Meatheads Play Report 4

   Meatheads Play Report 4, DM notes at bottom.

– Meatheads is a hack of OD&D; a fighter only playstyle with additional XP gained through feats of strength. –

A week passed in the mournful town of Killnerd. A penance was given to Querma; at the behest of Sheriff Hate and Ardmoc Underbust, execution was stayed and instead she was to carry out the duty of finding Rodd Pearose, who ran off deeper into the dungeon, his whereabouts unknown. 

Across her broad chest were wrapped the chains of shame, cast iron links weaved and locked about her frame like a rattling shawl. With her life spared, and new duties expected of her, Querma sought out new companions. Within the week of her imprisonment, another sailing vessel arrived to dispatch goods and sailors. 

Nine people were found by Querma; a fellow Meathead, Humphrey, two mercenaries and six sailors. After negotiating a loan of armaments from Ardmoc Underbust, the party began their noontime hike up the stony slopes to the dungeon.

Into the entrance they climbed, and torches alit they crept west. They came to a chamber where a boulder, having dislodged itself from the ceiling some untold time ago, came crashing down and cracking the stone floor. It sat there still, a hole left in the ceiling from where it fell, large enough to squeeze two people inside. A passage south led to the grand chamber yet unexplored, and a passage north was doorless veering further west.

Querma demanded every new hireling try to move the boulder from where it sat, yet each one failed. Taking matters into their own hands, Querma and Humphrey easily shoved the boulder to block the northern passage, so as to not be caught surprised from this passage. Underneath the boulder lay a long dead, squish flat goblin clutching a pouch of 30 gp and a .25 carat emerald. If more of these emeralds can be found deeper in the dungeon, then Ardmoc’s suspicions of an emerald deposit below could hold true.

Planning their next course of action, the dungeoneering group decided to finally explore the giant chamber to their south. Stepping through the western most of the three stone archways stretched along the hall, the party stood atop a raised balcony, 10 feet above a vast chamber of arching stones. At the center of this chamber a well plummets deeper into the earth, its 2 foot high lip carved with seashells and wave motifs.

The mural painted all across the ceiling depicts the sun rising in the east with birth, rising over the ceiling at the zenith the sun smiles gazing down into a great well, and sunsetting in the west along the sea, into darkness and death.

Yet surrounding the well, covering the majority of the floor and especially around the well, were countless pieces of shattered glass, metal bits, and dented, rusted armor. Sixty feet away, on the opposite side of the chamber at the center of the southern wall was a single door.

Querma and Humphrey proceed to plan their advance, deeply curious about the other side of the door as well as the well leading downwards. So they organized two teams of two hirelings (one torch bearer, one one spearmen) to approach the southern corners of the room from opposite ends while the rest of the party gathered at the northern side of the well. This way the party is able to create a triangle of torchlight to illuminate the chamber for further investigation. 

Securing their position forward, Querma gestured for the two teams, as well as 2 further hirelings positioned north, to begin to approach the well. The hirelings drew closer to the well, unavoidably crushing glass underfoot, their torch light barely piercing the inky blackness contained within. A hireling jabbed into the dwell, their spear scrapping only stone. Again they jabbed and jabbed until it became stuck, unable to pry it away from whatever it caught.

The spear slowly lifted from the hirelings hands. Arising from the well a dark, ganglion shape unfolded itself, like a flower blooming in the darkness. The spear snapped, the hireling's head clutched and squeezed. A giant’s hand releases their body, fingers hunting like snakes while reaching out from underneath the well. 

The hirelings fought without fear, hacking and stabbing at the giant’s hand, pelting it with crossbow quarrels and spears. Yet with each wound it would return its ire, crushing, smothering and squashing hirelings until only 4 remained. Both sides were dealing heavy blows, the party eventually routing the giant’s hand back into the well, where he plugged its opening with a hobbit tomb door.

Querma and company took this moment to retreat back atop the balcony and plan their next actions. While hastily planning, a sound of bells was heard jingling from the eastern hallway. Six giant rats dragged their slimy bellies across the dungeon floor, tin bells ringing as they bruxed their dagger-like teeth. 

The party found themselves between two foes, and pushed to move forward so as not to be trapped. The remaining hirelings and Meatheads began to hack away at the giant rats, but not without loses. The giant rats made quick work of two hirelings, ripping their flesh apart with ease. 

When the tide of battle started to turn to their favor, the lid of the well was slipped off by the giant within, and from it was launched a shower of stones into the corner where the party fought. The stones rained upon the party and the rats alike, cracking skulls like nuts. 

Only one survived. Humphrey, clinging to life, ran back to the dungeon entrance, and made it out. The rest remained in those darkened rooms, and with Querma dead, would anyone remember to look for Rodd Pearose?

~Session End~

~GM notes~

~Meathead Players Halt!~

I decided to fast track the trial of Querma so as to get back to dungeon crawling asap within the game's 1 hour time frame. Normally courtroom dramas are something I would happily play out but I didn't want to give too much time to a single character.

I highly anticipated arrival into the stuck giant room, and had been waiting for them to explore this chamber ever since they first touched down in the dungeon. It’s such a fun scenario, with the glass shattered all around the room it really sets up an ominous tone, had the players freaked out. This room encounter is perhaps the first I came up with while writing this dungeon. 

While the stuck giant made short work of several hirelings, I was surprised the party was able to knock out 4 of its hit dice. Being stuck in the well, I had the giant hitting as an HD 6 creature instead of the standard HD 9 for Stone Giants. This giant has several tricks to employ, one being the stone throwing ability. I had done the stone throwing wrong during play, making it up on the spot by having the party make Saves vs Petrification. With a giant’s stone throwing ability acting as a catapult, I had missed a whole procedure that could have spared the lives of several adventurers. Oh well.