Crypts & Things - Actual Play - The Shrine Of Dagon

Genesis 6:4
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown

I put up a poster advertising for players for a game of Crypts & Things. I created  a dungeon based on a Robert Howard story. I got five players including a wizard. I set the game before the Biblical Flood.

They met up in a nice little town (a mere fly speck whose inhabitants would sell their own mothers). The party journeyed for 7 days on horse back to the city C'reekre ( a ruinous city of sin & depravity). The shrine was located within an active ziggurat temple of the ancient Cthulhu deity. Recently the Black Stone had surfaced & the shrine was erected inside the ziggurat to house the stone.

The king had been kidnapped after a very bloody coup by the priests of Dagon. Children & animals were being sacrificed in the name of this unholy thing. The city's treasury had been moved with the ziggurat & the military was working hand in hand with the priests. 

 They had amongst their number : 

2 thieves 

2 fighters 

& a magician 

An adventurer/artist(4th level fighter) hired the party to scout the shrine & uncover what might be going on within.
There were several dark rumors that the party encountered from the city streets. 

1. Foul manlike things were raping women within their homes & from this unholy union the priests were building their army. 
2. A star of doom had been seen in the east hovering above the ziggurat like an ill omen. Its baleful light even now shines even during the day can you not feel it! 
3. There are foul things in the desert that have been seen baying at the moon at night.
   
4. Our king's brother even now plots to send in his army & free us from these foul demons in priest's skins

The party scouted out the temple. Sneaking past guards, they were smeared black with war paints. They had purchased equipment & weapons in the town! Everything was within their grasp!
Silently they moved down the first hallway. The torches were glittering against the wall.

They're thieves had daggers ready. 

The fighters had swords drawn & poised for anything. 

The wizard had read the temple inscriptions before proceeding 

They didn't check for traps & the man catchers had them! It was over very quickly as the dice were very unkind that night!
I've never had a TPK on the first night! You never saw Mountain Dew & chips spit up so fast!

Three Things are evident from my short quick experiences with Crypts & Things: 

1. The Ascending armor class is great works very nicely. Combat is very lethal in Crypts & Things 
2. The cleric should have been folded into wizard class long ago 
3. Character is bare bones & is pretty quick. Reading some of Blairs from Planet Algol  experiences with New York Red Box gave me some pretty interesting insights into this game. 

Over all impression of  Crypts & Things is that it rocks!

Everyone had a good time & will be back next week!