Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for June 23, 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), and Timotei Kiraly (Human Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons. This was a Roll20 session.

The team set out down an unexplored hallway and could hear rats in the distance.  They found a large room with multiple doors.  Exploring through one, they came across a gibbet with a human skeleton within.  As they approached, it animated and reached for them!  The group slowly backed away.

Up another hallway, the found a dead human hanging from a chain and covered in maggots.  They took the man down and laid him to rest in the cave.  They then found a door barricaded by a table anchored by iron spikes.  They decided it must be holding something in, so they left it for now.  In another room, they found an iron chisel and a corridor bricked up with nice bricks but crude bricklaying work. 

The team circled around down another hallway and found themselves back in a large room and discovered the rest of the rats they had driven off.  They engaged the rodents and finished them off.  Garadal found an odd clay tablet with undecipherable writing and a picture.  The group figured it out it was a map pointing to something in a fairly nearby lake. 

They then backtracked to a large iron-bound oaken door they had passed earlier.  Jojo was able to pick the lock.  On the other side was a pack of starving giant shrews!  The vicious creatures charged forth and tore into the party.  The team suffered severe injuries, and Darados led the retreat toward the exit!  The group managed to slay four of the six giant shrews as they fell back, but Goorin went down under their gnashing teeth and died a quick and horrific death.  The last two shrews let the party flee as they feasted on Goorin’s remains.  The rest of the party regrouped at the entrance to the lair. 

Game summary for June 16, 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 rested at Fyodorll’s and met and hired a cleric named Kalana to accompany them.  They then headed toward the goblin lair.  After a day of travel, the team found a rough door and a crude painting of a red blade.  Old tracks showed lots of traffic had been in and out of here in recent weeks but not in the last few days. 

The group opened the door and moved into the cave.  Within, they were attacked by a flock of stirges!  The vicious creatures lodged their proboscises into the team and began draining blood.  The group fought valiantly and were able to eliminate the menaces without too much injury to themselves. 

After the stirges were slain, the team examined two doors and decided to head to the south.  They went down a hallway and found some kind of shrine decorated with red blades painted on the walls.  From behind they heard skittering, and a hoard of giants rats came rushing down the halls!  The team began to fall back, and Darados took out his flask of oil and doused many of the rats around him and the floor.  Unfortunately, the rats got around him, and he was cut off from the rest of the party.  He was standing in a pool of oil and shouted for Goorin to throw the torch and save themselves.  Goorin was reluctant to throw it, so JoJo snatched it out of his hand and hurled it!

JoJo’s aim was terrible, and the party’s only lit torch careened down the hallway way off the mark and slammed into the end wall.  It broke apart and fell sputtering to the floor and went out!  Plunged into the darkness, the team was paralyzed with indecision.  Darados could still see, but he was surrounded and started trying to fight his way out.  Kalana was able to take out her tinder box and ignite a torch.  With sight restored, the group was able to engage and drive off the rats and save Darados! 

Game summary for June 9, 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), 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 traveled south through the Dymrak Forest toward the goblin lair.  As they moved through the woodlands, they were attacked by five giant vampire bats!  The vicious creatures were tenacious but not terribly accurate with their attacks.  The party proved likewise, so the battle drew out for quite some time.  Most of the bats were dead when a squad of hobgoblins led by a hobgoblin king astride an ice wolf attacked!  The hobgoblins proved more dangerous with their swords and the freezing breath of the wolf.  Several of the party were badly injured, but they took down the hobgoblin foot soldiers and the rest of the bats.  The mighty hobgoblin king swung away with a massive two-handed sword, but the team was able to injure his mount badly enough that it ran off with the king still in the saddle! 

The group nursed their wounds by rubbing random plants from around the forest in them, since they had no healer.  They then looted the bodies and lamented they had no healer.  They decided to turn back to Fyodorll’s camp to rest before seeking out the goblin lair. 

Game summary for June 2, 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), and Timotei Kiraly (Human Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons. This was a Roll20 session.

Debating in Cherkass, the team decided perhaps Stephan was with the Wolfskull goblins who went Northwest from Sukiskyn.  They traveled back to the homestead and followed the goblins to Misha’s Ferry to find it burned to the ground.  They then followed the tracks back toward Ilyakana before the trail veered to the East back to Cherkass.  Along the way, they found a dead trapper and Red-Blade goblin who had killed each other in a fight.  They took the man’s pack mule and pelts.  The team ran across a group of refugees from Segenyev and learned the goblins had destroyed it.  After debating a while, they headed south and ran across the track to Fyodorll.

The team met up with the very, very angry elf from whom they stole horses and wagons.  She was furious, but the team ended up giving the pack mule, pelts, and weapons to Fyodorll and agreed to pay her for the horses they stole and return the wagons.  In exchange, she provided them a crude map to a goblin lair she knows the goblins to utilize in the southern woods. 

Game summary for May 26, 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), 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 agreed to seek out Pyotr’s brother, Stephan, and try and rescue him from the Wolfskull goblin clan.  They set out in the morning backtracking the goblin army heading toward Ilyakana.  Along the way, Darados temporarily misplaced his bow, costing them about half a day’s travel.  They came across the burned out homestead of Hokol.  North of Hokol, they walked through a clearing and encountered a trio of white horses and a black stallion.  They tried to approach, and the horse whinnied.  The party’s horses did likewise, and then all four of the horses sped off into the forest. 

When the team arrived at Ilyakana, they found Captain Kalanos roaming around, but he fled from them.  The group looked around a bit and then tracked the goblins to another burned out lumber camp further up the river.  After looking around for a while, they tracked the goblins to yet another ransacked homestead.  A burned sign revealed the name Cherkass.  From there they could determine the goblins had been there twice, once from the south and once from Ilyakana.  They decided the goblins must have come up from out the southern woods. 

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.