Underworld game - a short report (Videos up, too!)

[chirine ba kal]

The next installment of our 'micro-campaign' happened today, with three players taking parties of warriors and magic-users down those inviting shafts that led downward from the tops of the various Temples. I assumed that this time, everyone would bring ropes, and they did. After much rappelling downward, in best commando style - Bruce Willis would be proud, I tell you! - Our Heroes descended into the stygian depths and lit a few torches.

Things got tense very quickly, as the Temple of Ksarul's guards ambushed the parties at the bottoms of the shafts; the players responded by charging the ambushers, and then set to work looting the place as soon as their opponents had been seen off. They don't raise them (or grow them in the vats) in the Temple of Ksarul to be stupid, however, so the defenders sent their own party of intrepid heroes up the one shaft they controlled and set up an ambush party on the top of one of the temple pyramids to - hopefully! - pick off anybody that they could see. They also brought out the 'heavy artillery' to begin a counter-attack, with the notion that the hidden Hra could be used to ambush the human interlopers once they started to attack the Headless Ones. The Qol set up a very nice layered multi-phase ambush in the side rooms and corridors, if I do say so myself; I played the Qol, and it was a very nice change of pace to be able to actually play in a game for once!

"Those pesky player-characters!" as Phil used to say, didn't rise to the bait; instead, after some skirmishing, they bagged up all the loot they could and headed back up to the surface. Some sniping later, they made off with their loot - vowing to be back, and to bring their friends...

We recorded this game on video, as best we could; the little Sony "Bloggie" camera records in half-hour segments, and we had to remember to check the camera every now and then to make sure we were still 'on'. The video segments are now up on my You Tube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5j719bJaTY2MnreQ0oKH9A

The remote-control camera  provided a view of the Underworld for the players; the intention was to provide anyone not pushing lead around the table with a view of what was happening. It all worked, I am delighted to report; the 'modesty curtains' on the sides of the upper level did a good job of hiding the lower board during the initial moves on the surface, and the bits of cloth I placed over the individual rooms and chambers kept the contents of those hidden from the players until they kicked the doors open.

Everyone had a good time, and I hope that this short report amuses everyone...

- chirine

[comet5]

I love it, a simple and effective way to represent underground tunnels.  Why didn't I think of this. 

May I ask what the figures standing on the clear discs are doing?  Floating or on the next level?

This is very inspiring, can't wait to get home and start working own catacombs out.