- Leraika
- Jun 14, 2015
-
Luckily, I *did* save your old avatar. Fucked around and found out indeed.
|
Red pass!
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2017 22:06
|
|
- Adbot
-
ADBOT LOVES YOU
|
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2024 11:29
|
|
- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
-
Your life and your quest end here.
|
Good choice. The documents are forged and would get us killed.
Fire on the Water posted:You enter a large room full of ledgers and files. A man wearing the uniform of a Durenese naval officer is seated opposite at a large desk. He peers at you inquisitively from behind a huge book and says, ‘You must have pressing business in the naval quadrant to apply for a red pass at this late hour. I shall need to see your access papers and proof of your commanding officer’s authorization.’
You will have to risk showing him the Seal of Hammerdal.
The man stares at the Seal with a look of shocked dismay. Without saying a word, he gets up from his chair and beckons you to follow him up a flight of spiral stairs that lead to a domed chamber. Here you meet the captain of the port watch. He listens intently as you tell of the war in Sommerlund and of your urgent mission.
‘Issue a red pass immediately,’ he orders. ‘Top priority.’
You collect your Red Pass, leave the port watchtower, and hurry along the street towards the harbour guards.
One of the guards steps forward and demands to see your pass.
The soldier salutes and allows you to pass through the red gate. You walk into an open square lit by the tall beacons lining the quayside. To your relief, you sight the marble pillars of the Sommerlund Consulate, and the familiar sun-flag of your country flying above it in the fresh night breeze.
As you climb the stone steps, you are recognized by the Sommlending guards on duty at the main door. They disappear inside and quickly return in the company of a tall grey-haired official. His anguished expression suddenly changes to a smile of joy as he beholds your ragged Kai cloak and tunic.
‘Hope beyond hope! Thank the gods that you live, Kai Lord. The scant news that has reached us from the west has caused us great alarm.’
You are ushered inside and taken immediately to the envoy of Sommerlund, Lord-lieutenant Rhygar.
This is the end of our second dead-man-walking trap. Had we flagged down that fishing boat back near Ragadorn we'd have been robbed and dumped back in the water. One of the things they take is the Seal of Hammerdal. You basically have one chance to recover it, and if you miss it then you'll end up leaving Ragadorn without it. It's not required in order to get to Port Bax, but leaving Port Bax without it is impossible. Interestingly, if you enter Port Bax without the Seal and without any money you can't actually die either. You just go through an endless loop of walking back and forth between the watchtower, the gate and city hall. I'm not aware of any other inescapable loops like that in the series.
Fire on the Water posted:Your first meeting with the Lord-lieutenant comes as something of a shock. You had perhaps half expected him to be a servile old man, as are the envoys of the southern lands that plague your King’s court with their delegations. The man clad in heavy chainmail standing before you is neither old nor servile. You are soon to learn that Lord-lieutenant Rhygar is an exceptional man.
Born of a Sommlending father and a Durenese mother, he has become something of a legend in this city. In the last decade, he has led an alliance of the nations to victory against the invading Ice Barbarians of Kalte. Wise in peace, fierce in war, you could not have wished for better company on your quest for the Sommerswerd.
Rhygar orders that a sumptuous meal be served. It is by far the best food you have tasted since the war began. During the feast, you recall the events that have brought you to Port Bax, and reflect on the daunting challenge that still lies before you. After the meal, Rhygar sends for his physician who attends to your wounds. His potions restore 6 ENDURANCE points. Then he advises you to sleep, for you are to leave with the Lord-lieutenant for Hammerdal in the morning.
Early next day, you are taken to an enclosed garden at the rear of the consulate where Rhygar and three of his best soldiers await you on horseback. They are to be your bodyguard and guides on the 230 mile ride to Hammerdal. The streets of Port Bax are just beginning to come to life as you ride through the town. Passing under the moss-covered city gate, you now feel confident that your mission will succeed.
For three days and nights, you have ridden along the highway as it follows its route up the river valley of the Durenon. In the distance are the peaks of the Hammerdal Mountains, one of the highest ranges in all Magnamund. The capital lies at the very centre of those mountains.
It is now the morning of the fourteenth day of your quest. You have made camp near a waterfall where the fast-flowing Durenon drops over 120 feet. You are about to leave, when a group of six hooded riders appears on the forest highway above, blocking your exit from the camp.
Lord-lieutenant Rhygar demands that they let you pass, adding that you bear a royal dispatch. In Durenor, it is a treasonable offence to hinder a King’s messenger, but unfortunately, the cloaked riders do not seem impressed by his warning, and they remain where they are.
‘If you do not care for reason, perhaps our swords will turn your tails,’ says Rhygar. He draws his sword, and orders his men to attack.
There is a strong aura of evil surrounding these cloaked riders. Your Kai Sixth Sense warns you not to follow Rhygar and his men on their impetuous charge. You shout a warning to them to stop them attacking, but it is too late. You cannot be heard above their battle-cries and the thundering hooves of their mounts.
As Rhygar and his men gallop nearer to the riders, one of the cloaked horsemen draws a black staff from beneath his robes. A fierce blue flame shoots from its tip and explodes beneath Rhygar’s horse, sending him head over heels into the dense undergrowth. Rhygar’s men furiously attack with their swords. Their sharp blades slice clean through their enemies’ cloaks and bodies, and then you realize that they are having no effect. For these are Helghast, fell captains of the Darklords. They have the ability to adopt human form but they are invulnerable to normal weapons. The cloaked staff-bearer gives a hideous laugh that tears at your mind. He is using a very powerful Mindblast against you. You know you are outnumbered by a superior enemy and you must act quickly if you are to survive this ambush at all.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2017 04:21
|
|
- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
-
I get my fun here. Enjoy!
|
Run away! RUN AWAY!!!!!
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2017 04:32
|
|
- Kangra
- May 7, 2012
-
|
You can also be in a dead man walking state if you're dumb enough to sell the Seal of Hammerdal (it's an option in Ragadorn), but I'd say you deserve that one if it happens.
We should run away.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2017 06:10
|
|
- Avalerion
- Oct 19, 2012
-
|
Run away Tactical retreat, trust our sixth sense.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2017 07:08
|
|
- Comstar
- Apr 20, 2007
-
Are you happy now?
|
BUG OUT
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2017 10:28
|
|
- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
-
Your life and your quest end here.
|
Invulnerable to normal weapons? Those are the only weapons we have.
You can also be in a dead man walking state if you're dumb enough to sell the Seal of Hammerdal (it's an option in Ragadorn), but I'd say you deserve that one if it happens.
We should run away.
Fire on the Water posted:You come to rest face downwards in a tangle of thick bracken. The ringing of steel and the horrible cries of the Helghast echo through the trees around you. You are stunned and cannot move until a hand grabs your arm and pulls you upright. It is Rhygar. His face is bloodied and his armour is battered and charred.
‘We must flee these demons, Lone Wolf. Strength and steel will not avail us here.’
You glimpse the silhouette of six Helghast on the forest road above. Their minds bent on the slaughter of Rhygar’s men, they fail to see you both slip away under cover of the wooded hillside.
For six hours you run without rest. The Helghast are on the highway and you are forced to make your way through the steep and wooded foothills to avoid the risk of capture. Many times you feel that you just cannot go on, that the pain and the fatigue are too much to bear. But each time you falter, you are spurred on by Rhygar. You marvel at his endurance, for he is not a young man and he is clothed in the heavy armour of a Sommlending knight.
By nightfall, you have reached the entrance to Tarnalin, the western tunnel through the Hammerdal Mountains. The three tunnels of Durenor were excavated during the age of the Black Moon, and each tunnel is over forty miles long and passes through the huge circle of the Hammerdal Range to the capital. The tunnels provide the only access to the city.
Rhygar sits beside you and takes some bread and meat from his pack. ‘Eat this, Lone Wolf. You must sustain your strength for the journey to Hammerdal, for from here you must venture alone through the Tarnalin. I shall remain here and hold the enemy back for as long as I have the strength to fight. Do not argue—that your mission should succeed is the only thing that matters.’
You bid Rhygar farewell and enter Tarnalin. Over a hundred feet in height and width, the tunnel runs to the capital on the far side of the Hammerdal Range, and is lit by torches for its entire length. The highway through the mountain is usually alive with the traffic of merchants to and from Port Bax, yet now the entrance and interior are deserted except for an overturned fruit wagon. As you walk deeper into Tarnalin, a doubt nags at you. Have the Helghast arrived here first?
You have been walking for half an hour when you see a strange creature on top of a wagon in the road ahead. It is two feet high and resembles an overgrown marsh rat. You assume it is some sort of tunnel dwelling rodent until you notice that it is wearing a splendid jacket of patched leather and carrying what appears to be a spear. As you get nearer, it suddenly turns to face you. Its whiskered nose is sniffing the air and its bright black eyes are peering into the gloom. It sees you and scampers off into the darkness of a smaller tunnel to your left.
You recognize the creature to be a Noodnic, an intelligent but mischievous mountain-dwelling native of Durenor. The Noodnics inhabit a maze of smaller shafts and fissures that honeycomb the Hammerdal Mountains, and live off whatever they can steal from the merchant caravans that travel the Tarnalin. It occurs to you that if you can catch the Noodnic, you may be able to learn if the Helghast are hiding within the tunnel.
If we'd had a magic weapon - I'll explain when how we could have got one of those (as well as some related matters) in the near future - then we could have chosen to give it to Rhygar to defend the tunnel entrance. Choosing to attack the Helghast would not, in this instance, have made any difference at all, but that's dependent on an earlier luck roll. Bad luck in that section can lead to a game over. There's also a little bit of weirdness where having Sixth Sense can prevent you from choosing the option that avoids all chance of death, but only if you're unlucky. We were lucky, so having Sixth Sense didn't hurt us. It's just more of this book screwing you over with luck rolls and unavoidable dangers.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2017 15:06
|
|
- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
-
I get my fun here. Enjoy!
|
We need information. Follow the rat-creature.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2017 15:14
|
|
- Kanthulhu
- Apr 8, 2009
-
NO ONE SPOIL GAME OF THRONES FOR ME!
IF SOMEONE TELLS ME THAT OBERYN MARTELL AND THE MOUNTAIN DIE THIS SEASON, I'M GOING TO BE PISSED.
BUT NOT HALF AS PISSED AS I'D BE IF SOMEONE WERE TO SPOIL VARYS KILLING A LANISTER!!!
(Dany shits in a field)
|
Follow
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2017 15:22
|
|
- Avalerion
- Oct 19, 2012
-
|
Asuming our hero isn't just high on lampspur or whatever, follow that dapper mouse.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2017 15:37
|
|
- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
-
Your life and your quest end here.
|
Fire on the Water posted:You chase the furry creature as it hurries along a narrow, twisting passage for nearly ten minutes and are about to give up the chase when the passage opens out into a huge torchlit cavern. A stunning sight greets your eyes. The cavern houses an entire colony of these strange creatures, all busy sorting through and examining a vast pile of strange objects littering the centre of the hall.
A large Noodnic, wearing a brightly coloured cloak of patchwork silks, orders several of his people to arm themselves and drive you out of the hall. When you speak to them in their own language, a hush of astonishment fills the cavern. Never before have they encountered a human being who could actually speak their tongue. For some of them it is too much to grasp, and they stare at you open-mouthed, their furry little arms hanging loosely by their sides.
Then the large Noodnic addresses you, saying he is the leader of this colony. His name is Gashgiss and he welcomes you and invites you to join him on top of a raised platform in the centre of the chamber.
‘Yooze notta Dureneeze man-man, eh? Whereza yooze come za from, eh?’ questions Gashgiss, in his strange Noodnic accent.
You tell him that you are a Sommlending on your way to Hammerdal. He looks at you nervously, and then asks, ‘Yooze notta Blackscreamerz, eh?’ You realize that the ‘Blackscreamerz’ that Gashgiss refers to are Helghast. You learn that two of them arrived in Tarnalin over two hours ago, and caused quite a panic in the main tunnel. Gashgiss knows where they are lying in ambush, waiting for you to appear.
‘Iza show yooze z’way past zem, eh?’ he offers. You nod your agreement and follow him down the steps of the platform, to the hall below.
The Noodnics seem to have overcome their shock and react to you now as if you were one of them. Before you leave, a pretty female Noodnic offers you some food for your journey ahead. There is enough for two Meals. You thank her for her generosity and then follow Gashgiss along one of the many passages leading out of the cavern. After an hour of trekking through the dark, he stops and points towards a shaft of light that is pouring through a crevice in the far distance. ‘Yooze goez left, yooze be zafe,’ he says.
You thank Gashgiss for his help and silently thank your Kai masters who taught you the skill of Animal Kinship. The many years of instruction have probably saved your life. You squeeze through a fissure in the rock wall and drop three feet to the pathway below. You are thinking how kind the Noodnics were when you discover that they have stolen all your gold!
You have covered nearly three miles when you see a group of wagons in the distance. They have been strung out across the highway to form a barricade. Soldiers in red uniforms line the roofs of the wagons and a large crowd of people have gathered behind them. You can hear their excited chatter echoing along the tunnel. As you get closer, there is a sudden silence as all eyes turn to stare at you. A detachment of ten soldiers, led by a knight whose shield bears the royal arms of Durenor, advances towards you.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2017 03:29
|
|
- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
-
Your life and your quest end here.
|
Magic Spears and the Walking Dead
OK, so we've now managed to successfully avoid the third and most egregious dead-man-walking scenario and it's time to talk about the three different versions of this book and the various ways they suck. But to begin with we have to go back to that decision we made when we first entered Durenor, to go left or to go right. In this playthrough of this version of the book it didn't matter. Had we gone right we'd have come to a different version of the watchtower that we ended up avoiding. Going left is the only way to encounter the dying Helghast and Szalls. By attacking the Szalls we could have retrieved the Magic Spear. Had we had the Magic Spear then it would have been possible to fight the Helghast on the road to Tarnalin with Rhygar and his men. There's really no advantage to doing so, but it is possible, although only if you roll the right number in that section. Having Sixth Sense also plays into it and it's kind of overly complex and fairly meaningless.
Then we get to Tarnalin and this is where the different versions come into play. The original version of the book would have gone exactly the same for us because we didn't have the Magic Spear. But if we had had the spear we'd have been given the option to hand it to Rhygar. In the version we're playing that would result in us meeting the Noodnics. In the original version it would have resulted in us meeting a Helghast and dying. In the second (and worst) version you only meet the Noodnics if you have the Spear. If you never got it or if you gave it to Rhygar then you'll encounter a Helghast and die.
So in the original version it doesn't matter whether you get the Spear or not, only whether you give it to Rhygar. In the second version, taking the right path back before Port Bax will inevitably result in your death. In the third (Project Aon) version you can actually go right or give the Spear to Rhygar and survive. But, final complication, meeting the Noodnics only allows you to avoid the Helghast if you have Animal Kinship. So if you don't have Animal Kinship and you don't pick up the Spear then you'll die. If you do pick up (and keep) the Spear then you'll still meet the Helghast, but you'll be able to fight it and live.
And that's just one of the reasons I think this is the worst book in the entire series.
And in case you missed it, see the previous post for the latest update and decision.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2017 03:30
|
|
- Leraika
- Jun 14, 2015
-
Luckily, I *did* save your old avatar. Fucked around and found out indeed.
|
It's great that that they really start easing off of the CYOA-style deaths following this book, because yeah, poo poo ain't fun.
Surrender
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2017 04:09
|
|
- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
-
I get my fun here. Enjoy!
|
Ugh, I remember not picking up Animal Kinship or the Spear my first time through this book. After I passed the money gates and finally got the Red Pass, then left Rhygar and associates to perish, I was slain in unavoidable combat where I could not damage my adversary. Boy, was I pissed!
I'm glad these books were good enough to keep me reading despite that. Later I would be pissed again to varying levels. Spoilers prevent me from talking about the moments in question much right now. I have to say I look forward to reliving them again.
Current decision- 'Guys, I have traveled several hundred miles. Snake-tattooed jerks tried to kill me. My boat was sabotaged, then it sank. I had to hitch a ride on the roof of a carriage. I was extorted by taxi services twice. A snake-tattooed rear end in a top hat tried to kill me- again. I had to flee a misunderstanding village and its city guard. I had to wade through layers of obstructive bureaucracy. My comrades have been slaughtered by Helghasts. I have no weapons, and all my Gold has been stolen by rat-people.
I surrender. I hope you will accept my explanation for why I am too tired to fight.'
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2017 04:28
|
|
- Avalerion
- Oct 19, 2012
-
|
We have mindblast, attack.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2017 07:27
|
|
- Comstar
- Apr 20, 2007
-
Are you happy now?
|
Ugh, I remember not picking up Animal Kinship or the Spear my first time through this book. After I passed the money gates and finally got the Red Pass, then left Rhygar and associates to perish, I was slain in unavoidable combat where I could not damage my adversary. Boy, was I pissed!
I'm glad these books were good enough to keep me reading despite that. Later I would be pissed again to varying levels. Spoilers prevent me from talking about the moments in question much right now. I have to say I look forward to reliving them again.
Current decision- 'Guys, I have traveled several hundred miles. Snake-tattooed jerks tried to kill me. My boat was sabotaged, then it sank. I had to hitch a ride on the roof of a carriage. I was extorted by taxi services twice. A snake-tattooed rear end in a top hat tried to kill me- again. I had to flee a misunderstanding village and its city guard. I had to wade through layers of obstructive bureaucracy. My comrades have been slaughtered by Helghasts. I have no weapons, and all my Gold has been stolen by rat-people.
I surrender. I hope you will accept my explanation for why I am too tired to fight.'
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2017 12:44
|
|
- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
-
Your life and your quest end here.
|
It's great that that they really start easing off of the CYOA-style deaths following this book, because yeah, poo poo ain't fun.
Surrender
Fire on the Water posted:Cautiously, the soldiers surround you and take your Backpack. The knight steps forward and raises the visor of his helm.
‘Who are you? What is your purpose in Tarnalin?’ he demands in a gruff voice.
You tell him that you are a Kai Lord from Sommerlund on an urgent mission to King Alin. He seems unconvinced by your words until you show him the Seal of Hammerdal. Then, without hesitation, he orders his men to return your belongings and ushers you through the wall of wagons. Beyond, you can see a horse-drawn carriage waiting in the centre of the crowded tunnel.
‘Back to Hammerdal without delay,’ he orders the driver, and you are thrown back in your seat as the coach moves off at breakneck speed.
You soon learn that the knight is Lord Axim of Ryme, commander of King Alin’s personal bodyguard. He was on his way to Port Bax when the Helghast entered Tarnalin. He and ten soldiers were the only ones to survive a deadly encounter with these evil creatures.
During your ride through the Tarnalin, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. The journey to the capital will take five hours and you are advised by Lord Axim to get some rest. As you slowly drift off to sleep, you begin a dream about the Sommerswerd. You picture a triumphant return to Holmgard and the defeat of the Darklord siege. Perhaps it will be a good omen of events to come?
Last time we were in a coach and instructed to eat I decided that we couldn't use Hunting because there was no opportunity to do so, but the game rules actually don't make that distinction. Here, as there, we technically don't need to eat for some reason. But we're about to have more than enough time to use Healing to recover those three lost Endurance so it really doesn't matter. If you'd like us to eat one of our Meals for the hell of it, let me know.
Fire on the Water posted:It is early morning on the fifteenth day of your quest when you open your eyes to the breathtaking spectacle of Hammerdal, the mountain city. The capital of Durenor, unlike other cities in the Lastlands, does not need man-made fortifications. The encircling peaks of the Hammerdal Range offer a far more secure protection to the people within.
The carriage speeds through the lush farmlands surrounding the city with its many towers and wide streets. On a hill in the very centre of Hammerdal stands the King’s Tower, a magnificent structure of glass and stone. As the carriage halts at the tower gates, you suddenly realize for the first time that as a wielder of the Sommerswerd, your destiny is to become part of the oldest legend of the Lastlands.
King Alin IV sits alone in his domed tower, viewing his mountain domain through one of the many portals of tinted glass. You and Lord Axim are formally announced as you enter the chamber, and you respectfully bow to his Majesty. Then, Lord Axim removes the Seal of Hammerdal from your finger and walks over to the King’s side. For nearly an hour they talk, their sombre faces reflecting the seriousness of the situation. There is a short pause of silent meditation, and King Alin suddenly rises from his throne and addresses you for the first time.
‘Alas, the Darklords have woken once more, and once more does Sommerlund come in search of our aid. I had prayed that my reign would be remembered as a time of peace and fulfilment, but in my heart I knew it was to be otherwise.’
The King removes a golden key from the pocket of his white robe and inserts it in a marble dais standing in the centre of the chamber. A gentle humming fills the room, as the stone cover slides back to reveal the hilt of a golden sword.
‘Take the sword, Lone Wolf. It is foretold that only a true son of Sommerlund can release the powers that lie within its blade.’
As you grasp the glowing hilt, a tingling sensation runs up your arm and radiates throughout your body.
The power coursing through your body so overwhelms your senses that you become oblivious to your surroundings. You instinctively raise the blade above your head where a shaft of sunlight suddenly catches upon its very tip and floods the chamber with a blinding white glow. At that moment the true power of the Sommerswerd is revealed to you.
This weapon was forged long before the Sommlending, the Durenese, or the Darklords dwelt in the Lastlands. Its makers were of a race that men would now call gods. To release the power that it contains, only a Kai Lord may wield it. Should it be used in combat by anyone who is not a Kai Lord, its power will fade and be lost forever.
When used in combat, the Sommerswerd will add 8 points to your COMBAT SKILL. It has the ability to absorb any magic that is used against its bearer, and it doubles the total of all ENDURANCE points lost by undead enemies (e.g. Helghast) in combat. It is the only weapon in all of Magnamund that can kill a Darklord, and for this reason the Darklords are bent on thwarting your quest.
You now realize you hold the only power in Magnamund that can save your people. Slowly the light starts to fade and you become aware of Lord Axim’s hand upon your shoulder.
‘Come, Lone Wolf, there is much to prepare for your return to Sommerlund.’
You sheathe the Sommerswerd in its jewelled scabbard and follow Lord Axim as he leaves the King’s chamber.
Make the necessary adjustments to your COMBAT SKILL total now that you possess the Sommerswerd.
I know it's awesome and iconic and all that, but holy poo poo, the Sommerswerd is just the worst idea Dever ever had. To be this amazing super-weapon it's built up to be it has to be impressive, and if they took it off you again you'd be disappointed, but it just breaks the game so badly that in future books we'll actually see massive over-corrections where some sections are actually easier without it than with.
In book one you could have a Combat Skill of anywhere from 6 (rolled a 0 to start, unarmed, no Mindblast or Weaponskill) to 23 (rolled a 9, picked Mindblast and Weaponskill and got the right weapon). That minimum of 6 still applies to every book going forward, but if you count the Sommerswerd, Mindblast, Weaponskill (with short sword, sword or broadsword because the Sommerswerd counts as all three for some reason) and a Shield, and if you rolled a 9 to start with, you can have up to 33 Combat Skill. And that maximum is just going to keep getting higher. There's no way you can properly balance the combat encounters for that big a range. Originally he could assume that most players would usually have a Combat Skill of between about 14 and 20. Now he's got to account for those players as well as those whose Combat Skill is more likely to be up around 30 (or higher).
Side note: The Sommerswerd is a "weapon-like Special Item". That's a phrase that occurs repeatedly and is never really defined. Does it take up a weapon slot? It seems like it should, but that's not at all clear from the text of the book. It says "Note the powers of the sword under the Special Items section of your Action Chart" but does that mean that the Sommerswerd itself should be listed there and not as a weapon? That can get pretty ridiculous with the number of "weapon-like Special items" that show up throughout the series, making a mockery of the two weapon limit. So I'm going to list it as a weapon.
Fire on the Water posted:The muster of the army and the preparation of the Durenese fleet takes fourteen days to complete, during which time you remain as a guest of the king in Hammerdal. As each day passes, you despair for your besieged countrymen of Holmgard and pray that they have enough strength to resist the Darklords until you return.
Every day of your reluctant exile you devote long periods to exercise and meditation. You are also visited by a Durenese herbwarden called Madin Rendalim, who is famous throughout the Lastlands for his knowledge and skill in the healing arts. He restores all the ENDURANCE points you may have lost so far on your adventure, and he gives you a potent Laumspur potion that will restore 5 ENDURANCE points if swallowed after combat. (Mark this under Backpack Items on your Action Chart.)
He is also the bearer of some sad news. The body of Lord-lieutenant Rhygar was found in the forest near to the entrance to Tarnalin. He was killed by Helghast.
You have noticed during your rigorous training exercises with the Sommerswerd that your Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense has become more sensitive than ever before: you knew exactly what Madin Rendalim’s sad news was long before he actually told you. You may find that your improved Sixth Sense will be an important advantage upon your return to Holmgard.
Rhygar dies regardless of whether you gave him the Magic Spear or not.
Fire on the Water posted:It is early in the morning of the thirty-third day of your quest, when you ride into Port Bax with Lord Axim at your side.
The preparations for war have been completed. The galleons of the Durenese war fleet lie at anchor in the harbour, impatiently awaiting the order to set sail for Sommerlund. On board each ship are many brave soldiers from the mountain kingdom, a tough army of skilled warriors, eager to face the Darklords in battle. Each man has sworn to avenge their besieged allies, or die in the attempt.
You are to sail back to Holmgard aboard the flagship Durenor, a warship whose great curving prow and tall masts emphasize its sheer power and strength. You and Lord Axim are taken aboard and welcomed by Admiral Calfen, commander of the fleet, and then the fleet prepares to set sail.
In less than an hour, the harbour lies far behind you. The domes of Port Bax are now merely dots on the horizon.
We're asked to roll a die here but it makes almost no difference at all.
Fire on the Water posted:For three days and nights, the fleet of Durenor spread canvas and sail swiftly towards the Holmgulf. But although the voyage is fast, each ship in the fleet is cursed by misfortune. Sails tear, ropes mysteriously untie themselves and timbers warp and leak. The men become short-tempered in the cramped quarters, and fighting—often to the death—is commonplace. By the third night of the voyage, Lord Axim is close to despair.
‘Never have I suffered such a wretched journey. No enemy has been sighted nor battle fought, yet half my men are either ill or wounded, and we have lost two of our finest ships. We have been jinxed by an evil moon. How I pray that it would wane, for even if we were to arrive in Holmgard this very night I fear we are too weak to break the siege.’
As he speaks, you can see the dawn of the next day breaking. You think it may bring promise of relief, but the calm waters that now surround the fleet contain a far deadlier threat.
A veil of sea fog has rolled across the still ocean from the broken spine of land known as the Kirlundin Isles. Strange dark shapes hide within this mist. They are growing larger, and slowly the distinct outlines of ships become plain.
‘Prepare for battle!’ The admiral’s cry is repeated along the many decks of the Durenese fleet.
‘All hands on deck!’
As the black ships approach through the fog, a horrific sight befalls you. They are death-hulks, sunken ships crewed by the living corpses of drowned sailors. They have been summoned to the surface by great wizardry, and they are closing for battle. Suddenly the fog vanishes, and you can now see that the death-hulks bar the entrance to the Holmgulf. In the centre of the line is their sinister flagship. Swiftly it sails towards you, a huge ram protruding from its black prow. As it rips its way through the hull of the Durenor, you hear the admiral’s last desperate order.
‘Abandon ship!’
You are now in the thick of the enemy fleet and the Durenor is sinking fast.
Our Combat Skill is now 29 and we've gained a Laumspur potion that, in addition to our Laumspur meal, can be consumed at any time for rapid healing.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2017 15:57
|
|
- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
-
I get my fun here. Enjoy!
|
I agree on the Sommerswerd. It's especially bad given that later books override some of the cool facts like "this is the only power that can kill a Darklord". I think the best solution could have been to give us the Sommerswerd's bonuses whether we completed Lone Wolf Book 2 or not. Either Dever didn't think of that, or he wanted to advertise Book 2 by giving those who finished it questionable power. 
Maybe we'll get to vote to not use it in the upcoming fights where it becomes a disadvantage. I hope so.
Current decision- we've done enough swimming. Be Dramatic and Board the Death Hulk!
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2017 16:26
|
|
- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
-
I get my fun here. Enjoy!
|
Tiggum- GM's preferences noted. Thanks.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2017 16:50
|
|
- Guy Fawkes
- Aug 1, 2014
-
Lvl 62, +5 meadow defense
|
This is not the time for time swimming, It's Boarding Time!.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2017 19:05
|
|
- Kanthulhu
- Apr 8, 2009
-
NO ONE SPOIL GAME OF THRONES FOR ME!
IF SOMEONE TELLS ME THAT OBERYN MARTELL AND THE MOUNTAIN DIE THIS SEASON, I'M GOING TO BE PISSED.
BUT NOT HALF AS PISSED AS I'D BE IF SOMEONE WERE TO SPOIL VARYS KILLING A LANISTER!!!
(Dany shits in a field)
|
Time to put our overpoweredness to use. Board the death hulk.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2017 19:33
|
|
- Bozikek
- Jul 22, 2007
-
|
Done enough swimming in this adventure and we got a spiffy new super sword, let's Board the hulk and crack some skulls.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2017 02:05
|
|
- Tiggum
- Oct 24, 2007
-
Your life and your quest end here.
|
Fire on the Water posted:You land on the rotting timbers and crash straight through to the deck below. You are unharmed by the fall, but the stench of decay that fills your nostrils is overwhelming. You clamber up and unsheathe the Sommerswerd. Four ghastly zombies stagger out of the gloom, their twisted hands extended towards your throat. You must fight them as one enemy.
Zombie Crew: COMBAT SKILL 13 ENDURANCE 16
They are undead creatures, so remember to double all ENDURANCE points that they lose due to the power of the Sommerswerd. They are immune to Mindblast. 
Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 27 ENDURANCE 28
Zombie Crew: COMBAT SKILL 13 ENDURANCE 16
Combat Ratio: 11+
We roll: 8
Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 27 ENDURANCE 28
Zombie Crew: COMBAT SKILL 13 ENDURANCE 0
At a ratio of 11+, a roll of 8, 9 or 10 is an instakill regardless of the enemy's remaining Endurance, but in this particular case we'd have ended the fight in one hit even with a roll of 1.
Fire on the Water posted:The stench of the ship is making you choke. You lose 1 ENDURANCE point. You must get out of this vile hold or you will suffocate.
Your Sixth Sense warns you that someone or something is approaching the door of the hold from the other side. If you climb out through the shattered deck, you will leave your legs vulnerable to attack from below and there is no other way out. You sense that it is an evil creature of some considerable power. Raise the Sommerswerd and prepare for combat.
Healing: +1 EP (28/28).
The door bursts open and in rushes a Helghast, its black sword raised. You strike the creature as it enters the hold and open a terrible gash in its chest. It lets out a hideous cry but although badly wounded, it leaps forward to attack you. You must fight this creature to the death.
Wounded Helghast: COMBAT SKILL 22 ENDURANCE 20
It is an undead creature. Double all ENDURANCE points that it loses, due to the power of the Sommerswerd. It is immune to Mindblast. If you kill the creature, you may leave via the open hold door.
Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 27 ENDURANCE 28
Wounded Helghast: COMBAT SKILL 22 ENDURANCE 20
Combat Ratio: 5
We roll: 10
Lone Wolf: COMBAT SKILL 27 ENDURANCE 28
Wounded Helghast: COMBAT SKILL 22 ENDURANCE 0
That's 36 damage in one hit.
Fire on the Water posted:You make your way up a flight of stairs and onto the crowded deck. Fierce battle rages all around you as the Durenese fleet is engulfed by the rush of ghostly death-hulks. Suddenly a flash of searing flame shoots from a tower at the rear of the death-hulk you are on, and explodes into the side of a Durenese warship less than fifty yards away. You watch with horror as soldiers leap from the deck, their clothes and hair in flames.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2017 03:02
|
|
- achtungnight
- Oct 5, 2014
-
I get my fun here. Enjoy!
|
We are a hero with a seriously OP weapon. We laugh at danger! Climb the tower, confront our foe!
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2017 03:15
|
|
- Bozikek
- Jul 22, 2007
-
|
This Kai sword has no breaks! Climb the tower! No mercy!
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2017 03:38
|
|
- Kangra
- May 7, 2012
-
|
To the tower!
The 'official' (which is to say, extratextual and thus not binding on this LP) word on the Sommerswerd is that it is in indeed not a weapon, just a Special Item that boosts combat ability. I think that's silly, and good on you for making it more sane.
The source in this case is the Reader's Handbook, which I'm pretty sure cites one of the newsletters that clarified it.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2017 06:51
|
|
- Adbot
-
ADBOT LOVES YOU
|
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2024 11:29
|
|
- Avalerion
- Oct 19, 2012
-
|
Climb tower.
In the bad rpg they made, lone wolf just carries it strapped to his back and fights with his regular weapons so that seems consistent.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2017 06:57
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2017 22:06
