D&D Encounters: Undermountain (Session 1)

D&D Encounters: Undermountain

This is a bit late, and I really want to talk about the events of Session 2, but I thought I should put them up in chronological order.

We had a great DM who ran a great, fast-paced game.  He was used to running games with strangers and has run games at different conventions for years.  I got there a little late and had no character made up, so I sat down just in time to grab one of the pre-generated characters (Alvenor, the human paladin) and fill in the 6th and final slot at one of the three tables running the adventure.

The group was composed of 4 strikers, 1 leader, and myself being the only defender, so we were pretty heavy hitters.  With a paladin and a bard, healing ought to be okay, but I worried a little.  We’ll see.

Role call for this first adventure:

• Bewho, the deva barbarian
• Izy’ure, the elf seeker
• Vera, the halfling rogue
• Bellum, the human bard
• Strakashtai, the kalashtar sorcerer
  and my character,
• Alvenor, the human paladin

Yes, the bard is a leader. No, I’m not sure why.

For an introduction, it was a pretty straight forward adventure: The heroes know each other, start off in a tavern in Waterdeep (that somehow has a portal to a dungeon in the tavern itself? Convenient.) when trouble breaks out.

We overhear a half-elf woman named Fayne at the next table talking with a shady-looking pair (composed of a tiefling and a dwarf) about the possibility of earning some gold for a mysterious patron.  Our group is interested, but the folks she’s talking with make it clear in no uncertain terms that we’re to mind our own business.

It then comes as absolutely no surprise to anyone when the shady-looking tiefling and dwarf that were talking with Fayne go “outside to discuss details” and try to rob her in an ambush.

In short order, we rescue her and Fayne hires us to explore Halaster the Mad Arch-Mage’s newly uncovered catacombs beneath the Yawning Portal in Undermountain.  Conveniently, there is a portal inside the (aptly named) Yawning Portal Inn.

Strangely, this does not sound daunting or intimidating to us in any way.

For 200 gold, desperate adventurers will do just about anything apparently.  Art imitates life in this rough economy.

Well, that was just about it for the first encounter.  We left off with an agreement to explore Undermountain and retrieve some magical artifacts (and help ourselves to the rest of the loot).

Did you play in the D&D Encounter? What was your experience?

Steve™