Rotvalan Reveries Ep22: Opalescent Investments

Run Date: November 17, 2024

PCs
Lysalia: Lv4 Witch
Francisco: Lv4 Fighter

Hench
Julius: Blacksmith
Hurriya: Lv1 Explorer
Leighann: Lv1 Bladedancer
Dhaivol: Lv1 Ruinguard
Phaoros: Lv1 Fighter
Bellara: Lv2 Fighter

Foreword

This session used Sharpbone Opal Mine from the Delightful Dungeons Competition, a two-page dungeon project and competition to encourage the creation of smaller adventure sites useful for sandbox play. I used the hook of a Merchant who’d won the deed to the mine in a game of cards, but was unsure if it was even still viable or functioning. She put out a 100gp bounty to adventurers who’d head out there to recon, and potentially secure, the place. For the shrewd adventurer that demanded more, she offered a stake in the mine’s profits; once it got up and running again, of course.

I can’t really review the Opal Mine in any proper form since the session was a quick assault and invasion focused on combat more than a dungeon crawl. What I can say is that I had issues reading the map and understanding the flow; something I chalk up to a mix of the map’s size and my just pulling it out and running it with a skim. Many details were ignored or missed, being reduced predominately to “gobbos, mining gear, big bois, and OPALS.” Part of that was the MO of the party, and part of it my lack of general review and prep.

That said, Sharpbone Opal Mine did what I needed it to do: provide me with enough to slot into the world and run a session. It deserves bonus points because it has many uses within the ACKS framework; Investments, Valuable Terrain, Dungeon, Land Value, etc. I also used the bottom of the cave as a potential hook for further delving or complications (a pit into darkness that requires climbing gear to access).

Opalescent Investments

The session started with Lysalia updating Francisco on the things he’d missed while away. They discussed their target for the session, the Opal Mine, and the results of Lysalia’s previous recon. Given the gaps in time since the last session, Francisco used his downtime to advertise and hire on some Mercenaries. His goal was a full on assault and raid of the mine.

Once logistics were sorted, the not-yet-a-platoon set out to the mine. Along the way they spotted a goblin shaman and his apprentices tending to a few wolves. The moment Francisco sounded the charge, they fled. He wanted to track them down, but discovered the party was lacking in an experienced tracker. Instead, they continued their march.

They arrived at the mine as the sun was setting, and Hurriya was sent ahead to scout. A few minutes later she came back to inform the party that the goblins had set up a pair of barriers and had a shoddy lean-to acting as a guard quarters. It was decided that they’d move away to camp and attack in the morning.

Before the light of dawn crept over the hills, the group was in formation and ready. They marched from around a large rock and surprised half the guards, giving the party’s archers a chance to pick off a few. Francisco then lead his force slowly forward with shields up. The few goblins that weren’t surprised let loose a volley that proved to be utterly useless.

The battle was a slow march of the party’s front line while support fire rained down on the goblin guards. The enemy numbers quickly thinned as they panicked and mounted a retreat. One goblin seemed to stand out, however, as a vicious and courageous leader. He kept a few of the guards organized and fell back into the mine. Once the goblins disappeared into darkness, the party secured the entrance and set the Mercs on guard. They then formed up and began the assault, searching for the rumoured Ogre Boss.

Shortly after entering the mine, the party spotted a spilled sack of rough opals. Dhaivol was sent to investigate it with his spear, at which point he snipped a tripwire and gathered up the loot. After confirming that no trap had gone off, and that the tripe wire was indeed for tripping, the party set forth. They soon passed by a crumpled goblin corpse at the bottom of the stairs and spotted a trail of blood leading further in. After quick recon of the immediate branches, the party set to following the main hall.

After traveling along a loop and finding more rampways for carts, the party discovered their target; his booming voice shouting “I see their light! Get ‘em!” The party was around a corner and readied what attacks they could as the goblin forces moved around to engage. The goblins fell easily and the bodies began to stack up. Soon the Ogre came into view and tried his hand at smashing through. Alas, I can rarely roll above a 10 on my dice and the battle was soon over.

The party picked over the bodies and recovered a few treasures here or there before heading further in. The echoes of another booming voice carried through the caverns and the group tried to make that their next goal. As they descended another ramp they discovered a workshop and made quick work of the few weak goblins at their stations (apparently gobkids were supposed to be here but oh well). The party scooped the shiny bits and continued their hunt.

A wrong turn sent the group down an exploratory dig and they had to loop back before finding another descent. Soon the clatter of weapons and booming commands of an Ogre became louder and clearer. Both sides soon became aware of each other and a battle on the ramps commenced!

The leader, referred to as BigBoi, had time to gather a few extra warriors that became the vanguard of his band. They marched forward and set up a shield wall while the others readied against the oncoming PCs. Francisco, the ever brutal warrior of hammer and blade, rushed the line and punched a hole right through their right. Once it was open, he cleaved through toward BigBoi and Braver (the gobbo leader from the entrance). The henchmen began to file in behind and try to break the rest of the line, but got caught up by the remaining vanguard.

BigBoi lumbered up the ramps to view the fight while a tucked away Shaman began chanting. Francisco continued to cut down the goblin line but soon found himself surrounded. The party’s frontline was then assaulted with the sound of picks striking at their nerves! Francisco froze, as did Dhaivol. Bellara remained stuck in the vanguard and Hurriya desperately hoped to find a clear shot (no Precise Shooting). Francisco’s state opened him up to greedy goblin knives, but their limited reach made it difficult to penetrate his armour. His wounds did accrue, though, and Leighann hurried toward him to offer support.

The cowering shaman’s chanting continued, but the chaos of battle (and my own silliness) had him target a paralyzed person with a “Grovel and cower!” Perhaps he was just trying to look useful? In the meantime, Leighann had begun chanting to provide Francisco with healing; and action that would be her demise. BigBoi chose this time to enter the fray and stomped up the ramps with his Petrified Dragon Tooth of Unknown Origin (TM). Leighann was flattened. As history goes, I also forgot to cleave.

The tide of the battle shifted and the resounding cries of “TPK” went up. Braver and his cohorts continued to cut at Francisco as BigBoi crushed Dhaivol and Bellara (I remembered!) and then returned to pound Francisco into dust. This was it, the imminent TPK. But wait! The enemies were no longer engaged due to felling the PCs and their allies, and Hurriya finally took her shot!

Up to this point, many stabs were taken at BigBoi, and a few managed to get through. Hurriya had one chance, one shot, and made it count. She hit exactly (6 damage) and dropped the ogre. She then cleaved into Braver and did the same. The few remaining henchmen cleaned up and the battle was nearly won. The cowering Shaman tried to escape, but Hurriya dropped him as well.

Wounds were calculated and everything was brought to bear, limited as it was. Fate intervened for Francisco, Leighann’s hips were crushed, Dhaivol was in a permanent coma and bleeding out, and Bellara had her chest shattered and died desperately gasping. We were running against the session’s end so we fast-tracked the rest.

With no remaining prominent threats, the party regrouped. Bodies were sent up to be tended to by the mercenaries and Opals of varying quality were recovered. The group hauled out the PDTUO, the Shaman’s scrolls, and a few small extras before marching back to town. The return trip was uneventful; and after arriving, the group worked to raise and recover their fallen friends.

Rewards (Totals)

1780 XP
1320 GP

Petrified Dragon Tooth of Unknown Origin (+1 Greatclub) – Donated for Reserve XP
Scroll (D, Sylvan): Cure Light Injury, Discern Magic – Also donated for Reserve XP

Afterword

I still have to calculate the time and effort for setting up the mine, as well as potential investment returns. You’ll also notice “Donated for Reserve XP.” There was a comment about difficulty of selling Magic Items and that many of them are useful for little more than their XP value. Getting rid of something valuable for no mechanical gain qualifies for Reserve XP, though I don’t know where magic items sit on that. Either way, the PCs agreed to split it and I’m sure they’ll do some witchy ritual to some pagan gods or something.

That’s all for now. Take care.