RETURN TO THE GOBLIN CAVES: SESSION 10 RECAP OF MY BASIC D&D CAMPAIGN

Some notes from my DM's Notebook
for this session

We held the 10th session of the D&D campaign I'm running for my daughter and her friends (plus one dad) back on September 5th. This post is a recap of that session, and as I've done for the past few sessions, I asked one of the players to write the recap. This particular recap was written by the last player, "I," who has yet to write one, and it's also very interesting as between the 9th and 10th session, "I" chose to retire her first character and create a new one. So, among other things, Session 10 served as the introduction of her new character, and she wrote the recap from her new character's perspective. 

As a reminder, I'm using the 1981 Moldvay Basic rules for this game (aka "B/X"), but we game with the Old School Essentials set of this version of the rules, as they are easier to get and have better layout and include some fun additions such as the Advanced Fantasy Genre Rules. I've also incorporated a lot of rules and ideas from other games and supplements, particularly Advantage/Disadvantage from 5E, and I use target numbers for tasks modified by the PC's ability scores (rather than making traditional ability score checks from B/X), and I've grabbed a lot of ideas and rules from Veins of the Earth when they are exploring underground, as well as using a card-drawing mechanic while exploring (to simulate them not being able to see and getting lost and confused while underground) and a rock-paper-scissors chase mechanic I pulled from the Neverland Campaign Setting. 

I, and my players in particular, really appreciate any feedback you'd like to offer on the recaps. With one exception (the dad player), there are all young 11 and 12 year-old girls who are busy with school and extra-curricular activities, so having to take time in between sessions to write the recap can be a challenge. I think it's good practice for them with their writing, which ultimately will help them with school. Also, it's really fun to see what each player focuses on. Some write a very linear "this happened, then that happened" summary, while others focus on what was important to their players. I really enjoyed "I's" recap, in particular because I thought it was a challenge to have to write it from the perspective of a brand new character to the group, and what that character thought, without relying on the player's past knowledge of things that this new character wouldn't know about. 

First up is a short summary by me, followed by "I's" recap. 

For more information on our previous adventures: 

• Influences: Some of the Weird Fantasy Tropes I'll be using in this campaign
• Sessions 0 and 1: Leaving the Village, the Bone Road & Capture by Goblins
• Session 3: Escape from the Goblin Caves
• Session 4: The Goblin Cave Exit and the Return to the Keep
• Session 5: The Keep and the Creeper Lair
• Session 6: The Creeper Lair, Part 2
• Session 7: Conversations at the Keep
• Session 8: Return to the Caves of Chaos
• Session 9: The Orc Lair
• Thoughts on Playing D&D with Tweens

More planning notes from my DM's Notebook

SESSION 10 SHORT RECAP (by Martin)

Last session, the Company negotiated a truce with the Orc Chief so he wouldn't kill them (he was upset they killed his mutant guard dog & also realized he was surrounded). They chose to leave and go back to the Goblin Caves with the hope of finding Olaf Von Munchberger & his wife, Therese, who they heard were being held captive after the orc chief traded them to the goblins for hallucinogenic mushrooms. Their companion Alex the Thief ran back to the Orc Chief to exact her revenge for him having killed their loyal retainer, Isentrud. Alex was never seen again. 

As the group moved through the ravine out of the caves, they came across a mysterious young woman clad in dark blue and black with a scar across her face and a blue bandana covering the bottom half of her face. She introduced herself as Augustus Fletcher and asked to join the company of Shadow Hunters, whom she had heard of back at the Keep. She felt she had skills to offer them, including sneaking, gambling, and getting information. After much discussion, the group allowed her to join. 

The adventurers re-entered the Goblin Caves and negotiated the treacherous area, remembering their escape last time as they ran through areas of huge spider-webs and a narrow tunnel, where a few adventurers got caught and had to drop some of their equipment, including the tragic loss of five torches and a grappling hook. Four adventurers were adversely affected by the hallucinogenic mushroom forest, causing much distress and noise as they claimed to see or hear things that weren't there. They also found the remains of an ancient Dwarven mine where a vein of moonstone was located. The caves were in complete disarray and full of smoke, which the adventurers realized was caused by the fire they started in the Goblin Alchemist's laboratory last time. 

Three goblins attacked them and threw bombs, one full of urine to blind them, one full of yellow mold to choke them, and one full of green slime to disintegrate their armor and shields. They also encountered two different factions of goblins, one of which had taken chemicals and powders from the burned laboratory and used it to color their hair and apply warpaint to their faces. These factions seemed to have arisen in the wake of the adventurers destroying the delicate balance of power in the goblin society on their last visit, including stealing the huge maggot whom the goblins believed was their god, the "Great Grub." They saw the former Shaman's body, hung in effigy after his failure to protect their god. 

During a tense fight with some goblin guards, one of the goblins threw a sack of gold at a wall, which echoed with a loud thud, indicating the wall was hollow behind. A huge creature emerged, which the adventurers later learned was called an "ogre." Armed with two huge, rusty cleavers, the beast nearly bested the brave adventurers but they were eventually victorious, after which they finally found the goblin prison cells again along with Olaf and Therese, whose heads had oddly been shaven. 

The adventurers rescued the two prisoners and made their way out of the caves and headed back to the Keep, needing to navigate the dangerous Bone Road at night. On the way back, the adventurers came across a pair of manacles on the side of the road. Obviously, whoever had been held in them had escaped. Later, they spied a clutch of eggs, each about the size of a mango. A cracking noise alerted them the eggs were beginning to hatch, and they decided to leave immediately, fearing the mother might be nearby, as they were already low on supplies and health. 

They arrived at the Keep, but the gates were locked, being after sundown, so they camped nearby and awaited the dawn.

An example of the journal pages
I make for the players after they
send me their recaps

FULL RECAP (As Written by "I" in the voice of her character, Augustus Fletcher, the Thief)

Journal 1356

"New Acquaintances"

Following eight people without being seen in broad daylight is hard. Harder than you might think, especially with all of the dead leaves on the ground. Night was approaching, so I wouldn’t have to hide behind every tree in sight. I knew the way, so it wasn’t that hard to find my old footprints to walk on. Crunch. Oh no. They knew I was there. They walked a few steps and so did I. They stopped, I stopped. I was a bit late though.  

“Who’s there! Make yourself known!" came a voice. 

Wondering what to do, I didn’t move. It rang again, but a little higher pitched. 

“Hello!” 

I decided to step out of the shadows. 

“Who are you and why are you here?” 

The sudden question I was waiting for. 

“I heard about you at the keep and sought to find you.” I answered. A subtle lie I usually saw through to the end. 

“Then why were you hiding?” Said another voice. 

I rolled my eyes, but they couldn’t see. “It’s in my nature.” 

We talked for a while. At some point I took off my mask to pretend like I trusted them. It worked. The older being, I think his name was Bartolo the Seeker, let me semi-temporarily join their group. They called themselves the Shadow Hunters. I wasn’t part of their group officially, but I was there for now. I didn’t know how I felt being part of a group, but there was loot involved, so I guess it’ll be fine. They started talking about a certain goblin cave that they were adventuring in, so I decided to join them. I learned the rest of their names. There were three elf cousins, Holly, Claira, and Cora. There was Bartolo and their hires, Ossana, Gruumsh, and Raddler. There was also a fighter named Greta. Wait, Greta? Did I hear that right? Isn’t she wanted in about every keep around the area? I didn’t ask though; they might find out about me. I reluctantly told them my name and we were off. Bartolo, Gruumsh, and Cora went first.  

The pile of bones that they jumped onto collapsed. That was the goblins’ way of trapping their attackers. I hopped down with ease and chuckled. We kept walking for a bit, and we came to a gap in the wall. We started walking through, but Clara and Bartolo got stuck. They let go of some items and we kept walking until we stopped at a large pit. There appeared to be no way across or around. I found a rock on the floor and threw it into the pit. It took about a second to hit the floor. I climbed down into the pit and climbed back up the other side. I looked around and found an opening in the rock on one side of the pit. I walked through and came out the other side. 

“Was that there before?” Claira asked. 

I shrugged and they walked on. Once we got to the other side, we decided to make torch arrangements. I had my fair share of torches, so I lit one and gave it to Ossana. She looked terrified. I felt a bit bad, but crossbows can't aim themselves. We walked for a bit and ended up in a musty room. A smoky, earthy smell filled the air as we walked in. The scenery in what looked like an underground terrarium was interesting to say the least.  There were mushrooms growing all over the floors and on the walls. The farther we walked through the room, the stronger the smell was. At least for me. Tiny people? Tiny rooms? Am I this tall? I walked through the room.  

I blinked. We were walking towards some kind of dark forest. It was a bit hard to navigate the solid pillars in pitch black with a weak torch. We were moving slowly, but everyone seemed to have recovered from the hallucinations. Suddenly, I heard a faint noise in the distance. It sounded like someone was in pain. Bartolo seemed to be interested in the noise, so we followed him. Bartolo stopped quickly but Holly and Claira kept walking. 

“Watch out!” Bartolo whispered. Holly and Clara couldn’t hear him. Their footsteps stopped. They were stuck in a giant spider web. 

Cora said in a worried tone, ”Oh, no.” I was confused, so I waited for them to finish dropping their items and we walked on. 

We walked until we found a door. Behind the door seemed to be where the noise was coming from. Bartolo stepped forward and opened the door. Eight goblins turned their heads to look at us. They start running toward us. As Holly took out a longsword, I took out my dagger, ran behind one of the goblins, and stabbed it. I pulled out my dagger and saw a larger goblin pick up a small pouch and run right through a wall. We walked toward where the ogre disappeared. In a flash, he hit Gretta. I moved away from the fighting and let the others finish him off. Something felt a bit wrong about the room’s flooring. I checked under the bear rug in the middle of the room. An ivory wand sat on the cold stone ground. Cora seemed to be interested in it, so I gave it to her.  

After that, we walked again for a while until the smoky smell came back. We rounded a corner to find a charred, old looking lab with two goblins waiting there. They had multiple bottles in their hands with strange different colored substances in them. As soon as we entered the room, one of the goblins threw a glass bottle at Bartolo. Yellow gas came out, but it didn’t seem to affect anything. Another bottle was thrown at Holly. A yellow liquid splashed out. Nothing changed either. This time, I got hit with a bright green liquid. Unlike the two other concoctions, this one was acid. I quickly took off my bow before it burned anything else. 

We destroyed the last two goblins and started walking to a room that everyone else wanted to investigate. We found the room and started rummaging through the items. After the others found souvenirs, we traveled toward another unfamiliar passage. We arrived at the destination. A damp, stone dungeon. 

We heard a raspy and tired voice begging to let them out. There were two people in the cell, both looking extremely weak. The man gave their names and the group seemed to recognize the name. They must have respected the people because they decided to carry them all the way to the Keep. We started to head back to the exit. We got to the exit and hopped out. We started heading back in the middle of the night on the Bone Road to the Keep. We decided that we needed to sleep right outside the gates in order to be safe. As we were walking, a shining object in the distance caught my eye. A pair of shackles lay open on the ground… 

-To be continued-

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That's the end of this session's recap. I hope you all enjoyed it. Again, I appreciate any comments I can share with these young players about the way they write their recaps. 

Hanging: Home office
Drinking: Tap water
Listening: "Slowly" by Max Sledgley, from the album "From the Roots to the Shoots"