Sample Dungeon Expedition

THE SITUATION:  This party includes four 2nd level characters and a 1st 
level dwarf:  Morgan Ironwolf, a female fighter (the caller); Silverleaf, 
and elf; Fredrik, a dwarf; Sister Rebecca, a cleric; and Black Dougal, a 
thief.  After equipping themselves, these characters have journeyed to the 
Haunted Keep and discovered the trap door in room 4, leading to the second 
level.  As caller Morgan relays the party's actions to the DM after the 
characters decide what they want to do.

DM:  "Having killed the hobgoblins, you open the trap door and find a set of 
stairs going down to the south."

Morgan:  "We're going down the stairs."

DM:  "After 30' you reach a round landing with two sets of stairs.  One goes 
down to teh east and the other goes down to the west."

Morgan:  Fredrik looks down the east staircase and Silverleaf looks down the 
west one.  What do they see?"

DM:  "The party's torches mess up their infravision, so they can only see 
twenty to thirty feet.  The west stairs go down ten feet and turn sharply 
south.  The east stairs go down least thirty feet.  Also, Fred smells a 
rank, musty odor coming up from below."

Fredrik:  "Hey, everybody!  There's something down there.  I don't like it!"

Morgan:  "Anyone want to go down the east stairs? . . . OK, we're going down 
the *west* stairs."

DM:  "You go ten feet down the west stairs.  It turns south to 20', 30' 
down; the stairs end and you step into a 20' wide corridor that goes east 
and west.  You see a door 10' up the west corridor on the north wall."

Rebecca (mapping):  "That was the north wall?"

DM:  "Yes, the door is in the north wall."

Morgan:  "We're going to the door.  Silverleaf, Black Dougal, and I will 
listen."

DM:  "As you step into the corridor, a breeze from the west makes your 
torches flicker."

Rebecca:  "Is it strong enough to put them out?"

DM:  "No," (chuckling) "not yet."

Morgan:  "Then we'll listen at the door."

DM (Rolling three dice for listening):  "You don't hear anything."

Morgan (After a discussion with the others):  "We'll leave the door and go 
down the passage to the west."

DM:  "After 30' there is a side passage to the south, 10' wide.  The main 
corridor continues west.  You notice the breeze is stronger and your 
torches are beginning to flicker even more."

Fredrik:  "I don't like this."

Dougal:  "*You've* got infravision."

Morgan:  "We'll take the side passage."

DM:  "OK.  After 50' you find doors to the east and west.  The passage 
continues south."

Morgan:  "Silverleaf, Fred, and Black Dougal will listen at the west door."

DM (rolling):  "Black Dougal hears muttering voices."

Dougal:  "Do I understand them?  I speak Common, Orc, Goblin, and Elvish."

DM (after deciding on a chance for Dougal to recognize goblin language 
through the heavy door, and then rolling):  "No, the voices aren't loud 
enough."

Morgan:  "We're getting ready for combat.  Fred and I will force the door."

Dougal:  "I'll guard the rear!"

DM:  "OK.  The party is set, with Black Dougal guarding the rear."  (Rolling 
to see if the door is forced)  "It opens.  You see half a dozen goblins."

Fredrik:  "Let me at them!"

DM:  "You can't be surprised, but they can be..."  (rolling for 
surprise) ..."no.  Roll for initiative, please."

Morgan:  "Fred rolled a 2."

DM (rolling):  "The goblins have the initiative."  (Rolling reaction for the 
goblins)  "They must have heard you, Fred.  They charge, yelling, "Kill the 
dwarf!  Chop them to hamburger!"  (Combat is now resolved, morale checks 
taken, etc.  The goblins fight until all are dead.  It is now time to check 
for wandering monsters, but the DM's roll indicates that none appear.)

Morgan:  "OK, what does the room look like?  We are checking the floor and 
ceiling, too."

DM:  "The room is six-sided, 30' on a side and 20' high.  The door you came 
in is the only one you see.  There is nothing unusual about the floor or 
ceiling.  Besides the bodies of the goblins, there is a wooden box along 
the northeast wall and a pile of old rags in the north corner."

Morgan:  "Silverleaf is checking for secret doors, Fred is looking for 
traps, Black Dougal is examining the box, and Sister Rebecca is guarding 
the door.  I'm prodding the rags with my sword -- any movement?"

DM (after rolling for the appropriate chances):  "Silverleaf notices that 
one of the stone blocks in the southwest wall is slightly discolored.  Fred 
does not see any traps.  The box is the size of a small trunk; it is 
latched, but not locked.  Morgan:  nothing moves in the pile of rags."

Fredrik:  "I want to have a look at that block, Silverleaf."

Morgan:  "Fred examines the block."

Fredrik:  "For traps."

Morgan:  "Sorry, Fred; for traps."

Dougal:  "I'm looking for traps on the box, too."

DM (rolling for Fred, even though the block is not trapped; the DM also 
rolls for Dougal's "find traps" ability.  The roll indicates that Dougal 
has failed to find the poisoned needle in the latch.)  "Neither of you 
finds a trap."

Fredrik:  "I'm pushing, pulling, and trying to twist the block."

DM:  "When you push it, a secret door opens in the west section of the 
southwest wall.  You see a 5' wide corridor that goes south for 30' and 
ends at a door."

Morgan:  "Fred and Silverleaf will guard the secret door, and Black Dougal 
will open the box.  I'll search through the rags.  Anything that looks like 
a cloak or boots?"

DM:  "Black Dougal, you find out that you missed a tiny discolored needle in 
the latch.  Roll a saving throw vs. Poison, please!"

Dougal (rolling):  "Missed it!"

DM:  "Black Dougal gasps 'Poison!' and falls to the floor.  He looks dead."

Fredrik:  "I'm grabbing his pack to carry treasure in."

Rebecca:  "I'm giving Black Dougal the last rites of my church."

DM:  "OK.  Meanwhile, Fred, you find the box is full of silver, perhaps two 
thousand pieces.  Morgan, you *do* find an old pair of boots, but nothing 
like a cloak."

Morgan:  "Fred will dump the silver and look for hidden compartments in the 
box.  I'll try on the boots and see if I move silently -- we could use a 
pair of _elven boots_!"

DM (rolling another wandering monster check:)  "Fred finds a false bottom in 
the box.  It contains another smaller box of carved ivory that holds two 
gold bracelets set with jade."

Fredrik:  "How valuable do they look?"

DM:  "You think the jewel case is worth 100 gp and each bracelet is worth 
about 600 gp.  Morgan seems to be moving very quietly."

Morgan:  "GREAT!  I'll put the case and jewels in my pack and then watch the 
door as the others take turns filling their packs with silver."

Fredrik:  "I'll dump out Dougal's pack and fill it with coins."

DM:  "OK; hte loading wil take four turns."  (The DM makes the wandering 
monster checks.  As the party finishes loading, a large party of bandits 
approaches.  Since Morgan is watching the door, the DM gives a very high 
chance that the bandits will be heard.)  "As you finish loading, Morgan 
hears the tramp of many booted feet coming from the north.  It's getting 
louder..."

Morgan:  "We'll beat a hasty retreat through the secret door.  Fred will go 
first, then me.  Silverleaf is next, and Sister Rebecca will bring up the 
rear.  She'll spike the door behind us."

Fredrik:  "Before we go I grab Dougal's body.  We can't leave him behind."

DM:  "OK.  As you reach the end of the secret passage, you hear a cry of 
discovery and a babble of voices from the room behind you.  Black Dougal's 
tools and rations have been discovered."

Morgan:  "What?!  Didn't anyone bring his things along?"

All:  "No!"

Morgan:  "Nuts!  We're going to have to be more careful from here on, gang.  
Anyhow, Fred will listen at the door.  I have my bow ready."

DM (rolling):  "It opens.  You see a square room, 30' on a side and 20' 
high.  Your door is in the west section of the north wall.  You don't see 
any other exits.  The room appears to be empty."

Rebecca:  "What about behind us?"

DM:  "The voices have died down and you don't hear anything."

Morgan:  "We'll search the room *very* carefully, taking at least two turns.  
Silverleaf and Sister Rebecca are looking for secret doors and Fred is 
looking for shifting walls.  I'm guarding the rear."

DM (rolling for wandering monsters):  "OK.  You search for two turns.  You 
don't find anything, but something finds you.  A secret door that 
Silverleaf and Sister Rebecca didn't find in the south wall opens, and two 
hobgoblins stroll in..."

(At this point, the time scale shifts from turns to rounds.  This encounter 
is the example at the end of COMBAT, page B28).