From 419bb031d155e083cd6c99944a7c2d4b99c94047 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Peter H. Froehlich" Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2023 14:43:25 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] Added "Halloween at the Barrowmaze" article --- issue02/Grenzland2.tex | 2 + issue02/Makefile | 2 +- issue02/halloween.tex | 142 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3 files changed, 145 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) create mode 100644 issue02/halloween.tex diff --git a/issue02/Grenzland2.tex b/issue02/Grenzland2.tex index f79f4a8..d5a4520 100644 --- a/issue02/Grenzland2.tex +++ b/issue02/Grenzland2.tex @@ -480,6 +480,8 @@ downwind at Wind Speed. \end{multicols} +\input{halloween} + \section{Impressum} \textit{Grenzland} wird editiert und diff --git a/issue02/Makefile b/issue02/Makefile index eb7cb08..4ee3ace 100644 --- a/issue02/Makefile +++ b/issue02/Makefile @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ all: Grenzland2.pdf -%.pdf: %.tex Frontcover.pdf Backcover.pdf Makefile +%.pdf: %.tex Frontcover.pdf Backcover.pdf Makefile halloween.tex wbzine.cls pdflatex -draftmode $< pdflatex $< diff --git a/issue02/halloween.tex b/issue02/halloween.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2d97b0d --- /dev/null +++ b/issue02/halloween.tex @@ -0,0 +1,142 @@ +% Halloween at the Barrowmaze +% Copyright (c) 2022-2023 Peter H. Froehlich . +% License terms: CC BY-SA 4.0 + +\section{Halloween at the Barrowmaze} + +I wanted to spice up our Selina's Harbor Barrowmaze game a little, so I decided +that all games in October 2022 would be ``Red October'' games and that October +31, 2022 would be a ``Halloween Special.'' It was important to set up +``Red October'' first to prepare players for the \emph{really} weird stuff that +was to come, so here's a summary of both. Feel free to rip this off if you also +have players who are generally amenable to occasional silliness. + +\subsubsection{Red October} + +Every year in October, the sky over the Barrowmoor turns red and stranger than +usual things go on below. I used the moderately terrifying ``Pit of Chaos'' +table from the actual module, but you can substitute any super-dangerous ``what +terrible monster gates in'' table you have handy. + +Before each session roll d6 to determine how many things gate in: 1--3 only +one, 4--5 two, 6 three. Then place whatever it is in a random location; I simply +rolled d100 for a room but I only allowed rooms that had previously been +explored; if the room had not been explored before, I divided the room number +by 2; and if that room didn't make sense, I picked the next lower room number +that did. + +For the October 3, 2022 session I rolled a 1, so only a single roll was required; +4 ghouls gated in; I rolled room 80 but that wasn't explored; room 40 didn't +make sense (behind a secret door ghouls wouldn't know how to operate); so room +39 it was. Interestingly room 39 already had a large group of tomb robbers from +a previous restock roll, so I conducted that fight to see who'd win; the tomb +robbers barely survived. In game I had the players stumble into the tail-end of +the fight which meant the tomb robbers were ``on edge'' and almost attacked the +player characters, accusing them of ``sending'' those ghouls their way. + +Other ``Red October'' sessions added even more ghouls, a banshee, and a ghast +to various rooms; those ghouls are actually still haunting a section of the +Barrowmaze to this day, but the ghast and the banshee have since been taken out. + +\subsubsection{Halloween Special} + +For the October 31, 2022 session, not only was the sky red, but it was also +dark around the Barrowmoor, regardless of the actual time of day. The path to +the central mound had ``pumpkin lamps'' at regular intervals; a little bit off +the path, skeletons, zombies, and large spiders (illusions, but whatever) could +be seen ``threathening'' the path; weird organ music and the occassional scream +or evil laughter were heard as well. + +There was a table out front next to the entrance to the central mound; one banner +read ``One Night Only!'' the other said ``Final Halloween Raffle!'' There was a +vampire sitting here, one ``Strump von Wasilatsch,'' with all the usual vampire +equipment (pale, well dressed, red-lined cape, the works). He also had four dire +wolves resting behind him, one of which was in fact another vampire. Strump was +wearing a ``VBS'' (``Vampyre Benevolent Society'') pin and had a bottle of red +wine that he kept using to top off his glass; he got up as player characters +approached to give his spiel: + +\begin{itemize} + +\item ``Ah, welcome, welcome adventurers! I am Count von Wasilatsch and I am + here from the VBS for our special \emph{One Night Only Final Halloween Raffle}. + Your donations will go to worthy causes completely and utterly of our choosing, + but the raffle tickets we have promise \emph{amazing} things, just \emph{perfect} + for the likes of you who are about to head underground to \dots{} \emph{vanquish} + \dots{} evil?'' + +\item ``Ah, the tickets, yes! Green tickets are 5gp, yellow tickets are 20gp, + and red tickets, our biggest item tickets, those are 100gp. Buy for yourself, + buy for your friends, you will \emph{not} regret it! If you truly are + \emph{adventurers} that is?'' + +\item He then mumbles ``Certain undisclosed rules and restrictions apply, + parents are responsible for their children, not valid after October 31, only + one purchase per entity, all sales are final, void where prohibited by law or + decree.'' and smiles, fangs and all. + +\end{itemize} + +If player characters come back for more tickets later, he says ``only one +purchase per entity'' and smiles; if they persist one dire wolf growls and he +shushes it, still smiling; if they persist he says ``only one purchase, really, +get out of here before it gets mad!'' and keeps smiling; after that the dire +wolf would strike once but he would rein it in after that ``get out of here!'' +no longer smiling; more of that and they all attack, slaughtering the player +characters. + +Going down the stairs in the central mound, it is clear that there are more +pumpkin-based light sources ahead; indeed the whole 60'\(\times\)60' chamber +appears to have been cleared and tables have been set up against the north, +south, and east wall. Behind each table is another vampire, although these are +not as talkative; the table to the north has a green banner, the one to the +south has a yellow banner, and the one to the east has a red banner; three more +dire wolves skulk around here and there; behind each table is a chest with a +big lock, that's where the stuff is stored. For each ticket a player has, let +them roll once on the table below. + +\begin{tabularx}{\columnwidth}{cZZZ} +\textbf{Roll} & \textbf{Green/Cheap} & \textbf{Yellow/Standard} & \textbf{Red/Fancy}\\ +1 & Potion Healing & Potion Control Undead & Ring Regeneration\\ +2 & Potion Invulnerability & Potion Heroism & Wand Polymorph \(\times\)6\\ +3 & Potion Gaseous Form & Potion Speed & Wand Cold \(\times\)6\\ +4 & Potion Invisibility & Dagger+1 & Sword+1, Flaming\\ +5 & Bullet+1 \(\times\)8 & Sling+1 & Spear+3\\ +6 & Arrow+1 \(\times\)6 & Armor/Cloak+1 & Ring Telekinesis\\ +7 & Scroll Magic Missile \(\times\)3 & Wand Fear \(\times\)6 & Staff Healing\\ +8 & Marshmellow d66 & Scroll Protection Undead & Gauntlets Ogre Power\\ +\end{tabularx} + +What's with the ``Marshmellow d66?'' In our game, a player can \emph{once per +session} make a d20 roll with a d30 instead; this d66 allows the player to use +a d66 instead of \emph{any other dice roll} after their main character consumes +it. Pretty tasty! + +Somewhere on each item there's a \emph{tiny} note saying ``Provided `as is' +without any express or implied warranties. Best by October 31st.'' Yes, of +course all items are good only for the one session, they crumble to dust after +midnight. Also each item has a 1\% chance of malfunctioning per use; but that +malfunction will \emph{not} be extra-detrimental to the user. (For stuff with +a duration, roll when it matters, not when it's first activated. So invisibility +will work until it doesn't.) + +\subsubsection{So\dots{} What Happened?} + +Of course the players bought only a few tickets, suspicious of the entire thing. +Once they were downstairs and had gotten a bunch of items, of course they wanted +to go back for more tickets. But they got the hint and didn't push their luck. +Down in the Barrowmaze I had added some sound and light effects: Instead of the +usual silence, there was a constant ``screams and evil laughter'' background, +complete with more ``haunted house'' illusions. But there were also lighted +signs pointing the way towards magic items and large treasures. The players +started carefully, but after a few successful ``fights'' using their +\emph{Wand of Cold} and other items they became more confident. Until they +followed a lighted sign to the old temple where a Banshee held court. They +debated what to do for at least 40 minutes, but in the end they ``chickened'' +and left. Despite the fact that they could clearly see a \emph{huge} pile of +gold. + +So we all learned that no amount of magic gear will make you into an +\emph{adventurer} when that's just not in your bones to begin with! + +\endinput