Expedition into Castle Grimbank (OD&D Campaign Journal)

[YossarianLives]

Years ago, when I had just started playing TTRPGs I discovered White-Box OD&D on the internet. I was immediately enthralled. Something about it just seemed right. In my opinion, this is how D&D is meant to be played.

In a game like this, things aren't going to be easy. Monsters are terrifying and dangerous. Magic is mysterious and eldritch. Your friends are dying around you. But if you're lucky, clever, and ruthless, you might just survive. If you're even luckier? You might get rich and powerful in the process.

I'll get to the point. For years I've wanted to run a campaign using the original Dungeons & Dragons ruleset from 1974. Now I finally have the opportunity to do so. I've gathered three (sort of) willing players to enter my own insane, twisted, mega-dungeon: Castle Grimbank. It is an ancient fortress built atop a tall hill, overlooking the majestic Tsell River. Local legends tell of a massive labyrinth that runs for miles underneath the castle. Many intrepid warriors have explored Castle Grimbank over the many years since it was abandoned. Very few have returned.
I've implemented a few houserules that lower lethality, but beyond that we're playing pretty much by the book.

We played our first session today but one player was missing due to sickness, she'll probably be back next week.

Spoiler: The Party

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"Fuyu Persimmons"
Don't ask about the name. This player absolutely refuses to roleplay in any shape or form.
Fuyu is a chaotic human cleric of Kord. He rolled a 17 for his strength but still opted to play a cleric rather than a fighter, which is probably for the best as it creates a more balanced party. Fuyu fights with a lucerne hammer. There's little else to say.

Ivan
He's a neutral human fighter. He got lucky with his rolls and ended with charisma and dexterity as his highest rolls. Despite planning to play a sneaky roguish type he ended up wearing plate mail and shield although he still focuses on ranged combat. He has a brother who is deeply in debt to a local gang back home.

Spoiler: Recruitment and Preparation

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Our adventure begins in the village of Grimbank which is located on the other side of the Tsell river. It is a small town with less than 100 residents. Fuyu and Ivan who just arrived in Grimbank by boat set about preparing for their expedition in Castle Grimbank. They hire a cleric named Tharp loitering in the tavern looking for companions into Castle Grimbank, they buy some supplies (torches, rations, rope, etc..) and began their journey. They cross an ancient stone bridge across the river and climb up the steep hill toward the castle. They walk through the broken and shattered gates. They tred carefully through the courtyard and into the keep. They enter through the door which is unlocked and proceed down the main hallway ignoring the many doors. They light up a torch and give it to Tharp to carry. They descend down a set of stairs into darkness.

Spoiler: Exploring

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They wander around through empty passages and corridors for a while. They find a fountain with completely clear water, a tombstone with a message written in lawful which they cannot read, and a treasure chest hidden behind a secret panel in a fireplace. They ignore all of these things. Eventually they find a room with two orcs guarding a naked man chained to a wall, a kobold tied up with rope, and a vaguely humanoid creature covered in a green carapace that is clearly enraged and is throwing itself against the bars of its cage trying to break out. Our heroes surprise the orcs and dispatch them quickly before the orcs can retaliate. They untie the kobold and question it. The kobold says that the orcs were trying to sell it into slavery. They set the kobold free and in return the kobold shows them the location of the orcs hidden wealth under a loose flagstone. They thank the kobold and it leaves promising to help the adventurers if it ever meets them again. They then release the naked man chained to the wall using a key they found on one of the orcs' bodies. He identifies himself as Necal, a cleric of Heironeous who was adventuring in Grimbank but was ambushed by orcs and left for dead by his companions. He then identifies the horrid creature in the cage as a demon-spawn, the product of breeding between a human and a demon. He also thanks the adventurers profusely and promises to meet them back in Grimbank Village. They move on and continue their adventure. After walking around for a while longer they end up in a massive natural cavern. The cave has three small pillars and one large one which has a small entrance that they cannot see from where they entered. A black dragon is hiding within. A huge treasure chest sits in the corner of the room. They investigate the treasure chest unaware of the presence of the dragon who is sleeping. There is a 75% chance for the dragon to wake up when they touch it's treasure. I roll a 76 on my precentile die and the dragon stirs but remains asleep. They find over 4000 gold pieces and a magical sword in the chest They decide to drag the treasure chest behind them making huge amounts of noise and slowing them down. Due to ridiculously good luck the dragon still slumbers and they decide to leave the dungeon with their loot.

Spoiler: Getting Lost

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At this point our heroes get really, really lost and wander around in a circle for over an hour of RL time. They were convinced that following the right wall was the best way to go and wouldn't listen to me. They also decide to abandon all their treasure for no reason. They encounter a zombie at some point and kill it. Eventually I got fed up with their inability to find their way out and just fiat them out of the dungeon. Yay

Yeah, I realize this wasn't exactly the most encouraging session but I have high hopes for this campaign. We play every Sunday.