The Adventure Continues .... 15. The Halls of the Goblin Kings. (Rune Lock Fix - Performance)

Another successful session with minor interference. (My favourite session to date.) In fact there was only a single hiccup in the last session to do with the Rune Lock puzzle, which has been fixed for future encounters with such. In any event, the problem was so minor it did not inhibit the heroes progress. Apart from that and the odd typo, everything else went smoothly, and we had an enjoyable and relaxing experience.

The List of Fixes

1) RUNE LOCK PUZZLE: During the adventure, the PCs will encounter Rune Locks, which the player resolves as a puzzle. This appeared to work fine at first, but when a second player used the puzzle (to attempt it instead of the first player), it thereafter appeared to lock the first player from trying again if the second player handed the process back. I addressed a localint that allowed the lock worker to be stored and returned more easily, and now the lock works fine in a MP environment. Furthermore, in testing the lock to ensure it worked, I noticed a memory leak when it started (related to an XML call), which I have now also fixed. Also adjusted the vigour penalty. (NOTE: v2.33b also allows slightly quicker clicking on the runes.)

2) SEBASTION RELATED TYPOS: There were a couple of conversations surrounding the Sebastion conversations that have now been fixed. i.e Bewilder > Rewilder. Heroin > Heroine and Sword > Axe (when Sebastion offers to ID the weapon found).

3) GAME BALANCING: I adjusted some of the encounter levels to help balance the game.

A Floating Book Speaks With The Party!

Goblins Attack!

But Helden and Flint Hold The Ground!

Animated Weapons Attack The Party!

A Door Without A Handle?

The Way Out Perhaps?

The Adventure Continues ... 15. The Halls of the Goblin Kings.

Living The Dream!

NB: Contains spoilers for Option 1 background.

Helden awoke from a groggy dream in which Myara spoke about calling her new sword "Stinky", he had spoken with a book that had cried upon knowing its author was dead, and he was in the process of trying to rescue some maiden because the story had to end right. Then, as he surveyed his surroundings and spied a nearby wall that was blocking a way ahead within the walls of a chamber ... and the distinct smell of goblins, he knew it had NOT been a dream. "Yep! Definitely "Stinky Sewer Sword" said Myara, as if reinforcing to Helden the fact it had not been a dream. Helden reflected upon the events that had brought them to this point ...

It all started the previous evening, after Sally had left the heroes to go and speak with her husband, who had apparently locked himself within his art studio. It should have been a relatively straightforward task, but things went quickly off-track after that. For starters, even gaining access to the studio required the heroes to work a special dwarf Rune Lock. Thankfully, between Myara's skills and the use of Life Essences, the heroes managed to bypass the lock after a few attempts.

Once inside, they confronted Sebastion (who still appeared quite well, albeit with a strange blue sheen about his body), but his responses were very strange indeed. Subsequent conversation revealed that this was not the real Sebastion, but some sort of Simulacrum, which ended up attacking the heroes when it ran out of options for conversation. The heroes had tried to remain passive until it was obvious the copy of Sebastion was not going to stop. It took only one reactive defensive blow from Helden to disperse the Simulacrum to nothingness.

The problem was that during the earlier conversation, the magikal being had somehow made the door to the room disappear. The entrance to the room had now simply gone. Helden remained calm and set about organising a search of the room. What stood out immediately was a book that floated within the room, which when approached, started to speak with the party. What strange magik was this? Further searching of the room and conversation with the book revealed that Sebastion had purchased a magik pen, which had the ability to bring into existence anything that was written with it. Sebastion, the aspiring artist that he is, had determined to make a new work with this pen, much against the warnings not to from its previous owner. To this end, he had started to write the adventure story entitled, "The Halls of the Goblin Kings". This was the nature and story within the floating book, which encouraged the heroes to join in.

After a little negotiating with the book, and overcoming the need to pay for the privilege, the magik of the book transported them into the goblin realm around which the story revolved. Upon arrival, the heroes were met by another Simulacrum of Sebastion, but being more wary this time, the heroes simply held their peace until the Simulacrum led the conversation up to the point when the heroes were told that they now faced the adventure story of the Halls set to a deadly level. Something appeared off with the Simulacrum narrator, which the heroes realised was the real source of the malevolence behind the story ... and the force referred to itself as The Editor.

After the Simulacrum departed, the "adventure" had officially begun. With no obvious lead, Helden set about leading the group into a search of the immediate area: It was some sort of underground labyrinth or dungeon, and the place they had arrived at was some sort of central chamber with four large statues of goblins, whose nearby plaques revealed them to be the Goblin Kings of the story's halls. The central chamber itself had a number of passages and doors leading off, and after determining which doors were locked, the heroes eventually started to make their way cautiously along one of the passageways.

Throughout the rest of the night the heroes faced a number of goblin attacks as they opened up various chambers. They also experienced tremors throughout the region, brought on by some unknown activity. Eventually, however, the heroes discovered a chamber in which they found the real Sebastion being kept captive in a jail cell. The heroes spent some time speaking with this Sebastion making sure he was the real thing, and learned more about what had transpired with respect to his writing of this world. In the end, it was decided he should tag along with the heroes, especially as he was the world's creator, and that he may be able to offer some insight as they continued within its realm.

There were more encounters with goblins, but nothing too taxing for the heroes. However, in one chamber, the heroes encountered a dark spirit that briefly appeared and immediately disappeared again before some nearby weapons leapt to life and attacked them. This had been the second time the dark spirit had briefly manifested itself, and Karasten reasoned that this may be the source of the malevolence that was behind this edited world. The battle with the weapons was more difficult, as they appeared to resist the blows of the heroes own weapons. Eventually, however, even these animated objects fell to the blows of Helden and Flint.

It was in this same chamber as the animated weapons that the heroes found the Greataxe of the Halls, a living weapon that the Editor had tried to conceal from the heroes. Karasten had earlier concluded that the world Sebastion had created could only be partially changed by the malevolent source that called itself the Editor. Therefore, it was possible that both boons and success could be possible (which was the nature of the story), but could be made more difficult by the alterations of the Editor.

The heroes continued their search of the dungeon, fully aware after speaking with Sebastion that the Halls currently comprised three levels, and that the exit to the next level should be nearby. Eventually, as they turned yet another dark passageway, the exit came into sight, and the heroes cautiously approached it, now tired from the adventures and combats of the night. However, as Myara approached the open gateway with the steps that led to the deeper dungeons, a large wall suddenly appeared blocking their way, and a loud voice boomed "No!". The Editor was at work again.

Myara took a closer look at the newly created wall and recognised it to be a magikal lock, which Sebastion was the key. She told Sebastion, as creator of the story, that he needed to be assertive with the wall and insist that he and his fellows be allowed to pass. Stepping up to the mark, Sebastion took on board his role and attempted to make his demands. As he spoke, the heroes kept encouraging him to be more demanding or more persuasive until the poor man was quite exasperated. However, on his last attempt, he managed to build up enough gusto to make the wall break down .... well, not fully, but it had changed, as if a compromise had been made. Hopefully, this would be enough.

"This can wait for now", said Helden. And this is the point at which the heroes decided to make camp and grab some rest, as they were all beginning to suffer from lack of vigour. Within a few minutes, the camp was made and every one in the party grabbed the rest they needed. When Helden awoke, he thought it had all been a dream.


TOTAL SESSION TIME (UNPAUSED): 3 Hours 1 Minute.
GAME TIME SINCE START: 25 Hours 55 Minutes.
QUESTS ACTIVE: 9 QUESTS COMPLETE: 13 (Ignoring Rule Info)

The Adventure Continues .... 14. Searching For Monty. (Henchmen AI, Area Enter & Red Leader Fixes)

We had another productive session, with very minor issues, which were not too dissimilar to last time, but with different objects. Thankfully, all issues encountered were easily overcome and did not impact play at all. There was one instance on an area transition at the start of the game when a player (WAN) dropped to desktop, but this was more likely due to the computer not having had a fresh reboot before joining the session. However, I have added some more area enter code checks that prevent over-activity on acquire/un-acquire, equip/un-equip checks when entering a new area. (See fix info below.)

The List of Fixes

1) AREA ENTER UPDATES: There were some situations (e.g. Entering a dark place with a lantern or torch), when the on area enter code did more repetitive checks than it needed to. This has now been trimmed to minimise checks, making for more stable area transitions.

2) NPC NAMES (AGAIN): I am still being caught by these module only fixes. This time the "Scourge Victims" that can be encountered had the default of "Zombie" overriding my names. These have now been fixed. I will continue to update these as I come across them. (Again: These are only noticed as fixed when starting from a fresh module.)

3) HENCHMEN/SUMMONED AI: I noticed that a PC's summoned creature appeared to be ignoring a combat situation and calls to fight, unless attacked itself. I checked the code and I believe I had the wrong function call in the section that mattered, and changed it to what I believe it should be. This should have fixed the problem. I will only report back if the creature (summoned or henchman) fails to obey calls to battle when next used by the players; otherwise assume fixed.

4) RED LEADER CONVERSATION LOGIC: Another logical flow issue with respect to the conversation that can be had with the Red Leader at the end of the Shoreline Road. This occurred if the PCs had acquired a permit before speaking to the Red Guard leader. A conversation node that should not have been available was. (It covered a similar conversation that the players would have already experienced for presenting the permit.)  This has now been fixed. Furthermore, I have added a "Nothing Thanks" to allow players to drop from the conversation immediately, rather than have to ask about the store and then drop out.

Sewer Spiders Attack The Heroes!

Heroes Search For Missing Monty.

Heroes Reach The End of the Road.

Heroes Encounter Scourge Victims ...

And A Battle Ensues!

The Heroes Discover A Cave!

The Adventure Continues ... 14. Searching For Monty.

Good Preparation Goes A Long Way!

NB: Contains spoilers for Option 1 background.

It was 10.00 a.m. and a lovely day outside, and so it was somewhat reluctantly that the heroes determined they needed to visit the stinking sewers one last time, for now at any rate. For although the sewer problem with the access units had been resolved, Helden was not happy about leaving a chamber they had seen hidden behind large spider webs. If there were spiders there, and large by the looks of the webs, then they needed to address the issue before it became a problem for the village. Taking no risk, Helden purchased an antitoxin potion from Orechin in case they did encounter spiders and risk being poisoned.

Next the heroes headed back to the sewer pipe that exited into the lake and entered the sewers again. Compared to previous visits, the sewers only echoed with the sounds of water flushes and pipe gurgles; there were no denizens left nearby to slow them down. Eventually, they reached the chamber with the webs and Helden hacked down the first web to gain entrance. No sooner had he done so, than the group found themselves being approached by no less than four of the large vermin.

The heroes were totally prepared for the encounter, and positioned themselves in the mouth of the tunnel, forcing the spiders to come to them and into the blades of Helden and Flint, accompanied by bolts and arrows from the clerics and Myara. And even before the spiders had reached the point of contact, they were welcomed by a fireball from Karasten, which immediately frazzled one, and did much harm to those that remained. Within only a few rounds, thanks to good preparation, the battle was over and the heroes were able to explore the cavern beyond.

The cavern turned out to be somewhat of a treasure cave. The first thing they discovered was a small chest at the base of where a well opened from above. Inside was a small note and nearly 500 gold coins. The note was from Grimbold: The heroes had finally found Grimbold's Gold, much to the delight of Threska, who felt her presence and perseverance had finally paid off. "From above to Below." said Threska out aloud before continuing to say, "And the reference to water must be about the well we are underneath". The augury clue they had been trying to interpret now finally made sense to everybody.

Continuing their search of the well cavern the heroes also acquired a living short sword on the remains of a skeleton they found here. The skeletal remains were too deteriorated to work out who it had been, but the rough size of the build suggested it may well have been one of the original dwarves who helped build the sewers. Myara was chosen by the group to take the Sword of the Sewers as her own, partly to help compensate her for the loss of her sickle earlier. She was delighted with her new treasure!

The final cavern explored, the heroes wasted no more time in the sewers and made a hasty retreat and quick exit into the fresh air. Glad to put the sewer work behind them, the heroes now looked at their notes to help determine what best to try to accomplish next. There was still plenty to consider: Rods for Ravel ... and rods for Orechin, the crypt of undead, the ants of Frank and a few others. However, it was the note about searching for Monty along the Shoreline Road that caught everyone's attention, simply because it meant they could stay out within the fresh air for the time being, a welcome break from the stinking sewers.

Helden led the party north and out of the village main, and further on towards the Shoreline road, the same road Vol have left them only a few days ago before they had come into the village. Continuing to follow the shore path and road, the heroes eventually reached the Red Guards who had camped along the road at the edge where the barrier prevented egress. After a quick chat with the Red Guard leader (who confirmed that Monty had not passed this way), and showing him their permit, the heroes quickly accepted the task of helping to keep unwelcome creatures away from the village by patrolling the grounds east of the lake and still within the barrier.

As they explored the area, still in search of Monty, they did indeed encounter a number of creatures, including bats, snakes, wolves and worgs, all relatively easy encounters since their own skills had improved greatly over the last few days. However, there was also one unusual encounter, with a group of people who had ignored the barrier and simply walked through it showing no concern. This caught the eye of the party straight away, and with Myara's keen sight, she could see that these people appeared to be suffering from what they had read about in a book they recently bought: The Scourge!

"Do you think we can cure them?" said Myara, who knew the answer really. Both Elana and Threska shook their heads in silence, confirming Myara's own saddened belief in the matter. "They're as good as dead already!" exclaimed Helden, who then went on to order Karasten to cast a web to help slow or stop their approach, as Threska summoned a dire wolf. Then missile weapons and distant spells rained down upon the poor victims until every last one of them lay dead. Respectably as they could, the heroes carefully looked over the bodies and relieved them of any items they carried that could be of any use. Along with some gold and gems, Helden picked up a strange box, inside which lay five wands. A note included with the wands explained that these were Trainee Wands, and a spell caster could make good use of these, if care was taken. Karasten instantly showed an interest and the party agreed that he could make use of this find best. So the wizard stowed them within his inventory, ready to look at them closer that evening.

The heroes continued to explore the area, hoping to discover Monty, but to no avail. However, at a spot where a villager claimed to have seen two strange men appear and then disappear, they discovered a cave entrance. It was quite possible that the villager, who was slightly worse for wear with alcohol, may well have simply seen these people "disappear" into the cave.

"It's possible that Monty may have gone this way", said Helden. The heroes looked and considered, but did not like the idea of entering the cavern just yet as they used many of their spells in the last few hours already. So, it was decided that they should return and rest before continuing the search in the cave. Along the way back to the village, Elana spied a ring glittering on the ground near the stream. It was an added bonus as the heroes returned home.

The heroes rested at the Bloated Buckle a whole day and night, allowing Karasten to work his magic and crafting with the new wands they had found. At the end of the 24 hour period, he had succeeded in creating four new wands of 25 charges each, failing on only one account. In his repertoire, he now owned a wand of Identify, a wand of Magic Missile, a wand of Acid Arrow, and a wand of Fireballs. Although of slightly lower power due to the nature of these Trainee Wands, the wizard was, nevertheless, delighted in his new selection of crafted wands.

It was 6.00 p.m. on the following day by the time the heroes finally left the inn. It was already getting dark and the heroes debated whether to return to the cave they had found the day before or consider something else. After checking their notes, they realised that Sebastion's Creations was nearby, and was on their agenda to visit to determine what had happened to a commission that was overdue. So, Helden led the way. Upon arriving and after a brief knock at the door, Sally, the wife of the artist called Sebastion, opened the door and let them in. Sally was obviously upset, and quite willing to confess the problems she had been experiencing with her husband, who had apparently locked himself in his studio upstairs and not come out in over a week! Sally greatly appreciated the heroes intervention and, at the end of the conversation, she decided to leave the heroes to deal with the problem alone, too upset to remain behind due to her husband's recent behaviour. Now alone in the house with Sebastion, the heroes had a brief recollection of what had happened at the Fairchild's residence, and hoped this was not going to be the same.

TOTAL SESSION TIME (UNPAUSED): 2 Hours 6 Minutes.
GAME TIME SINCE START: 22 Hours 54 Minutes.
QUESTS ACTIVE: 9 QUESTS COMPLETE: 13 (Ignoring Rule Info)

The Adventure Continues .... 13. A Tragic Day. (TB Combat Timings)

We had a very stable and productive session this time around. There was only the need to reload the once, when my wife's area map corrupted. This is the first and only time I have ever seen this happen, and I suspect it relates solely to being in a MP game where network data is being used. It was fine on a reload, and for the rest of the night. Other than that, the heroes managed to complete four of the journal entries with very few issues. Most of these following will fix SP games as well...

The List of Fixes

1) TB AUTO-PAUSE TIMING: Another tweak to the timing of combat auto-pause subject to the PCs actions with respect to just having transitioned or coming out of a conversation. Sometimes the auto-pause could be slightly off and PCs would start to cast spells in these situations, which is supposed to be automatically disabled when allowing auto-pause to pause at the start of combat. These situations are few and far between, but I believe I have caught the remaining few. If we discover more in the future, I will update them then.

2) NPC NAMES (AGAIN): Frustratingly, even after going through the module last time, looking for other instances where the NPC default name had not been removed, we still encountered another NPC with a default name left attached. (Kerres in the Guildhall.) As most builders will probably know, even though we replace the first name of a template with our own name for an NPC, if the default tool set string is not also removed, then the code will refer to the default name rather than the one we give them. It is one of the more annoying issues that we can come across, and something I did not know until quite late in the building. I will continue to update any more we find and release in MODULE fixes. (i.e. Module fixes only make a difference when playing a fresh game.)

3) MELICAMP CONVERSATION/JOURNAL: This was the biggest issue of the night, although very minor compared to others in the past weeks, and was to do with logical flow and conversation options and did NOT stop play or prevent concluding the quest. Basically, there were two issues:

First, a variable was one out when it came to allowing the heroes to ask about the barrier problem: The option to ask about the barrier is based upon the heroes quest state with respect to locating the rods for Orechin. The option is supposed to be open if the PCs have not yet found all the rods. However, in this case, it had been excluded due to the variable check being out. This has now been fixed.

The second issue was the journal entry after the heroes had finished speaking with Melicamp. The main problem was that the code to update the quest state was at the end of the conversation. However, I had forgotten the fact that the conversation would be held twice, and the script that fired at the end would only be valid after the second time of speaking. Therefore, when it ended the first time around, the wrong journal entry was set, causing the illogical flow. This has now been fixed.

4) STORE TEST (MP): I have now added a quick check to ensure that only the party leader actually stores the variables on a STORE TEST, otherwise a second player could clear the variables if they had not written anything, or even change them if they had written anything different to the leader.

The Last of the Sewer Access Units

A Strange Ritualistic Circle!

A Demon Is Summoned!

The Heroes Battle Fire Mephits!

The Adventure Continues ... 13. A Tragic Day.

Ooze Resistance Oil: Don't Fight Oozes Without It!

NB: Contains spoilers for Option 1 background.

"Oh no! Betsy!" cried Helden. The rest of the heroes watched in silence as the fighter wiped the remains of the oozes acidic slime from his favourite sword. "Why did I not use the oil! Now, your lustre shineth less so!" The heroes had just defeated two more Grey Oozes from the area behind the barricaded chamber of the sewers. It had been a simple fight, and one that the heroes felt they could handle without any real threat to themselves. In truth, it was, but there had been a casualty of that battle, and "Betsy", Helden's living weapon sword, had now taken acidic damage, causing it to turn into a dead weapon. In truth it was still a good weapon, one of the best (as a dead weapon), but everyone could see that the weapon had lost some of its lustre, and Helden felt it the most.

The oozes disposed of, the heroes did manage to locate the final sewer access unit, and after checking its calibration, were now able to start the repair process using the calibration crystals they had recovered earlier. It meant retracing their steps across all areas of the sewers, but Helden had marked the locations of the units on their map and so finding and repairing each unit was a fairly straightforward job apart from the calculations required to determine which crystal was best suited to which unit. By the end of their trek, and repairs, the heroes successfully repaired the status to 91%, so at least they would be rewarded for their troubles, and even managed to earn an extra 100gp for the extra percentage above ninety.

The repairs made, the heroes decided to leave the sewers and come back later if need be. For now, they wanted to collect their reward and return Thomsk to its owner, who had already suffered some acidic damage from some ooze acid splash. Thankfully, he did not appear too bothered by the wound, but the heroes decided not to take further risks. It did not take long for the heroes to exit the sewers via the Guild Hall cellar, and return to the Bloated Buckle, where they found Thomsk's owner. Delighted that her precious cat was returned safe and sound(ish), she gave the heroes a flute for their trouble. It was not until a little later that Karasten pointed out that this flute was magikal and had the power to summon clockroaches! A worthwhile reward indeed!

It was now the early hours of the morning and the heroes had been up all night in the sewers, but they determined to visit the Guild Hall (which would have now opened), to collect their reward. Obi was true to his word, and paid the heroes the 500gp plus 100 gp bonus for completing the sewer task successfully. The sewer reward collected, the heroes finally decided it was time to clean up and get some rest. They had learned a lot over the last couple of days and every one of them had gained in ability through what they had experienced. Threska even claimed that she could now create food and water if the need arose.

The heroes slept through most of the following day, and it was already approaching evening  by the time they were up and heading towards the Sanctuary. While in the sewers, they had recovered the necklace reported stolen on the Santuary's Mercy Board, and so now wanted to return it for yet another reward. Furthermore, they had need to hear if Orechin had managed to learn anything more about the Fairchild's property. The previous evening, the heroes had noticed sigils glowing above the door frames of the property and so reported their findings to the priest of Boran. He had said to return the following day. Orechin did not disappoint the heroes. First, he was able to reward them in gold for the returned necklace, and then he was able to report his findings regarding the sigils, which had involved Ritualistic magic. The heroes were determined to get to the bottom of this mystery involving the Fairchild's and so Orechin handed them a scroll that would enable the heroes to bypass the magikal sigils that acted as magikal locks to the doors of the property.

It did not take long for Karasten to work the magik to break the lock of the sigils, which were now glowing in the early hours of the evening. Shortly after, the heroes had gained entrance to the Fairchild's property. All was silent within, until the heroes heard a terrible otherworldly scream and noticed a strange flying creature turn from the bottom of the stairs ahead. Myara tried to give it a friendly greeting, but it ignored her and the party were soon into combat. Thankfully, Helden and Flint were well equipped and quick to respond. Within a heartbeat, the mephit (for that is what they determined it to be), was dead, and upon it's death, it swirled into inky blackness back to its own plane of existence. What kind of monstrosities had been taking place here to lure such a creature? thought Elana.

The heroes continued to make a careful search of the property. In bookcases downstairs they discovered a number of unusual recipes and spell scrolls. But, it was upstairs that the heroes got their first insight as to what may have transpired, after they discovered the dead body of Nancy Fairchild in a pool of blood! Near to her body, they found an unfinished diary she had been keeping, that mentioned the events that had led to her contacting Orechin. The same writings also mentioned a secret chamber beneath the house. The heroes needed no more of a lead and headed straight back downstairs, unrolled the carpet and found a trapdoor that led to the hidden chamber below.

Within the hidden chamber, the heroes beheld a terrible sight: The scribblings and markings of Ritualistic Magik! Ralph, Nancy's husband, had been involved in some sort of ritual that he believed could rid the village of the barrier, but it had involved summoning a demon! There were details of everything needed to complete the ritual, but was something that Ralph never completed, because his lifeless stone statue form was at the back of the room, a tragic and unfortunate accident all because of his wife's fears and concerns, that ultimately had also brought about her own tragic demise.

"I don't like this." said Helden. "I think we should leave, and leave now!" That would have been the end of the matter if Threska had not piped up by saying, "But the barrier? Don't we owe it to the village and ourselves to try to complete what this Ralph had started, and try to rid the village of this problem?" There were a few seconds of doubt and concern, but the clerics and wizard both agreed that the ritual markings looked as though they would contain the demon and prevent any harm coming to them. "I hope you are right, and that this is worth it." said the fighter, who went on to instruct Karasten to place the ritualistic items they had found into the ritual bowls that would summon the demon.

"Something's wrong!" said Myara. The wizard had placed all the components into the correct bowls, but nothing had happened. Myara read over the ritual instructions again, and this time noticed that the order of placement was critical too. Karasten swiftly collected the components and set about replacing them in the correct order. As soon as the last item was placed into the bowl this time, Melicamp, Ralph's demon was summoned within the circle.

What occurred next was tragedy upon an already tragic scene. At first the heroes appeared to be managing the conversation well, but after realising that the demon was not going to be able to help them with the barrier, they, instead, asked what else may they be entitled to. The demon responded and offered wealth, power or knowledge, but at a price! That price was to complete another ritual that would enable it to increase in power within its own realm. It was at this point the heroes made a tragic error and agreed to its terms, thinking of their own benefits of an increase in power deafening them to the words that the demon would benefit too! This was a heinous and evil act: to agree to a demon's terms that would increase the demon's own power or standing!

Even the knowledge of having to part with Myara's magikally enhanced sickle and some life essences did not sway the heroes decision to see this through. A few moments later, the deal was done, and the heroes were left with a dark fluid potion that supposedly increased intelligence, which was the demon's side of the deal. The deal done, the demon turned to the heroes with a menacing look and appeared to sniff the air around them. It obviously smelt something that it did not like, and gave the impression that if it had smelt otherwise, then they may have been attacked by it. However, something still gave it a moment hesitation, and as it left the scene, it laughed menacingly again, declaring there would be others to taste the flesh of them this time .... and as quick as it disappeared, two larger fire mephits took its place, and immediately attacked the heroes.

Thankfully, although depleted of weapons as part of the demon's deal, the heroes had not left themselves short, and as fierce as the mephits were, even their fiery breaths could not overcome the heroes own fierce resistances. Not before long, the two summoned creatures were destroyed and sent back to their own planes of existence. The battle over, the heroes looked at each other, gathered themselves, and left the chamber in silence, to head back to the Sanctuary and report their findings to Orechin. Orechin was saddened by the news, and all agreed that it had been a tragic end to a tragic day; the gold reward for completing the task, a bittersweet moment.


TOTAL SESSION TIME (UNPAUSED): 3 Hours 34 Minutes.
GAME TIME SINCE START: 20 Hours 48 Minutes.
QUESTS ACTIVE: 9 QUESTS COMPLETE: 13 (Ignoring Rule Info)

The Adventure Continues .... 12. Another Day and Night In The Sewers. (Important Updates)

First things first: We managed to catch up on the game-play after having to restart from an earlier save, when I discovered the latest save game had been corrupted. It took around two hours to catch up, and we had another hour new play. Some player feedback also said that this had been the most flowing game for them, and the most free from any issues they had noticed. This post will only cover the gameplay points from after the point of catch up

Also note, that there are some important changes/fixes this time around, after some gameplay experiences. In particular, when relating to certain transitions. (More on that below in the Update Section.) This update also fixes the Show GUI that was accidentally broken in v2.28, and addresses a number of other minor issues, and some return fixes related to disappearing companions and gold (money pouches).

The List of Fixes

1) SHOW GUI: I managed to break this in v2.28, by basically placing it inside a check that prevented it from opening. I hastily restored it (on the night) and have left it restored in v2.29.

2) NPC NAMES (MODULE FIX): We noticed yet another NPC name that was not showing their correct name via the SHOW GUI (once fixed). This time it was "Billy" who showed as "Dwarf". This time around, I have gone through the module checking the names, and found a few more, which have now had the default reference removed, which should restore the names I have given the NPCs. Note that these fixes will only show on a freshly started game. (i.e. Campaign patching does NOT fix this.)

3) MONEY POUCH (GOLD): There was another instance where the gold was not being correctly set after transferring a gold pouch to another player. I believe I have finally fixed this issue. It works in all testing I can do, but have yet to finally test in our DM MP game. (I am hopeful though.)

4) MISSING COMPANION: A return of the "missing companion" bug on a game reload. This relates to a companion not recognising the player's entry to a game and returning to a default wait location. A faction set and check now stops them from disappearing on a player load.

5) ITEM DESCRIPTIONS: On rare occasions, some items descriptions may appear incorrect or relate to another item the PC carries. I have now added an extra line to help prevent this from occurring. If this should happen to anyone, a quick workaround is to drop the item to the floor (if possible) and pick it up again.

6) DM AREA ENTRY FEEDBACK: The DM was getting the patch info on every area entry. I have now placed a check to make sure it is only on first entering the game.

The Transitions Update (SP/MP)

The biggest change this time around is related to some types of area transitions. I made the alterations to help avoid confusion for players, especially in a MP game. Basically, some transitions, which only moved the PCs to somewhere within the same area, could be traversed independently by players and even their individual PCs.

For example, the stairs at the Bloated Buckle, and many transitions in the sewers are examples of the type of transition I am referring to. Originally with such transitions, the player had a choice NOT to have certain PCs follow their active PC if they had told them to "stand ground". Furthermore, in a MP game, every player is responsible for their own transition, rather than have the leader of the party initiate it.

However, these transitions could cause confusion or difficulty in play, especially if there was an encounter shortly after the transition, and definitely if turn-based combat would also initiate an auto-pause. E.g. Player 1 makes the transition with only some PCs, and combat starts, causing automatic pause. Thereafter, trying to bring PCs from the other side of the transition (or more importantly in a MP game, trying to bring a second player and their PCs), became quite difficult to manage - and did not really work.

Therefore, for the minor tactical difference that this type of selectional transition offered, I decided to abandon that working and simply make them the same as any normal area to area transition, which moves all PCs at once, regardless of their current follow status. In a MP game, this also means the lead player must "Gather The Party" as normal, prior to everyone transitioning.

On top of that, I have also improved the Fade To Black timing with respect to auto-pausing a combat after a transition. Previously, a check was in place to ensure the player would not be left "in the black" of a fade if an encounter paused the game. However, the latest version now allows the fade to finish before any potential encounter can perceive the party and take place. It's a subtle difference, but one that means PCs that are supposed to go into puppet mode prior pausing now do so, and there is no automatic spell casting, which was the problem experienced in the original method.

The Heroes Restock Equipment With New Found Gold

The Heroes Acquire New Armour

The Heroes Encounter A Barricade In The Sewers

The Adventure Continues ... 12. Another Day and Night In The Sewers.

I think I am getting used to the smell.

NB: Contains spoilers for Option 1 background.

"I only just got rid of the smell from last time," said Myara. The silence she received from the rest of the party was a resigned acknowledgement of knowing exactly what she meant, but there was no avoiding it if they wanted to complete their task of fixing the sewer systems. They had already found half of the ten they needed to locate, but still had the northern section of the sewers to search in the hope of finding the last five units.

As the heroes trudged on, they encountered more sewer beetles and rats, but dealt with these minor annoyances very swiftly. However, when they had retraced their steps and entered the northern section of the sewers, they discovered some ruffians had also infiltrated the region, and became a deadly threat as the heroes tried to do their work. There was no choice but to kill or be killed, as these thugs obviously had no concern for the heroes, except to try and take from them whatever they could. Maybe this was the reason that the original sewer work notice was found ripped up by the notice board: The thugs did not want anybody going through their zone?

From one of the fallen thugs, Helden retrieved a necklace, which he noticed had a two letter engraving on it, which meant they had managed to recover the necklace that had been stolen and been advertised on the Mercy Mission Board in the Sanctuary. That was one mission solved at least.

As the heroes continued to explore the northern sewers, not only did they discover another four sewer access points, which Helden and Myara alternatively calculated their calibrations, but they also came across Thomsk, the missing cat. Helden was concerned that the cat may come into trouble tagging along with them, but the heroes concluded that it was still better to have it with them now, than run the risk of not finding him again. Once they returned to the surface, they could settle another task.

During their search, they also discovered a metal ladder built into the wall, which Helden reasoned may well come up into the suspicious building they had noticed earlier: Merkes Place. The party had high suspicions that this was most likely the local thieves guild, and Myara's obvious silence on the matter suggested they were probably right.

The search for the last sewer access unit was becoming difficult, with only a few places remaining in the sewers to search. One such place they came across was a barricaded area. The heroes now had to make a decision: either they smash down the barricade and search the area behind, or they retrace their steps, and consider some other areas they had avoided, such as the area that appeared covered in webs, suggesting a rather large spider. Either choice appeared wrought with danger, as the last time they smashed their way to access another unit, they had encountered oozes. Was this area barricaded for a similar reason? Either way, if they wanted the reward, the heroes would have to make a decision.

TOTAL SESSION TIME (UNPAUSED): 3 Hours 10 Minutes.
GAME TIME SINCE START: 17 Hours 14 Minutes.
(REPLAY: 2 Hours. NEW PLAY: 1 Hour 10 Minutes.)
QUESTS ACTIVE: 13 QUESTS COMPLETE: 9 (Ignoring Rule Info)

The Adventure Continues .... 11. The Unwelcome Break! (Corrupted Save Game)

This report is two sided: First off in that we did manage to play something of a session, but, frustratingly for the second, it will have to be repeated! This is all due to a corrupted save game from the session before last. So, although this report addresses some issues I have fixed since the last session, all of tonight's storyline will have to be repeated in a catch up session. This is because while I managed to get the session up and running by using a "new" DM to replace the broken DM version, the problem turned out to be in the actual "module" section of the saved game, which contains the "state" of the module, including monsters either dead or alive. This meant that when testing a load from a newly saved game of the latest session, the DM was still broken.

I concluded that the corrupted save came after the player on WAN started to suffer lag on his broadband. I remember we had to save and reload a couple of times, and we started to experience some strange occurrences then. After checking, the last good save position was at 14 Hours 4 Minutes. Bearing in mind that our last recorded session time was 16 Hours 35 minutes, this means we will have to replay about 2.5 hours, which will probably actually equate to around 1-2 hours tops. So, hopefully, by the end of the next session, we should have caught up and done a little more than what I record here today.

The List of Fixes

1) TODD NAME FIX: Todd's name (the blacksmith) had a default value "dwarf", which displayed. This has now been removed and the MODULE has been updated. (The fix only shows when started from this module.)

2) TODD CONVERSATION LOGIC: There was an illogical flow towards the end of Todd's conversation if the heroes killed Joss and Billy prior to speaking with Todd. This has now been fixed.

3) DM BUTTON OPTIONS: Prevented the DM from clicking on some buttons not relevant to them.

4) DEATH SCREEN (MP): Stopped the "Load" prompt from keep showing in a loop when trying to reload after a MP death. (SP has to keep looping because they can re-spawn.)

5) PATCH INFO: The patch information now only gives update info if the player is updating/patching. i.e. It does not show from a fresh started game.

6) SPELL CAST AI LOGIC: Updated the AI feedback to work better with TB auto-pause function. Now only updates when character sheet closes if TB auto-pause active. Clearer feedback.

7) LOAD GAME CHECKS: Placed more stringent stop checks when a player loads a game to help prevent spurious events and feedback (inc combat auto starting, equip feedback, etc). I also added a new GUI that tells a loading DM if the DM/Game no longer recognises the DM as a DM. This is what happened to our game and gives a heads up that the host needs to load an earlier, non-corrupt, game.

8) PARTY ITEM CHECKS (MP): Expanded the "party" check for items when playing a MP game. i.e. Some items can be checked from all players rather than just one player's PCs. E.g. If player one holds an item that player 2 can make use of with a placeable, they no longer have to pass the item to that player for the player to be able to continue interaction as if they had the item too.

To reiterate, NONE of the above fixes stopped play, but all of them should clarify or make play easier.

Of Course It Was A Trap!

The Adventure Continues ... 11. The Unwelcome Break!

Is this for real or just a premonition?

NB: Contains spoilers for Option 1 background.

Exiting the inn, the heroes appreciated the fresh morning air compared to the dreadful stench of the sewers they had been exploring of late. The sewer job still waited completion, but the heroes wanted to acquire new equipment to help prepare them better for what may lay ahead in the next sewer section. After all, they had encountered oozes, which had damaged their weapons, so now they wanted to find more information about how best to tackle them. The local stores sold a book entitled, "If It Splits, So Should You!" Myara bought and read it immediately, before passing it on to Karasten to read also. In it, they read about Ooze Resistant Oil that could be applied to weapons, which sounded like a good idea and determined to acquire some if they could.

Helden then decided to visit Todd, and help the party become better equipped in both armour and weapons, especially ranged weapons. The group spent quite a large amount of gold that they had recently acquired from the lizard folk of the sewers, but believed the quality of new equipment was well worth it.

As they left the blacksmith's, Myara spied Billy (one of the two journeymen that had locked Todd's chest) and confronted him. When quizzed about Todd's combination code, the ruffian said he would meet the heroes in the boathouse, where he would give them the code. The heroes were highly suspect, and were right to be so, as when they followed Billy into the boathouse shortly after, they suddenly found themselves locked in and confronted by both Billy and Joss, and a couple of other undesirables in combat.

While not totally unexpected, the sudden onslaught was still an unwelcome morning exercise, and not the welcome break from the sewers they had first anticipated. The battle was short-lived, and it was clear the ruffians had not anticipated the strong resistance of the party. Within a few minutes, the journeymen and their partners were dead, and the heroes were picking up their possessions. Thankfully, the journeymen had noted the two digits of the code they possessed on some of their clothing, and so the heroes had a good idea of Todd's combination now. Before they left, however, they noticed a locked door, and after opening it with a key found on Joss, they discovered Kurt (the boathouse owner) who had been locked away by the band of ruffians in his own office.

Kurt was thankful for his release and gave the heroes a reward, including a Chameleon Stone he had hauled in during a fishing trip. After giving thanks, and ensuring the old man was OK, the heroes returned to Todd, whereupon they gave the news regarding their progress with the combination code. Within just a few moments, Myara had cracked the code and was handing Todd his possessions. True to his word, he rewarded the heroes, who chose a copy of the armour molds to work from.

After saying goodbye to Todd, the heroes were finally able to get back on track and head again to the sewers. As they made their way, passing from the guildhall cellar to the sewers, all of them could not help but think, as the sewer stink reached their nostrils, that it was as if the last day was repeating itself ... ;)

TOTAL SESSION TIME (UNPAUSED): 58 Minutes. (After trying to fix the broken DM.)
GAME TIME SINCE START: 16 Hours 35 Minutes.
QUESTS ACTIVE: 13 QUESTS COMPLETE: 9 (Ignoring Rule Info)

GAME RERUN REQUIRED FROM TIME STAMP: 14 Hours 4 Minutes.
GAME RERUN TIME: 2 Hours 31 Minutes. (Probably 1-2 Hours actual.)

The Adventure Continues .... 10. Searching The Sewers! (Minor Fixes & Updates.)

Another successful session this time around, with very few issues. In fact, the worst issue was due to the player on WAN suffering some broadband bandwidth limitations, which was quickly resolved after a computer reboot and a stop of some background activities. Here are the lists:-

The List of Fixes

1) MAP PIN DEBUG FEEDBACK: There was some debug feedback that needed commenting out relating to Map Pins. Now commented out. (Did not affect play.)

2) AREA MAP BUTTON: In a MP game the ability to jump areas to update map pins should be disabled for all players always. This briefly showed on first load. This has now been removed. (Did not affect play.)

3) CREATURE ITEMS DROP:  The chieftain lizard folk in the sewers had some creature items set as "Droppable". These have now been fixed. (This fix requires a module update.) (Did not affect play.)

The List of Updates

1) VIGOUR TWEAK: (Another slight vigour tweak, that actually took place in v2.26.

2) SEARCH DEACTIVATION: If a player uses auto-pause TB Combat, and is currently in search mode, the auto-pause will now also remove search mode from all companions (or uncontrolled PCs) when auto-pause is activated.

Helden Refills His Oil Flasks

The Heroes Encounter Lizard Folk!

... And Oozes!

But Finally Make A Rescue!

And Continue Working With The Sewer Access Units

The Adventure Continues ... 10. Searching The Sewers!

Oozes .... Should we run?

NB: Contains spoilers for Option 1 background.

Fully refreshed, the heroes lit their torches and lantern and returned to the stinking sewer tunnels. Their goal was to search for the sewer hands lost down here for the past few days, and, if possible, continue working on the sewer access units that they came across.

Retracing their steps, the heroes made their way to the larger sewer water divide they had come across the day before, and examined the body in the water that lay there. The body and the puncture wounds it sported were fresh .... and this did look like the remains of one of those that they had been looking for.

It was not long before the heroes discovered what has caused those wounds, as they suddenly found themselves under attack from lizard folk: a scaly creature who liked to make a home in water ways, and these sewers offered a natural habitat for these creatures. To the average villager, these creatures had proven a deadly threat, but to the armed party, ready for such encounters, these creatures were unable to offer any kind of real threat, even if they did score the occasional wound on the forward fighters, Helden and Flint.

It soon became obvious as the party continued to explore the sewers, that these scaly creatures had taken over the mid-section of the sewers, and the party took it upon themselves to rid the underground labyrinth of these foul monsters. Thankfully, the lair was relatively new, and the numbers encountered were few and scattered, making dealing with them a lot more manageable than if they had been encountered all at once. And even though the tribe was supported by one or two shaman, even their summoned wolves could offer no resistance to the heroes, who quickly dealt with every encounter with ease.

In fact, the more difficult encounter came when the heroes smashed their way past some crates and uncovered a pair of grey oozes. This caught the heroes by surprise, as they had not seen them as they made their way towards a sewer access unit. Then, suddenly, Threska cried out, and, not knowing what these ooze types were, Helden sounded a quick retreat for the time being. However, trying to flee from a fast slithering ooze in its natural environment was never going to succeed, and so the two fighters, Helden and Flint turned back to help the dwarf cleric, while Myara supported with bow shots.

The oozes released acid, which damaged the weapons, but thankfully, not at a rate that was able to destroy the weapons before they had been slain by the heroes themselves. It was a brief encounter and one that left the heroes with more damage to their weapons than themselves; and while the clerics applied healing to the wounds of those that needed it, it would take extra work at a repair station for the weapons when they were next able.

Eventually, the heroes broke through to the main central chambers of the sewers, where the lizard folk had set up the core residence. Here they encountered a heavy brute of a chieftain, and a larger number of defendants. Even with more support, however, these lizard folk stood little chance against the might and magic of the party. Once the battle was over, all that was left to do was to destroy the lizard folk eggs, and the last remaining evil would be eradicated.

When searching the lizard folk chambers, the heroes found a couple of caged sewer hands, including the one called Jed. Thankfully, at least these two sewer hands had survived, and the one called Jed also gave the heroes the all important Sewer Access Key that they needed to complete the sewer task they had accepted. Without further discussion, the two sewer hands made a quick exit from the sewers following the path the heroes had taken to reach this point.

With the key they needed, the heroes now went about checking over the sewer access units and began to start making calibration readings that they needed to be able to make the repairs. They had managed to locate five units so far, and with Helden leading the way, the heroes retraced their steps and used the key on the units they had discovered to date. Helden, took the initiative and after a few examinations of the units, started to recognise how each needed to be repaired. Some were further off the mark than others, but at least the heroes had now also recovered the two set of gems during their recent search of the sewers. However, Helden concluded that they should find the remaining units and learn of their calibration values before they start applying the crystals to make repairs.

It was now 1.00 am, however, and the heroes were already tired from the numerous combats throughout the night, and determined it best to leave the sewers for now, and have a good night's rest at the Bloated Buckle before continuing their search. To this end, the heroes made their way back to the sewer exit, gleaning calibrations as they went, and finally exited into the fresh clean night air! They immediately headed towards the inn, but as they made their way, Jed, who had been waiting for them after escaping the sewers, ran up to them and gave them a ring as a reward for saving him.

Grateful for his reward, the heroes bid him goodnight and finally settled down for the night at the inn. The heroes made a few quick notes of what they needed to do the following day, but everyone of them was grateful for a good clean bath and a good night's rest.

TOTAL SESSION TIME (UNPAUSED): 3 Hr 8 Minutes.
GAME TIME SINCE START: 15 Hours 37 Minutes.
QUESTS ACTIVE: 14 QUESTS COMPLETE: 8 (Ignoring Rule Info)

The Adventure Continues .... 9. It's Dirty Work! (UPDATES: Vigour/Guard/TB Combat. TLK Addition.)

We pretty much had an error free session last night. Everything went relatively smoothly, with only a few extremely minor issues, all very easily updated in the latest v2.25 fix. And although we only had a play time recorded of 1 hour 7 minutes, this was mainly due to one player having to be called away for half an hour (combat was in TB pause mode anyway) and we did a fair share of paused TB combat, which does not record time.

As for the latest version, the important thing to note this time around is that there was an update to the TLK file. (Cure Minor Wounds heals 1-4 and not 4, which it currently states. This is the only change, but something I still wanted to fix for the latest file downloads.)

Strictly speaking, there was only one fix that needed addressing, which is explained below, and the rest of the alterations are to do with tweaking/balancing, or updates to do with the TB Combat system, all explained below.

The List of Fixes

1) JOURNAL TB PAUSE: This only affects players using the auto-pause TB Combat System. If, while paused, the player views their journal and looks at a creature entry from the bestiary, the game requires a very brief (0.1 sec) unpause to allow the GUI to update. If the game is paused, the system needed to be updated to ensure the game paused after this update, or else the round would play for the six seconds before pausing again.

2) CURE MINOR WOUNDS TLK ENTRY: The description Cure Minor Wounds spell was incorrect. I have made the cantrip now cure between 1-4 HPs and not 4, as the description said. The latest TLK file addresses the description entry.

3) OTHER (MINOR): A TYPO in the TIME WARP rule description. Target GUI auto open for the DM too.

The List of Updates

1) VIGOUR DRAIN: I have updated the speed of vigour drain according to some types of activity. Previously, the vigour drained at a steady rate, but after some player feedback, I decided to slow down/prevent decay if some sedentary activities are being carried out, like being in a conversation or playing a puzzle, etc. This is so a player's ability to read or take time in some aspects of gaming does not penalise their PCs ability to continue adventuring in a day. (See additional note on TIME below.)

2) GUARD SEARCH: Again, after some player feedback, I decided to alter the algorithm related to the guards that may try to search PCs for stolen goods. The search now depends upon if stolen goods have been reported, and a reduced random chance search roll.

3) CREATURE CR FEEDBACK: When encountering a creature, the PCs are given an indication of how tough an adversary may be (a Challenge Rating or CR) according to the heroes own levels. I have altered the algorithm, as the encounters were giving a CR feedback slightly too high for the creature encountered. i.e. A creature may have been labelled "HARD" instead of "NORMAL". The algorithm governing this may have other slight tweaks if needed, but as it is only a guide, further alterations may not be required.

4) TB PAUSE FUNCTIONS: For those that use the Althéa auto-pause TB Combat System, there has now been an additional 0.5 second "move forward" option added to the SHOW GUI (small square in the top left corner). To activate the 0.5 second forward time, the player now RIGHT-CLICKS in the box. Doing so will move combat forward by 0.5 seconds with each additional right-click. This allows the player to determine if their PCs are doing what they want to in a round, or take additional reactionary steps within the round in question. E.g. The 0.5 second is used and the player notices a creature move somewhere they had not expected, the player may then change the current action of their PC or PCs to accommodate it. This is in addition to the 0.1 second "move forward" that the player can use by simply entering the small GUI at the top left of the page. NB: In a MP game, only the leader can now do the 0.1 step, but all are still able to right-click for 0.5 sec.

CAMPAIGN NOTES ON TIME

MP RESTING MECHANICS REASONING: Because The Scroll is not based in real time, and it caters for more than one player (i.e. Multi-Player) something has to be done with respect to TIME, especially when RESTING. A key point being that the default REST function (R Button) would normally automatically pass time for everyone, regardless of their individual needs. In The Scroll, the players now have the option to pass time or not, according to the party needs (for every players' PCs). For example, if player 1 plays a wizard who uses all their spells before player 2 does (who also plays a wizard), then the following options are available, based upon the following D&D rule:-

It takes a minimum of 8 hours REST before a wizard can regain spells. Or to put it another way: Resting to regain spells is available every eight hours game time. So, if a wizard uses all their spells prior to this time frame, then eight hours must pass (in rest) to allow any to be regained. Options available are:-

A) If a wizard of player 1 uses all their spells in 4 hours of game time, but a wizard of player 2 does not, then player 1 can either play the further 4 hours game time, which means playing a further 1 hour real time before resting to recover spells (One hour game time equates to 15 minutes real time.), or ...

B) Request of other players that the party stop and rest (pass time) to allow player 1 to have enough time to recover the spells that they have lost. If agreed, then TIME must be made to pass before the final result of that REST can be applied using the REST function to recover spells and HPs.

A player, as a member of a MP party, could (of course) simply NOT seek the go ahead to PASS TIME from other players if they wish to force the rest, but as time constraints may be an important issue in some situations of play, then it is generally considered good etiquette to consult with other players before forcing the passage of time. The important point to note, however, is that if eight hours game time has passed and there is NO NEED to pass time, then a player can rest (to recover spells and/or HPs) without having any impact on another player! (In a SP game, this is not an issue as they simply pass time and then recover for their party as they see fit.)

Further reading: Here are some links to past blog posts on the topic:-

1) TIME ...
2) ... AND TIME AGAIN!
3) RESTING & THE PASSAGE OF TIME

THE VIGOUR SYSTEM: In relation to time is the need to rest and recover due to fatigue and exhaustion (and not just for spells and HPs). The rules behind these conditions are fairly varied (as a variant rule) and can appear harsh to the unaware player. However, The Scroll has implemented its own version of the variant rule, which is more generous to the PCs.

From the D20 Resource website, we know the following:-

FATIGUED: A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a -2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted. After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued. 

EXHAUSTED: An exhausted character moves at half speed and takes a -6 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. After 1 hour of complete rest, an exhausted character becomes fatigued. A fatigued character becomes exhausted by doing something else that would normally cause fatigue.

FORCED MARCH: In a day of normal walking, a character walks for 8 hours. The rest of the daylight time is spent making and breaking camp, resting, and eating. A character can walk for more than 8 hours in a day by making a forced march. For each hour of marching beyond 8 hours, a Constitution check (DC 10, +2 per extra hour) is required. If the check fails, the character takes 1d6 points of non-lethal damage. A character who takes any non-lethal damage from a forced march becomes fatigued. Eliminating the non-lethal damage also eliminates the fatigue. It’s possible for a character to march into unconsciousness by pushing himself too hard.

In The Scroll, however, a system is put in place to indicate when an adventurer has been on their feet for more than 8 hours, in that they begin to suffer from lower vigour than they had at the start of a day. The more their vigour score drops through continued adventuring (and not resting), the more they begin to suffer from fatigue and exhaustion. The most a PC can suffer in The Scroll is -3 to strength and -3 dexterity and slower movement (when famished). If they push themselves without eating beyond this, then they also suffer further penalties to attack and damage due to hunger. The PC does not need to make a constitution check, as HPs are NOT removed in this system. Furthermore, the heroes never fall unconscious as a result, no matter how sorry a state they become.

NB: It is also worth noting that just because one PC has a higher constitution than another, these detrimental effects due to fatigue and exhaustion are personal and relative. i.e. A fighter with 18 strength may drop to 15 if they go without rest and food, but this is still very strong compared to an accompanying wizard who may have started with 10 strength and has now dropped to 7.

Heroes Take On The Small ...

... And The Dangerous!

The Adventure Continues ... 9. It's Dirty Work!

Didn't we just come this way?

NB: Contains spoilers for Option 1 background.

The heroes started to feel the pressure of being on their feet all day again, and so Myara suggested they all get some rest at the Bloated Buckle Inn before tackling the sewers. The heroes were now quite competent at grabbing sleep wherever they could find it, and so even a cheap night at the inn gave them a good rest, and fully prepared them for what lay ahead.

They rose early, at 1.00 am, and headed straight for the shuttered entrance of the Guild Hall for which Grist had given them the key to be able to gain entrance when the establishment was closed. After a quick nod to Grist, the cellar keep, the heroes opened the trapdoor and descended into the sewers that lay beneath. It was completely dark, and Helden brought out his lantern so that all could see. (Although Flint and Threska could see quite well due to their natural racial ability to see in darkness.)

Myara noticed a nearby chest and grabbed some torches that were inside, as Helden spotted some nearby wall mounted torches and lit them. The small round chamber they found themselves in was almost welcoming in the new light of the torches, but the terrible stench that started to waft from a nearby passage told them quite distinctly that this job was a dirty one!

Helden had hardly started leading the band of heroes down the first passage when they encountered what was to be a fairly common encounter down here: a sewer beetle! It had been a a day or two since the party last saw any combat, and the approaching sewer beetle appeared quite menacing, even spraying acid at the heroes at its approach. However, with Helden's quick reactions, and Myara's bow shot, the oversized, acid spitting vermin was quickly taken down. It was not long before Helden was scratching around its remains, harvesting items than may be of some use, especially in alchemy.

After some minor healing from the clerics, the heroes continued to push north through the tunnels, one time with Helden losing his bearings in the maze of the sewers ... even with his otherwise immaculate mapping skills.

Eventually, the heroes came to what appeared to be a natural divide, a chamber with a bridge that covered a large run of waste water. Myara noticed a body, and took note that she wanted to investigate it, but for now, Helden, acting as the party leader chose to take the group back to map the rest of the chamber south of the divide. As the heroes made their way around, they noticed piles of junk caught up here and there, and often searched them in the hopes of finding anything useful. Apart from the odd useful herb or bullets, not much else was found though.

As the group followed the passage south again, they came across another circular chamber. This one had a few oil barrels and a large table where they could make repairs to weapons if needed. Moving further east from the chamber, the heroes followed a passage that appeared to move to another region of the sewers. As they slowly made their way, searching all the while, a strange noise began to sound ahead, and before they knew it, some of the party started to become confused by its strange influence.

"It's a Gibbering Mouther!" shouted Helden, but half the party were just standing around doing nothing, confounded by it's supernatural sound. Quickly Helden took stand to defend the group, and eventually, as the effect of the strange sound wore off, the rest of the party took up a defensive stance and joined the battle.

The battle was far from easy, and considerably more difficult than a few oversized sewer beetles they had encountered up to now. Helden even noticed that his own magikal weapon was having a minimal impact against this hideous monster and its strange pulsating "skin". More than once, Elana and Threska had to apply their healing to the two fighters that held the creature at bay, while Myara bowed it from behind the fighters. Creatures were summoned and magic missiles cast, but the emanating sound of the creature stopped the summoned creatures in their tracks, and it was obvious that it would take a lot more beating than the spells used so far.

Eventually, with Karatsen exhausted of spells, and the clerics running low on healing, the creature finally succumbed to the blows of Helden and Flint, and the arrows of Myara. Again, Helden searched the remains, and found some useful alchemical essences. However, this battle used a lot of the party's resources, and Helden was not happy about moving forward without spell backup. Although not in the least tired, he made the decision that the party should head back to the first sewer chamber and make camp there and rest to recover spells before resuming their search.

So, the adventurers slowly backtracked, and setup camp in the first chamber, putting their ability to rest in almost any environment very much to the test. The spell casters put themselves into a Trance, and used the Cocoon spell where required, and eventually the 12 hours of time required to rest and relearn spells and prayers passed. It was now around 5.00 pm, and the heroes had prepared themselves for the night shift of dirty work.

TOTAL SESSION TIME (UNPAUSED): 1 Hr 7 Minutes.
GAME TIME SINCE START: 12 Hours 29 Minutes.
QUESTS ACTIVE: 14 QUESTS COMPLETE: 8 (Ignoring Rule Info)