Campaign Journal: The Smoke Nears

 Who's staring slack-jawed at the news that Acroria is on fire?

• Jax: Barbarian
• Fred: Thief 1
• Slick: Thief 2
• Rondel: Elf

Things were in motion. Slick and some loyal soldiers secured the captured priest in the fortification's oubliette, with Slick giving plenty of both vocal and implied threats of what would occur if he were to attempt any more shenanigans. 

Now what's this with the fire? The soldiers could report little more than seeing columns of smoke and meeting a swarm of terrified refugees. Some of the dispatched soldiers had ventured on, with intent to learn more.

But first, shenanigans. The party and Manchin were attacked by soldiers and priests loyal to the head priest. Their attacks focused on Manchin as the fortification's leader, and he took several wounds before the party was able to counter them. More sounds of combat rang through the halls of the fort. The priest, freed by loyal troops, emerged. Rondel attempted to web a door to halt their charge, but the priest was able to dispel his barrier. More struggle, and Slick made good on his promises, shanking the priest, before Henry Cee was able to unlimber his flail and punch his clock for good.

The surviving rebels surrendered and were secured. 

More troops returned, confirming that most of the city's troops had marched south to attack the "incursion" of Chirath forces gathered at Mithlonde in preparation to mobilize west for the region's defense. Gerhard returned, confirming the attack, followed by a confused retreat as news of the city's demise spread. Regardless, both forces were out of play as they fought running, pitched battles.

And what could have caused the fire? Word arrived of mutant chimera bursting from the city's prisons and sewers. Chaos had gained much more than a foothold. It had been staging for some time...

And the response was in kind. 

Hi again!

D10 Magic Weapons Found On That Corpse

Months ago during the campaign, the party came upon the remains of a squad of soldiers who had perished in combat with a Chaos raiding party. The combat was fresh, and it appeared that the foes had all perished in a hard-fought, desperate struggle. And I knew that the deceased commander of the troops should have a magic weapon, but something more than just another +1 sword. 

So I whipped up a quick list with a little help from Chaotic Shiny:

1. +2 short sword (1d6+2), casts a glamour 1/day (2d6 rounds)
2. +2 short sword (1d6+2), wind blast 1/day (raises dust to blind opponents, extinguish torches, etc.)
3. +1 trident (1d6+1), lighting bolt 1/day (2d6 dmg, 150', save for half)
4. +1 battle axe (1d8+1), flame 3/day (+1d6 fire damage)
5. +2 hand axe (1d6+2), bearer may recover as full night's rest on four hours of sleep.
6. +1 longsword (1d8+1), petrify 1/day (save to avoid)
7. +1 trident (1d6+1), shoot 60' jet of water 3/day (knock opponent prone, extinguish light, etc.)
8. +1 spear (1d6+1), +1d6 acid damage, degrades armor by 1 point (save to avoid damage)
9. +1 rapier (1d6+1), fly 1/day (1d6 turns)
10. +1 scimitar (1d8+1), drains level on 1st attack

Slick rolled the d10 to see what he found, and got his nasty black scimitar.

Plus a bonus item they didn't find: 

    +1 javelin (1d4+1), raises 10'x100' earthen wall where it lands (1 use)

Only 25 more for the inevitable D66 list....

D66 Overly-Specific Very Minor Demons, and an Incantation Bowl!

Some time ago, I was searching Wikimedia Commons for demon imagery for filler art for a blog post or adventure writeup, and I came across this charming fellow:

source

Alleborith, a minor demon, whose sole power is to cause people to choke on fish bones. Never say that you have no talents.

So behold! From the abyssal plains and muttered curses of adventurers arise D66 aggravating demons to torment in the most specific of ways!

DOWNLOAD US HERE!!!

AND! Behold more! My own personal incantation bowl, useful for protection of the home from demons and other malevolent forces... 

Lilith is having a bad hair day...

Create

Came across this presentation while on my dog walk the other day:

Strong thesis statement. But valid. Creative expression is a critical part of the human experience. Dancing around the fire, painting cathedral ceilings, writing symphonies or novels. Or gathering to roll dice and be in our imaginations.

Regarding one beat within the talk - my real-life job does have its saving-the-world elements. And I do believe that I can continue writing up my little scenarios or lists or whatevers that catch my fancy while still enacting some change and improvement. Besides, having worlds that we have a little control over diminishes the ennui of not being able to "save the world" enough. 

I've always believed that my own creative life was important in one form or another, whether trying my hand at fiction writing, an occasional return to the piano, or making up stuff for silly elf-games. It's part of my general plan to keep my mind and body flexible and functional as long as possible. 

On top of that, I finally confirmed that yes, after 50+ years dithering around, that I do have ADHD. I either very successfully passed or gloriously failed the QbCheck ADHD test, depending on one's perspective. 

So I'd better figure some stuff out here. 

I don't consider myself a particularly strong or creative writer, but at least I can keep a consistent format and catch most of my typos. And as the presenter says, don't let self confidence or the need to be "good" at something hamper us from creating. Anyone who's read my stuff certainly knows it doesn't stop me...

So - Onward. In a frail attempt to organize my home office, I've captured most of my scribbled works-in-progress:

with ADHD-proofing soundtrack

Some of these scenarios are products of the campaign, some are maps that caught my attention, a few are from prompts or particular writing exercises.

There's a good handful. Let's shoot for getting one drafted per week. Think I can do that? 

Anyway, get out there and make your own scribbles. You don't have to save the world. But you can bring a bit of fun and light into your own corner of it.

They Met at a Tavern 13: "Harlow's an Odd Duck..."

Time to return to playing with random strangers. Or a least one random stranger, since my Meetup attendance has been quite spotty lately. Fine, we run for who shows:

• Dane: Cogarn, Human Thief
• Seana: Halibarn, Human Fighter

In the flavor of Shadowdark.

Fallback onto an old reliable, "Requiem for Atticus Stumps."

It's good for a small party, with its small encounter areas and typically singular foes. The pair started off as the usual two broke adventurers. "Random Headgear" gifted them both with long flowing locks (odds of 1:25,600? I'm not sure - didn't take enough stats). Maybe they are siblings.

Anyway, they were solicited by Kellen and Lois, and accepted the job. Kellen told them to seek out Harlow the halfling, but be aware that he was an "odd duck." Fair enough. But let's buy a honey cake from the local baker to sweeten the pot.

Away they went, finding the halfling sweating away in his rocky garden. He snatched up the cake as quick as a viper, and returned with his spear and weird lantern.

Off they went, Harlow keeping up a running commentary. "Oo, those berries are almost ripe. That's where I found the dead deer with the weird growths. Oops, look out for that bear trap, almost forgot about it..." 

But he prevents random encounters, so there's that.

Campaign Journal: Smoke on the Horizon

Who's looking over the wreckage of Madrual?

• Jax: Barbarian
• Fred: Thief
• Slick: More Thief
• Rondel: Elf

The party sorted through the loot of recovered from the Chaos troops as well as found in the basilisk's lair. No, that Broom of Flying is not going to be used for excessive mischief.

As always, capturing a place is not the same as holding it. As The Librarian Grancet and his crew got to work, Benedikt sent Gerhard back out to summon more city troops. Restoring the Lens would take time, as the original mount had been destroyed by the Chaos crew or other squatters. Fortunately, a second statue worthy of the job had been found buried in the bottom level of the complex, and the team got to work excavating it and dragging it up the stairs.

With no flying blanket, Bendikt decided that magic transportation was beneath him, anyhow. A whistle, and some time later, a horse manifested itself, in full tack.

That's more like it

The meager surviving troops got to work re-erecting fortifications, and the party used their signal devices to send word down the fortification line. Attacks and skirmishes were reported, particularly from flying beasts. But things were holding. Word came that some local militias were mustering northward, as well as a force from Lake Cobalt. 

In the meantime, three battered elves arrived at the fort, the remains of a party sent to investigate the rumor of a dragon in the Deneng Mountains to the northwest. Well, they found no dragon. Its lair was vacant, and loot mostly stripped. They had found Chaos, and one elf showed the results of said meeting in a tentacle mutation ("Still getting the hang of it."). The missing dragon and its loot was curious and a serious concern, especially with the proximity to mountain passes where the Chaos forces allegedly manifested. Anyway, the elves were welcomed to heal and rest, and reinforce the current detachment if willing.

They Met at a Tavern 12: Back into the Sewers

A late Meetup posting for a Monday game at the end of the three day weekend. Players:

• Peter: Quorl (Pronounced Carl), Elf Fighter
• Mike: Otzi (I didn't write down his name), Goblin Ras Godai
• Seana: Halibarn, Human Fighter

With three players, the Sheaf O' Adventures(tm) revealed Macceum Sewers as a good option. The setup: The PCs were new in town and short on coin. Unfortunately, the only guild hiring bravos of no reputation was the local Sewer Militia. They were given tarnished brass badges, a couple of healing potions, and a rough map of the area where they were supposed to perform "maintenance." 

Welcome to work

The party had an uneventful morning, poking at clogs, getting their boots mucky, and finding a couple of corpses. However, some recently cleared brickwork revealed a unknown passage, and explorers need to explore.

The three entered the passage. Unfortunately, Otzi stepped on a pressure plate. Fortunately, Otzi is short and the crossbow trap missed.

Next room, and Halibarn splinters the door. A massive bat swoops at the three. Quorl and Halibarn see it as an illusion. Otzi, already paranoid, is shaken. Among the debris, they collect a coin purse and puzzle over the gouges in the floor and broken stone foot.

Through the next door and down passageways. Taking a left, they were set upon by a trapdoor spider as they assessed the next door. Stabbing happened, and Halibarn shook off a venomous bite. 

Further exploration, and they discovered a chamber with flowing metal passing through pipes and a basin. Unfortunately, the mercury vapors gave a couple of the PCs the shakes.

Back to the main passage, and Otzi, stumbling along under the influence of the vapors, brushed against a secret door. They pried it open, then failed to breach the next doorway. No worries, the blind wererat and his rat minions opened the door and attacked. More stabbing and biting occurred. The party whomped on a couple of the rats, causing the others to flee, and leaving the wererat at disadvantage. They slew it and picked through the trash. Halibarn upgraded their armor and doffed a healing potion.

Halibarn pokes at a forgotten alter and swipes the pewter offering bowl. Quorl, not to be outdone, taps along the wall, finding a second secret door. More prying, and into another side passage. 

Another failed door kick causes the medusa within to reveal herself, commanding the explorers to leave or die. 

PCs, always.

Fortunately, the PCs were able to beat the medusa's initiative and scored a couple of hits. She drew a sword and struck back, then began to pull back her hood. Second round, and the Ras Godai pulled one of his tricks out of his sleeve, striking at her with a paralyzing blow. Halibarn pulled out a "Clash of the Titans" move and beheaded the incapacitated medusa. Fine, kill my monsters.

The party blocked the door, recovering over the night. They cleared out the medusa's loot pile and found her stash of petrified victims. The head was bundled up among the takings.

They emerged from the sewers and were no longer counted among the dead Sewer Militia. Loot was distributed. Quorl banked his away in hopes of returning to a noble lifestyle. Halibarn placed bets on herself in the local arena, gaining some more coin. Otzi carried the severed head to his Ras Godai contacts, selling it to someone in need of a powerful item to solve a problem...

DM Notes:

Fun, quick session, about two hours for this one. Good use of the Ras Godai in this session. It is one of the supplement classes that has grown on me. The "Sewers" has some fun exploration, and I'm considering some minor edits after several sessions of running it. Currently scribbling up another Tim Shorts map for future explorations, as well.