As you might be able to tell from my post on Session II, Part I, rather than running the Red Box solo adventure completely by the book, I've reskinned it to better fit my campaign. I do, try, however, to capture the spirit of the adventure and to hit the major story beats.
Before heading up to the caves, the party does some background research and finds that Mr. Infamous is a magic-user of some skill and, like the PCs, a Gaul. Further, in addition to kobolds and undead, he has hired a fearsome mercenary named Warduke as muscle:
Not much is known about Messr Warduke, other than he's an accomplished warrior who likes somewhat impractical armor and his eyes glow red because he wields a powerful demon-possessed sword.
After buying some maces, the PCs head out of the city and, as the party approaches the ruins, dusk falls.
[As DM] I ask, "Do you want to push onward into the caves?"
D asks rhetorically, "You mean going into caves that are filled with undead at night, right?"
K says, "Yeah, that sounds like a terrible idea" and PCs decide to make camp.
During the night, the party sleeps in shifts and, during the nameless Fighter's shift, the PCs encounter wandering monsters: the nameless Fighter fails his spot check and only realizes that the party has been overrun by a kobold scout team after a couple arrows are sticking out of his chest.
The nameless Fighter manages to wake the others as six kobolds burst forth from the tree line! The nameless Thief successfully Hides in Shadows while the kobolds charge toward Aleena and the nameless Fighter.
As Aleena sets a spear against the charge, she notices and comments on the nameless Fighter's lack of a spear. When the nameless Fighter says he didn't think to buy a spear, she replies that she has an extra, which is a good thing since, a moment later, the nameless Fighter is able to skewer a kobold.
Kobold #1 is slain!
As the melee is joined, the nameless Thief successfully backstabs!
Kobold #2 is slain!
At this point, the remaining kobolds surrender.
After Session I, I realized that I'd oversold the notion of "self-interested bastards" so, to prevent the slaughter of more unarmed prisoners or other descent by the PCs into becoming murderhobos, I instituted the Mercy Rule: riffing off the Dying Earth stories by Jack Vance, if someone asks for quarter and it is not given, the murderer is subject to a Death Curse (DM's discretion). To balance the situation, if someone asks for quarter and it is given, the asker is then not allowed the harm (broadly interpreted) the other party, directly or indirectly, by act or omission for a night and a day or else be Cursed themselves.
So, in practice, this means that if someone surrenders, the surrendering party's only option is to flee the area for at least two sunsets (without alerting or otherwise tipping off their compatriots that something is amiss).
The PCs don't think to ask the lizard guys any questions, so the defeated opponents take off without another word. After the kobolds leave, Aleena uses her Cure Light Wounds spell on the severely injured nameless Fighter.
Setting out again at daybreak, the party quickly reaches the ruins above the caves:
The ruins, a graveyard, are devoid of activity so the party presses on. It doesn't take long to find the entrance to the caves, which is where the bodies are laid to rest, thus the presence of the undead:
The PCs know that Sister Aleena is divinely favored (because Dread Images of Doom and Foreboding are unsubtly magically projected into their minds promising what should happen if misfortune befalls the young cleric), so they put her in the middle of the marching order, where the PCs figure she'll be safe!
Before heading up to the caves, the party does some background research and finds that Mr. Infamous is a magic-user of some skill and, like the PCs, a Gaul. Further, in addition to kobolds and undead, he has hired a fearsome mercenary named Warduke as muscle:
Not much is known about Messr Warduke, other than he's an accomplished warrior who likes somewhat impractical armor and his eyes glow red because he wields a powerful demon-possessed sword.
After buying some maces, the PCs head out of the city and, as the party approaches the ruins, dusk falls.
[As DM] I ask, "Do you want to push onward into the caves?"
D asks rhetorically, "You mean going into caves that are filled with undead at night, right?"
K says, "Yeah, that sounds like a terrible idea" and PCs decide to make camp.
During the night, the party sleeps in shifts and, during the nameless Fighter's shift, the PCs encounter wandering monsters: the nameless Fighter fails his spot check and only realizes that the party has been overrun by a kobold scout team after a couple arrows are sticking out of his chest.
The nameless Fighter manages to wake the others as six kobolds burst forth from the tree line! The nameless Thief successfully Hides in Shadows while the kobolds charge toward Aleena and the nameless Fighter.
As Aleena sets a spear against the charge, she notices and comments on the nameless Fighter's lack of a spear. When the nameless Fighter says he didn't think to buy a spear, she replies that she has an extra, which is a good thing since, a moment later, the nameless Fighter is able to skewer a kobold.
Kobold #1 is slain!
As the melee is joined, the nameless Thief successfully backstabs!
Kobold #2 is slain!
At this point, the remaining kobolds surrender.
After Session I, I realized that I'd oversold the notion of "self-interested bastards" so, to prevent the slaughter of more unarmed prisoners or other descent by the PCs into becoming murderhobos, I instituted the Mercy Rule: riffing off the Dying Earth stories by Jack Vance, if someone asks for quarter and it is not given, the murderer is subject to a Death Curse (DM's discretion). To balance the situation, if someone asks for quarter and it is given, the asker is then not allowed the harm (broadly interpreted) the other party, directly or indirectly, by act or omission for a night and a day or else be Cursed themselves.
So, in practice, this means that if someone surrenders, the surrendering party's only option is to flee the area for at least two sunsets (without alerting or otherwise tipping off their compatriots that something is amiss).
Setting out again at daybreak, the party quickly reaches the ruins above the caves:
The ruins, a graveyard, are devoid of activity so the party presses on. It doesn't take long to find the entrance to the caves, which is where the bodies are laid to rest, thus the presence of the undead:
The PCs know that Sister Aleena is divinely favored (because Dread Images of Doom and Foreboding are unsubtly magically projected into their minds promising what should happen if misfortune befalls the young cleric), so they put her in the middle of the marching order, where the PCs figure she'll be safe!
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