Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for May 5, 2020, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Darados (Elf played by Casey Scruggs), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Joseph Joestar (Human Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), Matius Lars (Human Fighter played by Chris Harmon), Riccon Guerrier (Human Fighter played by Peyton Harmon), and Timotei Kiraly (Human Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons. This was a Roll20 session.

The team salvaged doors from within the homestead and replaced the damaged doors in the kitchen.  JoJo tried to sneak out to the forge to look for hammers and nails and tripped over a bunch of pots and pans.  He did manage to get some supplies, and the team tried to seal up the homestead even further. 

As dawn approached, the team saw goblins charging across the field with crude ladders!  They tried to gain entrance to the second floor while larger, better armed goblins including their king wielding a massive red axe tried to chop into the main hall.  The group engaged the goblins from windows and cut them down.  However, the bigger goblins got access to the hall and started slaughtering the homesteaders!  Stellios fell first, followed by Taras’ wife Alfana.  Then, young Matvey was unable to elude a marauder and died.  The team swarmed around the upper balcony and rained arrows down on the goblins and tried to get to the ground floor to engage.  The goblins did not survive long, but horrendous damage had already been done.

Game summary for April 28, 2020, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Darados (Elf played by Casey Scruggs), Felix Stonebrook (Halfling played by Shane Bradley), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Igrith Irinilorh (Human Magic-User played by Preston Harmon), Joseph Joestar (Human Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), Matius Lars (Human Fighter played by Chris Harmon), and Riccon Guerrier (Human Fighter played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons. This was a Roll20 session.

The team gathered around Kuzma who nursed some of their wounds as they waited for the goblins to advance the siege.  After a few hours, they were not disappointed.  Dozens of goblins came charging over the bridge and through the burned down barn!  Two great goblins riding dire wolves ran among the horde. 

The goblins swarmed the homestead and began hacking on doors and hurling sling stones through the windows.  The group lined the battlements and windows and fired down at the marauders.  Goblins fell in droves, but they landed several lucky hits of their own.  The doors shuddered under the onslaught, and a well-placed shot through a window killed Igrith up on the second floor! 

Focusing fire allowed the group to kill one of the wolf riders, but the goblins pressed on.  The kitchen door caved in, and half a dozen goblins gained entrance.  Fortunately, the team had prepared for that and barricaded the inner doors as well.  As the arrows rained down, the morale of the goblins outside broke, and they turned for the woods.  The goblins inside the house did not know this, however, and they came crashing into the main hall and injuring the residents!  The party rushed down to the second and first floor to engage!  Although there were several injuries, no one else (other than goblins) were slain.  After a few moments, the fight was over.  Off in the distance, the war drums once again started to pound.

Game summary for April 21, 2020, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Darados (Elf played by Casey Scruggs), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Igrith Irinilorh (Human Magic-User played by Preston Harmon), Joseph Joestar (Human Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), Matius Lars (Human Fighter played by Chris Harmon), and Riccon Guerrier (Human Fighter played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons. This was a Roll20 session.

After watching the horrific death of their friends, the team saw several travelers fleeing another band of goblins.  This new group reached the compound and the safety within.  The group discussed their options and decided to try and hold the homestead against the goblins until dawn, assuming the goblins would hate the sunlight.  They scouted out the entrances to the homestead and barricaded them the best they could.  They then took up spots at windows and towers to fire missile weapons at any approaching goblins.

After a while, the team on the roof was accosted by a swarm of giant vampire bats!  Their bites caused paralysis, and the team was in trouble.  They shouted out for aid, and others came rushing up the stairs.  Swords were drawn, and bats were cut down out of the sky.  Arrows and crossbow bolts felled others.  After a few minutes of furious battle, the bats all lay dead on the ground around the base of the tower. 

Game summary for April 14, 2020, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Cassia Maccala (Human Cleric played by Kaliegh Averdick), Felix Stonebrook (Halfling played by Shane Bradley), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Igrith Irinilorh (Human Magic-User played by Preston Harmon), Jarek Moldovan (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Joseph Joestar (Human Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), Riccon Guerrier (Human Fighter played by Peyton Harmon), Sensei (Human Fighter played by Todd Hughes), and Zandra (Human Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons. This was a Roll20 session.

The team rushed toward the bridge and gatehouse as goblins riding dire wolves crashed out of the woods and took up pursuit!  From the gatehouse, a man called out urging them through the gate.  The group got inside, and a woman shut the gate behind them.  To the side a barn was ablaze, and goblins came pouring through.  The team ran toward the homestead, fighting goblins all the way.  Arrows plinked down from the homestead’s tower, and a one-armed man ushered them through the strong homestead door. 

Inside, the group met the family of Sukiskyn.  Pyotr, the head of the family, was at the top of the tower taking shots at goblins getting too close. Two floors down, his wife Darya was doing the same.  In the main room, the team met Pyotr’s son Taras and his wife Alfana, Pyotr’s daughter Irina, and his youngest son, Matvey.  Pyotr’s mother, Kuzma, revealed some healing skills and helped the group recoup from some of their injuries.  The one-armed man, Stellios, is the house servant.  They also met young Masha and her baby Garina.  Masha was distraught over the death of her father Novannes the blacksmith and her husband Hakos, his apprentice, minutes earlier. 

All around the homestead, camp fires illuminated the woods.  War drums resounded all around the valley.  Suddenly, they went silent and screams of a woman filled the night air.  The group could see a woman in a yellow dress way across the clearing by the tree line.  Darya was upset believing it to be her friend Katarina Cherkass.  Taras believed it to be a goblin trick, but Cassia, Jarek, and Zandra rushed out to her rescue.  When they got up to her, they found she was some ugly humanoid in disguise!  Goblins burst from the undergrowth and surrounded the trio.  They were cut down by the goblin blades in seconds, and their friends watched in horror from the homestead as their bodies were decapitated and heads taken as trophies! The goblins took their grisly prizes off into the woods screaming with excitement as the war drums once again took up their beat. 

Game summary for April 7, 2020, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Cassia Maccala (Human Cleric played by Kaliegh Averdick), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Igrith Irinilorh (Human Magic-User played by Preston Harmon), Joseph Joestar (Human Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), Nicholas Raden (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Riccon Guerrier (Human Fighter played by Peyton Harmon), Sensei (Human Fighter played by Todd Hughes), and Zandra (Human Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons. This was a Roll20 session.

The team continued upriver on the barge with Kalanos until the made it to Misha’s ferry.  They debarked and called out for Misha with no response.  Kalanos told them she often goes hunting with her bear and they should make themselves at home.  The group settled into the cabin for a few hours when a massive bear arrived and tried to get in!  JoJo opened the door and the bear tried to maul him!  The team tried to engage and hit the bear with a few grazing blows.  Cassia rushed up and was able to calm it, and it sauntered back off into the woods.  The team decided not to follow and went back to bed.

The next morning, the group decided to track the bear.  Not having a tracker, they relied on Riccon’s wilderness skills to follow it.  After a while, they realized it was heading in a different direction from Sukiskyn, so they pressed on toward the homestead instead.  By evening, they could see flames rising up over the trees and hear the sounds of combat! 

Suddenly, eight goblins wearing wolf pelts jumped up from the woods and ambushed them!  The goblins hurled spears with wild abandon, wounding the party some but mostly hitting nothing.  They then rushed in with axes and flailed about.  The team was able to take down a number of the marauders quickly, but not before one cut down Nicholas in the fray!  He slumped dead to the ground.  The party pressed the goblins back, and after six lay dead on the ground, two fled back into the darkness.  Cassia said a quick prayer of Nicholas’ corpse.  As she walked away, JoJo, Sensei, and Garadal snatched up a lot of his valuables.  The team then turned toward the bridge they could see illuminated by the light of a burning barn down the road. 

Game summary for March 31, 2020, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Igrith Irinilorh (Human Magic-User played by Preston Harmon), Joseph Joestar (Human Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), Nicholas Raden (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Riccon Guerrier (Human Fighter played by Peyton Harmon), Sensei (Human Fighter played by Todd Hughes), and Zandra (Human Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons. This was a Roll20 session.

The brawl with the boarders reached full swing with blades flashing, blood flowing, and magic arcing.  Things looked bleak for the team for a short time, but slowly the party began to turn the tables.  A boarder or two fell to the team’s attacks, and the group was able to huddle in back-to-back-to-back and fight a defensive battle that whittled away at the opposition.  Several of the party were badly wounded, but they were able to repel most of the boarders.  JoJo, jumped off the boat and swam to shore where he began trying to disengage the chain.  He was finally successful but found himself on the wrong side of it when it came loose!  He was thrashed to the ground and battered, but he survived.  The group killed the other boarders, and the archers fled into the woods! 

Game summary for March 10, 2020, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Cassia Maccala (Human Cleric played by Kaliegh Averdick), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Igrith Irinilorh (Human Magic-User played by Preston Harmon), Joseph Joestar (Human Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), Nicholas Raden (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Riccon Guerrier (Human Fighter played by Peyton Harmon), and Zandra (Human Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team met with a man named Stephan and came to terms agreeing to escort a herd of white horses from the homestead of Sukiskyn to the elven town of Rifllian.  They agreed to meet with a boat captain named Kalanos in a week and head up to Misha’s Ferry.  During the week, they met with some locals at the Rowdy Roddy and hired on an elven trapper named Elowyn who was familiar with the area.  They also hired on some men experienced in horsemanship to help with the trek. 

The group boarded the huge rowboat and started going up the river.  After a while, they came to a crashing halt as the boat slammed into a chain stretched across the river.  A small army of bandits emerged on the bank.  They fired arrows at the boat while boarders leapt into the river and swam for the boat.  The team tried to negotiate, but they would not agree to throw their weapons overboard and surrender to the “Iron Ring.” 

A vicious battle broke out, and the team began killing some of the would be boarders as they swam across.  Elowyn was struck by an archer on the shore and killed.  An armored man on shore was barking orders, and the team focused attacks on him.  A few arrows and a magic missile later, and he lay dead on the ground.  Meanwhile, several boarders made it on the boat.  Some were cut down in melee, but others still pressed in.  One of the rowers jumped up and tried to kill Cassia, but he was put down by the team quickly.  The archers along the shore held their fire as their allies tried to capture the party. 

Game summary for April 5, 2012, In Search of Adventure campaign, X8: Drums on Fire Mountain adventure; present characters included Dinendel “Legend” Telemnar (elf swashbuckler-enchanter), Gust Kingchanter (magic user enchanter), Nicholae Dragos (cleric elder), and Theobald Goblinbane (dwarf myrmidon).

The team quickly tried to follow Maerie and found the door locked.  Joined by enchanter Gust Kingchanter, the group by-passed the door with a knock spell.  This revealed a short hallway and a second locked door.  Nicholae broke the door down to reveal a fog-shrouded room.  The group stretched out a rope and each grabbed hold before moving into the concealing fog.  Within, Elasha succumbed to confusion and attacked the party as over a dozen nightmarish kal-muru emerged from the fog!  The battle was swift with several blows landing as the party fell back to make room for Gust’s fireball spell.  The flaming magic made short work of the kal-muru, and the team moved on after the party cast bless and haste.

Before long, the team was able to enter the chamber occupied by a mirror imaged KalnaKaa (the pig-man), his daughter Maerie, and half a dozen topis!  KalnaKaa yelled “you’re ruining everything” before casting a slow spell at the group, cancelling many of the haste effects.  The topi moved in slowly, and Maerie slinked to the side.

The party wasted no time entering the fray, and Gust stepped forward and unleashed a devastating lightning bolt that killed two topi and caught KalnaKaa in the edges.  The electrical arc then ricocheted off the wall and hit him again!  With smoke rolling from his ears, the pig-man staggered about.

The topi succeeded in holding the party back for a few moments while KalnaKaa shook off the lightning attack.  He snarled at Gust and shouted, “I can do that too, but better!”  The magic user then launched into casting and fired his own, larger, lightning bolt back at the team.  Gust was unable to avoid the bouncing spell and fried in his own boots.  Theobald took a hit from the rebound but avoided the worst of the effects.

The deadly topis began landing telling blows even though the party slowly cut them down.  Maerie charged in with her dagger and fell to Elasha’s deadly elven short blade!  Enraged, KalnaKaa shifted into a massive boar-like form as two summoned boars arrived.  KalnaKaa charged Theobald, mauling him terribly while the boars tore into anything that moved.  Theobald and Ma’Kala ran to the mangled, smoking corpse of Gust and dug out his potions which Theobald then quaffed gaining speed and healing.  Meanwhile, Legend worried the devil swine with his blade as Elasha jockeyed for position among the undead, boars, and lycanthrope.  Nicholae went down in a spray of blood as KalnaKaa mauled him to death.  Legend shielded himself with protection from evil and Theobald found a charging topi in his way.  Things looked grim, but the Conquerors of Chaos soldiered on dropping enemies and layering wounds on the devil swine.  Finally, Legend slipped in past the monster’s guard and cut him down with his enchanted sword!

In the battle aftermath, Ma’Kala performed a funeral ritual for Gust and Nicholae as the bodies would be left behind.  The rest of the team decapitated KalnaKaa and discovered a storeroom filled to bursting with gold and jewels!  They also discovered KalnaKaa’s journal and read about his secrets.  Using this information, the team loaded all their treasures onto a large outrigger canoe and returned to the Belle Venture just off the coast.  The team returned victorious to Thyatis and collected their rewards from Rollo Bargmann.

With many friends dead in the last month and a half, and wealth beyond most kings’ treasuries, the team decided to retire for a bit, live a safer life, and enjoy some of their heaps of gold!

Thus concluded 11 game sessions to complete X8: Drums on Fire Mountain using BECMI / RC Dungeons & Dragons rules.

The above summary is for a game session of Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC edition played by the Phoenix Gaming Club.

Game summary for March 29, 2012, In Search of Adventure campaign, X8: Drums on Fire Mountain adventure; present characters included Dinendel “Legend” Telemnar (elf swashbuckler-enchanter), Meriwen Arnatule (elf swashbuckler-enchanter), Nicholae Dragos (cleric elder), and Theobald Goblinbane (dwarf myrmidon).

The team moved down the stairs following the trail of the pig-man to find a massive fungi-filled chamber with two pools of water.  Meriwen crept forward seeking treasure and was attacked by a pair of giant leeches that attached to her draining blood.  The team engaged the vermin but the creatures continued draining away.  Meriwen pulled forth a dagger and sliced one of the leeches away while a pair of giant toads charged up from the fungus!

The toads attacked Ma’Kala, mauling her leg, and moved against Nicholae but failed to harm him.  The mighty cleric flattened a toad with a deadly charge!  Legend cut down another leech and spun about to attack the last toad, killing it.  The team healed Meriwen, and the elf then moved about invisibly and lead the group past several more toads.

The Conquerors of Chaos found a long half mile tunnel leading to a large room blocked by two iron gates.  They explored a bit and opened a far door revealing another long corridor.  Nicholae took out an iron spike and tried to hammer the hinges of the gates, and the barriers sprung to life!  The flailing bars whacked several team members, sending them scattering into the hallways.  The group tried to get the gates to move past the doors, but the mobile metal barriers stayed put.

Meriwen tried to clamber through the bars invisibly and was suddenly trapped by the crushing metal!  She let out a scream as ribs shattered.  The team listened in horror as the invisible elf was squeezed to death by the constricting bars!

The team decided to attack the gates full force and rushed into the hallway.  The team battered against the iron as it animated and attacked again.  Ma’Kala and blind Maerie stayed down the hallway out of harm’s way.  So the team thought.  Maerie, no longer faking blindness, stepped forward yelling “advance!” and revealing a magic dagger as she backstabbed Ma’Kala.  The iron bars shove the rest of the team backward past the exits while Ma’Kala tried to run from Maerie.

Maerie moved into the room, opened a door and yelled a warning, “Father, they have a scroll of fireball!”  She then moved through the door and locked it.  The group smashed one of the juggernauts to pieces, but Legend was crushed between the last gate and the wall!  He pulled out Myth, the folding horse, to try and make space.  However, the horse was crushed back into cloth form.  Nicholae and Ma’Kala frantically dropped cure light wounds on the pinned elf while the team pounded away on the bars.  Just as the last life was about to spew out of Legend, the team smashed the second juggernaut!

The team licked its wounds and said a prayer over the invisible corpse of Meriwen.  They then prepared to move on through the door and try to face off with the pig-man and traitorous Maerie!

The above summary is for a game session of Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC edition played by the Phoenix Gaming Club.

Game summary for March 22, 2012, In Search of Adventure campaign, X8: Drums on Fire Mountain adventure; present characters included Dinendel “Legend” Telemnar (elf swashbuckler-enchanter), Nicholae Dragos (cleric elder), and Theobald Goblinbane (dwarf myrmidon).

The Conquerors of Chaos proceeded down a hallway flanked by six niches occupied by crystalline statues with animal heads.  As the team moved down the hallway, the statues animated in pairs and attacked!  With hammer, sword, and spear, the team thrashed away on the stony monsters causing them to explode when destroyed!  The team was showered with razor-edged shards and pounded by stone fists but eventually proved victorious.  Each step cost dearly in blood and time, and the team used many spells of healing as well as charges from Ma’Kala’s staff of healing.

The team then went down a long hallway and found a huge cylindrical chamber filled with steam and mist and over a hundred swarming stirges!  The group got the jump on the creatures and ran down a spiral stairway, stirges fluttering after, and got to safety at the bottom!

Legend sat in some stone thrones they found and discovered he could view other rooms around the complex.  He tried each seat and found one that revealed the fleeing pig-man!  He was doing something with a pair of gates before heading through another doorway.  The group looked for tracks and found clear human-sized prints heading further down the chamber stairs.  The group set off with haste to try and catch the pig-man!

The above summary is for a game session of Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC edition played by the Phoenix Gaming Club.