The Persistent Seek of Sanrath [solo TRPG play report]

shine shyness, photo by me

The WHO

• Sanrath, lv2 fighting dwarf, hammer + plate [AC1, 11hp, 3965xp]
• Xakhaz, lv2 human channeller, leather + sling, spell: hold portal «wary hero», charm person «curious fool» [AC3, 5hp, 3365xp]

Having met an undead priest last session, this session the party head out into the Tittlemarsh region to investigate the rumour “the wary traveller migrates”.

The WHAT

13TH NOVENBUM*

* fantasy November

• weather: cold gusts
• set out from the Tower Manse of the High Dwarfs: it’s all lakes all about
• spend 8h crossing southwest — no encounters
• there’s a town southwest, but noone knows of its history ( ! )
• a further 3h to head into town and the mood is strange
• Sanrath and Xakhaz are watched suspiciously but the night passes safely
• no shape this evening…

14TH NOVENBUM

• weather: rain (I’m ruling this doubles transit times)
• heading northwest over grassland — no encounters but it does take 12h

I’m ruling 12h to be pretty much the sensible cap for a day’s travel, though parties could push on further at a cost of health

• the group makes camp but sleeps poorly (failing prepared saves — no hp can be regained today and –1hp for the sleep itself)

15TH NOVENBUM

• weather: gusts
• continue northwest for 2h, coming across obvious dragonspoor (this is a monster hex, so I’m making its existence here impossible to miss)
• the party feel like they’re being watched (off-by-one on the encounter check) but there is no encounter

Had the party decided to investigate those vibes, I’d have rolled to see which thing was somewhat aware of them. The abyss stares both ways.

• they spend 3h hunting for the lair (hidden, not secret, so time is all that’s needed)
• they discover the CRYOLITH DOLMENS (at this point, just a cool fantasy location name, but perfect for a white wyrm lair. I check to see if the dragon is asleep — a yes, so Algranackx is hibernating: a mucous film covers the entryway like a slumbering snail.)
• Xakhaz comments that having a dragon ally would be useful, so they leave an offering of treasure for the beast and settle on 90ŋ
• they’ve spent only a morning trekking so far (5h total) so opt to head west into woodlands
• there’s quicksand about and the party stumble solidly into it after 3h (I’m allowing all members to make a save, which would allow them to divert the whole party. Neither makes it here)
• this would make the perfect time to roll encounter — which is a yes! eight GNOLLS, who clearly know this natural trap and use it to capture food. They’re not expecting people, so four of the group cautiously approach

Whenever I’m not sure how many / how far, ect., I’ll roll 2D6*10 and treat the result as a percentage. The maths-eyed amongst you will ask Why not *8? and the answer is that I’d rather use a fast system than a precise one. I’ll interpret results over 100% as an intensifier somehow.

• Xakhaz’ charm person is itchy to be used, but he quells it. Instead he offers a trade to the gnolls — all their treasure will be lost if they are left to die, so perhaps a recovery payment of 100ŋ will be worthwhile? The gnolls agree
• Having been saved, the boys make some slow progress through the woods (another 4h) before making camp (they lost hp yesterday, so won’t recover any today)

16TH NOVEMBUM

• weather: cold mists
• heading northwest towards the highlands — but these lands are dangerous. they manage to avoid the frequent landslides and Sanrath is able to avoid being the target of the frequent lightning-strikes
• this area is way too dangerous so they opt to leave, but this experiment has cost 12h
• they find a safe place to camp and sleep well

17TH NOVEMBUM

• weather: rain
• headed south towards pennants for a trader’s camp but are surprised by a HYDRA!!!
• it’s a big one with eight heads (and therefore 48hp (OSE gives max hp per HD and odnd uses D6 for its HDs))
• in the surprise round, the hydra makes an attack at Sanrath — solely his fighter’s training means he won’t suffer a full eight attacks
• in the first proper round, initiative is simultaneous — Sanrath and Xakhaz both miss but the hydra lands a glancing blow on the dwarf, costing him 9hp ( ! )
• the second round, the hydra gets initiative and brings the dwarf to death’s door (ie. 0hp in my system — every further hit could be a killing blow); both of the party land hits for a total of 6 damage, but that’s barely enough to upset the hunting beast
• things are getting tense and Sanrath insists they flee and they barely make it, winning initiative by one point in the third round
• the hydra does not give chase and soon after Sanrath is able to bind his wounds (recovering 3hp)
• a painful 4h trek south brings the party to the trader’s encampment, where the mood is pleasant. After today’s brush with death, the group decide to rest and recuperate here

to be continued…

The WHEWARDS

• I’ll often rule ½xp for surviving an encounter, but neither of their encounters this session were anything but scraped through so I don’t think that’s worth the experience
• I will give them gold xp for gifting to the dragon = 900xp

Sanrath reaches 4415xp, which is enough to bring him to lv3, though he gains no further hp. Xakhaz is still a way off from gaining his third level.

You can’t yet buy Odean D6 but you could buy a copy of my prior odnd derivation, 74/00