Oneshot Dungeon Adventure: Vox

[Babale]

First off, if any of you reading this are planning on running the dungeon, DON'T READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!

OK. Let's get started. Vox, just post your character sheet here, please?

[Vox Clamantis]

Saint Carmine (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=132910)

~Gabriel

[Babale]

OK! Also, don't read Night Surgeon's; his is the same dungeon.


Before you, a long passage leads to a closed set of heavy doors. To your left and right are a series of torches.

[Vox Clamantis]

Are the torches magical?

[Babale]

They are completely mundane, although they seem not to go out or even flicker dangerously. Also, the fire never burns any of the torch's material.

[Vox Clamantis]

I'll draw my sword and start down the passage at a walking pace.

[Babale]

You reach the set of double doors.

There is some writing on the wall:

Through that which causes/Both good and bad/Happiness and sadness/Life and death/Is the true path

[Vox Clamantis]

I'll open the doors without entering the next room yet.

[Babale]

You attempt to open the doors, but your fingers pass about an eighth of an inch into the door and then hit rock.

[Vox Clamantis]

I'll turn around and head back down the passageway to the beginning, to take a look around there.

[Babale]

You spot nothing unusual.

[Vox Clamantis]

I'll go back to the torches. I suspect that they're not what they seem. I'll examine the sconces and test the substance of the walls they're in.

[Babale]

OOC: Nice catch!

IC: The last torch before the door on the left side is, in fact, an empty space, along with the wall around it. Your hand passes right through.

[Vox Clamantis]

I will step through the wall.

[Babale]

Before you is a tunnel, perfectly square. The walls, ceiling, and floor are all made of flawless stone. The hall streches for about 5 feet, then turns right at a right angle, obscuring what lies beyond the corner.

While there are no torches, there is an ambient, though faint, light which casts no shadows.

[Vox Clamantis]

OOC: I have darkvision.

IC: I move down the tunnel and turn the corner, pausing to make a mark with my claws in the stone. Just a simple arrow, pointing back to the fake wall.

[Babale]

You are unable to even slightly scratch the wall.

As you round the bend, you see a great chasm, 40 feet wide and so deep that even in the eternal light, you cannot see its bottom. The ceiling is about 40 feet up, and the chasm continues both to the left and the right for about 30 feet past the walls of the tunnel.

A small sign, made of the same stone as the rest of the walls, says:

"To cross, you must use, not the power of those who cross land whilst never touching it, but the power of those who create the new."

[Vox Clamantis]

Hm. Either it's a hazard designed to be passed only by spellcasters, or there's a very simple means of getting across that doesn't involve anything spectacular.

I'll take my longsword and feel around at the edge of the chasm to see if there's another illusion at work.

[Babale]

The chasm is real enough, no illusions there.

[Vox Clamantis]

OOC: Is this something that my character is in fact capable of solving? I wouldn't want to waste time trying to figure out a puzzle that requires a particular skill or spell... :smalltongue:

[Babale]

OOC:Yes it is. Anyone with an Int score can. (Too big of a hint?)

On the other side of the sign, there is a second clue:

"Necessity is the mother of invention; I am the father."

[Vox Clamantis]

Is there anything else is in area?

[Babale]

Nope. Nothing.

This is a riddle. Comon, think! You can do this! You figured out the last one!

[Vox Clamantis]

OOC: That's not much of a riddle. Father of invention? Curiosity, I suppose. That's the traditional answer.

I'll go get one of the torches and drop it into the chasm.

[Babale]

traditional answer? Shoot, didn't know there was one. I was thinking of something else.:smallbiggrin:

As our hero decides to go back and drop a torch into the pit, a torch suddenly appears and falls in.

That a hint enough for you?

[Vox Clamantis]

OOC: Ah, imagination. Yeah, the usual answer is curiosity, and that REALLY threw me off.

IC: I take a moment to appreciate the peculiar magic of the puzzle and then imagine a wooden bridge across the chasm, wide enough for a cart and complete with railing. (:smalltongue:)

[Babale]

A bridge indeed appears, and our hero crosses it with triumph.

(The "correct" answer was to imagine yourself appearing on the other side, but meh.)

On the other side, you enter a room. There are three statues: A heavily armed and armored human warrior, a weaponless elf female, and an orc with a greataxe. Each is holding out its hand, and the hand is formed as if to hold a sphere. Suddenly, a golden sphere just the right size appears in your hand.

To the right of the statues is a doorway encased in flames. To the left is an open doorway leading into a dark room.

[Vox Clamantis]

I'll go over and look into the dark room, but without entering.

[Babale]

You see a dark room, 20'X20', with a second doorway on the other side barely visible. It's magical darkness, as your darksight doesn't penetrate.

[Vox Clamantis]

I'll go back and place the sphere in the hand of the orc.

[Babale]

good choice.

The stone statue starts to crack, soon revealing an orcish barbarian, alive and eager for battle.

INITIATIVE:
[roll0]

[Vox Clamantis]

Initiative: [roll0]

I back away, readying sword and shield.

Hey now...I don't suppose you're inclined to parlay?

[roll1]

I can understand and be understood by any sentient creature.

[Babale]

The orc lowers his axe and looks at you quizzily; then, whatever magic compelled him to attack in the first place kicks in and he charges.

(will continue tomorrow, sorry...)

[Vox Clamantis]

Need to roll for maneuvers. Two granted to start with.

[roll0]
[roll1]

1 - Crusader's Strike
2 - Stone Bones
3 - Douse the Flames
4 - Mountain Hammer
5 - Revitalizing Strike

Am currently in Martial Spirit stance.

[Vox Clamantis]

Since my initiative was higher, I'll go first.

Mountain Hammer
[roll0]
[roll1] plus [roll2], all of which bypasses both DR and Hardness

[Babale]

The orc is hit by your blows.

He shakes his head, growls in anger, and swings his axe.

[roll0]

His axe completely misses, however.

[Vox Clamantis]

Rolling for maneuvers:

[roll0]

Using the numerical designations from last time.

[Vox Clamantis]

I'll try talking again.

I will accept your surrender!

If he doesn't lower his weapon, I'll use Douse the Flames and circle around behind him. There's no mechanical advantage to it, but I have to use the maneuver sometime.

[roll0]
[roll1] and an additional [roll2] damage if he's evil.

And he cannot make attacks of opportunity until my next turn.

[Babale]

(Sorry, I didn't have access to the map.)

The orc growls and strains himself, fighting the enchantment.

(He won't act this turn.)

[Vox Clamantis]

I think I'll lower my sword and try to encourage him.

That's it, there's no need for us to fight! Break whatever curse is binding you!

Using Resistance as a spell-like ability. He's also within my natural, double-strength Magic Circle Against Evil, so he'll get a +1 to any save he makes if the source of the effect isn't evil, +4 if the source is evil.

And
[roll0] to boost his morale, I suppose.

[Babale]

The orc smiles, and then dissipates into a fog, which floats away. Where he stood is now a red amulet in the shape of flames.

[Vox Clamantis]

Pick up the amulet and put it on, then walk through the door filled with flame.

[Babale]

You pass through the flames unsinged. Before you is another chasm, only this one looks natural rather then man-made. On the other side of the chasm is a open door.

The tunnel looks natural now, with small pebbles on the floor.

[Vox Clamantis]

I'll examine the pebbles.

[Babale]

The pebbles are completely normal.

[Vox Clamantis]

I'll take a handful of the pebbles and toss them out into the center of the chasm.

[Babale]

Some of the pebbles fall off, while others float in midair.

[Vox Clamantis]

Toss more pebbles until a pattern becomes detectable.

[Babale]

You see a line of pebbles leading from where you are to about 10 feet away, where your aim becomes too unpredictable to see.

The line of pebbles is about 5 feet wide.

[Vox Clamantis]

Five feet is pretty wide. I'll sheathe my sword, grab a handful of pebbles, and walk out on the invisible joiner. When I get to any part that isn't revealed, I'll drop a few pebbles to make sure there's something in front of me.

[Babale]

Continuing with your strategy, you eventually find that the brdge goes all the way.

[Vox Clamantis]

Then I shall continue across.

[Babale]

Before you lies a corridor in checker-board style.

[Vox Clamantis]

I'll step up to the edge without actually treading on any of the squares. What are the makeup and color of the tiles?

[Babale]

Some tiles are white, some are black. Each tile is separate from the others.

[Vox Clamantis]

Are there any markers or blemishes on the walls, ceilings, or the tiles themselves?

[Babale]

In the corner of every 4 lines in the tiles (IE, where the tiles meet in an X shape) there is a small round hole.

[Vox Clamantis]

I'll take out my sword and use the tip to pretty down on one of the tile from arm's length.

[Babale]

A tile of which color?

[Vox Clamantis]

White.

And I need some extra characters.