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| I bet you were expecting frost giants. |
Introduction
Sometimes all your planning can be thrown out by a dragon at your door.
Timekeeping
This session began on July 10th, 2025, with the player characters adventuring until July 11th. Downtime for these characters begins on the 12th.
Player Characters Present
Sever the Wrathful (Level 9 Pegasus Corps Ranger of Machodor, wielder of Were'shbane and wearer of the Girdle of Cloud Giant Strength, rider of Mustang)
with henchmen Rabbit (F4/MU3/T4) and Poindexter (M5) and Thomas (C6)
Giuseppe (Level 8 Paladin of Rome, Brovenloft, wielder of the Dragonslayer and the Shield of Protection from Missiles, rider of Bonecrusher)
with henchmen Bishoy (F6) Tawadros (F6) Steelvien (F4) and Rhoikos (M4)
Sheamus (Level 8 Irish Fighter from Brovenloft, rider of the Rocket Cycle and wielder of the Drewblade)
with henchman McScales (Lizardman F5)
Gurt the Green (Level 6 Paladin of Machodor, wielder of the Liberator, bearer of the Fabled Ice Jewel of Frigia, rider of Artax)
with henchmen Anri (M4) and Cedric (C4)
Fagor (Level 4 Half-orc Fighter)
Session Report
A random encounter you say, oh, on the dragons sub-table, a red dragon; an Ancient red dragon. How's that for the start of a session. The party were ready for anything but this.
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| Breakfast with Skarathax |
Combat #1: Skarathax the Crimson Scourge, Ancient Red Dragon
Rounds: 6
Result: Party Victory
Highlights: Sever taking to the air and nearly failing his save vs red dragon breath.
There were a number of reasons why I anticipated this fight to be anything but an aerial battle, but when Sever declared he was going to activate his
Wings of Flying and charge at the dragon; all bets were off and we were looking at pages 50-53 of the DMG. I got my hex paper out.
There was also the fact that the melted walls of the castle had blocked access to the stables, meaning all the mounts--rocket cycle included--were stuck and unusable in the short term. Sheamus set McScales to digging through the debris.
In hindsight if I'd made a local map at a smaller scale, like I had recently done for the Master of Winter's valley, we could have have used it to good effect for this scenario. But, not have prepared one, the old fashioned way had to do, and I adjusted height with cubes and market the exact positions with d4s.
In the first round Sever and the dragon clashed, the former striking with Were'shbane and the latter breathing fire for 80hp and biting (I learned of that combo on DMG p51) the ranger for 3d10. More than half his hit points were gone. If he had failed his save he (not to mention his magic equipment) was toast. But Sever's damage pushed the dragon close to its limit of flying, and, as both combatants zoomed past each other, subsequent rounds became a manoeuvre battle. Surprisingly, by ascending and trying to turn for another run at the ranger, the dragon sealed its doom. Sever made use of his better turning circle (class C) to get behind the larger creature (class E) and gradually hauled it in, until he could attack it from behind.
The others could only watch and hope. I didn't (and don't) think that dragons can breath directly behind them, nor can they twist in the air and use their front claws or jaws; but I did let Skarathax use his rear claws, which narrowly failed to bring Sever down. The ranger then dealt a blow that pushed the dragon into the hit point zone where it could no longer maintain any semblance of flight, and it crashed down into the mountain side below.
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| Exciting aerial battle |
This battle went for about 45 minutes, a bit of a "in medias res" start for returning character Fagor the half orc, but he took it all in his stride then pitched in as they spent the rest of the day stripping and cleaning the dragon carcass.
The next day they used the teleport device captured from the hill giant steading, and before they knew it they had arrived in the Cavern of Ithaqua right before the rift that held the Frost Giant lair. Handy, but a one off journey; for which reason they brought the Rocket Cycle along with them. The change in conditions was marked, from summer to icy winter like cavern, without the Fabled Ice Jewel of Frigia they would have been in immediately danger; but, with it, they were able to take stock and move out.
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| They chose the path the the right and went down. |
The footing as difficult, but the passage seemed safe enough, as long as you stayed away from the 250' drop into the frozen wastes below in the bottom of the rift.
Combat #2: 4 Winter Wolves & 7 Yeti
Rounds: 3
Result: Party Victory
Highlights: Into the first caves nearly invisible were Yeti awaiting them. Just as the party were cautiously exploring, winter wolves struck them from behind.
This fight was pretty tense, the group found itself with the squishies having nowhere to go while the warriors had nothing to fight; or, at least so they though, until the Yeti joined the party. Did these yet have anything to do with those working with the Master of Winter, well they party didn't given them a chance to answer any such questions.
The leader of the yeti did wield a sword, suggesting higher intelligence; initially the sword registered as magical so Gurt directed his henchwoman, Anri, to cast Identify on it. I don't recall anyone doing this in the dungeon before, with Macho Mandalf's Greater Identify available to them, but more expensive, maybe this would be a good idea...
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| It was not, and I didn't even mention the fish swallowing thing |
Having established with this that the sword was in fact not magical, but the subject of a Nystul's Magic Aura spell; various apt expressions were trotted out, and then they continued on.
The path ahead narrowed, and they set up a system of ropes to hang on to. The module anticipates the party tying themselves together, but this was a full on relay station of ropes and spikes. With the howling wind covering the sound of their hammering, they were able to get in enough spikes to their satisfaction and work their way safely around the narrow section of path. Beyond the path widened and there were two entrances into the side of the glacial rift. One was filled with steamy mist from some sort of fissure in the floor, Rabbit scouted it Invisibly and could find nothing of danger, other than the slippery floor, or of value. He then tried the same on the next cave, and again did not find anything, but as this cave was clear of blinding mist they chose to move in and investigate. That's when the pets of the Yeti jumped them.
Combat #3: 2 Snow Leopards
Rounds: 1
Result: Party Victory
Highlights: The leopards leapt down on Sheamus, Sever would have liked to use Speak with Animals; but the animals were soon dispatched before he had the chance.
They way forward held two choices, a ramp on the left leading down in the frozen floor hundreds of feet below. After this the path continued on this level and narrowed once again. Rabbit when on into this area and reported the all clear and that a wider area was beyond. The party set about creating another rope station. Just as they were getting ready to use it, a huge white head popped around the corner--from where Rabbit had explored--and looked at them. The head also had a large body, a loud shout, and friends.
Combat #4: 3 Frost Giants
Rounds: 3
Result: Partial Party Victory
Highlights: Both sides exchanged thrown rocks and missile weapons. Giuseppe used his great shield to block the rocks and protect the lighter armoured party members. One of them giants caught a rock from Sever, so he gave up on that game, activated his wings, and went on the attack. Gurt and Sheamus took on the closest giant and Fagor tried his laser rifle on the others, but missed. Soon the party got the upper hand, and one giant fled inside with Sever on his tail, but to an area with a number of diverging corridors, so the party chose not to pursue.
They returned to where they had previously stashed the Rocket Cycle in the Yeti leaders cave, and got it ready for travel. Once outside they chose to head not for the Ice Castle, but the Halfling Steading, which should be a similar distance away and hopefully safer to get to. The only problem was passengers, they would need to take a couple of trips. This worked to their advantage however, as the ones left behind discovered a hidden cave that looked to be free of Ithaqua's influence.
The rocket cycle ride was educational in more ways that one, not did it prove to be an alternative route to the glacial rift, they could see in the distance that this was no mere cavern. As the Shedu had said, this was an area where different worlds came into the contact, and they could see over the waters a sky that was not the sky of Trollopulous nor Machodor.
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| And in that sky they saw strange creatures flying over the ice choked sea. |
The creatures, who showed no interest in the party, looked like a spatulated fish, or a flat rice paddle from the side with four pairs of wings that resembled fins, numerous ivy-like tentacles hanging from both sides of their bodies. Each one also sported three black eyes on each side of its head, and an elephant-like trunk for a nose. The party let them be.
Once everyone had made it to the halfling steading, they tasked the halflings with setting up a barrier and to guard it well, lest any denizens of the cavern should enter via the same method.
Session Statistics:
Wilderness travel: 16
Downtime begins on: 12/July
Combats: 4
Rooms mapped: 4
Combat rounds: 13
Losses: 6 Ice Castle guards killed 4 badly burned wounded (and the front of the Ice Castle melted to slush)
Treasure & Items
11 huge ivory tusks 8,800gp
Ice-like longsword (not magical)
Monsters
Ancient Red Dragon 5200xp
7 Yeti 3910xp
2 Snow Leopards 452xp
2 Frost Giants 5900xp
24,262 XP & 8,800 GP Assignment
Sever (E) 2,426xp & 880gp
and Poindexter (E) 1,213xp & 440gp
and Rabbit (E) 1,213xp & 440gp
and Thomas (E) 1,213xp & 440gp
Giuseppe (E) 2,426xp & 880gp
and Bishoy (E) 1,213xp & 440gp
and Tawadros (E) 1,213xp & 440gp
and Rhoikos (E) 1,213xp & 440gp
and Steelvein (E) 1,213xp & 440gp
Sheamus (E) 2,426xp & 880gp
and McScales (E) 1,213xp & 440gp
Gurt the Green (E) 2,426xp & 880gp
and Anri (E) 1,213xp & 440gp
and Cedric (E) 1,213xp & 440gp
Fagor (E) 2,426xp & 880gp
Graveyard
Symeon (Henchman Cleric level 2), Only strong enough to wear studded leather, he was torn to shreds by Troglodytes in session #121
Paul (Henchman Paladin level 3) Effected by the Imprisonment spell touch attack from a Styx Devil in session #117. Might not be dead, but is definitely at least six feet under for all intents and purposes.
Gurt the Green (Paladin level 6) killed by a poison needle trap in session #114 RAISED FROM THE DEAD (with a roll of 94!)
Solaire the Fallen (Henchman Fighter (paladin) level 3) killed by Stone Giants acting as catapults in session #114
Paul (Henchman Paladin level 1), reduced to 0 hit points by white dragon breath when climbing down a rope ladder in session #108. Killed not by the fall; but by the sudden stop at the bottom. RAISED FROM THE DEAD
Ignatius the Smiter (Cleric level 1), horrifically mutilated and killed by double hit from a Shoggoth in session #106
Domby (Henchman with Dex 5), double surprised and turned into a pin cushion in session #87
Luke (Half elf Fighter/Cleric level 1), tragically killed by a normal hydra while trying to cauterise one of its neck stumps in session #86
Gurt the Green (Paladin level 3), killed by a hydra bite in session #86 RAISED FROM THE DEAD
Pleasance (Footman level 0), killed by a phase spider bite in session #81
Siegward (Henchman Fighter level 1), killed by a phase spider bite in session #81
Tawadros (Henchman Fighter level 4), killed by a phase spider bite in session #81 RAISED FROM THE DEAD
Patria (Footman level 0), killed by a two headed snake bite in session #81
Deltacron (Dwarf Fighter/Thief level 1/1), threw his last flask of oil at, and was level drained to death by, a Vampire in session #76
Petrov the Prestidigitator (Magic-user level 1), wrong place, wrong time; killed by Sever the Ranger in session #72 RAISED FROM THE DEAD
Petrov the Prestidigitator (Magic-user level 1), killed again by the toxic gas of an Achaierai in session #72
Red (Paladin Level 1), always popular with the ladies, he was eaten up by a female Roc in the Pizza Slice of Doom during session #67
Jacques Ocular (Magic User level 1), a fat green worm burrowed into his head and turned him into a Son Of Kyuss in Brovenloft in Session #43
Pino (Dwarf Footman level 0), Killed by a Frost Giant axe in the head in session #39
Paro (Dwarf Fighter/Thief level 2/2) Killed by Winter Wolves and frozen in session #39
Zabib (1/2 Elf Fighter/Magic User level 1/1), Killed by Frost Giant rocks in downtime prior to session #39
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