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https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-12 Link to the above recap for those who prefer Google Docs.
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Jul 26, 2018 18:10
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My notable gaming experience: Once, in a 13th Age session, the party argued for ten minutes on how to infiltrate a warehouse that we thought was filled with cultists. Ultimately, I got fed up and had my paladin nonchalantly walk up and knock on the door. The door was unlocked and the warehouse was empty.
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Aug 1, 2018 10:59
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thetoughestbean posted:My notable gaming experience: At that point, if I were GM'ing, I'd have just... given them some cultists. Or something to make those 10 minutes of real-life debate actually narratively worth their time.
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Aug 1, 2018 11:27
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Drone posted:At that point, if I were GM'ing, I'd have just... given them some cultists. Or something to make those 10 minutes of real-life debate actually narratively worth their time. Like a janitor looking up as this well-armed party comes storming in. "I just mopped over there!"
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Aug 1, 2018 13:16
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Or signs the cultists were there, noticed the arguing adventurer's outside, and left sharpish. Possibly after sacrificing an innocent, then have the ghost of the sacrifice attack and call them out on wasting time as it blames them for it's death. Whichever weapon earns the killing blow may become possessed and cursed by the spirit which guilt trips them into doing random poo poo, like helping out it's family, or settling a debt. Bonus points if they end up with a sentient crossbow bolt who nags them into paying off it's bookie and renting a more luxurious room in an inn because their current accommodations were not up to standard.
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Aug 1, 2018 14:55
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Drone posted:At that point, if I were GM'ing, I'd have just... given them some cultists. Or something to make those 10 minutes of real-life debate actually narratively worth their time. well the GM for that game also happened to hate combat in d20 systems despite combat being kinda one of the core points of d20 systems
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Aug 1, 2018 17:22
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thetoughestbean posted:well the GM for that game also happened to hate combat in d20 systems despite combat being kinda one of the core points of d20 systems Which is weird since 13A does a lot of stuff to make combat be interesting and progress a lot faster.
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Aug 1, 2018 18:52
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13A also tends to get picked up by DMs that think that it plays just like DnD the Icon Dice and Backgrounds. Which leads to people eschewing chunks of the system because they assume it has all the bad DnDisms. Nearly everyone expects that game to work on 5 foot increments and 8 hour rests, for instance.
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Aug 3, 2018 05:51
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Razorwired posted:13A also tends to get picked up by DMs that think that it plays just like DnD the Icon Dice and Backgrounds. Which leads to people eschewing chunks of the system because they assume it has all the bad DnDisms. Nearly everyone expects that game to work on 5 foot increments and 8 hour rests, for instance. Wait... it doesn't? poo poo I've been playing it all wrong 
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Aug 3, 2018 08:31
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Hey Ignite, I'm stealing your setting idea for this month's run of Dungeon World at my table. Thanks for a wonderfully weird and fun setting idea, and hopefully I'll come back with tales of how the rival Gazpacho Catering Company is coming along! I'm already planning to open with our team running from a deadly trap that's been triggered due to someone disturbing the sacred crock of the Temple of FonDOOM.
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Aug 3, 2018 14:04
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Hell yeah! We haven't played WoRCc in a month or so, so i'm happy to hear someone else is gonna get some mileage out of it. Feel free to PM me if you wanna get any of my notes or talk over ideas
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Aug 3, 2018 14:26
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Reposting Pollyanna posted:On tonight’s episode of Microscope we detailed the history of how two sentient races became one, how climate change caused the plot of Elysium, and how star watching, smuggling, and the lack of a common language resulted in a dark
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Aug 8, 2018 01:42
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So I think we semi-unintentionally made a legacy weapon. Previously our GM introduced a deck of many things into the game. Before you call for a dick punching party at his place, it had the most hilarious possible result. The GMPC pulled one card from it, and got the void. We decided that this deck has to go, and through a chain of events, we petitioned a great wyrm red dragon to breath onto it, particularly by convincing her under the argument of "look what happened to one of your subjects" (the GMPC was a kobold once in her employ) as well as heaping praise on her might and power, vain dragon as reds tend to be. I mean hey, a DoMT is an artifact, and 'afflicted by the fire breath of a great wyrm dragon' seems appropriately epic for artifact destruction, right? As she was performing the fire breath onto the deck, our wizard quickly cast celerity, magecraft and tossed some adamantine ingots into it and used some other spell to shape them into daggers, which became infused with the latent magic of the roasting DoMT and the fire breath. They're masterwork daggers for right now (one of which in the possession of the dragon as a gift/tribute) and one of them in our possession and just begging for the right moment to awaken. He did all this simply because he wanted to do something cool (and destroy the deck). As for WHY we're doing all this, we need the red dragon's help getting to the kobold, who is trapped on the Abyss, and in exchange, promised some service to the red dragon as far as fighting off demons from said Abyss, because they're making their way to the material plane from an opened portal. While this red dragon isn't nice or good, she considers herself a queen over her territory, and these demons wrecking the place simply will not do. This dagger thing is a minor incidental thing.
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Aug 8, 2018 06:14
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So you made a Dirk of Many Stings?
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Aug 9, 2018 00:09
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Preechr posted:So you made a Dirk of Many Stings?  Also: 
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Aug 9, 2018 01:41
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Preechr posted:So you made a Dirk of Many Stings? There's a Dirk Gently Holisticism joke in there.
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Aug 9, 2018 04:02
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If it's weighted for throwing it's a dirk of many flings.
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Aug 9, 2018 09:21
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With Bard buffs it could be a Dirk of Many Sings.
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Aug 10, 2018 01:08
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Previously on Tanicus – Magic beans, flying islands, a djinn, and another adversary makes a clean getaway. X X X X X quote:Soft leather boots pad quietly up to the entry as the purple-skinned tiefling arrives. The creature at the door is watching her approach, her quiet steps like thunder to its senses. Its eyes burn red as they lock with hers, the long spines on its leathery, green hide rising defensively at her approach. X X X X X The good news was that while the party was making its way through the broken tower, the flying island temporarily known as Typhomine’s Rock had been placed back in its proper location, give or take a few feet, thanks to the efforts of the djinn known as Easiel al-Zabei. The just-as-good news was that the djinn also placed the party back on solid ground, give or take a few miles. Riding north for an hour places the party back on the Queen’s Road and a half day’s ride brings the party to the village of Willowwood. The small outer suburb of the Barony of Stonebridge is the final destination for the party’s eastward journey as they aim to collect the bounty on a horrifying beast that had been troubling the area for the past few weeks, devouring domesticated livestock and wild game alike. The beast’s rampage was of particular interest to Typhomine as well, as the creature was rumored to have attacked a caravan of magical goods destined for Abeforth’s Apothecary in Fallcrest, swallowing one of the crates whole in the process. A few miles past the southern edge of Willowood, stopping only to note the location of a patch of nocturnal-blooming frostberries that the party had been tasked to pick up for an alchemist back in Stonebridge, the party came to a halt in a wide clearing.  Krowe hopped off his horse and proceeded to place his shield on the ground. Using a rock hammer from his adventurer’s pack, the fighter tapped against the back of the shield in a rhythmic manner. After a few minutes, Kynwal felt a faint rumbling in the ground, a rumbling that rapidly grew with intensity as the source rushed towards Krowe. He barely had time to get his shield up and brace himself before an armored creature burst from the ground with a shower of dirt and rock. It sprang into the air and slammed down upon him, knocking Krowe off his feet and putting him at the creature’s mercy.     A bulette, aka a landshark. The creature all but decimated Krowe from its leaping attack. As Krowe struggled to get back to his feet and counterattack, he heard a faint chiming sound, almost like a mallet being dragged across a xylophone, at which point the bulette vanished. It appeared 15 feet away from Krowe, charged the fighter a second time, and nearly killed him with an attack that did more than half Krowe’s hit points in damage. This would be a good time to mention that the party hit level five after the encounter in the broken tower, and the DM informed us that he was now introducing the massive damage rules from the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Luckily Krowe made his Constitution save as the bulette vanished once again. Aya joined Krowe, the two warriors standing back to back, as Hale readied to fire the moment the landshark reappeared and Typhomine charged forward on his horse to heal Krowe.  At this point the bulette reappeared and dropped on the three party members, including the horse. Biff cried out in frustration as Typhomine’s horse dropped to the ground, dying from the bulette’s attack. quote:Biff – ”I cast Mass Healing Word on everyone in this area.” The players, Biff’s especially, have taken it as a point of pride that for over six months we’ve not only managed to keep our mounts alive, but have actually managed to keep the exact same mounts that we were riding during the very first encounter. The players actually sighed with a bit of relief as Biff manages to stabilize the horse and keep it alive. Aya and Krowe managed to carve up the bulette, however it was Hale who got the killing blow as her bullet found a space between the armor plating on the back of its head. In an attempt to make sure the drat thing was dead Krowe drove his sword into its side, leaving it there for a moment to ensure it wasn’t bluffing. Which was when the bulette disappeared again, taking Krowe’s magical sword, Angrimar, with it. After a moment’s panic, the bulette appeared again, causing Krowe to reach out the firmly grab the sword’s hilt. quote:Krowe – ”I want to make sure this drat thing is dead, especially since it’s still phasing in and out. Considering my experience with pulling out, could I make a roll using my proficiency modifier to count to five and remove my sword before it blinks away?” Krowe managed to succeed a few times, thrusting his sword in and removing it at the very last second. Eventually the bulette stopped disappearing, its corpse unmoving on the ground and Krowe’s sword still in his hand. quote:Krowe – ”Whew. Guess I’m still the Pullout King.” At Typhomine’s request Krowe managed to carefully dissect the bulette, revealing the contents of its six stomachs. One of the stomachs contained the remains of the magical shipment – the source of the bulette’s teleportation powers.  Sitting in the bulette’s stomach for a few weeks, the amulet eventually became attuned to the creature and eventually it figured out how to use its powers to go on a massive eating binge. It turned out that a dead bulette has incredible alchemical and artificer potential. Typhomine would skin the creature to obtain its leg muscles, used for Boots of Springing and Striding, as well as remove its armored shell with an eye on making plate armor for Krowe. The party heads back to Willowwood to begin the tanning process and spend the night before heading back to Stonebridge the next morning.  During the middle of the night, Krowe sensed someone standing over him. He manages to awaken just in time to see a form rearing back, glaive in hand, whispering one word. ”Justice.”  Krowe avoids the attack, rolling back in his bed and lashing out with his foot to kick his attacker square in the crotch and drive a knee into his face. The noise is enough to wake Typhomine, and by the light of the moon streaming through the window he sees Krowe’s attacker…  …a bearded devil. Holding off the bearded devil as best he could, Krowe yelled for Typhomine to grab his sword from its scabbard on the wall. Instead, Typhomine chose to rip open his backpack and remove a jug. He stepped up behind the devil and slammed the jug down on its head. ”Glue!” The word activated the freshly made Alchemy Jug, filling the jug with glue and blinding the bearded devil. Sword finally in hand, Krowe easily dispatched the infernal creature. It erupted into a fountain of flame, disappearing into the floor with one whispered word – ”Murderer.” It turned out that only Krowe was attacked as the other party members slept through the sounds of combat and were less disturbed at the report of a bearded devil than they were at the site of a buck naked Krowe pounding on their door. Returning to their room, both Krowe and Typhomine could sense the brimstone in the air, but the ashen patch on the floor wasn’t the only source of the smell. They both traced the scent of sulfur to Krowe’s backpack. At the bottom of the pack lay a crumpled and tattered party invitation, a trinket rolled during character creation using a table from The Player’s Handbook. It was an invite to a wedding rehearsal from one of Krowe’s ex-girlfriends that Krowe didn’t attend…and where a friend of the groom’s was horribly murdered. Krowe had tried over the years to throw out the invitation. However it somehow always managed to find its way back into his possession… A day-and-a-half’s journey brought the party back to Stonebridge. Three bounties were turned into the Verdant Guild, obtaining payment for dealing with the bulette, for bringing a halt to the spate of graver robberies, and stopping the raids on trade caravans by (githyanki) bandits. Every piece of gold went towards the loan taken out by Kynwal for the illicit auction a few sessions previous. The ultimate goal for the party was to eventually take on the minotaur maze lord roaming north of Stonebridge, but for now the next journey would be to the south in an effort to collect the wildberries and ghost iron for the alchemist as well as killing any hobgoblins from the Broken Skull Tribe and turning in their heads for a bounty. However there was one potential job offer to the south that piqued the interest of Kynwal and Typhomine…  The Cabal was strictly against any and all forms of Wild Magic and undertook great pains to eradicate its presence on Tanicus, going so far as to build a large wall around the northern border of the lands known as Wilder to prevent even the tiniest outbreak of the uncontrollable magic. Before the Third Incursion of Kaos, the self-proclaimed Governor of Wilder sealed a rift to the Abyss by building his wizard’s tower atop it. When the renegade archangel know as Az attempted to slay the Governor, he responded by channeling the large amount of magical energy the tower had stored up, resulting in the destruction of the tower, the severing of Az’s right hand, the disappearance of the Governor, and the return of Wild Magic to Wilder. Since the end of the war the Cabal, with the assistance of several beings from the Feywild, has attempted to contain and control the spread of Wild Magic, with varying degrees of success. Currently Wilder is dotted with a mix of areas of wild magic and magical dead zones. Kynwal and Typhomine argued on the way to the estate of Lord Kameron Featherstone. Kynwal sees wild magic as anathema to the Weave while Typhomine sees Wild Magic as part of the Weave that needs further study, not eradication. Upon arrival to the transmuter’s tower the party was taken aback for a moment as the outside of the estate swarmed with ducks. A dozen waterfowl walked and swam freely across the grounds. Several party members were unnerved while Typhomine had to be dragged inside by Hale before he attempted to magically identity the ducks. After sipping from cups that were magically filled with whatever the party member’s favorite drink was, a female in yellow-tinged robes stepped into the room to greet us… quote:Typhomine – ”Oh! THAT’S why you’re so interested in Wild Magic!” After smoothing the conversation over with discussion of the cups and Typhomine’s newly crafted Alchemy Jar, Lord Kameron outlines her interest in Wild Magic. The Cabal has the assistance of several creatures from the Feywild in their efforts to wipe out the new explosion of Wild Magic. However, the creatures in question belonged to the Unseelie Court, whose motives are always questionable. Wild Magic was largely wiped out, but a few pockets still remain as well as several magical dead zones where no arcane actions are possible. At the moment the Cabal is focused on other matters but Kameron still sees Wild Magic as a major threat. quote:Kameron - ”The Transmuters have a bit of a reputation among the Cabal. If I can prove that Wild Magic is still out there in Wilder, it will go a long way to show that the Transmuters can be focused and serious minded, and not chaotic...or insane. I need hard proof that Wild Magic is still out there, not just rumors and sightings without verification. Bring me back this evidence and I will reward you.” The party rides southeast out of Stonebridge the next morning. While the party’s ultimate goal lay in the Shifting Steppes and the borders of Wilder, it was decided that for once the party wasn’t going to just make things up as they went along. It was important to get the lay of the land and obtain as much intelligence about the hobgoblins as possible. Southeast of Stonebridge lay the village of Stillwind, home to the southernmost tribe of barbarian plainsfolk who have waged war against the hobgoblins for centuries. The current chief is Calder, Son of Holt, Wyvernspur. His father was slain by a hobgoblin warchief only a few months prior. Since then, Calder has led a merciless and bloody campaign against the goblinoids of the Shifting Steppes. He and his people would be a great source of information regarding what to expect when going up against the warriors of the Broken Skull Tribe. Oh, and at the mention of his name Aya had a tendency to blush. The party slays two wild boars along the way to bring as gifts to the plainsfolk. About half a day’s ride out, the party was intercepted by a group of outriders who offer to lead the party directly to the village. After taking up a loose defensive formation around Aya, the group rides to Stillwind. Along the way Hale chats with one of the outriders, a female dwarf with a war goat for her mount. Whereas the village of Mountain Run consisted primarily of temporary structures that could be broken down at a moment’s notice, Stillwind was surrounded by walls, lined with outward facing spikes. Several of the spikes were mounted with the heads of slain hobgoblins as a warning to their fellow goblinoids. The party was brought into the longhall, joined a few minutes later by a practical mountain of a man.   (Fan Art) After hanging a massive two-handed sword above the door, Calder greets Aya as ”ianca,” the barbarian word for “princess,” and welcomes the party to Stillwind. A feast is set up for the evening, with the party’s wild boars as a gift, to be followed by games. Krowe brings up that the party is looking not only to claim the bounty on hobgoblin heads but were also planning to look into the Wild Magic surges along the southern border. Calder comments on the danger, only for Krowe to respond by gesturing to Kynwal and Typhomine. ”We are well are of the potential risk. Fortunately we have two skilled arcane spell casters with us.” At the mention of arcane spell casters, Calder’s features darken for a moment. Biff quickly changes to the topic of conversation back to the bounty. While the rest of the party converses with Calder about the hobgoblins of the Broken Skull Tribe, Typhomine is staring at the sword sitting above the door. quote:Typhomine – ”Chieftain, I must ask. Your sword…is it magical?” At the feast, much food and mead was had by all. Once the meal was completed, Calder clapped his hands and summoned Krowe forward. The fighter felt a little out of place as the rituals and trappings of the Nectar ceremony were geared towards the tribe’s children becoming adults, to the point where the old medicine woman who brought forth the wyvern’s tail gave the chieftain a look of “you have to be kidding me.” Still, Krowe managed to down the distilled venom without difficulty (via two Constitution checks), and Calder raised him into the air by one arm to declare him an adult in the eyes of the Wyvernspur tribe. ”Rune will be very impressed,” Aya declared. ”Perhaps now she will let you be on top!” Biff disappears with two barbarian women, a smile on his face, as the rest of the party watches the children and young adults of the tribe attempt to knock Calder off his feet…drat near impossible considering Calder follows the Path of the Juggernaut. It’s not until the children and young adults make a plan to work together that Calder relents and allows them to bring him to the ground. quote:Krowe – ”Are you going to participate in any games, Aya?” As the party begins to break up, the remaining members of the party end up drinking with Calder. It’s incredibly obvious that Aya has eyes for him, and obvious that Calder has feelings for her in return. However, Calder mentions that as a barbarian chieftain, he also has certain expectations that he must live up to. quote:Calder – ”There are political considerations to be taken into account. If I were to marry a chieftain’s daughter from one tribe, the other tribe may see it as favoritism. It is a very fine line I walk.” One further topic of interest is touched upon as well - the fact that Krowe, Kynwal, and Typhomine all have a set of twins for siblings. As twins are considered an ill omen among the plainsfolk, this gives Aya, one half of a pair of twins, some unease. The session concluded with the party breaking up. Krowe, Kynwal, and Typhomine fell asleep in the long hall, Biff enjoyed a night with the two barbarian women, Hale ended up having her hair braided by the female dwarven outrider (if you know what I mean),and Aya attended a meeting of the tribe’s warriors with Calder before he headed to his bedchambers… …alone, as Aya joined the rest of the party in falling asleep in the long hall. X X X X X Link to Google Docs version - https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-13 CobiWann fucked around with this message at 15:32 on Aug 10, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 03:16
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heck yea adventures. Also hella rude standing up the wedding rehersal. https://twitter.com/ChuckTingle/status/1027694476301496322
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Aug 10, 2018 11:35
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Using Ignite's World of Ruin Catering Company as a base, this week saw the initial run of the Gazpacho Catering Company, located in the new WOD (World of Delicious) and run on the Dungeon World System. It was only one other player due to summer turnout, but he played two characters, and we traded off who did the voices for which one, which made it a blast.  - Klepto, our Goblin Collector, who specialized in his botany (Special Collection: Rare Plants) and encouraged his plants to grow thanks to his piccolo, carved out of the wingbone of a flying demon. Also handy as a blowgun! - Spot, the Mongrel-Man druid, dedicated to sniffing out only the best and tastiest plants and animals for their cooking.Our story began with a panoramic flyby of a thick tropical jungle, and slowly zooming through the trees to come upon The Temple of FonDOOM made entirely of cheese-wheels, with rivulets of liquid collecting into small basins set around, where both the locals and the jungle wildlife enjoyed dipping their meals into a creamy coating. Inside, our intrepid chefs were in the middle of a predicament. They had found the location of the most sacred crock of cheese, blessed by the Demon Lord themselves, and they totally, we're serious guys, totally would of gotten it if it wasn't for Spot's habit of licking everything. It in no way had anything to do with Klepto attempting to seed a new plant for a meatball tree, i mean, that's crazy talk right? Instead, the giant meatball that had been hanging precariously overhead had been released and they now found themselves running for their lives while dodging dry sharp noodles shot from holes in the wall ways. Encountering a T junction, Klepto attempts to divine the correct path. Ok, we totally got to go right, that's the ticket to getting us outta here! Look, we've gone right the last 3 times, and I swear this time it's just going to loop us around. We're going left! We're not going left, there's only one RIGHT path here, so we're going RIGHT!Of course, while this is going on, the meatball is coming down right on top of them, and at the last moment, the floor falls out from under them, sending them hurtling towards an uncertain future, while the rolling trap seals them inside. Landing down below, they find themselves in a large stone room, where two stone slabs are laid out, and a squat stone table stands on a raised platform. For the moment, all seems abandoned, but on the stone table is etched a map, showing three passages with various icons: one of a bone encased in a snowflake, one of a mouse in a flame, and one of a crab in a drop of water. Searching and scouting around, they discover the following: - The three open passageways seem to correspond to the map, with one room sealed off due to ice encrusted around the door, the second being some sort of large underground pond, and the third being a strange sort of "farmland near the forest" scene, but with no obvious entry for all the sunlight inside. - There is a 4th doorway currently cut off by a giant stone slab, behind the stone table platform - the two larger slabs seem to be some sort of polished granite, and have hidden compartments with various knives, spoons, bowls, and even a space that heats up! They take a small repast (Root Veggie Platter with a spice sauce) to plan their next step, and here they talk about why they've come here (I try and have a little downtime after the initial intro rush to have characters bond and flesh out). After a serious prank war back in their hometown (the last one accidentally baked their boss into a tart), they both were fired ( I didn't get fired, I quit!) from their last catering crew, and have decided to head for the big times, by showing up in Macadamia with some seriously swag as a way to get into someone's good graces and get their chef licenses. They decide to start with the underground lake, and after some observation (Spot in bat form) figure out that there's something big in the lake, and it's probably the crab from the map. There's also what looks like jellyfish everywhere in the lake, so they decide to grab a few and see if they're useful as bait. Instead, they find out A) These are Jellied Eels, and B) They tend to slowly dissolve any soft tissues, like your face when you try and use your falcon form to swoop down and grab a few. Spot crashes safely onto the beach, but his big plan to snag two of them has turned into a fight to get them off before he loses his arm. Klepto snags a fruit from his collection, and using the juice of the Sour Grape plant, manages to dissolve the slime from one of them long enough to yank it off his friend and hack it up. Spot though decides he's going to lick up a bit of the slime and see if he can figure out a better way, and learns that not only is the slime "Sweet & Spicy", but that the sand on the beach is a natural defense against it, and so starts rolling around and getting sand in all sorts of uncomfortable (but undissolved!) places. All this splashing and noise though attracts some attention, especially with chunks of eel floating in the water, so at this point they see a giant set of crab pincers pop out of the water, snagging pieces of meat before descending back down. Having all the information they need, the team decides to setup a trap. A) They're gonna fish up some more eels for bait, and maybe take one or two as trophies/ingredients B) There's stalactites up above, and a few that they can knock down to pin the beast. C) Judging from the side of the claw (and grabbing a few small crabs nearby to eyeball "yea it'd be about this size if it grew to that") they suspect the entire crab cannot fit into the corridor they came from. So Operation: Snatch & Crab is put into effect, with Spot securing the rope to a loose stalactite, and Klepto deciding to hunt for bait. He rolls poorly, but instead of just not giving it to him, I tell him how he's just catching them left and right, and in fact, he's got not only the bait, but the last one he pulls in is super premium eel! And of course, he's gotta show off what a great fisherman he is, so he turns to show off his catch.... and Spot gets to watch King Crab come out of the water right behind him. He almost gets dropped by Da Claw! but scampers away like a shot, leaving only his after-image to get smacked into the ground. This leaves Spot on the spot, and he tries to get King Crab placed correctly, but instead gets smashed into the ground with Da Claw, leaving quite the impression on the beach. Back at the enterance to the area, Klepto preps his blowgun, and is using a Napple from his collection to try and get the crab to sleep. It's not going to do it fast, but it definitely will make it sluggish. Meanwhile, Spot manages to dodge and scramble out of the way of another Claw Crush, and triggers the trap, which severs the big juicy claw off. They bug out, and our dethroned king decides between being groggy, losing his claw, and just in general having a bad time, to sink into the depths of the pond and nurse his wounds. We ended our session with them regrouping in them central area, and celebrating their acquisition of a Key Ingredient with a little Spiced Seaweed Salad, topped with crab meat & Eel Jelly for zest! And as we closed the scene, we had Klepto use one of his Seen Flower Seeds to peer around the stone slab door and view into the next room. It wasn't greatly lit, but what he found was disturbing: A large, obese pigeon sitting on a stool, gorging itself on various exotic and tantalizing foods, and occasionally a large metallic object would obscure the view... but no obvious sign of who had set this task before them, or who they would need to face once all three ingredients were collected. 
RedMagus fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Aug 10, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 17:00
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Yo you might be better at this than me. chuckling like an idiot @ napples
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Aug 10, 2018 18:51
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quote:showing up in Macadamia with some seriously swag Macadamia's a bit like Las Vegas. If you show up there with money to burn, may as well go nuts.
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Aug 10, 2018 20:17
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I had an amazing time playing D&D tonight. Like, the best I've had in campaigns. This may be leftover material from Lost Mine of Phandelver, but it was fun either way. We ended up recruiting ourselves to help a shy wizard's apprentice impress a handsome violinist. We'd volunteered for potions testing earlier, which led to one of the PCs being turned blue and getting a potion of enlargement for their troubles. They drank the potion, covered themselves in sticks and mud, and... blew a Strength check to kick the front door open. After that, things went pro wrestling. My sorcerer screamed and swooned theatrically as the 'monster' and her accomplice stormed in. The party's grumpy cleric was 'thrown' across the room in a display of hideous strength. Perform checks were passed with flying colours... ...until the 'monster' blew one of hers and a barfly began heckling. "I steal his shoes!" her player declared, and set to work. The barfly rolled a critical hit and kicked her in the face, sending her sprawling. The bookish apprentice stood up, interposed himself between my 'hapless' sorcerer and the villain, and brought a harmless lightning bolt cantrip down on the monster. I'm not sure if everyone applauded, but there was a lot of laughing in and out of character. The musician and the magician were introduced, both having thought the other was out of their league, and went off to have a drink together. Then we spent like a loving hour fighting nilbogs. But still! A bit of boys love, a lot of laughs, and some impromptu community theatre. A good night overall. 
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Aug 13, 2018 03:42
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So a good buddy of mine from college has kids that are of ripe gaming age (14 and 15). They had expressed an interest in role-playing games, but had never had the opportunity to try any. So last year at GenCon, I ran some Apocalypse World for them (because despite the adult themes, the game is fantastic for teaching role-playing). This year, they were eager to repeat the experience, and to mix things up I decided to hit them with one of Vincent Baker's earlier games, In A Wicked Age. For those unfamiliar with IAWA, it's origins are in pulp fantasy. Think R. E. Howard's "Hyborian Age" novellas about Conan and the like. The theme elements for any given session are randomly drawn from an "oracle," which is just a set of 52 snippets of text used to suggest characters and set the mood/scene. The characters and plot are built collaboratively, and while the game includes an element of PvP, everyone is playing their characters like they're stolen so no one really minds. My friend's son chose "God-Kings of War" as the oracle, and we were off. I love running people new to roleplaying through this game, because they don't have any preconceived notions of what they should or shouldn't do in a game. For instance, when the Ace of Spades was drawn ("The very first time that a certain young soldier, impressed against his choice and wanting nothing more than to return to his home, has killed"), my friend's son asked almost jokingly, "Can I play the guy the young warrior killed?" When I said, "Sure, that would be awesome!" the kernel of an idea formed. Ultimately, my friend's daughter ended up playing that particular character, the ghost of a soldier-emissary whose important mission and deep love for her paramour/commanding officer prevented her from passing into the beyond. Her "special strength" (one of the elements of each character in IAWA) was "possession," and she spent the entire session hopping into and out of bodies. It was fantastic. My friend's son played the young warrior prince, sent to the war by his tyrant father to "harden him up" and make him fit for rule, but who wanted nothing to do with fighting. For his special strength, he chose "stupid lucky," a broad power that applied to his "Covertly" and "With Violence" forms. The prince's killing of the emissary was dumb luck (or unluck from the emissary's point of view) and troubled him deeply. That it seemed to be the only thing that made his father proud troubled him more deeply. The session was great and involved palace intrigue, the supernatural (my buddy played the "demon of rage and avarice, secret power behind a great tyrant’s rule"), foul betrayal, and ultimately the patricide of the mad king and the ending of the war. I can't wait until my own kids are old enough to discover the joy of RPGs.
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Aug 13, 2018 19:14
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Previously on Tanicus – ”You’re that crafty land shark, aren’t you” “No ma’am, I’m just a dire badger.” Link to previous recap in Google Docs - https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-13 Link to current recap in Google Docs - https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-14 ***** The party left the barbarian village of Stillwind, heading south/southwest towards the border between Kaeryn and the Troubled Lands, an area once known as Wilder before the explosion and reintroduction of Wild Magic to Tanicus. The party hoped to accomplish four goals during their ride south: 1 – Harvesting wildwood berries, a type of berry that has become infused with Wild Magic. 2 – Obtaining ghost iron gathered from an undead creature. 3 – Hunting hobgoblins and collecting their rank insignia for an outstanding bounty. 4 – Discover a static location with a continuous side-effect from Wild Magic for the Transmuter Lord Kameron Featherstone.  During their ride, the party came across the ruins of a town. The ruins appeared to have been abandoned about the same time that Wild Magic spread across the area. The party decided to check out the ruins, which turned out to already have been occupied.  A group of goblins led by two hobgoblins sprung an ambush, but the party’s attention was drawn to something none of them had ever seen before.   An ogre lumbered forward, with a goblin sitting on its shoulder, a box full of goblins attached to its back, and a catapult jammed onto its shoulders. The party could only watch in disbelief as one of the goblins climbed into the catapult, jammed a metal helmet on its head, and allowed itself to be launched by the Ogre. It flew through the air, screaming with maddening glee, only to become a green smear on the ground as it bounced to a stop just in front of Hale’s horse. quote:Kynwal – ”Great. The goblins have learned geometry. If they ever learn trigonometry and how to account for the rotation of the planet during flight time we’re all screwed.” Fortunately for the party, the catapult, a shoddy contraption of hemp, slat boards, and wagon wheels, broke on the third firing, slamming the goblin down spiked helmet first into the ogre’s head. After a few seconds to allow the pain to process (the goblin’s legs kicking in the air all the while), the ogre screamed before charging the party. At one point during the battle, Aya produced her Pipes of Haunting and frightened several of the goblins. quote:Biff – ”I'm still puzzled that those made it in the game, especially since we don’t have a Bard in the party.” The party eventually killed all the goblins (save for one who, unable to see over the wall, kept blind firing until all its comrades were dead, at which point it turned to run, fell down the steps, and cracked its head), the ogre, and one of the hobgoblins with Krowe managing to knock the second one unconscious, planning to interrogate him and find the location of his tribe. Before the hobgoblin awakens Typhomine casts Friends, and proceeds to ask the hobgoblin where he might be able to find the leader of the Broken Skull Tribe so ”we could pay the proper tribute to such a high and mighty leader.” The hobgoblin, Keth, explained that the overall leader of the tribe, Kuul, is not one to be trifled with. Keth had been part of a smaller force of hobgoblins that had been sent out to scout the local ruins and confirm ”rumors of humans searching for something.” In return for his freedom, Keth offered to lead the party to where his goblin scouts had tracked the humans.    Turns out it wasn’t just humans. Keth led the party deeper into the ruins to a broken temple. Along with cultists in black and red robes were a group of rudderkin (Tanicus’ answer to Skaven). The rudderkin walked patrol as the cult’s priestess stepped away from the altar, cursing under her breath. ”It isn’t here. They must have moved it.” While attempting to creep closer, Aya and Biff saw one of the rudderkin descend a set of steps into a basement, followed by a muffled cry of surprise that was suddenly cut off. On this day the stealth checks were not in the party’s favor. A rudderkin turned and looked directly at Hale (who was being played by Typhomine’s player as Hale’s player was sunning themselves at the beach), who answered by throwing her hand axe in an effort to remain silent…  Cursing, she used her bonus action to pull her handgun and open fire…  quote:Krowe – ”And the worst part, I was the one who bought him that die for Christmas.” Keth took this opportunity to retreat – he had offered to lead the party to the humans but hadn’t said a thing about fighting beside them – as the cultist’s leader surrounded herself with an aura of black energy. Aya and Krowe quickly closed on her, even as she afflicted Krowe with Weakness and the aura of black energy reflected back upon Aya. As she approached the priestess Aya took note of the holy symbol she wore around her neck – a rat skull that had been dipped in molten gold and allowed to drip dry. The rest of the party easily cut through the cultists and rudderkin, until a new player made itself known…    One of the beer kegs was a mimic, who had it in for Biff and nearly killed him. quote:Typhomine – ”The beer bites back! Pinot pierces priest! Cider clobbers cleric!” The priestess, seeing her cultists fall and two angry sword-wielders closing in on her, calls down a globe of darkness and manages to slip away while Krowe and Aya fail miserably on their Dexterity saves and fall flat on their faces. The rest of the party wails away on the keg mimic who refuses to go down and might just kill Biff… …until the last remaining cultist missed with his crossbow. The mimic collapsed in a puddle of purple goo as the party turned to look at the cultist. ”…yay,” he said, complete with a thumbs up. ”Got your back!” The cultist "Todd" (real name Kirk) explains that he was a member of a church belonging to Raask, a former rudderkin queen-mother and current Vhail (evil demigod) of poison and disease. He hailed from the small town of Mountain View, near the mountains to the south, and had joined the cult as it offered protection from the plague in return for honoring Raask by undertaking such tasks as poisoning wells and setting diseased rats into the basements of taverns. quote:Kirk – ”One night a new priestess shows up during one of our ceremonies. Raask had told her that we were needed to assist her in finding something in these ruins. When the priest protested, she struck him down with one blow.” After double checking the altar only to discover it’s a perfectly normal altar, the party lets Kirk run away in return for a promise to perform penance for his misdeeds. With night having fallen and Biff running on fumes in terms of hit points and spells, the party prepared to camp for the night inside Leomund’s Tiny Hut, one of Kynwal’s new third level spells, but only after setting a makeshift barricade atop the basement steps that the rudderkin had disappeared down, with plans to investigate in the morning. The night passed uneventfully save for two moments. On Typhomine’s watch, a metal, snake-like construct slithered from the ground and attempted to paralyze him, only for the dragonborn to resist both attacks and make it back to the safety of the hut as the snake-construct retreated.   The second moment involved the party being woken up by what sounded like a stampeding herd, which Aya explained could have been the passing of what her tribe called “ruin hunters,” one of the many reasons that children of the Plainsfolk are often told to avoid the ruins.  The next morning the party heads down into the basement, with Krowe in the lead.  At first glance the basement appeared to be perfectly normal, weathered with age and filled with leaves and dust. After a moment though the party realized that just one half of the basement floor was covered with debris. Biff tossed a branch onto the other side and over the course of a few minutes the branch slowly moves back towards the party’s side of the basement. Typhomine’s casting of Detect Magic reveals that the clean half of the basement is protected by an Alarm spell – a very old spell cast at such a high level as to give the spell a level of permanency. He also notices that there is a small illusion on the far wall. He announced these finding to the party… …just as Krowe and Aya, being both bored and competitive, stepped across the barrier at the same time. Immediately, the alarm triggered and summoned the protectors of the basement.   A spectral guardian appeared, clad in armor marking him as part of the Cabal. Flanked by two sword wraiths, he immediately advanced on Krowe. The guardian entered the same tile as Krowe, covering the Fighter’s body and dealing a heavy amount of necrotic damage that Krowe managed to resist. The guardian would spend the fight trying to drain both Krowe and Biff, the pair that did the most damage to it, while the rest of the party fought off the sword wraiths. The party managed to defeat the ghostly protectors as well as obtaining a sample of ghost iron – just one sample however, much to Typhomine’s dismay. With the ghosts laid to rest, Kynwal examined the illusion on the far wall, which turned out to be an illusionary brick. Beyond the false image was an alcove containing a small box as well as… quote:Kynwal – ”drat it, I hate riddles.”  The ornate box was hinged on one side, with four numbered dials set into the front panel. Of all the people in the group, it was Krowe, with his proficiency in History, who suggested that the phrase ”when wizards break asunder” might refer to any of the incidents in the past where the various schools of the Cabal argued with one another to the point of separation. To Kynwal, there was only one moment in history that the Cabal referred to as the Sundering; the time when the Necromancers were kicked out and the Illusionists withdrew from the Cabal in protest. Kynwal entered the four-digit year, 2-5-5-4, on the front dials, opened up the box…  …and found an Ioun Stone, which might have been what the priestess had been scouring the ruins for. With the technique to craft Ioun Stones lost on Tanicus for thousands of years, obtaining one for personal use was a huge feather in Kynwal’s cap. A Fly spell was currently stored in the Ioun Stone, which would come in handy very soon… It was too soon after the long rest for the party to take another one to recover from fighting the spectral guardian. Biff suggested that since the party was possibly sitting in an area rich with Wild Magic that they spend the day searching the ruins any signs of farms, gardens, and vineyards since they would have the best conditions to support a colony of wildwood berries. Eventually the party discovered the remnants of an abandoned farm containing an abundance of the wildwood berries…   …as well as a confused woman standing in the middle of the berry patch who warned the party to stay away. ”I don’t know where I am, and I don’t know how I got here.” She identified herself as Lynella Falconhelm, a name Kynwal immediately recognized from the set of rumors handed out by the DM a few sessions previous. She was a Transmuter who had vanished from Fallcrest several weeks ago under unusual circumstances…those circumstances being bursting into flames and heading south before disappearing. As Kynwal explained what had happened to her, the emotional reaction caused a series of small fires to appear up and down her arms. Lynella laid out what she remembered while she closed her eyes and concentrated on putting out the flames. quote:”I had been experimenting with ways to warm the farmlands around Fallcrest in order to prolong this season’s harvest. My idea was to allow elemental fire to gently flow into the ground in order to keep the dirt warm. I tested my theory by opening a small portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire…but something went wrong. The planar boundaries were too thin…the rift was too wide. I remember seeing…fire sprites, two of them…one red, one blue…”  As she mentioned the fire sprites, they popped into existence on either side of her. Typhomine casting of Detect Magic revealed that there were Abjuration and Transmutation effects on her, as well as what appeared to be a pair of magical wings extended from her back. He related this information to Lynella, who looked over her shoulders to see the wings before promptly exploding in a fountain of fire.    The party quickly retreated, as fighting what appeared to be a Fire Elemental in a field full of Wild Magic infused berries would have been incredibly foolish. Along with the fire sprites Lynella slowly floated forward, but after a few moments Lynella managed to extinguish the flames surrounding her. She still hovered in the air as she spoke. quote:”I remember now…it wasn’t a small rift. I actually punched through the Veil itself. As I watched the elemental fire pour across the field, I cast Absorb Elements…and that’s the last thing I remember before finding myself here.” Biff talked to Lynella to keep her calm as Typhomine and Kynwal discussed the options for returning her to normal, as simply dispelling Absorb Elements would remove the only protection she had from the elemental fire. Perhaps trying to use their new acquired Ioun Stone to “store” the spell and possibly draw off the abundant energy in the process? As the pair talked, Typhomine looked up to see that the two fire sprites had left Lynella’s side and were now showing a very keen interest in him from a very short distance away. He tried to talk to them in Common, only for one of them to snap its fingers, making a sound like a flintlock wheel striking. To the rest of the party, Typhomine was suddenly talking in a language that sounded very much like a roaring, sparking fire. quote:Fire Sprites – ”You can draw out the fire. You can hold the stone and draw the fire into it safely. Such an action would kill the other members of your party, but not you.” After removing the Fly spell from the Ioun Stone by casting it on Hamm, once again making pigs fly, Typhomine concentrated on the stone, holding it in his hand as he dispelled the Absorb Elements and channeled/willed its energy and the elemental fire into the magical gem. It felt, to quote, ”like getting a really bad sunburn,” however Typhomine held firm as the flames poured into the stone like a fountain, cutting off at the end like someone suddenly turned off the tap. The Fire Sprites disappeared. While Biff and Hale helped Lynella to their wagon to rest, the rest of the party proceeded to pick the wildwood berries… …and Typhomine, Aya, Krowe, and Hamm all had some. Fortunately, the magical effects were just several strange tastes (grass, dirt, beans, gravel) and Typhomine having to announce everything he was doing as he was doing it, along with Hamm slowly turning blue for a few hours. With the ghost iron and wildwood berries secured, the party loaded up and head back to Stonebridge to turn the materials into the alchemist, securing payment and obtaining enough gold to not only pay back the loan Kynwal had taken out, but also to pick up several hundred gold worth of diamonds for any needed castings of Revivify. After a night’s rest, the party decided that it was time to bite the bullet and talk to Baroness Thraece Thornwood regarding the rulers of Eastwyld, both the current ruler and the would-be ruler. As a quick recap, a year ago in game time the Greywinters, the ruling family of the Eastwyld, were attacked by bandits and wiped out with the exception of young Kennet. Kennet is currently sitting on the throne of the county of Eastwyld, ruling directly without the aid of a Regent. While pursuing a bounty on the head of the bandits’ leader, the party rescued Kolton Greywinter, older brother of Kennet and the one-was next-in-line for the throne, who revealed that the bandits had been hired by an unknown benefactor to assassinate the Greywinters. The bandit leader had taken Kolton prisoner as an insurance policy of sorts. Choosing to remain hidden to protect his younger brother until the conspirators are discovered, Kolton “appointed” Krowe as the Baron of Woodlawn and directed the party to sound out the three Barons of the Eastwyld with regards to how they feel about Kennet’s rule and who might have benefited from the destruction of the Greywinters. Krowe sends a message to his sister Kerrirose, a knight in service to the Baroness, asking for her to help him set up a meeting with the Baroness. He soon received a letter in response. quote:Krowe, After obtaining an appointment and heading to the palace, the party (sans Hale who stayed behind to forge more bullets) was brought to a waiting room to pass the time before their audience. While they waited, the party heard arguing from outside the door. At Aya’s insistence Krowe placed his ear against the door to listen… quote:??? – “Adelaide, I must insist…” The doors opened and a flustered servant brings the party to meet Baroness Thornwood. Along the way the party passed a door leading to the main banquet room. Princess Adelaide was directing servants to take care of her guests – several disheveled looking individuals, vagrants by the look of them, who were looking around the spacious room and at the sumptuous spread of food with a mix of awe and confusion.   Baroness Thornwood greeted us in her throne room. During the opening round of requisite small talk, Kynwal mentioned Adelaide’s guests and the ongoing dinner party. The Baroness responded by saying that in recent months Adelaide had been making frequent trips into Stonebridge and bringing strangers back to enjoy the hospitality of the family. ”While I admire her attempts to help people, I’m concerned that she’s bringing them into her home, our home, without the guards thoroughly vetting them.” The Baroness also mentioned that she had been having talks with her counterpart in the barbarian tribe that lived half a day upriver from Stonebridge, the Tide Water tribe. The chieftain of the Tide Water, Saga “Daughter of Bran” Deepwater, is known for butting heads with the chief-of-chiefs, Jerik Bearmantle, who is Aya’s father. Eventually Krowe asked the Baroness for privacy to discuss a sensitive matter. The Baroness dismissed all her guards save for the two that stood flanking her throne. The party proceeded to lay out the situation for her, holding nothing back save for the actual location of Kolton (which she asked not to be told for security reasons). ”I support my Count,” she said in a tone along the lines of ”I know brussel sprouts are healthy for me.” ”Although I would have preferred that a Regent could have been chosen for him. I’ve known his advisor (Tomorast Virizion) for years and he is a loyal and trustworthy man, but some of Kennet’s decisions, such as the laws he put in place regarding the dwarves, have been circumspect.” Discussions turned to the other two Barons in the Eastwuld – Baron Kegan Stormchapel of Fallcrest and Baron Kormac Oathsworn of Chapel Hill. ”I am sure that Baron Stormchapel feels the same way that I do. Oathsworn however is a very ambitious man. Of the three of us it was him who pushed the hardest for Kennet to be given a Regent, however he wanted it to be one of his people so he could have a direct line to the Count.” Baroness Thornwood then asked a very important question – had we verified that Kolton Greywinter was truly who he said he was and not an impostor? Biff responded that Kolton had been truly locked up in the dungeon underneath the bandits’ castle for a very long time and that his physical condition had been legitimate, while Aya’s description of pitting the surviving bandits against each other in trial by combat sounded like legitimate justice handed down by a nobleman. In order to confirm Kolton’s identity, Baroness Thornwood suggested that the party obtain independent verification. Specifically, she suggested taking Adelaide to wherever Kolton was hiding, as the two children had grown up together and knew each other very well (the DM also added, once the session had concluded, that the pair was actually "promised to each other"). The party was in agreement with the Baroness…save for Aya, who pointed out that the party already HAD proof that Kolton was who he said he was. She nodded toward the sword Krowe carried on his hip, reminding the party that Kolton had seen through the illusion that protected the sword and recognized it for it was. Still, the Baroness wanted to make sure that Kolton truly was who he said he was. She sent one of the guards to summon Adelaide, who arrived in a little bit of a huff. quote:Princess Adelaide – “Yes mother?” Adelaide took the sword from Aya and held it in front of her. ”Is this woman your current wielder?” As she spoke, glowing runes appeared on her body, shining up and down her arms and across her exposed skin. Typhomine took a sharp breath as he realized that Adelaide was a Runechild. A Runechild is a uniquely gifted creature born with a direct connection to the Weave. They are similar to sorcerers, in that their magic is inherent, but distinct insofar as their power is more specialized and limited. They almost seem more akin to warlocks, if the Weave could be considered to be their Patron. Unlike sorcerers and wizards -- and even true warlocks -- their power tends to be more focused on a single aspect of magic, such as divination or illusion, and that power is rarely offensive in nature. When they draw power from the Weave to invoke their magic, runes appear on their flesh...runes that most of them have had since birth, though new runes are added to their birth runes as they age and grow. They are exceptionally rare, such that the Cabal hasn't even given them an official classification... ”Thank you. Show me who wielded you before her…” Adelaide’s eyes flashed open, and the rune faded from her body as the sword fell to the floor. ”Kolton’s alive?!?” ”Princess,” Biff said, “for the safety of both Kolton and Kennet, you must keep this information secret. We will do our best to return Kolton safe and sound, but there are those who seek to harm Kennet and if they know Kolton is alive they may see Kennet as expendable.” Adelaide agreed with Biff, and the session ended with the party thanking the Baroness and Princess for their time and retreating back to the Headstrong Hog inn to decide on their next move – heading south to find out more about the Broken Skull hobgoblin tribe before winter sets in, heading north to confront the minotaur accused of cattle rustling, or heading back to Fallcrest and diving into the political scene by meeting with Baron Stromchapel. CobiWann fucked around with this message at 19:12 on Aug 25, 2018 |
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Aug 25, 2018 03:34
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CobiWann posted:Adelaide was a Runechild. You know, I don't remember if this has come up in an earlier recap or not, but I'm not recalling it offhand. What exactly is a Runechild? I take it from Typhomine's reaction that they're somewhat rare, but I don't believe you've mentioned them or their abilities before this.
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Aug 25, 2018 04:00
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Question despite the Rutterkin looking like Rats. Do they share the states of D&D Rutterkin. (Who do not look like rats but are instead minor demons.) For fun here is the current depiction of Rutterkin. 
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Aug 25, 2018 09:28
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MonsterEnvy posted:Question despite the Rutterkin looking like Rats. Do they share the states of D&D Rutterkin. (Who do not look like rats but are instead minor demons.) Never skip every other leg day.
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Aug 25, 2018 10:32
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See, that riddle just made me think it held a magical fire extinguisher. "Break glass in case of emergency", kind of thing. Which I guess is what it turned out to get used as.
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Aug 25, 2018 14:25
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Aniodia posted:You know, I don't remember if this has come up in an earlier recap or not, but I'm not recalling it offhand. What exactly is a Runechild? I take it from Typhomine's reaction that they're somewhat rare, but I don't believe you've mentioned them or their abilities before this. Ah! I forgot to approve the paragraph when the DM edited the recap. Pasted above and below. They're a homebrewed NPC-only class kind of but not quite like the Runechild sorcerous origin from the Tal'Dorei Campaign Guide. quote:A Runechild is a uniquely gifted creature born with a direct connection to the Weave. They are similar to sorcerers, in that their magic is inherent, but distinct insofar as their power is more specialized and limited. They almost seem more akin to warlocks, if the Weave could be considered to be their Patron. Unlike sorcerers and wizards -- and even true warlocks -- their power tends to be more focused on a single aspect of magic, such as divination or illusion, and that power is rarely offensive in nature. When they draw power from the Weave to invoke their magic, runes appear on their flesh...runes that most of them have had since birth, though new runes are added to their birth runes as they age and grow. They are exceptionally rare, such that the Cabal hasn't even given them an official classification... MonsterEnvy posted:Question despite the Rutterkin looking like Rats. Do they share the states of D&D Rutterkin. (Who do not look like rats but are instead minor demons.) They do not - the best way to describe them are "the gnolls of the Astral Plane." CobiWann fucked around with this message at 19:16 on Aug 25, 2018 |
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Aug 25, 2018 19:13
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Not a Bad Story necessarily, just some observations and warning signs. Having no one to play shameful elf gaems with, I started playing PBP recently and got into a game. The concept is that the PCs are pressed into service of the BBEG and compelled to do his bidding while his empire is showing signs of crumbling. All in all, not a bad idea- the PCs have their motivation to rebel & work against him through serving him and the DM gets a pretty good vantage to world-build an empire approaching ruin. Seems topical. The DM has been pretty upfront about certain psychological problems he or she has, which is kind of a red-flag on its own- oversharing personal info when I just want to pretend to be a smelly gnome. Still, not that big an issue. The one I do see is something I've also committed as a DM/GM. That being the obsessive world-building and creating a narrative such that the PCs are just mere actors in the DMs drama and the PCs have limited agency of their own. A 20+ page primer of the world you've created is all well and good, but I shouldn't need to do extensive research in order to understand what's going on in the game. It's a bit much. Additionally, I've been reminded of how a DM kind of needs to have a bit of an authoritative streak in order for a game to run properly, and when other players have strong personalities it can be difficult to manage a game. As it stands, we've been playing for a few weeks now and haven't left the castle we're in nor taken up our first mission. The other PCs are pumping NPCs for information, swearing oaths of revenge and I'm just trying to move the plot forward by grabbing gear and getting our first quest. It's a little disappointing.
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Aug 28, 2018 04:51
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Sounds like the tone has shifted to court politics. Secretly ally with every other party member and agree to make a different one end up dead
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Aug 28, 2018 19:08
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Kumo posted:Additionally, I've been reminded of how a DM kind of needs to have a bit of an authoritative streak in order for a game to run properly, and when other players have strong personalities it can be difficult to manage a game. As it stands, we've been playing for a few weeks now and haven't left the castle we're in nor taken up our first mission. The other PCs are pumping NPCs for information, swearing oaths of revenge and I'm just trying to move the plot forward by grabbing gear and getting our first quest. It's a little disappointing. I probably wouldn't have stayed in that game past that session if it were in person but it was text over discord so I was pretty much entirely alt-tabbed and/or playing ocarina of time.
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Aug 28, 2018 20:51
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Kumo posted:Additionally, I've been reminded of how a DM kind of needs to have a bit of an authoritative streak in order for a game to run properly, and when other players have strong personalities it can be difficult to manage a game. As it stands, we've been playing for a few weeks now and haven't left the castle we're in nor taken up our first mission. The other PCs are pumping NPCs for information, swearing oaths of revenge and I'm just trying to move the plot forward by grabbing gear and getting our first quest. It's a little disappointing. It sounds like people need to talk, if the campaign pitch was one thing and then the other players are all doing something else then some wires have got crossed. Not a serious ultimatum talk, just a general "so, what's goin on" kinda talk.
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Aug 28, 2018 22:34
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It’s kind of natural that everyone wants to affect the world at the same time. IMO, there’s nothing wrong with passing a ball around to represent the spotlight, and only whoever holds the ball can speak.
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Aug 29, 2018 01:07
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Actual player quote from today "So since the house is made of people... can I sneak attack the house?"  Fuckin' rogues, man.
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Aug 29, 2018 05:16
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Rorac posted:Actual player quote from today To be fair, you can sneak attack any house if you're knowledgeable enough about architecture.
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Aug 29, 2018 07:20
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I've been running Death House (Curse of Strahd) as a stand-alone mini-adventure for some friends, and they've really taken to it. I initially planned it as a single-sitting one-shot, maybe two-parter, but we're three sessions deep, nine hours in, and they've only just reached the third floor (of four - and that's not including the labyrinthine basement). Only one fight in all that time too. The party's been taking their sweet time, searching for clues, trying to piece together what happened there, and generally enjoying the atmosphere I've created. I've added a little to the intrigue, more details and characters to reward their dedicated snooping, and they're doing a great job playing detective and guessing the twists. Nothing else to report, incredible or terrible; I've just never had a party that was so content with (and interested in) simply exploring before. It's a wonderful change of pace. Usually the folks I run with are chomping at the bit to fight stuff - and hey, I get it, I like that stuff too - but it's nice to roll with a group who're willing to let the setting breathe, and in fact want it to. 
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Aug 29, 2018 13:51
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| # ? May 21, 2024 13:54 |
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Rorac posted:Actual player quote from today  While I'm cat piss postin' What about Critical Role? They throw red flags all the time yet still seem OK.
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Aug 30, 2018 02:12
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