My Best D&D Story

With my Cypher game waiting to get off the ground I decided to take a little time to tell stories about my best memories from D&D and other RPG’s. Today, I’m going to talk about my best memory from running Dungeons & Dragons.

I had applied to participate in and was accepted to a fantasy and gaming themed gallery exhibit in Chicago. The Co-Prosperity Sphere and Pentagon Gallery tasked me with creating a low level adventure that would last for the entirety of the exhibit; eight hours a day over three days. I created my own story, created some characters in case people coming wouldn’t have any, and organized the entire package into folders, baggies, and pouches so that everything would be ready to go with little set up.

The entire week end from start to finish was amazing. I had so much fun. It was great to be a part of the weekend and I can’t tell you how good it was to be there.

My adventure set the players against a cult that was attempting to summon Loth the Spider God. It started small with a couple of missing children and wet forward from there. I moved the players between several towns and had them enter crypts and tombs to face off against the dark forces arrayed against them.

The area we played in was built to look like a typical 70’s era basement. It had a folding table, a hideous couch, and orange shag carpet you could lose a small dog in. It was amazing. In place of a lamp we had a light up Santa Claus. In addition to this, our space was backed by a theatre area that was being used to show D&D inspired fantasy movies over the course of the event. It gave the event a certain air of life.

It was the middle of the second day and we were getting ready to break for lunch. They had just finished delving through the second tomb. They’d followed the cult down into the depths. The villains had taken some children with them. After the first ritual the group interrupted they knew these children were going to be used as part of the ritual. The tomb had a stone slab over the door with an inscription around the key stone that would seal the way locking everything inside. However, they needed to save the children and entered.

The tomb showed signs of combat. Several skeletons lay scattered around the halls and alcoves. Interspersed with them were the bodies of cultists. It was clear they had to fight their way in to reach the ritual site and the group would have an easier time of dealing with them.

The group reached the grand chamber at the end of the tomb. The cultists were gathered around a large ritual circle where the head acolyte chanted in a long forgotten language. In one corner half a dozen children were tied with ropes and clearly terrified. The acolyte turned to face the room and saw the players standing in the main door.

At this point I called for initiative.

At this exact moment, on the other side of the wall, Conan and his friends entered the tower of the Snake Cult in Conan the Barbarian and the soundtrack began the slow steady rhythm of stealth.

The players immediately jumped into action. The healer gathered the children and guided them into the hall and to safety. The tank placed himself in between the fleeing children and the cultists. The melee spell caster started launching area spells into the cultists. The archer began firing into the crowd trying to do as much damage as possible.

The cultists charged the group. The tank keeping them at bay. The caster kept hurling spells into the crowd. The acolyte cast a spell and tore into the flesh of the tank nearly crippling him. The healer paused to cast one of their few range heals to keep the tank standing. The archer took aim and critically hit the acolyte; killing him instantly.

The acolyte screamed in pain as a small portal the size of a softball opened and he was sucked through it. His body breaking and tearing as he was pulled in. The last thing the group saw was his head as it was crushed to fit into the portal. With the head through the opening the portal ripped open revealing an army of demons standing shoulder to shoulder on a narrow bridge trying to fight their way into the real world.

At this point Conan and his friends were discovered and the soundtrack soared.

The players quickly began retreating down the hall as demons began stepping through the portal. One of the children screamed in terror as the dead cultists littering the hallway behind them stood; a zombie. The group realized they were surrounded. The archer put away her bow, drew a sword, and lay into the zombies in order to protect the children. The priest turned what they could. The zombies were numerous and kept coming. The caster threw spells first one direction then the other.

The group began making head way. They found a rhythm and used it. Kill a target, move a couple of feet, and set for the next assault. They had hope in their eyes.

That’s when one of them noticed the demons in the portal. Through the crowd a large demon, huge and bulky, was advancing up the bridge. It was shoving the smaller demons out of its way and off the bridge. It reached the portal and stepped through. It roared so loud it shook the walls.

The group gave up an even push and shoved for the entrance way. Launching every spell and weapon at the zombies in their path they made their way up through the tomb and reached the stairs. They healer led the children to safety. The archer followed and took charge of the kids as the healer prepared the ritual to seal the tomb. The tank and caster worked to move the giant stone slab into place and started piling everything heavy on top of it.

Then the spider demon attacked.

A creature made of nightmares bound from the shadows. It was the acolyte stitched back together in an unholy way. Limbs protruded at odd angles. He crab-walked around the room, his head firmly fixed the wrong way around glared at the players. It screamed in pain and terror as it attacked the player. It tried to focus the healer as he worked the ritual. The rest of the team alternated between killing it and protecting the healer and the children.

Rounds went by and the healer made one check after another until the ritual was complete. The demon died shortly after that. Silence fell over the tomb.

The high priest of the snake god’s temple fired an arrow that slew the Valkyrie. The music in the movie ended.

This is my best memory of D&D. My players hadn’t all met before that first night. They came in pairs. Two of them hadn’t ever played D&D before. That weekend was filled with great moments. I had the joy of describing the villain for the third time and having one of my players announce, “I fucking hate this guy.” I ran an adventure I wrote in a museum surrounded by art, music, and other games and gamers.

That moment was a combination of the encounter working just the way I envisioned it. Moving with highs and lows as the players fought against them. It went from getting the drop on the cultists to being discovered. Killing the acolyte only to have him open the portal and free the demons. Finding a balance with the demons only to have the huge ones begin to spill into the room. Getting out of the tomb to be attacked by the spider demon. Every moment had a counter point. Every low cam with a boost. The explosion of the portal opening killed cultists. The large demon roaring destroyed demons. The balance of these things worked fantastically.

Add to this the players themselves were a huge part of this. As much as they swore when something bad happened they told jokes. They laughed at critical failures and cheered critical hits. Without having ever met they jelled in such a great way. They all told me what a great time they’d had and how much fun it had been. Everybody enjoyed themselves. They worked together in a way I rarely see seasoned players function as a team.

Finally, the music. I don’t know how I did it. I know I’d never succeed at it if I tried to do it on purpose. Somehow that fight lasted exactly as long as the sequence from that movie. From one end to the other it just flowed. From the music starting when I asked for initiative to the last note playing as the spider demon fell. I can’t imagine how it happened or worked.

I love D&D and other role-play games. I’ve have many experiences both good and bad over the many years I’ve played. Some of them are games I’ve run some I’ve played in. Some are D&D and then there are other things as well. I’ll share some of them here as I go forward.

Next week I’m not sure what I’ll share here. If we move forward with the spy campaign I might jump back into what I’m doing there. If we don’t maybe I’ll talk about my friend Scot’s Undermountain campaigns.

Let me know, what was your best RPG moment?