From an old retired Bard to the Lady Brittany:
I've told this story before, but It has been a while. I have officially retired because of health and retirement, etc., but this run will forever live in the tales I tell around the campfires.
We fondly remember it as The Trio Gambit. Gary (Gearon), Raven (Nightshade), and I (Widseth) decided we wanted to try a nightmare run against Smoak with only the three of us in the party. We actually planned for quite some time to maximize our experience. This was the first year Gary had his arcane cloak, so he could cast Bless in each battle and fly. It was the first year I had my shiny new +2 Dancing Sword.
Gary had a conflict because he was scheduled in the training room for the beginning of our run. We arranged for him to join us in about the third room. Room 1 Raven and I had to just take the push damage because you needed at least 3 and preferably 4 to manipulate the challenge. Room 2 we got to by going through the pressurized tunnel and I walked right into a gelatinous cube. Fortunately my Dancing sword was not in my hand and could fight for me. If any of you have run with Raven, you know she is an excellent slider. For the first time in battle, my wondrous sword was slid by Master Nightshade. She hit ME. (I know she did it on purpose). My wonderful sword drew my own blood first. Well she took down the cube and we healed up and moved on. Gary met us in the next room.
I have to confess--I'm not that good at puzzles. I sing and I fight. Raven and Gary had both run the dungeon before so when we came to a puzzle, they left me alone to solve it until they had to step in so we wouldn't get killed. I survived but in one room I had it about half solved, but I had a mind block--you know how that is. I knew what had to be done, but couldn't solve the path for the key to travel to unlock the room door. I kept looking at the diagram and all I could see were little campfires in odd configurations. Finally Gary said, Bow--bow. I though I guess they do kind of look like bows of some sort (bow in the hair or wrapping a package). I think he got a little exasperated and finally said BOW and ........ I must have looked really addle brained because he finally said Bow and --- you shoot it with a bow. When I saw the "campfires" were actually arrows, I solved the puzzle.
Then came Smoak. I love when a plan comes together to quote someone more famous than me. As we entered the room we met an old familiar friend--Rodney the imp. He was Smoak's side kick and just enough of a distraction that we knew he would cause a lot of trouble. Smoak was asleep, and we knew Rodney would wake him, but we knew something about Rodney. He is greedy so we each offered him a purple token if he would steal the ioun stone that protected Smoak from magic and magical weapon damage. We didn't have to destroy the ioun stone first because Rodney got rid of it for us. We threw everything we had at Smoak but even with Raven's sliding and my singing and Gary keeping us healed, we had to use a Savior stone or two to survive. The Trio Gambit worked and we took Smoak down on Nightmare thanks to fantastic DMing in the final room with Smoak (and throughout the entire dungeon).
I was able to sing:
Smoak the tragic dragon
Lived in a cave.
He gnawed the bones of honest folk
And put them in their grave.
Little Jeffy Martin
Loved that dragon Smoak
He gave him fangs, and ugly claws,
And other nasty stuff.
Together they would travel
On a boat with billowed sail.
Jeffy kept a lookout perched
On Smoak’s gigantic tail.
Noble kings and princes
Fled the other way.
Only creatures from the deep
Would stick around and play.
Smoak the tragic dragon
Lived in a cave.
He gnawed the bones of honest folk
And put them in their grave.
One day a valiant party
With weapons sharp and bright,
Entered into Smoak’s dark cave
To set the story right.
Jeff may live forever,
But not his dragon dear.
The Trio entered in the cave,
And ended all the fear.
Smoak the tragic dragon
Lived in a cave.
He gnawed the bones of honest folk
And put them in their grave.
Jeff’s head now bent in sorrow,
Big tears fell like rain,
And Smoak no longer gnawed on bones
Or gave the people pain.
Without his vicious dragon
Jeffy lost his hoard.
The Trio split up all the loot,
And the town its approval roared.
Ohhhh
Smoak the tragic dragon
Lived in a cave.
Until the Trio entered in
And sent him to his grave.
Best wishes to you Lady Brittany. May your future be filled with adventure and fun.
Widseth
Author of The Brazen Serpent Chronicles--Talon of Light
and The Brazen Serpent Chronicles--The Caduceus
and The Brazen Serpent Cronicles--Dragon Kiln
and The Brazen Serpent Chronicles--Cenote Gate (in process)
www.brazenserpentchronicles.com