"There's different kinds of death: permanent death, instant death, temporary death, and, of course, weasel death."
- Wizards and Weasels Core Rulebook, page 24
It occurs to me that I'm neglecting some key details about this story that people who play these games would want to know. I am, as they say, keenly aware that there a competing blog on this site that is providing, real, actionable information about playing and running TTRPGs.
To be clear, I'm not going to do that.
Not just because I don't particularly feel like competing with someone who knows what they're doing when I clearly don't, but because they're playing an entirely different TTRPG. One that has, you know, an audience, whereas I'm playing Wizards and Weasels, which, as far as I can tell, as an active playing community of about 38 people, most of whom seem very angry about the rules for one reason or another. It seems unlikely that a deep discussion about hoarding "Weasel Points"* to manage spell inventory will have much resonance with a group that still uses spell slots.
That said, however, I should probably tell you a bit more about the module I'm running, Dungeon of Descent. It's a dungeon where you (wait for it) descend to levels of ever increasing difficulty for no discernible or at least explained reason. There is no overarching plot. You're descending to kill things and collect loot. That's it. The world will not be saved by your exploits, though I suppose you could argue that your presence is extremely important to the economy of the small town that's sprung up around the mouth of the dungeon. As with any gold rush, the people making the real gold aren't the adventurers, they're the ones selling the adventurers 50 feet of rope, dull swords, watered down ale, even more watered down healing potions, and of course, resurrection spells. The adventure has this all finely detailed, and I'm increasingly of the opinion that my party is going to find that shopping is the most exciting part of Wizards and Weasels.
The dungeon itself is unusual** in that you don't really need to fight anyone at any level. There's a central staircase that will take you straight down to level 20 on your first trip in, if that's your thing. You'll be immediately annihilated if you get off the staircase, of course, but nothing is stopping you from trying. As an additional bit of weirdness, large portions of the map are only accessible through portals, some of which may randomly deposit you on levels of the dungeon that are far too dangerous for you.
At times, it seems like a dungeon that was written by someone who gets a commission from the town cleric for resurrection spells.
Anyway, more as our new reconstituted party ventures forth once more.
Love,
Supreme Marketing Goblin
* Side note about Wizards and Weasels. The fine people who wrote these rules apparently think ANY mention of a weasel is a moment of extreme hilarity. I like to imagine that even for them the sheer joy of saying the word weasel (Weasel Points, Critical Weasel, etc.) must have worn off even before they'd finished writing the core rule books. This scenario, would, at least, explain the relative lack of follow-ons or expansions over the years.
** I'm basically taking their word for it, seeing as it's the first one I've read.
