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Seven.
| Designer(s): | The Honorable Fat Po |
| Archetype: | Scavenger Hunt |
| Objective: | Find the White Path |
| Introduction: | Find the 7 crystal past the 7 test past the 7 temptations. |
Designer's Evaluation
The design performed will with several of the challenges proving quite difficult for the players. In a future version, I think I shall incorporate another seven by installing seven traps requiring thieves to overcome them. Thieves were not properly tested nor required by my design.
Overall, the teams did well.
Delve Diary
We entered the delve pressed for time and found an octagonal room with seven doors each of a different color. The eighth side was the stairs we came in on. We had already determined the stairs could somehow be moved to form a different path.
We opened the red and orange doors and bathed the statue in unfocused light. This led us to the conclusion that we needed a focusing item of some sort. Kal entered the red room and was overcome by the powerful incense and fell into a kind of euphoria. We had been warned that "only the vigilant may pass".
Rather than risk others, we tried the orange room where we had been warned "only the charitable may pass". We gave alms to some beggars who let us pass, then found ourselves in a room full of orange cubes. There was a crystal at the far end. When we entered the cubes quickly assembled into a humanoid figure and tried to kill Kal. Luckily we escaped with only minor injuries.
We hadn't noticed, but Kal had made his way back to the red room and was overindulging in both the mist and the berrries of the room. We were unable to revive him and so pressed on without him for a time.
We did return to the Red room and, using makeshift filters, we were able to overcome the mist and make our way to the room behind. There we fought against a squat powerful creature with a single horn which was crowned with the jewel we needed. The fight was vicious and the monster nearly skewered Jarkwin before Grot put it to the sword.
We skipped the orange room, which we'd completed and moved to the yellow room where we were told "Only the confident man may pass". The first challenge was a narrow bridge guarded by a powerful demon. Grot charged and fell to his death when the demon shook apart a section of the bridge and plunged him onto the stelagmites below. Hastor pursued him by climbing down to help and he burst into flames from the chemical on the floor and walls.
Finally Jarkwin mustered his courage and moved forward. The demon drew a line on the bridge. Jarkwin drew a line. The demon drew another, Jarkwin drew another. Their tic-tac-toe game ended in cats and Jarkwin suddenly found himself with the others.
Proceeding further they encountered a sand-filled rock garden. Hastor began working his way around the wall so as not to disturb the sand. When three large reptilian birds appeared and began attacking, Grot opted for a more direct method and charged across. The birds had a sonic attack which, even when it missed, sent shards of rock at the group. Luckily Grot's new speed allowed him to grab the gem and run, leaving the birds behind.
The green room began with the phrase "Only the faithful man may pass" and found the players confronted by a 12' gap in a narrow bridge. Remembering some distant delve legend Jarkwin decided there was an invisible bridge, said a prayer to his god and walked across. Grot had faith in Jarkwin's faith and followed. When they fell off the ledge Hastur saved them both. They then took a leap of faith and succeeded. When they got to the room the gem was their for the taking, so they did. The back wall of the room folded down and suddenly they were on a broad green field with white stripes and 20 helmeted orcs charging at them. Jarkwin threw the gem to Grot in a long spiraling arc while Hastur calmly webbed the charging orcs. From there, they were put to the sword.
The blue room announced that only the tranquil could pass and later commanded us to turn the other cheek. The narrow chasm this time was defended by a steady barrage of hurled weapons. When we finally found the gem in its icy prison, removing it released three dark blue monsters and a huge horned devil. Hastur tried to take refuge on the wall but it was too short and he was forced to fight. Grot, finding himself between the devil and the deep blue three flew into a rage and killed them with only minor help from the others.
The indigo room demanded that we be moderate and so we left most of your better gear save weapons behind with Kal who was finally showing some signs of being revived from the berries. We made our way to a room with a fountain dedicated to the great halfling goddess Yondolla of the Hearth drinking from the fountain granted healing, health, and the pleasing plumpness of the halfling race. The final challenge was to cross a pit of mud while pursued by someone invisible. Kal almost blew it when he insisted on trying to catch his ineffective invisible attacker, but he got lucky and we prevailed.
Putting the seven gems in the statue's hand and focusing them, we achieved a single beam of light which changed our black staircase up into a white staircase down. Following the white path we found and seized seven chests before exiting the delve.
Riches Beyond Measure?
Each player: about 278 gold
Mike: Cape of the Mountebank, +2 Charisma and Scintillating colorsThe Seven Gems
Color Carried Weapon Item Owner Red Darkvision +1d6 Fire Damage DR10 vs. Fire Tom Orange Expeditious Retreat Weapon of Speed Haste for 6 Rds Dave Yellow +10 vs. Sonic +1d6 Sonic Damage DR10 vs. Sonic Steve Green DR 1 +1 Weapon +1 Armor Steve Blue Water Breathing +1d6 Cold Damage DR10 vs. Cold Dave Indigo Invisible 1/day Ignore Displacement effects Displacement 20% Mike Violet +10 vs. Electrical +1d6 Electric Damage +2 Dex Tom Color is the color of the gem.
Carried is the effect if a player simply carries it.
Weapon is the effect if it is incorporated into a weapon.
Item is the effect if it is worn as a protective item or set into armor or a helm.
Owner is who has it.