[Spoiler-free, player-safe section]
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| Morthimion |
Two
years have passed since the last update on Morthimion,
a dungeon we have been exploring as a side-show to other, larger campaigns. For
those who are not blog regulars, or do not want to read up on this stuff, Morthimion
came about as an experiment to play Original D&D (reasonably) by the book,
three booklets only. Most OD&D games use the followup supplements, or at
least Greyhawk, which gives you a slightly rougher, lower-powered proto-AD&D.
LBB-only OD&D is not yet that game. It lacks many of the monsters, spells,
and classes we would associate with D&D; hit dice and weapon damage are
universally 1d6; monster XP is much more generous than it would be later; and ability
scores barely do anything. Level advancement can be very quick at the start,
but gets quite slow later. Beyond the sheer oddity and archaic charm of it, OD&D
hangs together surprisingly well if taken seriously and played by the book. It is
not a fantasy novel simulation, it is a verbal tunnel exploration and
puzzle-solving game that has simple but effective mechanics for looting
labyrinthine subterranean complexes.
Here
is where Morthimion stood in August 2019:
“I
have also completed Level 3, The Crypts, progressed with the wilderness
section, and written brief encounter ideas for some of the sub-levels the
characters have discovered in the last two games. These will be explored in the
next post, after we have a few more sessions under our belt! Until then… Fight
On!”
Well,
the games progressed decently until late 2019, when two things happened: the
bat plague put our face-to-face games on hold, and after completing another
sublevel (The Court), I felt burned out on the dungeons. The campaign
was on hiatus, with only one session in 2020. After a long break, I feel like
the creative block may be lifting, and Morthimion can return to rotation. Level
4, The Mines, has been drafted and the first draft of the key written; we
also held another game yesterday with some quite interesting results.
This
post shall summarise what has been going on in Morthimior (Ryth Chronicles-style),
and allow me to clear my head by releasing two more levels of the dungeon –
which will be found at the end of the post. To protect the innocent (my players
surely are), this later section will be spoilered.
*
* *
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| Domains of the Faerie Princes |
Older
Expeditions
Here
are the main events of the Morthimion campaign:
On
October 27, 2019, a wilderness expedition was conducted to
the northern highlands of the Domains of the Faerie Princes. Not even
far from King Donald’s Wall, the company already had to leave behind two horses
to distract 5 griffins going for their company. A ruined village in the swamps
yielded good bounty – old wine barrels with valuable vintage. Fatalgor
the Footpad (the campaign’s only Thief – transferred from another game, and
thus valid) was only saved from spider venom with an antidote. After selling
off the barrels at Lodobar’s Tavern, a forest hangout of knaves and
miscreants (where Szaniszlo, a light footman, snuck away to seek
adventures elsewhere), the group headed for the highlands proper, and right
into the nest of two green dragons. Surprised in the dense forest. Renato the
horseman, Rudolf the light footman, Owl (Fighting Man 1), El
Caballo the torchbearer, Zsazsa the bowman and Fero the heavy
footman perished by dragon breath. Turning to flee in bind panic, the others rolled
on the Table of Terror. Axbjard Bjardax (Dwarf 2), Hijo de Emirikul (Magic-User
2), Xingar (Fighting Man 2), and Fatalgor (Thief 2) all rolled
hilariously badly, and were devoured by the dragons. Tumak the Shaman (Cleric
2) would be the sole survivor, but he would be missing for several weeks, out
of the game.
A
new company from experienced and newly recruited adventurers was established
for a safer dungeon expedition. Premier brought Tycho the Ascetic (Cleric
2 of Law) and Weirlord (Magic-User 1), as well as Chort the
torchbearer, Ale the porter, and Montgomery the footman. Narmor
took Önund the Mystical (Magic-User 2), joined by Ulf Jr., a footman.
Bendoin took Derek (Fighting Man 1), followed by his domineering aunt Dahlia
Derekovna (a porter), and his uncle, the bowman Derekov; as well as Alyssa
(Elf 1). Gajzi took Bandar (Cleric 3 of Risus, God of Uncontrollable
Growth).
Shortly
after leaving Lodobar’s Tavern, Derekov was caught and eaten in the
forest by a giant frog. Pressing on to Morthimion and descending to Level 1,
the company was checking out a set of stairs leading upwards, but
triggered a slide trap that dumped them down into Level 3! The way was sealed
and the mission changed immediately: escape alive! This section of the level (The
Juggernaut Tomb) consisted of looping passages, and rumbling noises soon
turned out to be enormous rolling juggernauts, one of which caught Dahlia
Derekovna under its wheels, squashing her flat. Passages to the west led to
a corridor patrolled by a hydra (wisely avoided), while a northern passage revealed
an exit from the juggernauts’ path. Passing by stairs down to Level 4 (not an
attractive prospect), the explorers discovered the The Arena of Death,
where a group of werewolves appeared out of thin air to fight the challenging
PCs. Lacking effective magic, they had to flee back where they came – Montgomery
was left dead in one of the rooms after he burned himself to death with his
own flaming oil.
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The horror, the horror...
Level 3 is discovered! |
Back
in the Juggernaut Tomb, secret doors in the middle lead to a strange talking
enigma calling itself “the Sphere of Infinity”, which demanded a hefty sum for information
about finding a way out of the level. Meanwhile, Ulf Jr., exploring a
nearby room, was drained and killed by a spectre lurking in a stone
statue. and eventually, the southern way opened into a less dangerous dungeon
section. An old man demanding 200 gp per character “or suffer the Curse of the
Third Depth” was paid by most PCs, except Alyssa and Bandar, who had neither
the money nor the intention to pay. Following the words of the Sphere of
Infinity, they passed through a network of ghoul-haunted catacombs, and finally
found a staircase back to Level 1! To their horror, Alyssa and Bandar
now learned the true meaning of the “Curse of the Third Depth”: they could
not leave this dungeon level, no matter how they tried! These two adventurers
disappeared down in the dungeon, and were never seen again – the others,
earning meagre loot but at least keeping their lives, headed upstairs to return
to the surface...
On
November 30, 2019, a different company probed Morthimion’s
depths. Returning to the party came Derek (Fighting Man 1) and his
henchman Dolmio the bowman, with Dr. D. (Magic-User 1) and his
henchman, Demon (heavy footman); Tycho the Ascetic (Cleric 2 of
Law) and Weirlord (now a Magic-User 2) with Ale (porter), Chort
(torchbearer), and Rommel (heavy foot). They were joined by two
Morthimion veterans, Brother Tivold, Cockroach of the Light (Cleric 3 of
Chaos) with his henchman Mario the Peg-Leg, Xang (Fighting Man
2), and Xodak (Hobbit 1). Helmet Buddy (Dwarf 2) also joined the
group.
This
company opted for a wilderness expedition in the lower parts of the valley.
They were soon attacked in the forest by giant frogs, and Mario the Peg-Leg was
devoured. Meeting a Gypsy caravan shortly afterwards, they consulted with their
leader, Offryn the Outlaw, for a crystal ball reading. This brought to
their attention a mysterious stone arch they had already seen near a forest
cemetery, somehow connected to “the Prince of Roses”. Unfortunately, seeking
out the arch brought no enlightenment, and they instead plundered some of the
crypts in the cemetery, recovering modest but not too difficult plunder to a
total value of 5900 gp.
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| Level 2 explorations... |
A
second expedition led down to Level 2 of the dungeons. Exploring the eastern
side of the level, Dr. D. fell into a wandering pit moving along a
corridor, and died instantly. Crawlways inhabited by giant weasels were purged
and a little treasure recovered. They avoided a mysterious fire temple, and found
stairs up to Level 1. Finally, they came to a corridor with arrow slits and a
metal door with a small peephole. A panel slid aside, and a pale, dishevelled creature
(a morlock) asked about the party’s business. He finally acquiesced to letting
them see their king after a bribe. However, instead of opening the door, a pit
trap opened underfoot, dumping all in the corridor into a sub-level enclosure. Weirlord
narrowly avoided getting killed, while Chort the torchbearer perished
with a broken leg. Noises of angry, armed morlocks were approaching from behind
a portcullis with long spears and flaming oil, and the only other way was a 20’
wide shaft down.’ Quickly rappelling down, they were again in the Level 3
catacombs. This was at least familiar territory. Backtracking to Level 1, resources
were running low, and the company ended up bribing a group of randomly
encountered bandits to serve as their escort to the surface. This expedition
covered some ground on Level 2, but the pickings were very slim, a mere 305 gp.
On
29 November 2020 (almost exactly one year later!), we
reconvened, this time virtually on Roll20. Önund the Mystical (Magic-User
2) and his heavy footmen Jörg and Tade were joined by Mime the
Grumbler (Dwarf 1). Tycho the Ascetic (now a Cleric 3 of Law) came
with Weirlord (Magic-User 2), who kept Rommel (heavy foot) and Ale
the porter. Two new dungeoneers joined the gang: Seogarr (Fighting
Man 1) and Astanir (Cleric 1 of Law), who brought the porter Willem and
the bowman Marruk.
Travelling
through a less trod path of the forest, the company came upon the statue of a bat
holding a fist-sized crystal worth 4000 gp! Astanir instructed Willem to
fetch the prize, but it soon turned out that the crystal, a cursed chunk of
ice, would freeze its thief into an icy statue, and also melt into worthless
water in turn.
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| A new section beyond the Torture Chamber... |
Since
the company was relatively weak, the expedition was conducted on Level 1. The
company soon encountered a company of armoured adventurers, led by Ellominet
the Benevolent. Parting on amicable terms, northern passages brought the
party to a stone knight guarding an intersection, who demanded five rounds of
single combat for passage. Mime the Grumbler rose to the challenge, and
defeated the stone hero. To the north, a room complex with a teleporting chest
puzzle yielded nice treasure, including a 5000 gp amulet! The company returned
to the area close to the entrance. A crumbling wall in the Torture Chamber drew
Mime’s attention, and this section proved to be of new construction! An
entirely new part of the level was revealed, with meandering passages leading
to dead end pits, and powerful quantum ogres that would appear if the party was
backed into the corner. To his bad luck, the wounded Mime the Grumbler –
this section’s discoverer – perished in one of the pit traps.
The
ogres had decent gold, and the search also yielded an old bronze door leading
to a mortuary with scattered treasure… but also 12 ghouls. Deciding to leave
them be rather than risk a fight after a successful turn attempt, the door was
instead spiked shut for a later expedition. The company now headed for the
surface, where they soon made an unpleasant discovery: Jörg the heavy
footman proved to be a thief looking for a good score, lifting a good deal of
valuables from the resting company. Marruk the bowman also called it
quits, retiring with his well-earned wages. And so the game stood for ten more
months.
*
* *
Jewels
of the Gnoll King
On
17 September, 2021, we had a guest coming over from the States
(Necromancer Games forums regular Kenmckinney, from way back in 2002!). After
sightseeing and a lunch, we sat down for an impromptu game of OD&D with the
gang.
The
party descended into the dungeons of Morthimion, trying to lay siege to the
ghoul mortuary. Ken got two second-level characters, Otto (Dwarf 2) and Wulfram
(Cleric 2 of Fire, Lawful), with Sven the halberdier. Nubin (Dwarf
3) came all the way from a LBB-only Xyntillan game back in 2019, and he was
accompanied by Brother Gaspard (Cleric 1 of Law), as well as a whole
troop of four bowmen: Nock, Aim, Draw, and Shoot. Tycho the
Ascetic (Cleric 3 of Law) and Weirlord (now a Magic-User 3) returned
with more recruits: the halberdiers Bill and Hook. Brother
Tivold, Cockroach of the Light (Cleric 3 of Chaos) came alone, for he was
so mighty.
The
company quickly returned to the Torture Chamber, and set out to
construct an elaborate ghoul trap using spikes, rope, and lots of oil. However,
as they were hammering the spikes into the wall, the noise attracted a band of
ten gnolls, who attacked the party from the rear (in OD&D, these are not
yet the later hyena-men, but gnome/troll hybrids – the Morthimion document
refers to them as “tromes”). A furious melee developed, and the gnolls (sturdy 2
HD critters) put up a darn good fight, making all their morale rolls and
fighting to the last. Sven, the halberdier, went down fighting in the
melee.
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| The canonical OD&D gnoll |
Now
the gnolls were just a random encounter far from their lair, but I gave a 30%
probability of them carrying a level one treasure (that's 100% of 1d6×100
silver pieces, 50% of 1d6×10 gold pieces, 5% each of gemstones or jewellery,
and 5% of one magic item – trash loot, basically, because in OD&D, 100 gp
is chump change).
So
the gnolls had 300 sp among them... 10 gold pieces... but then I rolled that 5%
for the jewellery, and they were carrying four of them! Jewels are completely
random, and they are the most valuable treasure type, much much much
more valuable than anything else that’s not a magic item, and small enough to
transport easily. I rolled everything in the open, and got a 5000 gp
necklace, a 10,000 gp crown, a pair of 1300 gp boots, and a 8000 gp sceptre!
The characters had found the guard escorting the crown jewels of the Gnoll
King! They basically immediately turned around and left the dungeon,
because they could just jump a level each after dividing their 24,300 gp haul,
even though it was among seven characters. Two henchmen, Shoot and Bill
decided to cash out their wages and retire.
The
second expedition was with a more powerful band: Otto, Wulfram
and Brother Gaspard were now level 3, Nubin was a Level 4 Hero, and
Brother Tivold became an Anti-Vicar. To round out the lineup, Trident
the halberdier joined Weirlord, while two more halberdiers, Walther and
Siegfried joined Otto. Draco (Fighting Man 2 with a Charisma of
3, a regular Quasimodo!) joined the company slightly later.
The
trap was finished: three ropes fastened at ankle height over pools of oil, characters
feigning escape to lure in the ghouls, and ready torchmen to set the oil
puddles ablaze at the first opportunity. The followers were left to hang back,
since this was solely a trick for the hardier PCs. The ghouls were ready to
fight (they had heard all the hammering outside their lair), and rushed out
more suddenly than expected. They were worn down and burned by the oil-and-rope
traps, although characters were severely wounded, and Otto, Nubin, Brother
Tivold, as well as Draco were paralysed (in OD&D, there is no time
limit: I ruled it would last until the end of the expedition). The ghoul band
was finally destroyed by turning them into a blazing pool of oil behind
them, a dirty trick which was so clever I didn’t even grant a save vs. dragon
breath. The mortuary was looted… 1200 gp and a shield +1… no! Examining one
of the rotting tapestries on the wall, it was discovered that the back was also
embroidered with a treasure map showing a lake in the wilderness, demarcated by
forests, a road, and mountains. This would be Silver Lake, a body of water in
the Domains which they had passed by numerous times!
With
four characters suffering from paralysis, they again headed outside (this short
session went without much in the way of exploring new territory)… to run into
six very angry gnolls, apparently searching for the jewel thieves! This time,
the gnolls were taken out with a sleep spell, except a sole survivor who
turned and fled into the darkness, even carrying off a magic arrow Draw had
shot at it.
The
session ended with a brief wilderness trip to recover the treasure. Riding on
horses, the company entered the forests… to immediately run into ten more
gnolls, preparing an ambush! This time, Weirlord was ready, and used phantasmal
forces to create the illusion of several more horsemen thundering behind
them, and the gnolls failed their morale check, disappearing in the woods. The
way to Silver Lake was clear, but where was the treasure? Tycho the Ascetic’s speak
with animals spell used on 11 friendly giant toads just minding their
business among the reeds (the result of a high reaction roll) pinpointed the
exact location of one half of a submerged boat, carrying in its hold some
40,000 silver pieces. Thus ended the expedition for The Jewels of the
Gnoll King and The Treasure of Silver Lake.
[Here ends the spoiler-free section]
