So I suppose I should write about what happened in AD&D last Sunday, before I forget. It was just one big fight so the details are going to be a bit sketchy. I was tuning out a bit since combat can take such a long time. Anyway, when we last left Elsbeth and her stalwart companions, they had just forced the evil lich Stolic to retreat and were holed up in his throne room. The entrance had a Stone Wall up and Kharlan had found the treasure room.

Taking stock of the situation, we had: Elsbeth, who still had some Stoneskins up and had taken a few points of damage in the fight; Kharlan who had all his Stoneskins and hit points; Tolma, who had taken a bit of damage and was down some spells (and almost all her Dispel Magics); Randolph, who was down some spells; Heather, who was fine; Filbert, who was down some spells and a handful of hit points; Kormack, who was fine; and Calcli, who was unconscious. Other than Elsbeth and Kharlan I don't think anyone had any Stoneskins left.

After a quick conference (really, only Donald, Dave Pick, and myself were present so there wasn't much arguing) we decided the best thing to do was leave and recuperate. So we climbed over the Wall of Stone and proceeded to go down the hallway. We knew there were a lot of undead so Elsbeth, Heather, and Randolph were up front to Turn Undead. Filbert and Kharlan brought up the rear. After a few turns of the hallway we were going to pass a series of alcoves filled with dormant mummies.

Here we made a mistake. We walked down the corridor, triggering the first two mummies. They came alive, we all saved against Fear and a few people failed. Randolph turned the mummies, who fled down the corridor. Thinking this had been easy we proceeded without waiting for the frozen in fear people to get out of it. The next two mummies came alive, we made more saves, this time Randolph fell victim and Heather couldn't turn them so we had to fight. At this point another set of mummies woke up -- more saves and a growing pile of undead in front of us. Kormack and Randolph were frozen up front with Heather. Elsbeth and Tolma were frozen in back. Filbert Enlarged Heather while Kharlan Hid in Shadows.

As more undead started coming at us from the front (and with Heather doing the only fighting), Filbert smelled smoke behind the party, so he went to see what it was. Rounding a corner he met the Lich and a Fire Elemental, so he retreated back to the party. Tolma and Elsbeth had come out by now, while Kormack and Randolph were still frozen and taking some hits up front. Tolma cast her black tentacles spell to slow down the Lich, which ignored them and stopped in the middle of them. As Filbert and Kharlan fought the Fire Elemental, Elsbeth took out her bow and started peppering the Lich. The Lich kept tossing three of his fortified Magic Missiles each round, keeping Tolma down. He also cast Silence on one of her items so she was out of the fight for a while.

By now everyone was unstunned. Heather was getting seriously wounded, although Kormack and Randolph, with their better Armor Classes, were still ok. Tolma was seriously wounded, Filbert was hanging on by a thread, Elsbeth and Kharlan were fine. Elsbeth ran out of magic arrows as the Lich knocked Filbert unconscious and Heather went down. Kormack was fighting the Lich's top lieutenant while Randolph had his hands full with the Skeleton Warriors that refused to die. At least Filbert had managed to kill the Fire Elemental before he had gone down.

Things were getting desperate. Elsbeth drew her swords and advanced on the Lich as Kharlan joined her. The Lich put up a Blade Barrier and kept peppering Tolma and Elsbeth with Magic Missiles. Elsbeth and Kharlan walk through the Blade Barrier, Elsbeth taking lots of damage while Kharlan is protected by his Stoneskins. Elsbeth drinks a nasty Potion of Extra Healing while Kharlan steps into the black tentacles and clears a path (although he's stuck). Elsbeth moves up to the Lich, saves against a Slay Living, and hits him a few times before she goes down.

On the other side of the battlefield, Kormack is winning his fight thanks to his Vorpal Sword while Randolph has finally turned the last of the undead, Tolma gets out of the Silence but doesn't know what to do. Kharlan finally cuts the last of the black tentacles, steps up to the Lich, and strikes him down with one blow. The Lich's lieutenant is captured and the party makes it through another close fight.