Session 17 Recap of an Ongoing AD&D 1e Campaign on Roll20

Having recently survived the attempts on their lives the party is hot for revenge. Only taking a few rounds after the Pink Pool saved their party members they take stock of what has happened and who has survived this treachery. Seeing half of their staff poisoned and their new hired men at arms actually Bandits in cohoots with Olaf the Bandit they set out for revenge with little planning or preparation.

(The party was pissed. They were determined to catch the 'vagabonds' who had turned out to be the Bandits they had defeated in the crypts and now had nearly poisoned them and defeated them in their own Dungeon Complex. SO they decided to pursue even though they were on foot and their quarry were mounted. Discovering as well that while they had adventured in the Caves of Chaos that the Bandits had cleared more of the trail from the main road through the Fellwood. Nothing could deter this course of action and I figured this session was hijacked by murder revenge tunnel vision.)

Force marching to catch up with Bandits fleeing the party on stolen horses and wagon the party exhausts itself attempting to catch up. Pursuing they find the bandits camp who promptly jump onto the horses and wagon and flee leaving the party behind as they fire bolts and arrow upon them. Unable to catch them and exhausted from the forced march pursuit they assume the camp of their foes and rest up for the next day. However, creatures stir in the night this close to the Caves of Chaos.

(We had to look up force march rules in the DMG. They are not pleasant and I warned any conflict would mean they would be at disadvantage due to the effects which were basically temporary level drain. But still t hey persisted over 100 GP and an affront to their honor I guess. I had rolled a wandering monster encounter in the woods and decided it was just peasants coming to work for them who had been robbed by the Bandits while fleeing from Quasqueton, everyone had a good laugh but that was the end of the laughing for the session. I rolled another wandering monster after the Bandits had been run off and the effects of needing a REQUIRED REST as per the DMG for Forced March. Used the Caves general encounter list modified after the defeat of the Troll and got Spined Devil & d4+2 Ghoul-Stirges the Temples scout and his necrotic stirge pets. Weak should be no problem but interesting combat because of special abilities, I was being optimistic.)

The party is assailed by the flying guardians of Caves. A Spined Devil and his trio of Ghoul-Stirge pets descend upon the party and the battle with the forces of evil is joined. The Ranger Nyloch falls prey to the paralytic touch of the Ghoul-Stirge but he does manage to rouse his party from sleep who charge into battle in but their tunics and shield. As the Cackling devil fails to call upon more diabolic forces for aid he terrifies the Magic-User Ash into submission while ordering his Ghoul-Stirges against the might warrior Brax. Brax dismantles them as they assail him as the Cleric Mark Antoney battles the Spine Devil and Brax too is soon terrified and crying upon the ground. As the Cleric falls in battle against the Devil a friendly face comforts the terrified party members who soon find themselves suddenly in a small cell.

(It is one thing to go down swinging it is another to be taken captured while crying on your knees while your friends and allies are being killed. But that is how it went down. The level difference due to the forced march resulted in a failed save versus the Ghoul-Stirge Paralytic touch, Ranger down for 3d4 Turns. Scare from the Spined Devil after his failed summoning in the first round, Magic User down for 3d4 rounds. A failed Turn attempt and then melee with the Devil as it closed, in tunic and shield as they were asleep when assaulted. The Half Orc fighter chews through the Ghoul-Stirges but fails save versus the Scare tossed at him by the Devil as it mauls the Cleric, down for 3d4 rounds. Cleric dies in two rounds but nearly kills the Devil with his mace. Party is then confused as they are approached by a friendly familiar face and teleported to the Dungeons beneath the Temple in the caves of Chaos. The Magic-User regains her wits and goes invisible and Brax decides to fake terror when a Scare is sent his way but  I double check shared powers of all Devils and see Charm Person is an at will common power along with Illusion. The Ranger is slain in his paralyzed state and the next morning the Half-Orc Brax accompanies his friend to the rack while the Wizard cowers invisibly only to be discovered by a trick played with illusion.)

Charmed & then tortured upon the rack or killed while paralyzed, left to rot in a cell while tormented by illusions ....

(That is an interesting and terrible way for a campaign to come to a crashing halt, and with them halfway through my redesigned caves of chaos I decide it is best to chalk this up to the forces of evil as victors. In retrospect I believe i was to light handed in near death situations and this gave a false sense of bravado which lead to this demise and poor set of rolls. I offered spots in my BX Open Table game but two members refused and were more curious if I was restarting this campaign but I am unsure if I should. Sometimes you lose and become skeleton in another players dungeon. Everyone avoided the entrance to the Tomb of Horrors of which I was curious anyone would meta and run from while Losing a veteran player early on through off the tempo just a tad. There were many adventure hooks for further play after clearing the temple, Kuo-Toans beneath the old goblin warren to whom the goblins traded slaves to for shiny electrum and shells. A Dwarven mine beneath to which the bugbears would retreat rife with spiders and traps leading towards the partially flooded caverns which connected to the Kuo-Toans. Troll lair from which the Troll in the ravine had fled from connecting to underdark passages wherein Hook Horrors lurked. Oh well, shit happens)

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