The Black Pudding Incident: Why You Never Split the Party

What is the cardinal rule of TTRPGs? That’s right, fellow goblins, never split the party. Whether you are delving a dangerous dungeon or wandering through a hostile wilderness, we all know that splitting the party is the leading cause of character death. But what if you are in a friendly town, in which the party are considered folk heroes? Stuck in the main town of the game, during a Kraken storm that had neatly kept us within the protective walls of Ankor, my party went about a day filled with errands as we planned our next move. Lulled into a false sense of security, my character, the Tiefling Gladiator, Tradonna, stepped away from her party to escort her ward to the safety of the Miners’ Guild Hall.

One Cup of Coffee Couldn’t Hurt

Off the coast of Ankor, a pod of Kraken had gathered for their once-in-a-century mating season, kicking up a storm that pummeled the island with unseasonable blizzards, rain, and winds. Tradonna walked with her young ward, Hank, on her shoulders so that he could play with the orphan gang, that had taken up residence in the Guild Hall, for the day. The rest of the party all went about the day’s business. They checked in on the townspeople and followed up on leads. Meanwhile, Tradonna made sure Hank was settled in and was stopped by Brunholt, the leader of the Miners’ Guild, who offered some coffee and breakfast. But when a cup of coffee turned into a pint of ale, Tradonna let her guard down and talked the morning away with her host.

The Devil in the DM

Driven up from the depths of the flooded mines, a Black Pudding (think a living black ooze) had overtaken the outer wall of a house when the party happened by. Our beloved DM smirked at our revulsion at his description of this amorphous creature. Hodor, the Halfling Oath Breaker (who is also a werewolf), saw the half-eaten stonework and realized what made the Black Pudding so dangerous. He made sure to keep his distance but knew that meant his talent with a war ax was all but useless. Grizzit, our enthusiastic Goblin Ranger, jumped into the fray, immediately regretting her choices as the ooze’s acid damage began to eat away at her weapons and armor. Garth, the enigmatic, masked Human Sorcerer/Ranger, was best positioned for the fight, using his bow and psychic powers to deal as much damage as possible from a distance. But every arrow he shot disappeared into the black mass, leaving us uncertain of their effectiveness. That’s when Grizzit was knocked prone in the grasp of the Pudding. Her armor failed and her hit points plummeted.

We’re in a Tight Spot

After a failed attempt to utilize the massive braziers lining the streets to inflict fire damage against the Pudding, Hodor broke away from the fight and ran for help. Hodor cast Expeditious Retreat to escape the Pudding, but it reached out with a blob-like appendage, missing him by inches. Garth and Grizzit heroically did everything they could to contain the ooze, as it stretched and spread, slamming against the door of another house in its blind fury. All the while, Tradonna was quietly discussing her plans for a Youth Center for the town’s wayward children with Brunholt, until Hodor burst into the Guild Hall to rally the troops. Tradonna, the town elders, and Hodor rushed back to aid the party, but Garth’s efforts had greatly reduced the Pudding by that point. Grizzit had lost her leather armor, but she had survived the encounter with only a few hit points to spare.

The Moral

I have been a DM for almost 20 years. In that time, I have railed against splitting the party, including to this amazing group of people I now play with every Sunday night. The shame I felt at having done the very thing I had cautioned against is deep. However, I have also railed against meta-gaming (reacting to in-game situations of which one’s character would not be aware). So, Tradonna sat there, eating breakfast and pleasantly shooting the breeze with Brunholt, while I, as a player, waited anxiously for one of my comrades to find her and tell her they were in trouble. It was agony. However, it affirms my stance that splitting the party is always a risk. You never know what devilry the DM has up their sleeve and it is easy to assume that a town full of friendly folk is a safe haven. One thing is certain, Tradonna will think twice before leaving her friends in the future.