Building Bhakashal – Session Report

We’re Back!

We broke for the year back in June and started back up this weekend, my Thursday group has decided to switch to double length sessions bimonthly on Saturdays, so the same raw hours, but fewer overall sessions.

In Bhakashal, slavery is considered a despicable practice, and it is outlawed in the lands around the city. In other parts of the world, however, it is still practiced. The Slave Lords had started to raid on the coast near Bhakashal, and this was considered a provocation. The party took it upon themselves to find their lair and cut the head off the snake. They are all name-level nobility in the setting, they used high level divination magic to find out where they were hiding, and made their way to their secret lair after a few weeks of travel.

Last year they made it as far as the secret chamber of the Slave Lords when we stopped for the year. I was tempted to push things to get them to the final encounter sooner, but I prefer not to do that sort of thing, so our first session was the confrontation.

They used a Divination spell to find an entrance to the caves that led to the Slave Lord’s hideout, and they fought their way through fairly handily (the caves were designed to challenge players with no spells and items, so a group of 9^th level PCs, fully equipped, were not going to be challenged that much).

They decided to take thing head on as they knew they were a powerful group, and they burst into the Slave Lord’s chamber as they were discussing plans.

Feetla and Brother Milerjoi leapt down to engage the party, being unaware of their level and power. Ajakstu cast a spell on himself, being a bog-standard magic-user he was overly cautious, Nerelas disappeared into a secret corridor to get behind the party and assassinate one of then. Mordrammo called down a Flame Strike on the party ranger.

Brother Milerjoi and the party monk exchanged blows. This was an exciting match up, two high level monks going hand to hand. The stuff of legends.

The party monk hit in the first exchange, obtained a stun with a roll of nat 20, and achieved a kill result with a percentage roll of 2.

Brother Milerjoi went down, neck snapped with a clean strike from the party monk.

The party conjuror summoned a group of Gravus (a Bhakashal humanoid monster that drains strength from foes), they would take a round to arrive. The party warlock and thief/magic-user both decided on using Magic Missile.

Feetla and the party fighter engaged each other next, there was damage done on both sides, but both had outsized HP, so the first round was indecisive.

The Flame Strike was partially avoided by the ranger (he made his save) so it didn’t finish him off.

Ajakstu cast a Globe of Invulnerability on himself. The magic missiles arrived too late, and were absorbed by the Globe.

The party priest tried a Reversal spell on Mordrammo but he made his saving throw.

Round 1 was over and one Slave Lord was down.

Round 2 started and Mordrammo cast Hold Person on one of the party casters, but they made their saving throw. This sort of thing comes up a lot with higher level PCs, saves are more often made rather than failed.

The party warlock and thief/magic-user cast Magic Missile again, this time at Mordrammo, and did significant damage.

The summoned Gravus then arrived, 7 of them, but they had to be directed to get to the Slave Lords who were not out amongst the party, as the strength draining effects would impact fellow PCs, so that delayed them, they had to skirt the room to get to their destination.

Ajakstu took this time to cast a Wall of Force to surround himself and Mordrammo.

Nerelas made it through the secret passage to emerge behind the party and targeted the party cleric for assassination. He had 70% odds (he’s an 11^th level assassin), I rolled a 71!

He still did regular damage, and his dagger was poisoned, unfortunately the PC made his save vs the poison. He was badly wounded, but not dead.

The gravus reached the Wall of Force (which the party was unaware of) and could not breach it.

The party fighter was still engaged with Feetla. About a month before this he had found a vorpal blade (after they slayed a pair of dragon turtles). He had tried to use it a bunch of times, and each time rolled too low for a decapitation result, to the point where the other PCs were making fun of the sword, saying it was a dud.

He rolled a natural 17 and decapitated Feetla on the spot.

Two down!

Mordrammo began to cast a Plane Shift spell.

The conjurer redirected the Gravus to attack Nerelas, and they bludgeoned him to death.

Three down.

Ajakstu spit curses at the party and he and Mordrammo, under the protection of the Wall of Force, escaped.

I rolled terribly on Saturday, they rolled well. It wasn’t the only reason they won, but it definitely contributed to their success.

Some days are diamonds, some days are stone.

I know some refs will fudge rolls to keep the fight going, or to ensure that the party takes some serious hits, I prefer to let things unfold. They got a win without casualties this time, and despite the exit of Ajakstu and Mordrammo, they achieved their goal. 

The Slave Lords were defeated, and their organization would be soon to follow. The PCs achieved their goal. They will leave Suderham in chaos, the news of the defeat of the Slave Lords will create chaos and disarray as their enemies take advantage of the loss, ending the slave trade for now. When they get back to Bhakashal they will also level up (it has been about a year and a half since they last levelled).

Adventure awaits!