Actual Play – Keikerr To (6/30/2016)

GM: Edmund Metheny
Players: Sophie Lagacé, Karen Twelves, Adrienne Mueller, and Sean Nittner
System: Dungeon World
Setting: Land of 10,000 Gods

Kanta hates the swamp. Why? Because it smells terrible!

Mueller Memoirs

From Adrienne’s notes (thank you Adrienne!):

We tied up our gnoll associate, took his weapon, and indicated that he should lead us to his priestess. Kanta made it clear that she had no intention of breaking her vow of silence to help us communicate with him. We smelled smoke on the air and the gnoll was eager to make progress. Not long later, he became very agitated and clearly wanted to have his weapon back and hide in the bushes. Sensing trouble, we made ourselves ready. Ram passed the gnoll’s lead to Kanta, who obligingly followed the gnoll into a bush.

We were quickly set upon by several gnoll archers. Rahi and Ram took them head on while Merit snuck around to the back. We traded shots but things quickly devolved when we strayed too near the sentient Swamp. First Merit’s leg was snagged by a tentacle-like vine. Then Ram, in freeing her, became entangled with it. Rahi noticed that one of the gnoll’s was the greatest threat and wasn’t what they seemed. Meanwhile our gnoll, Keikerr To, had been snatched up by a foul swamp-tree and was being slowly suffocated while first Kanta and then Rahi did their best to save him. Rahi herself became ensnared and need to fight free with the help of her friends.

Ram went after the strange gnoll but didn’t cause it much damage and was thrown back. In response, it rained boiling blood down upon all our heads. Kanta, seeing it used its voice to summon this magic, vaulted over to it and ripped its tongue out of its mouth. It turned into a waxy form that made it even harder to hit. And then Kanta poured a potion of healing down Ram’s throat which, mingled with the creature’s blood, set his heart racing. We quickly finished off the gnolls and took stock of what they carried. [Assume Rahi did the killing blow on the magic gnoll, but could have been Ram.]

Continuing our march, we eventually came to a rise to find a great gnoll city – consumed by combat and flame.

Lots of bonds changed. Merit trusts Ram again – thinking he has her back. Rahi has also proved herself to Merit (think bond changed on both sides there).

Loot found!

• Amulet of the Death’s Head: This amulet of a gnoll skull with ruby eyes is non magical, other than a very weak spell to make the rubies glow slightly (not enough to see by, just enough to look cool in poor lighting conditions). It is worth 600 coins.
• The tongue of a strange, waxen gnoll you encountered. It is clearly magical though it’s exact properties have yet to be determined.
• 6 potions of Speak Language: these viscous, dark red potions are made of the blood of some creature or another. It tastes terrible, but allows the imbiber to speak and understand any non-magical language.
• 2 potions of healing: the basic ingredient for these potions is clearly yaksa blood, but they work just like any other healing potion.
• 4 potions of polymorph: these potions are jet black and as thick as oil, and can double as smelling salts due to their powerful odor of burnt hair. They allow the imbiber to polymorph into any humanoid creature.

What Rocked

Keikerr To had all sorts of quirks. He doesn’t like being touched (fine, we don’t really want to touch him). He doesn’t like us behind him (a little more tricky to negotiate). And he really doesn’t like this other tribe of gnolls (now that we can get behind).

Nope, still won’t talk! Still a mage, still know stuff, just not going to make the mistake of speaking a falsehood again!

What could have improved

The HP system in Dungeon World rankles me. Always has, but it flared up particularly tonight when Ram did a few awesome moves but kept rolling a 1 on his damage die. Grumble, grumble. Old curmudgeon here.