Revenge of the Iron Lich: Saturday's Tabletop Results

Crusaders,

On Saturday, I ran Revenge of the Iron Lich as a table-top for a full crew. They brought their own crusaders, and several of them were on a second run of the game. However, memories were a bit foggy (even though the previous run was just 4-5 weeks ago).

They failed with two deaths, but managed to earn a score of 265, with the rank of Adventurers. They are chomping at the bit to run this again, and I hope they have taken notes!

Tomorrow drops the first post of the game. Until then, here is our starting line up:
  

Revenge of the Iron Lich: Dossier of Yursil

Today's final dossier is of Yursil, whom I have great hopes for in the quest of the Iron Lich's tomb. A perceptive viewer might catch a glimpse of your true foe in the image.

Tuesday, May 1, the challenge begins!

Revenge of the Iron Lich: Dossier of Kin Kuron

The fifth of the crusaders revealed!

Revenge of the Iron Lich: Dossier of Hanrar Zaltan

Rumors can be true or false. And in the same fashion, the locations being displayed in these dossiers may actually exist in the Iron Lich's tomb... or perhaps not...

Revenge of the Iron Lich: Dossier of Brathu-Angau

Revenge of the Iron Lich: Dossier of Tak-tha

Today's reveal is the crusader, Tak-tha. This 16th level re-imagining of the Tak-tha we've grown to love in Crucible of the Gods shows great promise!

Announcement: I will be running a local table-top of Revenge of the Iron Lich this Saturday! While they are second-timers through the adventure, they have one disadvantage you don't have - the time crunch. I'm eager to see who obtains the higher score. I'll let you know how high they set the bar!

Revenge of the Iron Lich: Dossier of Teryn Alaan

In this week, I will showcase the starting line up of Crusaders. Today's instalment is Teryn Alaan:

Revenge of the Iron Lich: The Hypostyle (Map)

Crusaders,

I not only enjoy running games, but I enjoy the time leading up to the game's start. It's a time for me to prepare and reflect, and post a little teasers for each day (usually Monday-Friday; weekends are non-D&D time).

Yesterday's teaser uncovered the priceless rumors that I hope you take to heart. Today's post is all about the map of the first chamber. Normally when I run table-top for this adventure, I have the map pieces ready to go and place the first one down even before the players are done picking from the pregenerated characters. Why not simulate that here?

Next week, we'll explore more about the party that's assembling to tackle the Iron Lich's Tomb, as we lead up to our start date: May 1st!

Revenge of the Iron Lich: It's Been Rumored

While waiting for crusaders to assemble, I will reveal that you have gathered six rumors (out of ten) regarding the Tomb of the Iron Lich and have done all you can to verify their accuracy. 

Reliable: There are five reliable rumors, of which four are true. 

Unreliable: There are five unreliable rumors, of which only one is true.

Revenge of the Iron Lich: Call to Crusaders!

Your Quest:

Crucible of the Gods: Game Over

Click for a larger view. Background image by aristotelisjohn.blogspot.com

Crusaders
Thank you for a wonderful game. It's the players that really make a play-by-post great, and you guys stuck with me until the very end. Alas, it wasn't the victory you sought, but it was the most epic run I've had of this adventure.

Reveal: When you kill the ruach, violet fire bathes her remains until the start of her next turn. You must light the golden torch from that fire before that time. Unfortunately for Hanar, the ruach's turn was instantaneously after his.

Score = -15 pts.

• Four skull obtained, 200 pts.
• Stone table found, 10 pts.
• Reaper's Dice found, 25 pts.
• Hidden Shrine found, 50 pts.
• Talisman of Glory obtained, 100 pts.
• Eight dungeoneers perished x -50 pts each, -400 pts.

Special Thanks

• To Sersa Victory/SVD Press for producing such an awesome adventure and placing it out there for free. I look forward to runs of his future products.
• To the creators of Doombuilder2 and heXen, who made it possible for me to make 3D dungeon scenes while having about an ounce of artistic skill.
• To www.d20monkey.com for being cool with me stealing art from the site for my banner.
• To countless artists that I grabbed art from by google's image search. I'm getting better with citing my references!
• To all my #fourthcore twitter friends and acquaintances who followed along with excitement and enthusiasm.

Feedback

If you have a few moments, I'd love to pick your brain about what you liked and disliked about the Crucible of the Gods run. This feedback is open to lurkers to post to as well, not just players. (Do I have any lurkers?) Anyone is welcome to comment.

1. What did you like the most about the game?
2. What did you like the least about the game? 
3. What one thing would you change if you could? 
4. What one thing can I change to make myself a better DM?

 

What's next?

Where one game ends, another will begin. Look for an upcoming announcement inviting you to the next Grind4e game - the anniversary edition of awesome fourthcore adventure written by Sersa Victory and Jerry LeNeave... 

Revenge of the Iron Lich!

Crucible of the Gods: Of Ashton

Crucible of the Gods: Of Nevdor

Crucible of the Gods: Last Man Standing

[Skeletons]
Six more skeletons emerge from the pit, three to the east, three to the west. A seventh is summoned by the ruach. They launch a volley of arrows while a few resort to sword swings. However, your battle training pays off in spades! You dodge, deflect and parry your way out of the danger.

Tech: Cold, cold dice this morning. Seventeen skeleton attacks, some factoring in cover and whatnot. All miss except one on Nevdor! Nevdor takes 3 points damage, bringing him down to 21 hp.

[Ruach]
The Ruach teleports from the throne to reappear near Nevdor. Appearing this time as the six-armed ash-shrouded ghoul (Asar-Segt), it calls down the dreaded Flame Strike upon you!
Tech: Dmg: 24 fire and necrotic to those hit. 
Nevdor: Hit, unconscious at -3 hp. Loses 1 healing surge, down to 5 remaining.
Ashton: Missed!
Hanar: Hit, down to 24 thp (and full hp).

*** ACTION POINT! ***
The ruach reverts back to Lyth, and performs a second Whirlwind Attack; the same one that had slain half the party the last time she invoked it. When the onslaught is finally over, one lone crusader remains standing - the final hope against the power of the ruach.
Tech: 38 damage on a hit, 17 on a miss...
Nevdor: Hit. Nevdor is DEAD at -41 hp.
Ashton: Hit. Pushed into pit (failed save). DEAD on impact at -25 hp.
Hanar: Hit. Hanar at 0 thp and 14 hp. Bloodied. Prone. SAVED against the push into the pit.

[FINAL ROUND]
Hanar feels his time running out (Acid Aura, down to 12 hp).
 

Larping on my driveway

Last week, I came home from a long day at work to find that my kids had used sidewalk chalk to mark up the driveway and create a big dungeon labyrinth. It had monsters. It had traps. It had secret doors and treasures, AND we could play it.

So we did! We stabbed creatures with our invisible swords, and shot our invisible bows. And I took pictures of the labyrinth afterward.  It was a grand adventure and made my heart light to run through it with the kids.

Crucible of the Gods: OOC 2

Crusaders,

NOTHING POSTED HERE IS CONSIDERED IN-CHARACTER.

Chat away!

Crucible of the Gods: Fates of the Fallen

OOC: Ashton's Firedeath interrupt-turned-reaction was interesting to adjudicate. I first checked to see if the pre-reduction damage would kill you. If it did, you were dead. If you were still living, then the Firedeath kicked in and you instead took damage from the reduced amount instead. 

During her whirlwind attack, you lose sight of one another. You hear the boast cries to Lyth mingle with the sounds of death and disembowelment. The image of her beautiful, soul-chilling face will forever be etched in your mind... even into the afterlife. 

Crucible of the Gods: Of Tak-tha

Crucible of the Gods: Of Selvantis

www.cldahlstrom.com/illustrations.html

Crucible of the Gods: Of Arden

Crucible of the Gods: The Army of Ruaches

The Ruach stone form becomes flesh once again. 

"Come to me..." she whispers as she teleports to appear just north of the eastern pit. At first you wonder if it's some kind of spell against you, but then you realize she's talking to the skeletons themselves. The skeletons emerge from the pits and take up positions very near, and even the skeleton archers from the west leap over the pit (at a narrow point) and make their way over to your location. She even summons another skeleton next to Tak-tha with her divine power, who's sword strikes Tak-tha in the arm.

Tech: One hit, 4 damage. Tak-tha is now at 16 hp/1 thp.

The skeletons ringing the eastern pit launch arrows down upon Arden, leaving the human mage nearly deadk - a bloody pincushion in the bone filled pit.
Tech: Seven bow attacks on Arden, five hits for 15 damage. Arden is KO at -3 hit points. Ashton got a free attack on one of the skeletons, but missed.

In an instant, the air about you is filled with
a whirlwind of spinning boomerangs.

Then the Ruach's eyes go pure white, and her scream shakes the foundations of the labyrinth. She beings to whirl and spin like a tornado, and suddenly all the skeletons do the same, turning into ghostly versions of her! In an instant, you are all engulfed by the army of Lyth Ruaches, the air filled with a thousand boomerangs.

OOC: PAUSE! The Ruach is firing up an encounter power against you. Targets are all crusaders except Nevdor. Anyone who hasn't boasted yet may attempt to do so, if you wish. 

Ashton, I assume you will perform the Firedeath encounter power? NOTE: The Ruach has Divine Prescience, which means that all immediate interrupts you attempt on her are considered to be immediate reactions instead. If Ashton is knocked out by the initial damage, he will not be able to perform the Firedeath. If he survives the initial damage, his Firedeath will kick in and reduce the damage as per the power. Anyone killed by the pre-Firedeath damage is dead regardless.

I will continue this attack after I've heard from all of you, or tomorrow morning (whichever comes first). Good Luck! -MilwaukeeJoe

Crucible of the Gods: The Blood Throne

Fearing the consequences of being too close to a Sphere of Annihilation, Nevdor fey steps to bypass it. With the Wand of Petrifaction already in hand, he points it at the Ruach and wills it into action. A stream of energy blasts outward from the wand to hit her, and for a moment you think it's not going to be enough!

Nevdor tries again, a second blast undulating outward to bash the avatar of Lyth. This time she cannot resist... a petrified Ruach now stands before you, her outstretched hand attempting to throw a boomerang at Nevdor's head.
Tech: Burn 2 action points and the wand disintegrates to worthless dust. The Ruach is petrified until the end of your next turn. The area around her is still difficult terrain.

vajrasimha.deviantart.com

Nevdor looks to his left and beholds a bloody throne against the north wall, flanked by iron braziers. A skull has been impaled on each arm of the great stone seat. He sees the glint of something golden lying on the seat, a rod maybe?

He doesn't have much time to contemplate, as he feels himself being dragged towards the Sphere of Annihilation! To make matters worse, three skeletons (from the west pit) swarm around him and attempt to push him towards that very black orb of death.
Tech: Sphere of Annihilation gravity attack, dragging Nevdor two squares closer. The three skeletons attempt bull rushes on Nevdor as well, one succeeds pushing him yet another square closer.

In the south, arrows rain down upon Selvantis, Ashton, and Tak-tha.
Tech: Two hits on Selvantis. Selvantis is now at 17 hp. One hit on Tak-tha, who is now at 13 hp.

Two of the three skeletons that emerge from the eastern pit swarm Arden who attempts with futility to knock them down as they emerge. The skeletons are fast, getting around Arden with ease. Each one grabs one of Arden's arms and throws him into the pit!
Tech: Two bull rushes against Arden. Both hit, and Arden failed his save to avoid the fall. Arden takes 8 falling damage and 5 necrotic damage, leaving him bloodied at 12 hp and prone in the pit.

The single skeleton north of Tak-tha also manages to strong-arm the Thri-Kreen into the pit!
Tech: Hit! Tak-tha bull rushed into pit (failed save vs fall). Tak-tha takes 4 necrotic, but lands on his feet. Currently bloodied at 9 hp.

OOC: In case you're wondering, the Decrepit Skeletons get to perform an extra shift as a part of their attacks, which is why they're able to maneuver around you for optimum flanking before they strike. For Arden and Tak-tha, the DC to climb the out of the pit is Athletics 15. Good job on stoning the Ruach, but can you take advantage of it? Good Luck! -MilwaukeeJoe

Crucible of the Gods: The Sphere of Annihilation

A ball of pure black, hovering in mid-air.

[Ashton]
Ashton's Thunder tears apart the nearby skeleton!

The Lyth manifestation of the Ruach of the Gods
A seductive blend of beautiful and deadly.

Tech: Hit! Skeleton destroyed. Arden now has +1 to AC UENT.

[Tak-tha]
Tak-tha lobs the Flask of Cloudkill to hit the three skeletons on the ledge of the west pit. However, it is futile; skeletons are immune to the poison. Charging east, he leaps over the pit and attacks the skeleton bordering to the north. However, Tak-tha nearly loses his footing; the floor he landed on has a thick layer of slime! Recovering from his failed attack, he looks to see a woman nearly blended into the shadows. She is winged and nude, covered in crimson tattoos and emerald slime. She floats just a few inches off the floor and holds a boomerang in her readied hand.

There is also something else that catches Tak-tha's attention. Forty feet away in the north, where two of the mazes hallways join, he sees an ball of pure black. The air itself seems to spin about it.

Instantly he knows what it is: a Sphere of Annihilation... He can feel it giving off a gravitational pull even from this distance.
 
OOC: Still in Round 2. Only Tak-tha and Selvantis have used up actions, and it's possible for Tak-tha to use an action point if he has one. For the rest, including Arden (who posted but his target was taken out by Ashton), feel free to post your actions.