The cost was too great.
Session report for January 2, 2025. Five players adventured for two days.
Characters
Bastion, human fighter level 4 (with around 20 mercenaries)Bard the Stout, human fighter level 3
Hilfred Castaigne, human illusionist level 1
Jude, half-orc cleric/assassin level 1
Karl the Might Nervous, human magic-user level 1
Prologue
During the months we were away from Fenrir, I reached out to the players to get feedback on how the game was going. The biggest concern was the amount of treasure incoming, which is understandable because the treasure tables in Appendix A are stingy. And the players always want to level faster, besides. I decided from now on to insert treasures in addition to whatever gets rolled in the appendix. These extra treasures will be found in harder-to-reach places or guarded by fierce creatures.
Bard the Stout heard a rumor about Ogres patrolling the forested hills west of Fort Fenrir. Everyone thought this was a good hook so they stocked up on mercenaries and provisions and headed out into the wilderness.
Day 1
The party spent the whole day lost in the forests west of Fort Fenrir. When they emerged from the trees, they discovered they had veered north. They would have to camp for the night and try again the next day.
A wisp of smoke caught their attention. They encountered a small campsite of a family out on a hunting trip. A rough-looking man and woman attended a fire while two young children played. A freshly killed quadruped hung from a tree.
They greeted the family and asked about ogre patrols. The man spoke of his family hunting these hills for generations and said not even an ogre would be foolish enough to patrol these hills. The party wanted to know if they were from Fenrir or nearby. The man did not know Fenrir, nor did he recognize the Fenrir battle flag flown by Bastion and his men, and he grew impatient at their questions. He was not interested in chatting or hospitality, and this raised the suspicions of the party.
When the man did not flinch at Bastion's attempt at intimidation, everyone decided it was best for the two parties to part on civil terms. The party noted that there were no hunting bows or spears in the camp and whispered that they might be werewolves.
They departed from the hunting camp, made their own, and rested for the night.
Day 2
The party headed into the forest to the southwest. After noon, they were surprised by a group of paladins who were escorting a group of pilgrims. They saw Fenrir's battle flag and mistook them for a patrol so they hailed the party and asked for directions. Bastion explained they were hunting the ogre party seen in these woods. As luck would have it, the pilgrims spotted evidence of creatures patrolling the woods. The parties shared information and went on their way.
A couple of hours later, they found the trail. It led west, toward the mountain. They found the entrance to an old mine in the foothills - and ogres guarded the entrance!
Ogres came streaming to the entrance. The party delivered deadly blows and avoided any casualties for a couple of rounds. Hilfred locked an ogre down by himself with an illusory spiked chain. The ogre leaders called for a retreat and they hunkered down inside the mine. The party pressed on.
A long shaft led to a large room where the ogres waited to turn pesky humans into a meat grinder. The players paused to take stock of the situation and figure an alternate way in. Someone spotted a hidden side passage that would fit a human, boarded up long ago.
They had a plan. Bard and Bastion led the mercenaries back into the tunnel to cover Jude while the assassin got into the side passage. Bard challenge the ogre chief to single combat. The chief demurred and sent one of his leaders with a few ogres out to beat them to a pulp.
As the battle raged a few feet in front of him, Jude got to w
ork on the side passage. It took a few minutes to break in. He found a short tunnel with a dead end and began searching for secret doors at the end of the tunnel.
Meanwhile, Bard and Bastion bravely held the front line. The fighter's armors held up well and they managed to kill a few ogres, but at least one mercenary died.
Jude was about to give up when Karl joined him in the tunnel and encouraged him to keep looking. (Rules note: searching for secret doors, unlike picking a lock, is repeatable!)
The ogre leader joined the battle. They fight as 7 HD monsters, and the fighters' heavy armors did not help any more. Bard took a big hit, then Bastion, then Bard again, who fell to the massive blows. Bastion finished off the ogre leader before it could kill any more.
Jude found a secret passage into the ogre's lair, but it was too late. The ogres were dead. So was Bard.
The chief and his entourage had retreated deeper into the mine during the battle, but they left some of their treasure behind.
THE VANQUISHED9 ogres
1 ogre leader
Total XP for monsters defeated: 2050
THE SPOILS
3,000 gold pieces
Total XP for treasure taken: 3000
THE SCORE
Each surviving player gets 750 gold and 1263 experience points.
Bastion, fighter level 4 earned an E rank for aggressive fighting in battle.
Hilfred Castaigne, illusionist earned an E rank for using his illusions to overcome challenges.
Jude, cleric/assassin level 1/1 earned an E rank for spell support and using his thief skills to bypass the battle.
Karl, magic-user level 1, earned an E rank for trying to use spells to overcome challenges.
THE GRAVEYARD
Bard the Stout, fighter level 3, smashed by an ogre leader while raiding its lair.
