The party consisted of Razik (warrior), Zanib (magic-user), Kit (specialist), plus Marat and Sim (two hirelings)
The clouds parted briefly and silvery moonlight shown down illuminating the rocky overhang. Razik pulled the vines back to reveal a hole in the side of the hill. Griba the Toothless was right. This must be the entrance to the ancient ruins of Ramat.
"Light a torch," Razik ordered and Marat, one of the hirelings, complied. The flickering light revealed a steeply slanted shaft descending at least fifteen feet before disappearing from view.
Q: Do they take precautions of tying Kit's rope? (Very likely - Roll: 15. Exceptional yes, so rope is secure).
Kit tied one end of her rope to a tree near the hole and then tossed the coil down the shaft. "I'm first," she said, grabbing the torch from Marat with a wink. (During character creation, Kit's complication came up as addiction to adrenaline, so of course she wanted to jump in the hole first…)
Q: Does Kit make it down successfully? Because of the tied rope, she gets a -5 modifier to her Agility check roll: 4, success)
Q: Does the crab spider attack Kit before the others come down? (Very likely - Roll: 18. Yes)
Q: Does the crab spider get a surprise attack? Kit must make an agility check - roll: 16, fail. Spider attacks with surprise. Party members will be there in d3 rounds: roll: 3. (*mistake - after the fact, I realized that the others could have been there in 1 round based on the game's movement rules…sorry, Kit!)
My 4S conversion of the Basic/LL Crab Spider: 2HD, bite does 2hp damage plus d4 Physique damage (onset in 1 Turn and lasting for 24 hours); Physique test negates poison….
Just as she reached the bottom of the shaft, Kit screamed in fright as the monstrous arachnid lunged out from the darkness. She fumbled for her sword but could not get the weapon out of the scabbard before the monster was on her. Fangs sank into flesh…
Surprise attack: Spider hits (14) for 1 hp damage. Kit's physique check: 16, fail. Suffers -1 physique in 1 turn.
She screamed for help as she tried to break free from the horror. Razik and the rest scrambled down as fast as they could.
Round 1: Spider hits Kit again (14) for 1 hp damage. Physique check: 17, fail. Suffers -4 physique in 1 turn. Kit attacks and misses (14). Downgrade luck die and attack again (16 , misses again - damn!)
Round 2: Spider hits Kit again (17) for 1 hp damage. Physique check: 9, fail. Suffers -3 physique in 1 turn (The spider has now injected so much venom that her physique will go negative next turn - this means death). Kit attacks (20) and misses. (I didn't employ crits and fumbles this time. Seemed overkill given her situation…)
Round 3: Razik drops to the ground and attacks (16,9) and hits the spider for damage (4). The spider only had 4 hp, and is dead.
Marat and Sim kicked at the dead arachnid as Razik knelt beside Kit. The young girl looked up with pleading eyes, unable to speak as the poison took hold.
"Go swiftly to Crom." Razik plunged his dagger into her heart and the suffering ended.
The musty smell of decay was thick in the halls. Ancient cobwebs were brushed aside as the group made their way deeper into the ancient ruins. The Collector had offered a princely sum for the fabled Spear of Ramat.
Razik led the party down a long corridor, passing a number of empty alcoves to either side. The warrior kept a wary eye out for anything lurking in the shadows thrown up by the flickering torchlight.
Moving into a large chamber at the end of the passage, their eyes were immediately drawn to murals of men in armor locked in combat with foul demons. One depicted a man resplendent in golden armor, wielding a spear against a demon lord.
"I guess we're in the right place," Sim said.
Suddenly from out of the darkness animated skeletons leaped at them with sharp fingers and clicking teeth. Behind them a dark, shadowy figure hovered with eye slits burning red.
(To be continued…..)
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