I had long hoped to run these adventures for the group (a.k.a. the Red Folder Gaming Society, and more recently “Crew 2“), before 4th edition came in and swept them under the rug, unused and unsung. Fate stepped in during a strange turn of events that has made this possible. I must concede that I didn’t anticipate the timing of this campaign (which was mainly due to Turin the Mad‘s scheduling conflicts and the canceling of our Savage Tide campaign), nor the low player count that has followed the dividing of the game group in 2007, and the subsequent defection of count ‘em SIX group members + Turin the Mad, due to a myriad of obligations and other problems.
Our current 4 slated players are Haru, Da Pimp, Yoda (Evil M), and The Resident Artist. I’m in the process of luring several victims… er, players from the Age of Worms campaign of 2006-2007 (who did not move into Turin the Mad’s Savage Tide Group #1 campaign), back in from their lengthy absences. Hopefully my efforts will soon bear fruit >:D
I look forward to continuing correspondence with many of you delightful fellow peeps, sick freaks, and aspiring Killer GM’s, as I take my players down the sickened streets and twisted alleyways that are the Styes. First game’s this coming Saturday May 3, 2008. Until then…
No!!! Mercy!!!!
Read the previous two words any way that you want. :)
With pleasure, Sir Charles
I do enjoy these sadistic little journals. I eagerly await the carnage.
I do enjoy these sadistic little journals. I eagerly await the carnage.
Great to have you along for the ride again Arctaris.
Mommy, I'm scared.
There there punkin... there there... patting carborundum on the shoulder gently
I was informed today by another former player of the group that he's ready to return, likely in 2-3 weeks from now... That will put us at 5 players, hopefully with more lads looking for pain to follow shortly:)
Ow! You've got a needle hidden in your hand ...
AND YOU'RE NOT MY MOMMY!
Ooo-er-blimey. I've come over all peculiar.
you ... shure ... are ... purdy...
lights from the console...shine like little angels...lift you up...
In the First session of the Killer Styes & Weavers campaign, there was a mighty GOOSE EGG, that’s right ZERO (0) Player character fatalities. Granted, the initial encounters in the Styes aren’t exactly awe inspiring, but in the few possibilities for death and destruction, the players proved moderately sensible or just plain lucky… I did what I could to hame up the mood of aa Lovecraftian/Edgar Allen Poe type of atmosphere, including typing up some additional flavor text. It is my hope that the boys were becoming very wary of going anywhere near the water after making bogus saving throws and perception checks to detect exactly what was watching them and waiting for them out in the water…
The four players were Haru (Ranger 2/Fighter 7), the Resident Artist (Cleric 9), Da Pimp (a Wizard type 9), and Yoda/Evil M) Wizard 8. To my extreme displeasure, Both Da Pimp and Yoda/Evil M used their PC’s from Turin the Mad’s halted Savage Tide campaign. Both those characters have over 150,000 gold pieces worth of magical items which they received in the Savage Tide campaign. I informed both that I would be awarding several “enhancements” to some of their opponents to compensate for their excessive magical gear. None of the encounters yesterday were up-gunned to account for this, but when the boys tangle with the Whisperer and the Spawn of Tharizdun, that will be different:D
The group was summoned to the Styes by Evil M’s Character’s Cousin Eleanor, who’s brother Jarme was recently hanged for the Lantern Man killings. After meeting with Eleanor and Master Renfrum, the PC’s then made their way to the Asylum, made the necessary Diplomacy checks, and were directed to constable Jute. Jute confirmed their suspicions and the PC’s at length tracked down Mr. Dory at his warehouse. Da Pimp as per his usual sent in his Summoned Allips to make short work of the Manticore guardians inside the warehouse. The group then moved in and dispatched the group of Scum 5th level Rogues guarding the crane and the ship with little difficulty. I omitted the next group of Scum for the sake of redundancy. The PC’s entered the middle room and wiped out more 5th level Scum Rogues in short order, but I elected to allow the Assassin to remain in the pool of water wating to study one of the PC’s for the necessary 3 rounds to conduct an Assassin Death Attack. The PC’s then opened the final door and entered and began combat with the Flesh Golem. I had Dory enter the fight rather than merely watch. The two Wizard PC’s were hanging back and supporting with spells and summoned creatures. I thought that I was going to gain the upper hand after the group didn’t seriously damage the golem or Dory for the first 2 rounds, and the assassin was to move for a Death Attack, but one player (Da Pimp) remained to act before the assassin got his turn. The Pimp’s wizard PC had a spell up that gave him Blindsense of some sort. That trumped the asssassin’s DC 35 Hide check that no one had spotted previously. Da Pimp cast Mirror Image on Haru’s Fighter/Ranger (who the assassin had been studying in preperation for a Death Attack), and I then had 6 more images of Haru to choose from, thus spoiling my hopes for an assassination attack on Haru. The assassin then elected to shoot at Da Pimp’s Wizard PC with his poisoned Crossbow. The Pimp unfortunately informed me that he had previously (I was unaware) had polymorphed himself into some type of Celestial creature (which gave him 14 points of Natural AC and a 24 Strength). I didn’t examine the Polymorph spell description at the time to see if da Pimp could legally pull this off, but I will do so prior to our next game. Long story short, the assassin didn’t have a prayer of hitting the now AC 35-37 Pimp and missed royally. However, the Resident Artist had yet to pee in my cheerios, and he then did so. His PC Cleric then fired off a Divine meta-magic Quicken Searing Light followed by a Divine Meta-magic Empowered Searing Light, and Mr. Dory took over 90 HP and was blown to bits all over the room…
Needless to say, the group mopped up the rest and learned the whereabouts of the shrine of Tharizdun.
That was where we left off for the day and we’ll resume in two weeks at the Shrine of Tharizdun. If the group found things quite easy today (and they should have, because things were easy), then they’ll be in for a bit of an awakening next time:D
Huzzah! Keep posting:)
Rich
No deaths huh?
I know you better than to assume or even imply that you are slipping Allen.
The Killer GM does not slip. The Killer DM will recoup this...erroneous error of fate and these fools shall reap the whirlwind next session. Or so I hope...
Why would you let those characters with the excessive gear into the campaign? No offense, but I would have given the players a big NO GO on that one and made them come up with new characters for the campaign, or a the very least scaled back their gear so it was in line with what it should be for their level. The last thing I would want is a couple of players starting a campaign with wealth far, far in excess of their character level.
I rather expect Sir Allen will gleefully apply certain Things to his Named Antagonists at the end scenes of the pertinent chapters that will make matters more than adequate to compensate for the massive schwag one or more of the Player Characters are tooling around with...
What he chooses to exercise his discretion with could spell no end of dismemberments, maimings, mutilations and permadeaths than even the scripted monstrosities will mete out in short order.
Huzzah! Keep posting:)
Rich
Thanks very much Rich for dropping in. The Styes is a sheer masterpiece and I'm grateful that both my players and myself have had the opportunity of playing in it. Regards for it and all your other projects.
No deaths huh?
I know you better than to assume or even imply that you are slipping Allen.
The Killer GM does not slip. The Killer DM will recoup this...erroneous error of fate and these fools shall reap the whirlwind next session. Or so I hope...
Thanks for the vote of confidence Yasha. Zero is certainly a far cry from the 86 (yes folks, I said Eighty-Six) Player Characters I killed in the Age of Worms campaign. As you point out, it's not a question of slipping, but simply one of "towing the line of fairness" in the game.
Only having 4 players limits my ability to readily upgun the bad guys with impunity due to having 6+ players. However, rest assurred, I will upgun the Whisperer and in particular the Spawn of Tharizdun to account for the extra equipment that several PC's have from the previous campaign. I didn't want to allow it, but my tolerance for lamenting by players does have its limits also, and several were very much in favor of continuing with the characters from the old campaign. I felt somewhat obligated from the past campaign to allow the old PC's.I will however target the up-guning on the Whisperer and the Spawn of Tharizdun to allow those particular villains to cope with what the PC's in question do well (especially in relation to the high priced magical gear that makes all that possible). Sheltered Vitality, in increase in SR, and in the case of the Spawn, I may go ahead and make him a normal CR 12 $%^&*@! (exact name of monster omitted to prevent prying player eyes from getting any advantages) should deal with the pesky PC's. I will take special care with the Spawn encounter, because it has the potential to kill multiple PC's, and I intend to make good on it:)
Why would you let those characters with the excessive gear into the campaign? No offense, but I would have given the players a big NO GO on that one and made them come up with new characters for the campaign, or a the very least scaled back their gear so it was in line with what it should be for their level. The last thing I would want is a couple of players starting a campaign with wealth far, far in excess of their character level.
I agree PH. I am to blame. However, if these PC's go down to the Spawn of Tharizdun, then their gear will end up very deep in the ocean and likely non-recoverable. Additionally, the setting which the battle with the Spawn of Tharizdun takes place will place these characters at a disadvantage in which their gear will not considerably aid them. In a nut shell, it may all pan out well. I intend to throw the "kitchen sink" at them to the best of my ability while maintaining some semblance of fairness...
I rather expect Sir Allen will gleefully apply certain Things to his Named Antagonists at the end scenes of the pertinent chapters that will make matters more than adequate to compensate for the massive schwag one or more of the Player Characters are tooling around with...
What he chooses to exercise his discretion with could spell no end of dismemberments, maimings, mutilations and permadeaths than even the scripted monstrosities will mete out in short order.
Turin, you summed it up well. I'll discuss tactics with you this week. While this adventure is an RP masterpiece, the two dangerous combat encounters will (hopefully) ultimately be what the Players remember the adventure for.
Quiet protest of a player LOL, as the lowest AC character and level, not only does my supposed outragious equipment like a broom of flying not really enter into hack and slash equation... but I didnt not pile on stuff that provided instant and complete protection or huge combat bonuses,and the items I have add maybe two preset spells a level at the expense of two prepared spells a level. In addition, I gave up starting with fifth level spells to continue to RP a character.
I agree Yoda that you did use moderation in multiple areas of your magical equipment selection. I will take that into consideration. Your PC does have a LOT of firepower, more than other PC's your level would have. You may not be able to cast 5th level spells, but your Rods/Staves certainly compensate for that... and then some...
Actually, I was quite pleased in that my spell memorization choices were so well chosen as to use everything I had. It's a rare thing for the mage to expend all spells and spells slots on cue and to the needed threat sometimes before it materialized even as a bad guy in teh course of a 4 hour adventure without stopping. I have not had that happen very often in my gaming experience. As they say "all ordinance expended"...! All in all you should be quite happy as I used all I had and was prparing to draw rapier...
I'd have to agree with Yoda on that part at least. If a GM can make a wizard expend all (or so near to that as makes little difference) of their magic, its a job well done. Then again, its sometimes more fun to see a wizard realize that they only have 1 or 2 spells prepared that actually are going to be useful in a given adventure arc.
I'd chalk it up to good planning and anticipating on your part Yoda, and nice pacing and threat levels from Allen.
I'd have to agree with Yoda on that part at least. If a GM can make a wizard expend all (or so near to that as makes little difference) of their magic, its a job well done. Then again, its sometimes more fun to see a wizard realize that they only have 1 or 2 spells prepared that actually are going to be useful in a given adventure arc.
I'd chalk it up to good planning and anticipating on your part Yoda, and nice pacing and threat levels from Allen.
Thanks Yasha, I try to make it fun and most of all FAIR. I try to officiate things in a way that I'd not protest if I were a player. Granted some of my players in Age of Worms might deem me unfair at times, but I would argue to the contrary. If it's not both fun and fair, then I take no satisfaction in my efforts.
Dearest Friends, In today’s second session of the Killer Styes & Weavers campaign, I DID NOT WASTE EVEN ONE MISERABLE PLAYER CHARACTER. After two game sessions, the total of campaign fatalities still stands at 0, Zero, zilch, zippy, nada. The Styes is wonderful. I feel absolutely terrible as I have failed to make this a campaign where the player’s characters die screaming for your sadistic reading enjoyment. I’m going to go on holiday next weekend (though I admit, I don’t deserve it for letting you humble peeps down) and attempt to do some sincere soul searching and find the missing killer-GM instinct that is disappointingly absent, and with that obliterate my sniveling player’s characters at our next game! Any cards, e-mails, or prayers would be most appreciated. The next session will occur on Saturday May 31.
In today’s session, the group began their exploration of the Temple of Tharizdun. My problems with several players’ characters equipment was again a problem. The players may disagree, but they’re mistaken. During the exploration of the shrine of Tharizdun, Da Pimp’s character NEVER entered the temple. He stayed outside, roughly eighty feet in the air, on his flying carpet, and invisible. He would summon monsters and send them inside to attack whatever creature Haru had uncovered. The initial encounter began to go my way. I elected to omit the scum rogues, as the players had seen them several times last session. We got down to the Chuuls right away. Haru’s Fighter was grappled by one Chuul, and things looked bleak when the other Chuul closed the door to the outside thus preventing both of the invisible and airborne spell casters from helping him. One of the two (evil M/Yoda) donned his cloak of Manta Ray and then Dimension Door’d into the water filled pit that the Chuul’s had clamored up out of prior to delivering the smack-down on Haru’s Fighter. Things were looking very good until Da Pimp’s wizard summoned those damn Allips again. Once they arrived, my Chuuls were babbling like a couple of village idiots. However one of the two could have acted on the next round, and in an effort to keep himself out of harm’s way, Haru’s Fighter opened the door at the far end of the hallway and moved into the Whisperer’s Room.
The Whisperer had a projected image of himself in the room and was ready for the PC’s. On his first action, the Whisperer made Haru’s Fighter his bi-atch, when Haru failed his Will save versus the aboleth’s Enslave special ability. Da Pimp shortly sent 3 Summoned Huge Crocodiles down after the Whisperer, and the crocs spent the 1st round playing with the projected image, and subsequently they went into the pool after the real villain. On the Whisperer’s action, his projected image nailed two of the three crocs with a lightning bolt spell prior to them going into the pool after him. Evil M/Yoda’s wizard PC swam in manta ray form into the underground pool looking for the real aboleth. Yoda sadly resisted the Whisperer’s Enslave attack on two successive rounds. The first real croc to get into the pool was torn to shreds by the Whisperer’s Squid familiar. One of the other two crocs was to also fall to the Squid before the final croc tore the squid to pieces. Yoda hit the Whisperer with Lightning Bolts on two consecutive rounds, for 78 HP and 108 HP on the second. I’ll let Yoda explain how he does so much damage on these, as I’m still not entirely clear on it myself. I suspect that this was where he invested much of his 150,000 gold pieces that Turin the Mad gave him in his incomplete and halted Savage Tide campaign. The Whisperer made one of the two saves and ended up taking a total of 138 HP from both lightning bolts.
At that point, the Whisperer had less than 30 HP remaining, and had still had 1 summoned croc, and Yoda’s wizard at full strength, and the Whisperer had no Enslave attempts left for the day. I elected to have him Dimension Door out and live to fight another day.
The Players then had their characters spend the next WEEK in game time trying to dispel the Aboleth Enslavement. That week of time naturally allowed the Spawn of Tharizdun to grow to an even bigger size… When the players had wrapped up their humorous shenanigans with the dominated Fighter, they made their move on Landgrave’s Folly. They made use of the expected Lightning Bolts of GM Annihilation and the Summoned Huge Crocodiles of GM Irritation, and took out both aboleths in short order. Then came the strange hole in the ground. I had the Spawn release an ink cloud into the pit when the first lightning bolt hit the aboleth. And thus when the PC’s got around to inspecting the pit afterwards, all they could see was a pit with “roiling blackness” coming up and slowly out of the pit like some infernal gateway. Da Pimp decided to first send in his usual summoned Allips. The Spawn made use of his (GM awarded) Sheltered Vitality and then obliterated the Allips on the next round. Da Pimp then sent in 1 of his 3 summoned huge crocs in. In it went and completed its move. The Spawn Obliterated it in one round. Da Pimp then humored me by sending in both remaining huge crocs. The damage then done by the spawn was just enough to kill both crocs in one round also, and all players present were getting a little concerned. My wasting the summoned help was done as much to inspire fear as anything else. That was where we ended the afternoon. The players were not willing to have their characters descend into the inky waters to confront the Spawn, knowing full well the beast has total concealment. The group then trashed the sunken church and sent it down in hopes of harming the Spawn, which of course, it did Not. The PC’s then proceeded to chicken out and retreated to spell up and make other preparations. They intend to come in buffed to the gills and with probably every summoned creature they can get their hands on.
Although I am GM’ing this adventure as scripted, I’ll chuck the Spawn a bone or two for the next session and the Whisperer is not going to stand idly by and watch his deity’s prodigy go down alone, if you get my drift…
See you folks on the 31st of May. Regards.
Splendid stuff Allen,
I love that image of the spawn coming up from the inky black pit suddenly - that must have been fun for your players. Huzzah, and don't worry about killing them, their days are numbered once they meet the Weavers...
Rich
Guys,
What Allen hasn't shared (may not know) is that the remaining core of players that he is blessed with each has decades of game time. All the red shirts and power players using tweaked min maxed characters are gone. One of the remaining players started D&D when the Basic set of D&D was published with its 7 books of 6 by 8 inch books. Few DMs should be so lucky or more be challenged more as the opportunities with experienced roleplayers and gamers allow him to run it as written and as the dice fates degree His challenge is this group is working well together the only way for him as a DM to have it worse is if we all self sacifice for each other. That single thing makes a group unkillable if all the players do that and they then would be capable of anything. (As a player when the group does that for years on end it is trying an amazing experience.) The only chance a good GM has without deliberately trying to unfairly kill a character or group is to whittle down individual characters in the due course of things until even the mightly stand alone against the horde and then go down like the paladin in the breach against the horde as last man standing. Even that is remembered in parking lot discussions for years as a prized gaming moment... I praise allen for his fairness and resisting the temptation of the bigger badder thing that we loot that then requires even more extreme monsters and items campaign death spiral. Allen is being very fair and even handed to his immense credit and we as players are being very careful to apply the right stuff at the right time to try to avoid being sushi.
Equine sushi is not chopped steak, lol
I am really starting to dislike Da Pimp.
While I do understand the concept of the cowardly PC (i.e. Hiding outside, invisible and just sending in summons), I've even played a rather paranoid (yet not cowardly) wizard before. This whole thing seems to be taking it too far. Granted I have had the aforementioned wizard of mine abandon the rest of the party during a battle via teleportation...eh...who am I to judge I guess.
Bad luck on the continuing lack of deaths, Allen. We'll have to see if the Spawn can change that on the next session. I agree with Richard Pett too, great use of imagery to freak out the players. I keep imagining them watching the swirling pool of blackness...then a thick stream of bubbles breaks the surface as the Spawn tears into the crocs. Then all goes still.
After a moment, a thick tendril of blood rises to the surface and the silence thickens. Considering this happened with 3 crocs, I really don't blame them for deciding to make a 'strategic withdrawal'.
Considering that a sizable percentage of the pool Allen and I have at the table started D&D with that same blue/white or Red Basic Set of the game, and one can greater appreciate what has to be dealt with... ^^
Splendid stuff Allen,
I love that image of the spawn coming up from the inky black pit suddenly - that must have been fun for your players. Huzzah, and don't worry about killing them, their days are numbered once they meet the Weavers...
Rich
Glad you enjoyed it. The visual effect certainly got the point across, as I had envisioned it would. The Player of the PC Summoner was Quite astounded when his summoned Allips and Huge Crocodiles were shredded in short order, and this further added to the terrifying atmosphere surrounding the Spawn. Very satisfying for this evil GM.
Several of the players were mortified of the idea of afterwards going down into the pit to deal with the Spawn (also very satisfying for me). I think their whole strategy for this coming Saturday, May 31, is to find a way to draw him out. We'll see about that. While I'm more or less "playing it straight", I've got a few things in store for the boys before the Styes is concluded. It is my hope that we will not have to wait for the Weavers to start racking up the fatalities...
Guys,
What Allen hasn't shared (may not know) is that the remaining core of players that he is blessed with each has decades of game time. All the red shirts and power players using tweaked min maxed characters are gone. One of the remaining players started D&D when the Basic set of D&D was published with its 7 books of 6 by 8 inch books. Few DMs should be so lucky or more be challenged more as the opportunities with experienced roleplayers and gamers allow him to run it as written and as the dice fates degree His challenge is this group is working well together the only way for him as a DM to have it worse is if we all self sacifice for each other. That single thing makes a group unkillable if all the players do that and they then would be capable of anything. (As a player when the group does that for years on end it is trying an amazing experience.) The only chance a good GM has without deliberately trying to unfairly kill a character or group is to whittle down individual characters in the due course of things until even the mightly stand alone against the horde and then go down like the paladin in the breach against the horde as last man standing. Even that is remembered in parking lot discussions for years as a prized gaming moment... I praise allen for his fairness and resisting the temptation of the bigger badder thing that we loot that then requires even more extreme monsters and items campaign death spiral. Allen is being very fair and even handed to his immense credit and we as players are being very careful to apply the right stuff at the right time to try to avoid being sushi.
Equine sushi is not chopped steak, lol
I will agree with you Yoda/Ebil M, that the "red shirts" and munchkin players have gone from the group. This distresses me considerably, because my death tolls are APPAULINGLY LOW as a result of their absence.
As you state, I don't GM things unfairly, even if doing so would boost my kill counts. Doing so would negate the challenge and the accompanying satisfaction for me for the victory. Additionally, the intelligent play of the players is contributing to the ALARMING survival rate. I will continue to GM it fairly, and whatever happens, happens. That said, the bad guys by now can rightfully expect that you and the other PC's are 'out to get them', and take what actions they may in an attempt to thwart you:)
I am really starting to dislike Da Pimp.
While I do understand the concept of the cowardly PC (i.e. Hiding outside, invisible and just sending in summons), I've even played a rather paranoid (yet not cowardly) wizard before. This whole thing seems to be taking it too far. Granted I have had the aforementioned wizard of mine abandon the rest of the party during a battle via teleportation...eh...who am I to judge I guess.
Bad luck on the continuing lack of deaths, Allen. We'll have to see if the Spawn can change that on the next session. I agree with Richard Pett too, great use of imagery to freak out the players. I keep imagining them watching the swirling pool of blackness...then a thick stream of bubbles breaks the surface as the Spawn tears into the crocs. Then all goes still.
After a moment, a thick tendril of blood rises to the surface and the silence thickens. Considering this happened with 3 crocs, I really don't blame them for deciding to make a 'strategic withdrawal'.
The Spawn was at 17 HD (up from the scripted 14 HD, as per the Styes instructions, due to the PC's delay following their first encounter with the Spawn) when the PC's encountered him in the more recent encounter. He may reach the full 20 HD here soon, and then they will have an even greater task ahead of them. Because he grows at an effective rate (as per the Styes description) of 3 HD per week (from 14 to 20 HD in a two week period), even a day or two adds 1 HD to the delightful creature...
I've got a few surprises in store for Da' Pimp. Just you wait and see...
In today’s Third session of the Killer Styes & Weavers campaign, there was ONE (1) PC fatality. Following the previous session, the Player Characters basically knew what they needed to know, and had brought the fight to the villains. In today’s session, it was the villains turn to return the favor. Owing to the high gold piece value of several PC’s equipment, I took the liberty of adding a chief cleric of Tharizdun to the villain’s ranks. The PC’s had returned from their assault on Landgrave’s Folly. They each went into the city to accomplish various tasks. While they were away, the Aboleth known as the Whisperer swam up to their ship. He used his Enslave ability to gain control over the PC’s ship captain, Slip Knot Pete (yes, originally from the Savage Tide, the PC‘s obtained his services); and the Rogue Assassin from Mr. Dory’s warehouse who had become a servant of the PC Elf Wizard (who was not present today). When the PC’s had returned to their ship at dusk, one of Da Pimp’s Alarm spells detected the Whisperer swimming underneath the PC’s ship. The PC’s began taking action and Da Pimp went invisible. At that point, Slip Knot Pete attempted to grapple Da Pimp’s Summoner PC. He hit on his melee attack, and succeeded on the 50/50 miss chance, but actually lost to Da Pimp on the grapple check. During the next 2 rounds, the PC’s plastered Slip Knot Pete into Negative HP without killing him. On the 2nd round of combat, the Assassin (who had studied the Resident Artist’s PC Cleric for 3 rounds) sprang into action, was not detected, hit the cleric, and the RAT BASTARD player successfully made his Fortitude Save to stay alive…
The PC’s wiped out the Assassin on the next round, also putting him at Negative Hit Points. Using valuable spells and resources in the process. On the next round the Whisperer surfaced and blasted Haru’s Ftr/Ranger with a Lightning Bolt spell. In the following round, the Whisperer landed a Suggestion spell on Haru’s Ftr/Ranger and told him to sit down and clean his Longbow, which he did immediately after Haru blew his Will save. The Resident Artist and Da Pimp dropped several spells of significance ferocity on the Whisperer (including Da Pimp’s usual Summoned Huge Crocodiles) and the Aboleth was forced to Dimension Door to safety.
Then entered the 11th Cleric of Tharizdun, “Praetanis”, a near albino (Cynidicean) cleric who some readers might recall as the Cleric who aided Dragotha in my Age of Worms campaign battle with the PC’s. Praetanis was by this time fully buffed to the gills with various spells (including Fly). Praetanis opened up with a Divine Meta-Magic Maximized Flame Strike followed with a Divine Meta-Magic Quickened Flame Strike. Sadly, the overpowered Pimp’s Summoner made both of his DC 22 Reflex Saves and was left with 9 HP remaining. If he’d failed either one, he’d likely have been killed… Da Pimp Teleported into the ship to recuperate. The Resident Artist then went after him (via Fly also) to minimal effect. Praetanis then flew and dropped a Harm spell on the Resident Artist’s Cleric and nearly did him in also, but the Resident Artist also made his Will Save and took a paltry 55 Hp of damage. On the next round, the Resident Artist took a 5 foot ‘fly’ back and cured himself for 20-some Hp, and Da Pimp shot a Feeblemind at Praetanis who made the DC 26 Will Save. On the next round Praetanis blasted the Resident Artist twice with his heavy flail. The Resident Artist did nothing but move to the ship and into it. On the following round, Praetanis flew down to get a visual and dropped a third Flame Strike, this time onto the Resident Artist’s Cleric, killing him, and setting the ship on fire. Praetanis then trailed after Da Pimp through the ship and dealt with both the Summoned Shocker Lizards and the Undead T-Rex in turn in his persuit of the wretched Pimp‘s Summoner. Praetanis finally cornered Da Pimp in a corner room in the ship’s bottom area, and Da Pimp, the YELLOW RAT BASTARD, used another Dimension Door/Teleport to bail out. By this time, the entire upper ship was in flames. I had Haru’s character adhere to another Suggestion to move off of the ship to continue to clean his bow in a safer location, which happened to be controlled by Tharizdun cultists, thus effectively capturing him. Slip Knot Pete and the Assassin were both killed in the fire that burned the ship into the ocean and illuminated the night sky in a hellish glow…
The Resident Artist’s cleric was brought back to the world of the living in short order, and he, Da Pimp, and Haru’s new temporary character, a Warlock, waited an entire week before they chartered a boat and headed for Landgrave’s Folly. They scouted the area and detected the presence of normal sea life that were ‘patrolling’ the areas around Landgrave’s Folly. In went the Da Pimp’s summoned minions and wiped out the minions. Then the PC’s and the Huge Summoned Crocodiles and Allips went en’ masse into the chapel underwater in Landgraves’ Folly (except Da Pimp, naturally, who was cowering up on his Flying Carpet as usual). The PC’s and minions found Two Giant Squids as well as the Whisperer. The PC’s and minions went exclusively after the Whisperer, and sadly, the Aboleth bravely went down after three rounds, killed only seconds before I could get off another Dimension Door for him. The three huge crocodiles were destroyed by the two giant squids, before the squids themselves fled the Allips, whom they could not damage in combat. At this point, the PC’s had again used many of their good spells and abilities, and the true encounter was yet to come.
The Pit of Roiling Blackness stood before the PC’s beckoning them to enter at last. In first went the Allips. The Spawn had previously activated his one magic item, which bestowed Sheltered Vitality upon him, and he ignored the Allips. The Kraken, now FULLY GROWN, and at 20 HD, attempted to lure the PC’s down by not destroying the Allips, but the Players weren’t fooled. In the end, they opted to retreat and regroup. They never directly engaged the Spawn.
It was at this point, where we ended for the day, with the adventure largely completed. With the Whisperer dead, there will be no more lantern man killings. Da Pimp has indicated an interest in wiping out the Cult of Tharizdun. This may occur prior to the beginning of the Weavers, or during the adventure itself. Haru’s Fighter/Ranger will also need rescuing as well. As for the Spawn, the players could not come up with a plausible way of defeating the monstrosity without going down into the pit and slugging it out with him (likely in vain).
I elected to have the Spawn do as the author, Mr. Pett indicated, and have him head off into the depths of the sea, to return as a Colossal 60 HD monstrosity, rather than terrorize the Styes at present. ’What dire events this herald of Tharizdun will yet foreshadow’ remain to be seen. The PC’s may yet have to deal with the Spawn at the conclusion of the Weavers…
A 60 HD Colossal Kraken with an extra template or two you say?
OoooOOOoooo ... that's NASTY... I wonder, does the critter evolve into a Half-Fiend upon reaching that category ? If so, then almost nothing would ever survive a confrontation with the monstrosity after eating a caster level 60 Blasphemy, short of a Greater Spell Immunity.
I LIKE IT! (Except having to fight it ... nawp, nawp, I'll pass...)
A 60 HD Colossal Kraken with an extra template or two you say?
OoooOOOoooo ... that's NASTY... I wonder, does the critter evolve into a Half-Fiend upon reaching that category ? If so, then almost nothing would ever survive a confrontation with the monstrosity after eating a caster level 60 Blasphemy, short of a Greater Spell Immunity.
I LIKE IT! (Except having to fight it ... nawp, nawp, I'll pass...)
The threat posed by a colossal kraken are dire indeed. Perhaps Mr. Pett may give us some thoughts on the prospects of using such a monstrosity. I suspect that the colossal creature will see action:)
In the wild and chaotic events yesterday, that were the Forth session of the Killer Styes & Weavers campaign, there was ONE (1) PC Fatality; for a total of a Paultry TWO (2) PCK‘s for the entire campaign thus far. I encouraged the players to post on this thread to give a better account of why things happened the way they did. We’ll see if any heed my invitation.
It had been my expectation that the group would begin the Weavers soon, after tying up the loose ends in the Styes. I was incorrect.
I began the afternoon by asking the PC’s what they planned to do about the captured PC Ranger/Fighter. I should have just killed the Ranger off and been done with it. Owing to the death of the Whisperer last session, the evil Cleric of Tharizdun, Praetanis used a Sending spell to contact an old crony of his, whom my players affectionately refer to as “Sir Sean”, a 10th level Fighter (I’m omitting all other details) who uses a Mercurial Greatsword. I had the amusing idea to have Sir Sean arrive to decapitate the imprisoned PC Ranger/Fighter; and ended up in a near-courtroom-game mechanics-legal battle with several of the players as they sought to free the imprisoned Ranger, notwithstanding the Player of the Ranger, Haru, didn’t appear to have much interest in retrieving his former character, or at least his new character (the Warlock) had no interest in retrieving the old character.
Several of the PC’s (Yoda/Evil M, and the Resident Artist, The two locate where the Ranger is imprisoned and Yoda starts coming up with crazy ideas about rescuing the Ranger. Had I sensibly had the Ranger killed off beforehand, none of the following would have happened, but I opted to give the players a chance to recover their comrade’s character…
Yoda/Evil M (who I now will associate with the Johnny Cochran legal firm) and the resident Artist, set up multiple clairvoyance spells and then cook up some nonsense about teleporting through the small slot in the cell door that opens to permit food or viewing (invisibly to boot) . The door and cell were warded against magical entry, but Yoda sought to teleport in when the food slot was opened, via his clairvoyance that allowed him to view the area outside the cell door, and I reluctantly allowed him to do so.
About this time, in comes Haru’s new PC Warlock, who had bluffed his way into the cult of Tharizdun’s headquarters, where the Ranger was imprisoned. Haru had intended (I believe) to try to use his formidable Bluff abilities to keep the Ranger alive for the time being. Haru’s PC Warlock then began to dialogue with the bad guys. Yoda planned to teleport out when Sir Sean opened the door to haul the Ranger out for execution. When Praetanis, cleric of Tharizdun demands the Ranger be done away with, Sir Sean goes and opens the cell door to drag the imprisoned Ranger out to decapitate him. As the cell door opens, the Ranger goes bye-bye, and the bewildered and highly pissed off villains look very angrily at Haru’s PC Warlock, whom the villains assume is responsible for this.
The Warlock’s situation then went from bad to worse, via a failed Bluff/Diplomacy check, and then the “final straw“. Da Pimp’s PC wizard was undergoing the process to make him a lich (a story in itself better left for another day…), but Da Pimp had summoned a Demon (a Babau if I’m remembering the name correctly), so that he could participate in the day’s game. Well, Mr. Demon had also teleported (invisibly also) into the room where the bad guys were, just outside the Ranger’s cell door. After the Ranger was teleported away by Yoda/Evil M, the demon (played by the player Da Pimp) delivered the “final straw” when he stated in the common language to the Warlock PC, something to the effect of “now let’s get them” (referring to the villains). At that point the s**t hit the fan.
I had no idea that Da Pimp and Yoda were planning to sand bag Haru’s PC Warlock, but they did so. Apparently Haru’s Warlock had made statements the previous game that Yoda deemed that his character would be threatened by. I’ll omit any details of the lengthy group discussion that followed, and it is my hope that the players will fill in those details for you readers. As soon as said discussion was concluded, the villains went after the demon and Haru’s PC Warlock. Sir Sean nailed the demon with an attack of opportunity. The demon attacked Praetanis the cleric. Sir Sean moved, and on the following round hit the Warlock 3 out of 3 times doing 71 Hit points of damage. Haru’s Warlock became invisible, as he had no ability to teleport or Dimension Door, and hoped to run out of the cult’s hideout and away to safety. He then moved 30 feet, but in so doing incurred Attacks of Opportunity from both Sir Sean, and Praetanis. BOTH his Haru’s Warlock, and Both made their 50/50 miss chance, leaving Haru at Negative Eight (-8 HP). I was then royally Robbed of a PC Kill when Da Pimp’s Demon killed the downed PC Warlock, and then Teleported away. Much debate then ensued in the aftermath. The Players all declared their intent to Hide Out for the next 4 months while Da Pimp’s Wizard constructs his Phylactery and becomes a lich.
The Players began the Weavers and got as far as the first encounter, with Hamfist’s Thugs, whom they wiped out easily. That’s where we left off. Next game is on June 21, and should be very interesting. Haru will once again be playing his Ranger PC, and we'll have a new player joining us then as well for a total of 5 players. I’ll say no more than that; other than to say that nothing was done about the Spawn of Tharizdun. Interesting happenings yet to come…
Also regard the player character's 4 month layoff will give the Spawn plenty of time to GROW...
While Da Pimp becoming a Lich (or any PC following such a path) incurs some difficulties for most GMs, somehow I doubt you shall find it all that troublesome Allen. A Killer GM will often find means to rejoice during such situtations. Being able to start sending crusading paladins after the abominable undead creature being one of my personal favorites.
Allen, does the party make-up as it stands have available inflict spells for which to heal the Lich? Of course, they might simply be counting on his phylactery to bring him back should he die. If he is not carrying his phylactery though...there is always the possiblity of someone finding it and using it to blackmail the lich, perhaps into leading the party into a trap?
Unleash you most evil impulses, oh Killer GM. Once a players decides to become a lich...its time to really start getting mean.
I'm wondering if PC liches can be rebuked/commanded by evil clerics.... :D
Edit:
And not to forget the impact that lichdom has on ECL, having consequences for the upgunning of encounters which the Killer DM can use upon the players....
Barring becoming a Death Knight, nearly ALL undead can be commanded or rebuked by ebil clerics. ^^
<innoscent look> It was merely self perservation at work... The warlock prized himself on being abarsive and said something on the first meeting and opening line to the elf wizard about evil rituals and the Dark Ones own alter for the elf wizard as a future so that the warlock could get ahead. The elf wizard rapidly and simply decided that the warlock should be allowed to go to his god as soon as possible as befitting such a religious sort and besides the wizard owed the ranger who is like the ranger in the movie Van Helsling (very interesting). Its odd but the soon to be liche and elf wizard actually trust each other as comrades for the last year"s plus of adventuring. Just hope being dead doesnt rot his brain as a good liche is hard to find... lol
In an earlier post I commented on the experience of the four players who between them in the poll have 79 years of D&D active roleplaying experience... Alias poor Yorck...
Unleash you most evil impulses, oh Killer GM. Once a players decides to become a lich...its time to really start getting mean.
Yasha, I suspect that you may yet stand in awe of my cruelty in the weeks to come. I'll say no more for now...>:D
I already stand in awe of your particular streak of amused cruelty. I am just doing my best to encourage you to new heights of such sadism. This should be very interesting from here...
Not to mention that its the Weavers...
In today’s session of the Killer Styes & Weavers campaign, there were ZERO (0) Player Character Fatalities. I offer my sincerest appologies to all of you great readers on my inexcusable failure to waste the overpowered and uninspired characters of my players.
There were FOUR new players in the group today. The characters used by the new players were: a Half-Dragon/Half-Lizardfolk Barbarian; a Dwarf Cleric; a Dwarf Fighter; and a Skulk Rogue. I am expecting yet another new player or possibly two to join next Saturday June 28. It is my expectation that the Styes/Weavers campaign will come to an “earth shattering” conclusion either on the 28th, or on our following game session on July 12. The group will then begin a 4th edition d&d campaign (Keep on the Shadowfell) that player Haru will function as the GM for. As Haru seldom posts on Paizo, I have no expectation of him doing so, but I may opt to chronicle the events if any are interested… Let me know.
The addition of the four additional players slowed things down quite a bit. Several are “hard core role-players” who spent a good amount of the session bantering back and forth with one another “in character”. I managed to avoid the expected mental breakdown and the group concluded two encounters for the day, firmly defeating Bleary and his Ambush Drake without difficulty; and then defeating Hamfist and his thugs. Hamfist almost killed several PC’s using his Wounding Scourge, but the two clerics present made it impossible for Hamfist to put any PC down for good. Hamfist ended up surrendering and trading all relevant information in exchange for his freedom. I will probably omit one of the two next non-essential encounters (I’ll not mention them to avoid prying players) due to the number of players; and the campaign will likely come to a “colossal conclusion” either this next game or the following one. Look for a wild finish and brutal...:D
As always looking forward to the inevitable dropping of the proverbial hammer. ^_^
As always looking forward to the inevitable dropping of the proverbial hammer. ^_^
Naturally...
No word yet on the new player's choice of character class. All together, I'm expecting a total of NINE player characters for this coming Saturday. Should be a memorable session...