In session 2, I finally got to use Arnold K's Hungry Coffin monster, which I've been placing on my dungeon keys for years without any of my groups actually managing to fight one.
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| Konstantin Kostadinov |
Still accepting new players, for my short-session open table game:
- Sessions are Fridays, 1 - 2pm US Eastern time.
- Discord for voice/video & Owlbear Rodeo for maps.
- True open table, no expectations that players will be able to join for all (or even most) sessions
- If you're interested in joining, please reach out
Session 2: Cavern of the Carnivorous Coffin
Summary
The intrepid adventurers, steal necromantic texts from a library and nearly get eaten by an animate coffin.
PCs
Continuing their exploration of the Necromancer's Tomb, the party explored eastward and found a library occupied by flickering humanoid shadows that approached but stayed out of the bright light of their torch. Rather than fleeing, they trusted the light to protect them as they ransacked the books, finding two tomes of interest:
- The Necrochthonian Psalm: A plain-looking prayer book. Contains the spell Corpse Puppet
- Corpse Puppet: Cast on any humanoid corpse and it will rise to life and mimic the actions of the caster. The corpse can be remotely piloted (within the casters view) by pantomiming the desired action. Stats as zombie.
- Korvile Lab Notes - Volume LVII: A grim volume, bound in skin. Contains detailed handwritten notes of Dr. Bildad Korvile on his vivisections of several species of ab-dead.
- Reveals the stats of Zombies and Skeletons to the players.
- If intensively studied, grants a permanent +1 damage vs Zombies
After plundering the library, the party explored northward and found a freshly built door, opening on a newly dug chamber. The walls were propped up with struts and digging tools were scattered about.
Venturing inside, the floor shook and a wooden coffin begin to wriggle its way up through the loose soil. While the players dithered over what to do, the coffin unburied itself and disgorged three zombies.
Battle ensued! As Thomas held back the zombies in the front rank, Anatoliy cast animate object on a mattock and commanded it to hack at the zombies. The coffin rushed forward, snatching the wizard into it's spiked interior before beginning to burrow back into the ground.
Luckily, Anatoliy was able to call their animate digging-tool to excavate them nearly as quickly as the coffin could burrow and Thomas shouldered through the zombies to hammer at the coffin with his mace. It was a close call, but the coffin was smashed before Anatoliy succumbed.
Commentary
This was a fun session!
I toned down the Hungry Coffin from Arnold's original since it was on the first level of the dungeon (and the players luck continued as I managed to roll 10 HP on a 6HD monster). I let the coffin burrow at a rate of d10 hit points per round and if it ever got to 10, it was fully covered. The animated mattock (what a stroke of humorous good fortune!) was able to keep the coffin from getting fully out of sight which let Thomas break it apart over a few rounds.
The inclusion of the Coffin was inspired by Dyson's evocative map illustration:
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