I bought Tales from the Yawning Portal a while back. I tied this month’s game to the Forge of Fury. I had to tweak it a bit as the party is higher than the suggested levels, but they also have no healing either. Well they have a bard with some songs and single cure spell, but that really doesn’t cut it in terms of party healer.
I removed the orcs from the module and swapped for bugbears. Bugbears look like they can take a hit and give a nice shot back. They looked to be ok in small groups and not too weak or too overpowering. Other than that I ran the first bit in the mountain stronghold as written. Not my forte, modules as some are just horribly written, railroad the group into situations, involve too many skill checks or have too much talking ( our guys like a bit more action and less chatty).
After the dragon defeat the group interrogated the dwarf and elf that were prisoners of the dragon. They had been captive for nigh 20 years and had little recollection of anything else. They were pretty useless. The thief and monk searched for the horde of treasure the dragon must have. The ½ orc and bard questioned the prisoners. Then the mage just strolled in while reading a book. It seems he was busy studying some dwarf history and came upon the tale of a master craftsmen from the clan Durgeddin. It also seems that the group was officially hired (well the mage was and he spoke for the party) to find proof of the hidden/lost forge of Durgeddin. Being that it might be in the region (miles and miles and miles and miles away if that counts as near), he took the contract and our adventuring party had received their first official ( insert name ) guild work.
After a few hours of steam tunnel carriage travel, the party came to a collapsed tunnel. Here they started researching the maps and history book they had. Hidden runes detailed where a door was hidden. Out they went and up they climbed to find a party of bugbears in front of a door. After a brief attempt at communication…big hairy beasties were put down, the doors they were guarding opened and the party moved inside. Here they were assaulted from across a bridge and from a secret door. The party split to fight off more not wookiees and they all had their own little side adventures.
The monk, thief and bard found a storeroom, a well, an empty cell and a lot of hallways.
Meanwhile……
The barbarian and mage stumbled upon a bunkhouse full of bugbears, 2 an orog bossing them about and two sleeping wargs. Here is where the game gets fun for players and for me! The monsters were promptly greeted with a fireball. That announced the party’s arrival to them, and to everyone in the complex! If that didn’t get their attention, then the thunderous lightning bolt that followed surely did! Needless to say, the room full of guys was dispatched by the time the remaining party members ran to see what all the explosion was about.
Great imagery as a room of goons looks over to see two intruders, only to then see an explosive ball of doom being hurled at them seconds later!
The party regrouped and returned to exploring. They followed the sound of hammering, but only found a quartet of bugbears spiking a door shut. Well the group was none of that and they began forcing the door open. They succeeded in opening it a smidge and the mage wanted to try and cast through the opening.
Here is where gaming gets fun and memorable! I thought if he could pass an arcana check at 15+ then sure I’d let his spell crack off through the gap and into the room. Here comes the natural 20! So of course he pulls off casting through a gap in a door way and hits a beasty with a critical blast of flame.
While this is happening the leader of all these goons, an Ogre, finally stirs from a drunken slumber. As he storms out of his room who does he see? Well the mage who has backed away from the room full of bugbears fight. The bard quickly intercedes and casts blindness to hamper the ogre. Then it is only a matter of seconds before the lumbering blind monster is put down by the party. Quick thinking from the bard right there.
Rooms are checked and hallways are explored. Eventually a bugbear shaman and his followers are discovered…and dispatched after some fire bombing and a certain mage’s signature spell finally being cast (grease). All that was left was to search another hallway and of course find a giant room with two exits.
One that leads deeper down to the region known as the “Shimmergloom” and a door bearing the sigil of Clam Durgeddin, which leads to a lift. A lift to go down to the foundry possibly? The location the party is looking for.
So after swapping out villains and the details of the final room, it wasn’t a terrible module to run. Well run the first part. Now they move onto the next map, but I’ll have some time to read and tweak that bit too.
To the Foundry!
Next month.
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