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The First Two Rooms

Theo and Sam have a posse. Character generation is fun. Abilities are rolled in order, 4d6-drop-lowest-die, which gives a random distribution of classes. In order to keep them from being discouraged by weak characters I let them roll several each, which got out of hand, and so they're entering the dungeon with 12 characters. One thief has 7 strength and 8 constitution and is named French Frie. The magic user is class-appropriate with 6 strength and 7 constitution and 15 intelligence. We decide he's obese and name him Smarty Lardlo. One fighter has 17 strength and 14 constitution and Sam chooses the name Sir Muscly Muscle.

I'm running a modified version of the old Dungeon Magazine crawl Keep of Koralgesh, relocated to Reignac and transformed into an Egyptian pyramid. The entry corridor ends in two secret doors, which, thanks to their gang of 5 thieves (French Frie, Badflea, Black Mary, Troublesome Niceguy and Rukus) are both easily found. The first one they open leads to a convenient room with a stack of magic weapons and armor to help the players gear up. Sam is immediately suspicious, he knows me too well. "Don't touch them! They may be cursed!" I don't think I even told him about cursed items, he's just that in tune with the game.

The second door leads to a wine room filled with casks and a strong smell of vinegar. Sam is once again suspicious, this time of the smell, and has everybody jump back out of the room, destroying any sense of surprise. French Frie peaks in the room, seeing nothing. Theo has internalized Sam's sense of caution and begins shooting arrows at each of the wine casks. That's a good idea, and I rule that disturbs the crab spider lurking in one of them, causing it to rush out and attack.

Sir Muscly Muscle runs back into the room, pushing French Frie down and starts hacking at the spider. That wasn't a ruling, Sam specifically said he pushed him down, and who am I to argue? Sir Muscly Muscle wins initiative, and hits with maximum damage, cutting the spider in half. I couldn't have scripted a more appropriate first encounter.

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