OD&D in-character thread

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Cosar tosses and turns during his sleep. In his nightmares the Mummy reaches out to crush his throat over and over again. He desperately tries to hold the door as it breaks through each time. As he prays for the door to protect him he sees arcane symbols sprout from the wood, the door's impression in the magical weave of the world. Slowly magical equations and the dream images coalesce into comprehension.

He wakes with a start.

"I get it!"

[Taking on "Hold Portal", Max HP is now 6]
 
"If you insist, let's share food", Boyan shrugs. "In that case, let me give you this hard cheese and hardtack that I've got in my backpack, in return for your jerky. Then we can talk again, after resting...though it would be more prudent to rest on the upper level".

Do Balin and Cosar get back to health after getting a level up, like it used to work in Baldur's Gate (you gain the difference between the maximum HP levels, so they would no longer be on 0 in that case:grin:)?
Yes, I can ruleslawyer with the best of'em...but I'm not trying to. I just want to know what we'd be getting into if we accept the gnome's idea.
 
Do Balin and Cosar get back to health after getting a level up, like it used to work in Baldur's Gate (you gain the difference between the maximum HP levels, so they would no longer be on 0 in that case:grin:)?
Yes, I can ruleslawyer with the best of'em...but I'm not trying to. I just want to know what we'd be getting into if we accept the gnome's idea.
[Any new hit points they get from achieving 2nd level will immediately be applied so no one should be at death's door, although a couple of you are diseased and may still have poison in your bloodstream. :devil: Lost hit points still need to heal. So, for example, if Balin is currently at 1 hit point and Bunch Bunch rolled 6 more, he'd be at 7 until he recovers what he's lost.

We'll call those new hit points an adrenaline rush or second wind, or maybe you just weren't as badly hurt as you initially thought. :angel:]
 
Balin sleeps unlike any baby he's ever known. Restfully, completely and refreshing. He awakes with renewed vigor and ready to tackle the day.
(+5 max HP! So 6hp currently)
 
[I'm assuming you all ate and slept in the crypt.]

You awaken to a scraping sound and realize it's metal on stone as the gnomes attempt to pry glittering jewels loose from the sarcophagus. When the gnomes realize you're conscious, they furtively jam hands into pockets and begin whispering. In the absence of the scraping noises, you hear a high-pitched chittering from above you and behind each of the walls. Tiny cracks manifest themselves in the ceiling, causing the illuminating glow-stone to flicker like a candle in a breeze, and dust shakes loose from overhead, streaming down white like gypsum from between the cracks. Liquid begins to drip as well and you consider that the crypt may be located somewhere underneath the cavern pool.
 
Cosar rises and looks at the leak.

"I hope that doesn't get worse"

He heads over to the gnomes and laughs a bit.

"Look lads I'm not too into the gems, more possible magical knowledge so no need to worry about hiding stuff. Things could get rough down here, we need to trust each other"
 
"Elfishness is infectious, I see", Boyan states to Balin after weaking up with a new edge to his voice, and looking at the gnomes.
"Does anyone have a rope? We need to secure our retreat before they drown us."

I managed to roll at home It's 10 HP if Fighting Men get 2hd, and 10 if they get 2hd+1 at 2nd level. I don't think Boyan has lost anything, he got infected during a grapple.
 
He heads over to the gnomes and laughs a bit.

"Look lads I'm not too into the gems, more possible magical knowledge so no need to worry about hiding stuff. Things could get rough down here, we need to trust each other"
"What are you insinuating?" Lürgen asks. "There are plenty of gems to go around. You're just too lazy to pry them loose!"

"Aye," says Mürgen.
"Elfishness is infectious, I see", Boyan states to Balin after weaking up with a new edge to his voice, and looking at the gnomes.
"Does anyone have a rope? We need to secure our retreat before they drown us."
"And what are you insinuating?" Lürgen asks. "Did you give the elf a hard time, too? Is that why he had treasure hidden on his body?"

"Got no rope but there's plenty of treasure for all of us!" says Mürgen.

[Everybody make a Wisdom check and tell me by how much you succeed or fail!]
 
"No more than he deserved. And your spiritual brother didn't die of heartbreak, anyway", Boyan reminds them. "It was his own actions that did him in...and almost did in two more of the herepresent, too. Remember this and try not to follow in his footsteps!"

I rolled 19 and Boyan has Wis 13.
 
Balin coughs "Surrounded by fools".
"Well no harm seems to have come to you so far from prying the gems so might as well join you. "
He prys gems as best he can before remembering "Hey I have rope in my backpack!"
 
"Great! Now if you stand on my shoulders, can you tie it to the dangling end of my rope? It's about ten feet up, but I am six feet by myself. Say, five and a half from my shoulders...Cosar, would you help? You could probably do the same with less reaching!"
 
A glint of silver or maybe white gold catches the eye of both Balin and Cosar simultaneously. Looking at the source, they realize one of the skeletal fingers that was broken off by the sarcophagus lid bears a shiny band of metal that seems to give off a glow even without light to reflect.
 
Cosar approaches the ring to have a closer look. Magical he has no doubt. He inspects it as closely as he can without touching it.
 
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Balin looks at the gnomes and says "Gromils beard did you guys hear that!" pointing in a direction away from the ring.
 
Balin looks at the gnomes and says "Gromils beard did you guys hear that!" pointing in a direction away from the ring.
"Hear what?" Lürgen asks, looking around.

"All I hear is bugs in the walls," says Mürgen, "and a ceiling cracking."
 
Cosar approaches the ring to have a closer look. Magical he has no doubt. He inspects it as closely as he can without touching it.
The ring is a beautiful band of white gold, its inner surface inscribed with indecipherable characters in a language you don't understand. It seems to give off a faint glow.
Something deep inside you says you must make sure the dwarf doesn't lay hands on it.
Something deep inside you says you must make sure the wizard doesn't lay hands on it.
 
"Dwarf stand back, I shall take this ring. The magics within it are subtle, I can't be too sure yet what they might do"
 
"Dwarf stand back, I shall take this ring. The magics within it are subtle, I can't be too sure yet what they might do"
"Eh? Ring? Magic?" Lürgen asks, turning back around to see what he's missing.

"Let's pry a few more gems loose and get out of here before the ceiling collapses on us," says Mürgen.

As if on cue, a larger crack appears in the ceiling of the crypt, causing a cataract of white dust to slush down onto the sarcophagus. The dust begins to wriggle and you realize there are several large centipedes--each about the size of a man's hand--under the dust as their multitudinous legs and antennae appear and they begin to chitter and seek to explore their new surroundings.
 
Balin says "No friend. We must not touch the ring. It's compulsions are unholy. Best we put the whole finger in a bag and leave with it to deal with later"
 
"Here", Boyan says. "Put whatever it is in this purse without touching it, Balin. You come here, Cosar and tie the rope...or you're going to end up buried like the rest of us, and those creatures are going to rip the flesh from your bones and feast on your eyes!"
 
"I'll place it in the purse Boyan...I think it would be for the best"
 
"I'll place it in the purse Boyan...I think it would be for the best"
Immediately upon being placed in the purse, the ring burns a hole right through the bottom and clatters to the ground.
 
"Putting that damned thing on your finger would be unwise. Cosar! Snap out of your greed for power and come to tie the rope before the roof splatters us!"
 
Cosar hesitates for a moment. "Alright, but nobody go near it for now"

He then goes to assist Boyan with the rope, trying to climb onto his shoulders.
 
Boyan pretty much hoists him up on his own shoulders. The man is just that strong.

Str 16 should count for a lot.
 
Boyan hoists Cosar onto his shoulders and into narrow slideway to find the end of rope Boyan earlier tied about the well. Reaching into the darkness above, Cosar locates the last few inches of the dangling rope. Meanwhile, below, the ceiling of the crypt begins to sag inward, causing a near-torrent of water to rain into the tomb, spilling out into the adjacent chamber and rushing down the dark corridor. All of you but Cosar stand in cold water about two feet deep and rising with no sign of abatement even as a great deal of the liquid is washed into other rooms.
 
Balin yells "Tie the damn rope! We need to get out of here now!"
 
Cosar ties the two ropes together. The water level seems to be subsiding some, but Lürgen and Mürgen clamber onto Boyan's back and try to continue up Cosar to the ropes. "We'll scout ahead," says Lürgen. "Could be dangerous."
 
Cosar ties the two ropes together. The water level seems to be subsiding some, but Lürgen and Mürgen clamber onto Boyan's back and try to continue up Cosar to the ropes. "We'll scout ahead," says Lürgen. "Could be dangerous."
Boyan shrugs them off his back and into the water. "No way is either of you getting ahead of us. try it and our deal is off!"
 
Cosar laughs, but shakes his back.

"Oy! The ropes are tied together now, let's just climb up them. I don't need gnome bootprints on my robes!"
 
Balin starts climbing as soon as he can.
 
Lürgen and Mürgen curse under their breath and grumble as they wait their turns to climb the rope. The going is slippery and slow due to the difficulty of maintaining your footing, but within an hour you all find yourselves, sweat-drenched and out of breath, back in the sealed chamber with the well, the bas-relief mouth, and the two doors.
 
"That was some climbing", Boyan sighs.
"Well, now we just have to consider whether everything went fair and square, and when we make any necessary arrangements, we can part on amicable terms..."
 
"Poor elf" Cosar says looking down the well. He then walks over to the oaken doors.

"Plight and blight it said...think it's just poetic license or would we be dead as soon as we open those doors" he asks the room.
 
"I wouldn't bet on poetic license", Boyan admits. "We met a mummy just like that, and that was presumably the safe passage. Wonder what's behind those doors? Keep wondering, but let's at least spend our winnings first...and possibly hiring reinforcements...before getting back here to see what awaits us."
 
Beneath your feet you feel a vibration in the floor and hear a faint cracking sound, as though whatever was causing the ceiling to collapse in the crypt is spreading in this direction as well.
 
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