An Epilogue

I started writing this not long after we finished up the final session but quickly lost interest. It's been a few months and now that I've had time to decompress it feels right to finish it up and tie it all off with the benefit of time massaging away the irrelevant moments. To get to it: 

So we had our final session. 

Dice were thrown, drinks were had, crazy burgers were made. It was an epic session; everyone was sweating and passed out by the end of it. Although, that may have been because our AirBNB's AC broke in the 90F heat. 

The multiverse was saved. In a way. And this is how it happened: 

They arrived at the Fortress of Conclusion, tentative and suspicious. The end was here and their quarry was no where to be seen. The great gates of the fortress stood open, a massive maw inviting disaster. An ill omen in the form of the tortured form of the wizard Desatysso was left to greet them. He craved death, they gave it to him. 

 And so they entered into the maw, I show the players this as they get their first look: 

  

Almost in unison my players all looked at me and said, "You bastard." The absolute highest praise for a dungeon master.

They'd already run through the tomb earlier as part of the adventure Return to the Tomb of Horrors so its been fresh in their memory. Burned even. They've also seen it a few other times, scattered one shots, etc. I'll make a post at some point about the apocryphal Tomb, it has some history in my games and I feel like I have a unique perspective on the thing from having run it so many times.

To make a much longer story somewhat shorter, the tomb was largely avoidable since they knew where all the traps were but they did notice a number of strange discrepancies. First was these strange black spikes hammered into the ceiling, usually above some particular object. The first was the shattered sentient bow of one of the characters that Acererak had yoinked during a previous combat. Other spikes pointed at the corpse of Acererak's servant Leon (a particularly loyal mortal servant slain by the party many sessions previously), the captured form of Acererak's Balor father, the ghost of his mother, his research thesis, and a particularly tasty cookie. Those sorts of things, you catch the drift. Reworked elements from the final dungeon in the Return to the Tomb of Horrors. 

Then they came into the columned hall and confronted the Arch-Lich himself. To their surprise, his phylactery was already dust on the floor; destroyed from their perspective by some outside force (the actions and sacrifice of my other group). He said he was tired and they are all going to die. They laughed at him. He brought forth his army. They quit laughing. 

What followed was nearly 12 hours of combat, blood shed on all sides. It was tense and to my credit, I kept it together for the most part.

If we were going to challenge a group of over a dozen 20th level characters, by god it would require something special. And so I dispensed with groups of pretty much every flavor of monster tribe; from a flight of each chromatic dragon to each of the demons and devils, to a host of mindflayers and other aberrations straight from the far realms. They did well enough, but understandably their resources started to dwindle. Spells were lost, consumables tossed, and rests were not possible. It didn't look good. Until they noticed the black spikes and yanked one out of the wall and the true situation revealed itself; the dungeon could be rearranged. 

The previous week I had found and downloaded a scale version of the tomb (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/86168/Tomb-of-Horrors-Map-Set) and had cut it out. It was spread throughout three rooms in the lower level of the AirBNB. By pulling the spikes, they could pick up any room and move it such that its entrances matched up with another, i.e. swap rooms around. What was once a stressful but not terribly exciting series of combats immediately became a tactical opportunity, everyone bent on manipulating the geometry of the tomb to their advantage. Every trap, pit, and illusion could be flipped on their opponents. They could set up ambushes, split up groups of monsters, and make distractions. Play their opponents against each other (it wasn't an accident Acererak separated the Demons and Devils; little reenactment of the blood war anyone?). I don't think I've seen my group ever as engaged and a few hours later the dust settled and they found themselves again before Acererak, triumph in their eyes. They didn't see the Time Stop, Delayed Blast Fireball, Cloudkill coming...

A few of them went down straight away, obliterated by that combo. Their few NPC allies didn't stand a chance. They were furious. And Acererak just dropped another with a Power Word Kill before raising their dead allies to serve him. Again, it looked like the end was here. Except their wizard had saved his Wish. We all turned to him...

"I wish for us all to be restored to ..."

"Counterspell"

"What"

"He uses counterspell, at ninth level."

 

You could feel a pin drop as everyone looked around at each other. Panic and disgust. Of course he would.

 

"I can use my reaction during my turn too right?"

"I believe so yes."

"So I can counterspell the counterspell?"

"Normally easily, but for Acererak you'll still need to roll."

"What do I need?"

"You'll need a total of 23, it's nearly impossible with your bonus of +5."

"But it is possible, so I'll roll." 

 

Tension again, watching the dice slowly stop. It showed a 15. Not enough. Fear. It might as well have been over. They searched for any other advantage, trying anything they could. It didn't stick and they looked crestfallen.

 

"Hey, didn't I cast guidance on him a turn or two ago?" 

"You... did didn't you. And you haven't cast another concentration spell or take damage so its still up."

"We are at 20, he just needs a 3 or a 4."

They rolled a 4. Cheers, dancing, and jubilation resounded as their comrades returned. The rest of the fight wasn't easy, Acererak gave it everything but the tide turned. A few other tricks, a second stage, and a brutal smack down later it was over: Acererak was seemingly dead. It was already 1 in the morning, everyone was slumped over in their chairs exhausted but satisfied. And then I made a critical mistake; Acererak made a wish as well for them to see things from his perspective. They debated whether to counterspell it or not but ultimately decided they were curious enough to see what that meant. So we started up a game of 12 candles. 

Unfortunately it didn't go as planned. You can imagine the intended affect, they experience a game where they know they are going to lose from the beginning, they feel that gut punch reminder of life, and we leave it off with a bittersweet note (seriously check out ten candles, its a great game: https://cavalrygames.com/ten-candles). It would be a great tool to have them think about the perspective of the somewhat fourth wall breaking character that Acererak had become. But I was far too tired and it was my first time running the game. It went very poorly and we wrapped it up frustrated and disappointed.

My players were troopers and stuck it out another hour to do an epilogue scene with their characters which was amazing, tears were shed and their stories concluded. But I felt robbed as we could have used the time from ten-candles to have a more full complete ending for everyone to finish whatever business they had but that itself is life; You can't always get what you want. A teaching moment perhaps, know your limits and respect them. 

Everyone had a good time, maybe even a great one. The game ended and although I felt it could have gone better, after a few months to decompress and process not only the inevitable feeling of loss associated with completing something like this, but also my disappointment in how it ended, I feel at peace with the outcome. I've since started up a Pathfinder 2e game which has been very well received but I find my thoughts occasionally drifting back towards that low lying hill with three entrances. In some ways voices still echo within, torches casting light on mysterious murals and profane traps of devious design. Its magnetic attraction has me pondering hidden meanings, as if plumbing the depths myself for their secrets. Even in my games now my players still reference it; "But what color is it...?", "How many entrances!?", "Don't touch that fucking thing, it could be like that green maw...". And in that way the Arch-Lich triumphed beyond his wildest dreams: that place has left an indelible mark upon them. 

It also helps that their first wish in their new multiverse was to bring him back with a new chance at life. I play him as their mercenary companies chronicler, writing their stories into legend through the company newspaper and very occasionally delving into lost tombs from a forgotten age, torch in hand, ten-foot pole in the other. Certainly not Gary's intention, but much like his tomb he has become something else.

 

The legend of the Tomb of Horrors finally lives. 

     

-- Bing Image Creator Generated Image

 

  

 

The Beginning Of The End Of A Five Year Campaign

    My first serious experience with TTRPGs was like so many others; my group of high school friends gathered around a table in the basement throwing dice at each other over plates of pizza. The fifth edition of the worlds most popular roll playing game had just released and our usual cast of video games didn't seem as appealing now that we all could drive and meetup. We certainly weren't going to go outside and its not like anyone had any dates to occupy their time. Someone proposed we try Dungeons and Dragons. I'd heard a few stories from my dad's days in the hobby and he'd even tried to teach my brothers and I once, but an eight year old only has so much attention span. My close friend bought the books and offered to DM a game and it started. 

    I rolled up a dwarven cleric. The kind with chainmail and a hammer, ready to smite the enemies of my people. He was the lost prince of the Dwarven kingdom (and absolutely not Thorin). I don't remember a lot of that game, we played for the summer until school returned in the fall and other fleeting interests took over. But I do remember his death; holding back the thirteen Balors who had come to destroy the kingdom. My DM had asked me to work with him on something to drive the narrative of the game and for the first time I had a chance to look behind the screen. My character's last act was to throw the crown of his people, a magical object that contained the souls of all the dwarven kings before him, to his adventuring companions and telling them to flee: 

    It was an act of desperation but also hope. Hope that they may one day return and save the people from oppression. My next character was a literal zombie who wore that crown, guided by the often disagreeing voices of dwarves within its head. 

    We never returned to save those dwarves. We tried a few times to setup other games and campaigns, but they never turned into anything significant. College came but luckily we still stayed in touch using at first Skype and then Discord to play League of Legends and other games, D&D forgotten for a time. But I hadn't forgotten what it felt like to dungeon master, even for a moment. After the usual college adjustment period, I proposed we try starting up a game virtually. I had planned for something simple, the characters were going to act as a group of monster hunters exploring a mysterious connection to the feywild that was spilling forth strange and powerful monsters. Five years later that game is still going in some form with many of the same characters. I've learned a lot in the hundreds of hours I have DMed (the notes I keep suggest we've played close to 300 ~3 hour sessions, often several a week) and I would be lying if I didn't say I feel incredibly burnt out. Many times I have wrapped up what seemed like a satisfying conclusion and taken a few weeks as a break, only to be drawn back by the magnetism that running and playing TTRPGs seems to have. At the start of this latest arc I gave myself an ultimatum: actually finish the game and this story by a set date: June 3rd 2023. The significance of the date was simple, it will be exactly five years to the day we started this online campaign.

 

    Running a continuous game for a significant length of time is both a blessing and a curse. In a way, you start to understand something about the world and the people in it that is challenging to explain; they become almost real. On the other hand the burden of expectation also grows. My players know this world just as much as I do which can be hard to live up to when you run out of things to surprise and delight them with. I don't believe it is the DMs sole responsibility to manage this aspect of the game, but it seems to be the case with my group. Looking back on it, I miss the simple enjoyment of exploration, figuring out what lies behind the next hill together, and the tangibility of possibility. I can still remember their first encounter, a modified albino cave fisher on a shallow lake, its carapace attached by a gossamer thread to a full moon. I couldn't possible tell you anything but the highlights from years 2-5, most experiences blending into a bland soup. This isn't to say I haven't enjoyed this game, its been the highlight of my week for years. But the weight has become a heavy burden. For this final year, I wanted things to be different. I wanted to restore some of that sense of wonder and really push myself to give one last hurrah for this game and maybe fifth edition entirely.

    This is where the OSR or Old School Renaissance comes in. I began to mine my notes for scraps and realized one villain was reoccurring and had never been dealt with: The Archlich Acererak. Everyone has heard the infamous stories of the Tomb of Horrors, I had even run the fifth edition version over winter break as a one shot during early college. I like Acererak, he is the right mix of powerful malevolence but also cartoon villainy: at least the way I play him. And I had used him occasionally as a mix of comedic relief or as a shadowy figure pulling the strings in a great many plots. He is dangerous, manipulative, and a total jackass, especially to adventurers. But I didn't know much about where he came from besides the Tomb of Horrors so I began to research. That's when I uncovered the OSR community and something totally unexpected happened; I fell in love with the game again. To save the space, some serious introspection suggested my general malaise was largely a function of a mismatch between the type of game I was running, and what I really wanted to experience: a role playing game about overcoming adversities using wit, courage, and a healthy dose of luck and not a character sheet simulator. I jived with the general vibes of the community and immediately began to implement some of their practices into my game. The focus went from how to provide a combat challenge to high level 5E characters, to serious character driven plot. It was exciting, the game felt more alive and I was starting to enjoy running the game again. Critically, I was inspired and enthusiastic again.

    For this last arc I wanted to take some adventures from previous editions that seemed intriguing and adapt them to my game; a practice I had been doing for a while now. My research unearthed an interesting path: start with the Planescape adventure Dead Gods, the Rod of Seven Parts, and finally Return to the Tomb of Horrors (2e). I had a plan, we would split the characters into two groups, a lower level group and a higher level group that would each progress in parallel through Dead Gods and the Rod of Seven Parts (respectively) before meeting for the Return to the Tomb of Horrors. It would be an epic game, spanning the entire multiverse with a final threat that was commiserate; Acererak's plan to absorb the negative energy plane and thus dominate the multiverse. Of course I added my own spin, Acererak had a secondary goal that was a bit more... meta. Acererak's experience with the player characters over many years suggested something, that maybe they are somehow different from the other beings that inhabit the world as they had a greater level of agency over their fates than is reasonably possible. In other words, Acererak became aware of the fourth wall. Domination of the multiverses undead is great, but what if he could become like the players themselves? That would grant him a power that not even the Gods have and (for at least my Acererak) resolve his greatest fear: a true death consigned to a dead world, never to be rememberd. I figured yet another sinister plot was in order: use the player characters and their altruism to drive them into a trap. They would bring him powerful artifacts (the Rod of Seven Parts, the Wand of Orcus, etc.) and their souls so that he can complete one final ritual to become "real" as he might say. Its convoluted, ridiculous, and insane which means its a perfect plot for my players to interact with.

    In one other diversion, I was also approached by my brother and his friends who all live nearby. They asked if I would be willing to run an in-person game. After little thought, I jumped at the opportunity. We have started at B/X game (which they and myself are having an absolute blast) which takes place within Acererak's demiplane with the goal of disrupting him in any way possible. They are after his phylactery and, their incredible luck withstanding, they may just find and destroy it before the final battle June 3rd. For now they have been preparing, every step of the way haunted by the knowledge they will need to descend into a low lying hill shaped like a skull with three dark entrances opening like maws to claim their lives. Part of that preparation has involved reclaiming something ancient, something nearly forgotten and only brought to light by an errant comment from the one dwarven player character: "Where are all the other Dwarves?" One trip through the Palace of the Vampire Queen later and he now wears the Crown of Swords, the last living head to have worn it casting it to his comrades in desperation. The Dwarves may get their salvation yet, but first, as they say, "They've got business with that bitch of a lich."

    We have set off on this final adventure together. My online players have just entered The City That Waits, the final stepping stone before our ultimate conclusion. I have no idea how it is all going to go on June 3rd. Everyone is meeting back up in our hometown to play in person; pizza and dice throwing an essential component. The battle is going to test every ounce of their characters and themselves and certainly the limits of what fifth edition can tolerate. They will need to rely on total strangers to enact a plan years in the making. And certainly not least they will need to contend with their very relationship with this hobby and their roles within the shared story telling and this universe. Will they vanquish Acererak, stop his plans, and save the multiverse we have built over five human years and many of their character's lifetimes? Or will the Great Devourer swallow the multiverse and become something else, a permanent vestige and an indelible mark in the game we've spent so much time playing. What will come next? I honestly don't know. And that's the exciting part.