specific creatures and concepts. This time around was a little better, as i filled the Orlane with various enemies emblematic of the setting. Still more could have been done, and I feel like the campaign was not really served by setting it in the Hill Cantons as opposed to some other generic fantasyland. 

The one caveat is the crossovers that were made possible by having the game set in the same world as the "main" hill cantons campaign. The appearance of Glamdalf at the eleventh hour of the adventure was a happy surprise to the player who knew who he was, as well as a fun bit of colour for the other players. I made extensive use of fantasy calendar to keep strict time records and keep track of events. This way I was successfully able to provide a sense of scale and distance between the two games, with characters in one game hearing about events taking place in the other. 

I have written about having high level NPCs in the party before, and I applied the lessons learned from then to now (both Glamdalf and Ramne were left for the party to control like hirelings for example). It should be noted that when the party found Glamdalf he had no spells memorised and the party had to expend a rare potion to generate him a set of new ones randomly, thus requiring the party to spend a rare resource. No player complained about the railroad-like death of Ramne, and I think that if he had been allowed to take part in the final battle it would have felt like a deus ex machina. 

by Harry Quinn

The Module

Against the cult of the reptile god is a module that successfully meshes an investigatory start with some classic dungeon-crawling. At 36 pages it presents both a couple smaller dungeons and a nicely fleshed out village, with better layout than other modules of a similar ilk (the Village of Hommlet comes to mind). I find that the beginning of the module is the stronger part, having a very strong hook for the party to investigate. This investigation is however not without its flaws. 

I would suggest removing one or two of the friendly NPCs in the adventure (the wizard, the mayor, the two elves), as having too much assistance at the very start of the adventure lessens the need for the players to run their own investigation. For this reason I actually think that the wizard Ramne makes for the best ally out of these three as he needs convincing to aid the party. His assistance essentially serves as a reward for the players once they have identified the village temple as the centre of the conspiracy. As an added benefit he can also help lead the party towards the main complex if the GM doesn't want to bother with the party searching the marsh. If the GM thinks that their players would feel overshadowed by having a high level NPC in the party you might de-level him to alleviate this. 

This adventure is not very 1st level friendly, regardless of what the cover might state. The troglodytes that are a main enemy in the adventure make for very powerful opponents, and even a few of them might easily overpower smaller parties. As the cult will actively send agents to combat the PCs there isn't always a lot the players can do to prepare themselves for these battles and as such they should not be able to simply crush the party. Explictica Defilus herself makes for an incredibly imposing opponent for a party who might have only reached second level, being able to potentially wipe out the party with her fireball, sleep, or web spells. 

Having this adventure be the second or third in a larger campaign solves a lot of the issues with the adventure. A lot of the scenarios are not nearly as deadly, and even the high level NPCs do not outshine the characters as much if they are of a more comparable level to the party. This way the GM can also seed rumours about the village before the characters arrive. 

I think this adventure has aged very well when put into comparison with other contemporary adventures. A lot of the mainstream discussion around RPGs these days are very focused around the story as something pre-prepared by the GM, though heavily influenced by the backstories of the PCs. This module certainly has a very strong narrative while still being a very open-ended adventure. Running this for players more familiar with 5th edition I don't think it would stand out, in fact I would say that AtCotRG shares more with Lost Mines of Phandelver than it does the Village of Hommlet. 

Running this adventure a potential second time, I would most likely run it the same as here. The focus on roleplaying in the first half will undoubtedly make any new playthrough very different than the last. This I think is what earns the adventure it's status as a classic. 

Hill Cantons - Session 11

Here I am again back with another Hill Cantons recap! This session was actually played more than two months ago, so expect a big combination-recap coming up soon. Happy reading! 

Characters

• Lasryn Thunderhammer - Level 5 Cleric
• Frankopan Vladislav - Level 4 Psychonaut
• Natalie Bukowski (new) - Level 4 Monk

Followers

• Stephen (new) - Man-at-arms
• Katja (new) - Man-at-arms
• Alexei (new) - Man-at-arms
• Nosewise - Old but loyal dog
• Tom - Trained Badger

Action Report

Following their previous adventures in the Glittering Tower, Lasryn and Frankopan say adieu to Luka as he rows off eastwards headed for the port of Bystrica. There he will spend some time contemplating the adventures thus far and scribe some new spells. Figuring that two persons are not enough to continue exploring the dungeons, the other two head back to Kugelberg where they hope to recruit some additional travelers. 

Once they arrive they are met by Natalie Bukowski; a monk traveling the cantons in search of herself, abandoned by her former party for her infectiously positive disposition. The three companions decide to then spend the rest of the day having a picnic before heading off towards the northerly town of Muth the next day to look for hirelings. 

During their rest in the old smith's barn the characters uncover a strange golden chariot, but decide to question Jaromir about it in the morning. Going back to sleep, both Lasryn and Frankopan each have a strange dream... 

Lasryn finds herself standing on one of the dunes around the Glittering Tower, looking out across the sea towards the misty isles beyond. The surrounding night sky is suddenly broken by a speck of light going across the sky, clearly seen by Lasryn to be a golden chariot pulled by chargers with burning manes. As the chariot passes over the isles the mists are briefly parted and a paradisiacal green and forested place can be seen before the chariot zooms past and clouding the sky in darkness. 

Frankopan's dreams take him to a featureless plain, stood face to face with what seems a perfect copy of himself. He hears a phrase and as if possessed proceeds to attack his lookalike, slashing him until he dies. 

The next morning the party confront Jaromir about the chariot in the barn but get nothing but reflections in answer. Eventually Jaromir leaves to fetch firewood with Frankopan following close behind him. When the two are alone the smith grabs Frankopan by the shoulders, telling him he has had prophetic dreams - a shadow is approaching, and it comes to claim the lives of the group. 

The suitably shaken party say their goodbyes and leave for the north. During their two days of travel nothing eventful happens aside from happening upon a group of rooster-headed bards. The two groups have a pleasant conversation, though nothing ultimately comes of it. 

Arriving in Muth the characters are dismayed to find the town to be incredibly run down. Tall rickety and mildewed wooden buildings shield dark alleyways where shady fish-eyed townsfolk furtively eye the party. The party stock up on supplies and hire three men-at-arms at the local tavern, one of the less run down buildings in the town. Frankopan procures a tall brimmed hat which along with his trenchcoat gives him a suitably mysterious appearance. 

Exploring the town the seaside the party come across an "acropolis like" temple standing out like a sore thumb between the wooden townhouses on either side of it. Knocking on the temple doors, the party meet a strange looking priest of Dagon named brother Occhus. Conversing with the priest the party are offered a job; northward along the coast there is supposed to live a powerful magician by the name of Cetus the plangent who supposedly has taken a horn-like artifact holy to the Cult of Dagon. At the promise of great rewards the party buys a fishing boat, wanting to speed up their travel to the wizards tower. 

Arriving at the island where the wizard is supposed to live, the party first stop by the nearby village of Imbrich. Speaking with the locals, the party find them to be friendly although visually similar to the fish-eyed inhabitants of Muth. Learning about a nearby group of beached whales the party decide to investigate. 

The party are surprised to discover that one of the whales is strange hue of hot pink. They are able to have a rudimentary conversation by asking questions aloud and being able to read the whales mental response. Through this process it is discovered that this pink whale is in fact Cetus himself! The group learn of the location of the horn, the bottom of Cetus "undertower" but also that it is guarded by a monster which Frankopan only receives a brief mental image of. Before leaving Cetus to die (as is his wish) the party help push the other whales back into the sea and promise the wizard to lay to rest the spirit of his beloved dead wife. 

GM Thoughts

After having a few character deaths this session ended up being focused on finding something to do whilst Luka's player has a vacation for about a month. In a sense this became a sort of "filler" session (perhaps set-up would be better?), where the characters didn't do much "adventuring" but instead did a lot of in-character roleplaying and spoke with a bunch of NPC's. As a GM this was highly enjoyable as I got to flex some of my acting muscles playing both the old smith and brother Occhus. 

Narrating cryptic dreams is something I have done many times before, and I thought both dreams from this session went over quite well! The players were left pondering what these dreams meant, each having their own theories. 

Since my players have never read any pulp fiction, the references to Dagon and this strange horn went totally over their heads. This I think is really cool! I was not aware how familiar with my players were with Lovecraft or 1980s fantasy films, but it turns out they barely are at all. Expect this game to feature a lot more evil sorcerers and unknowable horrors in the future. 

Hill Cantons - Session 10

Another session, another play report! Considering last session was quite uneventful, this time around the characters once again lept into the action - delving down into the dungeons of the Glittering Tower. Happy reading! 

Characters

• Lasryn Thunderhammer - Level 4 Cleric
• Luka Winograd - Level 3 White Wizard
• Frankopan Vladislav - Level 3 Psychonaut

Followers

• Nosewise - Old but loyal dog
• Mojo & Mavi - Baboons
• Sir Duke - Squirrel Monkey
• Tom - Trained Badger

Graveyard

• Asim "Ace" Bakir - Level 4 Mountebank

Pirates Cove, by Midjourney

Action Report

Waking up from the previous day of adventuring, the party find the servants of the glittering tower busying themselves with the removal of the eld instillations on the upper floors. After a quick chat with Pan Orso the group is directed towards the dungeons of the tower in order to clear them out. 

Heading down the staircase the party find themselves in a large hall illuminated by a strange pink gemstone hanging above from an alcove. The party notice several silvery grooves carved into the ceiling, which Luka manages to figure out are depictions of leylines all converging at the glowing pink gem. 

The group decide not to mess with the gem and instead head through the first of the room's eight doors. Here they find a smaller cluttered room filled with broken shelves and crockery. With some further investigation the party find a chest put against the wall, on which there is a mural depicting a human-like figure. Frankopan opens the chest and the Mural on the wall behind suddenly comes alive and attacks the party! Luckily the party act quickly, and are able to destroy the mimic before it can do any harm. 

Going through a western hallway the group enter a room filled with ropes alongside a large statue of a bear. Finding nothing besides a strange smell of sea the group return to the main chamber once more. 

Before they can enter another one of the doors they hear a strange deep chatter. As they hide in the room with the broken crockery the source of the noise enters one of the other rooms and disappears. The group quickly move on and enter one of the large hall's eastern doors. 

Inside they find piles of old cloth, which after moved reveal the skeletons of several rats arranged in a strange circle. Suitably weirded out they progress to another chamber where they find rows of jars containing an orange goo. Finally the group enter a third chamber wherein they find a boat made of reeds, alongside a couple oars and what looks to be a wall painted black with small points of white light. The party toss a rock against the wall only to find it floating through and into it, as if the door is a portal into outer space. 

The party make their way back towards the large hall and are surprised to once again hear the chattering noise, this time coming from the room with the rat skeletons. The group burst into the room managing to surprise the two large white apes inside, making short work of them via a very successful backstab by Ace. As the group congratulate themselves on their victory, they hear even more voices from the door leading into the large hall. Fankopan quickly sets up a snare at the door, and the party ready themselves for yet another battle. 

As the door is opened, three small fishy-looking figures enter. Two are caught by the snare whilst the other charges the group seeing his companions captured. The party quickly find that their weapons are totally ineffective against the hide of the creature, with only Frankopan being able to hurt it using silvered arrows. By using his charm person spell, Ace is able to stop the fighting and begin a parley. 

The little creature introduces himself as Pingu, telling the party that he is a lesser wereshark and part of the crew of Ondrj (whom the party had entered the dungeons with the intention to kill as per the wishes of Medved). Pingu is convinced to lead the party to Ondrj so that the party can make an alliance with him. He also pokes fun at his captured companions and is even fine with leaving them hanging, laughing at their misfortune. The party takes the opportunity to let Ace and Pingu walk ahead as they finish off the snared weresharks. 

Pingu leads the group to the room with ropes and proceeds to move the large statue, revealing a trapdoor underneath. Following the trapdoor into a long corridor, the characters are led to a large cove with a moored ship. Luka goes invisible so passes inside unseen as Lasryn blesses the group in case things turn hostile. 

The party are led up on the ship, coming face-to-face with Ondrj the reaver - pseudo-god of weresharks. Some light mind-reading by Frankopan discerns that Ondrj has to restrain himself to not immediately attack them. Ondrj suggests that the party kill Medved, something he would pay a kingly sum for. The conversation winds on, seemingly going nowhere. As Ondrj seems to have lowered his guard Ace attempts a hypnotism spell which lulls one lesser wereshark to sleep but enrages Ondrj. 

A desperate battle ensues between the party and the pirates. Frankopan is wounded by one of the weresharks, yet Ace suffers the most as he is cut down, his last words in Himyari lost on his fellows. Luka luckily casts a light spell, blinding Ondrj and allowing the party to strike back and slay the weresharks - including Ondrj - using their blessed weapons. 

Lasryn makes several desperate prayers to resurrect Ace, offering both her services and much material wealth. Her cries go unanswered and the Sun Lord remains silent. The characters somberly loot the sizable hoard of treasure from the ship and bring the body of Ace to the surface to bury. 

Reporting their success to Medved they are offered  a small reward of gold and a magical item from the master's treasury; a pair of gauntlets of ogre power. Burying Ace, the group take their rest in the now reclaimed upper levels of the tower. 

Player's Map of the Dungeon

GM Thoughts 

RIP Ace! It's always sad when a character that has been part of a game for it's entire run passes away, but such is life I suppose! His death was caused equally by very good rolls on my part along with a lack of hit points (11 hp max at 4th level). I don't think of this game as being particularly lethal, but at this point a fair few characters have been lost adventuring through the Hill Cantons. 

Luka's player wasn't here for the session and so he was relegated to NPC status. The player will in fact be gone for quite a while and so expect some time before everyones favorite monkey-monger appears again. 

The party has at this point dealt some serious damage to the Eld plans for the dunes AND killed Ondrj which has left a power vacuum that will inevitably be filled by the servants of Medved. For the high price of both Ace and Paula, the party has certainly granted the master a second wind which will finally allow the bears to begin reasserting themselves as the rulers of the dunes - a positive development to be sure!

One thing I have noticed whilst playing through the Slumbering Ursine Dunes is that though there is not lack of danger, I find the amount of treasure to be lacking. At the very least the gain is not equal to the danger, as many times over there are masses of high hit dice opponents with no treasure to be found, the upper levels of the tower being a prime example. Ondrj doesn't seem like he has an amount of treasure befitting a legendary pirate figure, so for this session I also rolled on an appropriate treasure table to bulk out his hoard. 

Hill Cantons - Session 09

This ended up being quite a short session with not a lot happening, therefore this recap is naturally also shorter than most. This also means that there was little for me to reflect on, hence no "GM Thoughts" section either. In any case, happy reading!

Characters

• Asim "Ace" Bakir - Level 4 Mountebank
• Lasryn Thunderhammer - Level 4 Cleric
• Luka Winograd - Level 3 White Wizard
• Frankopan Vladislav - Level 3 Psychonaut

Followers

• Nosewise - Old but loyal dog
• Mojo & Mavi - Baboons
• Sir Duke - Squirrel Monkey
• Tom - Trained Badger

Action Report

Continuing the action from last session, the party grieve the death of Paula as they prepare to storm the third floor of the glittering tower. Luka had previously scouted the floor whilst invisible by climbing up one of the ladders leading there. Inside he found an eld captain berating two technicians surrounded by a variety of strange materials. 

After some deliberating the party use a phantasmal forces spell from Ace to make the three eld believe the roof is caving in, knocking out the captain and "wounding" the others. 

The party charge up the ladders to face off against the last eld. As Frankopan climbs up the top one of the eld seem to recognize him. The eld shouts a phrase at Frankopan which sees him suddenly turn around and attack the rest of the party! Luckily Luka has a Light spell on hand, blinding his companion as the rest of the group finish off the last eld. The party then use a rope to tie up the now impotent Frankopan. 

Luka loots a strange tube-like device from the eld captain, which with his great intelligence he works out is a ranged weapon of sorts. A test shot reveals the weapon fires large balls of goo. Lasryn climbs a central ladder to the roof of the tower, finding the top empty of anything besides a large steel tube. Satisfied, she climbs down as the rest of the party begin to interrogate Frankopan. 

To their surprise he seems to have no memory of attacking his fellow party members, nor of the phrase the eld spoke at him. The party release him from his bonds and then decide to report their successful clearing of the upper levels to the master, though not before smashing the eld equipment they find in the room. 

On their way downstairs the party notice that the two large humming metal boxes stood at the top of the stairs seem to have strange hand shaped indents. Thinking quickly, the group run back and cut off the hands of the captain which they then press into the indents. As they do, the boxes cease their humming. The characters notice a sudden shift in temperature as the room suddenly gets a lot less cold, and a gust of fresh sweet smelling air drifts in from the outside. 

The party descend the stairs to report their success to the Master below. They are a bit miffed at the reward of 1000gp and a couple spells considering the death of their companion, but still decide to take Medved up on his request of ejecting his semi-divine "cousin" Ondrj from the lower levels of the tower. 

The party hold a small but sombre burial for Paula, and then settle in for the night. As they listen to the gentle sounds of waves washing against the sand they are approached by Pan Orso, the majordomo of the tower. The party and the old soldier bear have a long and pleasant conversation, with Pan Orso telling them the story of the dunes creation as they are slowly lulled to sleep. 

Paula blinds Lady Szara

Paula & Fifi