Frostgrave Campaign Game 11 - Death of the Lich Lord

We recently completed Game 11 of our 2017 Frostgrave campaign.   It was the last scenario in the “Thaw of he Lich Lord” supplement book: The Final Battle.  Once again, only 6 of our regular players could participate.  With 6 players, we decided the Lich Lord would be located in a temple in the center of a hexagonal table surrounded by 6 Wraith Knights, 18 Death Cultists, and 36 Armored Skeletons.  On hindsight, we probably should have included a Lich Queen as well since we had 6 players.

You can find Wizard Quail's report here:  Frostgrave Campaign Game 11 The Final Battle.  It includes some additional background information as well as Quail's experience.  Well worth the read.

Bemis' Report:
"Nigel, most of the wizards have agreed to an assault on the Lich Lord's fortress, that hovering chunk of Felstad.  Please prepare the lads for tomorrow morning" said Bemis as he entered the main room.  "Then return and lets discuss strategy."

While waiting on Nigel to return, Bemis and Agarn busied themselves with brewing potions and preparing scrolls.  Bemis then retired to his observatory to peer through his celestial telescope, hoping to gain insight on the Lich Lord's location.  While he did get some vague vision of the layout, he also discovered what appeared to be a chest containing a large amount of gold (successfully cast Reveal Secret).  It should be located near a fallen statue.

A chest of gold?

Bemis and Nigel sat up late discussing strategy.  They decided the best plan would be to stay close together and head straight towards the Lich Lord to engage him as quickly as possible, killing everything along the way; and of course grabbing as much treasure as possible.

A view of the table opposite Bemis' start point

Morning came way too soon.    Nigel led the warband into Felstad, towards the floating ruins.  As they got closer, they headed to one of the large chains seemingly anchoring the ruins to the ground.  It would be a long and tiresome climb.  "Up we go lads" said Nigel.  Once they reached the top, Bemis found himself behind a small ruined building.  To his left he could detect the strange yellow creatures belonging to Gru.  To the right he saw Saffron's warband taking up positions.  And far across the ruins to his front, he could faintly see the duckmen of Alfred.  While he couldn't detect her, Bemis knew Quail would be nearby as would Missy the Necro. 

Of immediate concern, there were three death cultists a few yards to the front and a group of skeletons to the right.  "Nigel, the cultists are yours.  Remember our plan.  Agarn and I will take care of the skeletons" stated Bemis.  With that, he reached down and picked up a piece of rubble.  Bemis spoke the words for Grenade and threw it towards the skeletons.  The enchanted rock flew straight and exploded with a bright flashed.  When the dust had cleared, 3 of the skeletons were piles of bone.   Agarn attempted to emulate his master but messed up his incantation of the Grenade spell.

Bemis throws a grenade

Following the plan, Nigel and crew moved forward towards the center temple to engage the Lich Lord's minions; starting with the three death cultists.  Having been briefed the night before, Kleppo moved to a ruined structure to search for the treasure Bemis had scryed with his Reveal Secret spell.  He found it and quickly placed it in his pack.

Kleppo grabs a treasure chest

The entire warband, minus Kleppo, advanced towards the temple to escape the remaining skeletons.  Nigel and Vale square off against two death cultists and fight them to a stand still.  9Toe doesn't mess around and quickly dispatches another.

Nigel and crew cutting down the Lich Lord's minions

Bemis cast Strength on Nigel to assist him with the upcoming battles while Agarn follows suit and casts Strength on Vale.  Niko and Piko move forward to support their captain.  With their help, Nigel easily takes out the cultist he was fighting. Side by side with Hatch and Diesel, Vale takes out the last cultist.  A wraith knight slowly floats down the stairs leading to the top of the Lich Lord's temple; heading towards the warband.  Vale makes good use of his Axe of Undead Slaying (+3 Fight against undead) to slice through its immaterial body, destroying the necromantic magic sustaining its existence.

Continuing his movement towards the temple, Bemis catches wind of activity to his left and cast Fog to protect his lads from Gru's warband.  Agarn also cast Fog to the right to provide protection in that direction.  Another Wraith Knight floats down from the temple.  Nigel moved forward a few steps to intercept it.  Without any finesse, Nigel thrusts his sword (+2 Fight) through the immaterial creature's body, the magic contained in the sword easily robs it of its life force.

Bemis' warband fights its way forward

Niko had made a mad dash up the stairs. He grabs a treasure and moves back down the staircase.  Nigel, Niko, and Diesel move to the bottom of the stairs.  The group is almost immediately set upon from behind by 3 cultists who had just killed one of Gru's dog like creature.

The Lich Lord glances towards Bemis, his hollow eyes seemingly burning a hole through his very soul.  A boney finger points his way as a bolt of necromantic evil leaps forth striking Bemis in the chest.  Bemis staggers back, his robes smoking.  He was battered but still standing (took 8 points of damage from an Elemental Bolt).

Fighting off some death cultists

As he shakes off the strike from the Lich Lord, he notices treasure chests floating through the air off to his left.  He quickly incants the words for Drain Word - Telekinesis.  "Can't make it too easy on my fellow wizards now can I?" he mused.  He then moves forward and out of line of sight.  Shadow bounds up the stairs, curious about the undead creature standing at the top.  While Shadow is sniffing around the Lich Lord, Hatch, 9Toe, and Vale all grab treasure items.

9Toe and Vale grabbing treasure

Nigel and Diesel both manage kill a death cultist.  The third cultist attacked Niko.  Encumbered carrying a treasure, Niko barely fights off his attacker.  Bemis casts another Fog wall (can't have too many fog walls).  Agarn managed to cast Strength on Hatch.  With energy running through him, Hatch moves to assist Niko.  He engages a death cultist and deeply wounds him.  While attempting to parry Hatch's strike, the cultist strikes a lucky bow on Niko, dropping him to the ground.  Hatch's follow through kills the cultist.  Piko picks up the treasure dropped by his brother.

More death cultists

With all the cultists dead, Nigel and Vale climb up the stairs.  Bemis drinks a Potion of Healing in preparation for fighting the Lich Lord.  He then follows Nigel up the stairs.  Diesel quickly moves up the stairs to get in front of Bemis. 

Shadow barks at the Lich Lord

Getting ready to attack

As he prepares to charge, Nigel noticed two other fighters from Missy's and Quail's warbands have already charged into contact with the Lich Lord.  One of Alfred's duckmen was trying to hide in the shadows.  With the evil creature distracted, he waved 9Toe and Shadow forward and mentally prepared himself to attack.

The big fight scene

Bemis watched as Nigel charged the Lich Lord.  The foul being was distracted by his other attackers and turned too late.  Nigel's furious charge momentarily stunned the Lich but not near as much as when his downward swing cleaved through his body.  As the Lich writhed and thrashed around, you could see the necromanitc energies keeping him alive start to flicker.  Nigel quickly saw a chance to end the fight quickly and stabbed the Lich through his right eye with his dagger.  This coup de grace did the trick and the remains of the Lich Lord crumpled to the stone floor in a mound of smoldering ash.

The Lich Lord falls

The other fighters present, as well as Bemis, were astonished at the ferocity of Nigel's attack.  When the surprise wore off, they all cheered his victory.  The celebration was short lived as almost immediately the four warbands present on top of the throne started to suspiciously eye each other.  With the Lich Lord dead, all previous agreements were null and void.  Then the floating ruins started to quake and shudder.  The magic holding the "island" in the sky was decaying.  Columns were toppling and walls were crumbing.  Bemis signaled to withdraw.  His warband slowly backed away and moved down the stairway.  Nigel remained behind to cover the withdrawal, hoping that his display of martial prowess would be enough to discourage any thoughts of foul play. 

Once Bemis reached the bottom, he saw 9Toe was still up top and carrying a treasure.  Not trusting the other warbands, he cast Transpose on 9Toe and Diesel.  This put 9Toe and his treasure in a safer area.  Of course, it also left Diesel hanging if anyone decided to get treacherous.  Fortunately, no one was looking for a fight.

Agarn spotted a wraith knight off in the distance.  He cast Furious Quill upon the foul creature hoping to slow its advance.  Fortuned prevailed and the wraith knight headed towards Saffron's warband.  Nigel had the opportunity to capture a treasure from one of Gru's minions.  But since Gru had not attempted to interfere with his warband, he decided to keep the peace.  Nigel and Diesel headed down the stairs and towards the extraction point.  At the bottom of the stairs, Diesel stopped and slung Niko over his shoulder.  Couldn't leave him behind, his brother Piko wouldn't be happy.  As the ruins lurched again, Diesel quickly moved to catch up with the rest of the group.

Bemis and the lads withdraw leaving undead corpses everywhere

As they retreated from the Lich Lord's lair, Bemis and Agarn nervously glanced from side to side.  Always on alert for an attack by their rivals.  They both cast additional Fog to cover the warband.  They made it to their extraction point without incident.  Several more tremors shook the ruins as they seemed to be slowly dropping down.  Once again Nigel remained back to provide cover as the others started down.

Burdened down with five treasure items and Niko's unconscious body (dwarves are not lightweight), the trip down the chains was a harrowing experience.  Combined with constantly looking up to avoid falling rocks and other debris, its a wonder no one fell.  Fortune was with the warband as everyone made it down without incident.  Niko actually gained consciousness halfway down.  The squeal he made when he opened eyes and found himself dangling upside down was so funny that his brother Piko almost fell from laughing too hard.


Bemis and the lads

Back in his library, Bemis sat by the fireplace listening to his warband unwind after the day's activities.  Tired of the constant cold, some of the lads started talking about moving to a warmer environment.  Rumors had just started coming in about adventuring opportunities in the tropical south, provided you weren't afraid of sailing.  Maybe when winter ended, some of the lads would head that way.

Epilogue

To say Bemis had a good outing would be an understatement - he had an excellent outing.  Bemis and the lads tally for the day was 3 skeletons, 6 death cultists, 2 wraith knights, and 1 Lich Lord.  The loot haul consisted of 5 treasures: 950 gold coins, 3 scrolls, 2 grimoires (Summon Demon x 2).  Bemis already had Summon Demon so both grimoires were sold for 250 gc each giving a total of 1450 gc.  Of this total, Nigel received 203 gc for his services (seems cheap considering).  As for experience, Nigel gained 60 points while Bemis garnered 855 xp.  For Bemis, this brings him to level 46.

How did the Lich Lord die to a single attack?

Nigel's basic fight number is +3; add +1 for duel wielding sword and dagger; +2 for magic sword; and +2 for having received the spell Strength to give him a +8 Fight.  He had four other attackers in the melee, each contributing +2 fight = +8 fight.  As he charged in, he utilized his Captain's trick - Furious Charge for +3 Fight (for one roll, declared before rolling).  This totaled to a +19 Fight.  Nigel rolled a 19.  This gave him a total attack number of 38.  This easily bested the Lich Lord's roll.

The 38 became 40 for damage due to Nigel wearing Gloves of Strength (+2 damage in melee).

The Lich Lord had armor 14 and 25 health plus the Elemental Shield which would absorb 2 damage.  The 40 damage was reduced to 37 by the Elemental Shield, then to 23 by the Lich Lord's armor. The Lich Lord subtracted the 23 damage from his 25 health leaving him with 2 health.  Nigel then utilized another Captain trick, Coup de Grace with causes +2 damage and can be triggered after damage calculation, putting the Lich Lord at 0 health.  Victory to Nigel!

While this game ended the Thaw of the Lich Lord campaign, we still have one more campaign game to play in 2017.  It will be a homebrew Christmas related scenario complete with real world presents; and hopefully cookies.  Stay tuned until next time for the details.