Instead of our usual "add your scores together to beat this total," or the conventional "X number of successes before Y failures," I tried something different with this week's skill challenge. I gave my players a rather open-ended prompt and challenged them to create a cohesive narrative. If they work together to tell a story, they'll get a reward (a magical item). Otherwise, participation still earns them our home-rule "DM credit" (gives you +2 to any roll or allows you to re-roll any damage die). Here's the story so far...
DM: "What's in the box?"
While searching the corpses of the kobolds you have just slain, you find a sealed box. It is made of wood, stained dark red, and the outside is covered in strange carved images and symbols. It looks somewhat battered, but the construction is sturdy and sound. Initial* attempts to pry it open are unsuccessful. There doesn't seem to be any kind obvious* locking mechanism. It does not have a strongly apparent* magical aura.
*Please note the deliberate use of qualifiers. I'm not trying to say Strength, Thievery, or Arcana won't help. You just know opening the box won't be easy.
Showing posts with label DnD Home Game. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DnD Home Game. Show all posts
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Saturday, March 1, 2014
D&D Puzzle/Trap Room
Arcana Check
Easy: There is an almost overwhelming amount of magical energy filling the entire room.
Moderate: The energy seems to be emanating from the idol itself.
Additionally, to any PC with experience in the Underdark this energy seems a bit familiar. To any gnome PC, the energy is familiar and even welcoming.
If the PCs send someone in first (with some people staying outside), there is a kind of spacial warping effect - they move normally but can't cover the distance between the door and the statue. There are no apparent exits from this room. If the characters decide to give up and leave, you could have them turn around and go back the way they came... only to have the same room appear before them in the other direction. This should suffice to should the PCs that they all must enter the room. As soon as the last one steps inside...
The second you step inside, you feel a slight bump at your back. When you turn around, you see nothing but a smooth wall. A moment later, you blink and find yourselves standing in a semicircle around the illuminated idol.
Religion Check
Easy: This appears to be a gnome deity.
Moderate (or Easy for a gnome PC): This is Calladuran Smoothhands, god of the svirfneblin.
Difficult (or Moderate for a gnome PC): Calladuran Smoothhands is a neutral deity, the god of the darkness beneath the earth, magic, protection, and... trickery. (Mwahahahaha!)
Friday, February 21, 2014
Email Skill Challenge II: A Night In The Caves
Your battle-weary party has chosen to take an extended rest in the caverns surrounding Blingdenstone. Luckily you possess the Exodus Knife, which allows you to cut a doorway into your own little pocket dimension (no need for guard shifts). However, the hazards that lay behind and before you leave your party somewhat agitated. When this happened in the past you had Kismet's Song of Rest to lull you to sleep - but now the only sounds you can hear are the dripping of water off stalactites and the skittering of various cave-dwelling creatures. You feel as if the cold, damp air of the caverns has seeped into your bones, and whenever you are not actively using a light source your eyes struggle to adjust to the otherworldly darkness. This may turn out to be a restless night for you all...
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Gaming Digest
Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.
Regina Fierce and the Alligator's Eye: For my birthday week, my friend Kevin ran a game of Pulp-Era Savage Worlds for us at our favorite local watering hole. I didn't love the pre-gen hero, so I revamped him into a strong black woman named Regina Fierce. Why? BECAUSE IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY, DAMMIT. It's an interesting system - no d20s and combat-light, kind of like the Serenity RPG, and the mechanic of "exploding the dice" had pretty hilarious results. Kevin did a good job of balancing genre tropes (apparently the hallmark of the Savage Worlds system) and meaningful character choices. 9/10, would play again.
Once Upon A Crime: Also for my birthday week, Mac wrote a fairy-tale themed murder mystery party. I played the Evil Queen/detective - I wore an old's bridesmaid's dress with a Party City crown and striped wrist-warmers. In other words, HAWT. My goal was to solve the poisoning of my brother, the Dark Wizard (played by Mac). The characters were hilarious, both in writing and execution, and everyone got really into their costumes. We learned our lessons from earlier murder mysteries, and had little games/activities for people to do while I was detecting (cookie decorating, card games, and "stay dry" apple bobbing). I also realized that I REALLY like playing an evil character, especially when I get to play to lead role at the same time. Should I be worried...?
Regular games (Serenity, D&D: Silver Company, and D&D: Family Ties) after the jump!
Regina Fierce and the Alligator's Eye: For my birthday week, my friend Kevin ran a game of Pulp-Era Savage Worlds for us at our favorite local watering hole. I didn't love the pre-gen hero, so I revamped him into a strong black woman named Regina Fierce. Why? BECAUSE IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY, DAMMIT. It's an interesting system - no d20s and combat-light, kind of like the Serenity RPG, and the mechanic of "exploding the dice" had pretty hilarious results. Kevin did a good job of balancing genre tropes (apparently the hallmark of the Savage Worlds system) and meaningful character choices. 9/10, would play again.
Once Upon A Crime: Also for my birthday week, Mac wrote a fairy-tale themed murder mystery party. I played the Evil Queen/detective - I wore an old's bridesmaid's dress with a Party City crown and striped wrist-warmers. In other words, HAWT. My goal was to solve the poisoning of my brother, the Dark Wizard (played by Mac). The characters were hilarious, both in writing and execution, and everyone got really into their costumes. We learned our lessons from earlier murder mysteries, and had little games/activities for people to do while I was detecting (cookie decorating, card games, and "stay dry" apple bobbing). I also realized that I REALLY like playing an evil character, especially when I get to play to lead role at the same time. Should I be worried...?
Regular games (Serenity, D&D: Silver Company, and D&D: Family Ties) after the jump!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
D&D: Family Ties
The problem with playing D&D as an adult, as I have bemoaned before, is that you have to work around six adult schedules. The problem with playing as a YOUNG adult is that, even when you find a time that works for everyone, some people don't understand the notion of keeping a date book. Of the six people who said they could make it yesterday for D&D, only three showed up (including Maggie, me and Mac - the DM). One of the absentees had a legitimate work conflict that arose earlier in the week. The other two... needless to say, they're getting dangerously close to be being put on my List.
Still, Mac was nice enough to run a short session for us. Our interaction with Rule of Three ends with the magic ring suddenly attaching itself to Kismet's finger (uh-oh) and a gleaming thread emerging from it, which seemed to be invisible to anyone except the party. The party (Kismet the tiefling bard, Valna the half-elf barbarian, and Maggie's other character Marianna the human cleric) followed the thread to one of Sigil's infamous portals, and jumped blindly through. They found themselves in a Githzerai monastery, with the thread leading towards a large Amethyst mountain. The monks warned us about the acid creatures inhabiting the mountain, and equipped us with some ice crystals that could be used against them.
Our first encounter was against a large Ooze and two swarms of insects. Unfortunately, we did not have a controller to do burst/blast attacks - and since swarms resist all other types of damage, it was kind of a cluster. We ended up hand-waving the end of the fight, once we had destroyed the Ooze. Much more successful was our second encounter, versus a different kind of Ooze as well as a MOTHERLOVIN' DINOSAUR. I love this game.
Still, Mac was nice enough to run a short session for us. Our interaction with Rule of Three ends with the magic ring suddenly attaching itself to Kismet's finger (uh-oh) and a gleaming thread emerging from it, which seemed to be invisible to anyone except the party. The party (Kismet the tiefling bard, Valna the half-elf barbarian, and Maggie's other character Marianna the human cleric) followed the thread to one of Sigil's infamous portals, and jumped blindly through. They found themselves in a Githzerai monastery, with the thread leading towards a large Amethyst mountain. The monks warned us about the acid creatures inhabiting the mountain, and equipped us with some ice crystals that could be used against them.
Our first encounter was against a large Ooze and two swarms of insects. Unfortunately, we did not have a controller to do burst/blast attacks - and since swarms resist all other types of damage, it was kind of a cluster. We ended up hand-waving the end of the fight, once we had destroyed the Ooze. Much more successful was our second encounter, versus a different kind of Ooze as well as a MOTHERLOVIN' DINOSAUR. I love this game.
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| See what you guys missed out on?!? |
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Epic D&D Day
Today I had two D&D games - one for my own group, one for the group Mac runs. I'm currently running a pre-gen module called The Last Breaths of Ashenport. My PCs, as members of the Silver Company, have been dispatched to Ashenport to investigate the rumors that every year around this time, travelers to Ashenport mysteriously disappear. The flavor of the module is distinctly Lovecraftian, and I thought it would be excellent for this time of year. To add to the atmosphere, I played the Spooky Symphonies Pandora station on my laptop. It was horror, and it was terrific! It was HORRIFIC! Wait...
In the first session of this adventure, our PCs made their way to Ashenport in the driving rain and immediately sought shelter at the well-appointed Smooth Sailing Tavern and Inn. They find that the inn is all but full with various treasure seekers and merchants, along with their bodyguards. Everyone settles in for the night without incident. But then! In the middle of the night a strange call is heard emerging from the ocean. Many cannot resist it's song, and are compelled to walk towards the ocean (no doubt, to drown). I didn't feel like printing all the maps for this adventure, but luckily I had a large-scale town map for the PCs to use. In order to snap their friends and the other traveler at the inn out of their trance, every adventurer who was aware had to attack their allies and the NPCs. Heh, that was fun.
To make a long story short (too late) the party quickly realizes that no townspeople seem to be affected by this call. They intimidate a frightened villager into revealing that a ritual is being performed that will protect the town and preserve its prosperity. The site of the ritual is the Gleaming Dawn church - before the PCs could act of this information, another call sounded. They rushed back to the inn to help save their fellow travelers (securing promised rewards for their efforts). On their way to the church, they were ambushed by abhorrent fish-men, foul creations spat up by whatever evil lurks beneath the waters of Ashenport.
In today's session, the PCs finally made it to the church - well, to the base of the hill the church sits upon. I decided to throw in a modified version of this puzzle challenge (source: The Player's DM, Puzzle of the Week), just to make the trip up more interesting than a simple Athletics check. My players did well, though not everyone could understand the puzzle. I feel like puzzles and riddles can be hit or miss, but are generally well-received by my group.
Once inside the church, the party fought two tough battles and made their way through a trapped corridor. They ended up taking a lot of damage and were running out of healing surges, so tension was high (yay). They decided to take an extended rest in an easily-defensible area of the dungeon - a small study off the trapped corridor. The module implies that the ritual is happening that night, but I can't imagine them going on without a rest. I will probably just hand-wave that the ritual is still ongoing when they emerge from their rest. Or will I? Dun dun DUNNNNNNN.
Next post: Mac's game!
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| Visit scenic Ashenport at least once (immediately) before you die! |
In the first session of this adventure, our PCs made their way to Ashenport in the driving rain and immediately sought shelter at the well-appointed Smooth Sailing Tavern and Inn. They find that the inn is all but full with various treasure seekers and merchants, along with their bodyguards. Everyone settles in for the night without incident. But then! In the middle of the night a strange call is heard emerging from the ocean. Many cannot resist it's song, and are compelled to walk towards the ocean (no doubt, to drown). I didn't feel like printing all the maps for this adventure, but luckily I had a large-scale town map for the PCs to use. In order to snap their friends and the other traveler at the inn out of their trance, every adventurer who was aware had to attack their allies and the NPCs. Heh, that was fun.
To make a long story short (too late) the party quickly realizes that no townspeople seem to be affected by this call. They intimidate a frightened villager into revealing that a ritual is being performed that will protect the town and preserve its prosperity. The site of the ritual is the Gleaming Dawn church - before the PCs could act of this information, another call sounded. They rushed back to the inn to help save their fellow travelers (securing promised rewards for their efforts). On their way to the church, they were ambushed by abhorrent fish-men, foul creations spat up by whatever evil lurks beneath the waters of Ashenport.
 |
| GROSS. |
In today's session, the PCs finally made it to the church - well, to the base of the hill the church sits upon. I decided to throw in a modified version of this puzzle challenge (source: The Player's DM, Puzzle of the Week), just to make the trip up more interesting than a simple Athletics check. My players did well, though not everyone could understand the puzzle. I feel like puzzles and riddles can be hit or miss, but are generally well-received by my group.
Once inside the church, the party fought two tough battles and made their way through a trapped corridor. They ended up taking a lot of damage and were running out of healing surges, so tension was high (yay). They decided to take an extended rest in an easily-defensible area of the dungeon - a small study off the trapped corridor. The module implies that the ritual is happening that night, but I can't imagine them going on without a rest. I will probably just hand-wave that the ritual is still ongoing when they emerge from their rest. Or will I? Dun dun DUNNNNNNN.
Next post: Mac's game!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Update on Family Ties (Mac's Campaign)
The last time this group met in person, we found our way to Sigil (the City of Doors) via the Feywild. If you recall, we are on a quest to rescue my character's uncle from the depths of the Abyss. Our first task was to find a porter to help us find "the Rule of Three." Our friend Tyler actually came on to voice one of the porters and help us complete the skill challenge - he decided to play the 8-year old street urchin as a fall-down drunk, to hilarious effect. Our porter provided map of Sigil telling us where to find "the Rule of Three." We rested for the night and got the help from some locals to figure out the map, which sounds like something we should just be able to do - until you realize Sigil looks like this:
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| Yes, it is a torus with bulidings covering the entire interior surface. It's like a dooughnut with a dense urban filling. Yum? |
And now, posted without DM permission, is the next step in our adventure!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Finding The Path To Sigil
Here's the latest skill challenge in Mac's campaign. I am always impressed at the creativity of my DM and all my fellow PCs - and now you can be, too!
Professor Finchley and Erek the Mage await you all in the library of Brilidien. Finchley speaks.
"Adventurers! It is a great task you have taken upon yourselves. Your journeys to find the answers you seek will lie far beyond this world, to the Center of the Universe itself.
"I can give you this starting advice; I have tended this library for many, many decades, and there is only one scrap of information here from which to start your research. The race of Ettin are two-headed giants, typically enormously stupid. A long time ago, one was born of surpassing brilliance. The two heads were smart enough to plot against each other, and one night, while one head slept, the other cast a ritual to try and draw magic from the Abyss. The energy he unleashed blasted the head off his shoulder, and the backlash drove the other head mad. He lived for one month, during which time he spoke in riddles. An eladrin mage contained him, and wrote down all he said; much of it has been proven true, and all of it pertains to the Abyss. Ours is a small kingdom, very much rooted to this world, and our library's knowledge of the other planes will not be extensive. The one page I have, copied from that mage's notes, is your best bet."
He holds up a piece of paper, burned around the edges, trapped between panes of glass.
"Not much directly relates to you, but this might help; 'To retrieve that which the Abyss has taken from you, you must travel to Sigil, City of Doors, and find the Rule-of-Three'. Not much to go on, I know. But it is one clear destination.
"Our services are at your disposal. We will each do whatever we can to help you find your way across the planes to Sigil."
Professor Finchley and Erek the Mage await you all in the library of Brilidien. Finchley speaks.
"Adventurers! It is a great task you have taken upon yourselves. Your journeys to find the answers you seek will lie far beyond this world, to the Center of the Universe itself.
"I can give you this starting advice; I have tended this library for many, many decades, and there is only one scrap of information here from which to start your research. The race of Ettin are two-headed giants, typically enormously stupid. A long time ago, one was born of surpassing brilliance. The two heads were smart enough to plot against each other, and one night, while one head slept, the other cast a ritual to try and draw magic from the Abyss. The energy he unleashed blasted the head off his shoulder, and the backlash drove the other head mad. He lived for one month, during which time he spoke in riddles. An eladrin mage contained him, and wrote down all he said; much of it has been proven true, and all of it pertains to the Abyss. Ours is a small kingdom, very much rooted to this world, and our library's knowledge of the other planes will not be extensive. The one page I have, copied from that mage's notes, is your best bet."
He holds up a piece of paper, burned around the edges, trapped between panes of glass.
"Not much directly relates to you, but this might help; 'To retrieve that which the Abyss has taken from you, you must travel to Sigil, City of Doors, and find the Rule-of-Three'. Not much to go on, I know. But it is one clear destination.
"Our services are at your disposal. We will each do whatever we can to help you find your way across the planes to Sigil."
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
D&D Trouble in Brilidien
At the end of our successful skill challenge, we got 5 temp hp for the first battle as well as some acid damage dealing range weapons from the lizardfolk. Awesome! I wrote this for Kismet's reunion with his adventuring party:
Kismet has used his influence at the turnip festival to obtain horses for him and his entourage. Just as they approach the final stretch of road towards Brilidien, he sees a familiar figure astride a enormous dragonfly. Spurring his horse into a gallop, he calls out, "Stumbleduck!" She looks around and, with a huge grin on her face, turns Glitterstitch to fly directly at him. At the last possible moment, when it seems a collision is inevitable, she disperses Glitterstitch and leaps into her bestie's arms. Kismet manages to stay in the saddle, but only barely, and the two laugh their fool heads off. In other words, EPIC HUG ATTACK!
Once they have recovered, Kismet explains that his mother Celle has sent him a letter urging him to come home. Stumbleduck tells him she has received a similar missive from her former master. Kismet dismounts to exchanges a less exuberant but no less sincere handshake with Valna. Stumbleduck then introduces Kismet to Heian, Travok, and Bishop. Something flashes in his eyes when he greets the dragonborn, but his smile never waivers.
Kismet has used his influence at the turnip festival to obtain horses for him and his entourage. Just as they approach the final stretch of road towards Brilidien, he sees a familiar figure astride a enormous dragonfly. Spurring his horse into a gallop, he calls out, "Stumbleduck!" She looks around and, with a huge grin on her face, turns Glitterstitch to fly directly at him. At the last possible moment, when it seems a collision is inevitable, she disperses Glitterstitch and leaps into her bestie's arms. Kismet manages to stay in the saddle, but only barely, and the two laugh their fool heads off. In other words, EPIC HUG ATTACK!
Once they have recovered, Kismet explains that his mother Celle has sent him a letter urging him to come home. Stumbleduck tells him she has received a similar missive from her former master. Kismet dismounts to exchanges a less exuberant but no less sincere handshake with Valna. Stumbleduck then introduces Kismet to Heian, Travok, and Bishop. Something flashes in his eyes when he greets the dragonborn, but his smile never waivers.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Journey to Brilidien: Heian
The final member of our party is Paul, who is playing an elf ranger named Heian. His back story is still something of a mystery, but here's Paul's response to Mac's skill challenge:
As Travok returns to the fireside, Heian excuses himself and slips into the surrounding forest. This may be the last chance to enjoy his natural environment for some time, and Heian wants to make the most of it.
Heian starts his wandering spiraling out from the camp, keeping the ever-shrinking glow of the fire on his right. When the voices and dancing shadows are barely noticable, he stops and listens to the sounds of nature. He can hear the sound of a deer looking for a place to sleep and a badger that is just waking up for the night. When the wind rustles the leaves, Heian catches a glimpse of bright blue in the moonlight from one of the trees above, and smiles to himself.
Minutes later Heian walks back into the firelight with a dozen pheasants dressed, seasoned (using natural herbs), and ready to be roasted. "I didn't realize that my desire to spend time among the trees while we can would lead me to spending time beneath a pheasant roost."
Nature: 26
With everyone's contributions, we beat the "hard" difficulty for the skill challenge - hooray! We were rewarded thusly:
As Travok returns to the fireside, Heian excuses himself and slips into the surrounding forest. This may be the last chance to enjoy his natural environment for some time, and Heian wants to make the most of it.
Heian starts his wandering spiraling out from the camp, keeping the ever-shrinking glow of the fire on his right. When the voices and dancing shadows are barely noticable, he stops and listens to the sounds of nature. He can hear the sound of a deer looking for a place to sleep and a badger that is just waking up for the night. When the wind rustles the leaves, Heian catches a glimpse of bright blue in the moonlight from one of the trees above, and smiles to himself.
Minutes later Heian walks back into the firelight with a dozen pheasants dressed, seasoned (using natural herbs), and ready to be roasted. "I didn't realize that my desire to spend time among the trees while we can would lead me to spending time beneath a pheasant roost."
Nature: 26
With everyone's contributions, we beat the "hard" difficulty for the skill challenge - hooray! We were rewarded thusly:
Journey to Brilidien: Travok
Perhaps Reuven's character summary says it all:
Travok. Dwarf. Axe-swinger.
You'd think that a simple character like that wouldn't have much to say/do in a skill challenge. Well, you would be WRONG. Here is Reuven's epic response to Mac's challenge:
Travok. Dwarf. Axe-swinger.
You'd think that a simple character like that wouldn't have much to say/do in a skill challenge. Well, you would be WRONG. Here is Reuven's epic response to Mac's challenge:
Journey to Brilidien: Kismet
And now, submitted without comment, is my contribution to the skill challenge:
Kismet is making excellent time towards Brilidien, and everywhere he stops he hears tales of his boon companions Valna and Stumbleduck, who have apparently joined forces with several other adventurers. At a local turnip festival, he meets up with his entourage - Tancha, Shirk, and Berg. They are, of course, thrilled to see him and eager to hear of his adventures in the Kadagast mountains. They have secured lodging in the hayloft of a barn (since all the inns were full) and the four spend the night in comfort and merriment. However, in the morning Kismet is distressed to find that he has lost his friends' trail.
So he goes to the organizer of the turnip festival and tries to strike a bargain. He will write and perform a selection of songs dedicated to a certain root vegetable, if he will be allowed to make an announcement asking after his friends. The organizer agrees, and Kismet and his groupies get to work. They commandeer a stage (built by the festival for awards presentation), and the everyone in town gathers for the performance. After his set (and the encore, and the second encore) Kismet describes Stumbleduck and Valna in detail and asks if anyone has seen adventurers matching their description.
Diplomacy: 21
At this point, we had fulfilled the "moderate" threshold for the skill challenge. Mac picked up the story with the main party in the swamp.
Kismet is making excellent time towards Brilidien, and everywhere he stops he hears tales of his boon companions Valna and Stumbleduck, who have apparently joined forces with several other adventurers. At a local turnip festival, he meets up with his entourage - Tancha, Shirk, and Berg. They are, of course, thrilled to see him and eager to hear of his adventures in the Kadagast mountains. They have secured lodging in the hayloft of a barn (since all the inns were full) and the four spend the night in comfort and merriment. However, in the morning Kismet is distressed to find that he has lost his friends' trail.
So he goes to the organizer of the turnip festival and tries to strike a bargain. He will write and perform a selection of songs dedicated to a certain root vegetable, if he will be allowed to make an announcement asking after his friends. The organizer agrees, and Kismet and his groupies get to work. They commandeer a stage (built by the festival for awards presentation), and the everyone in town gathers for the performance. After his set (and the encore, and the second encore) Kismet describes Stumbleduck and Valna in detail and asks if anyone has seen adventurers matching their description.
Diplomacy: 21
At this point, we had fulfilled the "moderate" threshold for the skill challenge. Mac picked up the story with the main party in the swamp.
Journey to Brilidien: Bishop
And now, here's Kevin's response to the skill challenge. He has DM'ed his own campaign, so he's incredibly creative - as you'll see below, he took Maggie's idea and ran with it. First, however, some back story:
Bishop is a very old Dragonborn. His scales are mottled and a silvery grey due to age. In his prime, he was a great Paladin in Bahamut's order. However, Bishop has long since been retired, content to maintain a peaceful watch over the farming community he calls home. It seems though that Bahamut still has a mission for Bishop in his later years as an old voice came to him to have him take up his craghammer one again, begrudgingly so.
His sense of duty, whether it truly is a calling or senility playing tricks on the mind, compels him forward.
Now, part II of the skill challenge:
Bishop is a very old Dragonborn. His scales are mottled and a silvery grey due to age. In his prime, he was a great Paladin in Bahamut's order. However, Bishop has long since been retired, content to maintain a peaceful watch over the farming community he calls home. It seems though that Bahamut still has a mission for Bishop in his later years as an old voice came to him to have him take up his craghammer one again, begrudgingly so.
His sense of duty, whether it truly is a calling or senility playing tricks on the mind, compels him forward.
Now, part II of the skill challenge:
Journey to Brilidien: Valna
Maggie was the first to respond to Mac's skill challenge. This was awesome because, when we're doing this during our sessions, Maggie is usually the least excited about skill challenges. First, here's a little bit more about her character:
Valna is a half-elf babarian. She's not too bright, and is happiest outside in nature (sometimes as herself, sometimes as a bear), stabbing bad guys, and sexing up the local hot guys and girls. She tends to act first and think later (if at all) and prefers to just charge into a room and start killing things. Oh, she also tends to fall into rages... but has learned to limit her anger to the battlefield.
She's been with Stumbleduck and Kismet for a while now and is very loyal and protective of them in a big (very big) sister kind of way. She's pretty accepting of all these new folks - as long as they also like to kill bad guys they'll get along great.
And here is Maggie's response to the Skill Challenge:
Valna is a half-elf babarian. She's not too bright, and is happiest outside in nature (sometimes as herself, sometimes as a bear), stabbing bad guys, and sexing up the local hot guys and girls. She tends to act first and think later (if at all) and prefers to just charge into a room and start killing things. Oh, she also tends to fall into rages... but has learned to limit her anger to the battlefield.
She's been with Stumbleduck and Kismet for a while now and is very loyal and protective of them in a big (very big) sister kind of way. She's pretty accepting of all these new folks - as long as they also like to kill bad guys they'll get along great.
And here is Maggie's response to the Skill Challenge:
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Journey to Brilidien
The hardest part about playing D&D is often finding a time to play. Take six busy adults' schedules, subtract work hours and other commitments, account for travel time and that pesky need to sleep, and you end up with surprisingly few hours to work with. One solution is to do some of the noncombat roleplaying/skill challenges via email. In Mac's current (untitled) adventure, we are working on getting back to the Kingdom of Brilidien, where Kismet and Stumbleduck grew up. Kismet was separated from the party (while I was DM), and so he has to play catch-up. Below the cut is the prompt Mac originally sent.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Silver Company: Dunsmere Ruins II
Here is the recap for the home campaign session I ran yesterday, with DM color commentary (DMCC) in italics. If you are one of my PCs and have had enough of my comments for one week, you can skip those bits. Cool?
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When last we left our adventurers, they were investigating a disturbance at Dunsemere Ruins. They found and dispatched a pack of gnolls and their pet hyenas. Lo and behold, the gnolls had captured a pair of half-orc siblings - Bree and Ugarth (played by our friends Dori and David, who were just joining the group this session). The convinced these newcomers to join their group, if not the Silver Company (the oath of loyalty seemed to be a sticking point). The final tower of Dunsmere Ruins opened to reveal a Barlgura demon performing a dark ritual.
DMCC: Not to pick favorites, but our eladrin wizard Aranelle (played by my friend Rachel) was a total superstar this session! In game, Aranelle used her powers wisely and controlled the board like a BOSS. Out of game, Rachel planned her turns beautifully. I use a timer to try to keep things on track - Rachel's turns typically took 15 seconds OR LESS. This is especially remarkable for the controller role, which tends to be more complicated.
DMCC: I was also impressed by our new players jumping into the game. David had played D&D in a previous edition, and Dori had observed a game with us a while back - so they knew some basics. I created Essentials characters for them, which are much simpler but just as effective. I also had them come over an hour early so we could cover some game mechanics, do a couple practice rounds, etc.
After defeating the Barlgura and the remaining gnolls, the PCs investigate the site of the dark ritual. They find a level 11 magic item, which they use several skill checks to purify. They also discover that this portal was not meant to bring something here from the Abyss, but rather to send things away. In searching the bodies from the previous battle, they find that they do not bear the primal magic totems that have been cropping up on monsters all over Corbais. Curiouser and curiouser...
DMCC: I find it easier to allow the party to decide who gets the magic item, and then let that PC pick an item of the appropriate level. This allows items to be distributed more evenly - the question becomes, "who needs an item?" rather than, "who can use this particular item?" I think the party decided to give the item to our dryad ranger Iriena (played by Katja).
On the way back to the Eastern Outpost, the party runs into a humble cabbage merchant. His entire shipment of prize-winning produce has been stolen, and he will pay handsomely to have it retrieved. The merchant strikes a deal with the Silver Company commander, Ingrid, and after replenishing some of their stores the party strikes out once again into the forest. There is an obvious trail where the cabbages have been dragged away, which leads to a graveyard. Of course it does.
The merchant's description of the bandits - gray-skinned with strange tattoos - suddenly makes sense when the party comes upon a group of shadar-kai. The PCs take quite a beating at the hands of the shadar-kai, their spectral panther, and some rot scarab swarms disturbed by the battle. In the end, of course, they arise triumphant. They don't have much time to rest - without a doubt, more trouble is lurking deeper within the graveyard.
DMCC: I decided gave the PCs an option - if they forgo the healing portion of the rest (they'd still get their encounter powers back), they can get a surprise round in the next encounter. I know this kind of improvisation can backfire, but I just like trying new things. The party opted for the surprise round, so things are about to get a mite interesting. *eyebrow waggle*
--
When last we left our adventurers, they were investigating a disturbance at Dunsemere Ruins. They found and dispatched a pack of gnolls and their pet hyenas. Lo and behold, the gnolls had captured a pair of half-orc siblings - Bree and Ugarth (played by our friends Dori and David, who were just joining the group this session). The convinced these newcomers to join their group, if not the Silver Company (the oath of loyalty seemed to be a sticking point). The final tower of Dunsmere Ruins opened to reveal a Barlgura demon performing a dark ritual.
 |
| Are these guys smart enough to performed a ritual? Probably not, but whatevs. |
DMCC: Not to pick favorites, but our eladrin wizard Aranelle (played by my friend Rachel) was a total superstar this session! In game, Aranelle used her powers wisely and controlled the board like a BOSS. Out of game, Rachel planned her turns beautifully. I use a timer to try to keep things on track - Rachel's turns typically took 15 seconds OR LESS. This is especially remarkable for the controller role, which tends to be more complicated.
 |
| Spell-casting with the QUICKNESS. |
DMCC: I was also impressed by our new players jumping into the game. David had played D&D in a previous edition, and Dori had observed a game with us a while back - so they knew some basics. I created Essentials characters for them, which are much simpler but just as effective. I also had them come over an hour early so we could cover some game mechanics, do a couple practice rounds, etc.
After defeating the Barlgura and the remaining gnolls, the PCs investigate the site of the dark ritual. They find a level 11 magic item, which they use several skill checks to purify. They also discover that this portal was not meant to bring something here from the Abyss, but rather to send things away. In searching the bodies from the previous battle, they find that they do not bear the primal magic totems that have been cropping up on monsters all over Corbais. Curiouser and curiouser...
DMCC: I find it easier to allow the party to decide who gets the magic item, and then let that PC pick an item of the appropriate level. This allows items to be distributed more evenly - the question becomes, "who needs an item?" rather than, "who can use this particular item?" I think the party decided to give the item to our dryad ranger Iriena (played by Katja).
On the way back to the Eastern Outpost, the party runs into a humble cabbage merchant. His entire shipment of prize-winning produce has been stolen, and he will pay handsomely to have it retrieved. The merchant strikes a deal with the Silver Company commander, Ingrid, and after replenishing some of their stores the party strikes out once again into the forest. There is an obvious trail where the cabbages have been dragged away, which leads to a graveyard. Of course it does.
The merchant's description of the bandits - gray-skinned with strange tattoos - suddenly makes sense when the party comes upon a group of shadar-kai. The PCs take quite a beating at the hands of the shadar-kai, their spectral panther, and some rot scarab swarms disturbed by the battle. In the end, of course, they arise triumphant. They don't have much time to rest - without a doubt, more trouble is lurking deeper within the graveyard.
DMCC: I decided gave the PCs an option - if they forgo the healing portion of the rest (they'd still get their encounter powers back), they can get a surprise round in the next encounter. I know this kind of improvisation can backfire, but I just like trying new things. The party opted for the surprise round, so things are about to get a mite interesting. *eyebrow waggle*
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Touch of Madness: The Thrilling Conclusion!
After a day and a half of Otakon, a late-night party, an early brunch, and a fringe festival play - all in quick succession - I think it's safe to say I was exhausted when it came time to DM my final "Touch of Madness" session. So I want to start this post with an apology to my players: I'm sorry I was short with you all. It wasn't anything you did, and I wasn't mad. I was just. So. Tired.
And so you don't think I'm a terrible DM, note that I had just hand-waved them all up to level 11 - Paragon Tier. Dun dun dun! At this point, PCs have (theoretically) slugged their way through ten levels of combats and challenges. They've explored their world, defeating evil and protecting innocence, and have made a name for themselves. Now they're ready to graduate from small-time adventuring and tackle even bigger Big Bads. Part of that transition includes selecting a Paragon Path, which will shape how their character develops from now on.
This choice was easy for Mac and me - we have been discussing our paragon paths for yonks. I didn't realize I'd be throwing some of my other players into something of a conundrum. Here was a character that they'd only played a handful of times, and now they had to make this huge decision. In the end, I'm sure everyone (including me) picked the path with the biggest mechanical benefit. As much as I enjoy the RP in RPGs, I came to win.
I'm glad I did have them level up, however, because the final boss battle was HARD. Two out of the four adventurers died (I let them come back in with secondary characters) and I ended up having one of the monsters just lose interest and leave. They probably could have made it without these concessions and probably without TPK, but again - it was late, I was tired. In retrospect, it feel like the Touch of Madness campaign ended for us not with a bang, but with a whimper. Luckily, I can guarantee the DM is going to be more energetic for next session... because Mac will be taking over!
 |
| When I haven't gotten enough sleep, I can be a real bitch. Just kidding - Maggie was dog-sitting that weekend. Meet Max the Dungeon Mutt! |
And so you don't think I'm a terrible DM, note that I had just hand-waved them all up to level 11 - Paragon Tier. Dun dun dun! At this point, PCs have (theoretically) slugged their way through ten levels of combats and challenges. They've explored their world, defeating evil and protecting innocence, and have made a name for themselves. Now they're ready to graduate from small-time adventuring and tackle even bigger Big Bads. Part of that transition includes selecting a Paragon Path, which will shape how their character develops from now on.
This choice was easy for Mac and me - we have been discussing our paragon paths for yonks. I didn't realize I'd be throwing some of my other players into something of a conundrum. Here was a character that they'd only played a handful of times, and now they had to make this huge decision. In the end, I'm sure everyone (including me) picked the path with the biggest mechanical benefit. As much as I enjoy the RP in RPGs, I came to win.
I'm glad I did have them level up, however, because the final boss battle was HARD. Two out of the four adventurers died (I let them come back in with secondary characters) and I ended up having one of the monsters just lose interest and leave. They probably could have made it without these concessions and probably without TPK, but again - it was late, I was tired. In retrospect, it feel like the Touch of Madness campaign ended for us not with a bang, but with a whimper. Luckily, I can guarantee the DM is going to be more energetic for next session... because Mac will be taking over!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Silver Company: Dunsmere Ruins
With a group that only meets once a month, I find it helpful to give a
quick summary of the story so far. However, I often struggle with recaps because I don't want to give too much away - if I only tell them
what's crucial to the plot, how will I fool them with red herrings in
the future? I usually compromise by telling them everything they need to
know for right now, with a sprinkling of useless/useful facts.
Back story: There is trouble in the county of Corbais – monsters are making unusually aggressive attacks on towns and villages. In defending Corbais, you have met many interesting characters: a gnome innkeeper named Findle Wimrocket, a capricious pixie known as Mistlethrush, a mysterious swamp witch and a retired half-orc adventurer, Reis Uleka. In order to combat the monsters, Reis has put together a fighting force called the Silver Company, of which you are all members. Two of you are Lance Corporals stationed out of the Eastern Outpost, under the guidance of a half-elf named Ingrid. The rest of you are Privates who have just been dispatched to the outpost. From there, you will all proceed to investigate rumors of a disturbance in Dunsmere ruins. Located just outside of the tiny village of Vervaine, the ruins were once the summer castle of some long-dead noble who had too much money and not enough sense. Now the villagers, a superstitious and solitary bunch, have reported some kind of disturbance in the ruins.
We had a strong showing to this session - a total of six 8th-level PCs and two observers. Here's the party line-up:
Silver Company PFCs
Aranelle (Rachel) the eladrin wizard
Elora (Carly) the halfling rouge
Marianna (Maggie) the human cleric
Shun Wei (Kelly) the dragonborn paladin
Silver Company LCs
Aukan (Alex*) the goliath barbarian
Iriena (Katja) the dryad ranger
The party sneaked into the courtyard of the ruins and found a sleeping guard dog... well, Cacklefiend Hyena. To-may-to, to-mah-to. When they attacked the hyena, it yelped awake and alerted the Gnolls within the ruins to attack. I did a big dramatic entrance for the HBIC - a Gnoll Demon Scourge. I was standing up out of my seat, swinging an imaginary flail over my head, and making (a very ominous, I assure you) "whum... whum... whum..." sound. I rolled my big light-up d20 - critical hit! I felt like the Universe was rewarding me for good flavor text.
The PCs progressed into the upper level of the ruins, only to be trapped in a corridor by a Harpy and her minions. But the rolls were not in my favor in this encounter, and soon the Gnolls' numbers were so reduced that they could no longer use their pack attack feature to do extra damage. No one fell unconscious, though I think I brought most of them down to bloodied at one point or another. A couple of my PCs dropped Daily Powers - which is completely appropriate, since at this level you shouldn't be able to save everything for the boss fight. Speaking of which...
Next time, on Silver Company: Dunsmere Ruins Boss Fight!
Back story: There is trouble in the county of Corbais – monsters are making unusually aggressive attacks on towns and villages. In defending Corbais, you have met many interesting characters: a gnome innkeeper named Findle Wimrocket, a capricious pixie known as Mistlethrush, a mysterious swamp witch and a retired half-orc adventurer, Reis Uleka. In order to combat the monsters, Reis has put together a fighting force called the Silver Company, of which you are all members. Two of you are Lance Corporals stationed out of the Eastern Outpost, under the guidance of a half-elf named Ingrid. The rest of you are Privates who have just been dispatched to the outpost. From there, you will all proceed to investigate rumors of a disturbance in Dunsmere ruins. Located just outside of the tiny village of Vervaine, the ruins were once the summer castle of some long-dead noble who had too much money and not enough sense. Now the villagers, a superstitious and solitary bunch, have reported some kind of disturbance in the ruins.
We had a strong showing to this session - a total of six 8th-level PCs and two observers. Here's the party line-up:
 |
| *Token Male. |
Silver Company PFCs
Aranelle (Rachel) the eladrin wizard
Elora (Carly) the halfling rouge
Marianna (Maggie) the human cleric
Shun Wei (Kelly) the dragonborn paladin
Silver Company LCs
Aukan (Alex*) the goliath barbarian
Iriena (Katja) the dryad ranger
The party sneaked into the courtyard of the ruins and found a sleeping guard dog... well, Cacklefiend Hyena. To-may-to, to-mah-to. When they attacked the hyena, it yelped awake and alerted the Gnolls within the ruins to attack. I did a big dramatic entrance for the HBIC - a Gnoll Demon Scourge. I was standing up out of my seat, swinging an imaginary flail over my head, and making (a very ominous, I assure you) "whum... whum... whum..." sound. I rolled my big light-up d20 - critical hit! I felt like the Universe was rewarding me for good flavor text.
The PCs progressed into the upper level of the ruins, only to be trapped in a corridor by a Harpy and her minions. But the rolls were not in my favor in this encounter, and soon the Gnolls' numbers were so reduced that they could no longer use their pack attack feature to do extra damage. No one fell unconscious, though I think I brought most of them down to bloodied at one point or another. A couple of my PCs dropped Daily Powers - which is completely appropriate, since at this level you shouldn't be able to save everything for the boss fight. Speaking of which...
Next time, on Silver Company: Dunsmere Ruins Boss Fight!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
A Bard's Tail: Kismet's Journey
In one of my home campaigns, my friend Mac and I switch off DM duties. When I am not running the game, I play a Tiefling Bard named Kismet - I consider him my "main." I love him to pieces, and he is so much fun to roleplay. He's grandiloquent, sometimes to the point of foppishness, but there is a darkness lurking just beneath his polished surface. Kismet's back story can be found on our Obsidian Portal site (link).
Currently (while I'm DMing), Kismet is on a solitary journey through the Kadagast Mountains, in search of the ruins of Bael Turath - the tiefling empire - exploring his heritage. His adventures bring him into contact with other teifling pilgrims, and for the first time he is surrounded by his own people. A lifetime as outcasts has made many of them bitter, and their suffering affects Kismet greatly. He begins to think that life might not be an epic adventure, and a seed of misanthropy enters his heart (setting up for his Cunning Prevaricator paragon path).
At the same time, his nobility and romanticism wins him a special place in his new friends' hearts. While his own lineage has been lost to the ages, he records the histories of everyone he meets, building them into a enormous compendium. Kismet being Kismet, he sets most of the stories to song - inadvertantly beginning an oral tradition that preserves and disseminates knowledge about the tiefling race that was all but lost after the fall of Bael Turath.
Eventually, he will become a household name wherever tieflings meet - Kith and Kin Kismet, since he wants to know all about your kith and kin (setting up for his Heir to the Empire epic destiny). A few even go so far to send him letters with their family stories, with requests that he pen another ballad in their honor. These usually end up being forwarded back to his home, the old library where he grew up. His mother is touched at his interest in this heritage, and the head librarian is surprised and proud at his thirst for knowledge. Both feel certain that Kismet is destined for great things.
Currently (while I'm DMing), Kismet is on a solitary journey through the Kadagast Mountains, in search of the ruins of Bael Turath - the tiefling empire - exploring his heritage. His adventures bring him into contact with other teifling pilgrims, and for the first time he is surrounded by his own people. A lifetime as outcasts has made many of them bitter, and their suffering affects Kismet greatly. He begins to think that life might not be an epic adventure, and a seed of misanthropy enters his heart (setting up for his Cunning Prevaricator paragon path).
At the same time, his nobility and romanticism wins him a special place in his new friends' hearts. While his own lineage has been lost to the ages, he records the histories of everyone he meets, building them into a enormous compendium. Kismet being Kismet, he sets most of the stories to song - inadvertantly beginning an oral tradition that preserves and disseminates knowledge about the tiefling race that was all but lost after the fall of Bael Turath.
Eventually, he will become a household name wherever tieflings meet - Kith and Kin Kismet, since he wants to know all about your kith and kin (setting up for his Heir to the Empire epic destiny). A few even go so far to send him letters with their family stories, with requests that he pen another ballad in their honor. These usually end up being forwarded back to his home, the old library where he grew up. His mother is touched at his interest in this heritage, and the head librarian is surprised and proud at his thirst for knowledge. Both feel certain that Kismet is destined for great things.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Touch of Madness Campaign, Con'td
On Sunday I met with a couple of my players for the next installment of Touch of Madness. We had some last-minute cancellations, but because of our dual-character system we were able to forge ahead with just two PCs. Spoilers ahoy!
An interesting facet of this particular module is that several of the "bad guys" - the Stormcrows - are actually victims of the "touch of madness" themselves, and therefore can be saved. So far, we have rescued three out of the four Stormcrows (if the PCs remember to go back and collect them on their way out, that is). As an aside, IMHO the two female NPCs seemed more salvageable than the male NPCs. Is this an indication of the "damsel in distress" mentality on my part? Or on the part of the writers of the story? Anyway, something to think about.
In this session, the PCs advanced into the second level of the Forlorn Tower. They met two more of the Stormcrow mercenaries, and they confirmed that the Tear of Ioun is no longer there. However, since their primary goal is to protect the town of Wellspring from this tower's monsters, it makes sense to continue. I think we've got about one more session left, but I'm getting a bit nervous. With our spotty attendance, I'm not sure that all of my PCs are going to be at a high enough level to deal with the final battle. Will this be my first TPK???
An interesting facet of this particular module is that several of the "bad guys" - the Stormcrows - are actually victims of the "touch of madness" themselves, and therefore can be saved. So far, we have rescued three out of the four Stormcrows (if the PCs remember to go back and collect them on their way out, that is). As an aside, IMHO the two female NPCs seemed more salvageable than the male NPCs. Is this an indication of the "damsel in distress" mentality on my part? Or on the part of the writers of the story? Anyway, something to think about.
Either way, it is now incumbent upon me to write a story with
all female monsters and a dude in distress.
In this session, the PCs advanced into the second level of the Forlorn Tower. They met two more of the Stormcrow mercenaries, and they confirmed that the Tear of Ioun is no longer there. However, since their primary goal is to protect the town of Wellspring from this tower's monsters, it makes sense to continue. I think we've got about one more session left, but I'm getting a bit nervous. With our spotty attendance, I'm not sure that all of my PCs are going to be at a high enough level to deal with the final battle. Will this be my first TPK???
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