How the West Was Won (Inactive)

Game Master goodwicki

Sounds good to me.
So, what are you guys thinking for the NPCs (post #1)? It does sort of seem like we would need more guys.

I think we'll definitely use the bard, Arcos Arcanos, as he and Savio had struck up quite the friendship, and he's a good support caster. You guys are lacking a ranged combatant and a dedicated healer, but neither Henk nor Kestrel can deliver that; at the end of the day it'll probably be Kestrel or some new guy. I'm still in the process of modifying the first adventure for the setting, but there are a lot of NPCs in it and, from what I know, all further adventures, so in-game decisions about who you try to ally with and who you oppose as you explore are a big part of the arc. I don't see a real problem with you guys having some holes in the party, as this could provide for some more interesting choices on who/what you're willing to ally with; perhaps necessity will prove the mother of diplomacy.

I thought I finally got rid of that dwarf.

What language(s) should I take?

Ah yes, languages. I'll add a section to the campaign page.

I gave Heinrich linguistics as a BG skill and took a couple of languages: celestial (church), smythian and orcish (from a bit of campaigning/bringing-the-good-word-to-the-orcs in the south at the tail end of the war).

I guess an inquisitor could make a good ranged guy -- I just felt that it's a bit of a dick move to not make someone who can flank when the only other guy in your group is a rogue. (Plus, bastard sword proficiency.) I do have cure light wounds and the heal skill. Not quite the same thing, but i sort of thought it was adequate. I guess we'll find out!

I guess an inquisitor could make a good ranged guy -- I just felt that it's a bit of a dick move to not make someone who can flank when the only other guy in your group is a rogue. (Plus, bastard sword proficiency.) I do have cure light wounds and the heal skill. Not quite the same thing, but i sort of thought it was adequate. I guess we'll find out!

A ranged inquisitor would be dubious, as you'd miss out on a lot of useful teamwork feats. Between you and Arcos you'll have HP damage covered, it's really the non-cure healing spells (stat dmg, status effects) that you'll be missing out on in a few levels. But there's no way for you to be good at everything, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I will take Viperan as my bonus language.

I really gotta pick a name for this god...

Rassilon

Updated campaign page / Noble Houses with heirarchy of rank within the duchies (will be slightly different for the royal line, as they do not technically have a duchy.)

Mark, do you remember any adventures involving your family history and recovery of your sword?

Updated campaign page with a brief summary of Savio's adventures as I can piece together.

I feel that I might have benefited from hearing some of the potential explanations of M Stoog.

So I seriously don't have to cart around a carload of 40k s~%+ this weekend? Nobody wants to sneak in a killteam or anything? What a relief!

@ Jerry we can always play a Sunday morning 750 point game if you want

Found some more info on past adventures - have sheets with details of House membership requirements and benefits, on back of one were brief synopses of 2 adventures w/my some of my usual clear and comprehensible maps. Will be updating campaign page throughout the day.

My hope is that tonight/tomorrow I'll have an intro gameplay post up so that come Saturday I don't have to read a long-winded exposition to you guys.

M. Stoog is the source of much consternation for Savio. Everytime he hears the name he wants to punch kestril in the face, but that's not saying much. He always wants to punch Kestril in the face.

I see one of Savio's cousins, a son of Count Rafael, also had a somewhat one-sided rivalry with him. From my notes he was a fairly inept fool who hated Savio for what he perceived as acting beyond his station and generally showing him up; I'm going to assume that the fellow has been put in his place and the issue by and large resolved.

Sounds good. What are the campaign traits so I can finish off Savio tonight.

Updated campaign page with campaign traits for you guys.

Ouch, that's a good trait.

Working on Heinrich's backstory summary, should have up by tomorrow.

Sorry, I was supposed to do that. I am getting (from the Savio stories) a bit of a feel for the tone of it, but I was still struggling. Thanks.

Mark, did you think about the shatter defenses feat line? They always seemed a bit too complicated to really work, but I've never tried them out and maybe for Savio they would be good? who knows. (What you really need is that Iaijutsu Master, but I don't think he made it into pathfinder.)

Swapped Knowledge local for Use Magic Device

@ Jerry should of named your guy Hans Grueber

@ Jerry should of named your guy Hans Grueber

Or, if you wanted to go a different way with the character, Martin Roth.

Savio is an exceptional thief.

raw notes from the session, in case that is helpful in some way
===

Heinrich was involved in the tail end of the Orcish pacification, some success converting them, but that was ~5 years ago, it's tamed down, they're conquered, nothing much to be done.... this is a good opportunity to go out and pacify/conquer/missionary.
The God is not monotheistic...other gods exist, this is just the best one... heathens/heretics are generally druids, that is the evilest religion...druidism, fey s$$+, is right out. with extreme prejudice. there is no nature god, so it's heretical to worship a non-god god. Savio fought a druid with grigs (grasshopper people) at some point.
(Savio's sword (Viper's Kiss - Basio de Serpentine or something like that) might have a poison a couple times a day thing?)

Arcos the bard will come with us. May add more guys later. Savio is technically related to Arcos as his sister married one of Arcos's brothers.

Erobern - name of the kingdom.
The god's name is Siegot

we have each (including arcos) been given a Royal Charter, "Be it so known that the bearer of this charter has been charged by the grand warden of Eroburn, acting under..." yadda yadda
exploration
explore 60 miles west, 36 miles north and south from a trading post
take care of the bandits
the penalty for banditry is execution by sword or rope
Heinrich and Savio didn't know each other prior.

Heinrich kn(local) - in recent years this is the 4th such charter of its type issued...the western wilds and the trading post are a bit off the map to the west of Vipera, cone out from gap between the hills ... other charters had been for different regions north and south of where we are exploring. one was to cleanse an area of some barbarians...one was to secure a trade route through a swamp to another human kingdom...third [i don't know about ed will change].

traveled from the royal city through Ft Jointly (joint vipera and smythe administration) ... kingdom claims the area but not really enforced, just mountain men and s&*&, trading post is the last thing resembling civilization. 4 days from Ft Jointly on track.

it's early spring.
passable during the day, cold at night.
roll into Olfeg's trading post from the east mid morning...off the road a bit on the right side...it has a pallisade surrounding it about 10' high. corner 20' square towers, run-down ballista. one entrance, 30' wooden gate facing east. to the west, green line of the marches a few miles away. not very large (~160' on a side). 4 buildings inside the walls. middle area clear... 15x40 building irght, larger building left (stables), unhitched wagon. roofed/fenced storage area. far right largest building, trading post. fire pit & tables & benches. see noone, not even on the gate.
tracks: recent past few days near the entrance. there's tracks from a person.
we stable horses and then go to the trading building. squat but solid building, 10'x30'.
"Gruff looking middle-aged man".
Heinrich buys some provisions.
A younger (than olfeg) woman also there. offers us some food.
here about the charter. the messenger he sent to the local magistrate came back and told him to expect the explorers. He wasn't asking for explorers, asking for some help. Bandits that have been robbing them every month, protection fees.
The bandits are due tomorrow morning.
how many?
the first time (4 mos ago) threatened to burn & kidnap, hand over trade goods. dozen of them. leader a woman. jerk her lt.
second time only the lt came with 6 men.
last month lt with 4 men.
lt carries a longbow. Haps is the lt's name.
We will help them. Svetlana and Olfeg are up for it.
We'll hide or horses somewhere & ambush once they come in the trading post. trying to trap them in the building so the bow guy can't manuever. Argos will hang outside and try to tie up and seal the guys in the building with us.
the bandits come just after dawn - 4 guys on horses with 2 spare horses.
savio jumps a guy.
guys: leather armor, longbows, shortswords
savio kills one and then heads outside, kills another guy. Argos puts a guy to sleep. mook and I miss each other. savio comes back inside, we kill the other guy. we execute both prisoners for banditry.
search all the guys, take off haps gear.
loot: 2 vials of alchemist's fire, 2 days rations, mghty+2 bow, 65gp. bows, shortswords, leather armor, cloaks. we take the cloaks and wear them.
they say we can stay there for free.
Olfeg wants wife's wedding ring back.
We track the horses accross the plains, better part of a day, hit the edge of the forest 12mi away. continue along the edge of the forest for a couple of hours. we set up camp inside the forest a bit. we set a watch. uneventful. continue following the path. couple miles then it cuts into the forest. 10 miles into the forest. sleep again. find a trail the next day, we can move a little faster. goes to a river ne/sw, trail turns sw along the river.
mid-afternoon...come to a fork in the river. there's a fjord. hear a bell -- we're spotted!
heinrich dismounst and slowly starts making way accross the rocks.
savio dismounts and starts swimming in the stream toward the guys. guy misses me with an arrow. there's a sort of tree fort platform thing 20' up. Another platform. an archer on the ground near me. There's a clearing with some log benches and stuff.
woman dual-wielding hatchets, studded leather.
guys flank Heinrich, he takes one down.
Savio steps up on a guy, feints, kills a guy.
chick attacks me, crits big. arcos fails to sleep her. I hit her back.
archers hit savio.
chick hits me again. argos heals me.
savio flanks and knocks her down.
other archers start running away.
we stabilize the chick. search the camp.
platforms have rope ladders.
tents, firewood, food, other supplies.
loot: 50gp shortsword longbow arrows leather armor x 3
loot: 2 mwk handaxes, 4 daggers, studded leather armor, vial pot clw, 80gp, silver necklace, pendant with a stag's head.
search around. find a clearing where they keep their horses. 6 horses there. tracks indicate there are usually at least 12. 20 tents.
"the stag lord" a deadeye with a bow, strong, a monster of a man, creepy stag helmet he never takes off, drinks like a fish, on a decline. in a fort west of here, 2 days ride, north bank, follow the river west. doesn't think he has more bands like hers. at his fort, maybe a dozen men but more than that work for him. maybe 30 or 40 altogether. gives her a place to hole up. some of his men tried to kidnap her, she roughed them up, followed them back to his fort, he recruited her.
she'll tell us something if we let her go.
stag lord doesn't know why he's out here either. keeps a weird old man locked up in the basement. thinks the old guy is in charge. we let her go.
bunch of loot under the tents and tarp: 321sp, 90gp, silver earrings 150gp, wooden music box 90gp, crates of furs and hides 50gp ea, polished wooden case of potent herbal liquor - 8 bottles at 20gp ea. No wedding ring.
we take lots of rations, teh liquor, the small stuff.
we should stash some weapons, rations, armor, etc around in case we need it?
we head west along the river. by the end of the day we come out of the forest into hills. we camp for the night.
next day... set out again. after a few hours come up on "location Q", a bridge accross the river, we could get to the south side if we wanted to. bridge is of simple constrction but old, predates the bandits. tracks indicate there has been some foot traffic there in the past few days. we continue on the north bank.
2/3 of the day we come to a fork in the river, we stay on the north side. there's like a pond there, slow moving and shallow, could cross there. river is wider here, mayne 50-60' generally.

we camp again and then early the next morning. we see the fort from a few miles off, it's on top of a hill. wooden pallisade around it. path zigzags up the hill, no cover. most approaches devoid of cover but tehre are some boulders and stuff, on a hill. fort is a little bigger than Olfeg's fort. 3 watchtowers.

We ride up openly. We claim to be guys who slew bandits and came up to bring the stag lord his booze, want to talk to him. Gate rolls aside, we dismount and walk in. a guy comes to meet us -- with chainmail, longsword, heavy steel shield, comp longbow, silver chain with stag's head. big guy.
fort looks like there used to be a stone fort here, couple hundred years old, that the bandits are trying to restore and build on top of.
guy talks s!%$ to savio, we charge him. he rages, attacks mark, misses. some archers miss. A half dozen other guys are coming in. standard bandits. a different guy is watching from the watchtower, dressed in a patchwork nobleman's outfit, tailored over his studded leather armor, many daggers and a rapier, manicured. "a combat fop."
Arcos tries to sleep three guys, gets one.
Savio tumbles around to flank the barbarian, takes a hit on the way.
savio hit, kills barbarian. arcos heals savio.
savio kills a guy
2 more bandits running toward us.
loud bestial roaring/screeching sound from in a building, bandits startled by it. owlbear charges out and kills one of the bandits.
savio kills a guy
heinrich charges the owlbear. owlbear kills the guy it was grappling. another bandit runs away. savio flanks owlbear. owlbear misses. stag lord stumbles out to see what is going on. bone helmet, shirtless, longbow, longsword, arms and legs armored. "Who let beaky out?". owlbear grapples heinrich. savio feints the owlbear and then hits it. heinrich hits the owlbear from inside the grapple. stag lord misses savio with an arrow. Argos hits the stag lord with alchemist's fire. owlbear deals damage to heinrich. savio downs the owlbear.
heinrich charges the stag lord but misses. stag lord 5' steps and shoots heinrich. stag lord burns, argos hits him with another fire.
heinrich studies stag lord, crits him, demoralizes him. stag lord misses heinrich. argos heals heinrich. savio feints but then misses stag lord. heinrich misses. stag lord shoots heinrich. savio and heinrich miss. stag lord can't get out, drops his bow, draws a long sword, misses. savio and heinrich hit him. he hits savio.savio and heinrich miss. stag lord stabs argos.
savio disarms stag lord. heinrich hits him. he's down.
everyone else fled the fort. patches is running.
argos is out of spells. heinrich heals everyone.

Well, it's a bit embarrassing to just come out and say it, but I don't think I'm surprising anyone. Despite playing D&D for 30 years, I am not that good at it. Can you guys offer any advice about personality traits and whatnot for Heinrich?

I will try to play him more decisively in the future.

I was thinking he would have a sort of '20s/Robert-E-Howard thing going on -- years of civilization and success, being insulated from threats, etc, have started to make House Koening weak; we shouldn't have had to expend so much effort subjugating those pathetic/disorganized orcs, but our commanders were ineffectual fops from the capital; wilderness living hones men to a sharper edge; etc. He finds this weakness particularly offensive as it's sort of repugnant to Seigot. His hope is that pushing the kingdom out into a new frontier will bring some of that back.

Unrelated: what exactly is our charter? Are we hoping to set up a new Duchy? or expand Vipera? or just here to clean out the bandits and make maps? or what? (Sorry - you read it too fast for me to get it all down in my notes and I can't remember.)