Preface
Gamesmastering for a large party of adventurers takes time and a lot of work to keep it fairly interesting and working on all the levels it needs to.
This dungeon took a different approach. It's the first time I'd given the kids -bad guy's- as characters. The story begins with one bandit (whose player stayed long enough to create a character sheet but then had to go home) already in a jail cell and the other bandit on a rescue mission.
Admittedly this scenario was inspired somewhat by the awesome computer game Thief on X-Box360, a terrible affliction which playing desktop rpg's with miniatures is a major leverage to get the kid away from it and actively using their imaginations instead.
We are now using the Advanced Brains&Brawn™ character sheet.
Brains (all things mental and perceptions)
Brawn (all things strength and hit points)
Craft (how skilled you are at doing general stuff)
Move (speed, reflexes, add this value to 1d6 for your movement that turn)
Magic (how magic you are)
Power (how much you can do with your magic)
Each character gets 4,3,3,2,2,1 points to divvy up between the 6 attributes.
Session One
It was agreed that Session One will end the moment where the rescuer character encounters the imprisoned character.
There are several other prisoners incarcerated by the Town Guard whose dungeon this is. They serve to make the story more interesting and to act as comedy, also possibly as additional enemies or more probably as helpful allies, as needs be.
Rescuer character was given an option of lock picking tools or rope&grapple in starting equipment. A discussion ensured as to whether the proper accepted name for this tool should be lock-picks or pick-locks. No final decision was made. There is at least one overhead air-vent in the complex leading to a suitable stretch of passageway. The character opted for pick-locks and to boldly storm the castle through the front entrance, in this case down a set of spiral stairs and into the office and store room. This room contained a map of the level on display, with labels, which made it easier for everybody. I was able to place the dungeon sections out in advance of them being discovered.
This being a populated area, there are lanterns casting sufficient light that the characters did not require to brandish their own torches. We did however use the special Sneak rules (movement is equal to Move Attribute + 1d6 as normal, divided by 2) to lurk in shadows unseen.
The first room is guarded by one guard who was easily stabbed to death with a dagger before he recognized an intruder. The bandit character looted him for everything (an iron key, 1d6 coins, a recognizable guard uniform including a +1 defense leather waistcoat, a light helmet and a short sword) and then looted the room; discovering a cupboards full of Wanted! posters, records of criminals who had previously been through the facility, their name, species, crime and punishment.
Next to the cupboard is a writing desk on which (along with quill and ink) is a record of all prisoners currently incarcerated, their crime ("banditry" is itself a recognized albeit non-specific crime in this town), the appropriate punishment (which varies greatly) and importantly, which cell they are being held in.
There is also a chest containing items taken from prisoners (a bottle of rum, a small red leather book of spells, a bottle of green swirly potion, and everything from the captured bandits equipment list), and a rack containing the type of Spears and short swords used by the Guards.
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| Guard miniature painted low-budget circa 1990 by a pre-teen |
The door from this room is locked (requires an iron key). Our bandit character opened it and entered the corridor in which a surprised guard immediately attacked him while shouting for backup. Sadly for him the dungeon doors are all closed and very thick, which meant nobody could hear him. Nobody but for the crossbow carrying guard lurking in the shadows at the far end of the corridor, that is. The bandit dispatched of both of them while suffering a lot of injuries, and added crossbow to his equipment list. By now, despite advice fom the GM that bandits typically try to travel light so as to move swiftly, he had become encumbered and his movement rate reduced appropriately.
Instead of pressing on for the cell in which his friend is being held, the bandit decided to kick open a door into the guards recreation room in the hope of murdering everybody and looting. The guard room is occupied by Tiny Tim who wields an enchanted short sword which glows when nasty people are about. The bandit player is overcome by Greed and wants that sword at all costs. The guard room is also occupied by the Sheriff, Big Bob the Hunchback HobGoblin in his hob-nailed boots. Big Bobs fists are bigger than the bandits head.
When the bandit awakens he is in a cell, his equipment gone. The only other person in the cell is Dave the Drunk, a regular prisoner who is sobering up after having caused yet another riot in the Broken Ball Tavern. He does this several times a week. The cell smells of sick.
For a drunk he is clever. He explains that he alone knows a way out of the cell, as he has been in here so often and has figured it out. He comes here to avoid his wife, who is the reason why he drinks, and then he gets in trouble simply to avoid going home to her. His other problem is his favourite tavern, the Broken Ball, is situated half way between here and his home, so he somehow always deviates into said establishment before arriving home, wherin he gambles and drinks, usually winning enough money to buy enough drinks to make friends, or at least soften enemies, and to pay in advance for his next misadventure to ensure that even when he loses at gambling he will still have space on his slate to keep getting drunk when penniless.
The bandit presses him for information about how to escape. Dave the drunk offers a deal. Since the bandit will likely be hung or beheaded tomorrow for murdering three guards, he doesn't have much else to lose nor many other options anyway. As he is a hardened killer, Dave requests that in exchange for being told the secret of how to escape this cell, the bandit will meet Dave in the Broken Ball in advance of the bandit killing Dave's horrible nagging wife. Once she is dead, he will no longer have to hide from her in the tavern and get drunk to drown his sorrows, nor will he have to sober up in the cells to avoid her wrath.
The bandit agrees to the proposal so Dave tells him to pull up the flagstone in the corner, which has a passage below it. The tunnel is a rat infested crawl space which leads to a dead end, although at that dead end, an overhead flagstone can be pushed up... emerging into the corner of the other cell, currently occupied by a strange looking man in a red leather tunic and the other bandit who the first one is here to rescue. As agreed, the session ends here.
Session Two
The second bandit who has been imprisoned here for at least a day, has already made friends with her cell mate, an un-named wizard. He explains he has memorized one sleep spell but has not the power to cast it. he does teach both bandits how they can donate any spare personal power they have, to him, so he can use it to cast his spell.
As soon as the guard comes in to water the prisoners, he is surprised to see an extra person in the cell. The surprise does not last long because the red mage makes good on his promise and with his extra power, he puts everybody in the dungeon to sleep for an unknown amount of time, except for himself and the two bandits. With their cell door unlocked and open, they can pick-pocket the guards to find the dungeon keys, and leave quietly.
The bandits have other plans.
The bandits raid every guard they can find. They raid every treasure chest they can find. As they are arguing about who should get what from their loot, they decide to rescue Dave the Drunk (who is sleeping). After they wake him up, Dave suggests they lock the guards in the cells and rob the place at their leisure. Then he leaves (leaving behind his bottle of rum).
The first bandit has the terrific idea of using the dungeon torture room, and straps Big Bob the Hunchback HobGoblin and his hobnail boots, to it. He takes Tiny Tims enchanted sword of detect nasty people, which glows brighter as he holds it, and the dungeon keys from the hip of Big Bob the Hunchback Hobgoblin in his hobnail boots. There is a chest in this room containing leather gloves (of mighty punching, +1 attack), some rope, and some dice (3d6) which always land on 6.
The red wizard entertains everyone, he has a pouch of shrinking which he can fit anything into, the chests, the weapons rack, the whole lot. Then he sets fire to the cupboard of criminal records and wanted! posters, and leaves, agreeing to meet the bandits in the Broken Ball Tavern, later, to properly divvy up their loot.
TBC....?