Tomb of Horrors

Session: 2026-04-11:

Turn 1—Day 1 @ 1:30 PM (Midday / Early afternoon)

• Sylvester lit a torch.
• Honest lit a torch.
• Trap: Debra was poked by the needle trap but survived. First blood.

Notes:
Player 1: Samson
Player 2: Nettle
Player 3: Debra

Turn 2—Day 1 @ 1:40 PM (Early afternoon)

• Trap: Pit trap in the grand hallway.
• Death: Samson identified a pit trap in the most painful way.

Notes:
Bishop the Cleric arrived, ready to go.

Turn 3—Day 1 @ 1:50 PM (Early afternoon)

Notes:
Nettle identified a pit trap in a less painful way.

Turn 4—Day 1 @ 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)

• Trap: Nettle fell in a trap and landed on 3 spikes, but the poison did not take hold!

… 2 turns passed …

Turn 6—Day 1 @ 2:20 PM (Early afternoon)

Notes:
Sylvester probed the devil face with the torch. The end of the torch was cleanly annihilated.

Turn 7—Day 1 @ 2:30 PM (Afternoon)

• Sylvester lit a new torch.
• Honest lit a new torch.

Notes:
The party located the message in the tiles while carefully examining the floor for additional pit traps, and spent some time discussing and transcribing the riddle hidden among the tiles.

… 2 turns passed …

Turn 9—Day 1 @ 2:50 PM (Afternoon)

Notes:
The party investigated the painted door, and chipped away the plaster to reveal the real door behind it.

Turn 10—Day 1 @ 3:00 PM (Afternoon)

• A pile of ten sticks came under the effect of Sticks to Snakes, which will last 6 turns.
• Combat: A massive four-armed gargoyle was released from stasis when the party entered. Wrecked shop, then was killed by Bishop‘s venemous snakes.
• Death: The gargoyle ripped Nettle (Player 2) to shreds.
• Death: Debra (Player 3) was gutted by the mutant gargoyle.
• Treasure: Collar studded with seven 100gp gems. Total 0 GP.

Notes:
Casper (Player 2) and Sable (Player 3) arrived and joined the battle.

… 3 turns passed …

Turn 13—Day 1 @ 3:30 PM (Afternoon)

• Sylvester lit a new torch.
• Honest lit a new torch.

… 3 turns passed …

Turn 16—Day 1 @ 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)

• Sticks to Snakes ended for A pile of ten sticks.

Turn 17—Day 1 @ 4:10 PM (Late afternoon)

Notes:
The party found and entered the Great Hall of Spheres. They explored the space, noting the colors and positions of the various spheres.

Turn 18—Day 1 @ 4:20 PM (Late afternoon)

Notes:
Casper extended her hand through the illusory black sphere.

Session: 2026-05-02:

Turn 19—Day 1 @ 4:30 PM (Late afternoon)

• Honest lit a new torch.
• Sylvester lit a new torch.

Notes:
The party entered the corridor beyond the black sphere, where they found a secret door but could not find the mechanism by which to open it.

Turn 20—Day 1 @ 4:40 PM (Late afternoon)

• Trap: Sable tumbled into the room of three chests (2 damage).

Notes:
Found a secret door and triggered it, causing the floor to fall away dropping Sable into a room with three large chests.

Turn 21—Day 1 @ 4:50 PM (Late afternoon)

• Casper came under the effect of Detect Danger, which will last 6 turns.

Notes:
Casper scanned the chests and found the potential for danger from each. The silver and wood chests showed the most immediate risk.

Turn 22—Day 1 @ 5:00 PM (Late afternoon / Early evening)

Notes:
Rigged a rope to the oak chest to rip the lid open from behind. This placed him in the SW corner, Casper and Sable stood in the NE corner, torchbearers SE.

Turn 23—Day 1 @ 5:10 PM (Early evening)

• Combat: Combat with the Giant Skeleton.
• Death: Bisection by Skeleton-wielded Scimitar.

Notes:
The giant skeleton immediately turned on Casper who was quickly hacked into thirds, dying instantly. Bishop destroyed the skeleton with Raise Dead (as Destroy Undead!). The remaining party returns to the entrance to collect their new member, Alfred Cox (Player 2), then back to the chest room.

… 2 turns passed …

Turn 25—Day 1 @ 5:30 PM (Early evening)

• Honest lit a new torch.
• Sylvester lit a new torch.

Turn 26—Day 1 @ 5:40 PM (Early evening)

• Snakes (5) came under the effect of Charm Monster, which will last 999 turns.
• Treasure: A Gold Ring, Crystal Box. Total 1000 GP.

Notes:
The Silver Chest was opened the same way the previous was opened, but this time everyone stood behind the chests. Identified and carefully disarmed the trap within, and retrieved the gold ring and its crystal box.
They opened Gold with the same precautions, releasing a nest of asps. With nothing to lash out at, the asps swarmed the north of the room, blocking egress.
Four of the asps were Snake Charmed by Bishop, and five were charmed as monsters by Alfred Cox. The remaining three were fried to a crisp with burning oil.
Leaving the room, two charmed snakes were left behind. Three were smuggled out on Alfred Cox‘s person.

Turn 27—Day 1 @ 5:50 PM (Early evening)

• Detect Danger ended for Casper.

Turn 28—Day 1 @ 6:00 PM (Early evening)

Notes:
Found the gargoyle statue. Placed 3 gems from the collar into its hands, which were crushed to dust..

… 3 turns passed …

Turn 31—Day 1 @ 6:30 PM (Early evening)

• Honest lit a new torch.
• Sylvester lit a new torch.

Notes:
Sylvia arrived. Bishop opened the false door and walked directly into the wall, but avoided the dart.

Turn 32—Day 1 @ 6:40 PM (Early evening)

Notes:
Bishop chopped off Sable‘s corpse’s arm, and placed the ring from the Silver Chest onto its finger. The party returned to the Grand Hall. Sable‘s arm plus the ring were stuck into the devil’s mouth, and instantly annihilated.

Turn 33—Day 1 @ 6:50 PM (Early evening)

Notes:
Bishop confidently walked through the arch, and was teleported to a pitch black room.
After a brief wait, Sylvia kicked Honest through the arch where he arrived confused but still carrying his torch. With the torchlight, Bishop almost immediately solved the lever puzzle, and used his grappling hook to climb to the trap door above.
Not knowing any of this, Sylvia grew impatient and pulled Alfred through the arch with her, into the cramped space.

Turn 34—Day 1 @ 7:00 PM (Evening)

• Honest’s torch burned out.
• Death: Splat! It’s not the fall, it’s the landing. Honest Longo went down with her.
• Death: Honest died like his mama knew he would: At the bottom of a pit, tangled up with a woman.

Notes:
Sylvia decided to see what happened when the levers were all pushed down, but not before Alfred shimmied up the rope and into the tunnel with the Bishop.
The survivors followed the crawl-way back into the bottom of the pit trap, and up into the Grand Hall, where Player 3’s new halfling Poppi was just arriving, and Sylvester was waiting.

Session: 2026-05-17:

Turn 35—Day 1 @ 7:10 PM (Evening)

• Bishop lit a lantern.
• Bud lit a torch.

Notes:
Bishop returned to the portal and touched the lit stones in the correct order, disabling the mist. He stepped through to the passageway beyond, and instantly appeared in the room with the gargoyle statue.

Turn 36—Day 1 @ 7:20 PM (Evening)

• Treasure: Gem of Seeing. Total 0 GP.

Notes:
The party sacrificed the rest of the gems from the collar.
They picked up the broken arm to check it, and heard the clack of a stone falling to the ground. It took some time to locate, but they found the Gem of Seeing by touch.
Picking it up rubbed off some of what had concealed it, and Bishop intentionally wiped away the rest. He then tested it and saw it identified magical enchantments.

Turn 37—Day 1 @ 7:30 PM (Evening)

• Sylvester lit a new torch.

Turn 38—Day 1 @ 7:40 PM (Evening)

Notes:
The party agreed to use the stone to try to locate the mechanism for the secret door beyond the black orb.

Turn 39—Day 1 @ 7:50 PM (Evening)

Notes:
Poppi used the lens to identify the door’s trigger. They opened it and entered the temple, which they explored, taking special interest in the glowing altar.

Turn 40—Day 1 @ 8:00 PM (Evening)

• The Party came under the effect of Weakened, which will last 288 turns.

Notes:
Alfred opened the bench seat on the southwestern pew. Two glass phials broke, combining and filling the chamber with noxious gas that diminished the strength of the party.

Turn 41—Day 1 @ 8:10 PM (Evening)

• Bud’s torch burned out.
• Trap: A drop of blood triggered the exploding altar.
• Death: Exploding Altar.
• Death: Exploding Altar.
• Death: Exploding Altar.
• Death: Exploding Altar.
• Death: Exploding Altar.

Notes:
Poppi placed the skeleton on the glowing altar, triggering a massive lightning blast directly up the aisle. Bishop then placed a drop of his blood on the altar and it exploded, splattering them all and adding to the temple’s grisly decor.

Turn 42—Day 1 @ 8:20 PM (Evening)

• Sylvester’s torch burned out.
• Bishop’s lantern went out.
• Nate lit a torch.
• Dover lit a torch.
• Charm Monster was removed from Snakes (5).
• Weakened was removed from The Party.

Notes:
An entirely new party was dispatched, with new torchbearers to match. They decided to check out the other entrances before entering the middle passage, and started with the eastern entrance.
Paladin - Theodora (Player 3)
Thief - Frank Strome (Player 1)
Cleric - Morbida (Player 2)

Turn 43—Day 1 @ 8:30 PM (Late evening)

Notes:
Frank lead the way, moving slowly and carefully. He reacted instantly to the pressure plate, jumping back toward the entrance the moment the stone block began to slide, and the party watched as it sealed the passage.

Turn 44—Day 1 @ 8:40 PM (Late evening)

Notes:
They moved on to the western entrance, and on to the door. Frank listened at the door and heard nothing.

Turn 45—Day 1 @ 8:50 PM (Late evening)

Notes:
Frank examined the door for traps, and found a strand of filament. Unable to trace the line to the larger mechanism, he snipped it and opened the door, revealing a blank stone wall. Disappointed, they moved on to the grand hallway and began to retrace the previous party’s steps.

… 3 turns passed …

Turn 48—Day 1 @ 9:20 PM (Late evening)

• Dover lit a new torch.
• Nate lit a new torch.
• Frank lit a lantern.

Notes:
Frank lit a bullseye lantern and the new party traced the steps of their predecessors and found the bloody mess in the chapel.

Turn 49—Day 1 @ 9:30 PM (Late evening / Early night)

Notes:
The crew searched the mess for all of the dead party’s best and most useful stuff.
Theodora took the dead halfling’s boots. Apparently she has small feet!

Turn 50—Day 1 @ 9:40 PM (Early night)

Notes:
Using the gem of seeing, Theodora found the tiny slot in the stone gate. Frank popped a ring of protection into it, and the passageway slid open.

Turn 51—Day 1 @ 9:50 PM (Early night)

Notes:
The first door was checked for traps by Frank and opened. He then checked the floor for traps and found and marked the first pit trap.

Turn 52—Day 1 @ 10:00 PM (Early night)

Notes:
The second door was checked for traps. None were found.

Turn 53—Day 1 @ 10:10 PM (Early night)

Notes:
The second door was opened, and Frank found the second pit trap. The party examined the walls around the trap and found nothing.

Turn 54—Day 1 @ 10:20 PM (Early night)

• Dover’s torch burned out.
• Nate’s torch burned out.
• A torch was lit.
• A torch was lit.

Notes:
Third door was checked for traps. Nothing.

Turn 55—Day 1 @ 10:30 PM (Early night)

Notes:
The third pit was easily spotted. The party intentionally triggered the trap suspecting it related to the “fortuitous fall” referenced in the riddle.

Turn 56—Day 1 @ 10:40 PM (Early night)

Notes:
The party descended into the pit via rope and grappling hook. They easily spotted the door and immediately checked it for traps.

Turn 57—Day 1 @ 10:50 PM (Early night)

• Trap: Fear gas.

Notes:
The party entered the pit trap door and continued descending the stairs into the hazy air, and Player 1, Player 2 and the torchbearers were overcome by fear. They sprinted out, retracing their steps, making it all the way to the Sphere Hall before coming to their senses while Player 3 slowly follows.

… 3 turns passed …

Turn 60—Day 1 @ 11:20 PM (Night)

• A torch burned out.
• A torch burned out.
• Dover lit a torch.
• Nate lit a torch.

Turn 61—Day 1 @ 11:30 PM (Night)

Notes:
A secret door was found and opened, leading to a long corridor.

… 2 turns passed …

Turn 63—Day 1 @ 11:50 PM (Night)

Notes:
The party entered the cluttered laboratory. They rifled through the detritus and avoided the three vats.

Turn 64—Day 2 @ 12:00 AM (Night)

• Trap: Slashed by glancing blows from two spikes upon reaching the far end of the pit.

Notes:
The party left the lab and arrived at the pit filled with spikes. Morbida descended and crossed with lengths of rope to fashion a tightrope. The last step triggered the spikes.

Turn 65—Day 2 @ 12:10 AM (Late night)

• Dover extinguished their torch.
• Nate extinguished their torch.

Notes:
Morbida found an anchor point for the grappling hook and fastened the rope taut across the pit. Frank deftly tight-rope walked across (improvised a roll on the climb walls skill). Theodora walked through the pit and leapt to the rope Morbida climbed earlier, to avoid the trigger.
Torchbearers extinguished and stowed their torches and shimmied Steve-O-alligator-tightrope-style across the rope.

Turn 66—Day 2 @ 12:20 AM (Late night)

• Dover relit their torch.
• Nate relit their torch.

Turn 67—Day 2 @ 12:30 AM (Late night)

• Dover lit a new torch.
• Nate lit a new torch.

Turn 68—Day 2 @ 12:40 AM (Late night)

Notes:
The party located a secret door in the north wall of the passage. Finding no traps, Frank opened it and entered.

Turn 69—Day 2 @ 12:50 AM (Late night)

Notes:
After finding no traps on the north door, Frank opened it and the party continued onward to the larger room to the north.

Turn 70—Day 2 @ 1:00 AM (Late night)

Notes:
The party felt the unsteadiness of the floor and split up throughout the room. Frank called out upon locating a secret door in the northwest corner, and at that moment the floor bucked and jumped. The general wreckage of the room was further jumbled, revealing several trunks and coffers, but the party all maintained their footing.

Turn 71—Day 2 @ 1:10 AM (Late night)

Notes:
Frank checked for traps and unlocked the first trunk. The floor leapt again, knocking the party off their feet. All for an empty trunk. Frank opted to pass on further trunks and coffers.

Turn 72—Day 2 @ 1:20 AM (Late night)

• Frank refilled their lantern.

Notes:
They exited through the secret passage posthaste and descend to the crossroads.

Turn 73—Day 2 @ 1:30 AM (Late night)

• Nate lit a new torch.
• Dover lit a new torch.

Notes:
Frank identified and marked the pit trap at the center of the intersection.

Turn 74—Day 2 @ 1:40 AM (Late night)

Notes:
Frank checked the doors at the end of each branch of the passage for traps while Theodora and Morbida checked the walls for any secrets.

… 3 turns passed …

Turn 77—Day 2 @ 2:10 AM (Late night)

• Trap: False door spear trap.

Notes:
With Frank having found no traps, the party agreed to try each door in order, left (north) to right. The first opened onto a stone wall. The second revealed a passageway, but Theodora wanted to check the third door before proceeding. She narrowly avoided a spear magically fired from the solid stone wall.

… 2 turns passed …

Turn 79—Day 2 @ 2:30 AM (Late night)

• Nate lit a new torch.
• Dover lit a new torch.

Notes:
Found a cavernous area, but did not yet enter.