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), have now finished the campaign after 85 Sunday night sessions!

I apologize in advance for the writing in these summaries – they’re a bit raw and not fancy at all (I didn’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 72 – Back to the Deeps

Gunnar the fighter spent the week in bed, recovering and contemplating his return to life. Vydar the ranger sat with him occasionally, and during this time the two shared their philosophies on death and rebirth. Ezren read more of the Whispering Reeds and slept fitfully.   

Lob the goblin alchemist and Corny the cleric researched information at the Dawnflower Library in Otari. Ingrigued by the mention of “blood eaters” by the strange, dissonant whispers from the walls of the Gug’s cave, they investigated Vampires, the blood-consuming undead of legend, and Urdefhans, a Darklands-dwelling species known for its violence and blood drinking. They could find nothing on Yldaris, but were aware the origins of the word were elvish, and that if it were a place within Belcorra’s dungeon it might possibly relate to deep-dwelling Drow elves.

Corny got assurances from the mayor he would summon other heroes from Absolom to help, and Vandy Banderdash advised the party she would be able to raise the next dead party member at no cost. 

After a week of downtime, the party set off for the Gauntlight Ruins, determined to find and destroy Belcorra, but mindful of the ghost’s power. They had several options for continuing exploration of the 8^th level of the vaults, including using the newly acquired Crimson Fulcrum Lens to open the secret door in the staircase.

When they reached the bottom of the elevator, the party instead elected to take their raft west across the mist-enshrouded underlake. As they rounded a corner in the cave, Lob spotted a wharf in the distance. A skiff was tied to it – evidence of inhabitants. As they approached the dock they could see it extended from a stone building with a steel door, built into the cliffside.

At that moment a ghostly hand reached out of the murky depths and grabbed Gunnar’s leg, draining life from him. Vydar fired an arrow and then leapt to the skiff and onto the dock. Corny and Gunnar paddled the raft further south to the wharf, and the cleric took shelter near the structure. Lob threw alchemist’s fire, but the Dread Wraith appeared unaffected. The goblin leapt to the wharf, ran to the door and opened it. Four Children of Belcorra, undead svirfneblin the party had encountered weeks ago, rushed him from the room beyond. Lob slammed the door and jammed his grappling hook into the handle. It shook, but the impromptu lock held.

Vydar was drained by the creature but managed to fire off two spellstrike arrows loaded up with searing light. The Dread Wraith was hurt, but this made it more determined to take the ranger out. As he dropped to the wharf, Lob fed him a healing elixir. The next moment, the wraith drained the goblin and he dropped unconscious to the deck.

Gunnar tried to strike the creature with his scimitar, and was disheartened by how little he could do. He touched his Hunter’s Brooch and attempted to disrupt the Dread Wraith with a spell, but the creature was too strong. Corny blasted the wraith with various spells, but it seemed to shrug off the effects all too easily, until the cleric sent out a wave of healing energy. Lob awoke and glanced at Vydar, who was considering whether he should play dead or shoot the creature. The ranger nocked a spellstrike arrow and fired it into the face of the Dread Wraith. A vortex of fire and positive energy consumed the creature and it was no more.

The door rattled and the grappling hook started to fall away. The drained goblin clambered up and attempted to reaffix it, successfully forcing a piton into the door handle…        

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