Basic Fantasy RPG Campaign Journal #5: Damsel in Distress

 This was not written by me but rather GreatNoonTide who is a player in my game. It was posted on the Guilded server that I run where we talk and gripe about TTRPGs.

After cleaning out a warren of zombies and ghouls under the streets of the city slums in the previous game, Rodigan the fighter (me), Darrian the thief and Brishoff the dwarven druid found a smith to melt down the smashed demon idol they "liberated" and cash it out for gold value. Rodigan hit level 3 so he and Darrian found local weapons-masters outside the arena to train them up to Skilled level in sword and dagger respectively.

I rolled a lousy 1 for Rodigan's HP bump, so with Con bonus only a crappy +2. Screw you dice. I did have enough left over cash from selling my chain +1 to buy a suit of platemail for a +1 AC bump. Darrian got some fancy new duds to strut around town in. Bishroff stuck his head in the ground to talk to moles or something.

We then looped back to the King's palace and chatted up the seneschal about the princess, who went missing about six weeks prior. Her chamber maid said she was abducted by a large bat like creature from her balcony which flew east with her towards the forest, but no one really believes her.

The king has been getting threatening letters mysteriously slipped under the door of his chambers claiming the deed was done by an unknown woman named Trevadrien who demands he abdicated the throne in exchange for the return of his daughter. We learn that Trevadrien is a name which shows up in the historical record as an ancient elven princess - but whether this is the same person or not who can say.

Rodigan, Darrian and Bishroff go undercover in the palace as a guard, servant and gardener respectively. After a week another demand letter is delivered and Darrian learns this is during a guard shift change. Rodigan makes inquires with the other guards and learns that one of the guards working during the shift named Durward has been acting strangely - avoiding the other guards and not sleeping in his bunk in the barracks . The three tail Durward and follow him into the slums. He notices the tail and slips down an ally. Turning down the ally, our heroes discover the ally is a dead end and Durward has vanished. Assuming a secret door or passage the three enter and search, only for Durward to reappear at the opening, blocking them in. Durward seems calm and amused.

"Durward old buddy" Rodigan calls out, "care to grab a drink with us?" Durward smiles and laughs. "Yes... I prefer the house red." He smiles and light glints off a pair of fangs. Oh shit. Here we go.

Darrian has a bottle of holy water left over from our last delve and splashes some on a dagger, hurling it at Durward. It sticks and he winces as the water burns his unholy essence. "Stings, don't it?" Darrian chuckles.

Rodigan closes to melee and hits with both long and shortsword but to no effect as no one but Darrian has a magic weapon. Brishroff charges with a spear but misses. Durward misses with his counter attack. Round 1 over.

Rodigan attempts to grapple the vampire for Darrian to pour the rest of the holy water down his throat, but Durward breaks free. Darrian closes to melee and swipes with his longsword +1 and misses. Durward's attacks miss as well (whew). Darrian has just enough time to pass his longsword to Bishroff, who swings - missing again. On to round 3.

Darrian steps back and lobs another holy water splashed dagger for another 4 points of damage, bringing the total delivered to 7. Rodigan, having enough of this sword wielding incompetence shouts "Give me that!", yanks the longsword +1 out of Bishroff's stubby hands and hits for 11 points of damage, cleaning Durward the vampire through the chest. He falls and gurgles about his mistress before dying a final death. The dice gods have been kind. Wrapping the body in a cloak they return to the palace and display the remains to the Seneshal. At the party's suggestion, he sends a messenger to fetch a local cleric, Bavard, that the PCs have worked with before. Bavard arrives with a coterie of Clerics and check the staff for radiations of evil, discovering one more vampire, which they subdue and take back to the Church for questioning and eventual disposal. The PCs learn some world lore about vampires and elves from Bavard and the King's wizard agrees to magically enchant the PC's weapons to +0, if they're willing to go out and tackle this menace. There is of course the standing offer of land and title for the return of the princess, which certainly in no way inclined our group of rogues to investigate the situation in the first place. Naturally, they're doing it out of civic pride and the goodness of their greedy little hearts. To be continued in a future session