Jeggare Noble

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494 posts (799 including aliases). 1 review. No lists. No wishlists. 2 aliases.




My wife was just reading through one of her LiveJournal games, and came across this, which someone had posted as a link to a funny site.

Now, we did actually (skim) read through this, and it is definitely worth having a laugh at. It's like someone put a purple prose fantasy story in the blender with a 2nd edition DMG and some pictures of jewellery... definitely worth reading for entertainment value.

A+++ Funniest item on eBay!!![/stupid eBay feedback]


I'm running a game at a convention in about two and a half months. Given that I've DMed D&D before at a convention game, and I'm a long-term DM at home, I'm feeling OK about it.

However, for a convention game of Serenity, I'm aiming for a bit more of an "episode" feel than a dungeon crawl. I'm writing my own adventure (though there are lots of good ones available on Cortex System RPG.org.

I'm going with a few assumptions, as follows:
* Original crew (it's easier, everyone should know what their character does and how they act, etc.)
* After the Big Damn Movie (again, easier than slotting it in somewhere... yes, I lose Book and Wash, but River's now a playable non-crazy character)
* I want it to feel like watching an episode- it's self-contained, but exists within the bounds and limits of the Firefly Universe. This means it can include ideas, people, and historical events pictured within the series, movie, and ongoing comics, etc., but I don't want to "change history" or go off-track.

Thus:
So far, what I've written includes the following ideas. I'd like feedback, playtesting (if possible), and advice, if I can get any. Spoilers follow for anyone planning to attend SydCon 2008 (Australia) so please, don't read on if you're likely to attend.

Spoiler:

* I was going to begin in media res with a (as usual) punch-up in a bar, courtesy of U-day. This will be something to familiarize people with the combat rules (for anyone who hasn't played the Cortex System yet) and something to help people 'jump straight in'... everyone knows what happens when Mal's in a bar on U-day, don't they?
* After the inevitable punch-up, they crew will hopefully return to Serenity, where a Wave awaits them- from Patience! (Yes, I know...)

* The problem is this: A malady (which I'm calling Galloway's Syndrome) is afflicting the folk of Whitefall. It's an old sickness, which causes skin problems quickly and permanent health problems, and a cure was found long ago, by Blue Sun Medical. As she needed to, Patience ordered and paid for the medical supplies for her folks (she was probably intending on claiming the lot was infected, and asking insurance for it, or something), but while it was on the way, the ship carrying the medicines was hit by Lurn Shwei Jah Jwohn pirates, and the supplies were stolen.
The supplies are now being sold at auction by the pirates, along with a bunch of other stuff they've stolen. Patience got a Broad-wave about it, but she's probably not likely to be able to do anything personally. However, she knows Mal is a sap (ahem, a "man of honour") and he can help, for cashy money, up front.

* So the PCs should head off to the auction, which is being held on a Skyplex called "The Wheel" (as in "the wheel never stops turnin'"), and the boss of the pirates, the Ser Toh Vazquez Franks, is a nasty piece of work who holds no sympathy for folk needing medicine- only folk with money. So the crew arrive, make friends, schmooze a little, and enjoy being 'in character' for a while while they scope out the auction house (hopefully they will want to rob it), and after some time has passed and the scene seems to be over, the door gets kicked down by an Alliance guy with some soldiers, which leads into...

* FLASHBACK SCENE: Mal and Zoe get to keep their characters (as younger, less experienced versions), and the other players get to play a few ragtag Browncoats. They go through a short battle after the "lay down arms" call at Serenity Valley, and finally, they will be captured (by a ton of soldiers getting the drop on them). An officer turns up, very angry about the whole deal and executes the last few soldiers (except Mal, Zoe, and Tracey). The PCs should realize that this is all very illegal, but he will likely get away with it since it was still a "wartime act"., especially after they kept fighting (and they're likely to be charged with war crimes themselves).

* PRESENT AGAIN: The officer leading the charge is the same officer at Serenity Valley, Colonel Daley, and he siezes the auction house. This leaves the PCs to plot their revenge (hopefully, they will want to humiliate him rather than just killing him?) and get away with the medical supplies under his nose (I'm not sure of how to do this yet, hopefully the players will come up with something).

* They do the job, and they get paid, and they keep flyin'.

So, I don't want to telegraph the action too much and leave people feeling like they're just sitting at a table listening to me tell a story, but I don't want to leave it too open... how should I go about this?

Also, if anyone notices any plot holes, weak bits, and what have you, please let me know about those too. I want to make this fun, not a flop.


This will be our thread for OOC discussion, ideas and notes, and complaining about the messaboard monster eating 45 MINUTES OF TYPING BECAUSE I'M TOO STUPID TO COPY MY POSTS BEFORE POSTING THEM. It's OK, I'm not bitter or anything. :)

The main thread is Hell Squad Pbp.

The wiki for keeping track of NPCs, places, and so on is Hell Squad Pbp Wiki.

So, post away. And remember to copy/paste your posts before you lose them. Smart people do that. Or so I've heard.


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And we begin... start posting whenever you're ready, remember it's a cinematic, episodic, storytelling game. I'm not asking for dice rolls, just a reasonable amount of immersion. Click on your spoiler (I've emailed them to those who supplied me with addresses) and go for it.

Remember that if you want to add any details, leave pictures, drawings, notes, etc., the wiki address is HERE.

Hague:

Spoiler:
You have dwelt in the sewers for several years now, eating scraps from rubbish piles and fungi from the walls. For the most part, you have left the sewers unexplored- people more secretive and less friendly than you live in deeper areas, and things better left unsaid dwell deeper.
But all through autumn, people have been disappearing. You have spoken with them one day and found their squats abandoned the next. A heavy chill hangs in the fetid air, and odd noises can be heard from distant tunnels some nights. Your old mentor Kairn is as bitter and abusive as ever, but you have convinced him to move to a more-frequented area, where you think he will be safer.
Whispers that the Hell Squad will be re-formed have haunted the city these last weeks, and you have had an idea. You know the Watch are not paid well (otherwise they would not take bribes so quickly), but they do receive a steady income- perhaps enough to pay one of the indigent houses to take Kairn, and he seems to be getting worse these days.
Then, a miserable rain-soaked day in late autumn, where the water sluices through the pipes and lightning turns the sunless sky bright, a rumour rushes through the undercity- zombies! The walking dead in the marketplace!
Perhaps you can prove yourself useful here…

Hellard:

Spoiler:
Your investigations into the dark activities in Refuge have been secretive- a payment here, a favour there, a rumour whispered or stamped out.
However, due to the absolutely dreadful incidents occurring in Refuge recently, rents and taxes have dropped, and pressure is being felt among the Quality to something is done about it.
Popular feeling is that some kind of special group should be formed to combat these problems- after all, the incompetents of the Watch can barely tie their boots without help, let alone deal with the shocking crimes.
You have pushed, pulled, nagged and hinted that such a squad needs someone just like you- young, fresh, and above all capable- to command the new squad. Three months after you began your campaign, on a miserable day in late autumn, as the lightning crashes outside, there is a banging on the door.
The servants admit a man, clad in tattered servants’ livery, who has been savaged- perhaps by claws?- who your servants take aside immediately. He is muttering something about the living dead, and bears a missive with the Mayor’s seal addressed to you, instructing you to report to the House of Parliament, north of the Marketplace.

Lily:

Spoiler:
Something in you has sensed the tide building all through autumn, cresting into a black wave towering over Refuge and threatening to crush down and tear the city apart.
The city is wracked with symptoms of the tide- people are growing desperate and grim. You have heard rumours of something called the Hell Squad, and the tales from five years ago sound nightmarish.
It is now a miserable day in late autumn. You have found yourself wandering, needing to be in the right place, wherever that is, and you find yourself in the marketplace just south of the Parliament House. Sheets of rain pelt the crowded market, and lightning flashes through the sunless sky. Figures shamble, uncaring, unseeing, through the streets.
And then, you feel them. They have no souls- but they are filled with hunger, a dreadful raging hunger which cannot be quenched. They teem through the streets, savaging several surprised people in the marketplace. Screams go up like prayers, and the marketplace surges outwards, leaving only the dead and the undead… and you.

Riven:

Spoiler:
Hafford, gruff inkeep of the Tipping Tankard, frowns at you over your second drink of the day. So far, your questions to the Watch about the Hell Squad have gone unheeded, and your own doubts have not lessened at all. Autumn has been a hard season in Refuge- people are growing grim and desperate, and violent with it.
”The drink is killin’ ye, boy. Ye unnderstan’ how hard i’ is for me to say that’, ye bein’ me most reggeler cust’mer, n’ son o’ me old friend Golar n’ all, but ye must try t’ get’ owt. Perhaps take a stroll o’ the markets?”
As you down your drink, he points to the shuttered window, still leaking rain from the blackened sky outside.
”Best tek’ yer coat, boy. Ye don’ wanna be oot in tha’ w’out another skin o’er ye.”

Breyr:

Spoiler:
Autumn has been a hard season for you. Old friends have openly snarled at you, your connections in the Watch have been almost too busy dealing with the dangers already in Refuge to spend money on informants, and some have sneered at you as a snitch. The mood on the streets is grim and desperate. You have heard whispers that the Hell Squad will be re-formed, and you remember hearing how badly that went last time. But then you think that perhaps someone with your knowledge of the city’s underbelly and your skills could be useful to them.
This day is particularly hideous, with hard rain pouring from the black sky and drowning the gutters in several inches of water, as lightning strobes over the city, silhouetting the towers of the northern city.
As you approach the markets, you are bumped hard by a bulky stranger. You wipe your jacket, and you come away covered in mud. The mud smells earthy and rotten, only partially dampened by the rain. Then, you hear screams, and a crown begins to mob past you. You take refuge in a doorway for a moment, and you see the marketplace ahead.

Brother Thomas

Spoiler:
Your temple received a formal request for help from the Watch-Commander regarding the formation of the Hell Squad. It explained that the original Hell Squad only rarely had any knowledge of what they were dealing with, and that, properly armed with knowledge from your temple, the new Hell Squad could avoid many of the dangers and blunders made by the old one.
Naturally, you were selected for your studious application of knowledge in the dark arts. Your relative youth (for a brother of your order) and vitality were noticed as well, and you turned up at Watch-Commander deVere’s office early this morning, clad in the somber robes of your order and carrying your great libris arcanum. You have been waiting most of the day before someone disturbs you looking for him, and then tears off, muttering something about “zombies in the marketplace”. You peer from the window, and you can hear dull screams from the market near the Parliament House, as a mob issues from the exits.

Darius:

Spoiler:
This autumn has been a grim one for you. The worsening weather, the grim feeling among the people of Refuge… and burying your father’s charred body last week.
You have puzzled over what he left you, especially the letter of his dismissal from the Watch. Eventually, you decide to take the things to the Watch-House nearest you, a block away from the marketplace near Parliament House.
This is why, on a truly miserable day, with rain pelting from the sky and lightning crashing overhead, you find yourself waiting in the crowded, noisy, and busy Watch-House. You don’t know anyone, and no-one seems to want to know you, especially when they hear it’s not related to a crime. Your courage almost deserts you, and you almost get up and leave, but you decide to wait a little longer.
Then, screams are heard outside. The Watch pass a series of gruffly yelled conversations, then abandon the Watch-House with alarming speed, rattling in their chain shirts and bearing naked weapons. Again, you hear screams, and this time you can recognize them as having come from the marketplace. Your conscience asks you “what would my father do?”. What indeed, you wonder, glancing once more at the letter of expulsion.


Oh, I should probably mention- it's (as yet) not set in any particular campaign world, so there aren't really any established deities, countries, etc. It will be largely city-based, but characters from farther afield can be accommodated.


I can't find my old post on my RotRL minis made from Fimo, but I saw that Lilith had finished her Rune Giant mini and it shamed me into finishing mine last night.

So, if anyone would like a look, here you go!

Main picture
Left side
Left side again, closer
Rear
Close-up on sword (with mini for comparison)


I noticed you posted this over in Gamers, Post Your Pics, and as a good-willed nice guy, I thought I should help out.

Mike McArtor wrote:
I don't know what a dropbear attack is, but I'm also pretty sure I don't WANT to know. ;D

It's an Australian creature, referenced in the d20 Menace Manual, and the picture is right here.


Has anyone thought of making a Pathfinder-based character sheet with all the new rules included?

Perhaps someone who made one of the very handy ones for Rise of the Runelords? I would, but my Adobe Acrobat-fu is... well, non-existent. I have Acrobat Reader.


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We've just finished raiding the fort, the dam does its minor break, the big snake comes out, and then Black Magga surfaces. In 8 rounds, my PCs had her dead.

Yep, four level 9s took down a CR 15 bad guy. They were all badly damaged, all within 1 hit of dying, but they managed to get up on rooftops, keep her going back and forth between the scout and his "skirmish" cold iron arrows (and magic bow), and the Evoker/Master Specialist who kept dropping BIG Orb of Fire, Hailstones (both no SR), and Greater Fireburst (rolled a 20 for Spell Penetration) spells on her.

When she dropped to about 80 hp (from 217, I didn't soften her up first), she tried to flee, and the Cleric put a Wall of Stone between a couple of houses so she couldn't escape (although how he explains that one to Mayor Shreed will be... interesting). Now that there's a 20-ton carcass of a monster "older than the gods" gracing Turtleback Ferry as its town centrepiece (although it's probably not winning any Tidy Town awards this year) the PCs have ideas on cutting her up, making armour from her (I was just going to use the rules for Dragoncraft armour), and our wizard is dead-keen on cutting out her heart and bathing in it (as she aced her Knowledge [local] check to get rumours about the beast).

Does anyone have any ideas? Has anyone else actually managed to kill Black Magga? Also, should I actually allow the PCs to become "invulnerable to divine magic" (I can see some cure wounds spells failing spectacularly) like the legend says, or just have it be a rumour (an icky, black, messy rumour)?

Any help would be appreciated.


OK, inspired by such notaries among us as Lilith, I took it on myself to spend some of my precious skill points on Craft (D&D minis).

Seeing as I'm running Rise of the Runelords at the moment, I made some of the minis I thought I could use (and probably re-use).

If anyone's interested, I have links to the photos of my work so far (sorry if they're a bit slow to load, the images are reasonably large for detail):

Rukus Graul
Rukus and his hounds
Rukus (rear view)

Crowfood Graul
Crowfood on the attack!
Crowfood (rear view)

Mammy Graul
Warning... gross (just as Nicolas Logue intended her).
Mammy Graul (view from right)
Mammy Graul (view from left)
Mammy Graul (view from rear)

Lamia Matriarch
Lamia Matriarch (view from left)
Lamia Matriarch (view from right)
Lamia Matriarch (face detail, sorry about poor makeup)

Ogres
Ogre 1 (front view)
Ogre 1 (rear view)
Ogre 2 (front view)
Ogre 2 (rear view)
Ogres (group shot, with Cleric of Corellon for scale)

Black Magga
Black Magga (headshot)
Black Magga (pieces)
Black Magga Attacks!!!
Black Magga (tentacle detail)
Black Magga (group shot, with Farmer for scale)

All of these were made with Fimo, which is great modelling clay (for an amateur like me, anyway). You can mold it, mix it, play with it, and then bake it to harden it. It can even be superglued together (as I did with Rukus's spear, if you notice carefully). They are all mounted on standard Games Workshop bases (which may be a bit old, they were lying around in the garage from my last LotR stint, a couple of years ago).

Anyway, if anyone has any particular critters they'd like to see, please give me some inspiration. However, I can't yet do great detail work, so monsters, rather than people, would be good.


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Spoilered for lengthy explanation...

Spoiler:

I should probably start with laying it out... due to a misreading of PF#1, I had Shalelu go back to Fort Rannick to rejoin the Black Arrows (I don't know where I got that, but whatever!), so I've removed the whole Jakandros storyline with her.

In the first encounter of PF#3, the PCs instead rescued Shalelu, who had escaped from the Grauls' barn (with a beartrap on her leg, no less!) and they rescued her from Rukus (our scout was quite... thorough about making sure the ogrekin was dead). After a night resting in Turtleback Ferry (and the aid of a midwife to make sure she hadn't been 'hurt'), Shalelu was able to tell them what she knew about the Grauls- that there were still a few Black Arrows left captive in the barn.

So my players rampaged up there, broke into the barn (I had the lower-level Grauls still in the house, but they killed Crowfood) and killed Biggun (the spider), then freed Jakardros, Vale, and Kaven, fleeing to a safe distance before blasting the house with a channeled pyroburst then a fireball for good measure (I decided this just killed some of the Graul boys, who Mammy will turn into her zombies for later).

I was planning on having Vale Temros, the big Shoanti ranger/fighter, be attracted to our Shoanti wizard (who has been cast out from her tribe for practicing arcane magic), despite his obvious abuse at the hands of Mammy Graul (all of the prisoners had mental scars and fingernail scratches, eew.). And here's the question:

What kind of courtship (or "I like you, come sleep with me?") traditions would Shoanti have? Do they give gifts, carve wood (does he carve her a miniature castle, given his interests?), or just be blunt? Our wizardess, Cada, is from the Shriikirri-Quah clan, and I didn't really have any idea what kinds of things a girl from a Shoanti tribe, perhaps longing for home, would find traditional and appropriate, as well as touching.


I'm enough of a geek that the idea for these spells actually came to me in a dream. How sad is that?

Yeah, I was thinking... Karzoug needs some more exotic spells. He's a 500-year old archmage, surely he had some spells he didn't teach to every 1st-level apprentice he had. And I can definitely see massive halls lined with life-size statues of solid gold creeping my PCs out (and think what would happen if he was really annnoyed... he'd melt you down and turn you into coins). So, without further ado (with very much Karzoug's flavour):

Touch of the Claimer
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The subject, along with all its carried gear, turns into a mindless, inert statue made of solid gold, increasing its weight by a factor of forty. If the statue resulting from this spell is broken or damaged, the subject (if ever returned to its original state) has similar damage or deformities. The creature is not dead, but it does not seem to be alive either when viewed with spells such as deathwatch.
Only creatures made of flesh are affected by this spell.
Material Component: A gold coin.

Gaze of the Claimer
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One creature/2 levels, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
This spell functions like touch of the claimer, except it can affect more than one creature.

Thoughts, comments, more spells?


Just bumping this because I see no-one has visited but the Invisible Stalkers, and I didn't think they had internet access.

yellowdingo? Anyone?


After some working-out with one player, one of my players has decided he'd like to be the reincarnation of one of the Runelords.

PandaGaki, I remember you said you had a player being the reincarnated runelord of Wrath, how is yours turning out?

Anyway, after some near-death experiences, he has regained some vague memories, including Xanderghul's personal monologue on existence, post-life.

Spoiler:

My name is Xanderghul, once an archmage, and I have lived twenty-two lives. I have been rich and poor, lived old and young many times, ill and well, dark and light, but in all my lifetimes, there has been one constant- the secrets of magic. In my first life, my oldest, I learned these secrets like recipes, building-blocks for power. The more I possessed, the more my pride grew, and my pride cursed me for all my lifetimes. This is my story.
A plague fell upon my people, the people of Cyrusian, forged from our own power. In my vanity, I sought to raise myself beyond the forbidden limits, to make myself anew as a god, and attempted to see all of the wondrous arcane secrets of time.
I used these secrets to work, in solitude, a powerful magic that would enable me to scry back to the very beginning of time. By observing and grasping the very moment of creation, I hoped to learn the ultimate truth of magic, making me all but a god.
Instead of the great secret I was hoping to discover, I found only a terrible void at the beginning of time. Somehow, this void penetrated my scrying-pool in the form of an unstoppable plague which infected me and my apprentices. Within a matter of months, the plague devoured my magical energies, and horribly marked its victims. Within a year, the wizards of my homeland began dying, as the spells that sustained our lives began to fail.
It took me three long years, but I finally managed to devise a plan to rid us of the plague. I managed to discover ancient references to the greatest of the sorcerer-kings of the time, imprisoned in eternal rest beneath the earth where once was the capital of his great empire. It seemed that his greatest enemies, thousands of years before even our time, had imprisoned him. There was no record of his location or of anyone taking or disturbing his body. I became determined to find and contact Korak after I developed a spell that would let me steal the arcane secrets still stored in the ancient one’s mind. I believed that these magics would be powerful enough to burn the plague away.
Once the preparations for this spell were nearly complete, I dispatched a party of my champions to enter Korak’s tomb, steal the downfallen sorcerer-king’s great power, and secure their destiny. Although the party located his resting-place, they never got an opportunity to work the fateful magic, for I betrayed them. I turned from the worship of my familial patron, the Peacock Spirit, and slew my companions in their sleep, hungry for power. In my greed, I slew even my cousin Faurgar. I freed the ancient sorcerer-king from his prison, and in his gratitude, he granted me three wishes. With a single one, I ended the plague, closing the scrying-pool. With the second, I begged for his knowledge, which he granted me, in the form of a hundred massive tomes of knowledge. My power rivalled that of the other Runelords combined, but in my foolishness, I lacked the discipline to control the sorcerer-king’s godlike power, and fled into the south.
The Others divined the truth of matters, and chased me into the south. We faced each other finally at a small tavern, gone now for many thousands of years. All my spellbooks were lost, scattered to the four winds, and the only spells that remained to me were those I had used so long that they had become a part of me. In despair, I called to Korak to preserve me, and preserve me he did. I wrote a note, then ended my own life by means of an ordinary knife, and I died for the first time.
The soul of the wailing infant in the room beside me was crushed into oblivion, absorbed by my powerful mind. I shredded my memories so that the Runelords could not pursue me, and began life anew. I was forced to learn my identity again, and again and again.
My name is Xanderghul, first among equals, Runelord of Pride, kinslayer, once an archmage, and I have lived twenty-two lives now. In my fourteenth life, I was of a people who dwelt in an isolated monastery, and I came to know a concept they named karma- that the soul is punished for its past transgressions. It seemed odd to me, as my magic seemed odd to them, but it is a mystical secret I yearn to understand. In some of my lives, I have sought to do good, and in some, I have been as evil as my first life. However, I sense that something yet remains undone- some monstrous secret that I have unleashed upon the world. I sense that it must be resolved before I can be allowed to end the curse of my own making. I hunger for rest, whether damnation or reward.
My cycle must end.

I was going to buff him a little, maybe allowing him access to the Magic or Spell domains in addition to his current spells (he's a Spirit Shaman), and perhaps give him some background knowledge, parts of which may work in game. I was also going to add another reincarnation (basically, Karzoug's runewell getting turned back on jigged the reincarnation loose, and Wesh is the repository for some of his power, while his ego/personality was reincarnated separately).

I chose Xanderghul because he seemed to fit the idea better (and I know it couldn't easily be Karzoug), does anyone else have any experience with this kind of idea?


My party has finally finished The Skinsaw Murders, but one of my players got hit with a bestow curse from Ironbriar.
After discussing it quietly with the player, we decided not to go with one of the silly PHB curses (50% chance to lose each action... what's that about?) but something much more flavourful and scary.

So as Ironbriar fell (he ended up getting captured, and is currently on trial for his extensive crimes) he cursed Oriseus, our elf scout, with the following:
"Until you wash your hands in innocent blood, may your touch bring pain to all those around you!"

I felt this was an appropriately evil and nasty curse for a cleric of Father Skinsaw to inflict, and we agreed on the following: Until he gets a big spell laid on him (I'm thinking break enchantment or better), he's got a 1d4 negative energy touch attack... which he can't control. When someone leans in to heal him... ZAP! When he hands over coins to merchants... ZAP! It's not a massive thing, but when he gets to see his true love, Shalelu, again, he gets a whole lot of angst and roleplaying, which we're all enjoying.

However, there are a couple of ways to remove it. One- the simplest- is to go with Norgorber's wishes. If he murders an innocent, and washes his hands in their blood, the curse ends... and Norgorber is pleased.

Two- if advised by an appropriately powerful cleric (or something), he could find out about some quest to do in order to end the curse on him, which might be a side quest or even a solo mission, depending on how the rest of the party feels when they find out.
I was wondering, though, if anyone had any ideas on an appropriately heroic quest to remove a curse from Norgorber.
Lacking anything inspiring, I was going to go with the quest from Caverns of the Snow Witch, the old Fighting Fantasy gamebooks- basically, seek out a reclusive hermit and perform a few tasks for him in order to have the curse lifted. But Norgorber might start turning the curse inwards if he gets a hint of what's happening.

Any ideas?


I'm currently running a short-term solo game (storytelling only, we'renot rolling dice of any kind) set in Sithicus, based on the 3ed Ravenloft book published by Sword and Sorcery. So far, it's going well, but I'm having problems incorporating Inza. It's not an incredibly original storyline, but it's filling in time until we start our Dawning Star campaign.

I've spoilered the campaign just to avoid it being a massively long post.

Spoiler:

Here's how it goes so far:

The character, Rose, is a young girl raised in Sithicus. She's an innocent and has, so far, been the only one to resist the demiplane's Guilt aura. Some time ago (about 5 years) she met a travelling cleric of the Morninglord, and learnt a few things before he was headbagged (forgive me, I've been watching V for Vendetta) and stolen away by the Politskarae. She has since become a 1st-level Favoured Soul of the Morninglord, and has been quietly working at her family's tavern in a tiny roadside town.
In the ten years since the Hour of Screaming Shadows, she's done little, but has been fervently praying to the Morninglord to make her family's lives better.
[/backstory]

Rose goes to see a Vistani caravan as it's in town, and pays her silver coin to the eerie crone who claims to be able to see the future. The fact that the woman's been talking about "hidden things better left underfoot" troubles her, since she keeps her holy symbol in a false heel in her boot. The woman draws a Tarokka reading for her (which I made up on the spot), saying that 'the Innocent' represents her, 'the Knight' is her destiny, 'the Darklord' opposes her, and 'the Knight' guards her... another knight (this 'duplicate' card is cracked, like the paint has been burned slightly)? Yes, the Vistana is thoroughly creeped out, and orders Rose out of the caravan, so she goes walking in the woods.

There, she hears a far-off howling of wolves, and the air grows misty. She is guided towards the howls by a raven (I haven't played Ravenloft for about ten years, but I remember wereravens were good), and eventually is attacked by a pack of Goblyns (Dragon 339), but is rescued by a massive, black-armoured figure wearing a greathelm (it's Lord Soth!! AAAGH!! But it's actually the Blessed Knight, a sort-of ghost of Lord Soth who's been haunting the woods, and has taken an interest in her, as an innocent). He helps her up, then walks away into the forest without speaking a word. Shaken and torn, Rose heads towards the howling, and finds a clearing filled with mists, where a wounded knight is defended by his warhorse against a pack of wolves (Inza's minions). She drives the wolves off with her holy symbol (well, more her presence than the symbol, but it's a solo campaign) and heals the knight, proving that she really does have clerical powers and affirming her faith.

The knight, it turns out, is from somewhere completely different, and has no knowledge of Sithicus or Ravenloft, in general. She helps him up, and while he recovers, she checks his pack for what he's carrying. She finds a wrapped bundle, which he claims isn't his, and tells her to keep it, if she likes. She finds it's a broken shard of mirror, which reflects her face perfectly.

<<Skip a few days>>
Jacen, the knight, has settled in with some discomfort, and starts to understand why he's here. It turns out his father, a noted paladin, travelled to Ravenloft in his youth and returned (with great difficulty) with a Vistana wife, but she left when Jacen was young. He's been feeling guilty bout that ever since (which is why the mists sucked him up). He makes an impression around the town, and Rose decides it would be better for him to leave before the Politskarae take him away forever, like her mentor Petrof.
However, the night before he leaves (and she decides to leave with him), she wakes during a dream where she could hear tapping at the window... and then, just as she's about to sleep again, she hears tapping at the window. Opening the shutters, she comes face-to-face with the black-armoured knight again, who warns her in a hollow voice that "Traitors storm your gate. Look to your guest." She runs to Jacen's room and wakes him just in time to fend off an attack by three Secret Police (who die in the attack). Her family bundles her up, warning her that her brother-in-law is missing, and Rose and Jacen ride at full pace down the road, away from town.

Now here's my 'advice needed' part.

Basically, I'm going with a quickish story based on the Dragon article, and we're both just having fun. I plan to resolve the story, and we probably won't come back to it.
If you want to know my (ideal) resolution, it's also spoilered below.

Spoiler:
The Blessed Knight has somehow gained knowledge that by reforging the Memory Mirror, Inza can be overcome, and the land can be put to peace properly. I'll probably have this unfold over a time, but he has chosen Rose as his catalyst to make it happen. The knight, Jacen, will come to realize that it's not actually his fault that his mother left, she just did that because she's a Vistani, and they don't like to stay in one place too long... he'll get over his guilt, become a proper paladin like dear ol' dad, and he'll be able to help Rose overcome Inza, then return home.

As I said, I know it's not completely original, but hey, it's my game.

What I'm asking is how others would include Inza... I'm finding my player is focusing on King Azrael Dak and his 'prison camps' a lot, and wants to go find/free her mentor, and I want (at some point, basically Act 3 of 4) for the Blessed Knight to take Rose and Jacen to Nedragaard Keep so they can gather the other fragments of the Memory Mirror (being undead, he can't do it, or some guff like that).

I can't quite get the idea of Inza as a darklord into my head... she's a rogue/wizard who can transform into shadow, that's fine... but I don't quite see how she fits into Sithicus as a whole. She's hurt by sunlight, she can't stay in the same place two nights running, and it doesn't fit (to me, anyway).
I was thinking of making her a bit more like a travelling version of Michelle Pfeiffer's character in Stardust, but younger and able to turn into shadow... but I don't see her motivation. What does she do with her time? She obviously doesn't have any long-term plans (and what happens when she runs out of places to sleep?).

Anyway, to stop rambling (it's past 11pm where I am, and I need sleep)... what are anyone else's ideas? How can I introduce (and fit) Inza into the campaign, so as to properly have her as the BBEG for later?


Session One

We started off doing the first 'Team Bravo' mission to try and get us into the 'Modern feel'. So we began by being assigned to investigate a violent attack in a warehouse nearby to town.
When we got there, we bluffed our way past the police guards ("Uh, Animal Control. We have reports of an animal attack here?") and started hunting around the warehouse. There were lots of bloody smears on the floor and two chalk outlines... each one of half a body. Eew.

On searching the warehouse more thoroughly, we found an animal collar with the name of a BioGenetics laboratory from just out of town, and a maddened survivor of the attack. We were able to calm him enough to get some information from him, and he babbled about a 'big lizard' that attacked his friend. We drove the poor fellow to the nearby hospital, where, we were sure, he could be properly taken care of, and bunked down for the night.

In the morning, we headed to the BioGenetics lab, and barged our way past the officious secretary, collar in hand. A scientist came out to soothe us, and took us into his lab to show us the projects. Apparently, the guy thought his name was Dr. J. Park, because he was breeding gene-spliced velociraptors, and locked us in the lab with one to try to cover up his work. While we battled the vicious beast, he fled to his car. Count Cortez smashed the reptile mightily with his maul, but Paul stabilized the creature and called the real Animal Control Organization while everyone piled into Danny's van and scorched away after the scientist.

After several hours on the freeway, he pulled over, and was a bit shocked to see the bloodied lot of us pile out, weapons at the ready (well, Danny had a gun, Cortez carried his maul, and Paul and Jonas both carried swords... maybe he hadn't paid his SCA fees in a while). He broke down and told us that he was trying to recapture the creatures, that they had evolved intelligent instead of just biological receptacles, and that we could help him catch them and have them properly put down. We agreed (some of us agreed that it would be better to pout him down, but saner voices intervened).

In the city sewers below, we hunted the creatures, following the Doctor's little GPS thing. It didn't work, and we got ambushed by three lots of them. The doctor went down hard, and though some frantic spending of Action Dice on Treat Injury checks stabilized him, none of thought that scar would ever really heal after being disinfected with raw sewage. The last of the raptors were finally put down, and we turned in the doctor to the police, telling them that an SCA meeting had got... 'out of hand' during a sewer trek, and a 'rival SCA gang' (you know, police go for that kind of explanation, it has buzzwords!) had attacked us.

The first session ended, and we agreed that while Modern was fun, that was, indeed, a silly place, and we would not go there.


OK, my group just fought through Thistletop level 2 (didn't get through what they named the "spikey-rune-pizza-coin-door" yet though....).

And we had a lot of problem fighting Nualia (through no fault of Watcher!'s excellent maps, printed out to scale), due to what I call the 'tactical geography' of the Thistletop dungeons.

They had gotten Orik onside, and he warned them that there was a trap in the corridor, that the previous bodyguard had "gotten messy" and so he got hired, and that if they were ever to interrupt Nualia, they had to call ahead to deactivate the trap. Our scout found the pressure plate, and they quietly dragged a table downstairs from the War Room and put it over the trapped area.

Our scout ran ahead and tried to open the door into Nualia's room quietly, but the Yeth Hound spotted him and sounded the alarm. This meant that combat started with the party quite a way away from the bad guys, with a 5-foot wide corridor and entrance into a circular room.

It took a full round of delaying for everyone to scramble backwards out of the corridor and back into the Hellcat's Hall, then the combat went back-and-forth down the narrow corridor, with Nualia retreating to heal up before our scout (very luckily) tumbled through her square and shot her through the neck with a lucky shot.

All I'm saying is, I like BBEG-fights to be a bit more party-friendly. I understand that dungeon corridors are meant to be defensively-built. If I'd though about this better, I would have changed things around a bit, maybe reduced the size of the hermit crab corridors and blow out the Observation Chamber into a big area that the whole party could participate in. As it was, I had my knight (the party's melee combatant) cowering in a corner due to tanking his will save against the Yeth hound's Bay, and one of the other players complained because she wasn't able to act in the encounter.


Well, having just hacked their bloody path through the Catacombs of Wrath, my (usually four-person, one short this week) party nearly died at Erylium's (tiny) hands, before doing something very unexpected.

They grappled Erylium, who was in range so she could cast cause fear, then dunked her, head-first in the runewell and held her there, squirming, until she drowned/froze to death.

...big disappointment on my behalf... There was I, thinking "now I have a demon, I'll show my pesky players who's winning"... and they drown the bad guy? Heck, I'm gonna award our cleric of Gorum a Wrath point for that one.
They did do very well to surprise me, though, I awarded full marks. That was certainly an interesting session.


I'm just working on writing my own stuff, and I'm getting a little confused by the definitions of what's SRD or usable or not usable.

At uni currently, we're studying quoting and bibliography (vaguely).

If I reference a feat/ability/whatever from (say) Complete Mage or Slayer's Guide to Pseudonatural Porcupines which isn't open content, listing only the direct stuff, not the entire feat or text (like in an adventure, "the relevant details are printed below") can I still get away with it, or am I only able to use directly declared open license and SRD stuff, and thus is WotC going to send their "spooky lawyers" around to drag me away if I use a feat from Complete Mage in my book?

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated, please.


My group, currently:
Oriseus, CN male elf Rog2
Kada, CG female Shoanti Wiz2
Abseth Tanrov, LG male Chelaxian Pal1
Morgarion Liadon, CG male elf Clr1 (Gorum)

They just finished the Glassworks, barely beating all 8 goblins and Tsuto in one encounter (EL 5, I think, for them together). They managed to capture 2 goblins (one with an unarmed AoO as he jumped up onto a table to throw jagged glass, one who fumbled and dropped a large glass sculpture on his own head... stupid little freaks) and Tsuto. Our wizard, Kada, headed off to the display room to check things over (she's looking for a crystal ball at the moment) while Oriseus, Abseth, and Morgarion started trying to get info out of Tsuto, who they had tied to a table.
Morgarion started by describing (as a bluff, but I didn't know this at the time) "in no uncertain terms" what he was going to do to him with a large, hot shard of glass. Tsuto blew his Will save badly and blurted out everything to them. Morgarion's player mentioned to me (I was wide-eyed and a little horrified) that he was never going to actually hurt him, just threatened him, which I was very glad for.
Having been deputised in Sheriff Hemlock's absence, they've locked Tsuto up (about 3 doors down from the glassworks) in the Garrison. Of course, he *must* escape and come back later... I've been playing Savage Tide and I'm very fond of Vanthus.

They are very fond of Ameiko, and they're making themselves popular in town so far. I was thinking that this could come back to bite them. Any ideas?


Hi guys, finally received Dungeon #150 and Dragon #359 today. While the price increase took me a little by surprise (usually $13.50 AUD each, this week $20.50 each and both arrived this week... ouch), I was incredibly impressed with the content.

I can easily and conscientiously write Best. Dungeon. Ever. for this issue... the end of the Savage Tide completely blew me away. This issue took everything high-level play should be (and usually isn't) and made it even more awesome. Wayne Reynolds' tremendous cover... what can I say?

Also, kudos to Nicolas Logue (yeah, he'll probably reply to this within miscroseconds of my posting it, I know) for his excellent "Quoth the Raven", beautiful stuff.

The "Lands of Mystery" poster was very cool...

In all, guys, this issue just really made me sad that it's over. (Although I am buying, and currently running, Pathfinder)

Thank you so much, Erik, James, F. Wesley, Nicolas, Richard, Greg, Jason, and everyone else, for so many wonderful hours of reading, mysteries solved, dungeons delved, fantastic explorations, and so much more. For you, the most prestigious, most highly prized award in my "DM's trophy cabinet"... 500 bonus xp. You guys are awesome.


Hopefully I haven't missed this thread earlier, but I remember a few Dragons back, there was a Soundtrack article for Savage Tide, but it left out the album names for the tracks, so for one or two of the tracks, it just had "main theme" or something.

Does anyone have any idea on a full soundtrack list for the Savage Tide? It would be great to have some nice background music for.


This may have already been discussed, but what if you do have a paladin-type (in my campaign, we had a Knight of the Chalice) who just doesn't want to 'play nice' with Malcanthet, Iggwilv, et al.

What about the idea of resource-gathering from the good guys, going on some quest up Mount Celestia to get Pelor onboard or something? Or, my idea with my Knight of the Chalice, have him get the information revealed to the Lightning Lords (PHB2) and find out that the Chalice is in the Wells of Darkness or something?

Has anyone else tried this- being the "Good with a capital G" side, instead of the current (trendy) more 'edgy' good?

Just interested in asking...

Full Name

Gronx (NOT PFS LEGAL)

Race

Strix

Classes/Levels

Rogue 2 HP: 19/19 AC: 17, F:1 R:3 W:0 CMD: 16 Perc:+7

Gender

M

Size

M

Age

15

Languages

Strix, Common

Strength 14
Dexterity 17
Constitution 14
Intelligence 13
Wisdom 10
Charisma 8

About Gronx the Strix

Gronx
Strix Rogue 2 (Scout Archetype)
NE Medium Humanoid (strix)
Init +3; Perception +7
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 19
Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +0
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft./60 ft. flying
Melee +4(1d6+2/19-20/x2)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 14, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 16
Feats: Dodge - +1AC
Skills:
Acrobatics 8(Dex)
Appraise (Int)
Bluff 4(Cha)
Climb 7(Str)
Craft (Int)
Diplomacy (Cha)
Disable Device 8(Dex)
Disguise (Cha)
Escape Artist 8(Dex)
Intimidate (Cha)
Knowledge (dungeoneering) 6(Int)
Knowledge (local) (Int)
Linguistics (Int)
Perception 7(Wis)
Perform (Cha)
Profession (Wis)
Sense Motive (Wis)
Sleight of Hand 8(Dex)
Stealth 10(Dex)
Swim (Str)
Use Magic Device 4(Cha)

Feats: Weapon Finesse

Other Gear
MW Chain Shirt +4ac, +4 max dex, -2 check penalty (250gp)
Short Sword x2 (20gp)

--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Class:

Sneak Attack: 1d6

Trapfinding

Evasion: If make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage.

Rogue Talent:

Racial:

Fly: 60 ft.

Darkvision: Strix see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.

Low-Light Vision: In addition to their ability to see perfectly in the dark up to 60 ft, Strix have low-light vision, allowing them to see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Nocturnal: Strix gain a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Stealth checks in dim light or darkness.

Tough: The strix receives a +1 racial bonus on Fortitude saves. This racial trait replaces suspicious.

Hatred: Strix receive a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures with the human subtype because of their special training against these hated foes.