Session Report: Return to Descent - Journeys in the Dark

Well, it has been a while since I played, but here we are in a new year and I think seeing posts of people playing their Descent: Legends of the Dark has made me want to break out my game and get back to playing a little. 

Of course, it has been such a long break for me from the game that it took me a while to set everything back up and re-figure out each of my heroes and the RAMV system again. Plus, I apparently need to keep better track of what I was doing (I'm pretty sure I decided to only use the base game (no exp stuff at all), no lieutenant expansions and so forth - i.e. basic and straight-forward).

So now we return to the next chapter in my Heirs of Blood campaign with the Lord of Flame, the second chapter of my Phase II set of quests. As a reminder, I track the raw play online using the D2E Tracker (this is really a great tool) - I am playing through the Heirs of Blood campaign for Descent 2nd edition using the RAMV system for solo play. In many ways, this system is like the Road to Legend computer system, but setup to play through the printed campaigns. Because there is no overlord, each round there is some variable effect in play. I am playing three heroes: Widow Tarha (mage), Tomble Burrow (scout), Syndrael (warrior) (yeah, trying to get by without a healer).

Also, there are some spoilers, so if you don't want to know about this campaign, don't read on.

Lord of Flame - Encounter 1

Opponents: Lord Merick Farrow, Flesh Moulders, Ettins

Travel Steps: while traveling, I found a health potion, got caught in a landslide (Syndrael lost fatigue points), and then some minions ambushed me and everyone lost a life and fatigue)

You are patrolling the main road with a few soldiers when a young elf steps out from behind a tree directly  beside you. You barely perceive her motion, and only one of the soldiers notices, reaching for his blade. "Peace," she whispers, "I come with information. I am a spy within the enemy camp." You motion for the

soldier to return his sword to its sheath and she continues. "For three weeks I have lived in the tree above Merick's tents, gathering information. This morning, I overheard Eliza speaking with him, requesting that he travel to the Ix'Halanrha caves at the southern end of the valley, and secure the power of the ancient elementals that reside there. I escaped before he left, but you don't have much time. You cannot allow him to master those beings." You leave the soldiers to their patrol and the young elf leads you along a secret path toward the mountain. It is long into the night before you enter the hidden valley that rests beneath the caves. A near-invisible path winds its way to the far side, flanked on either side by a few decrepit shacks. To your surprise, many of the windows are aglow with candle light. You approach quietly, but then see Merick waiting for you. "I'm not sure how you found me- " you realize that your guide has disappeared "-but it won't happen again. You are a pesky bunch. Anyway-" the doors to many of the shacks burst open, spilling forth a wave of sickly flesh moulders. They charge toward you, calling spheres of dark energy into their hands.

This encounter was easily the worst I've played - and I don't just mean in the result, I mean that it was not interesting nor fun. The setup here is basically - Merick will try to run off the map. Based on the layout, if you don't immobilize or stun him immediately, he will freely get away by the 4th round. Oh, and he gets a head start - the heroes do not get a first turn. Secondarily, the flesh moulders will run around creating water and fire pits - the more they make, the worse it will be for the heroes in the second encounter.

Round 1 - Event: Instant - remove a search token.

As I noted, the heroes do not get a first turn of actions. Merick runs for it. The flesh moulders head to their spots to start creating havoc. The Ettin moves and blocks the passage for the heroes. Next round, Merick will go past the ettin and then it will be over, end of story.

Round 2 - Event: Global - after attacking, monsters attack again.

Widow moves and then attacks. She needs 6 range and misses. I forgot just then to use fatigue to close the range, but my rolls were such (even with re-rolls) that I couldn't have hit at 4 range. Merick runs past the ettin. Syndrael double moves and is in place to keep the ettin from moving more. The flesh moulders start making water spouts. Tomble finally gets involved with a move and search, finding a health potion. The ettin hits Syndrael twice for a total of 9 damage. Arf.

Round 3 - Event: Global - if a hero heals and is near a monster, the monster heals too

Syndrael manages a couple of damage and a stun on the ettin. Merick is almost out after another run. Tomble moves and attacks, but can't get through the ettin's defense. The flesh moulders are making more water and now a fire spot. Widow moves and attacks the ettin for 1 damage, a push back of the ettin, and immobilizes him. Despite this, the ettin can still attack and knocks out Syndrael.

Round 4 - Event: Heroes each lose 1 fatigue

Tomble moves and is then able to remove a water spot. Merick escapes and ends the first encounter so all that was left to do was count the water and fire spots (the number influences something in the second half).

Waves of flame issue from Merick's body. He stares into your eyes and calls out a command in an unknown tongue. You try to strike a killing blow, but are unable to draw close enough. Merick ignores you, descending into the ancient temple. 

Notes:

• There was just no good way to play this. I'd have needed to be super lucky with Widow to have hit Merick and immobilized him (which still probably wouldn't have been enough to follow up with a stopper after). 
• Due to my own poor memory, it took me about 6x longer to setup and recall what I was doing than to play these three rounds (the fourth really didn't count).
• I always setup poorly and the first hero I want to use is in the back. At least once I'd like to not do that.

Lord of Flame - Encounter 2

Opponents: Lord Merick Farrow, Elementals, Ettins

You enter the ancient structure carved into the rock. Glyphs etched by a forgotten culture decorate the walls. They ripple beneath the light of your torch, changing color and sometimes shape. A sudden blast of searing air rushes past you, and the passage fills with light. At the end of the tunnel, a mass of fire, water, earth, and air swirls into a living form. It speaks words you cannot understand, but that sound similar to those that Merick had spoken. A moment later, the mage approaches the creature from a side passage. You move forward silently, not interrupting their conversation. Their voices grow in intensity and volume: they are arguing. Suddenly, the elemental lurches forward with a roar, consuming Merick within its body. The savage forces of nature churn and crash about the mage, yet you see him standing safely within. Merick flexes his hand up and out, and all at once, the creature explodes in every direction. More appear around him, but these are silent and obedient to his will. He turns and points at you. "Kill them," he says.

As soon as this was setup, I was pretty sure I'd lost. The map has two routes to the room at the end. The heroes have to RACE into that room and beat on a monolith in FIVE turns or less. With three heroes, I needed to deliver 15 damage to the monolith to win. Making things worse for me, the open group I drew was Ettins. That put a big old master Ettin in the room guarding the monolith. Between the heroes and their target was the Elemental OR a longer path with lava to cross. The AI was going to target whomever was close to the monolith, so I was going to have to play it a little and hope I could get one hero in early and get a little lucky.

Round 1 - Event: Dark Influence (global, ongoing) - small monsters (for me, just Merick) get +1 shield

Syndrael used her heroic feat right out of the gate to move her and Tomble forward. Since she was right on top of the Elemental, she attacked and did 6 damage. Merick moved and moved again to engage. Tomble moved, then used his heroic feat to disappear (it lets you re-appear next round 4 spaces away, so I'd have options). The Elemental retaliated against Syndrael for two damage (down to 3 life left) and then withdrew. Widow double moved to get as far as she could forward. The Ettin AI moved the ettin forward and he opened the door to head towards the heroes.

Round 2 - Event: Global - monsters add: spend a surge to give a random condition.

Syndrael double moved forward to draw the Ettin. Merick attacked the Widow, but failed (X) and then moved to engage. Tomble appears on the other side of the lava and runs for the other door, which he opens. Elemental spends a fire token to get a free "fire" attack on Syn for one damage (down to 2). It does another attack which was blocked by defense and then withdraws. Widow runs for the monolith room, as the Ettin is going to simply head for Tomble. The Ettin moves and attacks Tomble for two damage (down to 6).

Round 3 - Event: Heroes may remove a global effect (the last one)

Syndrael uses her move and then her ability "Oath of Honor" which lets her jump to be next to Tomble and attack the Ettin, but she caused no damage. Merick moved and then engaged Widow. Tomble double attacked the monolith and missed the first time (come on man!) and caused 1 pt of damage the next. The Elemental attacked Widow, but she escaped with a single damage scratch (down to 9). Widow attacked the Ettin twice, but missed due to range and then "X" missed. The Ettin missed his attack on Tomble, but managed to grab him and toss him away.

Round 4 - Event: Instant, discard all monster effects (none had any)

Syndrael moved in to attack the monolith and missed. Merick followed that with a move and then missed his attack on Widow. Tomble ran back in and attacked for 2 more damage to the monolith. The Elemental again attacked Widow, and scored a hit for 3 damage (down to 6). Widow attacked the Ettin twice but missed both from range. The Ettin attacked and missed Syndrael, but tossed her for 1 damage (leaving her at 1). 

Round 5 (last chance) - Event: Global - anyone with a condition that gets wounded, suffers an additional wound

At this point it is all or nothing. I do the math and doubt I can pull this off. Syndrael moves and attacks but only gets 1 damage in on the monolith. Merick attacks Widow again, but scores only a single damage. Tomble double attacks the monolith and manages a total of 2 more damage. The Elemental attacks Widow for 3 damage (dropping her to 2). Widow uses blast on Ettin and scores 2 damage on each of the Ettin and the monolith - the two heroes avoid damage. On the second blast, she again hits but this time knocks out Syndrael. It doesn't matter, that was my last chance

Merick suddenly appears at the center of the room, suspended in the air and shielded within an orb of fire. His face contorts into an expression of ecstasy or pain. "They are mine to control," he shrieks. His head rolls about on his shoulders erratically and his eyes grow dark like a mounting storm. He chatters more words you cannot understand, and the room begins to break apart, spinning chaotically around you. you flee for the exit at the sound of Merick's insane cackling.

Notes:

• I looked and saw very little chance for a win here. Knowing that the Ettin was going to be a road block and impossible to put down I could only get to the monolith as fast as I could. My play in the first couple of rounds worked pretty decently and I'm pretty sure I couldn't have gotten into position any faster than I did.
• There are dice in the game, so sometimes things just don't play out well. That being said, I rolled pretty badly when attacking. I ended up getting in 10 damage (of 15 that I needed). I needed just a couple of the attacks to land, but couldn't generate much offense. 
• This group doesn't really handle big tough monsters well. I can't generate those big damage turns and Widow (my range attacker) has nothing to add range when the dice suck. The last two quests could be rough.
• This encounter was dumb in that Merick is front and center in the thing, but defeating him wouldn't have mattered - only damaging the monolith mattered and my tank isn't brutish enough.

One more quest and then the finale - almost done with the Heirs of Blood campaign. I hope the next quest is not so tight.

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