Epic Moments
Below is gathered pictures from some memorable moments our adventure groups have experienced along their adventure paths.
In the Eye of the Beholder
Adventure: FR - Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land
When it happend: January 2012
RPG Group: Group 1
Characters: Zulkin, Arkan, Gondaral, Silwen, Grimwald
Description:
The adventure party sails down the underground river below Shadowdale and the Twisted Tower in a boat created from Arkans "Bag of Usefull items". The boat is dragged by Silwen the Druid shapechanged into a huge Crocodile. They sail in complete darkness expect from a small 20 feet magical light source. Suddenly they find themselves within the cone of an "Anti Magic Field" coming from the central Eye of a huge Beholder. All magic effects are negated.... and then the light goes out.
Darkness surrounds everyone except the Dwarf and the Beholder.
Then the beholder closes its central eye and stops the "Anti Magic Field" effect - The party mange to survive a "Flesh to Stone", "Finger of Death" and "Dissintegrate" eye rays from the beholder in the first round.
In desperation Zulkin the Wizard returns a "dissintegrate" spell in the face of the beholder delivering massive 90 HP in damage in one blow and the Beholder falls into the water dead....
The Fall of Scyllua Darkhope in the final battle for Shadowdale's freedom
Adventure: FR - Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land
When it happend: February 2012
RPG Group: Group 1
Characters: Zulkin, Arkan, Gondaral, Silwen, Grimwald
Description:
The adventure party has freed Lord Mourngrym of Shadowdale from the dark shadow which had possesed him during The Zhentarim army's occupation of Shadowdale. Mourngrym leads the uprising together with the party i a last try to defeat and drive out zhentarim forces in a final Battle for freedom. Suddenly Scullua Darkhope returns from her siege of Myth Drannor and appears in the sky on her Flying Nightmare Steed. She lands in the midst of the Battle an confronts Gondaral, Favored Soul of Tyr. Bound by his destiny pledge bestowed upon him by Tyr - Gondaral know this is the time he will face the touch of Death. As pre determined Scyllua then deliveres a serious Critical hit of 96 - almost removing Gondarals leg and leaving him bleeding 10 HP per round, forcing a death save vs. massive damage. Additionally he has to cope with the poison and "Smite Good" effects from Scylluas evil blade.
Seriously injured and with few rounds left before bleeding to death, Gondaral throws everything he has on a last desperate attack and rolls an epic Critical hit scoring likewise 96! - delivering massive damage, removing Scylluas leg and leaving her bleeding 10 HP per round. Scyllua drops lifeless to the ground......
.....The High Captain of Zhentarim armies, a notorius vilian in Forgotten Realms has died. In shock and overcome by the morale loss, the remaining Zhents troops flee in panic and Shadowdale is once free again. An event of major importance in the ongoing Cormanthor War and of great importance to ensure safety for the Dale Lands.
The Kraken of Thaymount underground river
Adventure: FR - DM Campaign: The Revenge of Thay
When it happend: August 2012
RPG Group: Group 1
Characters: Zulkin, Orkan, Cara Luckwind, Silwen, Strider Kelemborn
Description:
Lost and fatigued the adventure party arrives at an underground river bank below Thaymount in Thay. Two boats lies scattered around and a lot of skelletons from fallen humanoids lies along the river edge. Suddenly the surface of the water stirs and out of the dark comes THE KRAKEN with the intent to grapple the the whole party in its eight arms and drag them to the bottom of the depths......
After a heroic death match, THE KRAKEN to retreat into the darkness of the river - not killed nor defeated but waiting and regenerating..... and the only way out is to repair the boats and start floating the long way down the river......
The Deathstone construct below Waterdeep
Adventure: FR - DM Campaign: The quest from Khelben Blackstaff
When it happend: October 2012
RPG Group: Group 1
Characters: Zulkin, Orkan, Strider
Description:
On request of Khelben Blackstaff of Waterdeep the party explores the secret underground passage between Blackstaff tower and The Palace. The party discovers four lost wizards of Black staff tower which are dead and have been calcified completely. Someone has created a large hole into the wall of the passage and made a pathway to an old Dwarf citadel. The part quickly discovers the reason for the death of the wizards: A Female Drow Sorcerer and her drow minions has created a so called Deathstone - a huge living magical construct made from the bare rock with the ability to slow and calcify (like turn to stone) all living beings in a large radius around it. From this base the Drows will take control of the Palace coming from the underground passage with the Deathstone as Juggernaut an wipe out all people in its way. Faced by this Orkan, Zulkin and Strider start engaging the construct... .....just to discover that the construct is immune to magic and they have to do fortitude saves each
round
The epic fight against Ashardalon the Great Red Wyrm
Adventure: D&D 3.5 Bastion of Broken Souls
When it happend: February 2013
RPG Group: Group 1
Characters: Zulkin, Orkan, Strider, Silwen, Cara, Nurn (NPC)
Description:
After a long search using different clues from around Faurun the party travels to The Positive Energy Plane to enter the Bastion of Unborn Souls - one of several soul fonts where all newborn babyes get there souls from. Now the circle of life has been corrupted by a great Read Wyrm who has taken residence in the Bastion of Unborn Souls to feed directly from the souls. Ashardalon is a legendary dragon more than 1,200 years old and of collossal size. Buffed up to the maxium and with fire immunity the party faces this magnificient foe. Only with the presence of Strider "the Decendant of the epic Druid Dydd" manages the party to slay the dragon after a long spectacular fight.... just to discover a mighty demon - which was held captive in the dragons body- is released as soon at the dragon drops death. Strider - being a Paladin and Knight - challenges the demon despite the party has used up all their ressources on the dragon. The subsequent fight slays two party members and the rest surrenders. To try to ease the demons wrath, Orkan offers to sacrifice himself and he gets slain as well. The demon then takes off to the Abyss and only by having a few revivify spells in reserve the dead members is resurrected and the party survive (exept Nurn the NPC). This also marks the final challenge for this party and afterwards they return to Faurun as Epic heroes continuing their lives off the beaten track.
The epic fight against a Gaugantuan Giant Slug in the old Temple in Wood of Sharp Teeth
Adventure: D&D 5.0 The Black Orb - Rise of the Bone Lord
When it happend: January 2019
RPG Group: The Moonwhispers
Characters: Bouw Landers, Gruff Grimcleaver, Kharsus Thantul, Quilin, Conrad Strongarm and Enna (NPC)
Description:
Just after the Moonwhispers adventure group experienced that their former leader Caius Moonwhisper (Steffan) died together with Ulfgar Silversword (NPC) when they where slain in a fight with a Dracolich - a mighty new challenge arises. The remains of the group decides to team up with two newcomers Conrad Strongarm (Steffan new character) and Jeffry the Just (NPC) from Order of the Gaunlet and travel into the Wood of Sharp Teeth in search for a villian called Dargoth Undeadbringer. This brings them to an ancient elven temple to Correlion. Entering the temple halls they get surprised by a gaugantuan Griant Slug that is sleeping under the debris from a collapsed ceiling.
Jeffry the Just acts first hitting the Slug on the hard body shell. The giant beast acts next and slams it slimy body into Gruff Grimcleaver and Conrad both taking considerable crush damage and being knocked prone. Gruff propels backwards and slides over the edge into a 50 feet deep pit.
The Giant slug turns and vomits its acid slime onto both Quilin and Jeffry the just.
Round moves to turn 3 which is the newly arrived Paladin Conrad Strongarm, that has barely been accepted into the group.
Conrad Strongarm gets up from the knockdown and picks up his sword and shield and engage the gaugantuan Slug directly from the side.
Rolling a 20, which is a critical hit. Following up with another roll on the critical hit table which is also a 20! Conrad Strongarm cuts all the way through the slugs slimy body and separates the Slugs head from the body in one clean cut.....
Conrads first attack and first action at all on the day after meeting the Moonwhispers group become a mighty kill infront of the eyes of the Moonwhispers group.
What was supposed to be a extremely lethal encounter for the party planned bt the DM ends before it really got started on turn 3 in the very first round of combat.
Silence follows.... then broken by the voice of Quilin and the others:
"We have found our new Leader !!"
The Giant Slug is a legendary monster and one of the first classic monsters occuring already in the eighties in the Dungeon and Dragons early days. In addtion the Giant slug also appeard in the Dragon Lance Chronicles in a dangerous fight against the heroes of the lance.
However strangely no official miniature has ever been produced - so the miniature above is a homemade version assembled on a black base and fitting the 28mm gaugantuan scale.
The epic fight against a Huge Fire Giant Dreadnought and two Myrkul Wraiths in the old Temple in Wood of Sharp Teeth
Adventure: D&D 5.0 The Black Orb - Rise of the Bone Lord
When it happend: March 2019
RPG Group: The Moonwhispers
Characters: Bouw Landers, Gruff Grimcleaver, Kharsus Thantul, Quilin, Conrad Strongarm and Enna (NPC)
Description:
Just after the Moonwhispers adventure group experienced that their former leader Caius Moonwhisper (Steffan) died together with Ulfgar Silversword (NPC) when they where slain in a fight with a Dracolich - a mighty new challenge arises. The remains of the group decides to team up with two newcomers Conrad Strongarm (Steffan new character) and Jeffry the Just (NPC) from Order of the Gaunlet and travel into the Wood of Sharp Teeth in search for a villian called Dargoth Undeadbringer. This brings them to an ancient elven temple to Correlion.
Futher exploring the old temple and after defeating Dargoth Undeadbringer - who dies at the hand of Myrkuls manifesting Avatar - the adventures encounter a former elven shrine nor desecrated and dedicated to Myrkul.
The adventures enter the shrine having noticed that there is a gigantic iron double door with spikes behind them in the hallway.
In the shrine two Myrkul Wraiths floats out of the walls and starts attacking them with their Myrkul blades and life draining abilities.
Shortly after they notice that the huge iron double door seems to have moved closer to them in the hallway - just to be surprised by that the door turns out to be two gigantic shileds held by e Giant Fire Dreadnought that starts to trample forward. The Fire Giant Dreadnought slams the two Fire shields into the Wizard Kharsus and the Rogue Quilin that both in addtion to the massive damage taken gets trampled into the shrine room. Qiulin takes a fatal critical hit! and both dropping to zero hit points!.
The Paladin Conrad Strongarm use his Paladin abilities to stop the Fire giant for a while by making it frightened so it ends standing still just in the doorway to the Shrine - blocking the way out - but at least stabilises the situation....
Or not quite, becuase just shortly after one of the Myrkul Wraiths severs the leg of the martial art kicking Monk Bouw through by a high critical hit after also having drained the life out of the monk reducing his hit point maximum to nine! Even if the Monk it left with only one leg and physically broken, he is not mentally broken yet. The Monks keeps attacking the Wratihs using his staff as crutch and making flying kicks from standing on one leg only!
Enna, the NPC rogue rescues the Wizard Kharsus life while the Paladin keeps the Dreadnought at bay by healing him. Afterwards she rescues the Rogue Quilin - but not before looting him for a magical ring that Quilin previously stole from her... Rogue love when it is a its best :-)
One of the Myrkul Wraiths gets killed, but the other one stands... but not for long. The mute Dwarf Gruff Grimcleaver takes his newly created two-handed Maul and rolls a 20 for a critical hit followed by another roll of 20 on the Critical hit table killing the other Myrkul Wraith instantly in one blow!
The Fire Dreadnought overcomes its fear and is ready to crush the adventures trapped in the shrine. The Wizard Kharsus still from a prone position - just healed back to consiousness by Enna - cast a wall of force blocking the doorway to the shrine - preventing the Giant to enter the room. This allows for a few minutes of regrouping and planning as the adventures are still badly beaten and trapped.
The wizard suggest a cunning tactical plan - but before hearing it out Conrad Strongarm states that he will take on the Fire Giant heads onwith his follower the Veteran Warrior Jeffry.
Headshaking the Wizard and the rest hide in the alcoves in the shrine to avoid being trampled again. The wall of force diasappears and the Giant tramples in ramming into the Paladin and warrior Veteran that both missess all their attacks. Jeffry goes down when he drops to zero hitpoints.
But then something extraordinary happens: The mute dwarf Gruff once agains steps out with his new Maul and attacks the Huge giant from behind. Rolling a critical hit again ! followed by another 20 on the table - again!!. Hammering the maul into the backbone of the Giant and instantly killing it in one massive blow.......
Everything becomes silent and it is difficult for everyone to cope with what they just witnessed and went through during this encounter......
.... A D&D encounter when its gets truely epic!
The epic fight against the Myrkul servant a Gaugantuan Dracolich at the legendary Boareskyr bridge
Adventure: D&D 5.0 The Black Orb - Rise of the Bone Lord
When it happend: June 2019
RPG Group: The Moonwhispers
Characters: Bouw Landers, Gruff Grimcleaver, Kharsus Thantul, Quilin, Conrad Strongarm, Jeffry the Just (NPC) and Enna (NPC)
Description:
The group arrives at sunset at the legendary Boareskyr Bridge with the purpose of facing the dark threat that Myrkuls Avatar has summoned to haunt them in order to revenge their destruction of the Black Orb.
The group do not know what is hunting them or what to expect - except from that a message has been carved into the very stone of the bridge saying that they have to come to this place at sunset in order to stop whatever has been laying death to this area.
After waiting on the bridge looking at the setting sun, the dark foul water - where Bhaal once was killed by Cyric and fell into the water - suddenly begins to bubble.
Suddenly a Gaugantuan Skeleton dragon with dartk red eyes and lightning in its mouth rise up from the water and opens is mouth full of sharp bone teeths and breathes lightningaccross the whole bridge.
Meanwhile Gruff the mute dwarf has arrived late to this encounter from the other side of the Bridge - but notices a person in a dark robe hiding among the trees next to the bridge. This persons turns out to be the very archenemy Roland "the dark one" Aelar.
As the party on the bridge is fully occupied defeding their lives from this overwhelming force - Gruff must face Roland a powerfull wizard in a one-to-one battle.
On the Bridge the group fight for their lives Enna gets thrown off the bridge into the dark water by the bite from the dragon.
The dragon resists most of the spells from Kharsus.
Conrad the Paladin jumps off the bridge and activates his levitation boots and face the dragon in the air - dealing almost 150 HP damage by going all in with divine smite ability. However Conrad also draws all the attention of the dragon and its attacks. After several rounds of skirmish the paladin goes down and drops into the dark waters as well in full plate armor - sinking to the very bottom.
The dragon breathes again and Jeffry drops dead as well - leaving only Bouw the monk and kharsus on the bridge left alive. The dragon lands on the bridge and goes into melee with the monk.
The monk launches all his attacks and flurry of blows - and fumble giving himself a serious bleeding wound that bleeds for 18 HP damage per round.
Kharsus find the last magical ressources and empty his wand of magic missiles into the dragon as well as throwing his last damage spells at the dragon. This is sufficient to finally kill the dragon.
Enna ust manage to come back onto the bridge in due time to provide healing to the Monk - which enables him to jump into the water with his ring of swimming and bring Conrad to the surface.
Next to the bridge combat against Roland reaches its final stage as Kharsus manage to support Gruff against Roland that must sacrifice his last spell slot reserved for a get away teleportation spell in order to counter Kharsus spell against him.
Gruff uses this window of opportunity to maul Roland to death with the killing blow.....
Kharsus enchants Gruff with a fly spell enabling him to fly to the surface of the water just in time to bring Conrad back to life with a revivify spell.....
Indeed a near death experience that the party just manage to fend off.........