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Brash:
You don’t know anything specific, but now that Jil mentions it – what has happened to all the great adventurers in the region? You’ve never really thought about it till now, but there are a lot of tales of adventurers in Cauldron over the year doing various great (though relatively modest) things … but then they just fade away, one way or another. Either they finally face something they can’t overcome, they just disappear (presumably due to facing something they couldn’t overcome), they retire early (often after most of the rest of their companions die on one escapade or another), or they move on to greener pastures (or so it is said – but they never return).
Is there anything sinister in all this? Maybe not, after all the life of an adventurer is an exciting but dangerous one … but why is it that all these adventurers over the years – probably for the past twenty to thirty years – have all gone away or died at about the same point in their careers, just when they’re starting to get a lot of recognition, starting to get really powerful.
You know of at least a couple of ex-adventurers in town, though none of them really that powerful or well known. Skie for example, also Skylar Krewis (pretty sure their similar names are just coincidence by the way) both had brief adventuring careers before settling down. Also your new companion Kylane.
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Here is some of Skie’s current inventory, things which may (or may not) be of interest to the group:
+1 Heavy Crossbow of Frost, +2 Keen Bastard Sword (Sword of Sharpness), +2 Longspear, Arcane scroll of Freedom of Movement, Arcane scroll of ice storm, Arcane scroll of Searing Light, Bracers of Archery, Circlet of Blasting (minor), Divine scroll of lesser restoration, Divine scroll of speak with dead, Divine scroll of protection from elements, Divine scroll of Giant Vermin, Divine scroll of Raise Dead, Dust of Illusion, Harp of Charming, Pipes of the Sewers, Potion of haste, Potion of Invisibility, Potion of Tongues, Quaal's Feather Token(fan), Quiver of Ehlonna, Ring of feather falling, Ring of Ram, Robe of Useful Items, Sleep arrows (2 available), Staff of Size Alteration, Wand of Shocking Grasp - 43 charges
Elendil peruses the items with interst, enquiring on the price of a handful of items:
Scroll of Ice Storm
Scroll of Searing light
Potion of Tongues
Quaal's feather token (fan)
Grom also asks about a couple of items:
+1 heavy crossbow of frost
divine scroll of Raise Dead
Yep, you can look up the prices, standard prices but you do get the 10% discount.
Elendil will purchase the scroll of ice storm (630gp), potion ot tongues (675gp) and Fan feather token (180gp)
Grom will purchase the scroll of Searing Light (337.5gp)
Alethian will but the potion of haste, potion of invisibility and 2 sleep arrows.
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Alright, I finally have XP for the last session.
6th level characters get 7,124 xp each.
7th level characters get 5,852 xp each.
My notes indicated I already gave xp for the previous session, but I'm not sure that was reflected on everyone's character sheet ... it's possible I worked it out but didn't give it. Anyone confirm?
Alright, I finally have XP for the last session.
6th level characters get 7,124 xp each.
7th level characters get 5,852 xp each.
My notes indicated I already gave xp for the previous session, but I'm not sure that was reflected on everyone's character sheet ... it's possible I worked it out but didn't give it. Anyone confirm?
As I said in the email im pretty sure we didn't get it. Im fairly certain we didn't get it at the start of the last session (Unless marty did while i was getting pizza?)
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Alright, I finally have XP for the last session.
6th level characters get 7,124 xp each.
7th level characters get 5,852 xp each.
My notes indicated I already gave xp for the previous session, but I'm not sure that was reflected on everyone's character sheet ... it's possible I worked it out but didn't give it. Anyone confirm?
That should have been 7th and 8th level respectively.
It looks like I did not give the previous xp to everyone. As in my email it was 4130 for 7th level characters, 3360 for 8th level characters.
It looks like I did not give the previous xp to everyone. As in my email it was 4130 for 7th level characters, 3360 for 8th level characters.
As mentioned in my email, the xp from both sections will allow Grom to level to 8th and Elendil to level to 9th.
Don't have Elendil's exact total on me, but he will be around 37,500 and Grom will be 33,054.
I've already levelled up Grom to 8th, taking on a level in the prestige class Warriorsmith. There were a couple of prestige classes I was aiming for for Elendil, but not sure if he quite has the pre-requisites to take either yet. I will take a look and let you know, but probably just another level in bard.
Yep Alethian and Kylane both go up in their respective classes.
Could you send me or summarise the details of that PrC?
Is it from Races of Stone?
Sorry, it's Battlesmith not Warriorsmith as I posted above. And yes, it's in Races of Stone:
Basically it's a prestige class that gives smiths the ability to craft magical items, but also grants them bonuses when they use items they've made. In short, at first level they get:
-- +1 base attack bonus
-- d10 hp
-- +3 to damage when wielding a warhammer they've made (which excludes Grom's current weapon)
-- The ability to create magical weapons
I'll get you a more detailed rundown if I can soon
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Session Summary: The Test of the Smoking Eye, session 1: Kaurophon and the Outlands
31.12.10
After forcing Nabthateron to flee, and hearing the apparently dead Alek Tercival warn them against returning to Cauldron and instead ‘Seek the Sign of the Smoking Eye’, the heroes are set upon by three apparently summoned babau demons. In the midst of the fight they are aided by a hooded and cloaked man who later introduces himself as Kaurophon, a planar traveller and scholar of the Test of the Smoking Eye. He tells them that he was going about his business when, much to his surprise, he heard Alek’s (whom he refers to as ‘the prophet’) words in his head and found himself here.
Kaurophon explains that the Test of the Smoking Eye is a way to gain control of an Outer Plane called Occipitus, a place that was once part of Celestia (the Seven Heavens) but was long ago cast down to become a layer of the Abyss. Occipitus has a reputation amongst demons of the Abyss as being bad luck or haunted. Kaurophon says that he has long been fascinated by the place, and that he feels that it is somewhere he could call home if it was cleansed of its taint, something that could be done if the Test was passed. He explains that he is a half-fiend and does not feel truly at home anywhere.
The Test is in three parts – passing one part is supposed to reveal the location of the next part. Kaurophon says that he knows the location and challenge of the first part of the Test but was not powerful enough to pass it, telling them that the challenge is to choose the correct one of two doors then defeat the creature beyond it. He says that the choices are a bebilith (a giant spider-like demon that hunts other demons) or an avoral guardinal (a celestial being from Elysium) and that he believes the correct choice is the bebilith.
Kaurophon says that he has heard of Cauldron and knows something of the Cagewrights, whom he says have a reputation of being very powerful and dangerous. He says that the Cagewrights are responsible for heroes and adventurers of Cauldron going missing once they reach a certain reputation. He suggests that that is the basis of Alek’s warning, and perhaps they have been pointed towards the Test of the Smoking Eye in order to gain the power necessary to survive the Cagewrights’ wrath.
He starts to become a little paranoid, seeming to think that they may be being scried upon, and suggests that they allow him to plane shift the group to another location, somewhere that will make scrying on them more difficult. He gives Elendil and Kylane each an arcane scroll of plane shift so that they can return to the material plane if they become separated from him.
The group agree to being planeshifted and arrive on a hillside somewhere in the Outlands (the neutral plane at the centre of the Great Ring). Kaurophon explains that he doesn’t know exactly where in the Outlands they are, but, after he finishes explaining what he knows of the Test of the Smoking Eye, suggests that the group at least rest up before they brave the Abyss. After that, he can planeshift them directly to Occipitus (where he offers to accompany and advise them as a guide) or else they may wish to visit a town somewhere in order to equip themselves properly for a sojourn to the Abyss. The group decide to find a town, either a Gatetown or other settlement here in the Outlands or else a door to Sigil.
After a night’s rest, Kaurophon begins leading them towards the far distant Spire, saying that they will need to try to find someone to ask about where they are and where the nearest towns are.
They follow a river that winds through a forest of giant mushrooms, and are ambushed or at least surrounded by a group of reptilian humanoids with mushrooms and other fungus growing from their skin. The leader of the creatures challenges them in a language that none of the group can understand, until Elendil negotiates safe passage by offering them the hag’s eye they won from the trio of winged hags at Vaprak’s Voice. The creatures tell the group that if they keep following the river they will eventually come to a point where a road crosses the river at a bridge. If they go left at the road they will head towards a strange town that is not always there, inhabited by humans and giant colourful frogs. If they go right they will be heading towards a small town of humans and dwarves in the mountains. Kaurophon suggests that the strange town is the unpredictable gatetown of Xaos, and that the other is most likely the gatetown of Glorium. The group plan to head towards Glorium.
After passing out of the fungus forest into a hilly region, and resting for the night, the group are attacked the next day by a yrthak which they are able to defeat with minimal problems. The rest of the day passes without incident as they climb higher into the now pine forested hills.
The next day the path passes by a small clearing where a small grey squirrel sits upon an old tree stump at the centre of the clearing. The squirrel makes no noise but appears to be looking at them, and does not appear scared, even when Grom throws a rock nearby to scare it. Un-nerved by the strange squirrel, the group opt not to investigate and continue on their way. As the day begins to darken, the relative quiet of the forest is broken by mad sounding laughter that echoes between the trees. Alethian spots an almost man-sized bird (similar in appearance to a wading bird) sitting in a tree by the path, and sneaks over to shoot it. His arrows bring it down at about the same time that Grom sees it and throws a rock with the intention of scaring it off. This brings several more of the birds, cackling madly, flying out of the forest to attack them. The birds breath a gas that causes people to break into the same uncontrollable, hideous laughter, but the group defeat them (with one managing to escape) and continue on their journey.
Experience: given in session.
Loot: 2 arcane scrolls of plane shift and Alek’s gear.
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The next day the group are stalked by a pack of wolf-like creatures with hawk heads, but they are sent packing without much trouble by Kaurophon lobbing a fireball at them.
Emerging from the forested hills into more rugged, cold and mountainous terrain, the group are approached by a large band of armed goat-centaur-like creatures, that Kaurophon identifies as bariuars. He seems wary of them, but Elendil is able to open negotiations with them, and they take a shine to the bard after he performs for them, agreeing to guide / escort them most of the way to Glorium. The bariuars seem somewhat wild and boisterous but generally good natured. They will not go all the way to Glorium as they often clash with the (mostly human) population of that town, but they think that the adventurers should be safe enough there, as long as they don’t try to start any fights. They say that this area is home to trolls, giants and other dangerous creatures, but that those creatures generally stay away from the town as it hosts many warriors. Perhaps it is the presence of the goat-centaurs keeping them at bay, but you do not spy any such monsters on your journey.
By mid afternoon the bariuars bid you farewell, having shown you a pass through the mountains, saying that the town is only a few hours journey away on the other side of the pass. True to their word you reach the town just before sunset.
Glorium is a small port town on an icy bay in the shadow of the mountains. Most of the buildings, as well as the wall and watch-towers that surround it are constructed of wood, with thatched roofs – there are only a few stone buildings in the town. Many of the buildings are long, low halls with steeply pitched roofs. A number of ships are pulled up at wharves by the bay, many of them low, sleek longships.
Fur-clad human guards at the gate enquire after your business, but are convinced to let you enter the town. They even direct you towards an inn, and tell you that there is a market on the following day. There will be traders from Sigil and other towns in the Outlands and Ysgard, as well as merchants selling local produce and Viking warrior-traders selling wares looted from around the Circle Sea.
Kaurophon advises that food and water will be difficult to find in Occipitus, and suggests that if you don’t have magic to keep you nourished you should buy adequate supplies or invest in such magic. His planeshift may bring you in days or even weeks travel away from your immediate destination. He suggests that magic and / or mundane items to improve your speed of travel might be useful. Also anything useful against demons and other dangerous creatures – despite that demons generally try to avoid this particular layer of the Abyss, there are still plenty of them around (just hundreds as opposed to tens of thousands). There is nothing approaching civilization in Occipitus, so you should do any buying and selling you might need to do here, and be prepared to be out of contact for a while.
Grom and Elendil put discuss the plane of Occipitus with Kaurophon as they travel, also drawing on their own knowledge to try and predict what horrors to expect.
Ok, here'e a list of the loot we've accumulated over the past couple of adventures. I don't think this stacks with anything we've already jotted down on character sheets.
1,360gp
6,450sp
5 x Gold Baboon masks
12 x pieces of silverware (450gp)
Gold Armband (120gp)
2 x Glass Bastard Swords * (+1 presumably)
Silver Ring
Gold Plated Halfling Skull
6 x Composite Longbows (sold at cost would be 300gp)
6 x Battle axes (sold at cost would be 30gp)
18 vials of some type of poison
Wand of St Cuthbert*
Huge Warhammer*
Large Half-Plate Armour*
2 x wands*
20 x doses of Alchemist fire (in 2 crystal jugs)
12 x pieces of amber
Golden Water Boiler
Light metal Shield*
Hardened Resin Ceramic Pot
Moth, are we able to identify the above unidentified items? Can we assume that there is a market to sell any of the above?
In terms of buying things, there are a handful of things I can think of that might come in handy:
Transport: Could probably invest in horses? Moth, will these teleport with Kaurophon? Also, are they likely to fare well/be of use in Occipitus? 6 x riding horses with bridle, saddles etc would cost around 566gp. Could upgrade to light warhorse for another 450gp. An alternate might be to buy a whole bunch of "Mount" scrolls, but this is likely to get expensive. I guess we could look for a flying carpet or something similar, but also expensive I imagine
Food: Grom should be able to cover the party (and horses) with Create Food & Water spell. However, probably wouldn't hurt to each buy 3 weeks trail rations just in case. At 5sp per day, this would cost 61.5gp all up.
Grom and Elendil also look for the following items:
-- Resist Energy scrolls
-- Protection from Energy scrolls. (Grom can cast both, but could be very useful to grab a couple extra).
-- Bane Weapon vs Evil Outsider. Increases bonus by +2 vs evil outsiders, and does 2d6 extra damage. Moth, are any available and/or is there someone who would be able to upgrade our existing weapons?
-- Holy Weapon. Good aligned, so overcomes Damage Reduction, +2d6 damage vs Evil beings. Again, any available, and/or upgrade?
-- Cure wands (wouldn't hurt to invest in another).
Moth, not sure if there is a way to magically shrink the hammer and/or armour of the fire giant, then make it permanent. If they are only +1, might not be worth it, but if they are stronger magic then would be a waste. On the flip side, I guess Grom could consider being enlarged and then having that made permanent...
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Session Summary: The Test of the Smoking Eye, session 2: Arrival in Occipitus
30.4.11
Kaurophon planeshifts the group to Occiputus, a land where the clouds burn, the ground feels like flesh and the forests look like bones. The group observe an enormous skull emerging from the ground in the very far distance, flames and smoke streaming from its eyesocket into the sky. The group have arrived near some jagged mountains, about 100 miles away (Kaurophon tells them) from their immediate destination – the Cathedral of Feathers.
Kaurophon urges the group away from the mountains as they are infested with slaadi, but too late – the group are attacked by a flying, invisible grey slaad, who bombards them with chaos hammers and other spells before eventually being overcome.
The group force march across the flats of Occipitus, following Kaurophon’s lead, making camp after about 10 hours – there is no day or night to mark the passage of time under the plane’s burning sky.
During the first watch, Alethian spots a man in ragged and torn robes stumbling towards the camp, pursued by three chaos beasts. The group manage to destroy the three chaos beasts at range with spells and bow, and talk to the man who claims to be a planar traveler who has become stuck here. He asks for a way out of the plane, but becomes evasive when the group start questioning him about his motives, saying he needs to rest.
In the second watch, the group is attacked from a distance with fireballs and chaos hammers by a green slaad. Several more green slaad are also summoned into the camp. While most of the group is off fighting the slaad, the man in the ragged robes casts a spell on Alethian, sending him on panicked flight away from camp, across the flats – a run assisted by his magic boots and the effects of a haste spell. The man then transforms into a green slaad and attacks Kylane, who barely manages to fend off the attacks, with help from Kaurophon, before Grom, Elendil and Elsbeth finish off the other slaad and help take down this one.
Experience: Not given in session: 9th level characters get 2250 experience points, 10th level characters get 1666 experience points.
Loot: Nine assorted gems (including two 100gp pearls), a potion and a wand (all from the grey slaad). Note, the green slaadi have not yet been searched.
Hey dude, that xp would put Kylane 224 away from 10th level. Is that close enough? If not thats cool, just wondering
Yeah, go for it. Same goes for Grom if it turns out he's in the same boat.
Yep, Grom was in the same position, so thanks for that.
Thanks for the game also; I enjoyed it. Apologies on having to rush off at the end there. Also thanks for the pizza; I can pass you some cash on the weekend at Noah's party.
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Don’t worry about money for the pizza.
Glad you enjoyed the session. This one (and the last one, and probably the next one) are potentially very combat heavy (travel, fight, travel, travel, fight, fight) ... the adventure assumes a lot of random encounters as you travel about from one important site in Occipitus to another. If you skip all those encounters you probably won’t have enough xp to be at the level you need to be to face the final few encounters of the adventure. I’m trying to put a bit of thought into the encounters and not make them just a series of random fights. If it gets boring or repititous, let me know.
Regarding Elendil’s disguise, its a good idea, but in truth it probably won’t help you all that much – most things you meet are either likely to want to kill you whether you look like a half fiend or a human, and the things that might be willing to talk to you will probably also do so in either case (or might be slightly less likely to deal with you peacefully if you look like a demon ...)
Sounds fine to me, the elves are happy kicking salad ass... except when they do stupid fear spells.