Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for May 19, 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), Goorin Bibs (Halfling 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 Timotei Kiraly (Human Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons. This was a Roll20 session.

The team caught the fleeing goblin, Tori, and spoke to her for some time.  She offered them her pet rock, Dori.  They eventually learned Dori became her best friend after being used to kill another goblin who was bullying her.  She tried to flee, but Taras took his revenge for his slain wife by shooting her with an arrow. 

The group tracked the missing horses to a little used track in the forest which led to a sign reading “Mss L. Fyodorll – Equine Entrepreneur – Dealer in Fine Horses.”  They discovered an elven woman and four armed men along with a corral holding dozens of horses.  After some discussion they learned this woman bought the horses from the goblins!  She offered to sell the horses back at cost for 50 gp each.  The team did not have that money but discussed a partnership where she, the team, and the homesteaders would all get a portion of the sales of the horses to the elves.  Taras was against the idea, but the group eventually talked him into grudging acceptance. 

After making camp nearby, JoJo the thief revealed his plan:  steal all the horses.  He recruited the party into the heist.  Sensei stood watch with two of Fyodorll’s guards and ended up in a distance spitting competition with them.  He used that to distract them and bashed both of them unconscious using Dori.  JoJo then crept into the wagon where another guard was sleeping and knocked him out with Dori.  With three of the guards tied up, JoJo tried to pick the lock on a wagon but accidentally woke the man up.  As he emerged from the wagon, JoJo knocked him out with Dori as well.  He then used some rope and made it difficult to open Fyodorll’s wagon. 

The team then hitched up two of the wagons to horses and drove the entire herd away into the night with the furious elven trader screaming at them from inside her wagon.  After returning with the horses to Sukiskyn, they found several men from the Ilyakana lumber camp had arrived after being attacked by goblins.  They had sad news.  Captain Kalanos and Pyotr’s brother Stephan had been taken by the goblins at the camp! 

Game summary for May 12, 2020, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), 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.

As dawn broke, the team could see the Wolfskull goblins leaving the battlefield, and the forest seemed serene and empty.  The team helped re-fortify the homestead and agreed to help Taras go after the lost horses.  The group took some provisions and headed out following the trail of the herd.  Before too long they noticed a trail of dire wolves following the horses.  After about half a day journey, they came to a clearing filled with slaughtered goblins, horses, and wolves.  Feasting on the corpses were six oil beetles!  The hungry vermin came charging across the field in search of fresh meat. 

A pitched battle soon ensued.  The beetles’ hard exoskeleton proved hard to penetrate, but the beetles had no problem biting the party.  When they bit, they spewed a blistering oil making it difficult to fight through the pain.  The team ran around the field firing arrows and trying to avoid the vermin.  However, Matius proved a bit too slow and died in the mandibles of a vicious insect.  As the last beetle was finally slain, a goblin dropped down out of a tree and tried to run away!

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.