G1--Steading of the Hill Giant

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JediOre
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G1--Steading of the Hill Giant

Post by JediOre »

My group shelved one game as I requested some real old school fighting so we started Steading of the Hill Giant Chief.

I'll try and get some posts up A.S.A.P. to let everyone know how we did. As of this writing, they are half-way through and we stopped after the epic fight in the Great Hall.

Please keep in mind that my gang knows little about these old school modules so don't "spill the beans" so to speak.
In the words of my good friend Trevor, "Hey, put an arrow in that falling mummy! What could possibly happen?"

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BLOOD AXE
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Post by BLOOD AXE »

I love the old classic modules. Just picked up "Return to" White Plum Mountain and Keep on the Borderlands. Good stuff.
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Post by Lurker »

Oh good times..... Hope your guys enjoy it!
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"And so I am become a knight of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows!" - Mark Twain

Forgive all spelling errors.

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Post by Treebore »

I'm running th whole series for my Monday group. They haven't gotten through the random encounters on the way to Sterich. In fact, tonight will involve a fight with a huge group of ogres. Again!
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Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
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ragnar1965

Post by ragnar1965 »

As part of this fateful group, I am having a blast! I had no real preconceived notions about this module, but knew that it was going to be a fight from start to finish. Something that I relish. I did read the novelization two or three years ago, but have very little memory of it. Already a couple of the things that I thought I remembered have proven incorrect. Anyway, I can't wait for the next session.

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Zudrak
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Post by Zudrak »

Alas, that was the last module my wife got to play in before passing. She and the other players peeked in on the Great Hall and decided to go to the rooms on the West side of it first before taking on the large group. The next session never happened, sadly, but I know I want to run that series for my next gaming group.

20 or so years ago, I ran a different party through the series and cunning use of oil of slipperiness and a blade barrier spell was reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark's airplane scene.
Have fun with it, JediOre. Let us know how it goes!

Happy gaming,

Zudrak
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JediOre
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Post by JediOre »

They started off by sneaking into the main enterence and dispatching the sleeping, drunken giants. They looked about with Ragnar1965's hopes of easy loot in the giant's bags being dashed.

They also climbed to the watch tower and slew the sleeping giant there.

Oh, the party consists of:

JediWife playing a 10th level half-elf fighter (bow specialist) and a 6th level elf fighter (bow specialist)

Nightwing playing a 7th level fighter with a +3 two-handed blade and a 6th level monk

Ragnar1965 playing a 10th level gnome wizard, a 6th level ranger/6th level battle blade, a 7th level halfling thief, and a 5th level cleric.

All of the PCs where originally made for 3.5 rules and where converted to C&C.
In the words of my good friend Trevor, "Hey, put an arrow in that falling mummy! What could possibly happen?"

RatedRd20

Post by RatedRd20 »

Finally...... the Rated R gamer is on the troll boards. I am Nightwing by the way and this adventure has been a blast so far.

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Post by Treebore »

RatedRd20 wrote:
Finally...... the Rated R gamer is on the troll boards. I am Nightwing by the way and this adventure has been a blast so far.

Great! Welcome to the boards.
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Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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JediOre
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Post by JediOre »

After that they drug the bodies out of the Steading and hide them as best they could.

Nightwing, er what ever he's calling himself these days, was made leader and the party began to explore the Steading, all the while hearing laughter and a giant feast somewhere nearby.

They sneak into the dark hallway leading to the Great Hall where the hill giants are feasting. The hobbot is sent ahead to get a good view. What she reported chilled both Ragnar1965 and JediWife, over thirty various giants!

Nightwing was gunho to go at them then and there, but the others tempered him and urged further exploration to insure reinforcements didn't exist.

So they continue to explore this huge place. They find a blade that Nightwing really wanted for his fighter--the +3 two-handed giant slayer. They encounter and dispatch a group of teenage giants and let go two giantesses for information concerning the chief's living quarters.

All the while Nightwing is ready to launch an assult to disrupt the party.
In the words of my good friend Trevor, "Hey, put an arrow in that falling mummy! What could possibly happen?"

RatedRd20

Post by RatedRd20 »

JediOre wrote:
A

Nightwing was gunho to go at them then and there, but the others tempered him and urged further exploration to insure reinforcements didn't exist.

All the while Nightwing is ready to launch an assult to disrupt the party.

I was not Gung Ho that early. I wanted to clear the floor.

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JediOre
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Post by JediOre »

Nightwing, you were so gunho it was funny. You wanted to clear the floor alright--starting with the Great Hall!

I'm not saying it was bad, but your comments about "taking them" was great. You were SO into this module like I've not seen since you bluffed your way into the Forge in Goodman Games' DCC #17.

Anyway the party explored the chief's chambers and came face to face with the bear in the chief's wife's chamber. I could not hit Ragnar1965's ranger/battle blade for anything. It doesn't help his AC is 25. They find their way to the fenced in area with the wolf pack and quickly slam the door before the giant wolves attacked.

From there they enter the cheif's private dining/meeting room and begin to get a better idea of just how well planned these dumb hill giants are. Something is behind this as the Introduction hinted at. But what?

Again, please no one let my players know. It is so wonderful to see them going through this for the first time. Kinda like watching Star Wars with someone who has never really heard about it but likes SciFi.

I forgot to mention the NPCs along for the ride. Remaining back at camp is a lawful good hill giant called Brute and accompanying the party is a lawful good Minotaur with his crack squad of evil gnolls. These odd-balls came with the gnome wizard of Ragnar1965. In a previous adventure his wizard charmed the giant and the Minotaur. Later he identified three helms of opposite alignment, one of which the gnome put on but made his save. Using the evil, but charmed, mosters thurst for power, the gnome was able to persade them to try on the helmets. Thus, two lawful good outcasts. The giant is dumb but happy now (Look, butterflies! Aren't they purdy?) while the Minotaur is on a quest to end his life combating evil to make up for his foul deeds. The four gnolls had pledged their souls to the Minotaur in a evil rite to the gnoll's god (I can't spell it, but the one whose name begins with Y and is in the AD&D Monster Manual). This left the gnolls in a bad way; having to obey a master who is no longer evil. I didn't plan on these tag-a-longs but realistically, these good monsters are complete outcasts who both have a heavy respect for the gnome wizard.

Well, enough for tonight. I've got to get some sleep as I've got lots of studing to get to tomorrow.

Ragnar1965 & Nightwing, feel free to fill in everything I've missed up to this point. My wife, known as JediWife, never reads this so no one will get her first hand account.

Zudrak, I'm sorry for your loss. I can not imagine what you have gone, and are going, through. This May, the good Lord willling, will be our eleventh year.
In the words of my good friend Trevor, "Hey, put an arrow in that falling mummy! What could possibly happen?"

JediWife

Post by JediWife »

I am so glad that my husband, JediOre, has so much faith in me. Here I am to give a firsthand account of the adventure so far.

You will have to forgive the missing pieces as I often have to leave the table to take care of the children.

This was a very good game day. I enjoyed going through the rooms trying to remember how specific we are required to be in what and how we search!! JediOre is occasionally excentric (less the vast fortune) and enjoys giving us all a hard time.

I often play too nicely and don't always agree when we have to be mean. I was glad we let the Giantesses go. The attack on the main hall...I will comment on later as JediOre is reading over my shoulder and just informed me that he has not posted on that yet and it would be bad form for me to post anything and ruin his fun!!!!

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Post by serleran »

I miss giants. Even when I attack them with enlarged bearded axes.

Damn things.

Kill a few for me.

RatedRd20

Post by RatedRd20 »

This is blasphemy. I dont think my friends understand when I am being serious and when I am just being a character out of a movie. Like Rey from Ghostbusters. "Get her"

Anyway I think that there is "a man behind the curtain" the brains behind the operation. My guess is a wizard of some sort. Reminds me of every show in the 80's where the bad guys turned out to be backed by the Russians.

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Post by Tadhg »

Great reading.

I hope to run this adventure for my group.

JediOre - very cool to have your gaming group join this forum.

Welcome to all!

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Post by JediOre »

Rhuvein, thanks for the welcome to my gang.

After the party searched the meeting room they found the concealed door behind a large pelt and progressed to the secret room with a log pile and stairs down.

They ignored the timbers and headed downstairs, perhaps thinking this was the way to the "master-mind." JediWife's full-blooded elf spots the secret door at the bottom of the stairs and the party slips into yet another secret location. Sadly, Ragnar1965's ranger activates the pit trap and falls among the poisoned spikes. His ranger has never been known for making saving throws, but he succeeded on both poison saves.

They come to the hill giant chief's treasure room and we spend quite a bit of time here carefully investigating the various containers. The mold growth on the wall is proded from a distance using the monk's staff. Something is "off" about the mold and they kept picking at it until Nightwing had his monk touch the mold. It was an illusion and several weapons of power were uncovered. A bit later and yet another illusion was uncovered. This second illusion hides a mysterious obsidian box.

This box caused Ragnar1965 concern. He just knew the contents were going to be bad news. The others were very curious and the box was opened to reveal a large, black metallic chain and instructions for its use written on human skin along with a map to "The Glacial Rift of the Jarl."

The chain is a powerful teleportation device of unknown origin. The gnome wizard is very concerned and puzzled by it.

They left the treasure room and decided to explore a bit further in the underground complex.
In the words of my good friend Trevor, "Hey, put an arrow in that falling mummy! What could possibly happen?"

RatedRd20

Post by RatedRd20 »

I wasn't sure about that mold but I took the chance. I had in my mind a "blob" type thing where I would get pulled inside of it. If it had been mold I guess I could have tried to invent penicillin.

At this point I wanted to fight but what we found below was good for upcoming tactics.

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bighara
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Post by bighara »

Sounds like good times.

I just picked up a copy of G1-3 Against the Giants from a FLGS used shelf. I'm in the process of taking several classic modules and revamping (read "gutting and reassembling Frankenstein fashion" them for a C&C Karameikos campaign. They'll be largely unrecgonizable except for concept and a few homages when I'm done, so even my brother -who DM'd several of the modules back in the 80's- would have a hard time predicting what's around the corner. I'm nearly done with B1, but now it's for 3rd-5th level adventurers (or higher ).
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