...and I’d probably call it the story of Grishnarhk, who was probably the most memorable and beloved of all the characters in the game.
>be playing D&D, 3.5ed Forgotten Realms
>be the DM an vet of about 15 years
>players am all also vet RPers, larpers, actors
>good times were gon get had
>finally get to run campaign I’d been working on for years
>very story driven, equally heavy combat/roleplay
>characters all got reasons to be there
>each PC has their own story, backstory and something to do
>game is revolved around them as much as the story
>doing this shit properly
>why am is evvyone together in genericsmalltownington though?
>Highharvestide festival is tomorrow
>some come as mercs guarding caravans, others come for festival
>long story short, all gather in tavern for drinks that night, meet each-other
>floor suddenly collapses, ground caves in, entire bottom level of the Inn plunges into darkness
>couldn’t handle the weight of so many people in for the festival
>everyone’s suddenly stuck underground together, need to find an way out
>wellthatsonewaytoplothook.giggidy
>I’ve done this before
>moving on
>long story short, place was all old grounds of Kelemvor, god of dead stuffs, but hates undead stuffs
>an whenever the local clerics got an undead they couldn’t full dead they’d capture and entomb it underground, till they could find a way to destroy it
>however this went on for centuries, and time slowly erodes big, magic sealed stuff
>so yeah
>party fell into an tomb
>and accidentally, a lich
>because that’s how these stories go
>lich escapes, possessing a barmaid they’d rescued
>PCs follow
>by the time they get back the whole town is just… gone
>lich took all the bodies to raise as undead
>k
>8 day walk to next town
>erryone gets offered their weight in gold to find out wtf happened
>cause nobody actually knew at this point
>enter the Bard
>is an nice dude, IC an OOC
>but likes to play smart
>or not just ‘smart’… but ‘clever’…
>decides to prepare
>Loudwater is an reasonably large town
>find an alchemist
>charms him
>convinces him to sell everything in the shop for 1gp
>”is not technically stealing cause I did pay for it”
>goddamnit Bard
>”sure ok… but the guy’s still gonna be pissed, and react realistically…”
>k
>”seriously, he’ll probably complain or hire mercs to hunt you down or something for cheating him…”
>k
>”alright sure whatever you can take anything in the shop”
>behold the bag of Holding
>which Bard has cause everyones’ mid level
>opens bag and just nonchalantly slides everything off the tables and shelves into it
>EVERYTHING
>and everybody is just standing there tense as whilst glass bottles of alchemists fire, acid, and casks of gunpower clash together falling into this magic bag
>he takes literally every alchemical item in the shop
>we decide to work out actual numbers
>40 vials of normal/improved alchemist fire
>30 normal/improved acid flasks
>a dozen tanglefoot bags
>glue
>and about 30 gods damn kegs of gunpower
>all stashed in this one, delicate, light little Bag of Holding
>”please be fking careful with that you Halfling bastard”
>I can see where this is going…
>not the type of DM to try and blow up the party for giggles
>just tell them to be careful and it should be ok
>but that merchant will be pissed and bad things could possibly happen
>so srsly, please be careful… don’t kill my campaign by killing your party
>6 months later
>campaign has been epic
>fought off dreadknight henchmen of the lich
>armies of undead
>shenanigans been had
>recruited a Marilith, a sphinx
>gone from lvl 3 to 14
>characters been loved
>story’s been loved
>fun all round
>party finally finds Lich’s 600yo lair
>rundown castle he’s using undead labour to slowly rebuild
>is covered in wards and usual stuff
>as well as hundreds of undead guards
>and the local family of vampire lineage who aren’t to kind of trespassers
>front entry ain’t so good looking
>does an smart PCs and scout around
>like… a lot of scout around
>oh hey an secret underground entrance
>did not expect at all
>goes in, searching, keeping stealthy
>doesn’t wanna thousands of undead army
>finds an ancient stone door with writing
>surprisingly written in plain common
>”Those who is friends can enter here, but if open youse eyes, beware”
>kk… so just gotta walk through this one room with eyeses closesed
>pretty simple
>…should’ve been pretty simple
>everyone goes through eyes closed till they get to the door on the opposite side
>however is all an good trap/defence
>vampires gaseous form into the room and start messing with the PCs
>taunting them but they know they gotta keep their eyes closed…
>use some magics and smartnessing… or lack of…
> whilst the vampires are just touch draining and messing with peoples
>half of whom are safe in the next room and can see the vampires behind them
>… bard decides he can’t resist opening his eyes
>…cause curious
>…
>ya shouldna’ did dat
>Vampires suddenly see Bard, being ‘clever’, eyes open.
>Vampires turn to smoke and flee
>Bard looks around
>room is octagonal
>on 2 of the 8 sides are the doors they were passing through
>on the other 6 sides… were mirrors… of opposition
>whoops.jpg
>6 mirrors, 6 exact copies of the Bard
>all trying to kill him
>panic mode is on
>party can’t come help or they’ll get mirror copies trying to kill them too
>panic mode is definitely on
>oh wait…
>Bard is decided to an clever
>gets companions to put Blade Barrier around him
>stoneskin
>buffs, etc.
>Copies can’t get anywhere near enough to attack him
>but wait… what’s this?
>each mirror also creates an exact copy of all your equipment…?
>…and will do anything and go to any lengths to kill you?
>what’s that you got there little Bard…?
>…
>…
>yesh…
>yesh it is…
>yesh it is an entire (do-me) alchemists shop in in a small, delicate bag that will burst open if it takes any damage and spill all its contents into this tiny room full of fire and blades
>…and yesh, there’s now a complete alchemists shop in each of these 6 copies hands
>that’s like… 7 alchemists
>which they are about to throw at you while grinning maniacally
>how much is that exactly?
>in total…
>280 vials of alchemists fire
>210 vials of acid
>84 bags of choking powder
>350 litres of lamp oil
>and over a metric tonne of gunpowder
>gametermspls.party
>…5285d6 of damage to everything within 600ft
>enough combined direct, fire, and acid damage to erase you, the party, the Lich’s castle and a large portion of this mountain from existence
>mfw they realized I'd been waiting for this ever since he robbed that alchemist's shop
