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), finished the campaign after 85 Sunday night sessions! (These are the final summaries.)

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

Cheers

Steve 🙂

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

Session 84  – Battles

The party fought the Isqulug as it launched larvae into the air to rain down on Gunnar the fighter and Ezren the wizard. The two managed to pluck squirming larvae out of their flesh before they could burrow in. Lob the goblin alchemist and Corny the cleric leapt off the wall’s rim into the water, Lob hanging near the partially dropped gate and Corny swimming back into the muddy water cavern. As the Otari 2600s closed in to confront the Isqulug they used the cold weakness they had identified – Lob blasted it with Moderate Frost Vials, Ezren used Ray of Frost.

The Isqulug caused the ground and water to erupt with grasping tendrils, which grabbed Ezren after he climbed onto the top of the gate. Eventually it flew above them, launching more larvae, which successfully burrowed into Ezren. Finally, the creature was brought down by Gunnar’s scimitar and Lob’s bomb attacks. Corny healed Ezren and removed the larvae with Cure Disease.

A search of the central tree proved fruitless. Lob realized they would have to get to the far northern cavern if they wanted to completely close the dam’s door.

As the party moved north, Ezren summoned a brine shark to draw out the Dread Duthorexes Lob had spotted earlier. It was a success, but one of the Dread Duthorexes caught the shark and turned it into mincemeat. As it rushed into the shallows (slowing it down as it was now forced to shimmy rather than swim), it swallowed Gunnar, who eventually broke free. It rushed forward to get at Lob, who launched multiple fire and electrical bombs into the creature. Ezren shot the Duthorex with magic missiles after hasting and enlarging Gunnar. Lob finished the first Duthorex; Ezren managed to put the next one to sleep for a little, and Corny finished it with a telekinetic projectile.

There were three valves in the north chamber, on three islands. The party completed the cycle, closing all three and draining the swamp chamber.

They walked south through the mud, climbing up to the platform where they had fought the Isqulug and approached one of the double doors leading west. The doors sprang open, and there stood the Lady Whispers, the skeleton that had led them to each of the tests. “You were not meant to pass the initiations of Nhimbaloth,” she rasped. “I guess I have to do everything myself.” She raised her hands to attack, their magical energy glowing malevolently…  

Session 85 – Belcorra’s Fall

Lady’s Whisper fought the Otari 2600s. Corny the cleric was frustrated as his positive damage was thwarted by her ability to not be as undead as he thought. Gunnar the fighter hated the fact each time she clawed him he would be teleported fifteen feet away. Ezren the wizard was paranoid about using up his spells in case they had to face Belcorra, so stuck with cantrips. Lob the goblin alchemist retained his cool, loading bombs into his launcher and blasting Lady’s Whisper from afar with fire and acid, slowly whittling her bones down until Gunnar managed to slice her up with some savage cuts from his magic scimitar. Corny finished the creature off and the party decided to head to the reflection room to rest in preparation for their final battle.

As they rested, each contemplated and reflect on their experiences: the Abomination Vaults had taken their toll. The Otari 2600s had been far too long underground, experienced great horror and great triumph, been worn down by the grind of dungeon crawling (they weren’t the only ones, the GM was worn out as well lol), and worried about whether they would return or not. The next morning, the party quietly undertook their daily preparations, discussing the right spell combinations and praying to their personal gods.

The Otari 2600’s headed south into the huge vaulted chamber they had fought Lady’s Whisper in. There were more double doors to the west, and they wondered if Belcorra lay beyond. To the south they found a huge stone skull. Corny located a secret door and a winding tunnel behind it, so Lob scouted to the end. The passage had remained unused for centuries, and was probably unknown even to Belcorra. Lob located a trapdoor, descended into another, narrower passage and found a secret door at the end. Joined by the others, Corny opened the door slightly to view the room beyond.

Hit by a wave of humidity and the stench of swamp water, the cleric viewed a massive chamber, bigger than any the party had seen in the Vaults. The ghost of Belcorra hovered over a dais upon which the Ebon Lens floated. Surrounding the dais was a moat of fetid water, fed by finger-like streams from four huge ponds around the room. A circle of black monoliths, crackling with purple energy, towered over the dais. The energy streamed above, no doubt feeding the Gauntlight.

The party formulated a plan: Corny, Gunnar and Ezren would go right and distract Belcorra, while Lob went left, sneaking behind the ghost and attempting to take the Ebon Lens with his wand of mage hand. He had loaded the various lenses the party had recovered into the Crimson Lattice while keeping it in his bag of holding to avoid Belcorra detecting them. Gunnar changed weapons to his bow, realizing Belcorra might not come back down to the ground. They were ready.

As the party crept out, carefully avoiding the foul streams that flowed across the room, Lob hid behind one of the pond’s sides, while Corny, Ezren and Gunnar hid behind two monoliths (careful not to touch them). Belcorra raged as she spotted the goblin, but her attention was soon drawn by Corny’s heal spell, used as a weapon against the ghost. She ordered her Soul Feeders to attack the party, and the whisps surrounded the cleric. Gunnar backed off to a safe distance to shoot at the ghost. Ezren hasted the fighter. Belcorra pursued the party, leaving the dais over which the Ebon Lens hovered.

Belcorra let loose the first of her phantasmal calamity spells. Gunnar was wracked with pain and imagined himself stuck in a fissure from which he could not escape. Ezren almost collapsed from the mental anguish. Corny withstood most of the psychic assault, but the Soul Feeders were wearing him down with their draining attacks. Meanwhile, Lob sneaked over to a monolith on the opposite side, while Belcorra’s full attention was diverted. Ezren slowed Belcorra successfully, thwarting some of her plans.

The party was slammed with another phantasmal calamity (sorcerers and their spontaneous spells!). Gunnar collapsed unconscious, and Ezren would have been taken out but for his astounding show of willpower. Corny healed the wizard and himself, and they fought on. Ezren enlarged the unconscious fighter (in preparation for Corny bringing him back). Corny was knocked unconscious, and for a brief moment Ezren considered swapping sides and declaring his allegiance to Belcorra in order to survive – but only for a moment. He shoved a healing potion into Corny’s mouth and the revived cleric healed Gunnar.  

Meanwhile, Lob used his mage hand to recover the Ebon Lens. He loaded it into the Crimson Lattice and targeted the hovering Belcorra. Realizing what was happening, the ghost screamed her rage, but too late – Lob successfully transferred the power of the lenses into Belcorra. A black mist appeared, filling the room. Dark fingers reached out as Belcorra pleaded for Nhimbaloth not to take her. The ghost was torn apart as the dread god consumed her.

The Otari 2600s could hear a faint grinding sound from above. The monoliths started to shake and crack. The party ran, realizing the Gauntlight was breaking up and crashing down through the levels above. They fled the chamber with the huge Gunnar leading the way, crashing bodily through the doors as the chamber behind them filled with debris and dust.

The party made their way to the surface, out into the early morning light. The Gauntlight lighthouse was gone, now a deep scar reaching ten levels below the surface. Various monsters were exiting the remains of the castle and scattering across the surrounding marsh. The Otari 2600s made their weary way back to Otari.

The town had heard the destruction and cheered the heroes. The mayor met with them, offering a key to the city. The Otari 2600s just wanted beer, chips and a good rest, so they headed to the Crook’s Nook to celebrate.

As the dust settled and life returned to normal, Lob decided to travel to Absolom to find someone to improve his launcher. Corny went on a surfing and smoking tour of Starstone Island. Ezren traveled to expand his knowledge and find some better spells. Gunnar took up residence in the party’s fishing camp, living a quiet existence away from the crowds. In the future, they would all be back together again, to face a new and greater threat.

But that’s a tale for another day.    

For more Laidback DM, click here.