Let’s Play Under the Fourth Kingdom! Part 4: Bogtown
Let’s continue our delving.
Last time, Felix and Reinhold separated at the end of the Middle Cistern, where we saw a glimpse of Reinhold’s affliction. Felix continues on his own toward Bogtown, the fourth level.
Built into the walls of a great crevasse called The Gap, Bogtown’s true dimensions are unknown. It spans up and across constructed from flotsam and jetsam, and refuse, all repurposed as walls, ladders, roofs, and walkways - many of which span the terrifying dark drop below.
Room 14
d6 illumination: 2, dark
I’ll light a torch. It lasts for 5 rooms.
UD10: 5, no change
Exits: 2
Description: Desolate + Necromancer
Oh, that’s cool. Is the necromancer alive?
Oracle: No
Pity, let’s make it just part of the description then.
Felix stepped onto a desolate overlook carved into the wall of the Gap. He lit a torch to keep the darkness at bay, revealing the signs of a necromancer’s work. He glanced at the scattered bones, sigils and ritual circles made with blood now dried, and rotten organs.
The necromancer was long gone.
d6 contents: 3, Point of Interest > 1, bridge across The Gap (reduces the UD = down to UD8)
Scavenge: rubbish
At the far edge, Felix found a rickety bridge going over the vast abyss. Crossing it offered a quicker way through Bogtown, so he pussyfooted across the wobbly planks.
The Gap stretched beneath.
Room 15
Since the UD lowered, let’s check the light again: 2, dark
The torch is now at 2/5
UD8: 7, no change
Exits: 0
Description: Burned + Corpse
Any valuables on the corpse? (unlikely)
Oracle: No
Beyond the bridge, the air smelled of ash. Felix’s torch sputtered as he moved closer to a charred corpse slumped against the wall. Whatever killed them left nothing worth taking.
d6 contents: 2, trap > DEX type > mechanized trap with some kind of blade
2d6+3 Dexterity check: 9, success! Trap avoided.
Scavenge: Mundane item! (roll 2 and pick one, Canny skill) > Caltrops or Adept Resin.
Caltrops cause d6D damage and the Impede effect, which makes enemies use a full turn to move past it. Adept Resin gives me +1 DEX during a battle. I’ll take the resin for 2 reasons: I kinda like it more, and it won’t use a new inventory space since I already have one (one slot fits 5 small items).
As Felix stepped back, blades snapped out from hidden slots in the floor, slicing through the space where his legs were a second ago. The mechanism clicked as the rusted blades snapped back into place.
Before leaving, Felix collected a small vial of Adept Resin untouched by the fire.
Room 16
UD8: 5, no change
Torch at 3/5
Exits: 2
Description: Ethereal + Friend
A friendly ghost! That’s a great prompt. What does it want?
Control + Bandit
Awesome! I’ll try to tie it to the Cordyceps Infestation. I’m also skipping the room contents.
Felix entered a place with a thin mist that felt unreal. Pale shadows drifted across the torchlight, and then the ghostly figure of a woman materialized.
The specter looked anxious. She pointed towards a distant bonfire. “They kill without care, outsider. Then they leave bodies for the damp to take. The fungus spreads.”
Felix stepped back. “Who are you?”
“There’s a balance to be maintained in Bogtown between dregs, creatures, and even the dead. I keep part of that harmony. Every corpse they abandon feeds the cordyceps. Every growth it births tilts the balance. Bogtown itself could disappear. Will you help uphold the balance and restore control?”
Felix considered it. He was after a reward. He wasn’t a warden protecting those in need. However, disturbing the balance in an entire level of the Underdepths could spell tragedy.
He accepted.
Checking the tables for Bogtown, one of the NPC encounters is d3 Bogtown Ruffians. I’ll use that for the bandits. They have d6 Vigour, d6 damage, 0 armor, and 6 Morale.
I’ll skip the d3 roll and rule they are three.
d6 Vigour: 4, 1, 6
Can I try to sneak in to attack them?
Oracle: No.
Well, my torch and their bonfire provide plenty of illumination, and they’re in an open area.
Let’s check their reaction. They have a -1, canceled by my Presence bonus, and my Bane gives -2.
2d6-2: 3 = Death/attack on sight
There’s no reasoning with those madmen. Let’s start this battle.
They get the initiative. I dodge two attacks, but the third one hits.
d6 damage: 3
Ouch. I hit the bandit with 1 Vigour, and since he doesn’t have any armor, he’s dead.
One attack hits me again, this time for 1 damage. Not bad. Felix counters the one with 4 Vigour and hits.
d6 damage: 5!
Another one down. This triggers a Morale check for the remaining bandit.
2d6: 6, he stays and fights.
I dodge his slash, and I get a critical hit in! Double damage.
Aaaand I rolled a 1. 2 damage dealt, but at least the Foul Cudgel applies 2 Poison, so I get a +2 to defend for a total of +5! I can only get hit if I roll double 1s, a fumble.
Crits also activate the weapon trait Bludgeon! It stuns the enemy for a turn. He can’t attack, and I auto-hit for damage with advantage. I deal 3 damage. 1 Vigour left on the bandit.
I get another crit, this time dodging! It provides a free attack, but unfortunately I miss. My next attack, however? It’s a doozy.
A fumble! That’s right, double 1s. The dice are wild today. I’m Impaired for one turn, rolling everything with disadvantage. It doesn’t matter, though—I still dodge and manage to hit the bastard, finally killing him.
+2 Vigour (7/9)
Spoils (rolled with advantage due to Thorough skill): 10 silver pieces, doubled to 20 due to my Meticulous Boon.
A little bloodied, Felix returns to the specter to tell her it’s done. What is the reward?
Gather + Knight
Hmmm… I was considering reuniting Felix and Reinhold, but that would be a little convenient, right? Maybe it wouldn’t, I don’t know. In any case, I decided on something else.
“It’s done.”
The spirit smiled. “Tell me your name.”
“Felix.”
“Call me Frieda. You’ve gained the favor of the dead, Felix the Outsider.”
She lifted one translucent hand, and energy gathered around her. A ghostly shape formed in the gloom, the echo of a warrior in old armor, eyes burning with pale fire.
“The valkyrie is under your command,” Frieda explained. “An ally to you as you are to us.”
Armed with spear and shield, the valkyrie bowed to Felix, her winged helm dipping toward him in respect.
That’s very cool, isn’t it? The valkyrie has the generic NPC stats, but should she scale to our level? I’m going rule so!
2d6 Vigour: 9
1 Armour
Attack d6
Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Presence 1, Spirit 1
She can’t be healed and Morale rules don’t apply. I also think that it makes sense to give her the Ethereal trait, even if it’s a little OP.
Ethereal: Ignores all armour when attacking and will stop Pierce Trait when defending.
Room 17
UD8: 1, down to UD6!
d6 illumination: 1, dark
Torch: 4/5
Exits: 1
Damp + Merchant
Awesome, I’m ruling this is a merchant! They’re always friendly, thankfully, so no reaction check.
Let’s roll a d6. A result of 5-6 means they have rare items for sale.
d6: 4 = nothing rare, only mundane items for sale.
Felix followed a narrow corridor into a damp nook. Hanging tarps stopped the dripping water from above. His torchlight caught on crates, weapons, and strings of useful items.
Behind the goods, a merchant observed Felix with lazy eyes. He became wary when his gaze flickered above Felix’s shoulders and to the cold presence watching over him.
We can sell mundane items for half their price. The merchant sells basic weapons for 15 silver (starting weapons for all classes), so I figured we could also sell them for half. I’ll sell the bandit knife for 8 silver.
They also sell Partial Maps that cost 10 x Depth level, so 40 silver for Bogtown. It lowers the UD by 1, so I think it’s worth it. I’ll get one!
I buy an Utility Belt as well for 40 silver. It grants me +5 inventory space.
Finally, I’ll get an EPL Mushroom Liqueur for 10 silver. It increases the Ethereal Potency Level by 5. You might think, why the hell would I use that? Well, an EPL of 5+ snuffs out the Cordyceps infection! Since Felix doesn’t use Theurgies, increasing the EPL isn’t much of a concern (except when it hits certain thresholds).
The thing is, each of the Theurgies (Arcane, Druidic, and Pyromancies) has a different consequence when reaching level 5, so I’ll probably just choose one randomly. Or suffer all 3, making the Liqueur increase all of them? We’ll see.
I had a lot of silver to burn, and now I’m down to 58 pieces.
d6 contents: 1, boon > shortcut! (reduce UD by 1)
Scavenge: rubbish
Nice! The Partial Map brought the UD down to 4, and the shortcut to the next level.
Beyond the trading nook, a passage led downward, the wood giving way to slick stone. Felix crinkled his nose at the heavy and sour air.
He followed the passage into a cavernous area. The stone gradually became wet earth. A vast, muddy surface with drifting scum spread before him, broken by immense stalactites that reached down from the ceiling to form mazes and tunnels. Strange creatures roamed the soggy open spaces. Fungal growths clung to the rocks and earth.
Felix had reached the Foetid Lake.
Felix pretty much breezed through Bogtown. The level was pretty fun, and the ghost encounter was my favorite moment so far. I’m having a blast here.
I’m granting +2 XP to Felix. He’s now Level 3! I’m increasing Presence to 2.
Onward to the scary lake.
Under the Fourth Kingdom is available on Itch.io.
Map created with Dungeon Scrawl.