Web of the Spider Queen- D&D Encounters – session 13

 

Cast of players and their characters for early group:-

• Bryce Palmer, playing Human Mage
• Me, playing Kobold Ranger
• Matt Mawdsley, playing Dwarf Fighter
• Daniel Creed, playing Dragonborn Paladin
• Glenn Waters, playing Svirfneblin Warpriest
• Robert Cleale, DMing

(From the Tail of Skrit)

As we entered the sepulcher of the Tower the drow spider-wizard was waiting with more of his lolth-cursed allies! The big spider-beasts stretching forward to slash at us as we break from the stairs, but Skrit too quick and ducks under blade!

The wizard and priest call down fire magic on the spider-lord and his beasts as I grab one of my special slingpots and fire it at another skulking drow mage, but I miss and the pot breaks harmlessly against the wall, its runny brown contents dripping down the stonework. The drow mage looks from the stain back to me with disgust, I answer with a shrug and a grin as I draw my blades.

The dragon-warrior pummels one of the spider-beasts to the floor but before we can cheer a smaller bony spider climbs from its body – eugh! More of the drow magelings appear around the room as Khara-red-head bounds up the stairs (taking a slash from the remaining spider-beast) and a magical assault from the spider-lord that leaves her heavily wounded. The dwarf fighter moves to intercept one of the drow mages.

 

The deep gnome warpriest sends waves of healing energy to Khara before pounding the spider-lord with his trusty weapon as the dwarf, Khara and myself beat upon the drow mage nearest. The dragon-warrior walks through his allies magical fire like one of the mighty draconic beasts he resembles to strike down the remaining spider-beast.

 

The spider-lord falls before our attacks, but once again we are denied as his body crumbles into thousands of tiny spiders, Skrit tries to bite a couple as they skitter past but his allies remind him that there are still foes to battle. While we tackle the remaining drow, Khara leaps up on the sepulcher and reforges the Pendant of Ashaba, then douses it the river that shares its name before dripping her own blood (as an heir of a former lord of Shadowdale) on it to complete the ritual and restore the wards of protection.

Shadowdale is saved and a party ensues at the Old Skull Inn, a couple of villagers even give Skrit a friendly pat on the head (quickly wiping their hands afterward, but Skrit not mind).

 

 Cast of players and their characters for later group:-

• Robert Cleale, playing Dragonborn Hexblade
• Chris Night, playing Elf Hunter
• Tom Wright, playing Human Sentinel (very short so used a dwarf figure)
• John Grey, playing Drow Hexblade
• Tilly Calow, playing Drow Hunter
• Me, Dming

 

As they entered the sepulcher they found Valan Jealre waiting for them along with a pair of wicked looking driders! The heroes are confined within the staircase as the drow lord and driders stand before them. The elf hunter looses a shaft and dazes the drow lord.

 

 

The dragonborn hexblade tackles one of the driders and summoning its dark gifts destroys the arachnoid in a flurry of eldritch energy. A small bony spider forms from the driders twisted remains and menaces the heroes as four more drow spellcasters appear, hurling their own magical energies at the assembled heroes.

 

Valan retreats, summoning a cloud of darkness around himself as Khara reforges the pendant runs for the river. The remaining heroes continue to battle the drow spellcasters as the bone spider created from the second driders demise proceeds to munch on the drow hexblade accompanying the heroes.

 

The drow realise what Khara is attempting and begin to focus on her, two of them moving to follow her towards the river dock. The sentinel sends her spirit companion to try and intercept them. The drow hexblade summons his own cloud of darkness in an effort to avoid the attentions of the bone spider.

As Khara recovers from the magic assault from the drow she completes the ritual, restoring the wards of Shadowdale. A blinding light flares through the tower and out over all of Shadowdale, several cries of pain can be heard in the sepulcher and surrounding area. As the heroes vision clears they see that all the drow (even their allies) have been severely burned, and their clouds of darkness have been dispelled. With a cry of anguish Valan falls lifeless to the ground, his body cracks open and thousands of tiny spiders skitter away. The remaining wounded drow look as surprised as the heroes, and quickly offer their surrender.

With the defeat of the drow throughout the town a party is thrown at the Old Skull Inn, where the heroes are praised in the same breath as the mighty Elminster.

Two excellent sessions to round out the season, we were hoping to have the new packs for Council of Spiders ready for next week but they hadnt arrived.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who played and DM’d throughout this season (whether for every session or just a couple) the games just wouldnt be the same without you all (It’d just be me being a saddo in the corner reading to myself). Also big thanks to the guys at Tabletop Tyrants for allowing us to invade their wargamers paradise on a weekly basis. Here’s hoping for many more adventures to come.

As they say in the Realms, “Swords high till we meet again!”. 

Web of the Spider Queen- D&D Encounters – session 12

 

Cast of players and their characters for early group:-

• Bryce Palmer, playing Human Mage
• Me, playing Kobold Ranger
• Matt Mawdsley, playing Dwarf Fighter
• Daniel Creed, playing Dragonborn Paladin
• Robert Cleale, DMing

(From the Tail of Skrit)

Watching the drow push the deep gnome beyond the huge web creature, Skrit felt a pang of empathy, he knew how it felt to be a mistreated prisoner of the drow. His stalwart companions recognised the flame-haired human amongst the svirfneblin and told her to hang on while they dealt with the web-monster and spiders.

The dwarf and dragonborn closed for melee with the beast as spiders dropped around them. Skrit grabbed one of his special sling pots and lobbed it at the monster, causing it to become stuck in place while his companions beat upon it. The mage hung back beside Skrit and hurled arcane energies at their enemies.

The web monster kept trying to grab hold of the dour dwarf but each time it did he managed to break free and continued to smash it with his mighty hammer. A couple of the svirfneblin looked like they were going to attack but a well timed warning from our dragonborn paladin kept them in line.  The web monster was reduced to a sticky pile as the paladin continued to battle the spiders as the dwarf moved to intercept a group of drow that had come to investigate the noise.

Well placed blows from the dwarf and pinpoint accurate magical attacks from the mage soon reduced them to a single drow warrior, the dwarf had taken heavy damage throughout the battle so I used my sling to attack the drow, knocking it lifeless to the ground with its comrades.

We freed Khara and the deep gnomes who gave us a map back to the surface, bringing us out in the cellars of the Tower of Ashaba. On the way Khara told us that in the right conditions she could reforge the pendant, but as we entered the sepulcher of the Tower the drow spider-wizard was waiting with more of his lolth-cursed allies!

 Cast of players and their characters for later group:-

• Robert Cleale, playing Dragonborn Hexblade
• Chris Night, playing Elf Hunter
• Tom Wright, playing Dwarf Sentinel
• John Grey, playing Drow Hexblade
• Me, Dming

As the heroes attacked the web golem jailer, a trio of deathjump spiders dropped into the mix and proceeded to munch on the party. The golem took a liking to the drow hexblade and latched onto her, despite the hunters forcing it backwards with carefully aimed arrow shots, the golem continued to smash and grab the hexblade, even using her unconscious form to smack the dragonborn!

The fight was brutal and the drow hexblade spent much of it in and out of consciousness but as the last foe fell it seemed that Gauldoth the hunter was reluctant to let his ally Vistra heal their fallen companion. Tensions rose higher as the second part of the pendant of Ashaba and Khara’s equipment were discovered within the remains of the golem and Gauldoth resisted giving them to her. The dragonborn hexblade was able to convince them to heal their drow comrade and allow Khara to retrieve her equipment, but Gauldoth wouldnt relinquish either piece of the pendant.

Acquiring a map to the surface from the deep gnome slaves, the heroes made their way back to the cellars below the Tower of Ashaba in Shadowdale. As they entered the sepulcher they found Valan Jealre waiting for them along with a pair of wicked looking driders!

Again I was amazed at the difference in the way both groups (both players and DM’s) handled the encounter, with the expected turn out for next weeks finale we have allowed all players to level up to 4th level (most of them were pretty close to it anyway) and that was when we realised that John hadnt leveled his drow hexblade up to 3rd! No wonder the golem used him as a rag doll.

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Web of the Spider Queen – D&D Encounters – session 11

 

Cast of players and their characters for early group:-

• Bryce Palmer, playing Human Mage
• Glenn Waters, playing Elf Hunter
• Matt Mawdsley, playing Dwarf Fighter
• Daniel Creed, playing Dragonborn Paladin

The heroes approached the charnal pit beside the torture theatre just as another victim dropped lifeless from above.

Taking the advantage of not having been spotted they crept into position before the dwarf and dragonborn crested the pit and challenged the scourge wielding drow. As the bubbling blood fonts erupted a pair of maw demons leapt to their mistress’s summons adding to the carnage and mayhem of the arena. Several members of the “audience” decided to join in, firing their handcrossbows at the interrupting heroes.

The ranged assault of the mage and hunter supporting them, the warriors quickly gained the upper hand, especially when as one of the torturers dropped to the ground and its summoned demon bounded across the arena floor to consume her soul and take it back to its abyssal home.

Even the arrival of more audience members couldnt help the drow forces as they quickly fell to the heroes blows.

Examining the remains of their enemies, the assembled heroes discovered a trinket, realising that it was one half of the Pendant of Ashaba. Pocketing it as they pressed onward they spot a drow leading a svirfneblin slave down a tunnel as a huge creature composed of webs stepped out to block the way, a flicker of recognition passes across its “face” and the drow hands over the slave and returns down the corridor as the web-beast ushers the deep gnome into the slave pens.

 Cast of players and their characters for later group:-

• Tilly Calow, playing Drow Hunter
• Chris Night, playing Elf Hunter
• Tom Wright, playing Dwarf Sentinel
• John Grey, playing Drow Hexblade
• Daniel Creed, playing Dragonborn Paladin

The heroes approached the torture arena and attempted to get closer without being seen, and failed.

The drow spot them and before they can move too far into the pit of dead bodies the drow begin to pepper them with crossbow shots and as they approach closer lashes from the scourges. The torturers summon maw demons from the bloody fonts and send them into the pit to melee with the heroes who up to this point were happy to trade bow-fire.

The paladin becomes entangled in one of the scourges and the sentinel’s spirit bear begins to take a pounding, the drow cheer as it disappears but their glee is shortlived as the sentinel uses his energies to recall his spirit companion.

The battle proves bloody and costly as the drow exact a toll on the heroes before finally succumbing to their combined assault.

As the heroes tend their wounds and search the drow bodies they discover half of the Pendant of Ashaba. Moving deeper into the drow complex they spot a drow taking a deep gnome slave down a tunnel as a huge creature composed of webs stepped out to block the way, a flicker of recognition passes across its “face” and the drow hands over the slave and returns down the corridor as the web-beast ushers the deep gnome into the slave pens.

Reading this encounter beforehand I thought it was going to brutal, but the early group seemed to get the easier end of things, I guess getting bottlenecked didnt help the later group and being mainly ranged atackers didnt help, luckily Daniel had sat in with his Paladin, though it cost the group most of its available healing in the process.

Two sessions left, just how many heroes will survive to see the sun rise over the Ashaba again? 

Web of the Spider Queen – D&D Encounters – session 10

 

 

 

 

Cast of players and their characters for early group:-

• Bryce Palmer, playing Human Mage
• Glenn Waters, playing Elf Hunter
• Matt Mawdsley, playing Dwarf Knight
• Daniel Creed, playing Dragonborn Paladin
• Me, playing Kobold Ranger
• Robert Cleale, DMing

(from the Tail of Skrit)

Thankful for not getting eaten by the Ogres at the gates, Skrit was happy to be back in the Underdark, especially as he had the chance to kill more drow in their stronghold. He was impressed with his companions prowess as they encountered the drow patrols; the dour dwarf dealing out mighty wounds with his craghammer and knocking his enemies back, the dragonman fighting bravely and then using the breath of the mighty beasts he embodies to chill the very blood in his foes veins, the human mage while not being a fighter was capable of blasting the drow with his arcane arsenal, while the wily elf  reigned deadly arrows into their enemies. Skrit used his agility to strike and fade in unison with the warriors.

Further in the twisting tunnels we found the battered and bruised body of the elf Elminster had sent earlier, learning that the pendant had been split and the flame-haired warrioress was a prisoner of the drow. Interrupted by the approach of another patrol we decided to ambush them at the junction, his allies quickly reducing them to a single fighter that Skrit nimbly danced around before delivering the killing blow.

The green haired elf told us of the nearby torture pits and as we made our way towards them he once again disappeared.

 Cast of players and their characters for later group:-

• Robert Cleale, playing Dragonborn Hexblade
• Chris Norris, playing Elf Hunter
• Tom Wright, playing Dwarf Sentinel
• John Grey, playing Drow Hexblade

The party ventured further into the drow fortress, attempting to avoid the patrols with varying degrees of success and constant irritation of the ever-present spiders in the tunnels. In one almost deserted section they came across a duergar trader and his guards, and approached warily. The trader was cordial and showed them his wares, though is prices were a little steep. The party bought two potions, one of healing and another to restore lost healing surges, the magical warhammer the trader had to offer was tempting but the heroes thought the price too high and so declined. As they closed their deals the elf hunter asked how much for some of the infamous duergar beard quills, this obviously outraged the trader who subsequently packed his wares and stormed off with is entourage.

Further into the tunnels, following a blood trail, the heroes discovered the semi-cocooned Tharinel, in obvious need of help. The hunter gave his fellow elf the healing potion they had just procured, upon consuming it Tharinel began choking, a green froth flecked with blood erupting from his mouth as his insides dissolved. (Moral of the lesson – never trust a durgar!) The hexblades and sentinel double checked their other purchase but it seemed to be as advertised.

As if things couldn’t get worse a patrol was closing in, the heroes attempted to hide and avoid them and almost succeeded until the hunter was bitten by one of the numerous spiders and couldn’t quite stifle his yelp of pain, alerting the passing drow.

The ensuing battle was short but brutal, the dragonborn hexblade causing much confusion with his Mists of Madness and after suffering minor wounds the heroes were victorious once more.

Preparing to move on they heard approaching feet of a solitary figure, which turned out to be a very scared, escaped kobold slave. The sentinel gave the little fellow a trail ration which seemed to calm him down and he revealed that he was running from the nearby torture arena. The heroes asked if he had seen anyone matching Khara’s description to which he replied that he had but she was taken deeper into the fortress. When they asked how to find the arena, he simply replied “Follow the screaming!” before they let him scamper off into the tunnels.

Following his rather vague instructions they found themselves approaching the arena of torture.

After reading notes on a DM’s forum I had discussed allowing the party’s to attempt avoiding patrols via group stealth checks which my fellow DM was willing to try, the duergar trader idea also came from the same source (though selling a corrosive poison disguised as a healing potion was just my twisted idea).

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Web of the Spider Queen – D&D Encounters – session 9

 

Cast of players and their characters for early group:-

• Bryce Palmer, playing Human Mage
• Glenn Waters, playing Elf Hunter
• Matt Mawdsley, playing Dwarf Knight

Approaching the ogre cautiously the heroes engaged Dung in conversation, discovering that both ogres were slaves indentured to the Jaelre drow. Gradually gaining the confidence of Dung they convince him to open his portcullis in return for freeing him of his bonds (while the dwarf “distracted” him, the hunter used his agile elven fingers to release the locks on his shackles and collar). Dung was clearly happy and readily agreed to help convince his “brother” Worthless to join him in freedom and the hunt for squishy-snacks. The heroes were able to convince Worthless almost as easily and as the released ogres departed for the wilds of the Underdark, they began to scout the buildings within the walls of the drow fortress.

They managed to find and surprise a group of drow guards and following a brutal but brief fight, they moved into a more secure room to prepare for the trials to come further in the complex.

 Cast of players and their characters for later group:-

• Robert Cleale, playing Dragonborn Hexblade
• Chris Norris, playing Elf Hunter
• Tom Wright, playing Dwarf Sentinel
• John Grey, playing Drow Hexblade

The heroes were understandably concerned when they saw an ogre smashing rocks “for fun”, but their concerns proved unfounded as they soon found him compliant as they used a ruse of being slavers bringing more slaves, though his erstwhile companion within the walls took  a little more convincing, eventually being cowed into allowing their entrance. The party then comanded the ogres to close the gates behind them “took keep out any unwanted visitors” and strode off into the assembled buildings.

Once out of sight of the gate they searched for a suitable spot and possible left over Jealre cloaks to add to their “disguises” to facilitate their further exploration, before settling in to plan their next move.

Skill challenges continue to be the only part of 4e that rankles with me, but presenting this one as a roleplaying interaction instead worked well (and also proved that you can roleplay in 4e in general and Encounters in particular). The two groups had differing approaches in dealing with the ogres and was great fun to run through. Both sessions were relatively quick as they got on with it instead of dragging it out with irrelevant dice rolling and I think we all had fun running it.

Web of the Spider Queen – D&D Encounters – session 8

 

 

 

 

 

Cast of players and their characters for early group:-

• Bryce Palmer, playing Human Mage
• Glenn Waters, playing Elf Hunter
• Matt Mawdsley, playing Dwarf Knight
• Daniel Creed, playing Dragonborn Paladin

The wizard and knight started play as prisoners of the drow but on seperate levels of the “chain gang”. While the hunter and paladin arrived as reinforcements. As the action started the heroes were able to convince the goblins to revolt (one of which even got a bow shot off at one of the drow guards) before they fled to the lower levels, the bugbear however threw in his lot with the drow and took an instant dislike to the dwarf. This proved the goblinoids downfall (quite literally) as the dwarf blasted it from the stalactite into the waiting jaws of the spider below.

The rest of the heroes soon dealt with the remaining drow (after reviving the unconcsious paladin) and after gathering some minor treasure and ensuring that the spider posed no danger left though the bottom of the chamber.

 Cast of players and their characters for later group:-

• Robert Cleale, playing Dragonborn Hexblade
• Chris Norris, playing Human Necromancer
• Tom Wright, playing Dwarf Sentinel
• John Grey, playing Drow Hexblade

The sentinel and necromancer began play as drow prisoners with the pair of Hexblades coming to their rescue. Trying to convince the goblins to either join them or flee didnt work quite so well with only a couple of them actually trying to run (only to be cut down by the drow).

The bugbear once again joined the drow and managed to help maneuver the Necromancer into a precarious position on the exposed walkway before the drow used his longspear to topple him into the waiting web below. The waiting spider lurched forward eagerly and their battle was as brutal as thatin the stalactite above. Unfortunately once the necromancer lost concsiousness the spider was able to feed in piece, sated with its meal it paid no heed to the remaining heroes as they finally overcame the drow forces and moved out of the chamber.

Once again both sessions were down to four players (unusual for the late session which was reaching numbers of 7-9 some weeks) but game play was still full of tense action and dare I say the odd bit of RP (in an encounters session, who’d have thought it possible).  Each session ended with the survivors approaching the gates of the fortified drow outpost.

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Web of the Spider Queen – D&D Encounters – session 7

 

 

 

 

 

Cast of players and their characters for early group:-

• Bryce Palmer, playing Human Mage
• Glenn Waters, playing Eladrin Thief
• Matt Mawdsley, playing Dwarf Knight
• Daniel Creed, playing Goblin Paladin

As they hear the female voice call out for their surrender the newly arrived Goblin Paladin, Splug, decided to climb up the cavern wall to see who was speaking. He could just make out the tips of mailed feet overhanging a ledge some way above the opening his companions waited on. As he began to crest the ledge he tried to make a grab for the feet, which belonged to a drow with his mouth sewn shut. Unfortunately his luck ran out and he lost his grip on the cavern wall, tumbling towards the rocky floor below. The stoic dwarven fighter threw himself out into Splug’s path to control the fall (earning a moment of greatness), though both still landed heavily.

Looking up they saw the trio of drow begin to descend towards them, their weapons gleaming wickedly. The mage and rogue joined their companions in the cavern as battle was joined, and a fourth drow and large spider reinforced their enemies.

The fight was brutal, with the dwarven fighter taking over 100 points of damage! (another long awaited renown target achieved for Matt) but the final result was that the party were all down and out.

 Cast of players and their characters for later group:-

• Tilly Calow, playing Drow Hunter
• Chris Norris, playing Half Orc Warlord
• Tom Wright, playing Dwarf Sentinel
• Daniel Creed, playing Goblin Paladin (just didnt want to go home and we were thin on the ground

Splug once again tried to scale the walls but this time luck wasnt with him and neither was his dwarven safety net. A seventy foot fall onto a rocky surface spelled a swift end to the plucky goblin.

As the drow levitated down the Sentinel’s wolf took a couple of bites as they floated by. The hunter, sentinel and wolf quickly spread across the cavern floor, while the warlord “supervised” from the ledge. This tactic didnt last for long as the spider attacked from above and after leaping away, repeated the process later on.

The sentinel and his wolf came under furious assault from the drow armed with the swords and maul, while the hunter became the focus of the drow rogues pull and stab tecnique. The drow female used her venom ray against the warlord to minimal effect.

The hunter earnt a moment of greatness, managing to hit three of the drow in one attack and bloodying them in the process, unfortunately they then hammered the hunter into the ground, quickly followed by the sentinel.

The warlord backed away from the edge of the ledge, painfully aware that the way back wasnt an option and was soon surrounded and joined his companions in oblivion.

Having read this session before hand I had already thought in my mind that it was going to be brutal and with both groups short on numbers (due to players having personal commitments – how dare they! lol) I was expecting heavy casualties, but rather than weaken the encounter I decided to build in my own contingency plan.

At the end of each of this evenings sessions I told the “dead” players that their characters weren’t necessarily dead, and that the drow pulled the final blows, taking them captive. The players could keep the characters (coming back next session but with a 4-surge penalty – due to mistreatment by captors) and begin the game as prisoners of the drow, or create new characters with the 4-surge penalty and have the option of being a prisoner or newly arrived party reinforcements (losing the surges in the trials and tribulations arriving with the party).

Although both sessions ended in TPK’s both groups said that they had enjoyed it – I think it helps for the players to feel that once in a while the odds really are stacked against them and it adds that extra little bit of excitement.

 

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Web of the Spider Queen – D&D Encounters – Session 6

 

 

 

 

 

Cast of players and their characters for early group:-

• Bryce Palmer, playing Human Mage
• Glenn Waters, playing Eladrin Thief
• Me, playing Kobold Scout and Dming
• Adam Burgess, playing Drow Warpriest
• Lee Burgess, playing Drow Hexblade

Refreshed and revived the heroes continue through the drow tunnels, coming to a dead end with a large sculpted face of a dragon/demon mix, its eyes containing rolling flames and its huge maw open wide enough for a man to walk through, containing a silvery portal whose surface ripples like liquid.

As each hero stepped through they found themselves alone in a darkened chamber, faintly glowing words on the wall provided each of them a clue to how to pass Lolth’s test and progress through into the deeper realms. Most of the party passed with minor injuries but the mage suffered quite severe wounds before being dumped unceremoniously into a waiting cage. He was soon kept company as Skrit appeared in an adjacent cell.

They weren’t there for long before the remaining heroes appeared in the corridor outside the cells. The drow hexblade teleported into mages cell, intending to teleport the pair of them back out, but something prevented him doing so. The eladrin rogue soon spied the cleverly disguised locks and proceeded to spring the trapped members of the party free while the warpriest administered aid to the wounded.

The heroes then proceeded to the end of the tunnel and the entrance of an Underdark chamber leading onto a high ledge, as they climbed down to the cavern floor they heard a female voice call out for their surrender.

 Cast of players and their characters for later group:-

• Robert Cleale, playing Dragonborn Hexblade
• Chris Norris, playing Dwarf Knight
• Tom Wright, playing Dwarf Sentinel
• Simon Hunter, playing Human Mage
• Phill Norman, playing Elf Thief
• John Gray, playing Drow Hexblade
• Matt Mawdsley, playing Dwarf Knight

Refreshed and revived the heroes continue through the drow tunnels, coming to a dead end with a large sculpted face of a dragon/demon mix, its eyes containing rolling flames and its huge maw open wide enough for a man to walk through, containing a silvery portal whose surface ripples like liquid.

As each hero stepped through they found themselves alone in a darkened chamber, faintly glowing words on the wall provided each of them a clue to how to pass Lolth’s test and progress through into the deeper realms.

The individual heroes managed to pass the tests of Lolth without taking any serious damage, reappearing in the central corridor, after a brief discussion of their experiences they proceeded to the end of the tunnel and the entrance of an Underdark chamber leading onto a high ledge, as they climbed down to the cavern floor they heard a female voice call out for their surrender.

Both sessions were over relatively quickly this week as the skill challenges weren’t particularly long, it would have been nicer to have more than just the four different challenges as the late group actually had 2 people go through each challenge, thus giving the second person an advantage – though not in Phill’s case, arriving late just as the others had finished  but still managed to blow the Test of Shadows away with awesome dice rolls. No photo’s this week as not really anything to take a picture of!

Web of the Spider Queen – D&D Encounters – Session 5

 

 

 

 

 

Cast of players and their characters for early group:-

• Bryce Palmer, playing Human Mage
• Glenn Waters, playing Eladrin Thief
• Daniel Creedy, playing Goblin hexblade
• Me, playing Kobold Scout and Dming
• Adam Burgess, new player
• Lee Burgess, new player 

Deeper tunnels feel almost like home, but sneaky drow used them to try and ambush us while their snooty mage taunts us behind bars. The lady knight and surface elf disappeared as the fight started, but luckily more heroes have been sent to help in our quest. Unfortunately one of them wont be going further with is, after he heroically squeezed through the bars and went toe-to-toe with the drow mage, only to be smashed into the wall by his spider-staff. 

The rest of us fought off the sneaky drow with their swords and pesky crossbows (they have green stuff on that makes you feel icky) but then the mage covered the floor with sticky web-stuff trying to trap us. The scary part was when one of the new arrivals smashed a drow to the floor the tricksy wizard sent magic smoke into it and a bony spider jumped out of its corpse, eugh!

Just before the last of the drow was taken down the mage strolled off laughing, safe on the other side of the bars. When we realised the fight was over we decided to take a rest and see if the lady knight and her elf catch back up with us. Good job too, Skrit really tired.

 Cast of players and their characters for later group:-

• Robert Cleale, playing Human Knight
• Chris Norris, playing Dwarf Knight
• Tom Wright, playing Dwarf Sentinel
• Simon Hunter, playing Human Mage
• Phill Norman, playing Elf Thief
• John Gray, playing Drow Hexblade
• Matt Mawdsley, playing Dwarf Knight

The tunnels continue, descending via spiral staircase to lower chambers of clearly drow construction. The heroes examine a corridor with a partly fallen ceiling, discovering a draft coming from the exit of a hidden passage. They decide to spike it shut, and despite their efforts to be quiet they attract the attention of the occupants of several other hidden passageways who quickly appear and attack the party.

The mage hears the approach of more drow behind them on the staircase and cleverly blocks it with a curtain of flame as the remaining heroes move to intercept the drow as they appear. Kara and Tharinel (Elminster’s reinforcements) suddenly disappear, obviously needed elsewhere.

A drow mage beyond the portcullis trades magic and blows with the half-orc warlord, spirit wolf, and elf rogue, covering the area they’re standing in with asticky web-like substance. He tries to hide in a globe of darkness but the elf rogue activates a sunrod and then manages to throw it directly at his head! Dispelling the darkness and giving him a sharp headache in the process.

Meanwhile the human knight and drow hexblade take considerable damage from the drow in the northern corridor. Unfortunately it proves too much for the knight as he gets double-teamed by a pair of drow swordsman and dies before his allies can help him. In retaliation the mage uses his magic to force the drow back towards the sarcophagus they climbed out from and even manages to topple one back into the passageway below, hearing him land with a satisfying crunch of finality.

The heroes gradually gain the upperhand they drop the mage, as his body hits the floor it breaks open and thousands of tiny spiders scurry out, scattering into the darkened corridor beyond the portcullis. The remaining drow are easily dealt with and the heroes decide to rest in the now secured area and see if Elminsters allies return.

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Web of the Spider Queen – DnD Enc – Session 4

 

 

 

 

 

Cast of players and their characters for early group:-

• Bryce Palmer, playing Human Mage
• Glenn Waters, playing Eladrin Thief
• Daniel Creedy, playing Elf Mage
• Me, playing Kobold Scout

I scurried to Shadowdale as quick as I could, the nice pink-skin lady at the Temple of the sun god had asked me to go and help other heroes fend of drow raiders. When I got there they had already descended into tunnels under the weird shaped tower (how does that stay up?) but once I was underground I had the advantage and caught up quickly, just as two more people arrived by magic to help. Just in time too as we found the gates to the lower tunnels guarded by drow and their hateful goblin slave-soldiers.

The elf warrior spent much of the battle on the floor, but the mages called magically fire down on the ones in front of the gates while the nice warrior lady started pounding on the goblin protecting the drow crossbowmen.

The lady mage with the pointy ears foolishly rushed too close and got skewered by the crossbows, but her fallen body gave me a good hiding place while I got closer. (honestly I would have helped her if I could be i not know magics).

Warrior lady finally pinned last drow in corner but couldnt hit the wriggly thing, so I sneaked round and plunged my wicked blades into its sides while it not looking, the look of surprise on its face was worth it.

The lady then pulled lever and opened the gates but it looks like someone was listening and now they know we is coming. Good, Skrit wants vengeance for family, and drow gonna pay in blood!

 Cast of players and their characters for later group:-

• Robert Cleale, playing Human Knight
• Chris Norris, playing Dwarf Knight
• Tom Wright, playing Dwarf Sentinel
• Simon Hunter, playing Human Mage
• Phill Norman, playing Elf Thief
• John Gray, playing Drow Hexblade
• Matt Mawdsley, playing Dwarf Knight

The heroes knew with the arrival of Elminster’s reinforcements that things were gonna get tough, they weren’t wrong.

Descending into the deeper tunnels the heroes come to a fork, both sides have drow and strange purple goblins which the Hexblade recognises as Lolthbound goblins, one side protecting huge iron doors, the other protecting a large iron lever. New arrival Khara says the lever opens the doors to the lower tunnels.

The battle was brutal with the heroes taking heavy damage and a couple actually falling unconscious at one point. The highlight of the latter stages was while the human knight fought a crossbowman at the top of the stairs, the lithe form of the elf rogue somersaulted over them and attacked the drow from behind.

As the heroes pulled the lever, the dust was still stirring as if recently disturbed and Tharinel confirmed that someone had only recently left the area, what or whoever lay ahead, knew the heroes were coming!

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