Introduction

I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017-18, the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign I ran in 2018-19, the ‘Out of the Abyss’, a campaign I ran in 2020, the ‘Phandelver’s Pact’ campaign I ran from 2020-21, and the ‘Shadows over Saltmarsh’ campaign from 2021-22. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that), which is why I could use them for this column.

Here are the session summaries from my first Pathfinder 2e campaign which I started running in 2023 after WoTC stunned the TTRPG community by deciding to be dicks about the OGL (remember that?). Like many who started playing PF2e, we commenced with the Beginner’s Box, progressed to Troubles in Otari and then to the Abomination Vaults campaign. The players, calling themselves the “Otari 2600s” (it’s amusing if you’re old enough to remember lol), are still currently playing the campaign every Sunday night!

I apologize in advance for the writing in these summaries – they’re a bit raw and not fancy at all (I don’t have time for fancy writing when typing them up late at night after each game lol).

Steve 🙂

Warning: These summaries contain spoilers for Paizo’s Abomination Vaults campaign

Session 38 – The Worm that Walks & a Dramatic Rescue…

The creature composed of worms and maggots sent a wormy tendril into Gunnar the fighter as he rushed forward to attack, depositing biting and gnawing worms in his chest. The rest of the party moved forward, Lob the goblin alchemist rushing into the room to hide under the table and throw bombs (the splash effect of the bombs was particularly effective against the worm-bodied creature). Corny fired off some spells, but was unable to hurt it. Ezren the wizard had exhausted his spell slots for the day and his cantrips were ineffective.

As the Otari 2600s struggled against the Worm that Walks, they learned its name was Volluk Azrinae, the drow they had seen in pictures and in the afterimages in Belcorra’s private chambers. What had changed the drow into this creature?

As the party fought, a stranger descended the stairs, entering the dining room north of the Worm’s chamber. Ezren confronted the half elf ranger, who identified himself as Vydar Wilder. He was keen to assist, loading his formidable bow and firing arrows at the Worm. Unfortunately, he also seemed to have the worst luck, as most if his shots proved ineffective.

After a long battle, the party wore the Worm down, and as it dissembled into a pile of worms that crawled away to the east wall, Lob and Ezren finished the individual squirmers off.

Now, formal introductions could take place. Vydar indicated he had been hired by the mother of a dwarf called Lasda Venkervale, who had gone missing from Otari over 12 months before. After following clues and searching across Starstone Isle, Vydar returned to Otari to tell Brelda Venkervale the search was fruitless. Upon arrival he heard a number of heroes had entered the Abomination Vaults – as it was the last place he hadn’t searched, he thought it best to try his luck there. The others recognized the dwarf’s name – they and Brelda had shared many meals and drinks at her Rowdy Rockfish inn. Lob offered Vydar a spot in the party, which the ranger gratefully accepted, and the goblin commenced issuing him some of the party’s spare magic items to bolster his attacks. Corny offered a welcoming toke and as the party smoked a goodwill joint, Lob found a secret door in the east wall, hearing a scream from beyond.

Passing through the secret door, the party discovered a round room with a necrotic blue light beam (the same as the one powering the Gauntlight in the levels above) passing through a ragged dwarf manacled to a table. The dwarf was being fed on by a will-o-whisp, which attacked Gunnar as he rushed in to help the captive. Once the creature was destroyed, the dwarf was released and the beam extinguished.

The dwarf was the missing Lasda. As his wounds were tended to by Corny, Lasda explained he had been a prisoner of both Azrinae and the voidglutton which had tortured Gunnar previously. They had worked together to create the power source for the Gauntlight. The party swore to return Lasda to his mother in Otari, before returning to delve deeper into the Abomination Vaults…

Session 39 – Return to Otari & Back to the Vaults

The Otari 2600s returned to town, escorting Lasda back to Brelda Venkervale at the Rowdy Rockfish. After a teary reunion, Brelda provided Vydar the half elf Ranger with the 100 GP reward for the return of her son, which he split between all the party members.

Lob the goblin alchemist took some books to Morlibint to sell, while the others sold treasures at the market and bought another Bag of Holding (which Ezren the wizard took responsibility for).

The group returned to their fishing camp base, where Lob unsuccessfully tried to transfer a rune from one set of armor to Corny the cleric’s chain shirt (Ezren managed to complete the process). Ezren built a self-casting fishing rod for Olli the Scallywing, who appreciated the gesture. Gunnar the fighter repaired some damage done to the buildings by vandals while the party was away.

After two days in camp, the party returned to the Abomination Vaults. Picking up where they left off, they headed down the stairs to the level below. A Gibbering Mouther and two Grothluts guarded several doors and a gaping pit into which a spiral staircase descended. 

Vydar had previously outlined his life story – he had been a hunter like his father, growing up in the forest and learning to hunt with his bow. Unfortunately, his bow skills fell a little short, but luckily his aim improved as the battle continued. Ezren the Wizard used produce flame to blast a big hole in the Gibbering Mouther and Lob managed to finish it with an alchemical bomb. Corny the cleric blasted the Grothluts and Gunnar hacked and slashed his way to victory. The Grothluts exploded as they died, bathing the party in acid and vomit. Surprisingly, Lob was badly sickened, despite his iron gut.

As Corny treated the party’s wounds, Gunnar decided to open one of the doors. As he did a savage scream emanated from the room beyond…     

Session 40 – Fighting Fings & Fungal Rot

Gunnar the fighter quickly pulled the door shut.

Ezren the wizard identified the scream as sounding suspiciously like the Velstrac they had fought upstairs (that they had ended up fleeing). The party decided to check the other doors.

Opening the east door into a long corridor, Lob, the goblin alchemist, lead the others to another door, which Gunnar opened. After a failed attempt by the big fighter to open a further locked door, Lob used his skeleton key to partly open the lock, but broke the key on the second try. Gunnar used his warhammer to break the handle and force the door open.

Inside, an empty storeroom with many components that Corny the cleric recognized as being used for fleshwarping, a horrible practice of mutating creatures using alchemy and magic. Lob found some alchemical agents and some wands.

Entering the corridor again, Gunnar opened another door further along. It revealed a room with several deep pits and 2 Gibtas Bounders. The party fought and defeated the creatures, with Vydar the ranger proving his worth by finishing off both creatures with arrows. Lob checked out the pits – both dropped 55 ft. to a water filled room below. Gunnar tossed in a body and multiple snake-like heads rose from the water to tear the corpse apart. The party elected to go elsewhere, returning to the corridor.

Corny had previously heard conversation coming from the eastern door at the end of the corridor. The party sneaked up and Lob opened the door very quietly. The room was empty, with two weapons racks, one holding a crystal headed hand axe. Gunnar rushed over to grab it, only realizing his mistake when his hand stuck to the haft of the weapon. The weapons rack morphed into a Mimic, striking the fighter and gluing him further to the creature. Corny was also attacked by another mimic pretending to be the north door. Vydar once again proved his mettle, emptying arrow after arrow into the creatures to end their gruesome lives (he became quite paranoid about doors afterwards, however). The storeroom to the north contained lots of broken bottles and a few useful items, including some bottled air. Ezren opened the south door and found a room full of floating spoors. Breathing in a lungful, he started to cough. Corny identified the spores as a source of fungal rot – something for Ezren to look forward to over the next few days…