Shattered Star

Game Master Zesdead

That is quite the collection Haladir!!! Of course, there is also the Emerald Spire... I'm GM'ing two groups through that (near the halfway mark) and, yep, it is moreorless an AP in it's scope...

...and it's a bundle of fun :)

I'd have to say that my favorite one to run is Rise of the Runelords. Of course, it's the only AP I've actually run.

My semi-homebrew campaign "Champions of Old Korvosa" is about to wind down. In fact, next Tuesday will be our last session. I'm hoping to go out with a bang: The PCs have figured out the intellect devourers' plan to invade the city of Korvosa using the drug midnight milk, and have traced the production to a farmhouse in Fellwood, north of the city.

(I'm using the map of the Graul Farm from Runelords, but the actual encounters are completely different. I think the PCs will be totally grossed out by the source of midnight milk!)

Anyway, for my campaign, I used a bunch of sources to put together a unique plotline. I strung together most of The Reaping Stone, plus parts of Crimson Throne, Second Darkness, and Shattered Star, with a smattering of a few PFS scenarios. (It's funny how the same things that plagued the Blakros Museum in PFS happened to the Jeggare Museum in Korovsa...) And, right now, I'm running with themes from James Jacobs' "Shadows Under Sandpoint" campaign, transported to Korvosa.

It will be sad to wind this down.

In its place, I've been invited to join a Dungeon World campaign that runs the same night I used to run my PF game. I've never played Dungeon World before, but I picked up the rulebook. I think the whole "rules light" style of gaming will be a breath of fresh air for me!

Well I guess Runelords is a stone cold classic!!! In terms of my faves, Iron Gods is up there (although I think there are a few weak bits along the way), I've obviously got a soft spot for Shattered Star and, having read it through, Hell's Rebels is fab...

p.s. Ziomarra, you're also up in the Gameplay thread...

Also... I'll be partaking of my annual dose of US culture with Superbowl 50 tomorrow... Is it going to be a good game (or can I just stay up until the half-time 'entertainment' and catch the result in the morning?)...

Glad to hear you haven't read the Assimilation Strain Haladir!!! It's a pretty cool adventure and, if you were using it stand-alone, I reckon there are many aspects you could really pick up on and have 'fun' with... Lady Ladile is getting the slightly goblin-ised version of the module... it's following the same route (more or less) but I have had to reflavour bits here and there (I did get to use my shiny new copy of the Monster Codex for some goblin goodness)...

I've been a subscriber since Reign of Winter, so I already have more material than I'll likely ever run. Also subscribed to the modules line since The Dragon's Demand. I also have a bunch of older material (I have the first five APs in print), but since it's all boxed up for the approaching move, I can't list it all.

I own way too much stuff. >.>

I only own one AP (RotRL, obviously) and zero modules. Usually when I run something I create the whole setting and all the adventures myself.

So... Not planning on dragging out dealing with the Tower Girls... Just put a plan together and we can get the 'situation' put to bed (I'll run with the Sczarni girls being relatively compliant with your suggestion)... and then we can get to opening those doors at long last!

Briana weighed in, but like I said she's kinda at the point that she'll go along with the group consensus. If they'll get lost, it makes things a lot easier for us.

Also, I hope Joanna is okay since we've not heard from her for a few days.

Yeah, was starting to worry a little... Adam's gone quiet in all his games but it's only been a few days... I'll ping out a PM in a few days but for now it isn't really an issue.

Gameplay post will come tomorrow now - it's kinda late here and I'm happy to leave a little space just in case anyone else wants to weigh in...

Yeah: Noticed that about Adam in my Runelords game. He's usually one of my more prolific posters. One of my other players is ill and another is moving house accross the country, so that game has gotten very quiet.

Yeah, he's in one of my RotRL games too and we're actually kind of waiting on him right now...

If he doesn't return soon I'll figure something out but I hope everything is alright with him either way.

Hey, sorry for dropping off the air like I did. I didn't mean to, it just kinda happened. This past week and weekend have been busy for me, and I've hit the point where I need to take a step back for a little while, clear my head, and recharge. I'll try not to be gone long, and I understand if you don't want to hold a spot open for me, but I do plan on coming back in a few weeks.

-Adam

Good to know and glad you're alright... No worries about 'keeping a spot' here... I'll GMPC as long as needed and the others can shout at me if they think I'm playing her all wrong!!!

Sorry to hear that!

I don't want to get too cocky but I think that we could probably 5 man person this for a while if people want to leave Jo on guard detail in the tower (in case Terisha comes right back)?

No worries, we're just glad to hear that you're okay! Hang in there and take whatever time you need.

And yes, letting Jo stand guard duty for a bit would work for me if everyone else is cool with it.

Re:pendant - Identify is always nice, but Briana has no ranks in Appraise (and wouldn't be very good at it even if she did) and a pretty good Will save already so she doesn't really need the pendant. I could see pretty much anyone else in the party using it, though I notice that Shadlah has a decent Appraise skill and a low Will save - maybe she could use it? :)

Excellent idea - I think it sits quite well with the narrative for Joanna to stay up in the Crow on a watchout for the Tower Girls... What reason do younhave tonteust them after all?

But dropping down to five players, can I ask that everyone makes an effort to keep us moving along? The next step really is on Teldon to use the medallion and the dagger to get the doors opening but, in preparation for that, he has asked whether anyone needs to prepare.... After all, who knows what terrors could be behind those doors!!!

TLDR, could we try to keep to daily posting? Cheers!!!

Take care, Jo!

Sorry for being slack, I've been preparing to move house. I'm not usually this sparse.

Take care Jo, and come back when you're recharged!

No worries Shadlah, moving house is pretty all-consuming!!! (I've done it three times in the last four years so I can sympathise).

Teldon, if Shadlah doesn't manage to get a post in over the next few hours or so, I am fine with you assuming that Jo and Shadlah both acknowledge readiness..

And... not that I've been waiting much (I've drafted the next three GM posts already!!!) but I have also taken the 'Cast List' from the Campaign Page, brought it up to date and turned it into Google Document... Hopefully it is an occasionally useful resource and, in the meantime, could you write one or two sentences about your character in there.

Not sure if it's showing up but I think I managed to put a sentence or two in about Briana. Thanks for updating the document Zed! :)

I will GMPC Shadlah if she hasn't got to posting by tomorrow morning (uk)...

...in the meantime, Pathfinder Adventures by Obsidian... Good thing or Bad thing? Discuss...

Rowenna is a wonderful character. Top-notch familiar. Just wanted to say that.

Aw, thanks! I struggle with class companions between trying to give them some personality without overdoing it or stealing the show. I've actually taken inspiration from our friend Hmm, who has lots of experience with playing all sorts of different companion critters. Of course it's a little easier to not overdo it with a familiar vs. an animal companion, I think. And eidolons are a special case...

Re: Pathfinder Adventures - I actually had to look that up to find out what it is. Normally I'm not much into card games, but uh...I gotta say that this looks like it could be pretty cool! I'll probably give it a go once the download is available next month.

5,000 GM posts (and counting!!!) – it seems a long time (April 2013!) since my tentative steps into GM’ing on the boards with an ultimately doomed attempt at ‘The Godsmouth Heresy’ – since then I’ve managed to finally get one group through the Ossuary beneath Kaer Maga (and failed with two other groups), explored the Mana Wastes in ‘Wardens of the Reborn Forge’, got two groups deep underground in the Emerald Spire (and still going!!!), inflicted ‘The Assimilation Strain’ on two groups as we start the Legendary Planet AP and taken another group on a rollercoaster of emotions when I stitched ‘Feast of Ravenmoor’ into my Shattered Star AP…

…and, in all of that, I have met some really great players and had a load of fun!!!!

Here’s to another 5,000 GM posts!

grats!

...and I haven't hit 600 yet...

Congrats on the milestone Zed! It's been great fun playing in Shattered Star as well as (the goblinized version) Legendary Planet! I hope your next 5,000 posts are just as great :)

Does anyone object to me just foregoing rolls that I can't possibly fail? I couldn't fail either of those checks in my last gameplay post, for example, and it would just save me some time and typing (which would be extra nice since most of my posts are done on my phone).

Doesn't bother me; I usually put some sort of note for cases like that ('Auto-success due to blahblah modifier/thing').

"auto-success, cuz I haz all the skillz"?

If ya got it, flaunt it!

These are exciting time to be an RPG'er it seems.... Two RPG reboots that have been instant successes - I don't recall much about either of the original versions of the games but, if you feel like getting your inner Swashbuckler or Barbarian on, these look like pretty good prospects!!!

Kickstarter for 'The 7th Sea, 2nd Edition'.

Kickstarter for 'Conan, Adventures in an Age Unknown'

They are also amazing value if you back just for PDF... 40 dollars for PDF's of pretty much everything in the 7th Sea Kickstarter (including the entire 1st edition collection!) or 40 of your UK pounds for PDF's of the Conan Rulebook plus ALL of the unlocked books (3 unlocked so far and 4 more announced)...

...so very tempting although I shall probably just enjoy watching how far each campaign goes...

After backing Richard Pett's "The Blight" at $150, and also after adding a Pathfinder Modules subscription, I really need to tone down my RPG expenditures. I won't be backing any gaming kickstarters for a while!

Me to!!! I'm just going to enjoy these ones as an observer... Although the Conan RPG does have the very unusual advantage of being distributed from the UK - no import duties or crazy high postage!!!

I have a huge campaign mapped out that some of my friends really want me to run as a PbP (we started it in RL but I've moved and we can't do play face to face anymore), and I can't even make time to do that... The last thing I need is more things I don't have time to run.

Folks, as your characters have quite rightly pointed out... the complex beneath the Crow is very large!!! So, as we move from a more open / RP game (Ravenmoor / Magnimar) to a hefty chunk of dungeoneering, can I ask that you try to ensure that your posts drive us forwards through the exploration a bit... what seems to work for my other Dungeoneering games (Emerald Spire) is that one person tends to take the lead when it comes to simple 'left, right, straight on' choices... maybe think about appointing someone to do that? With Shadlah's prior dungeon exploration experience, maybe her?

...sorry for preachy, proddy post!!!

I was actually kind of planning on doing that since I'll be checking all the doors... Sorry my post rate has been down a little.

Cool, it's up to you folks of course... sorry if I came over passive aggressive or suchlike, dungeon exploration via PbP needs a certain impetus otherwise it just doesn't work!!! The other Shattered Star games on these boards (at least the 'successful' ones which have got through book one and beyond) have taken a very long time... it is, after all, a pretty big dungeon (although I have excised quite a few chunks of it... taking into account that you spent an entire character level in Ravenmoor)...

Yeah, it makes the most sense for Teldon or Shadlah to lead off while we're down here provided they don't mind (and are able to do so). Teldon's inversion of the Rule of Left also works and should make the process a little easier to streamline. I also know that some GMs tend to assume that 'scout' characters are always taking 10 or 20 on relevant skill checks whenever there are no visible threats.

First up, I'd like to apologize for my silence. I've been working up to moving house, and the big day was today. We don't have an internet connection yet, and probably won't for several days (though we're working on it). I have a smartphone with a data plan, but 500MB doesn't go far when I'm using it for job-searching as well. However, my mother lives 5 minutes away and I'm welcome there any time, and there's a library within walking distance, so I'll be around.

Please don't write me out of the campaign, as this is temporary. I'll be here, but sporadic. If I'm holding things up, bot me. Shadlah would love to take the lead down here, since she's in her element (in a literal sense!), but I can't commit to being around to take that lead. If there's something she can do out of combat to help the party, have her do it if I don't get there first. In combat, she'll basically blast everything (she's currently getting +1 to hit and +2 damage with her earth blast due to the burn she's taken). If there's an enemy surrounded by her allies, she'll gather power as a move action and use her bowling infusion to attempt to trip them with her blast (which still deals damage). If kinetic cover would be strategically useful, she'll use that. If all else fails, blast.

No worries Shadlah, we'll be here when you're able to return to posting more frequently! In the meantime, congrats on the place and I hope you're able to get everything set up and going without much hassle :)

Yeah, no worries about keeping your seat at the table... all is cool... hopefully, we'll be keeping to daily posting so I will use your guidance about Shadlah's actions whenever you're not available...

...giving Arsith until tomorrow morning (UK) otherwise I'll have to GMPC her...

As a complete aside, have you all noticed the Paizo Humble Bundle? >$350 of PDFs for just $25, plus a physical copy of the Beginner's Box. I bought it even though I already had more than half of the items!

Definitely a sweet deal! I don't know if I'll pick it up myself but I've got some friends that might be interested.

I haven't even looked at it. It sounds awesome, I just haven't looked at it because I'm mad at it for making the site so unreliable for the last two days.

It hasn't been great for the site but have you seen how much has been raised? Was over 400k when I last looked... I'm tempted for the Beginner Box and also the bundle of PFS scenarios (like most here, I have everything else - shame there's no Bestiary 5 - we can dream!!!)...

i don't know why but I just had a small laughing fit at my desk over my last gameplay post.

^ I can see it, considering Teldon probably replied immediately and with the straightest of faces, hehe.

I'm still on vacation in Arizona... the Grand Canyon was amazing!

I'm leaving for home tomorrow, and will (hopefully) be able to update during my long layover in Philadelphia.

Jealous of Ziomarra / Haladir!!!! - the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is amazing… a sense of scale that you just can’t get any way other than visiting – but, for my money, the North Rim is even more special (I did a fly-drive holiday with my girlfriend a few years back… Vegas, Grand Canyon, Moab (four days of Mountain Biking heaven), Zion and Bryce, North Rim of the Grand Canyon and then back to Vegas… happy days!!!