As mentioned last week, my group is in the first major dungeon of my The Call of the Netherdeep Campaign, the Betrayer’s Rise. I also talked about not going straight through, following the exact map, based off decisions and comments made. That’s what I want to write about today.
My party did manage to shake their curse without damaging each other too badly. Thanks to the bard’s quick thinking and buffing abilities. And as they looked around, the did discover the solution to the puzzle of the room. Completing that, they found a new way out, which I made a swirling dark miasma to encourage them to finish exploring the level they were on first. Undeterred, however, they plunged right in.
I had already decided, however, that they must complete the trials of the four gods of the stained glass riddle, before they could complete the dungeon, unless they went up and did the stained glass puzzle itself. So, I took them through an optional room idea with a low cavern, an acid river and some ropers. I did give them a clue as to how to avoid getting attacked, but in trying to jump the river, a bit too much noise was made, and a fight was had. They were well rewarded, however, for their trouble.
I then took them into the Gruumsh area, leveling up the fight a bit and changing the obstacle just a tad to fit the new location and situation. This fight nearly proved deadly, but quick healing and faster fighting got everyone through safely. At this point though, just as they stepped out of the room, they did take a short, and then long rest. I took this opportunity to reshuffle the dungeon a bit, though I left them the written exit path they were in to the Chasm. Which they reached at the end of Session Eleven, fought a couple Vrocks, and then we broke for the night.
Over the next week, I prepped for their paths out of the Chasm – a different room was now behind them, and a new path if they went upwards to reenter the temple, and a way back in, if they decided to go down. They only had the Chained Oblivion to go at this point, so I wanted the Labyrinth or the Supplicants path to be the remaining challenges, depending on which way they went. Some options leading them back to the stained glass puzzle, and some just leading them right down to the final chamber.
They sent one character flying, and she was able to discover the relevant details about the chasm and, unsupervised, she did a bit of looting that might otherwise have been frowned upon, and returned to the group with all their options. My group decided to featherfall off the cliff to the depths below, I applaud this initiative, the NPC tag-a-long was not so happy. The Vrock that had run from them earlier, took this opportunity to try and grab a free-falling meal, but it did not succeed.
The party went down, investigated the other features of the chasm, but ultimately, reentered the temple and proceeded to solve the labyrinth, painfully, but in relatively short order. For which they were rewarded with the final chamber, and all that entails. The confrontation there, went as I expected, though I did not expect the bard helping it along quite so nicely. The rivals chased after the lady, and the party escaped the spell she laid, as I returned them to the chamber of the stained glass puzzle, and some very angry guardians.
While figuring their path to the end of the temple, I also had put some thought into the way out. I wanted them to back through that room, to realize what could have been. And one more challenge to get them out, since they had taken so long and the rooms had changed. After that initial fight at the end of their escape, I presented them with two options, also taken from the optional table in the book – visible obvious foes to the left, or an apparently empty hall to the south. My party, in their usual paranoia, took on the known foe. Who did a decent job at challenging them one last time before they made their escape, once and for all (maybe) from this demonic temple. Though, in their fear, they did take one more short rest before opening the door which led them back to the entrance.
Three weeks was not what I expected for this dungeon, but I think it played really well, and everyone enjoyed the different types of challenges. I was able to reward them with guilt-free loot (some that isn’t even cursed) and experience, and really tell a story of this place. I’m looking forward to some more social interactions, and adventure quests, but the Betrayer’s Rise was a great time for all.