The Caves of Chaos! Session 1

Back in June at a work retreat I ran a couple of evening sessions of B/X D&D for my coworkers. At the end of July we picked back up again, and I’ve been running a near weekly session since. At the time I’m writing this, we’ve played through 11 sessions. All of my players are novices, never having played an RPG before,

My introduction to them was that this is an old school game where death is pretty common if you’re stupid or unlucky, that success is measured by gold far more than by bodies, and that there is a literal war being fought by civilization and the forces of law against the agents of chaos, and while this battle is largely fought by beings like angels and demons, the efforts of mortals can shift the balance. That I would be starting the game on one of the borders between law and chaos, a Keep on the Borderlands. How they choose to play, and where they go in the world is entirely up to them. There is no plot line for them to follow, there is no story that they’re expected to adhere to, that I would be presenting them with NPCs, places, quest choices and that the tales that would be told of their adventures would depend on what actions they take, and the success or failure of those actions.

The first night there were over a dozen players and observers. The second was about half. Since then it ranges from 2-5 players, which isn’t bad given that we’re playing from 4:30-6pm on Thursday afternoons. I’m thrilled to be able to share this with my coworkers, and now I’m going to share their tales with you!

Session 1 was played on 6/10/24

Dramatis Personae:
Glyn the Dwarf
Berm the Fighter
Thorin Oakenshield the Dwarf
Io the Thief
Wannabe Gizzard the Wizard
Lighter the Fighter
Fraud the Dwarf
Trina the Elf
Tiptoe the Thief
Poppy the Barbarian

The party arrives at the Keep on the Borderland, and their first challenge is to get into the keep. The guards keeping watch question the party, logging their names and professions. They warn the self described “thieves” that antisocial behavior will not be tolerated within the walls of the keep, and to keep their noses clean. Also, maybe announcing to the town guard that you’re a thief is maybe not the best intro.

After getting some directions, they make their way to the inn and secure accommodations for the night, and then head to the tavern for food, drink, and rumors. They talk with a guard captain, learn about the Caves of Chaos, that there’s a local dragon that has been causing problems lately that they think is lairing up in the hills in an old ruined watch tower, and that there are both lizardmen in the swamps and bandits all around (10gp/bandit killed, 15gp for any brought back alive).

After lunch they explore the keep more, and try to visit the jeweler, but he doesn’t want to talk to them till they have something to sell, or enough cash to buy something, and isn’t letting them into his store.

The next morning they head out to the canyon. In a copse of trees the party hears someone. Wannabe tosses a vial of burning oil into the trees, and with an amazing stroke of luck manages to hit someone hiding in the brush! His screams echo in the canyon as he burns to death. A second human runs screaming from his burning friend and the party deeper into the canyon. THe party puts out the burning body and the brush that was starting to catch, and check the body, recovering a crude copper medallion inscribed with a 7 pointed star.

Heading up to one of the cave entrances on the north side of the canyon, and looking in see a wall of heads looking back. Within they hear someone speaking, though no one knows the language. Getting ready to head into the cave and turn east to the voices, they’re charged by 4 guards. The party manages to kill 2/4 in the initial assault. More orcs arrive from the other direction surprising the dwarf who was supposed to be keeping watch. The dwarf took 2 hits and dropped. Wannabe sleeps the still standing orcs to the west, while Poppy is cut down before Tiptoe and Berm cut down the last of the standing orcs.

The party quickly checks the pockets of the fallen orcs, grabs their fallen, and runs for the keep.

Gains: orc pocket change, copper medallion
Losses Poppy, Fraud
Kills: 8 orcs, 1 cultist