Session 5 – Assault on Broken Spire Keep | Dwarven Forge, Backstabs & DM Lessons

 

Session 5 – Assault on Broken Spire Keep

Preparing Broken Spire Keep

Preparation for this session was relatively straightforward compared to some of the earlier sessions in the campaign. Most of my work focused on studying Broken Spire Keep itself and understanding the people living inside it.

Two details from the adventure stood out to me while preparing:

• The bandits led by Ranchefus are not stupid and should react intelligently if someone attempts to infiltrate the keep.
• The bandits on the lower levels are terrified of Ranchefus and will often try to solve problems themselves before informing him, fearing punishment if they disturb him unnecessarily.

Those two ideas heavily influenced how I approached the session.

Using Dwarven Forge Terrain

For this session, I wanted to make use of my Dwarven Forge terrain collection. I own enough pieces to build most of the dungeon level beneath Broken Spire Keep, and this felt like the perfect opportunity to use it. The courtyard and tower was all drawn on a piece of paper. The Dungeon was build with terrain.

My build Broke Spire Keep session 

When building pre-written dungeons with terrain, I usually try to stay close to the measurements and layouts described in the module. However, that is not always possible. Sometimes I simply do not own the correct pieces, and other times the architecture described in the adventure does not translate perfectly into physical terrain.

Planning the layout

So, like most Dungeon Masters using physical terrain, I adapted where necessary.

I used nearly every dungeon piece I owned to construct the lower levels of the keep. Since Dwarven Forge is expensive, I also want to point out that there are many cheaper alternatives available:

• Terrain from other companies
• Homemade terrain
• Printable terrain systems
• Or simply drawing maps on paper

All of those methods work perfectly fine.

One of the practical challenges during preparation was tracking the number of enemies inside the keep. I wanted a clear overview of how many bandits and monsters could realistically respond if the players triggered a large-scale fight.

To make exploration smoother, I built the dungeon in smaller separated sections instead of constructing the entire dungeon at once. As the players explored new areas, I added additional terrain sections to the table. This worked surprisingly well and allowed the dungeon to unfold gradually in front of the players.

Picture from the session last night

To hide unexplored rooms, I simply placed black cardboard over sections they had not yet discovered. It was a simple solution, but very effective.

Black cardboard used to hide the rooms

Learning the Difference Between Fighters and Thieves

While preparing the encounters, I noticed that most of the bandits in Broken Spire Keep are actually thieves rather than fighters.

That matters far more than I initially realized.

Compared to fighters, thieves generally have:

• Lower hit points
• Worse THAC0 progression
• Less durability in direct combat

During the session, however, I instinctively ran many of them like fighters rather than thieves. I did not properly utilize thief abilities or their more cautious and opportunistic fighting style.

It became very obvious once combat started how large the difference between the classes really is in AD&D 2nd Edition.

That is definitely something I need to remember moving forward.

The evil shrine on pg. 48 in book 1

Beryglus and the Tower Guard

At the end of the previous session, Beryglus had managed to infiltrate the outer area of the keep before being discovered after falling into one of the traps surrounding Broken Spire Keep.

The party decided on a plan:

• Beryglus would silently eliminate the tower guard.
• The rest of the group would enter through the main gate once the tower was secured.

This sequence taught me one of the biggest DM lessons I have had in a long time.

Beryglus successfully:

• Snuck to the tower unnoticed
• Climbed 45 feet silently
• Avoided detection completely
• Reached the guard from behind

The guard stood beside a warning lever that could alert the bandits below. The wooden floor of the tower was unstable, and there was a 20% chance of falling through sections of it while moving around.

Despite all of that, Beryglus managed to approach the guard perfectly.

He then leapt forward and attempted to slit the guard’s throat.

As a 4th-level thief, Beryglus successfully hit with his backstab attack. However, because he used a dagger and lacked significant Strength bonuses, the damage simply was not enough to kill the guard outright.

Another picture from the session

Mechanically, the rules worked exactly as written.

Narratively, however, I realized afterward that I made the wrong call.

I chose to give Beryglus additional surprise rounds because of how perfectly he executed the infiltration. Even then, it still took multiple rounds before the guard finally died. My intention was to make the scene exciting.

During the entire sequence, the other players sat completely absorbed in the scene. Every successful roll created excitement around the table, and Beryglus celebrated every success with growing tension and relief.

The players loved it.

But the day after the session, I realized something important:

I probably should have allowed the guard to die immediately from the throat cut.

Sometimes, as a DM, you should reward a perfectly executed cinematic moment instead of strictly following hit points and mechanics. Had I done that, the scene might have become one of those legendary campaign moments players remember forever.

That was an important lesson for me:
Sometimes narrative payoff matters more than strict adherence to numbers.

Hack & Slash in the Keep

After infiltrating the keep, the session shifted into a much more combat-heavy experience.

AI generated picture of Cedric, Beryglus and Elmrin

The party carved their way through large parts of the resistance surprisingly efficiently. Personally, I am a strong believer that not every encounter needs to be deadly.

Players should sometimes feel:

• Terrified
• Overwhelmed
• Desperate

…but they should also occasionally feel powerful and heroic.

Not every battle needs to push the party to the edge of death.

Some encounters should simply allow the players to feel like competent adventurers.

Ileena Silverleaf

A New Companion

After losing Bilfiis earlier in the campaign, the party now lacks an arcane spellcaster. Since they are also only four players, I decided to introduce an NPC companion they discovered imprisoned in the dungeon below the keep.

An elven bladesinger named:

Ileena Silverleaf from Evereska.

I will talk more about her in a future post.

Knowing When to End a Session

We ended the session just as the party discovered the secret door leading into Ranchefus’ chambers.

At that point, we had been playing since 18:00, and the clock had passed midnight. I was exhausted, and several players had started yawning.

I deliberately chose to stop there.

I wanted the confrontation with Ranchefus to feel memorable and dangerous, and I knew the group deserved that encounter at full energy and focus.

That decision reflects another important lesson I have learned over many years as a DM:

Do not start major encounters when the group is tired.

Ranchefus quarters

The same applies to:

• Important lore reveals
• Story-heavy roleplay scenes
• Major narrative twists

Once players become mentally exhausted, they stop processing information properly. Important details are forgotten, emotional moments lose impact, and combat becomes slower and less exciting.

Sometimes the best decision a DM can make is simply ending the session at the right moment.