Classic Fantasy: Legend of the Fire Opal (Part 3)

Outside in the ruins of the monastery, the heroes draw breath and flop down for a rest. They decide to spend an hour allowing the fire in the webs below to run its course, watching as smoke billows out of the stairwell. Conversation is light as the three adventurers take stock: at least it had been quick and no one was injured. Only Flamepaw was feeling particularly tired, the energy used on spells taking its toll.

Resting for one hour allows the magic-user to regain one Magic Point.

Once the smoke has stopped, the adventurers gather up their gear and once more descend the stone steps – Nevim up front, Flamepaw behind him, and Grimblade at the rear holding the lantern.

At the bottom of the stairs, the group can see a wide vaulted chamber perhaps 30 feet square with a 20-foot-high roof. Burnt out streamers of webbing drape from above while the lines of arches, which start around 8 feet up and meet at a domed peak, draw the eye. The floor is strewn with stone, broken and rotted wooden weapon debris, and a sprinkling of silver coins. The skull of a small humanoid, perhaps a Goblin, lies near the centre of the room; the hulking form of a heat-scorched giant spider squats near the entrance. The air is thick with smoke and all three adventurers feel the acrid burning in their throats. There appear to be three exits: one southward, another westward, and a third eastward. In the southwest corner, there appears to be a pile of around ten mouldy sacks.

Nevim walks over to the sacks and notes the markings that indicate ownership by the Dragon’s Port Trading Company. It seems that they contain flour and grain, although it would surely be mouldy given the aged look of the canvas. He decides to leave them alone.

Flamepaw stoops over the Goblin skull and examines it, picking it up carefully.

Makes a Standard Perception test – rolls 31 against 58% skill. Success.

Looking underneath, the magic-user smiles to himself as he notices the outline of a shiny violet stone. Reaching in with his fingers, the Bruxx pulls out an almandine garnet worth (perhaps) 50 gold sovereigns. He pockets it.

Grimblade flashes the lantern around, noting that the southward passage seems to extend beyond the 30 feet range of the beam. To the west, the lantern reveals an oak door; to the east, the passageway seems to turn northward at the extremity of the lantern light.

Having looked over the sacks, Nevim takes a moment to pick up all the silver coins on the floor, netting 7 silver shillings for his effort.

“Which way?” asks the fighter.

“I say we press on down that passage ahead,” says Grimblade, gesturing towards the south.

With a nod, Flamepaw agrees and the party shifts two abreast with Nevim and Grimeblade side by side and the magic-user behind.

As this portion of the dungeon is keyed (cf. Dungeon Masters Guide, 1^st edition, 1979, pp94-96), I choose to use the descriptions as written for now…

This large place appears to be a dead-end. It has roof supports similar to the first chamber, but the vaulted ceiling dome here is fully 25 feet high. The walls are cut stone block, the floor is rough.

“Not much to see here, is there?” says Nevim.

“Let’s have a quick scout around the edges,” replies Flamepaw.

The group is going to spend 10 minutes actively searching the edges of the room for… well, anything interesting on the walls or floors. The text tells me there is an interesting feature but we need to determine if anyone notices it – I assign the adventurers randomly to each of the three walls: Flamepaw to the west, Grimblade to the south, Nevim to the east. All make Hard (due to the flickering light in the dark room) Perception tests – all three fail their rolls. While I think of it, I roll for a wandering monster – 1d10, scoring 6 for no monster.

“Seriously, if there was ever anything interesting in here then it’s gone now,” concludes Grimblade.

Walking back to the entry chamber, the adventurers take stock: a wide vaulted chamber perhaps 30 feet square with a 20-foot-high roof; there appear to be two further exits: one westward, and another eastward. With a shrug, Flamepaw gestures to check out the door at the end of the west corridor.

The door is made from heavy oak with bronze hardware. As he has keen ears, Flamepaw decides to press his ear against it and listen…

Standard Perception test – rolls 43 against 58% skill.

Flamepaw hears a moaning sound which rises and then fades away. Odd.

“There’s a moaning sound that appears to rise and fade away,” says the magic-user.

“Like a ghost or haunt?”

“Not sure. Odd sound, really.”

“Let’s check out the other passage,” says Nevim, “I don’t like the sound of that.”

With a nod, the party backtracks and walks down the passage to the east.

Quick check for wandering monsters – rolls a 9, no monster.

The passage is 30 feet long and turns northward at the corner. Peering around the corner, Grimblade notices a junction 10 feet north of the corner heading east. The group decides to look in both directions before deciding on a course of action. Grimblade eases the lantern around the intersection but the tunnel goes on beyond the 30-foot range of the light in both directions. They decide to head north. Around 40 feet further north from the intersection, the group come across two doors: one to the west and the other to the east.

They’ve moved around 80 feet with stops to look, so it’s time for a random monster check – rolls a 1 for an encounter. Roll 1d100 on Level 1 table, score 10 to get a common encounter and then roll 23 to get 1d3+3 Goblins. Test for leader fails, as does test for spell-caster. Roll 1d3+3 and total four Goblins. Nice.

As the adventurers reach the end of the corridor and begin to look at the wooden doors, a sound from behind brings them to alert – they wheel around to see short, wiry figures emerging from the intersection they passed earlier. Goblins!

Roll for Initiative – Goblin group rolls 2 for a total of 13. Flamepaw rolls 9 to total 29 (yes, really); Grimblade rolls 3 to score 17; Nevim rolls 1 to total 10. Turn order will be Flamepaw, Grimblade, Goblins, and then Nevim.

Flamepaw whirls around and weaves his hand in the air to cast a spell…

You guessed it, going for a Magic Missile – three Magic Points creates an Intensity 2 attack with a range of up to 200 feet. Rolls 88 to fail the Arcane Casting test… and I decide to spend a Luck Point to re-roll. Rolls 14 to succeed! 1d20 for random location on the closest Goblin scores 18… for 4 points of damage.

A red streak shoots from the magic-user’s hand and strikes the Goblin’s unarmoured left arm. As he’s not yet warding with the shield, the Goblin shrieks as the magic missile pierces his skin and burns!

Goblin’s arm is reduced to -1 hit point and he must test Endurance opposed by the attack roll – rolls 96 against his 42% skill to fail.

The Goblin drops his shield as the pain sears his left arm! Flamepaw stands firm in the corridor.

Grimblade readies his broadsword and strides 10 feet down the corridor, getting between the Goblins and Flamepaw. The Goblins ready their spears and shields, warding high and forming a block across the corridor, although the wounded guy hangs back. Nevim readies his longsword and shield, warding high, and marches towards the enemy.

Flamepaw casts another spell…

Magic Missile again – rolls 62 against 64% Arcane Casting skill, rolls a 9 against the lead Goblin on the right for 6 points of damage! The Goblin fails the Endurance test…

One of the lead Goblins is struck by a red dart zooming from the magic-user’s hand, landing in his Abdomen and ignoring the armour there… the Goblin grunts with the pain, doubles over, and falls unconscious.

He’ll be down for 6 minutes – what a lucky shot!

Grimblade shouts a war cry and moves up to the nearest Goblin. Nonplussed, the Goblin tries to stab him…

Goblin rolls 65 against his Goblin Warrior Combat Style of 52%. Grimblade has banked a Delay action, so he gets to react at no extra Action Point cost – rolls 17 under his 57% Thief Combat Style to gain one Special Effect. He opts to try to trip the Goblin, who must roll Evade against the original Parry roll – scores 16 to succeed but rolls lower than the original 17!

The Goblin’s spear goes well wide of the half-orc, who steps inside of the Goblin’s legs and pushes the little creature prone. Standing over the Goblin, Grimblade roars again!

Do the Goblins press the attack? I decide to test their Willpower – roll 90 against their 42% skill.

Seeing two of their number down, and with one of the survivors injured and shieldless, the Goblins decide to back off slowly around the corner from whence they came. Nevim strides forward to stand over the felled Goblin.

Flamepaw decides to save his energy and moves up behind Grimblade. The half-orc decides to slash his sword across the unconscious Goblin before him.

Automatic hit against a defenceless foe, goes for Choose Location (Head) and rolls 1d8+1d2 for 9 damage – three points of armour makes that 6 wounds, reducing the Head to -2 hit points. I guess we can add to the Goblin’s unconsciousness.

As the other two Goblins withdraw, Nevim attacks the prone Goblin who’s still fighting…

The Goblin rolls 59 to miss Nevim. The fighter rolled 89 to hit, so I spend a Luck Point to re-roll – score 10 this time! The Goblin tries to parry, rolling a Formidable test needing 26% and scoring 56. Nevim selects Choose Location (Head) and rolls 1d8+1d4 to score 9 damage. Like the other Goblin, this one is reduced to -2 on the Head… and he fails the Endurance roll with 54.

The longsword crashes across the Goblin’s helm, piercing the studded leather and opening a huge gash. The Goblin wobbles and then crashes to the floor, unconscious.

As the fights ends, and the sound of flapping Goblin feet is heard disappearing down the corridor, the two warriors despatch the two injured enemies and take a deep breath.

As the session ends, I decide that the heroes will check out the two doors and then withdraw before the Goblins return…