How Spanking a Ball Sent an Entire Town Running and Ruined our DM's Plans
I can't help but be in disbelief that this is the campaign that introduces me as a player to the world of Dungeons and Dragons because- Because, well, really...
My wife and a small group of her friends recently dove into a D&D campaign set in the Sunless Citadel module. For most of the group, it's their first time playing, but they've been having plenty of fun. Now my wife, knowing I've expressed interest in also playing, invited me in as a guest/temporary player. The DM even kindly integrated my late arrival into the module by casting my PC as an unfortunate prisoner of the Kobold group, allowing me to join fresh without needing to catch up on the entire journey. That works for me, I'm just soaking up the vibes and learning how to throw the dice in the first place. "Excuse me, gents, while I brush up on my spells as you talk about serious, adventure-related matters."
Anyway, after my rescue, the party continues through the Sunless Citadel storyline, adopting NPC Meepo as our party's poor little pet/projectile weapon, finding the NPC ally, Erky, and protecting him with our lives, discovering what happens when you find a wayward wyrmling, etc. Eventually, we descend into Goblin Town and reach the Hall of the Goblin Chief, finding the Hobgoblin boss, Durnn. Now, seeing as I was a late addition to the party, I just read the room and our DM's telegraphed intentions. This was very obviously going to turn into a mini-boss fight, and I was ready to go, except- Except...
"Hey, DM, can I use this orb I plucked from that one room we were in earlier today?"
As it turns out, in one of the rooms (the Gallery of Forlorn Notes, per the module), the party ran into a mass charm effect from an orb in the room, and after everyone rolled successful saves, one of our two clerics picked up the orb and kept it. I think it's worth noting at this point, that the entire party, DM included, had interpreted this orb as being one that cast a mass fear effect. Per the lore, the effect intensifies when struck, and we're right in the middle of Goblin Town, soo...
Yes, if you see where this is going, you are absolutely correct. Our cleric pulled the orb out and struck it, causing the music to get loud enough to affect the surrounding rooms, too. Our DM then proceeded to roll the saving checks for Durnn and his guards and failed each one! Mass hysteria from the ringing orb overtook Goblin Town, causing every goblin nearby to just run for it, leaving our entire party just... standing there gobsmacked as chaos unfolded.
I mean, of course our PCs were just standing there. Everyone on the call was laughing themselves sick from the entire situation!
Finally - finally - we get under control, and our DM just says, "I don't think this was intended to be part of the game." ...No, no, it really wasn't, lol.
Also, Durnn apparently had a pet Twigblight in a jar nearby, and another party member adopted it as a spicy Baby Groot.
EDIT: Added some details, clarified others. P.S.: We also cleared out Durnn's treasure chest on our way out!