Party Composition is as follows:
Howard – (Hardcore; Leader) Garret the Unfettering Mountain, human monk
Howard – Sai, warforged cleric
Shawn – (Hardcore) Elden, human fighter
Shawn – (Hardcore) Salene, elf scout

A fairly standard initial party for this group, only one non-core class and fairly standard (barring the warforged, of course) races. I’m sure you’ll notice each player is running two characters; this is more due to the spontaneity of this session than anything.

Character creation took a long while to get finished but we did it while I was working (or attempting to work on, rather) Shawn’s evil (Devil-possessed, soul-devouring, Gateway) laptop. After we got everything set up we got a short amount of gaming in.

- An Exercise in Futility -

The session started off plainly enough, Howard and Shawn’s characters were sitting separately in the tavern nearest to the Dungeon entrance and going about their own business. As they were conversing amongst themselves, an ogre charged into the bar and quickly began its attack.

The party was quick to react to the beast’s intrusion, so quick in fact that they caught the beast totally off guard and got to all act before it did. The warforged and monk both charged it (though the monk’s attempted leap over the bar was met with failure) as the elf and polearm fighter moved around the beast to flank as best they were able.

Several rounds (and a lucky tripping critical) later and the beast was slain with no harm come to the party. The tavern owner thanked them profusely and recommended them to enter the Dungeon and try to make a name for themselves.

After a brief introduction and joining of forces, the now-formed party entered the dungeon. The first room the party entered was empty, though it carried with it the remnants of a camp (several bedrolls and a burnt-out campfire) that had been long since deserted. The second room shared similar results, it was empty, but instead of a campsite it held a large well that descended all the way to the level below (though several layers of iron grates barred the way). After looking it over and deciding not to descend, the party continued on to the third room.

And the trap.

As the scout looked over the door for traps, she inadvertently tripped a thin wire that released the catch on a large pit at the foot of the door. The scout and warforged plummeted twenty feet to the hard stone ground below. After hauling themselves out of the hole and back to town for a rest, the party returned and bypassed the locked door on the room (ex. they hit the door until it was broken down). Facing them was a group of angry (and likely somewhat hungry) gnolls.

Battle was quickly joined (with the party winning initiative) and combat was on! The first round amounted to everyone getting into the room to fight the beasts as best they were able, and the scout plugging a gnoll in the head with an arrow (a solid kill, by my measure). The gnolls retaliated poorly; several pulled back to fire their bows (missing) and the pair that decided to fight in melee were easily outclassed (they missed too). Round two began and the slaughter followed it, Howard’s characters would soften up the gnolls and Shawn’s PCs would finish them off. At this point the battle became pretty one-sided and the PCs easily mopped up the remaining (weaponless) gnolls.

A quick search turned up a small amount of valuables (and a gem or two).

The party returned to town and that’s where we called it a game for the evening.