| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Quick note: Please avoid spoilers (or at the very least put them behind a Spoiler tag) in case my players view this forum post. :)
I thought I'd start a campaign write-up and journal along the lines of journals from Useplanb's rather fantastic thread on his campaign. Much like Useplanb, I'm giving players who provide a journal with a "Free Undo" card (ie, rerolling one d20 - either their own or one of mine) with one additional caveat: they can use it to prevent character death, much like spending 2 Hero Points. They can also save up to three "Free Undo" cards rather than having to spend it in the next game (I'm hoping to encourage more journals ^^). I'll also be providing GM Notes and write-ups on the game, what I change and how I adjust it for a party of three without a GMPC.
This is actually the second time I'm running Runelords (my first campaign is a Skype-based game currently with four players and one GMPC), though the group consists of three players. I'm foregoing the GMPC this time to focus more on NPC interactions - that said, I have suggested to the veteran player (who's running a Universalist Wizard) that he might want to take the Torchbearer Feat at level 5 (seeing they'd be clearing out Thistletop at that point).
My group consists of one veteran player who's been gaming with me for 20 years now and who easily comes up with plans so cunning you could put a tail on them and call them weasels, his wife who was a part of my ill-fated Reign of Winter campaign, and his 14-year-old son who is pretty much a novice in gaming. I provided them with a 25-point build and doubled their starting hit points to improve survivability. Hero Points will also be used (and after they clear out the Catacombs (around level 3) I'll be doing a "hybrid Mythic" where their Hero Points will regenerate one point per game session). Otherwise I'll not change the numbers of enemies or the like. (With goblins it won't matter much.)
Interestingly enough, right now my initial machinations will involve the latter two players - the wife is running an aasimar bard who grew up in town (but was able to better hide her heritage as it manifested with emerald-colored eyes rather than anything so blatant as shining silvery hair (like a certain other aasimar (Nualia) who met an unfortunate end in a fire five years ago), while the son's character is a teenage Varisian rogue who will undoubtedly run afoul of the Scarnzi (in fact, I'm already starting to plan this out, though I've not gotten much in a way of a character history from him).
One change I've already incorporated is expanding the Swallowtail Festival and writing up actual rules for some of the festival games - I'm including things like a tug-of-war to showcase how the Aid Another ability works, a pie-eating contest for Fortitude checks (and possibly sleight-of-hand or bluff to get bonuses in the Fortitude check), ring toss, and other such games. There will be around a dozen different games they can play if they feel like, and I'll also develop several events that the various characters can view to help flesh out the town a bit - basically to bring Sandpoint to life. While my other group enjoys Sandpoint and has fleshed it out, I realize I could have done a lot better with a little bit of preparation.
As I mentioned above, I'll also be expanding more on the Scarzi and having them be an early presence. In my Skype game, the rogue of the group was a GMPC and she was more the "expert treasure hunter" than the "burglar" type... and thus I missed out on some potentially fun roleplaying and machinations. (Then again, I also went more into the Scarnettis with the Skype group - they did learn of the Scarzi but never did much with them. I like to think that Tongs' reputation as hating and gleefully killing any bandit he found probably discouraged them from directly attacking the group... though they had worked with the Scarnettis in trying to increase costs for the Sandpoint Bank that the Skype group are having built.)
I also plan on running the group through the Chopper's Hill mini-adventure that was done up in Wayfarer. All three players had their characters grow up in Sandpoint (though the wizard moved to Sandpoint in his early teens rather than being born there - he apprenticed with the head of the Academy).
So here's a brief write-up of my cast, based on what they've told me so far (I've not gotten written character backgrounds yet):
Alyssa is the oldest of two daughters raised by two Varissian artisans - her father works with wood and in his spare time builds musical instruments. She fell in love with a lute he'd build and he let her keep it and taught her the basics of how to play; after she'd outpaced his own limited knowledge, he paid for others to tutor her and her love of the bardic skills only grew from there. One thing she's kept to herself though is a private shame: she never did step up to the older kids who were bullying this other aasimar girl, Nualia. She'd managed to hide her own heritage for years, as her aasimar heritage emerged with emerald eyes rather than something obvious like silver hair, and she always regrets not having stood with Nualia and supported her before she died in the fire that destroyed the cathedral... but she was also afraid of what would happen to her own family and her younger sister if her own heritage was revealed.
Archibald Thyme is the black sheep of his family. While he was born in Sandpoint with his siblings, his parents decided to move back to the Lands of the Linnorm Kings to be closer to family. But while his siblings went into the church (one becoming a paladin and the other a cleric), Archibald chose not to worship the gods and instead grew fascinated with magic. As few wizards could be found in the northlands and worried at the impact a stranger might have on their son's upbringing, they instead chose to send him back to Sandpoint to be apprenticed by Ilsoari Gandethus, headmaster of Turandarok Academy and a friend of the family. It was hoped that Ilsoari's own philosophical bent and his respect for the law would keep their son on the straight and narrow. While Ilsoari proved to be an apt teacher, Archibald retained his own sense of independence and his rebellious streak, though he did develop a fascination in Thassilonian lore as an attractive young lady with emerald eyes was constantly perusing old tomes on Thassilon and he thought it would provide him a way to meet her....
As of this time, I only have a bare bones knowledge of the third member of the group, Wilhelm, a male Varisian teen who was attending the Turandarok Academy while getting into trouble climbing the town walls and trying to lie his way out of trouble (ie, he's a rogue). (He's keeping the character close to his vest - apparently he's not even told his dad anything about his background yet.)
I figured I'd post another thing I'm doing for the new Runelords game I'll be starting on Saturday.
In an effort to help bring Sandpoint to life, I'll be writing up note cards for a number of the NPCs living in Sandpoint. I'll be doing something similar in time with some of the NPCs at Turtleback Ferry and significant NPCs from Magnimar (ie, those who interact directly with the party).
The cards will each include details on said NPC including name, class and level, the number on the Sandpoint map which is most associated with that NPC (like Father Abstalar Zantus at #1, the Sandpoint Cathedral), and some quirks that help the character stand out like speech patterns and other ways the character stands out.
I'll also be including their associations (making up some as needed), using information from the Anniversary Edition to determine their personal networks and the like. Again, some of this is already provided, but it makes sense for some characters to have built friendships with others... especially immediate neighbors. Or for that matter enemies. This will help in building the next aspect as well.
That being plots and activities some of these NPCs would be involved in. Again, some of this is already hinted at within the AE (like the drama going on over the Pixie's Kittens). Others, though, will be crafted from whole cloth. Nor is this Skyrim. These plots will develop and can even conclude without the PCs ever being aware or taking a part in them. But the players have a potential to overhear gossip and rumors involving these plots... and even to intervene if they so choose.
I may even incorporate elements of this into a calendar of events - sort of akin to the first part of Hell's Vengeance only not involving townsfolk getting ready to rebel. Certain mini-stories can help catalyze others, which is why a calendar would be handy in keeping track of these events.
Naturally, many NPCs will be left out of these plots. For instance, the AE's notes on Aneka Avertin claim she's content working at Sandpoint Savories, while her sister Arika is growing more restless. So of the two, Aneka is far less likely to have a storyline than her sister (perhaps Arika could be caught up in a Sczarni plot and being forced to provide an alibi for the man she thought she was falling in love with but was in fact being used).
In some ways I'm glad this is the second time I'm running this adventure. I didn't fully consider how to expand on the AP to make it an actual campaign the first time I did this - in fact, while I did include some roleplaying aspects (and there were fun elements such as "Sheriff Useless" which led me to having Hemlock knocked unconscious moments after killing Ripnugget (whom the PCs let live) in the Skype game), Sandpoint itself grew mostly because of the efforts of my players and my winging things.
Taking time to work on this ahead of time should help bring this campaign to life... or at least Sandpoint. And if the game takes longer to run because my players get involved and intrigued in the workings of Sandpoint itself? Then I've done something right. :)
One thing that is perhaps puzzling is that the PCs are considered "heroes" after the goblin attack. When you get down to it, the PCs kill or chase off maybe a dozen goblins (five definite along with the goblin dog, and six other potentials). Admittedly, that's the PCs accounting for half of the attacking force (30 goblins in all, six with Tsuto), but I suspect it would help build the story of the adventurers if they are actively protecting people.
Fortunately, I purchased the Sandpoint Townsfolk Paper Minis and printed them out on stiff paper. While the puppy did get his teeth on the three bouncers (what a horrifying fate, a giant slavering beast eating them alive!) the rest of the townsfolk are safe from the pup and about half are currently assembled... which gives me a good-sized crowd to build on. The starting map will be full of townsfolk, and even as I have many of them flee as quickly as they can, I can also keep some of the children and a couple parents in the area, unable to easily evacuate.
This should also increase the urgency of the PCs. They're not just going to be fighting for their lives... they're fighting to protect people two of them have known all their lives (and the third for over half a dozen years).
In turn, this improves the legend of the PCs. They not only account for half of the goblins, they actively save a half dozen people who watch them fight. And including the pawns also lets me do such horrible things as having the PCs watch townsfolk die even as they are busy fighting their first three goblins. And for all I know, I might even have someone do something stupid in an effort to save a life or two.
-------
I've also chosen to swap out equipment. I honestly cannot imagine anyone buying goblin equipment - not even a mastercraft horsechopper. That is, however, a 300-gold value item... which could be replicated with a 20-charge Wand of Bardic Cure Light Wounds, and help provide the PCs with some extra healing which should last through Burnt Offerings.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Yes, I know. That said, switching out selling a masterwork horsechopper for a CLW wand seems a fair deal to me. Also, the bounty isn't put in effect until after the attack on Sandpoint (I figure Hosk probably gets the town to chip in on the bounty at that point).
My first group never even learned about the bounty as they didn't check out the hiring board (I didn't suggest it to the players so the brief description of the inn just went by as background detail). Then again, that group also had a skinflint for a mage who not only was related to the Scarnettis (for a 10% bonus on selling used stuff) but also looked EVERYWHERE for treasure. So they didn't lose out.
|
I'd figure out that he might have bounty going on already considering he has goblin ear collection going on already.
I just had player visit the stable(they wanted to be a cowboy so they had bought a horse with starting money) and it was kind of impossible for them to ignore goblin ears and dead goblin chief in a jar. Even if players don't go there directly on their own, if they agree to Aldern's boar hunt and he buys them horses, well there is apparently only one named stable in the book.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
My previous group kind of blew off Aldern, so they didn't even visit the stable until after they'd taken out Thistletop. It's different this time around seeing that all three characters either grew up or spent several years living there, so I'll be "reminding" them of some of the odd habits of their neighbors.
--------
I've also decided to modify how the encounter with Shayliss goes. Seeing one of the players is 14 years old, I'm not going to RP a teenage vamp trying to get into the pants of another character. ^^;; That said, the whole scenario with Ven Vinder is just begging to be utilized somehow so...
So I've given Lyrie the spell Suggestion. She's going to use it on Shayliss to suggest to her "that so-called hero, Alyssa? I saw her sneak something into her pack. You really should tell your father; she can't be allowed to get away with that!" and as Shayliss fails her save and runs off to tell Ven, she'll slip the item into her pack and leave the store.
Ven will go off on a rampage, confront Alyssa in the street with a pair of guards and accuse her of theft. The item was stolen, after all. A Diplomacy check will calm him down and questioning Shayliss will just give a vague answer because she KNOWS Alyssa stole the item. She is just using her newfound fame to get away with theft. Shayliss COULDN'T be wrong, why are you persecuting her?!?
Meanwhile, the Sczarni will be keeping an eye open and will use this to try and turn Wilhelm to their side. After all, Alyssa is the daughter of two hardworking Varisian merchants. This is just more persecution of innocent people and Vinder deserves to be taken down a peg or two...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Game 1:
The first game went decently. No one had written up an actual character history so there were no hero points awarded for their efforts (and I had to print out character sheets as the e-mail with the sheets got waylaid apparently), but once things got started they appear to have enjoyed themselves.
While I wasn't able to get everything prepared, I didn't totally flub the game. My pathetic attempts at crafting speeches for the start of the festival didn't work quite as well for me, but the players didn't throw things at me at least so that was a bonus. ;) And there were a few amusing moments like Archibald hiding marshmallows behind his back as Sheriff Hemlock urged people to remain safe during the bonfire, and when he called for a moment of silence to remember those who died five years back in the fire that destroyed the old chapel.
I'd also spent time and developed rules for 24 festival games. Alyssa's player chose not to do any of the festival games but did not earn a Sloth point because her character was busy all morning playing the lute and earning some coin, and then spent the afternoon perusing scroll and books at one of the booths. Amusingly enough, Archibald's player went to the Pie Eating Contest... and ate one pie neatly, got up, and left. He just wanted a late breakfast. ;) (He also joked at the temple of "wait, this isn't the line for the coffee?) He also used Hand of the Apprentice to try and cheat at lawn bowling, which I found amusing. He rolled poorly at first. Did better with his non-enhanced bowling in fact.
Wilhelm ended up impressing me. We did have to talk him out of a couple bloodthirsty moments - I had him witness a thief stealing a mace from a booth, and he was all set to use his crossbow. His father, step-mom and I all quickly explained that it wasn't really something you do during a festival so I recommended grappling the guy... at which point Wilhelm's player rolled a natural 1.
The guards snagged the thief, the mace rolled under a booth, and Wilhelm retrieved it and returned the mace to the vendor. He was offered a 20% discount for the rest of the day in thanks, while one of the Sczarni threatened Wilhelm and told him to keep his nose out of their affairs. Another quick discussion kept him from trying to shoot the guy with his crossbow as I pointed out by the time he pulled the crossbow out, the guy would have his blade in his gut. ^^;; New players. They're always fun! :) But no Greed points were garnered.
Upon hearing about the reason behind the Swallowtail Festival, Archibald swore he'd never help Desna because that was a horrible thing to do... and then used the Ghost Sound cantrip on various butterflies to make it sound like the butterflies were airsick.
Come sunset, the group was in the center of town with around 30 or so people (basically all of the pawns I'd put together) and the party was somewhat mixed in the crowd... and the goblins attacked! At that point I took a "Brief Commercial Interruption" and read the "10 Things About Goblins" in the start of the Anniversary Edition... at which point Alyssa's character earned a Hero point as SHE WROTE DOWN NOTES. Yes, what was meant to be a moment of whimsy and amusement turned out fairly cool because the bard player felt it important enough to write down! :) (She also has several songs she actually sings for her spells, which I also find rather nifty.)
She also almost took out the goblins in the first round of combat - going first, she ran up to them and cast Chord of Shards... and then rolled miserably for damage, only doing 3 points. It's a shame as it would have been a crowning moment of awesome but the dice do what they want, really. Wilhelm then moved up to get a shot off on another goblin (taking it down before it could attack Alyssa) while Archibald took the moment to cast Mage Armor, reasoning that there'd be far more than three goblins.
That's when I added several other goblins on the board. They weren't meant to attack the PCs, but instead as background fixtures having fun doing crazy things. Because, goblins. ;)
The next round, Archibald used Hand of the Apprentice to send his quarterstaff smacking into the head of one of those extra goblins, and I let it kill the geebah because I thought it awesome he was protecting townsfolk rather than fixating on just the goblins who were a direct threat. But the group basically took out the goblins without too much fuss and only Alyssa getting hit once.
The second group of goblins proved more troublesome. But it also provided another crowning moment of awesome (and another Hero Point awarded) when... well, remember how Archibald's player joked about hiding marshmallows behind his back during the speeches at the start of the day? His player said "I throw that bag of marshmallows at the feet of the goblins." What with goblins being voracious. :)
Not only did that get him a Hero Point, that also distracted the Warchanter and two of the goblins who fought over the marshmallows - the warchanter stuffing them in her face, one goblin shoving his TORCH in HER face because he wanted them, and a third shoving his hand in her mouth to get the marshmallows only to get bitten for his troubles.
Hey, goblins.
The warchanter did manage to trip Wilhelm with her whip, at which point Archibald did something... unexpected. His player hadn't chosen Sleep as a spell... but instead a diverse selection of spells... including Ventriloquism.
"I cast Ventriloquism to create the sound of an angry horse behind the goblins." The warchanter made her save, while the other goblin failed. Her retaliation of Hideous Laughter on the wizard who'd been so troublesome failed... and Archibald ended up burning his Hero Point to replenish his Bonded Item and cast Magic Missile to finish the Warchanter (who'd just been hit by Wilhelm a moment before and brought to 1 hit point).
It was getting late so I fudged several die rolls to speed things along. To me, what's important is that people have a good time. The last combat lasted like six rounds because I was letting people miss. This time... well, they started attacking from Surprise, and between Archibald and Wilhelm, took out the goblin commando before he could even move. Alyssa went after the scary-looking goblin dog and Archibald finished it off... while Wilhelm killed one of the remaining three goblins.
The other two closed to combat and that's when the dice started going cold... so I fudged several rolls. Mind you, damage rolls also went cold so that fight went for four rounds as well... but while Alyssa and Wilhelm both got hit a couple times, no one came close to dying. They got to chat with Aldern Foxglove afterward and were invited to stay at the Rusty Dragon... where I ended for the night.
----------
Wilhelm's player is still young. Wanting to kill anything dangerous that moves is a sign of a young player, I suspect (he is 14 after all). And I did explain to him "if you choose to loot a body in the middle of combat, there will be consequences and an enemy might take that opportunity to attack you." Still, I think he might be getting a Wrath and a Greed point - he did constantly want to kill things like thieves and the like and was only talked out of it, and he also had wanted to loot the dead IN THE MIDDLE OF COMBAT. Even his honesty in returning a stolen mace doesn't quite outdo that.
And it was good to see Archibald's player pull out his A game again. He has a history with Ventriloquism (during the Night Below campaign he used Ventriloquism at 1st level to convince a group of orcs who'd taken a priest captive that a group of elves were over the next hill and setting up a picnic... thus proving he is delightfully sneaky when he so chooses).
One interesting moment was when he was talking to his wife, who was a bit upset she'd not put anything into Knowledge: Local... and he pointed out "you were busy listening to stories of far-away places... not listening to gossip of local affairs. My character was helping his master at the Academy and thus heard the kids gossip." She accepted that and stopped asking me if she could reassign a skill point. ^^;;
---------
Thoughts: Including pawns for the townsfolk helped make the combat more hectic. It also allowed for moments of heroics like a player using an attack to kill a goblin who was chasing a townsfolk. So it helped make the town something more than just a setting. It became a place where they fought to save actual lives, not just themselves.
Fudging die rolls can help keep fights from taking too long and getting tedious. This was the problem with fight #2 - the players started missing, the goblins were pests, and it took too long to get through the fight. Redoing rolls to speed things up helped keep things moving for the end of the game and also reduced the frustration of the players.
The festival games... well, they proved less of a draw than I'd hoped. I probably should have written up descriptions of each booth. Still, they did provide a few moments that were quite amusing, and the seeds for further adventures in the game have been planted.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
This is an awesome read Tangent, thanks for taking the time to write it up.
Obviously I wasn't there to see the specifics, but when you mentioned Wilhelm looting the body during combat my first thought was First Person Shooter games where you're killing people and picking up their ammo and guns.
The pawns idea is brilliant. Next time I run Rise I'd love to do something similar.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Oh, I've done worse. With Skyrim at least. (Including using the Frostfall mod spell "Summon Lesser Shelter" in the middle of a large-scale battle in the Falskaar regional mod so to use the "Secret Chest" that is part of the shelter and unload four hundred pounds of looted armor and weapons - twice in the same battle and a third time on a battle that happens immediately afterward.)
A couple things that differ of course is that I'm using mods allowing me four other companions (and an essential dog that doesn't bark) and the fact Skyrim eats corpses. Seriously, someone can die and vanish in the underbrush (well, that's actually true to life seeing that my father and I lost an elk once who went down in underbrush - at least until a bear got to it and ruined the meat) or clip through the ground so that only a tiny piece is showing.
So I can understand the practice. I won't let it happen in my game without consequences. And not sharing with the other party members is definitely along the lines of greed.
My one concern is that in-character, the three haven't really gotten a reason to cooperate outside of a battle. The dad is kind of concerned with "dominating" the group, but he also has the most experience - that said, he did offer a couple quick tidbits (like "concentrate on one foe to take it down quickly") which suggests he will likely end up the party leader... and no doubt once a greater threat (the "longshanks" who was behind the goblin attack) emerges then this group will actually go from Refusing the Call to being heroes. ;)
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Player Journal:
The Swallowtail Festival! I have been looking forward to this for weeks! The weather was nice and sunny and the humidity* was perfect! I was in good voice and the lute had good sound. After a few sets some one else took over my spot and I perused the book stalls to see if they had anything interesting. The only downside is I only made nineteen copper. On a festival day! Even with my room rate reduced to two silver I keep having to supplement my earnings with my savings. I only had to use one copper today to get the total to twenty copper, but a copper a day will still whittle my savings down eventually.
Then, panic! Goblins shrill singing and a butchered dog. I ran up to help, but my Shards spell still did not work! Well, it worked, but it did not blow them away like the book said it would. I tried my rapier with only a little more success. I need to practice more.
There was this other guy helping, and then another guy who came out of nowhere! Between the three of us we took out the dog killers. I started my Courage song to calm and strengthen the towns people, but then a scream informed us there were more goblins. We rushed over to see a goblin singer and a goblin rider kill another dog. Some dandy nobleman watched in horror but did not seem to know what to do. The guys took on the singer and the rider while I tried to take out his mount. My archery skills need practice too. Then we were rushed by some goblins that had been hiding behind some barrels and things got confusing. I tried Shards again to slightly better effect, Daze to no effect. All this time my courage song was going, at least my songs are on point. At one point one of the guys threw marshmallows at the goblins. Marshmallows! I was surprised but it seemed to work; they were distracted and I was able to get Daze on the singer. We managed to take them all out eventually to the relief of all. One of the town leaders, Ameiko, and the nobleman all offered thanks and rewards. I couldn't accept Ameiko's offer, though. I need to see if I can make it on my own with my singing and a free ride kind of circumvents that. Also I don't want to upset Garridan. He can be a bit grumpy sometimes, but he has a good heart. I did promise to visit The Rusty Dragon because I want to hear Ameiko sing. I have heard she is good and I would love to watch and see how she performs and maybe trade songs, stories, and tips with her. She seems really nice.
* Humidity is important with full wood instruments. Extreme dryness can dry out the wood and cause it to crack. Extreme humidity can warp the sounds produced as the wood swells and stretch out the strings. While these extremes only matter if you are neglectful of your instrument(one dry day is unlikely to break your instrument), it can still be a concern. A dry morning turning into a wet afternoon can cause a musician to have to stop to re-tune their instrument to accommodate the changes and to protect the instrument and strings.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Small note: Yes, I know Alyssa's player got the order of things mixed up a little but it was a confusing battle and the character would be writing things up after the battle. So I decided to let things stand. I created a couple aliases for specific use with this thread, but I'm not about to start pulling a Captain Alias - er, I mean Captain Yesterday. ;)
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
We've not had a game for the last couple of weeks as my friend's son has the flu.
That said, after looking things over, I've decided to bite the bullet and include a GMPC after all. He'll join the group when they are checking out the desecrated crypt.
Kalder is an Oread Warpriest of Pharasma. My plans are for the character to be the tank of the group (he's already starting out with chainmail and a heavy shield, and Dwarfblooded so he can wear that armor without problem). And he's going to be somewhat prickly - he'll be quite willing not to heal someone if that person insults him (ie, he has the Pride drawback from Ultimate Campaign). Seeing Alyssa has healing as well, it's not going to be a big deal... but up 'til now my clerics have mostly been quiet healbots who only quit the group if something significant happened.
Having a personality that gets easily annoyed should be interesting, and help keep old patterns with my GMPCs from cropping up. With hope.
----------
I'm also including the module "Master of the Fallen Fortress" as a low-level encounter... though I am redrawing the map (it's a rather large tower, all things considered - I mean, it's bloody spacious!) using the Thassilonian tower located a couple hours outside of town. While it does mean the tower isn't about to collapse, I don't consider that a bad thing.
Between MotFF, Chopper's Isle, and plans to
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I know how that is, we were ready last weekend then I got a cold followed by Tiny T-Rex and the wife and Pea Bear struggling through this week, with a full on collapse and surrender to a sick day today. :-)
But, I feel great, now.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Small note: Yes, I know Alyssa's player got the order of things mixed up a little but it was a confusing battle and the character would be writing things up after the battle. So I decided to let things stand. I created a couple aliases for specific use with this thread, but I'm not about to start pulling a Captain Alias - er, I mean Captain Yesterday. ;)
Hey, I just noticed this :-)
You know it starts with just one. ;-)
Of course, then NobodysHome says "hey why don't you beat Orthos" which leads down a long winded road with entirely too many Yesterdays. :-D
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
...all my troubles seemed so far away... but now they are here to stay...
One thing that is perhaps puzzling is that the PCs are considered "heroes" after the goblin attack. When you get down to it, the PCs kill or chase off maybe a dozen goblins (five definite along with the goblin dog, and six other potentials). Admittedly, that's the PCs accounting for half of the attacking force (30 goblins in all, six with Tsuto), but I suspect it would help build the story of the adventurers if they are actively protecting people.
Fortunately, I purchased the Sandpoint Townsfolk Paper Minis and printed them out on stiff paper. While the puppy did get his teeth on the three bouncers (what a horrifying fate, a giant slavering beast eating them alive!) the rest of the townsfolk are safe from the pup and about half are currently assembled... which gives me a good-sized crowd to build on. The starting map will be full of townsfolk, and even as I have many of them flee as quickly as they can, I can also keep some of the children and a couple parents in the area, unable to easily evacuate.
This should also increase the urgency of the PCs. They're not just going to be fighting for their lives... they're fighting to protect people two of them have known all their lives (and the third for over half a dozen years).
In turn, this improves the legend of the PCs. They not only account for half of the goblins, they actively save a half dozen people who watch them fight. And including the pawns also lets me do such horrible things as having the PCs watch townsfolk die even as they are busy fighting their first three goblins. And for all I know, I might even have someone do something stupid in an effort to save a life or two.
-------
I've also chosen to swap out equipment. I honestly cannot imagine anyone buying goblin equipment - not even a mastercraft horsechopper. That is, however, a 300-gold value item... which could be replicated with a 20-charge Wand of Bardic Cure Light Wounds, and help provide the PCs with some extra healing which should last through Burnt Offerings.
I've not started playing yet, but none of my players know each other (or only know each other in passing). I'm going with the angle that the players didn't do a particularly impressive job of defending Sandpoint, but the town guard made a bit of a mess of it so in comparison they look fairly heroic. They're aware of this, it gives them a reason to try and get away from the crowds of admirers and they will all end up gravitating towards each other simply because they're tired of all the attention.
It also gives them a connection to Belor Hemlock, who has a begrudging respect for them but isn't too happy about having his men's training questioned by the rest of the townspeople, and a reason for other NPCs to consult them rather than the town guards.
Edit: I also have a player who's flavoured as a smuggler and is in it for the money (He happens to be a dwarf, so the hatred of goblins is enough of a hook to get him in to the story) so I imagine he'll be overflowing with greed points soon enough.
The funny thing is, as I was working out the actual fight, it dawned on me that a group of three or four people basically slaughtered half of the goblins that were a visible part of the raid, and one of their goblin dogs. That in and of itself is why the Heroes of Sandpoint are heroes. And of the other 13 goblins? Some died, some more fled, and a couple were captured.
So basically, a small group of people did kill most of the goblins.
With my Skype group, there was one local lad (half-orc barbarian), and three strangers (one a GMPC) involved in the fight (though I think I increased the number of goblins involved - I did make them all Goblin Fighters, but I also started that group off at 2nd level). So considering them heroes was perhaps more questionable.
Fortunately the tabletop group is all locals (except for the new GMPC) so it's easy to consider them heroes... especially given the nature of the fight and the fact that one of them (the wizard) went out of his way to kill a goblin chasing after one of the townsfolk.
I'm still considering what to do with Hemlock though. I'd thought of having him hurt during the initial raid with the goblins... but I could have him investigating the graveyard to determine where the goblins came in while the PCs are busy with the tomb....
Well, Ultimate Intrigue will open up some new venues for me, and allow for a more interesting civil situation in Sandpoint. This is related to my earlier idea of plotting out stories for various NPCs, but is incorporated into a larger picture - that of organizations.
Naturally, the four noble families will be four of the most visible factions, with the sheriff and town guard acting as the fifth. The Merchants' Guild... well, I'm not quite sure if it should act as a faction, or the battleground in which the four noble families act out their intrigues.
After all, there's no reason for the families to all cooperate. Given events early in the official adventure, one noble faction would be weakened, which could in turn encourage further bickering between the noble families.
The sixth faction, and one less visible, would be the thieves' guild. Minor players (such as the brothel) would be allied with various factions in the game, and there would naturally be alliances and intrigues involving each group which may or may not involve the players. (The world doesn't revolve around them (yet), after all!)
The Seventh faction would of course Special K and his allies. They will slowly be building their forces in the area - at this point, X has set up shop in Magnimar and is starting the harvest, while L is busy in the hinterlands and playing a longer game.
Including the UI rules also lets me run a slower game in some ways. While the PCs will be going on adventures in the region, the intrigue rules and factions has let me realize there are small faction-related quests I can use that could let the PCs build up friendships with certain groups... and in doing so, anger other groups. This has already started, mind you, with Wilhelm's outright snubbing the local Sczarni representatives and meddling in their plans.
--------
With luck, the next game will be on Saturday (at least that's what we've planned for, should nothing untoward come up).
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Player Journal: Dear Diary,
I know that it seems weird for a wizard to keep a diary, but all I can say is
<Insert Explosive Runes Here>
That is not the most convincing argument I have ever made but
<Insert Code Worded Explosive Runes here, just in case I'm not me>
I am very tired after a long day but I want to get this down before I forget anything.
Today was the Swallowtail festival. I've been in town for some time and have gotten to know the area and the people a bit but I had never actually heard the legend that gave the festival it's name. All I could think about was the tales of Wizard Bartleby the Dragon Rider who needed a stain proof saddle from the books my father read me as I was a boy. At least that's what my parents say. I still look for those books from time to time when I find a new book store. I haven't found them yet.
I entered the pie eating contest for a leisurely breakfast after procuring coffee. Readily available in this town, I might add. Kept seeing this girl with unusual eyes playing the lute here and there.
I played one of the ball games, using a touch of magic to win a prize worth less than a pittance (I swear there was still a price tag on it 'One half pittance,' but I digress.)
The Sheriff made an announcement alluding to a previous tragedy and warning people to be careful with the bonfire later that night. I tried to make sure no one could see the marshmallows I was carrying.
Note to self: Look into tragedy, quietly. There are no coincidences. Except when there are. I hate that.
The day was rolling along pleasantly when the town became infiltrated by Goblins. They surrounded the crowd I was in and began a bit of a panic. I hate confrontation, more than coincidences but less often. I tried to remain as calm as I could to center my magic. I began using hand of the apprentice to try to keep the goblins away from some of the townsfolk (and me) and saw the girl I was noticing earlier was singing and trying to fight. Not very effectively but doing better then I was. There was also a young man fighting with a blade who began to help.
We were barely holding our own when some kind of Goblin spell caster entered the fray. Out of a certain amount of desperation I hurled my Marshmallows at her. That caused a distraction between she and her companions and showed that the Goblin appetite is not legendary but quite real.
My sacrifice bought us some time to regroup and I am sorry to say at one point the marshmallows did get toasted. Between blade bow and staff we eventually made short work of the Goblins which is a terrible pun that I did not notice until just now and I feel somewhat ashamed.
We were offered room and board for a week at one of the inns. I will take advantage of the offer because I want a larger place for a while. Living in my teachers storeroom is cheap but I would like a nicer bed and some space for a while. My nightmares have been more frequent and worse than the standard fare.
I am tired and will continue this tomorrow but before I snuff out the candle I want to say why I started this diary.
The Goblins in their deprivations had killed several dogs, one of which reminded me of my older brothers dog. For a moment I could see him, tongue lolling and tail wagging, the absolute picture of the representation of a dog. His name was 'Dwarf,' as he had long chin whiskers as a puppy that hit the ground. He grew into them and became a very large dog so his name made little sense unless you had a keen sense of irony
I don't have an older brother. I have a younger brother and sister, both of whom have found their calling within the church and are not a disappointment to our parents. That does not describe it, really. When my parents look at me it's like they are looking at something broken that cannot be fixed. It goes beyond my lack of faith. Something is wrong and I don't know what. I suspect they know and they sent me here not because they finally relented to my request to study magic but so they would no longer be tempted to tell me.
I wish I did have faith. Then I could pray to be delivered from my nightmares.
But I believe there are some things even gods cannot protect you from.
<Insert Explosive Runes here>
Today’s game ended up not getting nearly as much done as I’d hoped. Unfortunately, Wilhelm’s player wasn’t very active, though part of that may be he is still new to gaming. With luck, his dad will help draw him out – especially as they are competitive in computer games, and Archibald’s player did several small pranks to try to draw out Wilhelm’s player. Before the game started, I did chat with Wilhelm's player and offered a small modification to the character - dropping Charisma to 14 and boosting Intelligence to 13, so he'd be able to qualify for some handy feats. I also decided to stop using the Unchained rule for penalties in being hurt, seeing that I was having to switch every foe over to the system and it was taking too long - so I let Wilhelm switch out Endurance for Two-Weapon Fighting.
We started with the group having a meal at the Rusty Dragon – I figure that while Alyssa might have declined staying at the Dragon, Ameiko would still give her a good meal. Leftovers from the festival, mostly. As they were finishing up, and night was upon them, Sheriff Hemlock and Father Zantus arrived, as the crypt where Tobyn had been laid to rest had been broken into. As they headed to the Cathedral, Hemlock explained that the goblins had killed three off-duty town guard during the attack, and that he’d appreciate it if they were openly Sandpoint’s “heroes” in the wake of the attack. He also told them that they’d killed over half of the goblins who’d been in the raid.
They met Kalder (the new NPC to fill out the group – an Oread Warpriest of Pharasma), who healed them up, and they went into the cemetery. Amusingly enough, they didn’t want to risk having Father Zantus left behind, but once they learned the Cathedral had several clerics in it, they let him stay behind. My efforts to draw Hemlock off… well, it ended up hurting the party, as they insisted on sending Kalder with him so no one would be left alone. It makes sense, was an excellent roleplaying point… and also meant that the best-armored and armed member of the group was not there to face the skeletons in the crypt.
The fight went from bad to worse fairly quickly. Wilhelm was unable to hit the broadside of a barn despite attacking them while the skeletons were still flatfooted. Alyssa started up her bardic song (having two rounds left), and Archibald started Summon Monster (having not bothered with it during the initial raid with the goblins).
The skeletons proved less incapable, and both hit Wilhelm for a little over a quarter of his hit points. (I’m kind of glad I gave them double-starting hit points, though it did lessen the impact of the initial damage. Six hit points matters a lot more when you only have 11 starting HP! Even so, Wilhelm’s player was a bit spooked at how often he was hit.) His second round of combat also proved ineffectual as once more he rolled poorly. Alyssa proved far more effective when she closed to attack… only to learn that a rapier is not an effective weapon against skeletons. After damage reduction, she’d only done one hit point damage.
Neither did the Celestial Dire Rat that Archibald summoned, despite flanking the skeleton. However, he did realize that he was the only person with a weapon capable of damaging these things… and after shouting for help he moved behind Wilhelm and extended his staff for one of the group to snag and use. (Amusingly enough, Archibald's player pointed out to Wilhelm's player that by returning the mace, he'd missed out on a weapon that could fight the skeletons. I pointed out in return that Wilhelm could have bought the weapon discounted. But I suspect Wilhelm's player wasn't feeling 100%, so the comments may have passed him by.)
I actually made a mistake with the dire rat. It should have gone back to wherever summons come from after one round. Instead, it stuck around for two rounds, but to be honest, the flanking bonus was kind of needed by the group. It's not a huge deal to be honest - and I'd even suggested to Archibald's player to run a Conjuror so to have longer summons, but he kind of prefers generalist mages so....
While one skeleton managed a claw attack against Alyssa, at this point the Skeletons saw their dice turn cold, while once Wilhelm got ahold of the quarterstaff, he started rolling really well. Amusingly enough, Alyssa managed a natural 1... and rather than have some amusing attempt to stab the floor or the like, I described it as the absolute PERFECT heart-shot... on something that lacks flesh or a heart. Fortunately, Wilhelm proceeded to smash the second skeleton one round later, and the combat wrapped up... just in time for Sandpoint: CSI to start.
The presence of ladders on the back wall were problematic for Archibald. The fact that someone, possibly human, had helped the goblins and robbed the crypt of Ezakien Tobyn's corpse was also rather disturbing for Alyssa... who still harbors tremendous guilt that she never stepped forward to stop bullying of the aasimar girl Nualia, lest her own aasimar heritage be revealed as well. Wilhelm of course was disturbed that there didn't seem to be anything of wealth to loot and that the skeletons only had broken equipment. That said, it was absolutely delightful watching Alyssa starting to geek out like a bardic Hermione as she scored quite well with Knowledge: Arcana and figured out the discarded robes were Robes of Bones... though Archibald was puzzled that whoever put them there didn't use the skeletons to protect the ladders.
Hemlock was also disturbed upon learning Tobyn's body was gone and asked the group to remain quiet about it, lest the knowledge cause a panic... though to be honest, I'm not sure why anyone would panic. At least, not moreso than knowing a score of goblins had attacked the town and that it was a diversion to steal a charred corpse.
------
The next day the group started on their usual ways. Alyssa helped around the White Deer Inn (where she has been staying) before going out to busk a while; on her way out, she got cornered by Alma Avertin who insisted she take a freshly-baked loaf of bread, tsked and wondered why her parents didn't feed her properly as she was so skinny, and sent her on her way. I teased Alyssa when she took one small bite that soon all she had left were crumbs. (Flashback to my NPC Essanne who had the same thing happen!)
Archibald brewed up some coffee and then headed toward Turandarok Academy. He paused by Alyssa's busking and used Mage Hand to slip the Wand of Bardic Cure Light Wounds that I'd included as treasure to replace the mastercrafted horse chopper (because seriously, who's going to buy goblin gear?) without Alyssa noticing, and then headed to the Academy.
There, headmaster Ilsoari Gandethus told Archibald that he'd pretty much learned everything he could from the headmaster, and that the fight against the goblins was pretty much superior to any exam the headmaster could have come up with. Archibald took that as to say "you're fired" and decided to find some work... so I decided on a whim that since Winhelm was staying in bed as long as possible, to toss a planned mini-encouter to Archibald instead - learning of a 5 silver bounty for every pair of goblin ears taken from the pests. (Yes, I know the AP had it as 5 gold, but I thought that a bit overpriced and that even with the town kicking in for the bounty, it might be a bit much. Besides, silver is useful for low-level PCs.)
This is when the pranking began. Ventriloquism of a couple maids commenting in a low voice of "should we wake him up? The inn is on fire..." and then trying to hold the door closed... until Archibald realized the door opened inward. He quickly left the area and waited for Wilhelm to head back to sleep, at which point he got some lunch (with curry sauce) and slowly blew the odor into the room to try and lure Wilhelm out. Ameiko found that to be quite amusing (and caught Archibald in the act), though she was a tad surprised her cooking hadn't lured out Wilhelm.
No, it was the siren call of gold (or silver at least) and learning of the bounty on goblin ears that finally got Wilhelm motivated. While Wilhelm didn't see the point of including anyone else (because that lessens the profits), Archibald did point out that Kalder would be quite effective (and was far better armed than the others - Wilhelm agreed but primarily because he expects Kalder to die and then will loot his corpse... ah, 14-year-old players, gotta love them!) and also that Alyssa had proven quite handy in a fight, so after gathering the two (and identifying Alyssa's wand for her), the group returned to the Rusty Dragon and ran into Aldern Foxglove.
I must admit some curiosity as to why any group would agree to go boar-hunting (and once more I almost typoed as bore-hunting... apt, seeing that Archibald quipped that he thought murder was against the law. Aldern laughed and made a quip at the expense of his peers... which no one laughed at. Alas, poor fop!) as no one was interested in doing this. Fortunately, Alyssa was quite politic in her wording and the group bowed out of fighting any boars or bores in the Tickwood, and Aldern handed 50 gold over to Archibald in thanks for having saved his life.
This was the point at which Archibald earned Kalder's respect... and Wilhelm gained his second Greed point. Wilhelm was wondering how to split up 50 gold among three people... and Archibald said "there are four of us." That didn't go down well with Wilhelm, seeing Kalder wasn't a part of the group when they had saved Aldern. While Archibald tried to argue the point, finally he shrugged, gave Wilhelm and Alyssa 17 gold each, kept eight for himself, and gave the last eight to Kalder. Alyssa promptly gave five gold from her share to Kalder as well, and Wilhelm decided to give a token and gave him a single gold coin.
I'm going to have fun with this. See, Kalder has the Pride Drawback... and while Kalder wasn't asking for a share and could even see the thief's point... being given a single gold coin? Oh, that's a slap in the face. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Warpriest of Pharasma is going to only heal Wilhelm when Archibald suggests it... and he never did get healed up after the skeletons hurt him in the previous evening.
Anyway, the game ended with my decision to encourage the group to start another scenario - a modification of the 1st level "Master of the Fallen Fortress" module that will take place in the Wisher's Well Thassilonian ruin. Upon learning the group was heading out, Ameiko asked them to check out the tower for one of her guests who had failed to return for the festival. Archibald promptly started to suspect the man of being the human helping the goblins raid Sandpoint.
You know... I could probably get him to suspect half of Sandpoint before I even get to the part of the Sandpoint adventure where they DO learn who's behind the raid....
Next game is currently in the air, but should be before the end of April. Maybe even in two weeks.
The ETA for the next game is currently up in the air, seeing we're not yet sure when Wilhelm's player will be available next due to school vacation and parental visitation constraints. That said, after a rather innovative suggestion in another thread, I've gotten the next several adventures planned out.
The next game session will start with an altered version of "Master of the Fallen Fortress" (a 1st level adventure). I'm going to drop the encounter with the giant frog and the flaming skeletons, and have the encounter take place in Wisher Well; the end result will put the players at 2nd level.
What comes next depends on the group, of course... some of the scenarios in the Anniversary Edition could happen, but I decided to integrate the first part of Jade Regent: The Brinewell Legacy, as it will give the group an opportunity to hunt goblins for a bounty and find some treasure in the meantime. I'm not entirely sure as to how to handle the skeletons' treasure, and whether or not the treasure will be linked to Ameiko and her father. That said, it might be interesting to go that route... and even have the two of them start to reconcile as a result of the treasure and their heritage.
I'll even have Lonjiku send a letter off to his illegitimate daughter Amaya, as part of a story-hook that will give the group an early glimpse at the Skinsaw Cult between Books 1 and 2 after Amaya reaches Magnimar and catches the eyes of the murder cult.
Naturally, what happens next will be an evil twisting of the knife. ;)
The really nice thing about Jade Regent is that it includes a bit of detail on Sandpoint's Hinterlands, along with rumors and various encounters. I'd picked it up a while ago at a gaming store, but for anyone running Runelords itself, I would suggest picking up the first book of Jade Regent just for the added material to help fill out the region around Sandpoint further.
I've no real idea how I'd be able to integrate Runelords and Jade Regent, and suspect it would muddy the waters too much. So outside of the first part of Jade Regent, and possibly at some point putting Ameiko on a caravan headed north to claim her heritage, most of that story won't impact the PCs.
Well. A two month pause for the game. It could be worse, I suppose... this delay was a combination of issues both on my players' end and on my own. No need to go into details.
The players reached Wisher's Well (which I used an old module, "Master of the Fallen Fortress" which I reskinned with an octagonal tower that collapsed on the inside for the first floor instead of how the Fortress is depicted in the module.
Amusingly enough? The first encounter with feral dogs? The group didn't want to fight them and ended up chasing off one dog, bluffing a second with dry rations, and the third after it was knocked unconscious, seeing how the others felt, the NPC warpriest used his Heal skill to patch up the dog enough to survive. And they left more of the ration. (The dog probably will die anyway.)
The reasoning? Two dogs died in Sandpoint one day earlier with the goblin attack. They didn't want to kill more dogs, even if they were feral dogs. It's rather... quaint, I suppose. :)
Now giant spiders? Those the party had little reason not to attack. ;) They did have one problem in that I had a narrow (around five foot wide) ledge on the inside of the first floor of the tower, with a 100 foot drop to water below. So there was no room to fight. An arrow and crossbow bolt weakened the spider, and when it closed to attack Wilhelm, the NPC used his glaive to kill the spider. And the group moved into the tower itself and stopped at the first floor.
Things went fairly routinely. They checked for traps on the first door at the stairwell... and then Wilhelm didn't think of checking for further traps. The very next door? Trapped. One javelin strike to Wilhelm had him down to below half hit points, at which point the NPC healed up Wilhelm with a comment of "I'll expect your donation to the Church of Pharasma later" and then smiled at Archibald and Alyssa and let them know they weren't expected to donate.
And thus our newest player learned: begrudgingly giving the NPC one gold piece rather than either sticking to his guns and not giving any of his share of the reward from Aldern, or giving him an actual legit share? Pisses off someone with dwarvish blood (Dwarf-Blooded Feat) and the Pride Drawback. ;)
How long this lasts will depend. It might end with the first adventure, but Kalder is going to keep a close eye on the thief and if he does try to squirrel away treasure from the party rather than having equal shares? He's going to keep charging Wilhelm for healing (with the money being a donation to the Church of Pharasma).
We wrapped things up (Wilhelm's player wasn't feeling that well - stomach issues) with an attack by two Troglodytes which sickened Alyssa. (It does raise an interesting question. Do you need to make a save for each separate Troglodyte or Ghast? Or for that matter, for five separate mummies? (From a different game I ran.) Or for something like scent, once you hit it once in an encounter does extras not matter as much?) Alyssa chose not to use Bardic Song, wanting to save it for a major encounter, but given these chaps are AC 16... well, it wasn't the easiest of encounters.
I provided some tactical advice and as Wilhelm's player was kind of out of it at that point, I used his second round move to move behind the unhurt Troglodyte to get a flanking bonus next round... only to have Kalder hit with his dagger (which does 1d6+3 thanks to the Warpriest holy weapon and his 17 Strength) and then for Archibald to take a five-foot step to prepare for a potential flank by Wilhelm... and then a natural 20 followed by a natural 18 to do 7 damage to a Troglodyte who had 2 hit points left at that point.
A little treasure was to be had (leftover javelins, a masterwork silver dagger, a masterwork light steel shield, and a hunting banner that I'm having from a hunting lodge in Magnimar) but nothing big.
There's a few more encounters in the tower which they'll face, and once they finish the Tower and do a couple minor encounters in Sandpoint, I'll have them level up.
The next adventure planned will be the first part of Jade Regent, so the group can kill some goblins and claim the bounties on them. I am still deciding on whether or not for Ameiko to learn about her heritage at this point, but I'm tempted to let her, and then once things eventually settle down in Sandpoint she may seek out her half-sister before heading off to achieve her destiny with a separate band of heroes (NPCs) helping her out. :)