Morik's Run (IC - Morik. GreyWolfVT only)

[Grognardsw]

It is time. One of the Guild Houses looms before you. Its true purpose is of course hidden under the guise of a respected and complicit merchant, as much of the city's underworld is veiled in legitimacy.

You enter and are escorted to an impressive library.

In an alcove, a wall of books parts to reveal a secret passageway down. You walk for some time through a maze of passages, doubtless subterranean, then arrive at a simple room. 

You are seated before a large desk. The Guild Lieutenant sits before you and speaks.

"Welcome Morik. As you know, the thieves and assassin’s guild of Lankhmar is a powerful institution, its tendrils deep in commerce and government. As such, its structure is elaborate and its training intense. Part of this training is an elaborate obstacle course, a testing ground in the cellars of the guild headquarters: The Assassin’s Run."

"The facility serves many purposes. The Run is a gymnasium for the practice of skills not easily performed repeatedly with discretion in public places. It is a training zone for novices and experts alike. It is a safe room for the Guild, defensible and deadly against intruders."

You nod your head and think of the others rumors heard in certain quarters. That the Guild has a hidden highway through the sewers of the city, and that the Run is connected to it. It is also said there are secret apartments at the center of the Run where the Master lives.

The Guild Lieutenant continues: "All Guild members are required to take the Run to advance in rankings. The Run's reputation is known throughout the underworld of the Realms. Many visiting adventurer thieves come to experience it."

"During your Run, the Guild Master will be watching you through a Wizard Eye (cast by a mage who serves as one of the Guild lieutenants.)  As the Guild does not want to maim or kill its members, blades will be blunted and projectiles padded (same damage, but subdual/non-lethal.) Traps that would be lethal are disqualifying. You may occasionally receive instructions via note. Follow them."

"Like much a thief does in life, you are scored by time and accomplishment. Move quickly, but not so quickly to preclude strategy. Have a sharp mind, but do not deliberate overly long. Combat may be necessary to accomplish a task, but it often is a means to an end, not the task itself. The wise will realize the difference and act accordingly."

The Lieutenant points to a door. "Good luck."

[GreyWolfVT]

Morik the Rogue goes to the door checks it for traps and to see if the door is locked.

Open/Pick Locks Thief Skill Checks[1d100] = 68

Check for Traps Thief Skill Checks[1d100] = 60

hmm unwise start....unlucky.

[GreyWolfVT]

Morik the Rogue if the door is not locked he will open it and continue forward. "Luck be with me. Thank you Guild Lieutenant."

[Grognardsw]

The door is not locked.

The Guild Lieutenant smiles unsympathetically and sips a cup at Morik's words.


"You'll need all the luck you can get, boy."

Darkness and descending stairs meet you upon opening the door. The light from the room shows five feet of stairs before blackness engulfs.

Unless you note otherwise, I'll assume normal movement and observation level. Feel free to state specifically what you'll be doing, seeing/searching, speed of walking/running, what is in your hands in a given round, etc. The nature of the Run makes such specificity helpful for the character. Thanks.

[GreyWolfVT]

Morik walks down into the darkness lights a candle and draws a dagger. Yes since this is a test he is going to walk at a normal pace and be observing everything with caution. he closes the door quietly behind him.

[Grognardsw]

The candlelight flickers as

Morik goes down the stone stairs. The light carries effectively only 4', beyond which is dark silhouettes.  The stairs are 6' wide, the ceiling 8' high. The stairs go down 10' then turn west in a 10' swerve that continues as far as your candle lights.

You may wish to map. It may or may not help. My descriptions may be more precise than usual. I normally provide maps, but in this case given its a test/challenge adventure, it's up to the players.

[GreyWolfVT]

Morik continues on down the stairwell same as before but also now taking the time to check for secret doors and traps.found a virtual graph paper website. The key I'm going with is each square is 2'.

Thief Skill Checks[1d100] = 72 fail again

assassins run mapping.png (40.79 KiB) Viewed 1725 times

[Grognardsw]

Morik pads down the stairs looking for traps or secret doors but finds none. Oops! About 8' down the stairs he steps on a raised step. He tries not to tumble (please make Dex. check.)

[GreyWolfVT]

Stat Check[1d20] = 9 Dex (16)

Morik skillfully catches himself from tripping noticing the raised stair he is curious and checks to see if it is a trigger for a door or trap.

Thief Skill Checks[1d100] = 97 epic failures this is crazy....

[Grognardsw]

The raised stair seems solid, just designed to trip someone down the stairs. The stairs continue another 10' then look to end in what you guess to be a room, as your candle light is limited. You see 4' around you. There is a wall to your immediate left and right, running from the edge of the stairs.

For mapping purposes, the stairs after the swerve go 20' west.

[GreyWolfVT]

Morik looks as best he can with the limited candle light to see if there is just a open doorway or an actual door at the end of the stairs. Once again his is going to try and search for any traps in the doorway/door.

find/Disarm Traps Thief Skill Checks[1d100] = 20 success finally!

assassins run mapping.png (51.15 KiB) Viewed 1714 times

[Grognardsw]

Morik feels confident the doorway portal is not trapped. Then he sees appear a line of light on the floor in the wall opposite you, perhaps maybe 20-25' away. Light from under a door?

[GreyWolfVT]

Morik tip toes through the tulips j/k through the area to the line like thing being careful and checking his footing the entire way. I figure this is little sense in hide in shadows as I am carrying a candle in the dark. At the light under the door or line Morik checks for traps then checks to see if the door is locked if it is locked he will set his candle down on the floor and try to pick the lock. Then he will try to listen for sounds on the other side of the door "if there is one".

Move Silently Thief Skill Checks[1d100] = 53

Detect/Remove traps @ the line "light under door" Thief Skill Checks[1d100] = 62

Open/Pick Lock Thief Skill Checks[1d100] = 24

Hear Noise Thief Skill Checks[1d100] = 37

[Grognardsw]

Morik takes three steps and falls into a pit. In the split second of the fall he felt no floor at all. The thief has some experience with pits; perhaps it was an illusionary floor?

Morik falls, twists to get his legs and arms just right, and hits the floor as best he can (1 HP damage.)

The rogue relights his candle. The pit is 6' wide, 10' deep, with greased walls.

- Morik pit dam. [1d6] = 1
- Your thief skill rolls from your last post can still apply if you get to the possible light under the door.

[GreyWolfVT]

Morik takes our his rope metal spikes, hammer and grappling hook. He tries to see if he can get the grappling hook tied to the rope then attached to something above the pit if it catches something he will put the spikes and hammer back in his backpack. If not then he begins hammering spikes int at intervals he can reach to start climbing up. After he gets the first two in where he can climb up he will hammer the third and fourth in to climb further though if he can get out with just the two spikes he will save the other two and ut his rope and grappling hook back in his backpack.

[Grognardsw]

Morik takes our his rope metal spikes, hammer and grappling hook. He tries to see if he can get the grappling hook tied to the rope then attached to something above the pit if it catches something he will put the spikes and hammer back in his backpack. If not then he begins hammering spikes int at intervals he can reach to start climbing up. After he gets the first two in where he can climb up he will hammer the third and fourth in to climb further though if he can get out with just the two spikes he will save the other two and ut his rope and grappling hook back in his backpack.

Dex. check to catch grapple on edge. If not, then spike method and a Climb Walls roll for such to reach the top. Thanks.

[GreyWolfVT]

Dex Check Stat Check[1d20] = 2 DEX: 16

Map X is the pit

assassins run mapping.png (52.13 KiB) Viewed 1697 times

Morik apparently makes this look easy. provided I'm not getting overconfident. Feels the grappling catch on something puts his spikes and hammer away, blows out his candle as he cannot climb with it lit and climbs up the rope. When out of the pit. He lights the candle again provided he can locate his flint and steel and the candle again. I assume there is something solid to stand on. I don't have any real dimensions for the room. then walks the area of the room being careful to avoid the pit.

[Grognardsw]

Morik escapes the pit. About 20-25' across the room is what Morik suspects may be a door from under which light ekes out.



The dimensions of this room are hard to tell, given the re-lit candle light extends only about 4'.

[GreyWolfVT]

Morik before going through the "supposed door" will place his hand against the wall and walk the exterior of the room with his candle and search for any traps, secret doors and or triggers or levers.

how many rolls and for what would you be needing?

[Grognardsw]

how many rolls and for what would you be needing?

One roll will suffice, thanks.