Overpowered: Sepulchre of the Seven

Posted in Tabletop on Overpowered, Solo, Playtest

Here’s my detailed play report of Sepulchre of the Seven. I used the latest version of Overpowered, my weird solo OSR game. The adventure and rules are both free, so you can follow along and try to beat my high score!

UPDATE: This playthrough used an old version of the Overpowered rules. We hope you still enjoy it.

• The Sepulchre of Seven.
• Overpowered Rules and Dice App.

Intro

Orbiting a green-blue planet, Ancient.Ceylon.6 is activated. His matte-black shell conceals a host of deadly weaponry that he’ll soon unleash upon…wait. His weapons. Gone. All gone. A final message from his creators instills the following command: “Learn”.

Fine. Ceylon can learn. He’ll show them all and be the best damn explorer the other bots have ever scanned. With reluctance he descends towards the planet to…learn. Ugh.

Player notes will be in italics. Sepulchre of the Seven is a beautiful adventure by HexaGnome. Legends and myth clash with forgotten dreams in an emotional roller coaster. We’ll see how much that Ceylon picks up on as he speedruns through this module.

1. Roadside sanctuary

Ceylon is picking up a dim source of “magic”, or something giving off spectral energy. Several thin spiny legs carry him forward, his river-stone shape is difficult to notice in the dark of night.

• Gains 1d8 after entering a new area.

3 Kobold hunters. AC 7 [12], HD 1/2 (4HP), Att 1 × nailfitted clubs (1d4) or 1 x blowguns (1d2 + poison) or 1 x molotov (bodyguards), THAC0 19 [0], MV 60’ (20’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 8, AL Chaotic

Ceylon decides this is his first opportunity to “learn”. He activates the stun prod and zaps all three of them.

• Spends a d8 to beat the first kobold’s HP of 4.
• Spends a d8 to beat the second kobold’s HP of 4.
• Spends a d12 to beat the third kobold’s HP of 4.

After snipping off a bit of hair, he scans the small pile of meager belongings. Faint tracks lead further into the cave where they came from.

• Gains 3d6 after sampling their sleeping forms (weak creatures).
• Gains 1d4 from their small pile of treasure.
• Gains 1d10 after completing this area.

2. Kobold deathtrap

Ceylon skitters inside, noting the 2 kobolds playing some kind of gambling game, the arrow slits, the north door, the statue, and the well.

• Gains 1d8 after entering a new area.

Ceylon decides to explore a bit first before trying to stun the kobolds. Especially if someone is watching through the keyholes. He climbs along the roof of the cavern, essentially invisible. The doors to rooms 3, 4, and 5 are locked. Damn. He’ll have to make a little noise anyway. With a resigned warble he readies his stunner again.

• Spends 2d6 and 2d10 to stun both kobolds (4HP each).
• Gains 2d6 for sampling weak creatures.
• Gains 1d10 for clearing the area.

No one has been alerted yet. Ceylon crawls over to the door leading to room 3, and prepares to enter.

3. Kobold antechamber

Ceylon nudges the door open just wide enough to slip through. However the door makes a loud CLICK as it shuts behind him and a surprised grunt comes from behind an arrow slit. A molotov cocktails follows soon after and the room is quickly ablaze.

Firetrap: When the door closes: Kobolds throw a bundle of 5 molotovs through each arrow slit (save vs petrification, 2d8 damage).

Whenever a stat has a range like “2d8 damage” I prefer to choose the highest possible value. In this case, 16.

Ceylon is forced to expand his impenetrable shell while he scans for an escape route. After a few moments he spots the secret door and makes a beeline fore it. The stone door is barred on the other side, but Ceylon’s drill can tunnel through almost anything. He strengthens them again, carving a small tunnel to the other side, escaping the flames and arriving in a new area.

The stone door doesn’t have any stats, so I just use 7 as the Stat value.

• Gains 1d8 for entering a new area.
• Spends a d20 and 2d6 to withstand the flames (16 damage).
• Spends a 2d4 and a d6 to melt through the door (difficulty of 7).
• Gains 1d10 for completing an area.

4. Kobold cave

Ceylon quickly finds the kobold who threw the molotov cocktail at him. He stuns the kobold with a slightly higher stun setting, purely out of spite. Then reluctantly takes a sample and continues to explore the rest of the room.

Supply crates: 3,500 cp ◆ emerald (350 gp) ◆ 2 molotovs ◆ rope (50’) ◆ saddlebags ◆ carpenter tools ◆ 2 gold teeth (10 gp) ◆ 6 Humansbane arrows (2d6 damage against humans) ◆ a broken shortbow

Jackpot. Here’s some treasure with dubious artistic value. Still counts as “learning”!

A handful of treasure is purposefully vague, so go with your gut. In this case, I think the emerald counts as 1 handful, the copper pieces count as 3 handfuls, and the rest count as another 2 handfuls.

Ceylon passes by a kobold cook minding his own business. No need for a sample here; he’s seen enough kobolds. Ceylon passes through one of the drainage holes and drills through the wooden door into room 6.

• Gains 1d8 for entering a new area.
• Spends a d8 and a d6 to stun the kobold (4 HP).
• Gains 1d6 for sampling a weak creature.
• Gains 6d4 for 6 handfuls of treasure.
• Spends 2d4 to melt through the door (difficulty 7).

If I had stunned that last kobold cook I would have gotten the completion bonus, but I figure Ceylon is ready to move on. He might start skipping rooms more liberally from now on.

6. Time-worn honey trap

The floor is covered in a gross sticky substance. Ceylon walks up to the edge, nervous. If that stuff got into his shell…ugh.

Blue-black substance (covering the entire floor). Sticks to everything. Save vs paralysis every 10’ or become stuck. Highly flammable. Crossing with a torch: 1-in-20 chance per round of setting the room alight.

The floor trap doesn’t have a specific Stat, so we just use 7 again.

Ceylon prepares for gross goo and rushes to the end of the room, quickly scanning some fallen skeletons before darting into a side passage.

• Gains 1d8 for entering a new area.
• Spends 1d4 and 1d8 to walk over the gross goop safely.
• Gains 1d4 for the skeleton treasures.
• Gains 1d10 for clearing the room.

7. Starved Grey Ooze

This alcove was a mistake. A rusty iron door blocks the way. Ceylon drills a hole into it and rushes in only to get swallowed by an ooze monster.

1 Grey Ooze: AC 8 [11], HD 3* (13hp), Att 1 × touch (2d8), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 10’ (3’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ML 12, AL Neutral, XP 50. Energy immunity: Unharmed by cold or fire. Swallowed scattered diamonds (worth 2,100 gp).

Ceylon uses his stunner, but they it doesn’t have much effect. This creature isn’t bothered by energy. Ceylon quickly powers his shell and looks for a way out. He almost forgets to scan the beautiful diamonds embadded in this things “flesh”. He moves his legs quickly, almost swimming out of the ooze’s body. Eventually he bursts out from it’s “stomach” and quickly darts back into the previous room. Better gross goop than live ooze.

The shield won’t help him deal or withstand damage from this creature. So instead Ceylon will outrun it. It has a move speed of 10, so he spends enough power to beat that. I also decide this counts as a strong creature, especially since it resists Ceylon’s stunner weapon.

• Spends 2d4 and 1d8 drilling through the door (default difficulty of 7).
• Gains 1d8 for entering a new area.
• Spends 1d8 and 1d10 to outrun the ooze (movement of 10).
• Gains 1d12 for sampling a strong creature.
• Gain 6d4 for scanning the diamonds.
• Gain 1d10 for completing the area.

9. Unskilful Frescos

Ceylon scans the murals, but doesn’t really pay much attention. He continues forward and takes a right, heading towards a large chamber.

These aren’t exactly a handful of treasure, but they should count for something.

• Gains 1d8 for entering a new area.
• Gains 3d4 for scanning the murals.
• Gains 1d10 for completing the area.

13. Hall of the loyal retainers

Ceylon is immediately met with a thick locked door. Just before he drills a hole through it, he notices the detailed carvings and silver inlay. He scans the door first and THEN drills an ugly hole through it.

• Gains 2d4 for scanning the door.
• Spends 1d8 and 1d4 to drill through the door (difficulty 7).

Inside is a large chamber lined with alcoves. Each alcove has a few skeletons huddled within. The chamber is LITTERED with treasure.

8 silver candelabras (5’ tall, between alcoves, 400 gp each). Seven huge statues carved from Blue Amber. Each skeleton wears a shiny amulet (leaf ornaments; worth 150 gp. 3,900 gp in total). A potion of polymorph.

• Gains 1d8 for entering a new area.
• Gains 10d4 for all the scanned treasures.

One of the alcoves hides a secret door leading to room 14. Ceylon eagerly heads down the passage.

14. Beekeeper’s Tomb

At the end of the passage is a tomb with bee-related imagery. Ceylon uses his legs to shove the lid off the sarcophagus. After scanning some treasure, he peers at the shelves, findings a few bits and bobs.

Nothing else. Maybe he missed something back in that big chamber.

• Gains 1d8 for entering a new area.
• Spends 1d8 opening the sarcophagus (difficulty 7).
• Gains 2d4 of treasure from the sarcophagus.
• Gains 2d4 of treasure from the shelves.
• Gains 1d10 for completing the room.

13. Hall of the loyal retainers (again)

Ceylon explores the next few alcoves and detects another secret door. This one is quite large and thick. He prepares his drill to create a tunnel through it. Just as he begins, however, two dozen skeletons stumble out of the alcoves, brandish weapons, and begin running towards Ceylon.

Oops.

26 Skeletons: AC 7 [12], HD 1 (4hp each), Att 1 × rusty weapon (1d6), THAC0 19 [0], MV 60’ (20’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1), ML 12, AL Chaotic, XP 10

The adventure intends this to be a big threat, but once Ceylon drills a foot or two into the door, the skeletons won’t be able to hurt him. Instead of having Ceylon fight all 26 skeletons, we’ll have him take a few hits from some of them and spend most of his energy melting through this huge door. Say 24 damage total (4 attacks, 6 damage each)

Ceylon powers his shell and keeps the drill running, trying to make the tunnel before he runs out of energy.

Since the door is so massive, we’ll bump up the difficulty a bit to 10. This is a LOT to deal with at once, so we’ll break it down step by step below:

• Spend 4d4 to resist 14 Damage. Power Banks
• Reroll the dice for 10 Overpower. Power Banks
• Spend 1d12 and 1d6 to resist the last 10 Damage. Power Banks
• Spend 2d10 to drill through the door (difficulty 10). Power Banks

No time to collect samples or complete the room.

15. Jayne’s True Tomb

Exhausted and drained, Ceylon shoves open the door and stumbles into the tomb. Green lights settle around him like some kind of spectral escort. He scans the beautiful bas-relief door as an afterthought.

• Gains 1d8 for entering a new area.
• Gains 1d4 for scanning the door.

As he turns back to the sarcophagus, a ghostly figure manifests in front of him giving off a powerful energy signature.

The Spectre of Lady Jayne AC 2 [17], HD 6*** (27hp), Att 1 × touch (1d8 + energy drain) or spell, THAC0 14 [+5], MV 150’ (50’) / 300’ (100’) �ying, SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (6), ML 11, AL Neutral, XP 950

Now this COULD be a big boss fight, but I was getting tired and wanted to wrap up my session. Since the pheremones wouldn’t work on a ghost, I figured I would have Ceylon simply talk directly to her. Play it out in a cutscene, basically.

“Hello, little light. I greet thee and commend thine efforts in reaching me. You have traveled far indeed. Why have you disturbed my rest?”

Ceylon thinks for a moment, pondering. This is the first being who’s actually tried to TALK to him. How bizarre. “Is it truly restful? This place doesn’t seem like a home to anyone but scavengers and specters.”

The tall woman smirks. “True. My rest is fitful, for soon the Sunnestead Sorceresse shall return and I shudder at the prospect of facing her once again. I’d rather find true rest, somehow.”

Ceylon examines his near-empty power banks. “What if I could offer you more than rest? My masters have sent me to extract knowledge and learn what we can from distant places. There is much you could teach our people.”

“I am bound to this place while my companions suffer. And their pain is long-suffering indeed.” The pale figures offers a sad smile. “Yet, I will sit a while and enjoy this momentary distraction. Ask what you will, and I shall answer.”

And with that, Ceylon took the first step in a life-long journey of learning. He never quite put away his weapons, but he learned to talk first, and shoot only when necessary.

Final Score: 62 Overpower

Thanks for reading this playthrough! It was a beautiful adventure that I only skimmed the surface of. I probably could have explored more, but Ceylon’s power banks ran low and this seemed like a fun way to end the adventure. I hope you get the chance to try Sepulchre of Seven out for yourself! If you do, tell me your high score.