As for the appearance/comliness, I just like seeing people avoiding Charisma as a dump stat. At least, no without some repercussions.
Besides, it actually rewards a player with a high charisma who isn't really a face character. Like Da Fighter for instance. I imagine his Cha is >10 or so?
Its always fun to see a Barbarian with a CHA of 15 or so. It also lends some credence to the character when they decide they want to return to their tribe and challenge the Chieftain for rule. They might actually get people to follow them.
A high Chruzima for a barbarian makes more sense than it does for most characters, part of his rage (for a positive modifier) translating over as an element of his personal presence. The player of Sir Zapsalot, as an example, I would rate his CHA at a 13 or so, but with a 7 WIS. He has a noticable personal presence, but rather poor restraint and judgement. He is definitively far from stupid (11 or 12 INT), but lacks things WIS typically govorns...
As a general rule of thumb though, when all else fails for me, I'll dust off the 1e Unearthed Arcana and generate a character's ability scores that way. Some of the most entertaining results have spawned from that one for me: a Magic-User (Wizard) with an 18 STR and a 14 INT as the most entertaining example. (He later died in the Halls of the Hill Giant King via boulder-pummelling as a DM-PC, but I still very strongly remember the dichotomy on the ability score rolls : 3d6 for STR tossed up boxcars, while 9d6 for INT gave the best total of 14, an irony I found utterly chuckle-worthy.)
Those old UA Character Gen charts were totally screwy to say the least...
In theory...they looked like they'd make sense, until you rolled.
You mentioned Meathead the Mage before...can we say give the man a Rod of Smiting!
Cool! Journal Updates!
Hey Turin, since Psychic Ace, aka: ??? is no longer reading this thread, let them know one of the reasons I like people having a reason to not consider something a dump stat is so that they agonize over their stats at character creation.
I don't like assigning stat scores to be easy for my players. It should be give and take in various ways.
Those old UA Character Gen charts were totally screwy to say the least...
In theory...they looked like they'd make sense, until you rolled.You mentioned Meathead the Mage before...can we say give the man a Rod of Smiting!
Cool! Journal Updates!
LoL - Meathead the Mage, too funny. ^_^ I shall appropriate it for my own use in an MMORPG (fantasy genre) down the line that is actually worth more than the free time download. ^_^ Turns out his pseudodragon familiar (in his 3.5 version), rolling best on 4d6, also capped out his racial maximum STR score ... needless to say, his familiar is a tad scary, built more like a wolverine than a feline I would wager...
Hey Turin, since Psychic Ace, aka: ??? is no longer reading this thread, let them know one of the reasons I like people having a reason to not consider something a dump stat is so that they agonize over their stats at character creation.
I don't like assigning stat scores to be easy for my players. It should be give and take in various ways.
Psychic Ace is aka Da Fighter.
And I still like the UA methods, since my quirky dice have the habit of rolling extremes at least as often as straight up the middle ... no idea why really, it's quite bothersome when that nat 1 comes up on the worst possible time for my character...
Quick shout out Turin.
Update the party roster if you would be so kind.
What is the current disposition and makeup?
Ask and ye shall often receive Yasha :)
Sir Hexen Ineptus, Male Hewmahn, Barbarian (whirling frenzy) 6, 3 character deaths thusfar
Torsin Tightbutt, Female Grey Elf, Wizard (elf generalist) 6, 1 character death thusfar
Owen Da Fighter, Male Hewmahn, Fighter 6, 1 character death thusfar
MizKitty, Female High Elf, Druid (Vow of Poverty, Shapeshifter variant) 5, 1 character death thusfar
Cap'n Jose Monkamuck, Male Hewmahn, monk 1/cleric 5, 2 character deaths thusfarPoint of Progress: about to land near the ruins of Tamoachoan, Sea Wyvern's Wake (Chapter 3)
They have asked about opening up a 6th chair at the table. I am hoping for another Lady of Hack personally - wimmen add so much to the game. And often, they are so savage ...
The other 6 character deaths are attributed to players no longer sailing with Crew 1.
Its seems like I come up for character appelations when even I least expect it. Use 'Meathead the Mage' to your hearts content. LOL!
Yeah, I figured out after the fact that Da Fighter was Psychic Ace. Thats what I get for not looking at profiles.
Did any Dragotha inspired death happened?
And who, if anyone, killed Lenny!?
Did any Dragotha inspired death happened?
And who, if anyone, killed Lenny!?
Rather the wrong thread there Yasha :P ... Allen will be giving me the gruesome details to post in his journal in a day or two, so have no fear...
Yeah I know. At the time of posting I'd not realized that Lenny was your new character. I had though you were asking Allen to kill your new alias. Considering your long running 'Lenny' jokes (i.e. your profile) I thought that was it, little did I know it was a character as well. X_X
I am such a bonehead sometimes.
On a much lighter topic....are you STAPing today? If so KILL KILL KILL!
Tamoachan right? Mwhahah...this should be good.
Allen ever get that updated Tamoachan to you?
Hey Turin, ever considered running an Online game with one of the Virtual Tabletops thats out there.
I just tried to join one...but my PC won't run Wyvern's GlitterComm system. RP MapTool works fine for me, but not that one. Missed out on his game. SO Close!
If you ever consider it, tell me!
Session 14, Crew 1, 5 hours' realized play time, Chapter 3 (Sea Wyvern's Wake), Ruins of Tamoachan
Allen had been kind enough to provide his personal 1e copy of the Ruins to me this past Saturday (27th Oct) during his most recent campaign session. However, I did not have sufficient time to sit down and closely peruse the module, let alone hand-brew a 3e conversion suitable with only a few hours' time available to me.
Thus, I went with the scripted Ruins instead, which occupied Crew 1's attention for this session.
They made thier way easily enough to the entrance, asked Urol which of the two passageways they would take. Urol, hemmed and hawed for a bit, then went with his dominant hand and chose right. As they made thier way forward, MizKitty and Cap'n Monkamuck noticed a mutant lizard off to the north amidst the rubble of the central northern passageway.
Initiative dice ensued, the basilisk wandered forward and was utterly disappointed for its brief remaining six seconds of existance that not a single meal before it turned to stone. Sadly, the named basilisk was summarily dispatched by our band of scurrilous scaliwags. (Even Urol's meager +5 Fort bonus was plenty sufficient to thwart the DC 13 saving throw required of the basilisk's petrifying gaze. Book basilisks suck.)
Entering into the passageway, the gibbering promise of idiocy greeted them, no one's mind proved especially susceptible (again, the paltry DC 13 Will save had no impact and the second encounter of the evening commenced. The gibbering mouther attempted to hock a blinding loogy on Sir Ineptus (and missed with a nat 2 attack roll...), hit 3 out of 6 nibbles on Sir Ineptus (3 hp) and completely failed to secure even a single hicky. The gibbering booger lasted about as long as the basilisk... five or six seconds.
Looting the swag from the well of bones, they ventured forth into the ruined map-room. Cautiously deployed along the southern wall, MizKitty and Sir Ineptus slowly crept forth into the map room. 3 rounds later, the flame wave erupted from the southern wall and marched to the north, inflicting decent burning damage upon Urol, Torsin Tightbutt, Sir Ineptus and Cap'n Monkamuck while roasting Sir Ineptus and MizKitty with potato-baking heat. The PCs either fled to the alcove off to the east or paced along behind the wall's march to the north. Urol, sobbing, cradled his crispified crow companion.
A bit of curatives later, the characters make thier way down the passageway into the chamber facing .. a solid wall of iron. Sadly, two characters manage to hear a live critter lurking in the narrow space to the south, near the iron barrier. Sir Ineptus, ever provocative, whiffs at the invisible critter's space. A reasonably lengthly battle ensues, spells fly, blades flash, shock blasts fly, no player characters die and another critter buys the farm. The PC's - aware that they actually provoked combat with a non-aggressing critter, take the dodge-ball sized sponge outside and bury it.
The next day Owen Da Fighter and Sir Ineptus wind up and very quickly smash a 5ft space of the wall into scrap. Entering into a map room that does not depict a ruined city - but with a pyramid in miniature in the center of the lake - with MizKitty subsequently making a Listen check able to notice the flapping of leathery wings approaching from the southern passageway.
The final critter of the Ruins of Tamoachan flaps forth, keeping near the ceiling of the room. The PCs make short work of him sadly.
My dice had been fairly unkind to me thusfar... then again, with a scattered series of CR 5 and 6 foes, all singletons, against a crew of 5 6th level characters, there was no expectation of any character deaths - a few serious injuries, but no deaths. Even the mummy rot trap (which caught Da Fighter in its grip but - sadly - was thwarted by a combination of Delay Disease and Remove Disease the NEXY day) failed to take root. The varrangoin managed to mildly scorch the characters before his death throes set off ... scoring at best all of maybe 30 hp between his breath weapon AND the death throes. (Again, a paltry DC of 13 was not difficult for most of the characters to avoid...)
Returning after 5 hours' time to humor Urol's desire to sketch out and otherwise annotate the ruins to his heart's content, our heroes return to the Sea Wyvern. After a brief (and pathetic) 'blockade' by the glorified pirate ship 'Purity Scow', they come across the months-ruined Fort Greenrock.
Next stop is 150 miles' away ...
Too bad Tomoachan didn't provide too much of a challenge for them. Make sure you beef up the Journey's end encounter to really hammer on them. That is by far the best part of that adventure. I really enjoyed running that section (No kills, though I could have bagged a PC with the assassin vine encounter, but I ended up fudging a little on that encounter in an uncharacteristic moment of generosity- I wanted him alive to die fighting the Mother of All, but Kratos lived, only to be killed by the T-Rex the next game session- all good). I ended up buying about 5 shambling mounds off minature market for it. They were only a couple of bucks each, so it was well worth it. The only problem is that they are large, so I ended up having the vine horrors be large, which proved a little bit tricky in the tight halls of the ships' holds but we got by. For the Mother of All I again had to resort to my trusty purple worm mini (not a match by any stretch, but the closest I could manage that fit the size), anyhow that mini has been serving me very well for this campaign (MVM- most valuable mini: Mother of all, nasty eel things, bilewretch, giant centipedes, etc...- I've probably used it 6-8 times in this campaign).
I am looking forward to the starts with an S, ends in O encounter. Don't want to give any spoilers in case your folks are still perusing this thread. Yes...PH said it. The Mother of All....
Tamoachan from what I can tell is little more than a tourist stop and acquisition point for acquiring a Plot Device (literally) later on in the STAP, barring utilization of the 3.5-converted version of it or a home-brewed conversion of the 1e module...
The big moments of the SWW chapter are coming up for Crew 1.
Hey Turin, ever considered running an Online game with one of the Virtual Tabletops thats out there.
I just tried to join one...but my PC won't run Wyvern's GlitterComm system. RP MapTool works fine for me, but not that one. Missed out on his game. SO Close!If you ever consider it, tell me!
I shall certainly do so Yasha, when such a time comes. ^_^
*sigh* I was almost there too. Stupid PC.
Look into RP Tool's MapTool and its derivatives should you get the chance. It actually looks pretty decent. Not as cool as Wyvern's GlitterComm toolset, but we can't all write our own custom programs, unfortunately.
Too bad Tomoachan didn't provide too much of a challenge for them. Make sure you beef up the Journey's end encounter to really hammer on them. That is by far the best part of that adventure. I really enjoyed running that section (No kills, though I could have bagged a PC with the assassin vine encounter, but I ended up fudging a little on that encounter in an uncharacteristic moment of generosity- I wanted him alive to die fighting the Mother of All, but Kratos lived, only to be killed by the T-Rex the next game session- all good). I ended up buying about 5 shambling mounds off minature market for it. They were only a couple of bucks each, so it was well worth it. The only problem is that they are large, so I ended up having the vine horrors be large, which proved a little bit tricky in the tight halls of the ships' holds but we got by. For the Mother of All I again had to resort to my trusty purple worm mini (not a match by any stretch, but the closest I could manage that fit the size), anyhow that mini has been serving me very well for this campaign (MVM- most valuable mini: Mother of all, nasty eel things, bilewretch, giant centipedes, etc...- I've probably used it 6-8 times in this campaign).
The really big encounters are the ones I am inclined to eyeball most closely, keeping in mind my PCs' AC, hp, attack and saving throw bonuses. The minor encounters - and let's face it, as written the STAP Tamoachan is a minor encounter set, albiet in a really kewl 1e location from many, many moons ago - are not of primary concern really.
Fortunately, I have a healthy supply of asundry Huge and Large miniatures with which to torment my PCs - and most of the singleton Gargantuan/Colossal dragon mini's as well. Among these are a bulette, at least one purple worm, a fistful of bluespawn gawdslayers ...
Those last should induce flashbacks of nightmare to the butchery at the conclusion of the Red Hand of Doom for most of my players, so I will be VERY happy to use them just to cash in on that factor from some years ago. Two characters survived that fell day, out of about 14 or so...
I'm in. You submitting anything for the contest Turin?
Also...where are you? I don't think I have ever seen this thread go three days without you posting. ^_^y
Anyway. Ah...I remember where they are now. You doing any tweaks to whats coming next, or are you going to just play?
I'm in. You submitting anything for the contest Turin?
Also...where are you? I don't think I have ever seen this thread go three days without you posting. ^_^y
Anyway. Ah...I remember where they are now. You doing any tweaks to whats coming next, or are you going to just play?
** spoiler omitted **
Yes I did fire off a submission. Naturally, I came with a much better one a day or two later, so I'm outta luck on that score...
'Play' indeed *chuckling*... tomorrow will reveal how brutal we get...
I brought my A game. I don't think I could've done a better one with the word restrictions.
Oh, have you seen this?
I can't believe I got the link function right the first time. wOOT!
btw, do you ever join the Paizo chatroom? When I'm delving the boards I usually hang out there.
Hmm...lets see its Saturday...to KGMRAoW!
btw, do you ever join the Paizo chatroom? When I'm delving the boards I usually hang out there.
Hmm...lets see its Saturday...to KGMRAoW!
Never thought to check it out Yasha, ironically. Sometimes I'm a tad busy with other stuff. ^_^
I brought my A game. I don't think I could've done a better one with the word restrictions.
Oh, have you seen this?
I can't believe I got the link function right the first time. wOOT!
Good job - you'll have to explain the 'renaming of linkies' to me some time, since I can't remember how to do it to save my miserable hide...
Are you implying I am not busy on Saturday? Actually I am not. Some cleaning and such to do and prepare for tonight's game. Otherwise, I am jaunting along the boards and such.
Jumping to the Turin's players do NOT read
Oh and for thee to see Turin. My new critterbeastie...
And for those curious: Rhacodactylus Leachianus Henkeli, Island E submorph.
She's about 3" now and will eventually grow to about 14-17".
Mink is indeed a Dragon-Half reference for those in the know.
Oh Turin. Pygon wants some help on this one.
Oh yeah....
My wife, Sarah
Oh Turin. Pygon wants some help on this one.
** spoiler omitted **
Oh yeah....
My wife, Sarah
Rawr on the wifey Yasha. ^_^
I'll drop in on Pygon's 'dry run' with Khali after the journal entry gets done...
Session 15, Crew 1, 6 hours' realized play time, Sea Wyvern's Wake
Our intrepid band of mostly morally-upstanding adventurer-sailors, rather unsettled by whatever it was that demolished Fort Greenrock, had the Sea Wyvern and Blue Nixie beat a hasty forward redeployment further south and west at the next fresh water resupply point.
The locale was gorgeous - while a narrow harborage, the spectacular sight of a 300-yard wide 200 foot-high waterfall set a magnificent scene against which crewmembers made to enjoy the spectacular location for a day's R&R.
I threw percentiles to see how early in the replenishment of onboard water stores the hydra would rear its heads ... and threw an aught-two...
Thus, the first boat was being rowed out towards the waterfall while the PCs were situating themselves aboard the Sea Wyvern. Luckily for the crew, the hydra far more easily discerned the PCs aboard the ship than the smaller vessel of mooks, and made a beeline for Our Heroes instead. Combat ensued - and while the hydra managed to masticate MizKitty a mite, the crew feasted on hydra steaks tartar that evening for supper. (The Hydra was a two-round wonder, sad to say, even with maximized hp.) And retrieved the enchanted chain mail body armor and the bright green cloak of the manta ray along with a modest sum of gold coin after scouring the wrecks at most 10 yards beneath the keel, clever bastiches...
The capable Cap'n Monkamuck made short shrift of the navigational hazard posed by the Pearl Current, sad to say. No time has been lost to loitering ashore nor erroneous navigation the entire trip - they reached the Isle of the Thousand-Foot Cliffs in a grand total - including side trips ashore - in a grand total of 70 days. Oh, and at the village, ever-lecherous Avner Meravanchi attempted to buy a village daughter, with the unfortunate error of having elected to attempt to procure the headman's daughter, which resulted in much pummelling into submission from MizKitty and the Cap'n himself. Avner has added further maimings, mutilations and scarring to his now-considerable record... and Avner's "capabilities" in the sack with the ladies has been rather noticably dimished after this torrid affair. The pirate captain of the Purity Scow as it turns out had the extreme misfortune of having seriously bad blood with said headman... the PCs gleefully turned the sorry sod over to him for ... disposition, to put it kindly. Said pirate captain was on the receiving end of the dialog from "300". He did not enjoy it, it was not over quickly...
Having (wisely) decided to not explore said Big-Honkin' Cliff Island, the crew made to get the remaining 500 miles of trip out of the way as fast as the Sea Wyvern's legs could carry them. A mighty storm blew up, lasting nearly an entire day and night, which the able seamanship of her crew weathered handily. Unfortunately, they awoke as the morning fog burned off caught in the infamous sargasso dubbed "Journey's End" by many a sea-salt throughout the southern seas of the known world.
Spying the plant-ridden hulk of another caravel a scant 200 yards off to port, our heroes disembarked and made squelching, disgusting march towards the hull. Torsin Tightbutt used Sir Ineptus as her 'ride', which of course he gleefully enjoyed non-incendiary contact with the lithe mage. MizKitty was (smartly) airborne in her aerial 'recon' form. Clambering aboard, they made thier way below decks and towards the Captain's Cabin. Prodding ahead of them with spears in hand, the flooring of said cabin gave way, revealing a trio of assassin vines and the captain's log plummetting into the unpleasant water above the sargasso weed that had already invested the entire below-deck.
At first, MizKitty was snatched by an assassin vine and enthusiastically throttled. Sadly, she was able to wriggle free and scramble away from the vicious entangling menaces. Sir Ineptus cleverly readied his fishing rod, used it to retrieve the log only to have the rod fragged by one of the vines, then to find himself lassoed and dragged bodily into the brutal embrace of an assassin vine. Cleverly - and with some amazing die rolls - he hucked the log back adjacent to Owen Da Fighter before being throttled some more. Torsin hucked a Fireball into the room, against which none of the occupants made thier Reflex saves. Eventually, however, the vines were rendered into house salads and the journal was perused.
The group decided to make thier way to the center of the sargasso and, after spending the day slurping, arrived at the vine-and-seaweed-choked wreckage of the Thunderer as the sun was setting. Our Heroes noted all around that the sargasso was alive with the shuddering disgorgment of what were at least hundreds of shambling vaguely humanoid vegetative forms amidst a constant sussurous of "Outsider" - although some would likely argue that they heard "Appetizer" whispered in thier sunbaked minds - and quickly elected to board the weed-rampant hulk before them.
Making thier way quickly below deck, a trio of Vine Horrors greeted them enthusiastically. The fight was rough, salad was made, Sir Ineptus was reduced to minimal negatives at least twice but Our Heroes proved victorious. A dozen or more Cure Light Wounds charges were discharged (and much to my dismay, they reminded me of the TWO fully-charged CLW wands they had purchased) in conjunction with the Reserve feat (the one that permits healing touches to nudge the wounded and mutilated to about half hp at the small cost of time). Two casters with Augmented Healing helps enormously ... I so do not look forward to the Cap'n acquiring the Pool of Healing next level.
The second trio of Vine Horrors were encountered as the characters performed a sweep and clear. Owen Da Fighter wisely elected to Burst two interior sections of hull in the narrow confines adjacent to the crew's mess, Torsin and MizKitty wisely elected to go 'round to the starboard side. While again much damage was dished out by the trio of plant critters, complete with 'summoned' assassin vines, they were unable to procure any character deaths for me. Our Heroes, to thier due credit, performed pretty well tactically speaking, and weathered the second fight quite well.
The session concluded at that point, XP was doled out with Sir Ineptus earned just enough xp to see his total breach the 21k mark for 7th level, with most of the rest close behind. Our Heroes are largely depleted of thier major spells, but are fully healed up, and are about to descend into the hold to deal with the Mother-of-All herself...
Stay tuned next week when we find out just how much grit Our Heroes are made of!
Too bad they've learned not to seperate the party. One of the other journals had someone stay with the ship. That game had a "Night of the Living Sargasso" moment as they vines kept attacking all night long. Too late for that now though.
Read through the next monster really well Turin. Shes got some awesome stuff going for her. Mincemeat Pie!
Too bad they've learned not to seperate the party. One of the other journals had someone stay with the ship. That game had a "Night of the Living Sargasso" moment as they vines kept attacking all night long. Too late for that now though.
Read through the next monster really well Turin. Shes got some awesome stuff going for her. Mincemeat Pie!
My players, once they acquired the captain's log of the Rage, quickly agreed they did not wish to endure that same nightmare themselves and hurried on over to the Thunderer instead.
Mother-of-All is indeed quite ... unpleasant. ^_^
I think I am going to go read her description. Honestly, even if I never run STAP...which I still intend on doing at some point, I will definately port out the Mother. Shes just something begging to be used.
Speaking of monsters begging to be used....
Consider the 'Mother of Oblivion' from the Pathfinder stuff for when they are a little higher level...it calls to me. Calls to me for PC death!
Speaking of monsters begging to be used....
The one I wanna 'port out is the end-game BBEG from Fortress of the Yuan-Ti... he's a mite nasty. ^_^
Urk...assuming I do make it to Round 2 of Rpg Superstar....design a country...argh....just on the off chance, I need to start thinking now.
You really need to make sure someone dies on this next one Turin.
Remember to save the last ability for an opportune moment.
I rather enjoy the entire "sargasso of the living dead" encounter setpiece in and of its own right. Talk about an atmosphere that readily crosses character levels ... after all, who is to say exactly what properties a given sargasso has ...
You could always do something along the lines of ruling that breathing the air for too long will require a save against disease. Failure eventually resulting in Sargasso spores settling in the characters lungs and taking root. As the disease progresses the internal vines grow until they burst out of the characters chest/throat Alien style.
Hmm..I'm rather morbid aren't I? Or you could introduce a mold-based disease. The Sargasso has to be teeming with mold everywhere...good way to incapacitate some characters.
For mold based diseases, or a lungrot type disease like TB, find an appropriate disease (or make one) and change its delivery type to 'inhaled' instead of just injury. Fun for all is had!
You could always do something along the lines of ruling that breathing the air for too long will require a save against disease. Failure eventually resulting in Sargasso spores settling in the characters lungs and taking root. As the disease progresses the internal vines grow until they burst out of the characters chest/throat Alien style.
Hmm..I'm rather morbid aren't I? Or you could introduce a mold-based disease. The Sargasso has to be teeming with mold everywhere...good way to incapacitate some characters.
For mold based diseases, or a lungrot type disease like TB, find an appropriate disease (or make one) and change its delivery type to 'inhaled' instead of just injury. Fun for all is had!
Great stuff Yasha ... although I suspect that, should my PCs in Crew 1 become mulch (TPK'd), the replacement PCs will be among the formerly-mook characters aboard the Blue Nixie, to ever wonder what became of the Sea Wyvern and her gallant crew... only to find themselves having to deal with the Isle of Dread in short order...
I'd certainly entertain the Night of Sargasso Horror with the spores et al for a later replay of the scene however...
Allen's crew is so screwed!
Oh...and Happy Erik Mona day!
Party if you love Paizo!
Allen's crew is so screwed!
Oh...and Happy Erik Mona day!
Party if you love Paizo!
Wouldn't a calendar day holiday normally require the personage in question to be messily deceased? ^_^ Or, just deceased?
I need to steenkin' love of Paizo to partaay ... jes' a good crib and some hoochnog... ^_^
eh...just adding another excuse...you can never have too many of those. ^_^
eh...just adding another excuse...you can never have too many of those. ^_^
Excuses and holidays both ^_^ ...
Although I'm not present for today's (currently occurring) game, it is my understanding that the President of our Red Folder Gaming Society, the "Dying One" is supposed to be making his triumphant return after a lengthy absence. I suspect Turin should have the body bags ready for his player character(s). I know I would:)
Although I'm not present for today's (currently occurring) game, it is my understanding that the President of our Red Folder Gaming Society, the "Dying One" is supposed to be making his triumphant return after a lengthy absence. I suspect Turin should have the body bags ready for his player character(s). I know I would:)
Sadly, our President Emeritus failed to show entirely, for reasons unknown. Equally sadly, not a single roll of black plastic was put into use, although not for a lack of trying.
The Mother of All lasted a considerable amount of time, considering the half-dozen player characters at the table this day. MizKitty is now The Journalist (and has already posted on my players' journal), and a new Lady of Hack joined the table. Her Beguiler is quite formidable - only The Mother's cacaphonous babbling pustules were what prevented her from being reduced to house salad substantially earlier, as that ability of hers disrupted half a dozen or more spells during the encounter - the Beguiler's 4 spells, at least 2 or 3 others from The Journalist and Torsin Tightbutt, the spellhuckers were indeed having a fairly rough time of it.
Mamma Lunch, attempted to abscond with Sir Ineptus near the end, having successfully grappled him and moved 30' down into The Maw.
Our ever brave Cap'n Monkamuck jumped off the edge of The Maw planting a boot sqaure in her kisser - and then joined in Sir Ineptus' grapple with Mamma Lunch.
Mamma Lunch, badly injured but (mistakenly) counting on her Vine Horrors to swarm the PCs under - which they were a mere 2 or 3 rounds from doing - elected to plummet the remaining 70 feet to the bottom of the Maw with Sir Ineptus and Cap'n Monkamuck and was successful in doing so, knocking herself into early negative hp and damaging - but not rendering them unconscious - our two brave sailors. Owen Da Fighter, having received a Fly spell from The Journalist's playful slap, peformed a dive attack upon the prone, unconscious Mamma Lunch, messily ending her existence and that of Journey's End itself by extension.
Mr. Pett, my players thoroughly congratulate you on the atmosphere of the Sea Wyvern's Wake, and especially Journey's End. Our collective hats off to you good sir.
After some amazing Profession (Sailor) skill checks, they find themselves with a beached Sea Wyvern (instead of a wrecked one), the Blue Nixie picks up everyone they can - and having successfully thwarted all but 2 NPC deaths throughout the months-long voyage from Sasserine to the Isle of Dread unknowingly reaped an extra CR 8 award for this session - and a few NPCs that they didn't want hanging around and having to feed.
Avner was bodily pummelled and, carried trussed up on a pole, ensconced upon the Blue Nixie for the journey to Farshore. Urol, consulting with Our Heroes, puts together a trip he (mistakenly) believes will take a mere 10 days' time to cross the entire island. Through mountainous jungle terrain? Sh'ya ... our heroes are not so optimistic.
And of course, although out of order in this journal entry, the Hungry Welcome tramped forth from the hellish, humid jungle of the northern shore. During the encounter with a virile Tyrannosaurus Rex on the beach, I was gleefully happy to swallow whole both Sir Ineptus AND Owne Da Fighter. I was not so gleeful in that (a) it took most of his hp to secure his dinner, and (b) that my players were so violently effective in denying the great beast his dinner. I derive great satisfaction from having reduced both to single-digit hit points.
Oh, and Masher gave them some thrills and chills - even got Sir Ineptus with a dash of secondary poison CON damage - on 2d6, I got a paltry 3 CON damage, 2 of which were dealt with by that night's long-term care. This did reduce Sir Ineptus' hp total the next day by 7, which almost (but no cigar) lead to his messy demise.
Play concluded with the thrashing of the flightless chickens (terror birds) attempting to down the young diplodocus. IIRC, the entire party is now squarely 7th level...
Between Cap'n Monkamuck, The Journalist and Da Fighter - perhaps even Sir Ineptus himself - I think the players' journal should prove an entertaining read.
so no deaths to report then?
so no deaths to report then?
Sadly, no. Then again, as the adage that myself and Allen has always stated: If the players are reasonably intelligent, they will avoid character deaths barring supremely hot dice rolls or extraordinarily bad luck. At first, they were not smart, dying in droves. 11 deaths later, they wised up pretty quickly...
Well it seems like it's been a while since you've had a kill, hopefully you aren't feeling too down on yourself about it. I didn't get any kills in SWW, but I wracked up a few in Here there be Monsters, and I don't really consider myself a killer gm, so I think you will have some to report over the next couple of game sessions, especially once they get to the shrine.
so no deaths to report then?Sadly, no. Then again, as the adage that myself and Allen has always stated: If the players are reasonably intelligent, they will avoid character deaths barring supremely hot dice rolls or extraordinarily bad luck. At first, they were not smart, dying in droves. 11 deaths later, they wised up pretty quickly...
Well it seems like it's been a while since you've had a kill, hopefully you aren't feeling too down on yourself about it. I didn't get any kills in SWW, but I wracked up a few in Here there be Monsters, and I don't really consider myself a killer gm, so I think you will have some to report over the next couple of game sessions, especially once they get to the shrine.
so no deaths to report then?Sadly, no. Then again, as the adage that myself and Allen has always stated: If the players are reasonably intelligent, they will avoid character deaths barring supremely hot dice rolls or extraordinarily bad luck. At first, they were not smart, dying in droves. 11 deaths later, they wised up pretty quickly...
Nah, I'm not singularly aiming for character deaths. Of course, my players have learned that should they screw the pooch, characters can and will die. That is what has some of the participants lined up to play in Crew 2 - that the baddies will not strap on kid gloves all of a sudden just to 'take it easy' on them.
Since the game is about all the participants having fun, that includes the GM. For me, having a crew of babbling players eagerly anticipating the next session, or commenting on how creepifying the location was, or how they pulled the proverbial rabbit out of thier kiesters, that the game was enjoyed from both sides of the screen is the ultimate achievement.
Although I won't protest a character death now and again... ^_^
Bear in mind Turin that you and Allen (provided of course these players have played with both of you in the past) have been training these players for how long? At least a few years for most right?
They had to leap ahead of the learning curve eventually. Honestly, if they keep surviving this way, at least you know what to expect from your characters, ability-wise. No suprise Warmages popping out of the woodwork when new character rolling time comes around.
Congrats to SSTAP Crew!
Awesome STAP Turin.
Too bad that the Mother didn't prove more formidable...but hey...their lucky bastar.....s