tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83759060391961176682024-03-14T10:23:35.595-07:00Games We PlayTreasuring games we play as a familyKK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-42311282333892285602020-02-15T23:02:00.003-08:002020-02-15T23:03:15.136-08:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 13: Making money in Red Larch<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Serenity, Aasimar Wizard Divination-School (played by Mummy)</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Yeah, I’m behind on my session reports. Jojo keeps pestering me to keep these up to date; I think we’re about 5-6 sessions ahead now. A new year’s resolution, perhaps?</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest and Serenity bid goodbye to Keehar and their aarakockra friends, and head off to find Folax. Meanwhile, the intrepid gunslinger decides to find out more about his Knights of Samular rescuers. Or, more specifically, the precious ‘saddle-bags’ that the knights were so keen to recover when they rescued Folax.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “So I ask lady whats-her-name? That knight lady who spoke to me earlier?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Lady Ushien Stormbanner,” I inform him primly.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Yeah yeah, her. I ask her what’s in those saddle-bags? Treasure? Some sort of magic items?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Lady Ushien replies, “We are transporting scrolls of Samular scripture to Red Larch. We have a contact in Red Larch who is going to bring them to our chapterhouse in Waterdeep. In exchange, he is going to give us some other items of interest.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Folax blanches, “Just normal scrolls? Not even magic ones? They went to retrieve these from a griffin’s nest?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Pretty much,” I say gravely.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Gah, these guys are nuts,” the gunslinger mutters as he rolls back in his bunk in the wagon.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Eventually, the wagon caravan stops to make camp for the night. Folax clambers gingerly out of his wagon to stretch his legs and observe the group of knights he is with. I tell Evan that he counts about half a dozen knights, along with several attendants and squires. “There are two covered wagons, one of which is where you were put in. Everyone is busy setting up camp.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Evan, “You suddenly get the feeling like you’re being watched.” The gunslinger cautiously peers around, and then finally sees something perched on top of the wagon he just clambered out of. “It’s a very large snowy owl, about the size of a large dog like a mastiff!” The owl stares unblinkingly at Folax, its gaze tracking the gunslinger no matter where he moves.</span><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/5141579" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="From gallery of TaleSpinner" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/H5RAO9JY8VrCz7eRezAQ-54MfLQ=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic5141579.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I’m watching you!</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Of course, the kids try to experiment with this. Jojo suggests that Folax should try running circles around the wagon, to see if the owl twists its own head off. As the gunslinger rounds the wagon, he runs into Lady Ushien. “I see you’ve met my owl animal companion,” she says. “Whitefeather is just being wary and curious about anyone new she meets.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oooo, an owl companion!” says Jojo. “I definitely like Lady Ushien!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I turn to Mummy and Jojo. “Meanwhile, you guys have finally caught up with the Locate Object directions to Folax’s spork. You come to a camp which has a couple of wagons, and several people in armour milling about.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After some discussion (and a prudent request for visual confirmation that this is the same camp that Folax is currently in) Jojo decides that Tempest will approach the camp in a non-hostile way. About fifty paces away, she is challenged with a ‘Halt! Who goes there!?’ from one of the knights. Tempest introduces herself as a “friend looking for a friend. Ugly human guy with a gun? Seen him around?”.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Eventually, the three adventurers are re-united. Lady Ushien introduces herself and her knights of Samular to the newcomers.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Jojo, “Suddenly, you feel something rattling or vibrating on your belt! You look down, and see S'il-vous-plaît rattling in his sheath!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan quips, “I think you left him on silent mode!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo hesitates, “I tell Lady Ushien not to be alarmed that I’m taking out a sword; he’s harmless, really! I take S'il-vous-plaît out.” The sword practically leaps out of his sheath, and S'il-vous-plaît’s excited face appears on the blade.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“THE Knights of SAMULAR!?” blurts S'il-vous-plaît. “Really!? I’m a HUGE FAN!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">My kids can detect an exposition from a narrative mile away, so they settle back as I ramble on (as S'il-vous-plaît) about how amazing the knights of Samular are, and their historical role in beating back the invading hordes of orcs and trolls from the region. The knights are named after their founder, Samular Caradoon, a knight of great re-known. “In fact,” says S'il-vous-plaît. “When I was a kid, I used to dream about becoming a knight of Samular! All the kids in my village had a Samular Caradoon action-figure!” He looks a bit crest-fallen. “Unfortunately, all I had was a Renwick Caradoon action-figure. Renwick was Samular’s wizard brother. Skinnier, and more pasty-faced.” We agree that the Samular Caradoon action-figure must look like a He-Man action-figure.</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I have the Power!”</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo chortles, “You? A Knight of Samular!?” She takes a moment to compose herself. “I mean, yes, that’s great! Hang on, did you say this was back when you were a kid? How long ago was this?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Good question,” I reply. “S'il-vous-plaît’s village doesn’t even exist anymore. And he’s been guarding that tomb for over a hundred years. The Troll Wars were about two hundred years ago. These days, the knights of Samular are still respected, but their order has greatly diminished. In fact, Summit Hall is the last keep that the knights still have.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh, Summit Hall!” gushes S'il-vous-plaît. “The happiest place in the world!” I tell them that S'il-vous-plaît starts singing some sort of Samular theme-song, and of course the kids help come up with some verses, “Sa-mu-LAR! Sa-mu-LAR! We are awe-some for-e-VAR!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Surprisingly, Lady Ushien is the one who stops S'il-vous-plaît mid-song. “Sorry,” she says firmly. “That song tends to... get stuck in one’s head. Well, Folax, I am glad that you have found your friends. They are welcome to travel with us to Red Larch.” With that, the adventurers join the knights of Samular and the whole party continues the next day towards Red Larch.</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />I originally tossed up the idea of keeping Folax separate from the party, and then having some dramatic event that brings them all together. But I eventually decided that it’ll be a lot easier DMing-wise if I kept everyone together.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Very few monsters are bold enough to attack a fully-armed contingent of knights, so the journey to Red Larch is pretty uneventful,” I tell Mummy and the kids. “It’s about mid-day by the time you guys all arrive back in Red Larch. There seems to have been some changes in town since you guys were here last. For one, the work to convert the underground tunnels under the street into underground streets is truly underway, with dwarves and humans digging out rubble and signs of construction everywhere. You guys notice that Ironhead’s second-hand weapons shop is closed. What do you guys want to do?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Of course, throwing an obvious plot-hook about Ironhead’s closed shop isn’t incentive enough for the group to stick together. The group splits off, with Jojo heading off to see Kaylessa at the Swinging Sword Inn, Evan wandering to his make-shift lodgings at Landro’s tavern, while Mummy goes to check on her friend Meg.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">So much for keeping them all together. Sighing, I start with Jojo. “I suppose you’re going to tell Kaylessa about what happened to her niece Savra and the Feathergale Knights?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Sav-who? Oh yeah, her! Oh shoot, I hate bringing bad news!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">However, when the dragonborn arrives at the Swinging Sword Inn, Kaylessa isn’t around. One of her staff tells Tempest that Kaylessa has gone on a trip to Waterdeep and will be back in a few days. Jojo says, “Whew! Oh well, I suppose I’ll go visit the tavern then.” And the dragonborn heads off to the Helm at Highsun tavern.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Next, Evan. I tell him, “Folax gets to Landro’s tavern, and you’re surprised to see the place bustling with customers!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What the-!?” The gunslinger squeezes his way through the crowd of drinkers, and gets in the front room. He chases off a few people sitting on ‘his’ couch, and then hears a familiar voice calling from the back room. “HO! Folax! Is that you!?” The burly form of Ironhead emerges from the back. The old half-orc is wearing a dirty apron that might have passed as white in the long distant past.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Ayyyee, Ironhead!” Evan and I mimic the gunslinger and the half-orc exchanging a couple of fist-bumps and low fives. “What are you doing here?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Ironhead grunts. “Well, after Landro up-and-left this place, some of us were missing our old watering hole. So I decided it was time to shift from weapon-selling to bar-keeping and take over the tavern! You’re definitely still welcome back as the tavern bouncer; with all these customers, I need all the help I can get!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">As Folax thanks and congratulates Ironhead, the burly half-orc slaps his forehead. “Gah! Almost forgot! Hey, there’s someone in Landro’s back-back room. You know, the room with all that weird equipment? Says he’s looking for whoever uses the stuff. Since you’re here, maybe you can go talk to him because I know you and Landro had some special arrangement with all that stuff.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan frowns. “Really?” The gunslinger cautiously enters the back room. I tell Evan, “You hear footsteps from the back-back room, and out emerges a dark-skinned, powerfully-built bald dude. He’s got a no-nonsense look, and what is most distinctive is a snake tattoo trailing down the top of his bald head.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">It seems that my character description intimidates Evan so much that he is somewhat speechless. The dark-skinned man stares at the gunslinger. He gestures with his thumb over his shoulder and speaks in a deep voice, “Is this equipment... yours?”</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />You might recall from <a class="postlink" href="https://rpggeek.com/thread/2202244/games-we-play-dad-gms-his-14yo-girl-12yo-boy-sessi" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">session 3</a> that Landro had made a ‘special arrangement’ with Folax that he could use the equipment in the back-back room to craft his musket balls. And if anyone comes around asking about the strange equipment, the gunslinger would claim that it belonged to him. I was gleefully building it all up to this point.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan squeaks, “Um, it’s Landro’s!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">So much for ‘honour among thieves’. The dark-skinned man narrows his eyes at the quaking gunslinger. “And where’s Landro?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The gunslinger shakes his head. “Dunno!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The dark-skinned man seems to consider this, and then says, “Do you know how to operate this equipment?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan relaxes a bit and looks at me. “Do I?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I shrug. “You’ve used some of it to make those musket balls of yours. As far as you know, the whole setup is like a mini-forge. Obviously, you don’t know what Landro uses it for.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The gunslinger replies, “Um, yes?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The man pulls out something from his belt and holds it up. “Can you make.. these?” I tell Evan that he sees a half-moon disc, about the size of one’s palm.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan astutely identifies it before I can even finish my description. “Waterdeep Harbour Moons!” I am pretty impressed as Evan proceeds to explain to Mummy and Jojo that this is the currency used in Waterdeep for trading. And of course, it all finally clicks in his head. “Landro makes fake Harbour Moons! He counterfeits coins!”</span><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/5141577" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="From gallery of TaleSpinner" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/uB6daA61Ko7uJZeX6mafcYcjEj0=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic5141577.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Oooo! Pretty!</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The man repeats his question, and Evan squares himself up. “Uh, yeah sure. Of course I know how to make these!” The dark-skinned man tells Folax that he will pay 500 gold for 100 Harbour moons. I tell Evan that in Waterdeep, a Harbour Moon is worth about 50 gold each. After some quick math, the gunslinger readily agrees and goes into the back-back room to fire up the mini-forge. “Time to make some money!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I toss Evan a d20. “Time to make a roll, you mean. You can use either your Dexterity or Intelligence for this.”</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />On hindsight, I should have given Evan an Inspiration for playing his Criminal background. And perhaps allow his Proficiency bonus for this roll given that he is somewhat proficient with Landro’s counterfeiting equipment. Ah well, hindsight is d20-d20, I suppose.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan blows on the die and rolls it. It comes up with a 10.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Evan. “The dark-skinned man picks up one of your counterfeits. It.. sorta looks like a Waterdeep Harbour Moon? If you kinda squint at it with one eye shut. Or maybe even both eyes shut.” Unimpressed, the man places the coin down and growls at Evan. “I ask again - where is Landro!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">When the gunslinger profusely denies any knowledge of where Landro is, the dark-skinned man calms down. “Very well,” he says. “If you do share with us any knowledge of Landro’s whereabouts, know that the Black Network will see that you are handsomely rewarded.” I tell Evan that all criminals know who the Black Network are; an evil criminal network belonging to the power-hungry nation of Zhentar.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Yeap, it was about time some of the major factions of Faerun start making an appearance in our campaign.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, Mummy heads off to ‘Tarnlar’s’ clothing shop, and is happily greeted with a warm hug by Meg. “Serenity! I’m so glad to see you safe! How did your business trip to Feathergale Spire go? Oh wait, before I forget, there’s a message for you from your Guild in Neverwinter!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“A message? From my guild?” says Mummy nervously. The aasimar wizard is somewhat apprehensive when she opens the sealed scroll addressed to her. I tell Mummy, “Your guild sends greetings and are glad to hear that you’ve arrived safely in Red Larch. And they say that they feel that there are plenty of business opportunities in the area, so they are instructing you to start a guild shop right here in Red Larch!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy says, “They want me to start a shop here? Thank goodness, I thought they were going to fire me because I didn’t secure any business from the Feathergale Knights!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meg is enthusiastic about the news. “That’s wonderful! Your guild is right about Red Larch, this place is perfect for new business start-ups!” Mummy and Meg discuss enthusiastically about having a travel clothing shop right next to a decorative armour shop, and the possible synergies.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy says, “Hmm.. wasn’t there another person who sells armour in Red Larch?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meg rolls her eyes. “You mean Ironhead’s? That half-orc scoundrel is a sad excuse for a business-person! His shop is more like an iron junk thrift shop! In fact, I think he’s looking for a buyer for his shop ever since he’s taken over that seedy tavern down the street.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Interesting,” murmurs Mummy. “What about that lady who sells leather armour? Chan-something?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Chansryl? She sells mainly leather goods. Which does include some leather armour.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy says, “Maybe she will consider going into some sort of business-collaboration with me? I mean, her leather armour with my guild’s armour designs? It might work!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meg winces. “Well, I’ve known Chansryl for a while, and I must say that she’s a very... intense young woman.” But Mummy decides it’s worth a shot anyway, so they both send a boy (Meg’s youngest son) with a message to Chansryl to tee-up a meeting.</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />And no, I didn’t expect Mummy’s business instincts to kick in here. I was happy to go along with the ride to see where this goes. You know, “Give the players what they want” and all that jazz.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">So later, Mummy, Meg and Chansryl meet up at Chansryl’s leather goods shop. I get Mummy to present her business proposal to Chansryl, and I hand her a d20. “Let’s roll a Persuasion check, and see how this goes!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy rolls a 4.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Chansryl draws herself up airily. “I’m sorry, but I cannot allow the ‘Chansryl’ brand to become... </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">diluted</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> like this! Do you have any idea how much sweat and toil, how long I’ve worked to keep the brand pure for my customers!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meg snorts. “You started last month!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Exactly!” declares the young woman. “The ‘Chansryl’ brand is in its infancy! It’s a newborn baby that needs to be nurtured!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Sighing, Mummy thanks Chansryl for her time and heads off with Meg. “At least we informed her about me starting a business in Red Larch,” says Mummy. “It’ll make it less seem like I’m popping out from nowhere and competing with her.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Next, the two ladies head off to Landro’s tavern to speak to Ironhead about buying his used weapons shop. Meg is a bit concerned about them being ‘two respectable ladies’ in a seedy establishment, but eventually the two business-women manage to get the befuddled half-orc to agree to sell his shop to them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">As they head back to Meg’s store, Meg agrees to go 50-50 with Mummy on the purchase of Ironhead’s shop. Mummy says, “Oh, Meg. Thanks for investing your hard-earned gold on my new business!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meg smiles, “Oh, I don’t invest in business. I invest in people.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">And that, gentlemen, is how you DM your wife.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Jojo, “You arrive at the Helm at Highsun, and while the usual crowd is there, you see Garl the bar-tender running around like a madman serving drinks and taking orders himself.” The dragonborn manages to stop the flustered bar-tender mid-stride, and Garl complains, “That lousy good-for-nothing beer-maker of mine Justran went off and disappeared! How am I supposed to run this place with one man short!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids recall that Justran is the guy who makes the beer for Garl, and serves ‘off’ beer to Folax because of some remark the gunslinger made about the beer being too weak. Tempest says, “Hmm.. disappeared you say? Is it okay if I go check his room? Maybe he left a note or something.” Garl waves Tempest through down the stairs into his basement.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Jojo, “The basement has a workbench and some wooden vats for brewing beer. In the corner, some makeshift drapes cordon off a section that must be where Justran sleeps.” The dragonborn searches the mattress and the workbench but finds nothing of interest. Eventually, she finds a set of spare clothes belonging to Justran, and I tell her, “You find a hidden seam along one of the sleeves. It’s a secret pocket!” The dragonborn carefully opens the seams and finds a leaflet in the sleeve.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I describe the leaflet. “It’s made of waxed paper, and it is basically a message from the Crushing Wave Water Cult! It mentions a place called Riverguard Keep, and there are some instructions on how to form the Water Cult symbol using your fingers in order to greet other members of the cult.”</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />The campaign book goes into detail on different hand-signs for the different cults. Sort of like a ‘secret handshake’. How cultic!</i><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/5141576" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="From gallery of TaleSpinner" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/fl01xw3O3rL-BdMO6FpKCn7GsUM=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic5141576.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Thanks to <a class="postlink" href="https://travelogue.fandom.com/wiki/Cult_of_the_Crushing_Wave" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">DasUberGamer</a> for the excellent demonstration!</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo is impressed by the hand-sign. “I’m going to use this with everyone I meet, to see if they’re part of the Water Cult!” She heads upstairs to tell Garl about what she’d found. “Um, Garl? Look, I found evidence that Justran might be part of the evil Water Cult. He might be at this place called Riverguard Keep.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Garl shakes his head. “The evil Water-what? Never heard of them! But Riverguard Keep? That’s the place east from here, next to the river.” I show everyone where the place is on the Dessarin Valley map.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “Well, thanks for that. Just to let you know, if I see Justran again, I might have to smite him. For being evil and all.”</span>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979651794234201857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-36108675356840231952019-09-15T23:27:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:28:15.521-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 12: Sigh, another side-quest? No wonder it's called the Sighing Valley!<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Serenity, Aasimar Wizard Divination-School (played by Mummy)</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After several soul-searching days, Mummy finally decides on a name for her character! From here on, Mummy’s aasimar wizard is called ‘Serenity’; she wanted a name associated with ‘peace’ and it was also a nice tribute to the Firefly series.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" class="embed-responsive-item" frameborder="0" height="385" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o-sp68GjYL0" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: 406.929px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 723.429px;" width="640"></iframe></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I also asked the kids for a good name for the aarakocra who they rescued from Feathergale Spire, and Evan suggested ‘Kehaar’, which I thought was brilliant. Kehaar is the name of the verbally-abusive black-headed gull from the book ‘Watership Down’. I read that book to the kids some years back; if you ever wanted a kids story about anthropomorphised rabbits undergoing a survival adventure with the same level of paranoia as any decent zombie-flick, look no further!</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4951538" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/tie_Uy9_MB59gyA3e_4eeWUwUPo=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4951538.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Kehaar leads the small group of adventurers southwards into the Sighing Valley. At one point, the group flies over a bunch of opportunistic gnolls armed with bows, but after Folax blasts one of them right in the eye as it was attempting to aim an arrow at them, the rest scatter yippingly into the gloomy valley floor.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Eventually, they make it to Kehaar’s hideout, which looks like a series of large camouflaged nests up in the trees. There are five other aarakocra here, and after Kehaar makes introductions, the adventurers are invited to stay with them. They even find places for the hippogriff and the giant vulture to roost up in the trees.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Wait a minute, dad!” says Jojo. “How do we know that Lord Thurl can’t track us here!? Maybe he can magically track the hippogriff or the vulture - I mean, they used to belong to the Feathergale knights, right?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I flash her a rakish smile. “A tracking device? Not on this ship, sister!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4950203" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/UQIEngfUmhIOtvH-iwm5Nkqch_0=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4950203.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo rolls her eyes, and proceeds to braid a leather collar with a spork pendant for her hippogriff. She makes another one for the giant vulture, but the brutish creature screeches menacingly at her and gulps down the collar. We conclude that the next time she tries to track the vulture, she’s either going to find it, or a pile of bird poop.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Over the next day or two, you guys hide out with the aarakocra, but there is no sign of any Feathergale knights searching for you guys. The aarakocra all speak in low, serious tones except during meal-times when they devolve into a squawking mess, bickering like seagulls over chips.” The aarakocra tell the adventurers that they are here to 'find and destroy the source of the Elemental Evil Air', and they've heard rumours of an evil Prophetess of Air leading the air cultists. Mummy reasons that this must be the person who wants her wings.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The aarakocra have already scouted some parts of the Sighing Valley. So far, all they’ve discovered is Feathergale Spire (although the knights worship Yan-C-Bin, the Prince of Evil Air, the aarakocra insist that it is not the source of the evil). There’s also a griffon nest on a cliff-face to the west, where they’ve spotted a pair of mated griffons, likely guarding their nest of eggs.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Griffons are fiercely protective over their eggs,” I tell them off-handedly. “Apparently, one griffon egg can is worth almost 2000 gold!” I should have anticipated what would happen next.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan sits up. “2000 gold? That’s a fortune! Hey, Jojo, let’s get those eggs!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “I’m not going to steal eggs from a griffon’s nest! If you want to go get yourself killed, go by yourself!’</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">And so, going against all conventional wisdom, the gunslinger decides to raid the griffon’s nest all by himself. He borrows the ‘wing-suit’ from Tempest, and early the next morning while everyone’s asleep, he sneaks off and rides his vulture west towards the griffon’s nest.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Evan, “The craggy cave entrance to the griffon’s nest is located on the side of a cliff-face. It’s a hard climb up or down to get to it.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After some thought, Evan says, “Okay, I’m going to fly high above the nest, and then jump off the vulture. I’ll activate the wing-suit and glide down towards the entrance!” I get him to make a couple of Dexterity and Stealth rolls, and the gunslinger succeeds in gliding unnoticed to the cliff-face above the cave entrance. He cautiously pokes his head down to check, but I tell him that he sees nothing but gloom, although there’s a definite animal smell coming out from the cave.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The gunslinger carefully climbs down into the cave entrance. “Some ways in, you can see a large pile of sticks and branches. You’ll have to get closer to have a look inside.” I get him to roll more Stealth rolls, and make a few mysterious rolls of my own. It always gets the kids on the edge when I do that.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Folax creeps deeper into the cave, and gets right up to the pile of sticks and branches. “You peek over and see a griffon! It is currently snoozing with its legs tucked under it.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You mean, like a cat in the loaf position?” asks Jojo. “I love it when cats do that!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4951539" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/UfLKqQ5oO5Q3SbYjZZuhHFE6c_4=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4951539.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Cat Loaf position. And yes, the expression is spot on with the griffon!</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I nod affirmatively. Evan thinks some more, and then says, “It’s probably sitting on the eggs. I’ll wait for it to move.” So the gunslinger waits for about ten minutes before I tell him, “You hear a flapping noise at the cave entrance!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh no! Its mate is coming back!” hoots Jojo in sisterly evil glee.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I roll a few more mysterious rolls and say, “Yes, another griffon has turned up at the entrance! It doesn’t seem to have noticed you inside the cave, mainly because it seems preoccupied with carrying something in its beak and claws. It looks like a dead horse, still with a saddle and bulging packs!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I look at Evan who shrugs, “I’ll stay hidden. See if the first griffon moves.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The griffon carrying the horse is having difficulty pulling the dead horse into the cave, mainly because of the bulging packs on the horse’s saddle. The griffon sitting in the loaf position slits its eyes open and gives the struggling griffon at the entrance the universal look females give to males trying to perform something the female finds utterly idiotic. Eventually, it gets up with a grunt and goes to help its mate pull the dead horse in by first removing the bulging saddle packs.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “Okay, it moved! I’ll carefully grab a griffon egg!” The gunslinger peeks into the nest, and sees two beautiful shimmery toaster-sized griffon eggs. “Just two? Oh. I thought that there would be a lot more of them, and they wouldn’t miss one!” Committed now, the gunslinger reaches in and picks up one of the eggs.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">At this point, one of my mysterious rolls comes up with a decent number. I tell Evan, “As you step back, there is the tiniest snap of a twig, and the griffons immediately look up and see you! Griffons have high Perception, but I’ve been rolling like crap for them all this while!” With a squawking roar, the male griffon charges at the gunslinger!</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “I fire my Wand of Magic Missiles!” The few magical bolts lance out and hit the charging creature, but it only infuriates it further! I roll for its claw and beak attacks, and when I announce the total damage, Evan looks aghast, “I’m DEAD!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell him, “The last thing you see is the griffon’s beak slashing down at you, and then everything goes white!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">------------------</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile back in the aarakocra hideout, the others have woken up to find Folax and his vulture missing. The aarakocra have planned to do further scouting today, and Tempest and Serenity agree to help them. So Kehaar, the dragonborn and the aasimar form one scouting party and decide to head eastwards, while three other aarakocra head north-east. Two more stay behind to wait and see if the gunslinger turns up.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Mummy and Jojo, “Kehaar leads you guys eastwards, and you can see that this part of the Sighing Valley is quite dangerous. At one point, you guys hide in the trees above while a pack of snarling hyenas and gnolls chase something through the forest below. Eventually, you guys reach the eastern-most end of the valley.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Jojo to roll a Perception check, and she rolls well. “There doesn’t seem to be anything here, but then you notice something half-hidden in the ground. You scrape a bit, and find a skull!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What type of skull is it? An animal skull, or a human?” Jojo makes an excellent Intelligence roll, and I tell her, “Of course, you know what creature’s skull this is! The lower protruding jaw,.. small forehead. It’s an orc skull!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Hmm… orcs.” As the dragonborn and the rest search, they find more bits of orc bones and skulls lying around. There is a trail of bone bits leading into the bushes which they follow. Eventually, the group comes to a cave entrance.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Another griffon’s nest?” ponders Jojo. After a brief discussion, the group sends forward Mummy’s weasel familiar to check it out. The little creature scampers up to the cave and peers in. “Mummy sees through her weasel’s eyes, and she sees a gloomy cave littered with bones and bits of weapons and armour. Pacing around inside is a female manticore muttering to herself.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Maybe the mate to the other manticore we killed the other night,” they consider. Eventually, they decide that they should leave it alone as fighting manticores wasn’t their primary objective.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Mummy, you also see a stack of crates in the middle of the cave!” I elaborate. “It looks like cargo loot!” But Jojo and Mummy show considerably more restraint than their absent gunslinging companion, and decide to head back to the aarakocra hideout to report their findings.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You guys arrive safely back at the aarakocra hideout. The two aarakocra who stayed behind reports that Folax’s vulture returned by itself without the gunslinger! And later, the other group which went north-east returns and reports that they found a narrow canyon entrance, where they spotted a few Feathergale knights going in. The aarakocra reason that this is likely where the source of Elemental Evil Air might be.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Kehaar asks the adventurers if they will help them explore the canyon, but Tempest shakes her head. “I think we should go find what happened to Folax first,” Jojo says. “I cast Locate Object to see where Folax is.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I ask, “Did you give him a spork? I don’t remember that!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “Of course she did! When we were back in Red Larch, she gave out sporks to everyone! In fact, I stuck mine on my helmet like a spork aerial!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I shrug, and tell Jojo that she traces the magic rune for Locate Object in front of her (which looks like the ‘Find Friends’ app icon) detects that Evan’s spork is travelling southwards from where they are. This mystifies them, until Mummy says, “It’s probably inside the griffon after it ate Folax!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">-------------------</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Over the next few days, Evan would bug me about whether Folax is dead. And I’d smirk and reply, “Maybe.” Evan starts considering if he needs to start a new character, and one night after dinner, I finally ask him in front of Mummy and Jojo, “So, do you want to know what happened to Folax?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Yes, please!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Well,” I drawl. “First, you need to tell me. How.. religious is Folax?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan winces. “Uh, not very, I think.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh, I see,” I nod contemplatively. “Well, in Faerun, there are many gods of all sorts. There’s a god of nature, a god of murder, etc. In fact, whether you have a great afterlife all depends on what type of character were you, and where you find yourself when you wake up. Like, if you were an assassin who died and woke up in the halls of the Bhaal the god of murder, you’ll know that you’re going to have a great afterlife, compared to if you woke up in the halls of a god or goddess belonging to the Life Domain!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “Okay, so where do I wake up? In the hall of the god of thieves?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I say, “Well, not exactly. The first thing you see when you regain consciousness is a symbol floating above you. You feel pain all over! And you recognise this symbol.” I lean closer. “It’s the symbol. Of a warhammer and a pair of scales above it. In fact, you know this symbol because you are usually in jail when you see it. This is the symbol of Tyr, the god of Justice!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4951540" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/U3_NjVutk2_LkNZiB_xzP9lWgso=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4951540.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tyr, God of Justice!</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo and Mummy burst out laughing while Evan covers his face. “Arrgh! I’m SO DEAD!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After a while, I tell him, “You suddenly realise that you’re moving, like along a bumpy road. As you regain more wakefulness, you realise that you’re in a covered wagon, and the symbol of Tyr is painted on the canvas ceiling.” The gunslinger looks around but it hurts to move.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Just then, the canvas door leading to the driver’s seat of the wagon flaps open and a woman peers in. I tell Evan that the woman is wearing full plate armour, and has a stern but fair face. She sees Folax and says, “I thought I heard you stirring back there. I am Lady Ushien Stormbanner of the Knights of Samular. And you are very lucky to be alive.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“The egg,” croaks Folax. “Do I still have the egg?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan blanches when I tell him 'No'. Lady Ushien looks at him critically. “Why would anyone want to take a griffon’s egg? We were trying to retrieve the saddle bags of the horse that griffon carried off, and when we got to the nest, we found you facing off two griffons at once! And then, just as the griffon was going to skewer you with its beak, there was a blinding flash! We think it must have been this thing you were holding - the griffon must have broken it when it attacked. You’re lucky that the flash blinded the griffons long enough for us to drag you and the saddle bags out of there!” And she holds up the broken remains of the Wand of Magic Missiles.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />I follow the very inadvisable adage while DMing of ‘when in doubt, roll a random encounter’. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it just creates more work! This session, I did not expect Folax to run off griffon egg-stealing on his own, and while I wanted to grant him a very (very) small chance of success, I also wanted to ensure that there was some twist to get him out of that mess. So while he was waiting for the female griffon to move, I rolled on the Random Encounters chart in the campaign book, and it gave me ‘Knights of Samular’. I took that as a lead, and made the male griffon turn up carrying the dead horse belonging to a knight of Samular. All in all, I’m quite happy with the way things turned out, because it gave me the opportunity to introduce another faction of the Dessarin Valley to everyone.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />I’d never even heard of the Knights of Samular, and I needed to do some research on them beforehand, hence why it took a couple of days before I could tell Evan what had happened to Folax. And yes, I felt it was fair to destroy the Wand of Magic Missiles as a sort of penalty instead of outright death. This time round. <img alt="devil" src="https://cf.geekdo-static.com/images/devil.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; vertical-align: middle;" /></i>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-91035399794075052282019-09-10T03:57:00.003-07:002020-10-24T23:40:03.139-07:00How to run an Awesome KKCon 2019Thanks everyone again for an awesome KKCon! I had a fantastic time, and it really gives me and Cynthia a buzz to see so many people playing games and having a great time!
One might ask ‘how do you run an awesome KKCon?’. Well, I’m glad you asked, pseudo-person who sounds just like that voice in my head! Here are the fool-proof steps for doing just that!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Have keen friends who turn up early and leave late! </span></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-4a120545-7fff-ed29-6bac-b05dad718b39"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 601px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="601" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/UBxBItZDWuH5-G8deAbCLbdg4hoeoLPFewzvmGeg1J-CvLpFgD9OqrLS3-r3__bNBqonNpLVHZI31OWdH9B9eFyi52sOh-lyCEzpWv78jBglRGHHibS0PMoQgne2L_QZReAzdKpJ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></span><br />
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I used to worry about starting KKCon too early, but I’ve figured out now that some people turn up early and leave early, and some people turn up late and leave late. And then there’s these guys who turn up early AND leave late. So kudos to Steve, Ben and Joe!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Have a trustworthy Raffle Guy! </span></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-aaddf6c8-7fff-ad48-9e37-719d7b928909"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 601px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="601" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/fhEj9JceFo32yr-UgJ_cV9l_6Gos_JV99kDMzIWNGcMSV3sNe7iVlknDPjLtYruckl3-txr3hKVpZBE7sM4v_PZXTu3L8cgThD_rG1OPGWrdHyffYpB7vfHZzb3KneZbuuGBDQOq" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></span><br />
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This year, I left the running of the raffle to a trustworthy Raffle Guy! Evan collected the funds, prepared tickets, ignored bribes and was generally the best Raffle Guy I’ve ever coerced into the job! Well done, boy!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Have a Looping Louie “Doubles” Tournament! </span></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-fc4e49cd-7fff-f8aa-c19d-302576534c47"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 601px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="601" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xp6DFwTk8tE0hFti5NEc_021yHVuCGKtAZo-lNPMdI5xdMzq23DjPfPBqoVcfoYPdh4gguQs85BUbG4IFSahqKDzuUoiyRzRveFtRjZ6YNvC-5JGWQiQiO0W2gHnJQ_N2wS9l7n-" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></span><br />
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This was the highlight of the day for me! Looping Louie “Doubles” was an idea which came up a couple of years ago, and I wasn’t sure how well it would work. Needless to say, it was AMAZING! I had such a buzz from seeing everyone really getting into the tournament. Congratulations to Evan and Jonathan who won the tournament this year! That “back-slash” move that they came up with is truly fearsome! And thanks to my beautiful Jojo who organised the matches! Great work, girl!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Have an awesome game-themed cake!</span></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-0af2ab7e-7fff-593a-0f2a-4bf4e5168a2d"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 601px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="601" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zVBlw_kR5RbLyX2oVu5uk9CZs1uQi7Ei1BTkt7uIcQ0NNwoo_BI9iWdWd1Pv9xsvei7BaU7mwmUDInJ34cNXpN6aFSI40w-m2j7yQz8IFbKBtxkP14DKmwxpUJc2c4Ygx6E5aV7o" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></span><br />
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The cake this year was based off “Marrakech”, which is a board game about earning money by building carpets. It starts off docile enough, but by the last few turns, it becomes a pretty cut-throat affair as players lay down their carpets to cover up other carpets. I must say that this is the only game I know that uses bits of felt carpets as a game mechanic - and it works!<br />
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As mentioned during my speech, the game has some special significance to Cynthia and me. Early in the year, Cynthia had a rough start with her vision impairment, and for a couple of months, we didn’t feel like playing any games. But after her eyesight recovered well enough to recognise colours, I picked up this colourful game as this first game to play!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Have a Cheese & Bacon Cob. Made by Maureen!</span></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-213f1c50-7fff-9b89-6906-0e18aff1c43f"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 601px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="601" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/LnAXgLZ_GuZ3TeQjVlmNQXImS2SWIwRM1Qa9U1aAKpPHxJ3--tyaQEriybj8Q5d239Glss0cOPmJrDkzhcBJDg6GkOm6U8pojLXdAco2VySt1S3jN-lQo2ObO1vDmsc9c0HeXuU_" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></span><br />
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This is essential. Apparently, a portion of attendees were there strictly for Maureen’s Party Cob, which was (as expected) made to perfection! Thanks Maureen for preparing not one, but two cobs for the con!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Have a good cause to donate Raffle money to! </span></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-65a2eedb-7fff-e01f-df63-80a42e18f969"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 601px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="601" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ahhYC2hLWb5hckbSILVRjwemK3hwcgg5duJ3QbpG-4f1F06EBwH6yBsVPtCwJX7hqA902lm1sPoK_mghdhNAiPPS-I-oKFdUwNKMWjDizERhLLJh7zc_P8W5JnXSeyWLqxQcQePE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></span><br />
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Contrary to popular belief, the money raised in the KKCon raffle does not go to the ‘KK Board Game Fund’! We’ve been supporting our charity partner for years, and this year, we were pleased to tell them that we raised $871.05! I believe this beats last year ($800), so many thanks to everyone’s generosity!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. Have a cool Fridge Magnet Gift! </span></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-a6535baf-7fff-2246-4492-0479a09492b2"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 601px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="601" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/s6CBSX3WdKaQs1wWnlhq6kT67upBNRhbE_B_PMz0lCnkqzLTDQ_IP3T0iWZxUEoUy5nAVMXQzBc_4nfr5czraLW9uu-KvfPcWIGxuwEVsj1hP3_43HIqaCjp1h-WcL1gE-L_s-wb" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></span><br />
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This year’s door gift is based off Blokus, which seems to be a big hit amongst the board gamers at work. So much so that it apparently takes about 45 mins to play now because everyone is busy calculating and re-calculating their best moves. Fast to learn, slow to master - and there seems to be more masters of this game at work nowadays!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. Invite lots and lots of awesome attendees! </span></b><br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-79ac299a-7fff-5edf-5744-5f44b3caee16"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 601px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="601" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1G3qANP9jQZoYdr-rie2XBan0onrP8o1R10Y57gnY7oPhfLqLZqaDPRsJ3n9urf2-bvkrtbDutGMYfNARiBpE996WnUU9aMFIAxtq0YAOrFCw5xqAzMN1E-lg802vhDisMYKUWYA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></span><br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-ae301b22-7fff-75ee-e2c4-9a09b65bbbbe"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 601px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="601" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/aML05KhWQScyIQ-Io5j9mQlumAoogdebc_reHKLRLVSbuDjVO9cTCkzNDaOIZtmGzmo99qmskwD-OovbB-ArahpACSVjcXSQrEnDg4zLj-5ESWWvci2jOjXgPTYaQKr15oLzFZ7E" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></span><br />
Surely it makes sense that if a gaming con is only as great as its attendees, then an AWESOME gaming con must have AWESOME attendees! Thank you all for being awesome attendees to KKCon this year!<br />
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See all photos of KKCon 2019 <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/wt5ztyys839QyQcUA">here</a>.<br />
<br />KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-67554512275682821012019-08-17T23:25:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:28:25.471-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 11: You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />To-be-named, Aasimar Wizard Divination-School (played by Mummy)</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">We took a break from D&D for a couple of weeks, but it was interesting to see conversations about our campaign pop-up here and there during that time. Mummy mentioned that she was surprised how captivated she was by the story so far, and she’s made suggestions to the kids on how she might leverage off her “adoring Feathergale knight fans”. And Jojo drew up some sketches of her character:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After settling everyone down for our next session, I show the group the full map of Feathergale Spire as an encouragement to explore it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell them, “Okay, it’s still the night when you guys killed that manticore for Lord Thurl. The Feathergale knights are enamoured by Mummy and her wings, and Lord Thurl allocates rooms for you all. Are you all sleeping in separate rooms?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan declares, “I’m sleeping in my wagon! I’m not letting it out of my sight!” With that, Mummy and Jojo decide that they should share a single room.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell them, “Everyone in the spire settles down, with the knights in their chambers and the spire staff all sleeping communally in the feasting hall near the big fireplaces.” I turn tol Evan, “Roll a d20!” Evan rolls a 16. “In the early hours of the morning, you are suddenly awakened in your wagon by the sound of the drawbridge being lowered!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan complains, “That was a Perception roll? Gah, I wish I failed it and continued sleeping!” Now that he was awake, the gunslinger peeks out from his wagon to see the drawbridge come fully down, and a group of Feathergale knights coming in. Two in front seem to be escorting a prisoner between them, while another two carry a large blocky chest sealed with iron clasps. “The prisoner is dressed in leathers and is quite rough-looking. And the chest that is being carried looks like it’s dripping wet.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I describe how the knights quickly pass the parked wagon and bring their prisoner and chest up the spiral stairway. “Just as they start going up, the chest gives a sudden jolt! The knights carrying it swear a bit but they continue to carry it upstairs.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I look at Evan who shrugs. “Meh, I’m going back to sleep.” And he does.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I get Mummy and Jojo to make Perception rolls as well, and when Jojo succeeds, she wakes Mummy up. “There’s a sound of a group of people heading up the stairs next to your bedroom. What do you want to do?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy says, “I’ll send my ferret to follow them.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I frown, “Ferret? I thought it was a weasel?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Really? Wasn’t it a ferret?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After several magical switches between ferret and weasel, a very mustelid-confused weasel follows the knights as they ascend all the way to the top of the Spire. “Mummy, you recognise this prisoner! He’s one of the guys you saw in that clearing when you guys were travelling to Feathergale Spire!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo nods, “Oh, the knights found the water cultists after all!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">It’s still several hours to dawn, and sky is still dark. However, the top of the spire has a group of knights gathered there, and torches flickering in the wind. Lord Thurl is there and he is presented with the prisoner. He tsks, “Well, what brings the Crushing Wave cult into our domain, hmm? Perhaps you have forgotten the penalty of violating our territory?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The prisoner looks sullen, “I’m not saying anything. You’re going to kill me anyway!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Lord Thurl smiles, “Yes, you are quite right.” He motions to a knight next to him, and it’s the same young teenage boy whom Mummy rescued. “It’s time for you to prove you are truly a knight of the air.” He hands the boy a ritual knife. I describe how the prisoner is pushed to the edge of the spire, and a symbol is carved into his chest before they throw him off. As the prisoner falls into the mist below, something large flies by and snaps him up.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">A knight asks Lord Thurl, “So what do you want us to do with the Fathomer in the chest?” The chest gives another jolt, and a few drops of water jump off. Lord Thurl stifles a yawn, “It’s late. Put the Fathomer into a holding cell. I’ll see him tomorrow.” With that, the knights carry the dripping chest down one level, and Mummy’s weasel observes them bringing it into a chamber. A knight is posted outside the room as a guard. Mummy dismisses her familiar as the rest of the knights file down the stairway.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The next morning, the adventurers meet up at the wagon. Tempest says, “Okay, I was going to prepare my Detect Good and Evil spell, but after last night, I think these guys are definitely evil!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy says, “I still have to do my sales pitch to them. Besides, I don’t think we’re in any danger while they are still enchanted by my wings.” She gives them a slight flutter.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Folax says, “Well, I want to check on my vulture!” The adventurers go down to the stables, and the giant vulture screeches when it recognises Folax.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell them, “There seems to be several knights here minding their hippogriffs. One of the stables is empty, its side doors open to the sky. As you guys watch, you see a figure fly in through the open side doors! The figure is wearing some sort of wing-suit with flaps between the arms and legs. It does a neat somersault and lands next to you guys!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The figure takes off its helmet, and the adventurers recognise Savra, Kaylessa’s niece. “What a glorious morning to fly!” the girl exclaims. “Have you tried our wingwear suits? You really must!” She beckons the adventurers to follow her up the stairs. Mummy and Tempest follow her, while Folax tries to feed the vulture and take it out for a morning flight.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Savra leads them right up to the top of Feathergale Spire. “You guys see a few knights up here putting on those suits that Savra is currently wearing. She gets a spare one and hands it to Tempest.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “Aw geez. She wants to me put it on and try flying!” With some encouragement from Mummy, Tempest eventually puts on the wingwear suit and stands at the edge of the spire. “They probably sabotaged it to kill me!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy says, “I’ll fly with you, just in case.” With that, the aasimar wizard and wingwear-clad dragonborn launch themselves off the edge of the spire. I describe how exhilarating it was to fly over the morning mist of the nearby valley. Folax joins them as well, riding his giant vulture.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Well, you guys can actually explore the valley a bit, if you want. Or do you want to head back into the spire?” After a cursory flight around the spire, they decide to head back in, much to my disappointment. Ah well, encounters in the Sighing Valley will have to wait.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">They land in the stables level of the spire, and a knight greets Mummy. “Lord Thurl wishes to see what sort of decorative armour can your guild supply.” Mummy tells him that she can do her presentation right here in the stables. While Lord Thurl and the knights gather for Mummy’s sales pitch, Tempest and Folax decide that they are going to try to sneak into the ‘holding cell’ chamber to check out that chest containing the Fathomer.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I get Mummy to start off her presentation to Lord Thurl, and she does so with a flourish. Using her Minor Illusion spell, the aasimar wizard shows off examples of hippogriff armour on a real hippogriff. “And my guild can even change the colour, or design-patterns on the sides of the hippogriff. What colour or patterns would you prefer?” Lord Thurl seems overwhelmed by the options (“This is all so HARD!”) while his knights excitedly call out suggestions in the background.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, Tempest casts ‘Pass without Trace’ and she and Folax sneak up to the level where ‘holding cell’ chamber is. “There’s a single knight guarding the door, but he looks like he’s having a doze while leaning against the wall.” Tempest decides to cast “Deafness” on him, and when he doesn’t wake up from his doze, the two adventurers sneak past him into the chamber.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell them, “Still dripping wet, you see the latched chest on one side of the chamber. However, you also see that there’s someone else in this chamber!” I pull open the Monster Manual, and show them this:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It’s an aarakocra, a humanoid being with a bird’s head and wings! And he’s chained to the wall on the other side of the chamber!” The aarakocra regards them curiously, his bird head cocked to one side.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “Um, Hi? Don’t mind us; we’re just here to see the chest. Can you understand me?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell them, “The aarakocra speaks in a low, serious voice, ‘If you are not part of the air cult, free me.’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids discuss this, and Jojo replies, “Yeah, well, do you know what’s inside this chest?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The aarakocra answers, “I wouldn’t open it if I were you. It contains a Fathomer, a powerful water cultist with blue skin who can turn himself in a water serpent. Water cultists are as evil as air cultists who worship Yan-C-Bin, the air prince of elemental evil. If you truly are not part of the air cult, I strongly suggest you free me and we escape this spire. The air cultists are never going to let you leave unless you join them!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, downstairs at the sales presentation, I tell Mummy that Lord Thurl is interrupted by one of his knights who whispers something into his ear. “Apologies, my lady,” says Lord Thurl. “But we will have to pause the presentation for now. I have an urgent summons. Let’s break for now.” With that, Lord Thurl goes up the stairs towards the level where Tempest and Folax are. There’s a moment of panic among them as Mummy scours her spell list to see if there’s anything she can use to delay Lord Thurl. Out of desperation, Mummy says, “I’ll send my weasel familiar to stop Lord Thurl!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“How’s it going to do that!? Hug his ankles!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">In the end, her weasel familiar scurries after Lord Thurl. Mummy sits at a table while listening through her familiar’s ears.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell them that Lord Thurl goes up to the same level where Tempest and Folax are, but instead of going to the holding cell chamber, he enters his own chambers which is next door. Mummy’s weasel scurries up to the chamber door and listens. “You can hear Lord Thurl speaking to someone else. There seems to be a thrum of magic. A woman’s voice asks, ‘So, I hear that you have some interesting visitors at the spire.’ Lord Thurl affirms this, and the woman’s voice continues, ‘And one of them has wings? Real wings? Are they as pretty as mine?’ Lord Thurl gives some response, and the woman replies, ‘I want you to bring her to me. Perhaps Yan-C-Bin will grant me her wings, for my own!’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy looks horrified. “That woman wants my wings!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says to me, “Dad, you took this plot straight from ‘Malificient’, didn’t you!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I shrug innocently. “While Mummy is sitting at her table looking unsettled, a knight sits next to her and enthusiastically starts giving her design suggestions. Mummy can’t hear a word he’s saying because she’s still listening through her weasel’s ears, and just nods politely.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The group unanimously decides, “Okay, I think it’s time to get out of here!” They free the aarakocra who thanks them and says, “We need a diversion before we can flee from this spire.” After an intense discussion of various escape plans, the group decides that the key to their diversion will be to release the Fathomer. I’m not exactly sure of the logic of their plan, but in the end, it was decided that Tempest will carry the chest containing the Fathomer downstairs a few levels, and meet Mummy at the stables before releasing the Fathomer. During the diversion, Folax and the aarakocra will come out and head upstairs to the top of the spire where the aarakocra will fly Folax down to the stables level where Folax can collect his vulture.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">So the dragonborn cleric heaves the chest by herself past the snoozing guard (who is still deaf). She grabs the weasel familiar outside Lord Thurl’s door and speaks into it like a microphone, “Hello? I’m coming down to get you. We’re getting out of here, roger that?” before dumping the poor creature.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Jojo, “And then, you suddenly see it.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo narrows her eyes. “See what?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I say, “Next to Lord Thurl’s chamber door, you see a breakfast tray. On the tray, is a </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">golden spork</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">!” Jojo actually anguishes for a full minute before deciding to ignore the spork and continue to lug the chest downstairs. Pity, I would have awarded her an Inspiration for trying to take it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The dragonborn cleric meets another knight coming up, and a good story about ‘hippogriff food’ and a favourable Deception roll has the knight actually helping the dragonborn to carry the chest downstairs. Once they place the chest down and the helpful knight heads off, the dragonborn casts Invoke Duplicity to create a duplicate of herself standing next to the chest. Then she goes down to the stables and meets Mummy. “I cast Thaumaturgy from my duplicate to open the chest latch and then shout ‘Help! He’s out! Help!’!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I roleplay a little scene where Tempest’s duplicate is shouting for help, and several puzzled-looking knights turn up to see what the matter is. After several embarrassing moments, the chest finally bursts open, and an angry blue-skinned Fathomer emerges from it. “Knights are now yelling and everyone seems distracted by the fight on the level with the Fathomer!” On cue, Folax and the aarakocra come out of their chamber (going past the snoozing knight who is still deaf) and head upstairs, swiping the golden spork as they pass. Then the aarakocra flies Folax down to the stables level of the spire to meet up with Tempest and Mummy. Finally, the adventurers leave the spire, with Tempest on a hippogriff, Folax on his vulture, Mummy and the aarakocra flying with their own wings.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Wait a minute! What about my wagon!?” asks Evan.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Ah right, the wagon,” I say. “Sometime during the chaos of the fight, someone trips a hidden switch which activates the large wooden eagle suspended above the main entrance hall where the wagon is parked. The wooden eagle is actually a battering ram trap, and it swings down and smashes the wagon right through the spire’s drawbridge, leaving a wagon-shaped hole! Thankfully, Mervus the horse isn’t still tethered to it!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">To the astonishment of the adventurers, they witness the wagon smash through the spire’s drawbridge and sail clumsily in the air before it falls to the canyon below. Folax and Tempest dive their mounts and manage to catch the wagon before it hits the ground. With the wagon clutched between them, the flying group follows the aarakocra who leads them southwards in the Sighing Valley.</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Adventure Notes:</span><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />That group of water cultists from last session actually came in handy. Weaving random events into a coherent story is a special joy to me.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />By showing them the map of Feathergale Spire, I was hoping that the group would take time to explore the spire’s rooms, but it seems like they were more focused on particular goals, like checking out that chest with the Fathomer. The 'holding cell' chamber doesn't actually exist in the actual map, but I needed a place to hold prisoners in the Spire, and for some reason, the Feathergale knights don't have one. Perhaps they prefer to throw their prisoners off the spire rather than keep them!<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />I’m just going to keep using Folax’s wagon for comedic effect. Let’s see how battered we can get this wagon to be! <img alt="" border="0" src="https://cf.geekdo-static.com/images/biggrin.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; vertical-align: middle;" /></i>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-18861880797435916432019-07-21T23:23:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:24:34.763-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 10: My dear guests! Welcome to Feathergale Spire!<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />To-be-named, Aasimar Wizard Divination-School (played by Mummy)</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">As I fire up the laptop at the start of this session, Jojo is trying to get Mummy to accept a spork from her character. “Why do I need a spork?” asks Mummy quizzically.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It’s… a gift! My dragonborn hands out sporks to all her friends! Here, just take it!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Riiight. Thanks,” says Mummy as Jojo writes it into her character sheet for her.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I go through the motions of getting everyone to answer ‘Who are you? What can you do?’ and then tell everyone, “So, I take it that you’re all going to Feathergale Spire?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “Yeah. Oh, where’s Zoey anyway? Is she coming with us?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Ah yes, Zoey,” I reply. “Well, you haven’t seen Zoey in over a week. A day or two after the events at the sinkhole, she told you that she’s worried about those Mirabar trade bars you guys found on the Black Earth Cult priest. They look like the ones from the Mirabar delegation that she used to work for, and some of the delegates were her friends. Anyway, she’s gone off to see if anything has happened to them.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo is disappointed that the half-orc caravan guard isn’t going to be with them. Evan, on the other hand, is more interested to know if his wagon has been retrieved from the sinkhole. I tell him that the humans and dwarves managed to lift out the heavy wagon using an elaborate system of pulleys and ropes. Thelorn inspects the damage to the wagon’s rear axle, and tells Folax that he can get it fixed in the overnight shift. The adventurers agree that they will leave as soon as the wagon is ready the next day.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The next morning, Tempest is on her way down from her room at the Swinging Sword Inn, when she is stopped by Kaylessa the inn-keeper. “I heard you’re going to Feathergale Spire,” she says with a worried tone. “I was just wondering if you do me a favour and..”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “Oh, I’ll check on your niece for you. Don’t worry about it.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Folax and Mummy are already waiting outside the inn when Tempest joins them. Thelorn approaches them from out of his store. “He looks a little apologetic,” I tell them. “He says, ‘Ah, Folax, we’ve fixed your wagon, but there’s one slight problem.’”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan winces, “Oh no. What is it?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Well, we didn’t have any more wheels of the same type as the front ones of your wagon. So we’ve fitted another set of back wheels which are larger than the front ones.” Thelorn profusely assures the gunslinger that although the wagon looks strange, it still should drive fine.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You mean, my wagon now looks like a hot-rod!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Um, pretty much, yes.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4856815" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/C2QFHzdcbYa7TqyLlp6R_r-fX6I=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4856815.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Folax unpeels his tongue from the roof of his mouth and rasps to Thelorn, “It’s perfect!” He tries to stick the Wand of Magic Missiles to the back to the wagon to act as a booster, but the others dissuade him. Thelorn has his workers hitch the wagon to a horse that arrived from the farm the day before.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo exclaims, “We now have a horse!? What’s his name?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You can name him. He’s a workhorse, you know, the kind which pull heavy loads. A very nervous-looking workhorse, that is.” They decide to name the horse ‘Mervus the Nervous’. Soon, the adventurers are on their way out of town on their odd-looking wagon.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Who’s driving?” I ask them.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Not me,” says Evan. “I’m going to sleep in the wagon! Mummy can drive!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy says, “Aren’t I your customer? Why should I be driving!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You hired the wagon! It’s like Uber!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“That’s not how Uber works! If this was Uber, you’re the worst Uber driver ever!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">In the end, Tempest drives the wagon while Mummy sits next to her. I tell them, “You follow the road into the Sumber Hills for several hours, and then come to a turning which looks newly cleared, with a make-shift sign that says, ‘To Feathergale Spire’. You turn into a recently cleared dirt road, and already, you can see Feathergale Spire in the horizon.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I pull open the Random Encounters chart in the PotA campaign book, and roll the d20 to see what fate deals to us today. A 13. I look up the result, and say out loud, “How’s </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">that</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> going to happen!?” I had the urge to re-roll, but decide to adhere to Tina Fey's First Rule of Improv (Say Yes), and stick with it.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“As you guys go along, you suddenly hear the faint sounds of arguing! It sounds like it’s coming from off the side of the road, beyond some trees!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers shrug. “It’s just people arguing. Let’s keep going, but maybe send someone to check it out.” As they look through their character sheets, Mummy says, “Can I cast ‘Find Familiar’ and send my familiar to check it out?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh, that’s a great idea! The problem is that ‘Find Familiar’ takes an hour to cast!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What!? I didn’t know that! I would have cast it way before now!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">In a magnanimous gesture, I reverse game time by several hours to allow Mummy to cast her Find Familiar spell so that she has her familiar at this time. Yes, DMing your wife is a good way to score brownie points.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What sort of creature is your familiar?” I rattle off a list of potential creatures from the PHB. Jojo laughingly suggests ‘Octopus’, but in the end, Mummy chooses a weasel. Her weasel familiar pops into existence and leaps off the wagon to check out the sounds.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“While you’re seeing and hearing from your familiar’s eyes and ears, you can’t see or hear yourself,” I say. “In fact, it says here that you can even cast Touch spells from your familiar!” We muse that having a cat familiar rub itself against someone and casting Shocking Grasp would be quite entertaining.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy’s weasel makes it way through the trees, and eventually comes to a hidden clearing where there is a large group of about a dozen people. “These guys look weird! They seem to be armed with strange saw-toothed swords, and two of them are these big, blue-green skinned humanoids arguing with another guy in a tattered blue priest’s robe. “It’s been three days since we last saw water!” growls one of the big guys to the priest. “I say we turn back NOW!” I lift up the PotA campaign book to show everyone how the big, blue-green skinned guys look like:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4856813" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/O01DqzG_zWhp4-UHchHn972LXQk=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4856813.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Water cult,” surmises the kids. By now, they'd figured that they'll be encountering cultists from all four elements soon. “Let’s keep moving!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy says, “Are you sure? Maybe we should-”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“No! Look at Dad’s face! Let’s keep moving now!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">One of the saw-toothed sword-bearing guys glances up. “Shh! I think I hear someone on the road!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest snaps the reins to speed Mervus up, and eventually they leave the band of suspected Water cultists behind. I tell Mummy that she can just make her familiar vanish back to whatever realm it came from until she re-summons it again.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Eventually, the road ends at a cliff-edge. “You guys have made it to Feathergale Spire!” I read from the campaign book: “</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Feathergale Spire rises from a pillar of rock high into the air, the tallest point for miles. Built from white limestone and embellished in marble, the spire resembles a gleaming sword that pierces the sky.</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">” I describe how there is a drawbridge that is currently up. Between their cliff-edge and the spire is a gap of twenty feet which span across a drop that is several hundred feet to the bottom of the canyon. “Near the ledge, a brass bell hangs from a wooden post.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy rings the bell, and a small window opens. “Welcome!” calls out a female voice, “What brings you to Feathergale Spire?” Mummy replies that she is a guild representative and states her business. At once, the drawbridge is lowered, and the adventurers roll their wagon across. I tell them that they seem to be in an impressive white hall that has twelve-foot-tall doors at one end. Most distinguishingly is a large eagle carved from timber suspended from the far-end of the ceiling, its head fashioned with steel.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Nice,” says Jojo. The woman who greeted them joins them, and they see that it’s Savra, Kaylessa’s niece. The young woman introduces herself to Mummy, and says that she’ll bring them to see Lord Thurl, her lord commander. She leads them up a large spiral stairway, going up several floors until they reach the very top. I read from the campaign book: “</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">At the apex of the tower, the stairs terminate at a round stone gazebo that continues upwards in a needle-like minaret. Beyond this enclosure, a small lawn grows upon the top of the tower. Four paths paved with white stones point the directions of the compass, each path ending in a pointed stone crenellation. At the pinnacle’s edge is a spyglass on a tripod, pointed downward.</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">” I describe the supreme view of all the whole nearby canyon and the Sumber Hills beyond.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“A man turns from viewing the spy-glass when you arrive. Tempest and Folax recognise this man! It’s the same guy who you met in Session 1 with the owlbear, and then again when he brought Savra to visit Kaylessa at the inn!” The man has white-grey hair, and is wearing armor with feather patterns. “The kids won’t know this,” I tell Mummy, feeling inspired. “But this guy looks a lot like that white-suited guy from that 80s TV show ‘Fantasy Island’!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4856814" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/hnl3ln8urRsGPpFUM3af08_moS4=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4856814.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy laughs. “You serious? Is there a short guy looking out and calling, ‘The plane! The plane!’!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “I don’t know who this guy is, but he looks dodgy!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Lord Thurl gives the adventurers a low courteous bow. I try to give him a Mexican accent. “My dear guests! I am Lord Thurl, the lord commander of the Feathergale knights! Welcome to Feathergale Spire!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Lord Thurl listens intently to Mummy’s description of what sort of decorative armour her guild can craft. “Ah yes, I’ve heard of your guild while I was in Waterdeep. I recall your guild making the decorative horse armour for one of the merchant lords.” Mummy affirms and offers to show Lord Thurl some armour designs, but the commander lifts his hand. “Of course, but perhaps this can wait till morning. We must celebrate the arrival of our guests with a proper feast! Let’s go below to the grand hall.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">And with that, the adventurers are led to a large, semi-circular feasting hall. “There are about twenty feathergale knights here, all feasting and chatting loudly. You guys are given guests of honour seats next to Lord Thurl who is very courteous and conversational. Do you guys want to ask him anything?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “So um, Lord Thurl. I’m not sure if you recall, but we’ve met before. You were attacking an owlbear, and we happened to be there as well.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Lord Thurl frowns, and then smiles. “Ah yes, of course! The dragonborn who lightning-breathed the owlbear before we carried it off.” He laughs. “What a night, eh?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Don’t you think going around attacking animals is wrong?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Lord Thurl replies, “We were hunting, and hunting is a gentleman’s sport. The owlbear was a dangerous creature anyway, so we dispatched it.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo frowns. “Gah! I don’t know if this guy is evil or not! I wish I prepared my ‘Detect Good and Evil’ spell!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Just then, the doors of the feasting hall burst open, and a sentry from the pinnacle enters. He shouts, “Manticore! It’s on the move!” At this announcement, the Feathergale knights rise as one. Lord Thurl says, “We should take this opportunity to slay the monster! A prize for the one who brings me the beast’s head!” He removes a golden ring and holds it aloft.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids and Mummy are excited now. “A manticore!? Isn’t that a lion with wings?” I take the opportunity to look up the Monster Manual and tell them some information on manticores. “Yes, a lion’s body, dragon-wings, and a tail with spikes that shoot out! They’re super evil, and like to torment their victims.” I tell them that the Feathergale knights would lend them hippogriffs to fly on if they wanted to join in the manticore hunt.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Somewhere between the announcement of the manticore, and me showing how dangerous this creature was, Evan had a change of heart. “I’ll stay with my wagon,” he says. “You guys go.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I shrug, “Sure, you can stay behind.” I did have one ace up my sleeve though. I tell him, “Folax follows Mummy and Tempest down to the hippogriff stables which are located at the lowest level of the spire. Four knights are getting mounted on their hippogriffs, while Mummy and Tempest are being shown a couple of hippogriffs which they can ride. And then, you hear the most awful screech you’ve ever heard coming in a barred stable!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The gunslinger turns and sees a giant vulture in the stable, flapping its black wings and making an awful racket with its screeching because of all the excitement. “Folax, it’s the most beautiful creature you’ve ever seen!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">A passing knight tells Folax, “We’re starting to bring these giant vultures in. This is our first one, and it’s very, very temperamental! No one has tried riding it yet!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “I try approaching it! Is there food? I try feeding it!” The gunslinger finds some scraps of meat, and approaches the giant flapping bird. I get Evan to roll an Animal Handling check, and he succeeds! “The giant vulture snaps the scrap of meat from your hand, and gulps it down in one go!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Right! I’ll feed it a few more scraps, and then I’ll try mounting it!” With a few knights watching curiously, the gunslinger manages to put on a saddle on the vulture which is still busy devouring its food scraps. Then, he gets on. “One of the knights pulls a lever that opens the side of the stable into the open, and with a great flap of wings, the vulture is off! With you riding on its back!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The gunslinger is soon joined by Mummy and Tempest on their hippogriffs. The four other Feathergale knights join them. “We’ll form two teams,” suggests one of the knights. “That way, we can search a wider area.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids that the canyon beyond Feathergale Spire is called the “Sighing Valley” because of the peculiar wailing sounds that the wind makes as it blows through it. “It’s night-time now, but there’s a bright moon. Below, you can only see clouds of mist which cover the valley floor. Here and there, some rocky pinnacles poke out of the mists, and above is the clear night sky.” I tell them that flying out in the night is exhilarating, and for a moment, you can see why some people would want to stay with in Feathergale Spire.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The group splits into two, with the one knight with the kids and Mummy in one team, while the other team of three knights fly off in a different direction. I roll a few d20s and tell them, “You guys fly for about 20 minutes, but you don’t see any sign of the manticore. Then suddenly, you hear a blaring horn coming from somewhere to your left!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“They found it!” declares Jojo. Their group hastily flies towards the blaring horn. “Suddenly, out from the mists, a terrifying manticore lunges out towards your group! You can see some arrows already sticking out from its hide! The manticore snarls, ‘I will tear your skin off your flesh!’, and flings its tail spikes at you!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4856812" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/wQrxDmOUVwvTRomQjwNU-9OWEtU=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4856812.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Everyone rolls for Initiative, and the manticore gets to fire off a wave of spikes at the group. Tempest hits it with a Guiding Bolt, while Folax grazes it with a rifle shot. I get everyone to roll for Perception which the kids fail, “The manticore suddenly dives into the mist, and Tempest and Folax lose sight of it! Mummy and the other knight, on the other hand, pursue it into the mist!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Mummy that she’s following behind the other feathergale knight, and she can see the manticore flying away in front of them. Mummy casts Witch Bolt, but it misses and hits a rocky pinnacle. The manticore dips and turns around the pinnacle, and the knight follows, only to be surprised when the creature springs out from behind the pinnacle and claws him off his hippogriff! “You see the knight falling away! It’s too late to turn your hippogriff around to save him, but you might be able to save him by diving down with your own wings!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy says, “I’ll do it! Jump off my hippogriff and rescue the knight!” So the aasimar wizard leaps off, and her wings spread out from under her cloak. I tell her that she can see the knight trying to spread his arms out along his sides, “He seems to be trying to activate something on his suit, like wing flaps from a wing-suit, but these are torn by the manticore! You swoop down and catch him under his arms! You can see that he’s actually a young teenage boy under his helm!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, Tempest and Folax are trying to find where the others have gone. I roll a d4, and tell them, “Unseen by you two, a dark shadow passes in the mist beneath you! Suddenly, the manticore lunges out and attacks Folax on his vulture!” The manticore scores a bite on the gunslinger, and its rear legs claw at the vulture viciously, scattering black feathers everywhere. Struggling wildly, the gunslinger points his rifle point-blank at the manticore’s head and pulls the trigger.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell them, “From a distance, Tempest can see Folax and his vulture struggling with the manticore, and then there’s an explosion of red. Very slowly, the manticore’s headless body falls down, turning the white mist into red as it vanishes below!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Evan! You were supposed to </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">save</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> the head! How are we going to present it to Lord Thurl if you’ve blown it to bits!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan snorts, “Well, he can pick the bits of its head off my armour!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The group returns to Feathergale Spire, and (despite not having the manticore head) Folax is gifted the golden ring prize from Lord Thurl. Then, the young knight who was rescued by Mummy whispers to Lord Thurl, who looks at Mummy in surprise. “I have been told that you have been hiding a wonderful secret from us! Is it true that you have wings?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Seeing no point to hide them now, Mummy reveals her wings, and the Feathergale knights gasp as one. Lord Thurl himself gets down on one knee and tells her, “My lady, we are honoured to have a champion of the air amongst us!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Yeah, it was good to have the manticore hunt to end this session. It's important to give my kids some motivation, and I had a hunch that showing Evan that vulture would do the trick!<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />The random encounter roll was a band of water cultists - but there was no water around, I was initially stumped on how and why these guys were there in the first place. But I’ll probably be able to use them later. I did ask Mummy and the kids why didn’t they warn the Feathergale knights about the water cultists so close to their spire, and they replied that they simply forgot!<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />It'll be interesting to see what they now come up with given that Mummy seems to have the Feathergale knights enthralled...</i>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-37948988002936092022019-07-17T23:21:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:22:39.225-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 9: It’s pronounced “AYE-si-mar”, not “Ass-si-mar”<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />To-be-named, Aasimar Wizard Divination-School (played by Mummy)</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">During a weekend away, I managed to convince my wife to join in our D&D campaign after showing her this article (</span><a href="https://geekandsundry.com/the-dnd-grandma-shows-youre-never-too-old-to-start-slaying-orcs/" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://geekandsundry.com/the-dnd-grandma-shows-youre-never-...</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">) about a grandma who plays D&D. So when we got back, I excitedly announced to the kids this piece of news. I was somewhat surprised by the half-hearted reception.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What’s up, guys? I think it’s a great idea!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “Well, it’s just that.. It’s mummy! She’ll tell us stuff like, ‘That’s too dangerous!’”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo adds, “And things are going to get harder now! She’ll probably need us to rescue her or something!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I’ll be starting her on Level 2. In fact, I’ll go create her character sheet right now.” So laptop in hand, I settle myself in front of my wife who is knitting on the futon, and start asking her questions about what her character is going to be. “I want a character that has some ability associated to sight or vision,” she replies while casting on a yarn thread. “Is there something like a seer?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I flip through the options from the PHB, and eventually find the Wizard Divination School. “Well, this sounds pretty cool. With the Divination school, you get the ‘Portent’ feature. It allows you to roll two d20s after a long rest and record their values. Then, later on, you can spend and use these Portent values instead of making a d20 roll. That’s actually pretty awesome!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I then pull up my favourite Fast Character Generator website (</span><a href="http://www.fastcharacter.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://www.fastcharacter.com/</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">) to quickly generate a Level 2 Wizard of the Divination school. “Hmm. What race do you want?” I scroll down the list of races, and am surprised to see ‘Aasimar’ as a selectable race. Further investigation shows that this is an ‘example’ race that is supplied in the DMG, but is fully playable. Sort of like an inversed Tiefling; instead of having infernal blood, an Aasimar has celestial lineage. My wife liked the idea of having angel-blood, so we now had an Aasimar character. As a character background, she chooses Guild Merchant.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">My wife asks. “If I’m an angel descendant, do I have wings?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I frown. “There is something I read from the ‘Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide’ about letting Tieflings have bat wings in exchange for their Infernal Legacy trait. I suppose we could do the same, and let you have wings in exchange for your Celestial Legacy trait. At Level 2, that means you can’t cast Light as a cantrip.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo, who had come around to see how things are going, injects here. “Do it, mom. You’ve got darkvision, so who needs light cantrips!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Now that we had a generated Level 2 Aasimar Wizard (Divination) character, there was something else I wanted to try. “I’ve been reading up on this character background random generator from ‘Xanathar’s Guide to Everything’. It’s looks pretty cool! Let’s use it to generate your character’s background.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
<div class="post-img" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow: auto; padding: 0px;">
<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4845131" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/uhCC515PdCnEUERgZEtsHH8iM2Q=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4845131.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">This is a cool book!</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">And so, after a lot of dice rolls, here’s her background: Born to a family with four siblings, she inherits her aasimar heritage from her mother’s side. The family lived in a large, but ill-maintained manor, likely a place that belonged to her mother’s side which has seen grander days. Tragically, her mother is devoured by a monster (we did not decide what) to save her children. Her father brought the four kids up as best as he could, but times were generally tough. One other incident of note was when she got lost in the woods, and was rescued by a hedge wizard who recognised her innate magical ability, and taught her the rudiments of magic. Eventually, she leaves home to join a guild specialising in decorative armour as an apprentice, determined to earn enough to keep herself out of a life of poverty. But recently, a falling out with a dangerous adventurer (who was a guild client) has forced her guild mentors to send her away on a ‘business trip’ to keep her out of sight.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Next, wizard spells. Gosh, this was a long list, but eventually, we pick spells like ‘Minor Illusion’ (to help her during sales pitches), ‘Find Familiar’ (who can say ‘No’ to a magic pet?) and ‘Witch Bolt’, which works a lot like the Emperor’s lightning bolts in Star Wars. We also agree that she needs to cackle when she uses it.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
<div class="post-img" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow: auto; padding: 0px;">
<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4845132" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/_XFM-12JABuj-rURiFZFvu0v51s=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4845132.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Ahahahahhahhaaa!</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“And lastly, a name. What is your character’s name?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">My wife thinks. And thinks some more. “Um, I don’t have a name yet. Can we start without one?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I shrug. “Yeah, sure. It’ll be hard, but I think we’ll manage.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">-----</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">That weekend, we gather together for our first session together with Mummy.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“She’s an ass-what?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“An AYE-si-mar,” I reply primly. I explain about the celestial heritage, and the kids are somewhat impressed.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What’s her name?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“She hasn’t decided yet.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Then what are we going to call her? A-S-M-R?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“We’ll </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">manage</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">,” I reply through gritted teeth.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo declares. “I’m calling her Fred.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I don’t want to be called Fred!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I roll my eyes and turn to Mummy. “I think since this is your first session, we should start with how you get to the Dessarin Valley. We’ve already established that you were sent away from your guild headquarters for your own safety because of a ‘falling out’ with a dangerous adventurer. Now, let’s figure out where exactly is your guild headquarters. I think I have a pretty good idea where though.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I trace a finger along a westward road from the Dessarin Valley map. “As we know, following the Long Road south brings us to Waterdeep, the City of Splendors. Well, there’s this road towards the west, which leads to another city. This is Neverwinter, the City of Skilled Hands. I think that’s the perfect place where your guild headquarters is located, because it’s a city of merchants and craftsmen.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I fill them in on some background history of Neverwinter, a half-ruined but bustling city still recovering from a catastrophic earthquake that ripped open a chasm to the Underdark. “Aside from your home village, and the city of Neverwinter, you’ve never really been anywhere else. As an excuse for your business trip, your mentors tell you that they’ve received word that there is a group of very wealthy wannabe nobles from Waterdeep who have established a ‘flying club’ in the Dessarin Valley. Your mentors want you to make contact with this group, and offer them services to create specialised armor, perhaps with winged motifs.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids exchange glances when I mention the ‘flying club’, but don’t say anything.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Can I fly there?” asks Mummy.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I shrug. “Flying is about the same as walking. It’s not advisable though. There are plenty of monsters that fly, and you’d draw too much attention to yourself if you fly. It’s probably best to travel in a group, like with a caravan that’s heading the same way.” I relate how mummy’s character arrives late at night in Red Larch on a caravan coach. She checks her tired self into the Swinging Sword Inn, and goes straight to bed.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The next morning, she comes down and meets Kaylessa the inn-keeper for a proper greeting. “Hi! I’m Kaylessa - I checked you in late last night. If you have anything you need, just let me know!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Thanks,” says Mummy. “Um, do you know where I can find the ‘flying club’?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Kaylessa immediately goes quiet. “I.. don’t have much to do with the ‘flying club’,” she says hesitantly. “What do you want with the ‘flying club’?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy explains that she’s a guild representative looking to contact the ‘flying club’. Kaylessa seems dismissive. “Guild representative? Are you part of the Lord’s Alliance? If you are, you might find some help across the road at ‘Tarnlar’s’. He sells clothes, and deals with the Lord’s Alliance as well.” I explain to Mummy that she’s definitely heard of the ‘Lord’s Alliance’ - it’s a loose conglomerate of merchant lords who formed an alliance to protect trade. Her own guild is recognised by the Lord’s Alliance.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy thanks Kaylessa again, and heads outside. Just as she leaves, Kaylessa calls out after her, “Oh! And mind the large sinkhole in the street! It turned up about ten days ago!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I didn’t see it when I arrived last night?” asks Mummy.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It was late at night, and you were tired,” I reply. “Thank goodness you didn’t fall in!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The large sinkhole in the middle of the street now has ropes around it to keep people away. There seems to be a team of humans and dwarves discussing things near the sinkhole. Mummy skirts around the sinkhole and crosses the street.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What about your wings?” I ask Mummy. “Do you show them openly, or do you hide them beneath a cloak?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I hide them,” decides Mummy. “Since my childhood, I’ve found that being stared at very annoying.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">At the clothes store, there is a signboard of a well-dressed lord and lady in front. I tell her, “It’s such a surprise to see a shop like this here! Red Larch hardly seems like the sort of place to have a nice clothing store!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says. “You mean, I’ve been in Red Larch all this while, and I didn’t know about this clothes store!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I reply, “Your </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">dragonborn’s</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> passed this store many times, but Tempest wasn’t that interested to check it out.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy enters the place, and I describe the racks of well-made clothes. A portly man introduces himself as Helvur Tarnlar, the store owner. “Ah yes, a pleasure to meet you, my lady! And where might your guardian or chaperone be?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I’m here by myself,” replies Mummy.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Helvur tsks. “Oh, but of course! It must be very… liberal… where you come from!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Just then, a young woman appears from the backroom, carrying a few new clothes. I get Mummy to roll a d20, and explain that this is a Charisma roll. Mummy opts to use her Portent roll of 18. “This young woman gasps when she sees you! She calls you out by name, um-mmh-rmm” I mumble something indistinct.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “I TOLD you this would be hard without a name!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4845133" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/WMZsgLK3nDZMLql3Baepw-7h6QU=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4845133.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">An old room mate!</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">It turns out that Mummy knows this young woman from her early days in Neverwinter. Maegla, or just Meg, used to be her room-mate when they were both looking for apprenticeship in various guilds. Eventually, Meg was accepted into the Clothiers Guild, and moved into her guild living quarters.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Meg brings you to the backroom, and you both catch up on what’s happened since you’ve both seen each other. Apparently, Meg’s family arranged a marriage for her to Helvur Tarnlar, and she’s been here in Red Larch ever since. ‘The Tarnlars were in the wagon-building business,’ says Meg. ‘But their business was going down the drain. They couldn’t compete with the quality of Thelorn’s wagons, nor the price of Waelvur’s wagons, so it was a losing battle. In the end, I dropped a few suggestions that perhaps the business should change to this clothing store, and here we are!’ She gives a proud nod. ‘We are the only quality clothing store for miles around, and I figured that once wagon-drivers and caravaneers have had enough of driving around in the rain, they’d appreciate good, sturdy, trendy travel clothing!’”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy nods approvingly. “She’s got good business sense!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I reply, “Yes, and in fact, you soon figure out that Meg is the brains behind this whole operation. Her husband Helvur struts around pretending that he’s in charge, but he’s just a pompous snob.” Meg is soon inspecting Mummy’s boots, and insists on giving her a pair of new travel boots. In return, Mummy insists on buying a new cloak as well.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Have you heard about the ‘flying club’?” Mummy asks.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meg shrugs. “All I know is that they can be found at Feathergale Spire. Apparently there’s a clear road to get there now, although it’s still dangerous to travel there without an escort. Perhaps you can try asking some of the local heroes if they can help get you there?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy asks more about the ‘local heroes’, and Meg fills her in on all the juicy details about how ten days ago several townsfolk were found to be part of a secret society who have murdered innocent travellers in ritual sacrifice. Waelvur and Melli have been arrested and Constable Harburk is escorting them to Waterdeep to stand trial. And Landro, one of the tavern-keepers, has disappeared, along with Grund the half-orc simpleton who used to live at the fairgrounds selling pickles.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What? Landro’s gone!? That sucks!” complains Evan. “Where am I staying then!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You’re still staying at Landro’s tavern,” I reply. “There’s police cordon rope across the doorway, but you just duck under them and sleep on the couch!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“As for the local heroes, you should be able to find them at the Helm at Highsun,” says Meg. With that, Mummy thanks Meg again and promises to drop in again soon. As she leaves, Helvur starts with, “Oh, nice boots! I hope that Meg gave you a good discount-” and quietens when he sees his wife’s scowl.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I describe the Helm at Highsun to Mummy as she arrives at the tavern. “The place is bustling inside with lots of people. You make your way to the bar counter, and a friendly bar-tender introduces himself as Garl to you and takes your order.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Hello, Garl,” says Mummy. “Would you know where I can find the local heroes here?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The bartender grins. “Ah yes, of course, the person you’re looking for is here! The Helm at Highsun, of course, is well frequented by our local heroes!” He points at a table. I tell Mummy, “There are a number of people at this table, but they all seem to be paying attention to one particular individual. This individual is a notable-looking dragonborn wearing a cleric’s robe. But most notably, she is also wearing... a whole necklace of sporks!” Jojo hoots in laughter and gives me a high-five.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Garl proudly tells Mummy, “Yes, our local dragonborn hero loves her sporks. I introduced them to her, you know.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“How interesting,” says Mummy. She thanks Garl and finds a place at the dragonborn cleric’s table. I let Jojo and Mummy introduce themselves to each other in character (a real feat for Mummy’s character who still has no name), and when Mummy asks about the recent events, Jojo tells her all about her adventures in Red Larch. Tempest also takes out S'il-vous-plaît and introduces the spectral sword to Mummy. The spectral apparition in the blade says, “Hi! You can handle me any time!” A brief pause before he realises what he said and he blurts, “Um. Bye!” and vanishes in an embarrassed swish.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Well, I was hoping that you could help escort me to Feathergale Spire,” says Mummy.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest replies, “Oh, that place. Well, there’s a problem with that place. Rumours are that once you go to Feathergale Spire, you don’t come back.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Really? Why?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“No one knows. Only that when people go there, they chose to stay there instead of coming back. Why do you want to go there anyway?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mummy says, “I sell decorative armour, and my guild wants me to try to sell these to them. In fact, if you’re interested in some decorative armour yourself, I’d be glad to-”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I interrupt, “Someone else cuts in! A young woman dressed in gleaming leather armour from head to toe! She declares angrily, ‘If Tempest is going to buy any sort of armour, it will be Chansyrl armour!’”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Jojo, “You know this young woman. After the events from ten days ago, everyone has been celebrating you and Folax as ‘Red Larch’s local heroes’. This woman Chansyrl owns the leather goods store in Red Larch, which includes leather armour. Chansyrl is a walking advertisement for her store, with the ‘Chansyrl’ logo stamped on all her gear. She’s been trying very hard to get you to wear her armour, particularly if you can display the Chansyrl brand logo prominently, and perhaps mention that you use Chansyrl armour when you are in battle.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4853160" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/C3oceXc_J15FVdhby09QMpIZRdc=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4853160.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">”I might be Surprised and Prone, foul beast, but I also have Chansyrl’s leather armour!!”</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest rolls her eyes and tells Chansyrl, “Look, I haven’t agreed to wear anything of yours, so go away!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Chansyrl’s face takes on an almost puppy-eyed look. “But.. you’re Red Larch heroes! And I run a store in Red Larch! Don’t you want to support Red Larch business!?” This however does not change Tempest’s mind, and the young woman slinks away.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I say, “Just then, the tavern door bangs open, and an excited but ugly-looking human wearing scale armour comes in. ‘They’re getting my wagon out!’ he states loudly.’They are going to use some sort of contraption to lift it out!’” I explain to everyone that the town authorities have decided on plans to build some sort of underground street in the chambers recently discovered under the town. And they have to remove the wagon because it was in the way.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest introduces Folax to Mummy who offers to buy Folax a drink. Folax immediately requests for Hag-fish brew, the most expensive drink in the tavern. Mummy offers to buy him a beer instead. “I hate beer!” retorts the gunslinger.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I intervene. “Actually, that’s true. Since Landro disappeared, Folax has been coming here to the Helm on Highsun for drinks. And ever since he complained to Justran, the brewer who works for Garl, about the quality of beer here, Folax has noticed that every beer he drinks here seems worse than everyone else’s.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan declares, “That’s it! I’m not drinking any beer from here! Urgh!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />It felt right to kick off the next ‘season’ of our adventures through the introduction of Mummy’s character. Although the kids did not participate much, they were quite entertained all the same.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />This session was definitely a ‘setup’ session. Plenty of potential plot hooks, and I took the liberty to introduce a whole host of new NPCs from Red Larch, namely Helvur Tarnlar and Maegla (Meg), Chansyrl of ‘Chansyrl armour’, and Justran the beer brewer. Let’s toss them into the mix and see what comes up.</i>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-8227216131376028402019-07-14T23:19:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:20:38.848-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 8: Boss fight with the Bringers of Woah!<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Okay, guys, so far we’ve been doing combat with just rolling dice and imagining the battle, and D&D supports all this fine. This time, I thought we’d try something different. This is an important boss fight, so I’ve drawn the ‘Tomb of Moving Stones’ on this grid-map.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4840126" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/3_BYuAJE2rxki4yUCAJyWdQlnYM=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4840126.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The Tomb of Moving Stones - Boss fight!</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“This is much better,” says Jojo approvingly. “I can actually see where everyone is!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I explain to the kids what ‘Speed 30 ft’ means in terms of grid movement, as well as weapon ranges. Evan is delighted to know that his rifle pretty much can hit anything in the room without disadvantage, while Jojo is a little underwhelmed by the 30-foot range of her dragonborn lightning breath attack. “It hits multiple enemies though, so use it carefully.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The six leather armour clad ‘Bringers of Woe’ are still striking their poses in front of the Black Earth Cult Priest, who is currently doing a face-palm and muttering, “I </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">told</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> you guys; this is NOT cool, it’s just embarrassing!” He then points towards the adventurers. “Prove your worth to me, Bringers of Woe! Eliminate these intruders!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">We roll Initiative, and Evan goes first. “I’m using the Wand of Magic Missiles!” The gunslinger burns multiple charges to send a mass of streaking Magic Missiles to hit each Bringer of Woe for 1d4+1 damage.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The Bringers of Woe retaliate with a volley of crossbow bolts themselves. “Tempest dodges the couple of bolts aimed at her, while Folax gets hit for 8 damage!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I let Jojo control Zoey’s actions, and she sends the half-orc caravan guard charging forward. “Zoey charges straight into melee range of three Bringers of Woe, swinging her-” I hesitate. “Actually, I don’t know what weapon she uses!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “I always imagined her using something large and oversized, like the powerline pole that Gargantuar uses in Plants versus Zombies.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4840124" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/314Kw4-3XV4L8YJvwAf-6SUL0BU=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4840124.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Gargantuar!!!</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After a brief discussion, we decide that Zoey uses an oversized maul, swinging it two-handed like a massive baseball bat. Jojo rolls her attack roll and rolls a 20! “Zoey charges into melee, and she back-hands her maul into a Bringer of Woe, smashing him up into the ceiling! He crashes back down, and does not get up!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest leaps off the stone-slab table and runs forwards. “I move to this square, and blast my lightning breath! Three of them should be in line with my breath attack!” Three Bringers of Woe are caught in the deadly lightning attack, and some amazing damage rolls result in a couple of lightning-charred corpses on the ground. Folax moves forward, firing his rifle at the Black Earth Priest, upping his damage with Violent Blast.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids and I pause here to survey the results of this amazing round. In one round, the party had managed to eliminate half their opponents! If there was ever a movie poster for this campaign, this would have been it - Zoey leading the charge and smashing her hapless opponent into the ceiling, with Tempest next to her dragon-lightning-breath blasting several more enemies, while Folax brings up the rear firing with his rifle.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Back to the fight. Alarmed at the rate his minions are being pulverised, the Black Earth Priest raises his hands and snarls, “SLOW!” Immediately, the three charging adventurers are caught in a motion-slowing wave. “You guys are all running in slow motion. Zoey looks over at you and says in slow-mo, ‘Whhuuuaaaattt’sss hhaaapppeeenniinnggg!!??’ It’s almost like that Quicksilver kitchen scene in X-Men, except that you guys are the ones who are slow!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" class="embed-responsive-item" frameborder="0" height="385" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T9GFyZ5LREQ" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: 406.929px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 723.429px;" width="640"></iframe></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I get them to roll Wisdom saving throws, and Folax and Tempest succeed! “You guys speed up again, but poor Zoey is still caught in slow-mo!” However, even while slowed, the half-orc manages to dodge an attack and retaliate with a smash that brings down her opponent. Tempest finishes off the last Bringer of Woe with her mace.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Grumbling under his breath about useless underlings, the Black Earth Priest advances, expertly spinning his long glaive in elaborate twirls. After being grazed by a thrusting attack from Sil-vous-plait, the Black Earth Priest makes two attacks, striking Zoey down to 0 HPs, and scoring a hit against Tempest. “Zoey is down and bleeding badly! She probably couldn’t get out of the way fast enough because of the Slow spell!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids deliberate for a few minutes on whether they should try to revive Zoey, or concentrate on the Black Earth priest, but eventually Tempest decides to conclude business with a Guiding Bolt which misses badly (she rolled a 1) and blasts a hole in the priest’s robe between his legs instead. Eventually, Folax ends the fight with a critical hit shot (he rolled a 20) that collapses the Black Earth priest into a heap.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">What a fight! The kids were stoked, and after reviving Zoey, they find the Black Earth priest still coughing his last dying breaths. A couple of questions reveals some interesting pieces of information:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">- The Black Earth Priest is from the Black Earth cult that is one of four Elemental Evil cults in the Dessarin Valley. Although all serve the Elemental Evil, the cults all despise each other.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">- The Red Larch Believers were being fooled by the Black Earth priest into doing more and more heinous crimes to indoctrinate them into the earth cult.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">- The “flying club” at Feathergale Spire is part of the evil air cult.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">With that, I let the Black Earth priest expire at last. The adventurers search his belongings and find some gold, as well as a few curiously shaped metal bars shaped like Toblerones. Of course, the kids recognise these as Mirabar trade bars. Zoey, who had been a caravan guard with the Mirabar delegation before she was fired, goes pale when she sees them. “The guards were idiots, but some of the Mirabar delegates were my friends,” she says. “Where did this piece of scum get his hands on this!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Some experimentation with the stone blocks in the room soon reveals the chamber’s magic secret. The floor is enchanted, such that stamping the floor next to a stone block makes the stone block hover an inch off the ground so that it can be easily moved around by sliding. Obviously, this was some sort of dwarven logistical warehouse. The kids spend some time playing 'giant air hockey' by sliding large blocks of stone around at each other.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Constable Harburk and his sons arrive at the scene with the old man Baragustus in tow. “We found some corpses in some of the other rooms,” says the broad constable. “They look like travellers who have been ritually killed!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Baragustus reveals that the Believers had been following what the Black Earth priest had told them - that the Delvers were demanding sacrifices to be performed. He names Waelvur and Melli the Stone Quarry overseer woman as some of the main ring-leaders. He also says Landro is involved, but his job was just to locate suitable travellers whom no one will easily miss.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“So that’s what ‘another one’ means,” mutters Jojo. “Well, I’m going to find the Stone Quarry Overseer woman, and make her pay!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Constable Harburk stops Tempest as the dragonborn cleric tries to leave. “My apologies,” he says. “Since this involves Red Larch townsfolk, you will have to leave it to the proper Red Larch authorities to handle. Namely me and my boys.” Behind him, his deputy sons are excitedly sliding the floating stones at each other. Tempest snorts, but stands down.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids, “Well, guess what guys - after this big boss fight, and solving the Red Larch quest, you guys level up! You’re both now on Level 3!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Ahh, Level 3. I love getting to Level 3. It’s a real milestone for any fresh character, a mark that this character has gotten into his adventuring groove. For Evan, his gunslinger gets to speciallise with an archetype choice. We go through his options, from long-ranged Snipers all the way to dual-pistol-wielding Desperadoes, but in the end, we felt that fate had given Folax the ‘Belt of Hill Giant Strength’ for one obvious choice: the Close Quarter Combatant. Ignore disadvantage in firing melee-range, bonus AC, and being able to use Strength instead of Dexterity when using his rifle? So with a few pencil strokes on his character sheet, Folax has now become the front-line heavy hitter of the party.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo gets to go through her new list of Cleric spells. There are quite a few, but some potentially interesting ones jump out. I tell her, “With ‘Locate Object’, you can always sense the direction to an object that is familiar to you. Sort of like Spiderman’s tracking device which he sticks to getaway cars.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4840125" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/mWPBm-87b3dujOysg2ej-h19CYg=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4840125.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Spider Tracer!</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo thinks. “Hmm, familiar objects..” Suddenly, light dawns in her head. “Ooo, I know! I can use this on my sporks! Oh my gosh, that’s so awesome - I finally have a use for my spork collection! I can give a spork to someone, or stick a spork on something, and I can always track it!” We high-five each other and write it down.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Yeap, I love it when spells are used creatively! </span><img alt="" border="0" src="https://cf.geekdo-static.com/images/biggrin.gif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: middle;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />I'll allow Tempest to use her sporks like the spider-tracer, to a longer range than the 1000 feet as stated in the PHB. Just put it down to her dragonborn 'hoarding' instincts.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />This fight was really the test to see if the kids characters were powerful enough to face some of the tough encounters in the PotA campaign. I'm glad to see that they've pretty much passed with flying colours! The number of 20s that were rolled were quite out of the ordinary, and I'm glad that most of them went the kids' way.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />I feel like this session ends Season 1 of the kids adventure series. The next session, things get interesting when I manage to convince my wife to play D&D with us! <img alt="" border="0" src="https://cf.geekdo-static.com/images/biggrin.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; vertical-align: middle;" /> Tune in next time!</i>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-65488109930692854662019-06-24T23:17:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:18:22.659-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 7: Cloudy with a chance of Sinkholes<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan spent most of the week leading up to this session asking if his wagon survived the sink hole, to which I’d smirkingly reply, ‘Maybe’. Yes, it’s good to be the DM Dad.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I start off this session by telling Jojo, “Did you know that ‘Tempest’ is actually the name of a cleric domain? It’s supposed to be the domain of storm and weather gods. So you are actually a cleric named Tempest, but of the Trickery domain!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “Really? How was I supposed to know!? Maybe that’s what my dragonborn parents named me because they wanted me to be a cleric of the tempest domain!” We reason that this might be why Tempest got kicked out from her clan when she chose to follow Loki instead.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Well, kids, if you recall from the last session, there was an earthquake in Red Larch, and a massive sinkhole has opened up in the middle of the street - right under Folax’s new wagon! Everyone is running around shouting and in panic, and someone yells that the children were in the wagon!” When the last of the tremors subside, a large group of townsfolk gather around the house-sized sinkhole, peering into the dark depths.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Wow, house-sized? I thought it was just as big as the wagon,” says Jojo.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers join the crowd of onlookers around the sinkhole. I tell the kids, “There seems to be some sort of commotion in front of the crowd. You see Waelvur, the dodgy wagon-dealer, sweat beading on his bald head, hastily telling the crowd, ‘There’s nothing to see here! Go back to your homes! Keep back!’. Next to him is the Stone Quarry Overseer woman who is saying even weirder things with her stern voice, stuff like, ‘Non-Believers are forbidden to enter the Tomb!’ and ‘The Delvers cannot be disturbed!’”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers make their way to the front to confront the pair. Waelvur is much shorter than Tempest, but he puffs himself up nervously as the dragonborn looms over him. “Um.. nothing to see here?” he squeaks.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Just then, Constable Harburk and his burly sons turn up. “What’s going on here?” asks the Constable. Waelvur looks visibly relieved. “Um, yes Constable, we were just keeping people away from this dangerous sinkhole. In fact, I think everyone should just go home and leave this matter to myself and Melli here.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The Constable gives him a strange look. “I heard there are children trapped down there! We should rescue them straight away!” to which Waelvur immediately protests.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids, “The crowd parts again, and you see Zoey the half-orc caravan guard come through. She’s carrying a coil of rope.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Zoey!” greets Jojo happily. After arranging who goes down the sinkhole (Zoey, Tempest and Folax) and who stands above-ground holding the rope (Constable Harburk and his sons, and DEFINITELY NOT Waelvur and Melli the Stone Quarry Overseer), the adventurers descend into the depths of the gaping sinkhole.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I read from the campaign book: “</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">This wide, irregularly shaped cavern has a floor of smooth bedrock. Damp dirt and stone, with tree roots protruding here and there, make up the walls. A five-foot-wide tunnel leads off to the north, and a stone slab - a door with a rusty pull-ring - stands to the east. By the stone door, a couple of well-used cloaks and a waterskin are on the floor.</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Of course, the first thing Evan asks is if they can see his wagon. I affirm, “The wagon is right in the middle of this cavern! You can see that although one of the back axles is broken, the main structure of the wagon seems intact!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan nods approvingly. “This is what you get for 100 gold! Thelorn’s quality wagon!” The adventurers peer into the wagon, and they see three children huddled together in tears. From here, it was a simple matter to get the kids hoisted out with the rope. “What about my wagon!?” demands Evan.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell him, “Well, it’s too big to be hoisted up using these ropes! You’ll have to figure out another way to get your wagon out!” The adventurers decide to check out the stone-slab door. After inspecting the two cloaks, they decide that Zoey and Folax should wear them, while Tempest casts Disguise Self to make it look like she’s wearing a similar cloak herself.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Proceeding through the stone-slab door, the adventurers find themselves in a long straight corridor heading eastwards. “The walls and floor are perfectly smooth. It definitely looks as if this was chiseled out a long time ago.” They pass two stone sentinels carved into the walls facing each other (not bothering to check if they are hidden doors, which they were) and eventually come to a portion of corridor where the ceiling rises into the darkness above. “Even with darkvision, you can only see a series of floating panels where the ceiling should be. Further on, you can see the corridor ends with another stone-slab door.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Even my kids can figure this out. “It’s a trap. I wonder what’s up there?” Evan decides to jump to see if he can reach a panel, and rolls an amazing 19 with his acrobatics check. “You manage to grab hold of a panel… and it swings from side to side! You hoist yourself up, and you see iron bars. The panels are actually the undersides of cages suspended with chains from the ceiling!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo ponders. “Cages. Which fall as soon as we go under them. I… RUN LIKE BLAZES DOWN THE CORRIDOR!” Demonstrating a natural lack of mutual consideration, Tempest sprints down the corridor. Seeing the dragonborn sprint through, Folax drops down and runs as well, followed by Zoey. I get them to roll Dexterity checks, and announce, “Immediately, there is a rattling of chains, and sure enough, the cages fall down from the ceiling! Zoey and Tempest are trapped in cages, but Folax makes it to the stone-slab door at the end of the corridor!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Folax tries to open the stone-slab door, but this one seems bolted from the inside. I tell him, “And then, you suddenly smell… pickles!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Pickle-seller guy!” Sure enough, the voice of Grund the half-orc sounds through the stone-slab door. “You not give password!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “A password? Oh, what was that word? ‘Delvers’?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Um no. It something you are.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids crack their heads for a while, but eventually give up. I tell them that they can hear Grund moving off. “I go get others now!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan slaps his forehead. “Ah, it’s Zoey! The pickle-seller guy has a crush on Zoey! We should have gotten Zoey to talk to him!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Ah well, opportunity missed. I ask the kids what they want to do now. After trying again to open the door himself (and using up a series of Magic Missles from his wand to blast the door), I patiently remind him that his companions are still stuck in cages, and perhaps they can help. Eventually, the gunslinger helps Zoey and Tempest to lift and escape their cages, and together, they bust open the stone-slab door.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The room beyond the stone-slab door just has a bench, and a series of levers and chains along the walls, obviously used to activate the cage traps. There are more stone-slab doors to the north and east, and the adventurers proceed eastwards.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />The campaign book has a boy pinned under a stone-slab here, apparently the son of one of the Believers who is being punished for some minor infraction. Personally, I thought that the Believers already had enough crimes under their belt without adding child-abuse to the list, so I removed that scene.</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You guys come to another stone room, and this one has a statue of a dwarf warrior here.” I describe the statue, and that it had coins and various gems littered on the ground around it. “There’s also an interesting-looking dagger here!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan hastily diverts his attention from playing with his phone and declares that he’s scooping up the loot on the floor, while Jojo picks up the dagger and asks me to describe it. “It’s a dagger decorated with star motifs! The grip is made from night-blue leather! Dried blood still coats the blade. It hardly whispers a sound when you swing it through the air. And there’s a word ‘Reszur’ inscribed on the pommel!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan declares, “I say, ‘Reszur’!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Nothing happens. “Probably because you’re not holding the dagger, Tempest is.” I point out.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Somewhat hesitantly, the dragonborn cleric says ‘Reszur’, and the blade gives off a cold glow that lights up the area like a torch. “And that’s what it does,” I finish.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo splutters, “A glow-stick!? Evan gets a cool Wand of Magic Missiles, and I get a stupid glow-stick!? I’ve got </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">darkvision</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> for crying out loud!!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4809646" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/aAjvOcKfrSj-fECF74Pz5ZybkM0=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4809646.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Oooo... Magic!</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Even my consolation of ‘Well, it’s +1!’ doesn’t mollify her. Tempest tosses the glowing dagger over her shoulder in disgust. I tell her that Zoey picks it up and shrugs as she keeps it.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">There’s another door to the east, so the adventurers proceed through that one. “You guys are in another short corridor. It ends at another door. Next to this door, a small lantern hangs from a hook. Sitting on a wooden stool by the lantern is a balding, beardless old man in patched and faded work trousers and tunic. He’s idly whittling a stick.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “I point my rifle at his face!” The old man exclaims in terror and immediately begs for his life. The adventurers ask him who he is and what is this place, and the old man gives his name as Baragustus, and that he is one of the Believers. Many years ago, the chamber beyond this door was discovered by miners. They called it the ‘Tomb of Moving Stones’ because there were strange dwarven skeletons entombed in there, and big rocks which seem to change their positions from time to time. The Believers call the dead dwarves Delvers and believe that they move the rocks to communicate and show signs of coming danger. “The Delvers care for the good of Red Larch! And recently, someone named Larrakh came to us. He said he was an earth priest, and he could help us understand the Delvers better!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Where’s this earth priest now?” asks Tempest.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The old carpenter nods towards the door. “He’s inside the Tomb.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Anticipating a boss-fight coming up, the kids continue through the stone door into the Tomb. As they enter, I lift up the campaign book to give the kids some visual:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4809645" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/hl4WyFcwMxiz7uvgAnJSo-W5ejA=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4809645.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo exclaims, “That’s exactly like how I imagined it! Me and Evan the midget and everything!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids that there are stone slab beds along the sides of the walls with dwarven skeletons. They go over to inspect these, and find dwarven inscriptions on the walls. Rummaging through their character sheets, the kids are disappointed to find that neither of them speak Dwarf.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I speak Dwarf!” sounds out S'il-vous-plaît from his scabbard.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Really!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Yup! I once had a dwarf room-mate who could only speak in his own language. So I took night-classes to learn Dwarf so that I could talk to him.” S'il-vous-plaît looks downcast. “Then I found out that he was saying very bad things about me to his friends all this while, so.. yeah.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo sighs. “Well, can you read what this inscription says?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">S'il-vous-plaît mutters as he picks through the words. “It says… </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">‘Caution! Heavy equipment in operation! Do not use while drunk or fatigued!’</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">While the kids ponder on the strange sign, I tell them. “Suddenly, you hear a whining sound, like something powering up! Tempest, you see a very large stone sliding towards you, like it was sliding over ice!” Jojo succeeds her Dexterity check and leaps up on the stone slab bed, scattering dwarven bones everywhere, as the large stone crashes against the bed and bounces away, as if it were a puck on an air-hockey table.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids, “In the middle of the chamber, you see a dark robed man sneering at you. ‘You dare interfere with the Black Earth Cult! Your meddling ends here!’ And then, six more figures spring out in front of him, and you hear this…” I search up and play this YouTube video on my phone:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" class="embed-responsive-item" frameborder="0" height="385" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wn8U7TvoLhc" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: 406.929px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 723.429px;" width="640"></iframe></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The six figures clad in leather armour strike poses in front of the Black Earth Cult priest. “It’s the Bringers of Woe!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh no, these butt-triangles again!” groans Evan.</span>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-52212535837104297142019-06-05T23:15:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:16:05.552-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 6: Lance Rock Larkiness<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After a Short Rest, the adventurers follow the left exit and come to a large cathedral-like cavern. “There are three flat boulders serving as stone slab tables close to you, bearing corpses in various stages of decomposition. The cavern continues further into the dark. There is a hooded figure here at one of the stone tables, holding a bone needle in one hand. There are baskets of human parts next to the stone slab tables.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan decides to fire at the hooded figure’s hand, and rolls an excellent shot. “The figure’s hand explodes into gore! The figure looks at its missing hand, and then at you guys. It’s another zombie!” S'il-vous-plaît flies forward and attacks. Tempest sets the zombie’s hood on fire with Sacred Flame, while Folax blasts its head right off with a single shot, its head trailing smoke as it bounces away.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest investigates the basket of human parts. I tell her, “There’s just more gore and parts in these. You lift out a severed hand, and it suddenly comes to life and starts clawing you! In fact, you see four other hands crawling out of the baskets!” I tell the kids that this is a Crawling Claw; an undead severed hand of a murderer, and read out some fun facts about Crawling Claws from the Monster Manual. “Dark wizards use these as assistants. And it is actually possible to turn the severed hand of a living person into a Crawling Claw, although that person will go into a coma until the hand is destroyed!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4778200" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/hXCWIllzy7onMkjUqJXSPJ9lt3w=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4778200.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">This fight was entertaining. One of the claws managed to leap onto Folax and the gunslinger spent several frantic rounds trying to get the scrambling thing off. Evan got desperate enough to demand that S'il-vous-plaît try to stab it off! Eventually though, he manages to throw it on the ground and stomp on it, and the rest of the disgusting little creatures are eventually destroyed.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I almost died because of a stupid undead hand!” grumbles Evan. The gunslinger downs a Cure Light Wounds potion to calm his nerves.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You’ve been pretty trigger-happy with your rifle,” I tell Evan. “Remember to keep track of your ammo. You’ve got, what, 5 shots left?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers proceed further down the large cavern. I tell them that they see a stairway cut into the side of the cavern which leads up to a peep-hole and a depressed lever. “So, who wants to look in first?” I ask cheerfully.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Peep-holes in D&D are the best at freaking out players. After a lot of ‘You look! No, you look! I went first last time!’ Folax looks through and sees the caved-in room with the smashed chests. The kids correctly guess that this is where the ‘Lord of Lance Rock’ must have observed and triggered the cave-in trap.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Going further down the cavern, I tell the kids, “You come to a stone workbench where a man dressed in black is cleaning his cutting tools. Guarding him are four skeletons! The man looks like this.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4778202" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/ph02cWBPqzc1M59yqQUJsijlDpY=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4778202.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I don’t like him already!” declares Jojo.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The man sees the adventurers and demands, “Bow before the Lord of Lance Rock!! Me!! Behold my dark terrors!” The skeletons clack as they regard the adventurers.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest pulls out her holy symbol. “Turn undead!” I roll d20s for the skeletons’ saving throws: 3, 3, 4 and 1. “To the astonishment of the Lord of Lance Rock, all his skeletons turn and flee! The man is like, ‘What the - guys? Guys!’. He looks a little panicked, but he regains his composure and says, “Well done! You have proven your worth to the Lord of Lance Rock! As your reward, you may now leave in peace!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest turns to Folax and says, “Shoot him.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The man clasps his hands together in fright. “Ah! Please don’t kill me!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo sniggers, “Heh, works every time.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest asks, “So why are you terrorising Red Larch?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Red Larch!? That little insignificant settlement has not even felt the brunt of my undead power! It’s no different from all the other settlements I’ve been chased away from! I bide my time now in my secret hideout, but soon they will all know and fear the might of my undead army!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“If this is your hideout, why did you put a big sign in front telling everyone that you’re here!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">He pauses from his rant. “Perhaps that was not such a good idea.” A thought crosses his mind. “Are you two from the Black Earth Cult?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest says, “Why yes! We’ve been sent to get, um. ‘Another one’?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The man has no idea what Tempest is requesting. “I know you in the Black Earth Cult have a presence in Red Larch. Perhaps we can reach some sort of agreement between the Black Earth Cult and the Lord of Lance Rock?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo sighs. “I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. I think you deserve to die right now!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">With that, I get the kids to roll for Initiative. I roll a 11 for the man, but Evan rolls a 12! “The Lord of Lance Rock raises his hands to cast a spell, but Folax does the quick draw; he lifts and fires his rifle one-handed in one fluid motion!” The shot grazes the man’s shoulder, but he completes his spell, and the air shimmers around him like a force field as Mage Armour manifests. S'il-vous-plaît leaps forward to skewer the man, but the sword glances off the unseen armour.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest casts Command which fails to take hold (Jojo really wanted to try ‘DANCE!’ as a command), while Folax does a Rapid Reload (according to Evan, one-handed-style like in Terminator 2) and fires another shot that hits the man right in the chest, showering Mage Armour sparks everywhere, lifting him off his feet and onto his bottom.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" class="embed-responsive-item" frameborder="0" height="385" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k3I7DYEmULA" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: 406.929px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 723.429px;" width="640"></iframe></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Rapid Reload like a Bad-ass!</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The Lord of Lance Rock snarls, “CROWN!” and points at Folax. I tell the kids that this is a ‘Crown of Madness’ spell that can cause Folax to go mad and attack someone next to him. Evan rolls his saving throw, and just makes it! “You see iron points of a crown flicker around Folax’s head before vanishing completely!” Tempest flings her ever-reliable Guiding Bolt spell that finally takes the Lord of Lance Rock down to his last hitpoint. “I yield!” he screams in fear as S'il-vous-plaît rests his blade on the man’s throat.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The fight over, the kids ask the man what does he know of the Black Earth Cult. “I thought you </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">were</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> the Black Earth Cult,” whimpers the man. “But if you want to know, I must show you something!” He gets up (S'il-vous-plaît still hovering at his throat) and leads the adventurers to the back of the cavern.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“The back of the cavern looks like a messy study with a messier bed on one side. In the middle, there’s a stand made from humans arms holding a crystal ball! Hovering faintly above the crystal ball is this symbol:”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4778201" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/uUxQTkbNu1wXRX-8lsxZJpnsvh4=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4778201.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It’s the Eye!” intones the Lord of Lance Rock. “Can’t you see it? It sees your every move!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It does? Wait, is this like ‘Lord of the Rings’?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What? No, I’m the ‘Lord of </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Lance Rock</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">’! And the Elemental Evil Eye has been here for thousands of years! It waits to consume the world!!” The eye shimmers above the four other symbols, one of which is recognisably the butt-triangle symbol that they have seen before. I tell Jojo that Tempest suddenly recalls where she’s previously seen this symbol - it was on the stone armour which crumbled away into sand when she tried removing it from that dead person they found in those burial mounds.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I take the crystal ball,” says Evan. As the gunslinger reaches out to take it, the Lord of Lance Rock screams, ‘NO!’ and hurls himself at Folax. “You see his hand glowing with long, red fingernails (</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">GM Note: Vampiric Touch</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">) as he reaches out to claw you!” S'il-vous-plaît gets first attack though (with advantage) and efficiently dismembers the man’s hand. Collapsing on the ground dying, the Lord of Lance Rock utters under his last breath, “The undead... will rule!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I loot his body!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“The man’s body suddenly burns in a black flame, and then vanishes with a plaintive wail!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Aw-</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">maaannn</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers contend themselves by exploring the grisly study. They loot a cache of gold and gems, chase away the four skeletons hiding under the bed, and find a blue wand on the study table. A few experimental blasts (one which destroys the bed) reveals that this is a Wand of Magic Missiles. We agree that the Lord of Lance Rock has probably hoping to grab this when he brought them in here.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I say, “So, are you guys going to try looking for Savra?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Who?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Kaylessa’s niece? You know, the person you’re supposed to be looking for? The reason why you came to Lance Rock in the first place!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh, her! Yeah!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">A careful inspection of the bodies shows that none of them fit the description of the innkeeper’s niece. “S'il-vous-plaît suggests that you should bury the rest of the dead bodies, just in case someone else comes along to raise them as undead, so you guys pile them in a cave and collapse it. The journey back to Red Larch takes most of the next day and is uneventful.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Back in Red Larch, the adventurers go to the Swinging Sword and find Kaylessa, “Hey, Kaylessa, we went to Lance Rock, and we didn’t find your niece. There was some crazy evil dude there raising undead though, but we took care of him.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Kaylessa looks embarrassed, “Oh! That’s great that you cleared out Lance Rock! Um, about my niece…” Just then, a young teenage girl approaches, “Hey, Aunt Kaylessa! I’m heading off now!” Kaylessa sheepishly introduces her ‘lost’ niece to the surprised adventurers.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Before you guys can tell Kaylessa off, another man approaches. You recognise this man! He’s the hippogriff rider you guys met in session 1!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4741395" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/iSd7K2KUR7mKz3qFtipsqxJd-w0=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4741395.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The man smiles at everyone. He does not seem to recall Folax or Tempest. He says to Kaylessa, “So you see, there’s nothing to worry about! Savra is safe with us in Feathergale Spire! But, please, feel free to come visit any time!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Savra adds, “Oh yes! We’ve cleared a path to Feathergale Spire so that wagons or supply caravans can get to it. It’s easier to cart furniture to the Spire now; have you ever tried transporting a four-poster bed with a hippogriff!?” With that, the young girl and the man bid Kaylessa and the adventurers good-bye. They go outside to mount their hippogriffs which were waiting for them in outside the stables. In a powerful beat of wings, the two are off into the sky, flying towards Feathergale Spire.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids, “You notice that Kaylessa still looks worried, even though her niece has been found.” Tempest asks Kaylessa about it, and the innkeeper sighs, “Oh, it’s just… I’ve heard strange things about the flying club in Feathergale Spire. About people going there and then deciding to stay. I heard this odd story of a young man from a farm who joined the club against his family’s wishes, and when his older brother went to bring him back, he too joined! Maybe it’s a young person thing. Perhaps they find it more exciting to be part of the flying club, or something.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo ponders, “Hmm.. Sounds like some sort of brain-washing.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids that there’s some sort of excited commotion outside. The adventurers exit the inn, and see a brand new covered wagon outside. Thelorn’s workers are pushing the wagon along, while Thelorn himself is taking the opportunity to show-off his workers’ handiwork. “The horse should be coming from the farm later,” he tells Folax.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh, yes!” says Evan rubbing his hands gleefully. A large group of onlookers have gathered to admire the wagon. Some kids turn up, and the adventurers recognise the little girl Pell and her older siblings. The kids Oooo! at the sight and Pells asks pleadingly, “Can we go inside and look, pleeeeeease?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“No,” says Evan firmly.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Yes!” says Jojo happily.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“YAAYY!!” The kids swarm around the blustering gunslinger and climb into the wagon.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Kaylessa comes out to admire the wagon as well. “Did you know that Market Day had to be stopped halfway through the day? It was all blue skies, and suddenly storm clouds rolled in, and there was a terrible hailstorm! Everyone had to pack away their things and run for cover!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids, “Suddenly, there’s a tremor on the ground! “EARTHQUAKE!” someone shouts, and there are screams all around. Roof tiles fall from above, and people are running panicked everywhere! You see the wagon sag one way, and then sink into the ground as a massive sink hole opens up in the middle of the street!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo is laughing at her brother’s aghast face. “Folax faints!” he declares.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The wagon disappears from sight as the sinkhole opens up. A woman comes up screaming, “Where are the children!?” Someone shouts that they were in the wagon.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo stops laughing. “Oh NO! I let them into the wagon!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I close the campaign book. “And that’s to be continued next week!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“NOOOOOOO!!!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Heh, nothing like a good cliff-hanger to end a session! <img alt="" border="0" src="https://cf.geekdo-static.com/images/wink.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; vertical-align: middle;" /></i>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-10230320477240041442019-06-03T23:13:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:13:44.231-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 5: We were told there would be Crumblecake<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I’m making it a habit now to ask the kids three questions before each session; sort of a ‘prep-thing’ to get them into character: What’s your name? What’s your background? What are your abilities? It seems to help them get into the mindset of the characters, especially since we tend to play only once a week.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo starts. “My name is Tempest, I’m a dragonborn cleric who got kicked out of her dragonborn clan for making mischief, and instead of going back to apologize, I had alot of pride issues, so I wandered a lot in the wilderness.” She flips her character sheet over. “I can lightning blast things, burn things, sneak past things, duplicate myself, and cast Thaumaturgy which is-” she goes up a few octaves melodiously. “AWE-SOME!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan goes next. “My name is Folax, I’m a gunslinger, and I point my rifle at things, and they die.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">With that out of the way, we launch into the next session. “A few more days pass. Evan, you’re at Landro’s when he approaches you and asks, ‘Hey-a, Folax.’ He looks a bit worried. ‘I’m meeting with some, uh, visitors tonight, and I’d really appreciate it if you could, uh, be my muscle during the meeting.’”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Folax grunts. “Yeah, okay.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh, um. It’ll be good if we had more numbers tonight for muscle. Could you, uh, ask your dragon-person friend if she could come along?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Draconian,” Folax corrects Landro.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Dragon</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">born</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">,” Jojo corrects Evan.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What do you need her for?” Folax shows off his Belt of Hill Giant Strength. “I’m all the muscle you need! I’m a one-man army right here!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Landro laughs. “Sometimes Folax, numbers count more than actual strength! I just don’t want any trouble tonight, so it’s best we show up with a good number of people!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Grumbling under his breath over Landro’s lack of confidence over Folax’s abilities, the gunslinger goes off to find Tempest who is currently finishing up her dinner at the Helm on Highsun. After pocketing another spork from her meal (and earning another ‘Geez, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">every</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> time!’ exasperated burst from Garl the bartender), the two adventurers make their way back to Landro’s.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You guys meet Landro in the backroom of the tavern. Not the ‘back-back’ room where his equipment is, but just the normal backroom. Landro is all smiles, but he looks pretty worried. He gestures to one corner, ‘I’ve asked Greenie to be here too, as backup.’ The old shepherd is snoozing in the corner.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Greenie</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">!? Out of all people, why him!? Why not Ironhead the half-orc!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“He was busy. Couldn’t make it.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Just while Evan is complaining about how he could have done without an old shepherd ‘backing him up’, I tell the kids, “There’s a series of knocks on the backdoor, as if in code. Landro wakes Greenie and gets him to answer the door. Several people enter the room; you recognise some of them - Waelvur the dodgy wagon-dealer, that unfriendly Stone Quarry Overseer Woman who paid you 3 coppers back in session one, and three other guys who are dressed in leather armour. You notice that these guys all have the same emblem on their armour which looks like this.” I draw the symbol for the kids:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
<div class="post-img" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow: auto; padding: 0px;">
<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4774863" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/drsxwojt8N4WRj1Run12dAVXn7s=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4774863.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It looks like some sort of butt-triangle!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Jojo “Roll for Insight!” and she rolls poorly. “You think you’ve seen this symbol before, but you can’t place it right now. You’re sure it’ll come to you later.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Waelvur looks at Folax, Tempest and Greenie critically, and whispers to Landro, “Landro, are you sure it’s safe to talk in front of.. non-Believers?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “We can hear you from here, you know.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Landro answers, “I can vouch for them. Believers or not, they know how to keep things under wraps.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Huh,” says Waelvur doubtfully. He pauses a bit before saying, “The Delvers are asking for... another one.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Landro sighs. “We’ve been listening to the Delvers for what, years now? Don’t you find it weird that they’re suddenly asking for stuff like this recently?” He gestures to the guys in leather armour. “Especially since these guys came along?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The Stone Quarry Overseer Woman answers sternly, “We cannot question the wisdom of the Delvers! The Delvers care for the good of Red Larch!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">While Landro and the other two argue amongst themselves, one of the leather armour guys looks Tempest over and snorts, “So you guys are the ‘muscle’ that Landro brought in!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “I stare at him and say, ‘You’ve got a problem, buddy?’”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The leather armour guy laughs, “Oh, you wouldn’t want to mess with us, sister! Have you not heard of us?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Folax and Tempest exchange a look and shrug. “Uh, no?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids, “Immediately, the guys gather themselves up, and say in unison, ‘We are... the Bringers of Woe!’. In fact,” I say, getting inspired. “They start a whole motto routine, similar to Team Rocket from Pokemon!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" class="embed-responsive-item" frameborder="0" height="385" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZBVrPWwSlRM" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: 406.929px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 723.429px;" width="640"></iframe></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Team Rocket blasts Off at the speed of light!</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids decide that their characters just stare blankly, unimpressed. I tell them that Folax and Tempest do just that, while Greenie bursts out laughing behind them.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, things seem to have reached a conclusion between Landro and the other two. The Stone Overseer Quarry Woman sternly tells Landro, “Your job is to find another one, and let us know where and when. We will handle the rest.” With that, she and Waelvur leave the tavern, with the ‘Bringers of Woe’ following them.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “Okay, Landro. You’re going to have to clue us in here. Another what?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Landro shrugs. “Look, I can’t say much, but just know that there’s a number of us in town who act for the good of Red Larch. Things have been getting a little intense lately, especially since those ‘butt-triangle guys’ showed up. That’s all I can say. Thanks for helping me out here, it was very much appreciated.” With that, he ushers everyone out of the backroom. Folax goes back to his lounge couch in the tavern, while Tempest goes back to her room at the Swinging Sword.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Jojo, “The next morning, you are woken up by a knocking on your room door at the inn. You open the door, and you see Zoey the caravan guard half-orc!” Tempest greets her half-orc friend enthusiastically, and Zoey tells Tempest, “You haven’t been here long enough to go to Market Day, have you?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The dragonborn cleric shakes her head, and Zoey declares, “Then we must go to Market Day together! If there’s anything you must do in Red Larch, it’s to go to Market Day and find the thing that makes Red Larch truly famous in the region!” She leans closer and says fervently, “Crumblecake!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids that crumblecake is a Red Larch speciality, and read out the description from the campaign book. “It sounds like a sort of shepherd’s pie with chickpea mash on top.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“That sounds amazing!” says Tempest, “I’m getting hungry just listening to it! Let’s go!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The two of them go outside and I tell Jojo, “Although it’s quite early in the morning, you’re surprised to see that the main street is pretty busy with wagons and farming folk coming in from all over! You even spot a few other adventurers roaming around! Everyone seems to be heading towards the open fairgrounds to the south east of town.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I ask Evan if Folax wakes up due to all the traffic noise outside Landro’s tavern, but the gunslinger just turns over with a “Neeaggh” and goes back to sleep.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The Red Larch fairgrounds is already almost packed with market stalls and wagons and people. There are stalls selling farm produce, fresh vegetables, farming implements, and freshly cooked food which smells amazing. “This is mainly a farmers’ market,” I tell Jojo. “You do spot a few stalls selling magical trinkets, but these are just simple things that glow by themselves.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">As Zoey and Tempest wander through the crowd, they are suddenly confronted by a small girl. “It’s Pell, the little girl who told you she touched the tomb door on a dare!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh, um, hi?” says Jojo. The last time she saw Pell, she had cast Disguise Self to make herself look like a human.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The little girl squints at her and points, “You’re the same lady, aren’t you? I recognise your clothes!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Um, she’s pretty perceptive for a kid, isn’t she?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I like your scales!” declares Pell.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo relaxes. “Aww! She likes me!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The little girl admires the dragonborn’s blue scales. “Have you tried my mother’s crumblecake? It’s the BEST in the world!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Zoey looms over Pell. “Human girl-child, you will bring us to this crumblecake of your mother’s, otherwise I will-”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What she means to say is,” cuts in Jojo hurriedly. “We’d love to come try some of your mother’s crumblecake!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">With that, the little girl happily takes Tempest by the hand and leads them through the market crowd. I tell Jojo, “Pell brings you to a market stall, and she doesn’t look like she’s kidding about her mother’s crumblecake, because there’s a long queue of customers at the stall! However, Pell leads you both to the back of the stall where an elderly lady is baking with a makeshift oven while two older kids handle the customers.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Whoo! Backstage pass!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Pell introduces the elderly lady as her mom, who tells them to call her Minny. “You make such interesting friends, Pell,” says Minny. Pell shrugs and commandeers two freshly baked crumblecakes for Tempest and Zoey.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oooo.. this tastes A-MA-ZING! Like a hot chicken pie with lightly baked mash on top!” Zoey is in crumblecake heaven, while Minny says to Tempest, “I know what you’re thinking. I’m rather old to be Pell’s mother. Well, the truth is that Pell’s parents died in a raider attack, and I took her in. The other kids are all orphans too, and they all call me their ‘mother’. They help me run the poultry where we rear chickens.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">They chat about the recent unusual weather. Tempest asks Minny about the going-ons in Red Larch, and whether she knows anything about Waelvur the wagon-dealer. Minny shakes her head, “Sad to say, every town has a seedy side, and Waelvur along with a few others seems to be Red Larch’s seedy side. They are pretty close-knit, and they always say that they do things ‘for the good of Red Larch’. Personally, I keep out of politics, and stick to what I know best, which is baking crumblecake!” She hands another two cakes to Tempest and Zoey who accept them gratefully.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, Evan’s gunslinger has finally decided to get out of bed, and he wanders into the busy street. I ask him, “So, do you want to head off to the fairgrounds to meet Tempest and Zoey?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Naah,” he says. “I want to check out that other wagon place. Not Waelvur’s. The good one.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The gunslinger makes his way to the other wagon place. I tell Evan, “‘Thelorn’s Fine Harness’ is famous for making the best quality wagons in the region. The place is busy with carpenters, people with hammers. There are three sheds, one with workers, another with wagon parts, while the last is a sort of wagon showroom displaying at least a dozen finished wagons. Thelorn’s favourite saying is, ‘A dozen spare wagons in stock, ready to go!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Nodding appreciatively, Folax wanders around the wagon showroom, checking out the fine wagons. There is a polite cough behind him, and Thelorn the owner greets Folax and asks if he’s interested in purchasing a wagon. When Thelorn reveals the prices of the wagons (most of them about 100 gold with horse), the gunslinger is disheartened. That was more money that he had in currency.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Evan, “As you leave Thelorn’s, your ears perk up to the sound of arguing! Across the street, you see Kaylessa the innkeeper arguing with Constable Harburk!” The innkeeper waves her hands angrily, “My niece Savra should have been here by now! Her family in Waterdeep has written to me about her, and the letter is already here, but she isn’t! I’m telling you, she’s missing because of the evil at Lance Rock!” When the constable mutters something about all the troubles he’s had to deal with in town lately, Kaylessa throws up her hands, “I’ve given up on the police authorities in this town! If you won’t send someone to Lance Rock, then I will!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Then, in a much calmer voice, she starts ordering some haunches of meat from the constable. Constable Harburk notes these down in his book, “Yup, uh huh, some really nice sides of ham came in this morning, do you want some those? Yes?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “I come up to them and say, ‘I’m here to do whatever mission you have - for money!!’” Yes, this should be every adventurer’s motto.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Kaylessa and Constable Harburk regard the gunslinger for a few moments before the constable says, “You know, he might just be your best bet, Kaylessa.” The innkeeper nods and says to Folax, “Okay then, you go to Lance Rock and look for my niece Savra, I’ll pay you for it!” She heads off to her inn.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan suddenly remembers, “Wait a minute! Don’t we have some other loot from the previous session!? It says here that we picked up a golden locket with a half-elf lady picture inside! I wonder how much that’s worth!?” With that, the gunslinger heads back into Thelorn’s, who inspects the locket. The wagon-dealer says, “Yup, this should cover a new wagon and a horse! Perhaps even some customisations!” The gunslinger orders some walls and a roof, a bunk on one side, and a small cabinet. “I’m getting out of Landro’s,” he says. “This is going to be my caravan!” Thelorn says that they work night-shifts in his shop, so this should be ready latest by the day after tomorrow.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, Tempest and Zoey are wandering around the fairgrounds when Zoey says, “I think there’s someone following us!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest looks, and sees another half-orc clumsily following them as discreetly as he can, ducking in and out of market stalls. Jojo says, “How many half-orcs are there in this town!? I approach him and say, ‘Who are you and why are you following us!?’”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell them, “Half-orcs aren’t common in human towns, there’s probably about half-a-dozen in a town of over a hundred people, but they do tend to stick out. They usually have a grayish skin-tone due to their orc heritage. This one’s skin-tone seems to be turning into a bright shade of pink though!” The half-orc stammers, “Uh hi, um. My name Grund. Um.” He seems too shy to make eye-contact, but he keeps looking at Zoey.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “Oh, I think he’s got a crush!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Jojo, “You smell the distinct odour of pickles on this half-orc.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo sighs, “You’re the pickle-seller, aren’t you? From the covered wagon in the fairgrounds.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Grund perks up. “You want pickles!? Grund have plenty of pickles!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Um, no. Look, just go away and leave us alone.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The half-orc looks crestfallen as he slinks away. Tempest goes back to Zoey who says, “Geez, he’s just so </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">weird</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">!” They wander around the fairgrounds a bit more before they say goodbye and part ways. Tempest goes off to find Folax, and is alarmed to hear that he’d traded in the golden locket for a wagon. “Jojo, it’s a good deal! Look, we BOTH can share the wagon!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Just then, Kaylessa turns up. “Folax! Thank goodness you’ve not left yet! Here, take these before you go.” She hands Folax and Tempest two Cure Light Wounds Potions each. Tempest takes these courteously, and looks at Folax, “Okay, what else have you gone and done without me!?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">It takes the rest of the day for the adventurers to travel to Lance Rock. Night is falling by the time they arrive at the rocky monolith. I tell the kids, “Lance Rock is visible from miles around - it’s a single rock tower slanting at a 60 degree angle. Legends say that it was dropped here hundreds of years ago by a dragon. On top of another dragon.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers explore the base of the rock tower, and find a trail leading into the brush which comes to a cave. “There’s a sign next to the trail, which says, ‘Come no closer, lest you catch the disfiguring plague that afflicts me! - The Lord of the Lance Rock’” Shrugging, the adventurers enter the cave.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It’s dark, but Tempest sees well enough with her darkvision. About 60 feet in, you see a human corpse stripped down to its breeches lying on the ground.” The adventurers decide to carefully step over the corpse and continue their way. They eventually come to a round, high-ceilinged cave with exits to the right and left. “You hear shuffling sounds above you! It seems to be coming from a ledge about 10 feet up!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids discuss their options. “If only we could fly up!” says Jojo. I tell her, “</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">One</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> of you can, you know.” The kids look at me blankly before I say, “S'il-vous-plaît? You know, that specter sword you have that flies around?”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“OHHH!” We imagine that the adventurers are musing out loud, “If only one of us could fly!” while S'il-vous-plaît is hovering impatiently in the air next to them.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">S'il-vous-plaît goes up to the ledge, and then the kids hear him shout, “LOOK OUT!” and a cascade of rocks and stones fall from above! The kids fail their Dexterity saving throws, and both Tempest and Folax are battered for 2d6 damage. “Then, there are two squelchy flops as two zombies land face-first from above in front of you! They start to rise!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest immediately snaps out her holy symbol and turns undead, causing one of the two zombies to flee, stumbling away into the right exit. The other one claws ineffectively on Folax’s armour before the gunslinger’s war pick bashes its brains out.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">S'il-vous-plaît hovers back down. “They were shuffling around up there holding a crate full of those rocks! They tipped the crate over before jumping down themselves! This doesn’t seem like dumb zombie behaviour!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Hmm.. I was just thinking the same thing,” ponders Jojo.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers decide not to follow the other fleeing zombie down the right exit, and take the left exit instead. “Eventually, you guys come to a another cavern with two more exits, right and left. There are three zombies shambling around here; one dressed in a bear suit, another in a woman’s dress and a wig, while the last one is in a jester’s costume.”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4774862" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/hcBpkLxfBADiMmK5H3s2MriWYYM=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4774862.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Wait, where have I seen you guys before!?</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The scene causes a considerable pause. “What if they are </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">intelligent</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> zombies!?” wonders Jojo. In the end, the kids decide that Tempest should pretend to be a zombie and lurch out to them.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Tempest puts on her best zombie impression and lurches out to the three zombies. She goes, ‘Urrrrrgggh!’. The three zombies look at Tempest, then at each other, and then stagger towards Tempest, their arms out clawing. ‘URRRGGHHH!!’”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">It’s a short fight. Folax wades into the zombies with his war pick, while Tempest does another ‘Turn undead’ which causes the bear costume zombie and the jester zombie to flee down the right exit. The zombie in a dress gets a few claw attacks in before Folax manages to take its head off with his war pick.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Why are they always fleeing to the right!?” This time, the adventurers take the right exit and come to a small square room with no other exits. “There are two iron chests in this room, and you can see the two zombies in here cowering in the corner!” Evan decides to open the chest, and I announce, “Suddenly, you hear a voice booming, ‘YOU DARE PIT YOURSELVES AGAINST THE LORD OF LANCE ROCK! DEATH IS YOUR REWARD!’ The ceiling of the room caves in!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan succeeds in his Dexterity saving throw, while Jojo rolls a natural 20. “Springing to one side to avoid a crashing rock, and then backwards to avoid another one, the dragonborn cleric leaps out of the room! Folax dive rolls out!” Once the dust clears, the adventurers can see that the two zombies have been completely squished, and the rubble has smashed the iron chests, revealing them to be completely empty.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Gah! Now I’m </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">really</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> getting annoyed with this Lord of Lance Rock,” mutters Evan vengefully.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />The adventure continues! After dinner...</i>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-7638615030165856742019-05-21T23:11:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:13:55.079-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 4: Awesome Random Treasure, Dodgy Wagon Dealers and Specter Swords, oh my!<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />In the previous session, after the fight with the half-ogre and goblin, the adventurers follow a trail to an untidy campsite where the two monsters were staying. I wasn’t too sure if the monsters had specific treasure that they had stolen from ambushing other explorers exiting the tomb, especially since the campaign book had specifically named them both 'Geeraugh' and 'Mougra'. So I told the kids that I’d double-check the campaign book and let them know this session.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“So guys, I couldn’t find any specific types of treasure that the half-ogre and goblin had, so you will have to roll up on this Random Treasure Hoard chart.” I show the kids the </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">CR 0-4 Random Treasure Hoard Chart</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> in the DM Guide, and hand them some dice. Jojo rolls up a decent stash of coins on the d6s, while Evan tries his luck on the percentile d10s for some treasure items. He rolls this:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo is aghast. “EVAN! You rolled a ZERO!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“No, he hasn’t,” I say. “That’s a </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">hundred</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What!? What if he rolled a 00 and a 1?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Well, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">that’s</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> a one. Look, just trust me on this, 00 and 0 is a hundred!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Somewhat half-convinced, but still very excited, the kids wait as I flip the DM guide to the appropriate Treasure Table. Personally, I was expecting the treasure hoard to have a couple of potions or two, but now it looks like Geeraugh and Mougra had something pretty decent stashed away in their camp. Jojo rolls the dice, and I find the treasure reference. Hmmm, interesting.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Aside from the coins, you find a carefully wrapped bundle. Obviously, these two monsters thought that this was something pretty valuable! You open the bundle, and find a belt with a very large buckle!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You mean like, something out from WWE?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You know, what? </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Exactly</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> like something out from WWE!”</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Any time, any place! I'm taking you down!</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan immediately decides that he’s putting it on, despite protests from his sister that it might be cursed. I tell him, “You feel… stronger?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo declares. “I punch him!” The dragonborn cleric jabs the gunslinger in the kidneys. I tell them, “I said </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">stronger</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">, not more endurance!” as the gunslinger doubles over in pain.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After some threats to punch Jojo back, the kids finally decide that Evan should try punching a small nearby tree. I tell them that Folax knocks the tree out from the ground and it slides about 10 feet away!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mouths agape in undisguised glee, I explain to the kids that they’ve found a Belt of Hill Giant Strength, which sets Folax’s Strength to a cool 21. With a +5 Strength modifier, it looks like the gunslinger has suddenly become melee-type brawler.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids decide to go back into the tomb to check on S'il-vous-plaît (“LEAVE THIS PL-Oh, it’s you guys.”) and after promising to come visit occasionally, the adventurers head back to town.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“A couple more days pass. Evan, your gunslinger uses his new-found strength to really impress the regulars at Landro’s tavern with his bouncer work. One night, Landro tells you, ‘Hey-a, I’m having some of the guys over for a card game tonight. Want to join in?’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Um, yeah sure. What game are you playing?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Maybe it’s D&D!” laughs Jojo. “Oooo.. paradox!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It’s a </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">card</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> game,” I tell them. “Anyway, there’s gambling involved, so how much do you want to spend?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">As Evan decides how much gold he’s spending, I tell him that the other players are Landro, Greenie the shepherd, an old half-orc named Ironhead, and a halfling named Stan. They seem like regular players, and Landro deals Folax in. “This card game is called ‘Three Dragon Ante’. It’s like D&D poker, but the funny thing is that dragons detest the game and think it’s insulting. In fact, it’s a joke that while you can find anything in a dragon’s hoard, you’ll never find a deck of Three Dragon Ante!” I tell him that he can try playing normally by rolling an Insight, Perception or Deception roll. I look at him slyly. “Or... you can try cheating by rolling a Sleight-of-Hand roll!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan decides to play normally (this time!) and rolls a decent Insight roll. I roll some d20s and announce that Landro wins the game (“Of course Landro wins!”), with Folax coming in second. “During the game, Stan the halfling keeps drinking and complaining about his boss. The halfling works in a place that fixes and sells wagons. You’ve seen the place - ‘Waelvur’s Wagonworks’. There are two places which sell wagons in Red Larch, the first being ‘Thelorn’s Safe Journeys’ which is a great place for quality, reliable wagons. And then down the street, there’s Waelvur’s.” I lift a hand and do a so-so motion. “It’s more like a seedy second-hand wagon dealership. Some of the wagons sold here tend to come back. On three wheels.”</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">In our campaign, Waelvur looks like Mr Wormwood the used car salesman from ‘Matilda’.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The gunslinger leans over, looking interested. “So what’s up with your boss?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Stan snorts. “Waelvur is acting really dubious these days. He won’t let anyone into the place after sundown, but a few times last week, I saw him sneaking in some people in hoods through the sidedoor! I think he’s up to something dodgy!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Landro laughs, “You’re in Landro’s, and you’re worried about something dodgy!?” Everyone laughs heartily, including Folax. Ironhead the half-orc chats a bit to Folax about his current weapons. “Ironhead is an aged, balding, somewhat paunchy half-orc. He’s surprisingly pretty chill for a half-orc. Normally, half-orcs are really hot-tempered, but Ironhead looks like he’s had enough of fights and brawls, and he’s happy just to enjoy life as it comes. Anyway, Ironhead runs a weapons and armour store in town.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The old half-orc grunts at Folax’s rifle. “Ranged is fine, but if you really want to wade into battle, melee is where all the action is! Stop by my shop, and I’ll fix you up with some decent melee weapons!” The gunslinger decides to do that in the morning.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, Jojo’s dragonborn cleric spends most of her time in the inn. I tell Jojo, “So as a cleric, normally you have some sort of daily ritual that you need to do in order to re-charge your spells. What sort of ritual does Tempest do?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo replies, “I sit and meditate on the floor. Oh! In a circle of sporks!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Ooo-kay. Anyway, there’s this building here next to the Swinging Sword that you pass by every day. You sort of know what it is - it’s the All-Faith’s Shrine. Most of the major temples in the big cities send a pair of clerics here on a ‘tour of duty’ to maintain the shrine. Anyway, you’ve observed the two clerics stationed here; one is a buff bald guy with a bushy beard who is a cleric of Tempus (a war god), and the other is a beautiful, tall red-head who is a cleric of Sune (the goddess of beauty).”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh,” says Jojo doubtfully. “I don’t think my character would mix with either one of those!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">As the dragonborn cleric observes the simple stone shrine with stone block benches that serve as pews, I tell her that the cleric of Sune sees her and approaches. “She’s got a head of flowing red hair, and is wearing a gown that mum and dad will never let you out in!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Hi there,” greets the red-headed cleric of Sune. “I’m Lymmura of Sune! I’ve heard about you, and it’s such a pleasure to meet another cleric!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Um, I act really uncomfortably. ‘Hi. Yes. Bye?’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">There’s a smashing sound, and they both look to see the cleric of Tempus using a warhammer to bash a practice dummy set up in the shrine. “He’s practising for his next sermon,” gesticulates the cleric of Sune, “I’m decorating the shrine pillars with these flower garlands. I think beauty has such an important role to play in the world, don’t you think? I spent hours this morning picking these flowers. After hours doing up my hair, of course.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo rolls her eyes. “Yeah, of course. I wouldn’t really know. Because I have scales. You know.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Lymmura gasps airily. “Oh my, what a beautiful shade of blue! May I touch them?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The dragonborn steps back from the cleric’s hand. “Whoa-whoa! These scales? No touching, okay!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Jojo, “Suddenly, Lymmura’s eyes widen with shock, and she gives a frightened scream at something behind you! You turn, and see the Ghost Bear Lady! And behind her is the big, black bear!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Ghost Bear Lady!” greets Tempest happily. I tell Jojo that she has no idea how the Ghost Bear Lady got herself (and the bear!) into the middle of town without being noticed. The black bear starts eating the flower garlands, much to the dismay of the cleric of Sune.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Ghost Bear Lady nods at Tempest. “The dreams are becoming more frequent of late. The elemental evil is stirring. And you and your companion are involved somehow.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I don’t die in your dreams, do I?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Jojo, “The Ghost Bear Lady starts to answer, then frowns, then ponders for a while before replying, ‘Dreams are hard to recall. Probably not. Maybe?’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The Ghost Bear Lady changes the subject by asking Tempest what she’s been up to lately. The dragonborn cleric relates the events of the past week, and asks if she knows how to get a friendly specter out from its tomb. I tell Jojo, “The Ghost Bear Lady replies that she knows little of such matters, and perhaps you should ask a person who has more experience with the undead. With that, she bids you farewell and good luck, and departs with the black bear following-”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh wait! Before you go, can I pet your bear!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The Ghost Bear Lady shrugs. “He’s not my bear. Ask him yourself.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest approaches the bear (which is still munching on left-over flower garlands) and I get Jojo to roll a d20. She rolls badly. “You reach out a tentative hand, and the bear gives you a low warning growl. You wisely retract your hand as the bear wanders off.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest hears people coming, and sees the cleric of Tempus (with a resigned look) being led by Lymmura (with a distressed look) to the site of her devastated flower garlands. As the red-headed cleric laments over the half-chewed remains, the cleric of Tempus introduces himself as Imdarr to Tempest. “So Lymmura says that a bear ate her flowers?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh, it’s okay. The bear’s gone now after the Ghost Bear Lady left.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“A ghost!? Where!?” Imdarr grips his warhammer which has a holy symbol on its pommel.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The dragonborn cleric hastily explains that there’s no ghost around here, and after some hesitation (and a decent Insight roll to determine the cleric’s intentions) tells Imdarr about S'il-vous-plaît. The buff cleric frowns. “Well, normally ghosts stay on the material plane because they have unfinished business. Perhaps I can do a Divination and consult Tempus about this one?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The divination doesn’t take too long, and after asking some questions such as “What was his master’s name again?” Imdarr tells the dragonborn cleric, “Well, the good news is that Lord Theodore was a great warrior in his lifetime, and he is highly honored among the warriors of Tempus! Because of this, Tempus has decided to help you - S'il-vous-plaît is still here on this plane because he is to avenge his master’s death. However (and this is strange) Tempus says that the thing that killed his master is </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">still in his master’s resting place</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“What!? You mean, through the iron door? But S'il-vous-plaît will attack anyone who tries to open it!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Imdarr shrugs. “It’s a mystery to me too.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids that Evan’s gunslinger comes along and invites Tempest to check out Ironhead’s weapons and armour shop. The two adventurers find the shop along the main street and enter it. “Normally, weapons and armour shops have racks of weapons and armour displayed along the walls. Ironhead’s shop is more like a thrift store. There are disorganised piles of weapons (not even arranged by type) on the floor, and some bins containing pieces of armour.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The old half-orc gives the two adventurers a jovial welcome, and immediately offers up some battered (but still workable) weapons and armour. In the end, Tempest upgrades her Leather armour to Studded Leather, while Folax trades in his armour for Scale Armor, along with a sturdy War Pick.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“The war pick is fine, but this armour has seen better days,” I tell the kids. “Ironhead sells these to you for almost half-price! There’s one thing though - once you receive 2 Critical hits, the armour breaks, and you’ll have to bring it back here for repairs!”</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />I have no idea how to create “second-hand armour” in D&D, so improvised with the 2 Critical Hit condition. Not sure if there was a better way to handle this.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Ironhead tells Folax, “You know, Landro has won at Three Dragon Ante for five nights in a row now! The next time we play, you and I need to work out a way to take him down together!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan laughs, “Geez, this is getting strategic!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Before they leave the shop, Tempest asks Ironhead if he knows Zoey the half-orc caravan guard, and the old half-orc chuckles. “Oh yes, most of us know about hot-tempered Zoey!” Jojo feels sorry for her half-orc friend.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers decide to pay S'il-vous-plaît a visit, and are soon back at the haunted tomb. When the specter appears, they ask him about his master, and how he died. S'il-vous-plaît sighs, “Lord Theodore was a great man. He was part of the war band that slew the rampaging dragon Andraxius! Unfortunately, he wasn’t too good with managing his fortune, so by the time he took me on, I was the only bodyguard he could afford! And then, one morning, we found him dead in his bedroom, with slash wounds all over!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids take note of the dragon-slaying as a possible murder motive. “Well, S'il-vous-plaît,” says Jojo. “We’ve got some news. We did a divination, and we found that your master’s killer might be still in his resting place beyond this iron door!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The specter looks dumb-founded, and then bursts out laughing. “Hahahhah! You mean, you mean, I’ve been guarding this iron door for over a hundred years, and.. whatever killed my master is inside all along!?” He continues to laugh at the absurdity.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Well, have you ever been INSIDE the room beyond this door?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The specter stops laughing. “Oh well, um. It’s not. Polite, you know? Disturbing my master’s resting place and all.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo rolls her eyes. “Look, will you go crazy on us and start attacking us if we try to get through this iron door?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The specter hesitates, and I get Jojo to do a Persuasion roll with advantage (because they were friendly with the specter). She easily passes the DC. “Okay guys, I’ll promise I won’t ‘go crazy’ on you guys! I can’t watch though!” The specter vanishes from sight.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids, “Imagine a view from the inside of the iron door. Folax’s war pick punches a hole through, and then the gunslinger uses it like a tin-opener to yank the rest of the rusted door open!” The adventurers cautiously enter the room, weapons at ready.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I read from the campaign book, “</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Beyond the rusted door is another square room, twenty feet by twenty feet, containing a stone coffin. The ceiling is cracked, allowing roots and water into the chamber from multiple points, although little collects here. At the coffin’s feet is a rusty iron chest.</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It might be a Mimic!” warns Jojo. The dragonborn cleric carefully opens the iron chest, and I tell her that she finds nothing but old ruined clothes and a soggy book inside.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers decide that the ‘killer’ must be inside the coffin, and the dragonborn cleric shifts the stone lid aside. “The stone lid slides off and thumps on the ground! Inside the coffin is a skeleton dressed in a rusted breastplate and clasping a longsword to its chest. The sword looks brand new!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">As the kids ponder on this, I tell them, “Suddenly, the skeleton’s arms start to move! The sword lifts from the stone coffin, and then the skeletal arms snap off! The sword hovers and swishes around in the air above the coffin!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids say, “It’s a Honedge!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“A what?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“A Honedge, dad! It’s a sword-class Pokemon!”</span><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4754672" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/0ni4_O4hQV0g5aPWejpYK7iR38k=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4754672.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I didn’t know there were Pokemon in D&D!”</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo gasps, “Is S'il-vous-plaît around? What if he’s controlling the sword!? Like unexpected betrayal from a Disney movie!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan snorts, “S'il-vous-plaît is a </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">specter</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">, not a poltergeist!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids that this is actually a Flying Sword, a D&D creature that is a mindless construct, like a golem.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids theorise, “Well, that explains the slash wounds on Lord Theodore’s body! But who created it? Maybe he created it himself, and it turned on him?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, the flying sword dives towards the dragonborn cleric. I get the kids to roll for Initiative, and Tempest gets first go with a decent attack roll of 15 with her mace. “Tempest swings her mace, but the sword is too fast! It flips and dodges the blow!” The flying sword stabs at the dragonborn cleric who fends it off with her shield. Folax gives a mighty swing with his war pick, but ends up smashing into the stone coffin instead, sending bits of bone everywhere.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Finally, Tempest flings a Guiding Bolt which strikes the flying sword dead on. The construct clatters on the floor, flopping like a landed fish. There is a shimmer and S'il-vous-plaît appears next to it, looking aghast. “What the heck is THAT!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids, “Suddenly, there is a bright flash! You see S'il-vous-plaît absorbed into the sword that’s flopping on the ground! When the flash clears, the sword is motionless!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids are open-mouthed. “What just happened!?” Tempest pokes the sword, and the image of S'il-vous-plaît appears on the blade. “What just happened!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Eventually, Folax picks up the sword, and they discover that S'il-vous-plaît can hover the sword by himself for a few minutes. “Let’s take him outside!” The adventurers bring the sword out into the daylight, and S'il-vous-plaît reports that he’s still okay!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Let’s show him to the cleric of Tempus,” suggests Jojo. Before they leave, the adventurers double-check the tomb for loot, and find a secret compartment in the iron chest which contains a pair of braided silver and electum rings, and a gold locket containing a picture of a lovely half-elf female. S'il-vous-plaît mentions that his master once courted this half-elf female, but she never accepted his marriage proposal. The kids note down yet another murder motive.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers return to the All-Faiths Shrine just as the service is ending. Imdarr is hammering at the practice dummy in front of the congregation. “In the front row, you see the broad shape of Constable Harburk and Jaylessa his wife. Their three big sons take up the second row.” Jaylessa is dabbing away tears from her eyes, ‘That was so moving!’</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After the service, the adventurers impatiently pull Imdarr aside and show him the sword. Imdarr frowns, “It’s a sword?” Folax lets go of the sword, and it hovers in mid-air. “By Tempus! It’s a Dancing Sword!” S'il-vous-plaît face appears on the blade. “By Tempus! It’s a Spectral Dancing Sword!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The cleric consults Tempus with another Divination. Eventually he says, "Tempus has replied that he's caused this to happen - S'il-vous-plaît will find the creator of this sword, and avenge his master!"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I explain to the kids that I’d based the ‘S'il-vous-plaît Sword’ off a D&D magical weapon called a ‘Dancing Sword’. “It flies around and attacks in combat. After 4 rounds, it returns back to you.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You mean, we can ‘Yondu’ this sword around in combat!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Um, well. Yes.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">"THAT'S SO COOL!"</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Watch out here comes my arrow! It flies super fast and kills everyone!</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I help the kids write down the capabilities of the 'S'il-vous-plaît Sword'; I’d added an additional tweak to let it deal 3d6 necrotic damage on critical hits, based off the Specter’s Withering Touch feature. Evan states that he’ll probably start using S'il-vous-plaît as his main melee weapon.</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />I’d planned to get the kids have the S'il-vous-plaît Sword as an NPC who can help them out in melee combat since they had magic and ranged covered. However, the kids picking up a Belt of Hill Giant Strength was completely out of the blue, and now it’s possible that Folax is going to be the melee brawler, although he’s pretty much a glass cannon.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />So, does anyone have other ideas on how would you implement ‘second-hand armour’?</i>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-41945160287820414152019-05-13T23:08:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:14:04.514-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 3: Troubled Taverns and Haunted Tombs<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />300 XPs to level 2 isn’t that too far a stretch, and I’d estimated that the kids would have levelled up by now. So while the kids are trying to do their homework one night, I bug them about their levelling choices and feature progression. It’s important to keep their priorities straight.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Jojo’s dragonborn cleric gains a great “Invoke Duplicity” feature where she can create a perfect illusion of herself to confuse opponents and use as a decoy. She can even casts spells from the illusion’s location, which is pretty cool.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Evan’s gunslinger gains “Fast Reload” (re-load firearm as a bonus action), and a couple of Trick Shots from a list. He picks Dead-Eye (advantage on attack roll) and Violent Shot (extra 1d12 damage) when using his rifle.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It’s been about a week since your battle with the bandits. You guys spend this time in Red Larch; for some reason you feel drawn to this place. In D&D, you get to choose how your characters live in between adventures, and you get to pick a lifestyle from this list.” I show the kids the various lifestyles, ranging from Wretched and Squalid, all the way to Wealthy and Aristocratic.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo decides that her dragonborn cleric lives a Modest lifestyle (1 gp a day). She rents a room at the Swinging Sword Inn, and takes her meals at the Helm at Highsun tavern across the road. I tell her, “Before this, you’ve spent all your time living in the wilderness, and this is the first time you’ve really lived among some semblance of civilisation. How do you feel living like this?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo thinks a bit. “I think I’m really jumpy with all these people around. Sort of wary about everything around me. But I’m fascinated by cutlery! In fact, whenever I eat meals at the tavern, I take the forks and knives with me! Especially sporks, if they have them.” We muse that this quirk might be a throwback from her dragon ancestry’s obsession with hoarding treasure.</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Apparently, sporks are quite common in Faerun.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan, of course, has been weighing up the lifestyle costs, and decides that his gunslinger lives a Wretched lifestyle. “It’s FREE!” he states, pointing at the page in the Player’s Handbook. I tell him that his character will live homeless on the streets and roads, and his equipment might get damaged or stolen. After Jojo warns him that he will probably catch some disease sleeping out in the dirt and rain, he finally relents and opts for a Poor lifestyle instead (1 sp a day).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell him, “Your gunslinger’s chosen background is Criminal, right? This means that you have or can make criminal contacts whenever you’re in some sort of town or city. Well, Evan, you make an interesting discovery about Red Larch.” I lean closer. “This town… has TWO taverns!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Dun-da-dum!!” intone the kids. I point to the map and tell the kids that Evan wanders into a shady-looking part of town, and notices this building with a barber’s seat on the front porch. “It looks like a barber’s shop, but you also see very drunk people staggering out the front door.” The gunslinger goes in to investigate, and finds that the front-room has been converted into a makeshift tavern, with a couple of tables, a lounge on one side, and bottles of liquor stored in a cupboard. A dark-skinned man introduces himself as Malandro, but please call him ‘Landro’.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“In fact,” I tell the kids, feeling inspired. “Landro looks just like Lando from Star Wars.”</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Shifty guy named Landro? This is all too easy.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell Evan that Landro seems very friendly, but you can tell that he’s not someone who the authorities look kindly upon. In fact, it’s very likely that Constable Harburk hangs up most of the people who leave Landro’s on his meat hooks. “By the manner he’s talking to you, you can tell that he wants something from you.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan ponders on his next move, and decides that he’ll try an Insight roll to determine what Landro wants. He rolls a 20! “After some chit-chat, Landro gestures at your rifle and says, ‘So, uh, that’s an interesting-looking piece of hardware you have there. How does it work?’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">At this, Evan gets up and applies his years of drama class from school, and says, “Okay, uh, I umm, shrug. Like this, and umm, I go, ‘I point it to things. And they die. A horrible, painful, torturous death!’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Right,” says Landro. “And what about those little metal things that you hang on your belt? What are those?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“These?” says the gunslinger, gesturing to his musket ammo. “These balls are filled... with death!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Balls of death?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“No! Balls FILLED with death!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Right,” repeats Landro, looking a bit mystified. “Well, I like you, Folax, and because I like you, I’d like to do you a favour. If you ever need to make more of those.. Death Balls, you can come and make them here. I’ve got some… special equipment that you might be interested in looking at.” The man gestures the gunslinger to follow him, and Evan does.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Landro leads you to the backroom of his tavern, and then reveals another door to yet another backroom! This room has no windows, and has a workbench with what looks like a mini forge. There’s a small stone furnace to melt metal in, and a stone slab with little indents or grooves to mold small things in.” Landro tells Folax that he is welcome to use this room to make more of his ammo, and he’s even welcome to sleep in the tavern on the lounge. “All I ask in return,” says Landro. “Is that you help keep... trouble from happening in the tavern. And that if anyone asks about this room and the equipment here, you say that you’re using it to make your stuff. Deal?” He sticks out a hand.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">By this point, there are so many unanswered questions floating around about the dodginess of this entire deal, but the gunslinger gruffly accepts the hand-shake. “Deal.” Yes, this boy makes me worry sometimes.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, Jojo’s dragonborn cleric is catching up with Kaylessa from the Swinging Sword Inn. Kaylessa is very open about her background, growing up in a merchant family from Waterdeep (the City of Splendors!) before deciding to open an inn in Red Larch (the Gateway to the North!). Aside from that, Kaylessa talks about the weird weather (it hailed in the middle of summer last week!) and blames everything on the ‘evil at Lance Rock’.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The dragonborn cleric leaves the inn just as Kaylessa launches into another discourse on the ineffectiveness of the town’s constable. I tell Jojo, “You head across the road to the Helm at Highsun, and walk straight into a tavern brawl! There’s a female half-orc bashing up three common workers in there!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“A brawl? That’s the sort of thing I’d expect at Evan’s tavern!” She heads towards the bar counter and finds the bartender cowering behind it. Garl (the bartender) fearfully asks Jojo if she can do something about the brawl before it brings down the place. After a brief negotiation, the dragonborn cleric agrees to help for a free drink and some coin, and gets up to survey the scene.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“The female half-orc looks like a caravan guard, and she’s holding up a worker by the front of his shirt, just about to smash him face-first into the table!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo says, “I cast Command! I say, ‘STOP!’” I roll a failed Wisdom save, and immediately, the female half-orc stops, still holding the worker hanging on her fist. The dragonborn cleric collects the workers, including the one hanging on the half-orc’s fist, and sits them down at the bar counter.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“How long does the spell last, dad?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Well, it’s really just one combat round, so she’ll be free in a couple of seconds.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Okay, so do you boys want to let me know what happened here?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The workers are very defensive. “She’s just crazy, man! Just half-orc crazy!” Garl the bartender leans over. “I’ll tell you what happened. The half-orc just got fired from her last job, and these guys were making fun of her!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">At this, the dragonborn cleric looms over the workers angrily. “What!? That’s NOT cool!” Jojo skims through her spell options and casts Thaumaturgy to make the floor and bar counter tremor, the lights flicker and her voice boom. “I don’t want you guys to show your faces here again! You brought this fight on yourselves, what were you thinking about teasing an orc?! She’s a flipping orc! Now GET OUT!” Thaumaturgy also allows the user to cause doors to fly open, which Jojo does dramatically to the tavern door.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“The workers cannot get out of here fast enough! They stumble over each other on the way out, and are soon gone! The few patrons of the tavern huddled in the corners of the room start to clap appreciatively!” As the dragonborn cleric soaks up the applause, the female half-orc comes up to her.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Ahh! Please don’t hit me!” squeaks Jojo.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Instead, the half-orc holds out a hand for a handshake. “You’re alright in my book, sister!” Jojo decides that her dragonborn isn’t too familiar with handshaking customs, and passes the half-orc a spork instead. The half-orc looks at the spork puzzledly before keeping it, while Garl murmurs, “Hey, isn’t that my spork!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The half-orc buys another round of drinks for Jojo and herself. She introduces herself as Zomith, or just Zoey. She is a caravan guard who got kicked out of her previous caravan for fighting with the other guards. And the job before that, for fighting with the other guards. And the job before that, for fighting with the other guards.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You detect a pattern here, and it soon becomes apparent that she’s got some real issues,” I tell Jojo. The half-orc also complains to Jojo about the second-last job she had protecting an important delegation from Mirabar. I explain that Mirabar is a rich mining city to the north. “This delegation was an important caravan carrying dwarven artifacts and trading bars that are shaped like Toblerones, and make a distinct ‘ting!’ sound when flicked.”</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mmm… Mirabar Toblerones</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Yes, I know that Mirabar trade bars are actually four-sided pyramids attached at their bases. Our campaign world Mirabar trade bars are like these, because... Toblerone!</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Over the next few days, the word gets around about how the dragonborn cleric sorted out the brawl at the Helm at Highsun, and the fearful wariness that the dragonborn tended to invoke among the local townsfolk slowly begins to give way to a healthy respect, especially after Constable Harburk mentions that Tempest and Folax were part of the group which attacked the bandit camp.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Folax gains a reputation of being the unofficial bouncer at Landro’s tavern. I tell Evan, “You begin to recognise the regulars at Landro’s tavern. One of these regulars is a shepherd named Greenboot, or Greenie to his tavern mates. Anyway, Greenie comes in one day and starts telling everyone about these grave mounds he came across in the fields not far from town. He’d herded livestock through these fields just a couple of weeks ago, and they weren’t there before.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The gunslinger asks the shepherd a few more questions about these mounds before going out for “a walk in town”. Going up the street, he bumps into Tempest, and they exchange a few words on what they’ve been doing since the bandit camp attack. Folax mentions the grave mounds to Tempest who decides to come along to check it out with him.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers make their way to the location where Greenie had mentioned, and I read out the text from the campaign book: </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“On a barren hilltop a few miles from Red Larch, you find four freshly dug shallow graves. The earth scraped out for the holes is piled nearby, although hastily gathered stones cover the graves. The faint smell of death hangs in the air, and several vultures circle overhead.”</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Grave-site desecration certainly does not rank highly on my kids’ moral radar, especially when there is potential loot involved. After digging up the graves, they discover the four dead occupants - a dwarf dressed like a craftsman, a woman warrior in a red surcoat emblazoned with a black axe, a man in weird rock-like armour, and a very gaunt, hollow-cheeked man wearing a white robe and black shoulder feathers.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I know what this is about,” says Evan sagely. “These guys are obviously adventurers who are total noobs and got killed here.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo rolls her eyes. “What, so this is some sort of newbie graveyard?” The dragonborn cleric tries to take the rock-like armour, and I tell her that once she removes the armour, it immediately starts to crumble into sand.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“See? Total noob armour that sucks,” points out Evan. “I mean, how is sand armour going to protect anyone!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The two adventurers pile the rocks back on the graves and head back to town. I tell them, “Just as you both walk into town, you hear high-pitched screaming, and a small girl comes running towards you both! She crashes into Folax and hugs the gunslinger’s leg while crying uncontrollably!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says that he picks up the child and pats her on the back to calm her down. Jojo decides that her dragonborn would probably freak the child out, so she casts Disguise Self. “I make myself look like a child-friendly person.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You mean, like a clown?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Are you crazy!? That’ll traumatise her!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Eventually, they get the child soothed, and she tells them her name is Pell, and that she lives with her mom and three siblings at the local poultry, and her stupid older brother had dared her to go touch the stone door of a nearby tomb. “And then, I saw a ggg.gg..gghost!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I can totally relate to her,” says Jojo emphatically. “How old is she?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Um, maybe six?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Six-year-olds never lie,” states Evan firmly.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Except mine,” I mutter just loud enough from behind the campaign book.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids let this slide and tell Pell to go home while they go check out the tomb. Jojo says, “I tell her that it’ll all be okay, and that we’re very friendly, and if she sees a dragon-person walking around, that’s okay too because dragon-people are all cool. Got that? Here, have a spork.” The little girl nods and runs off home.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I fill in the kids on the whole deal of the gods and the undead. “As far as the gods are concerned, the natural progression for mortals is that they live on the Prime Material Plane, and when they die, they go to one of the god’s domains. Undeads break this rule by sticking around on the Prime Material Plane. That’s why clerics all have the ability to ‘Turn Undead’ by using their holy symbols.” Jojo had previously decided on her holy symbol, and drawn it on her character sheet.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers make their way to a low hill with a tunnel carved into its side. “Just some ways into the tunnel, you see a stone door, left slightly ajar. There is a name carved on the door, but it’s much too worn out to read.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The dragonborn cleric pushes the door open, and I tell them that there’s a tremendous crash as a wagon wheel and various metal parts fall from the top of the door. “The crash echoes into the tunnel, alerting anyone or anything in there! You guys wait, but nothing else happens.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The adventurers cautiously make their way into the tomb. “You guys walk down the tunnel and come to a square room with a stone block table in the middle. There are rust stains on the table, indicating that there once were items on it, but they are now gone. There’s a rusty iron door on this wall here.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The gunslinger hits the iron door with his fist, and there is a dull clang. “Just then, you notice a swirling mist on the far corner of the room!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It’s the ghost,” says Jojo. “I prepare my holy symbol!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The mist forms into a horrendous-looking Specter. I show the kids a picture from the Monster Manual. “Specters hate the living and daylight! This one raises its hands like this and booms, ‘LEAVE NOW!’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Only if you say PLEASE!” retorts Evan.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I roll a d20. A slight pause. “PLEASE!?” The kids high-five.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “Well, a deal is a deal. I’m leaving.” With that, the gunslinger walks out, his rifle under his arm.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The dragonborn cleric tells the Specter. “Look, um. This is a really cool place - maybe you can show us around?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“LEAVE THIS PLACE!” I tell the kids that the Specter’s form stutters between the ghastly form, and a young thin man. “I’M WARNING YOU! STAY AWAY FROM THE TOMB OF MY MASTER!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Who’s your master?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“HIS NAME IS ON THE DOOR!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It’s, uh, kinda worn out. Can’t read it anymore.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“For the love of - his name is LORD THEODORE! Could you write that on your way out, please? That’s T-H-E-O-..”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I like this guy!” declares Jojo. “Let’s name him!” We decide that his name is S'il-vous-plaît which is the French word for ‘Please’. I decide he looks a bit like one of our favourite comedians, Mathew Baynton from “Horrible Histories”.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">S'il-vous-plaît explains that he was the bodyguard of his master who was horribly murdered. And after his master’s death, he swore that he would protect the tomb from intruders. “But I didn’t bring enough warm clothes, and it gets really cold in here, so I died from pneumonia after about two weeks.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, Evan is waiting outside at the entrance of the tomb and decides to head back in. Just as he turns back, I tell him to roll a Perception check. “Are you serious!?” He rolls badly, and I say, “You hear a whistling sound, and a javelin the length of a man skewers you in the leg! You take 11 damage!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The gunslinger looks back and sees a huge half-ogre and a small goblin laughing at him. The goblin leisurely starts to pull back and aim a shortbow at him. Evan says, “I tell them, ‘Okay, you got me!’ and then I fire my rifle at the half-ogre!” He rolls a hit, and opts to use Violent Shot to up the damage to 13.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“The half-ogre and goblin have never seen a firearm before, and you catch the half-ogre by surprise when you blast a chunk off his broad neck! He clasps his hand over the wound as blood splurts out!” The goblin’s shortbow fires and misses, and I say, “The goblin must have been so startled by the loud bang that his arrow flies off its mark and hits the doorframe!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Inside the tomb, S'il-vous-plaît is recounting all his problems to the emphatic cleric. “And then, recently, there were these two creatures, a half-ogre and a goblin, that came in here and laughed at me. They set up a trap at the door so that they can get alerted by anyone coming in here!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You’re incorporeal, right? Why couldn’t you just run into them and damage them?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“The goblin was too quick. And I’m afraid of ogres.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Wow, this guy really sucks at his job!” says Jojo. “I try to cheer him up, and say, ‘Hey, look at me’. I cast Disguise Self to look like S'il-vous-plaît. ‘Ta-da!’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Just then, they both hear the loud blast of Folax’s rifle outside. Tempest heads outside and finds Folax facing off the half-ogre and the goblin. “I still look like the specter, right? I raise my hands and shout, ‘LEAVE THIS PLACE!’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The half-ogre squints at the disguised cleric and laughs. “You here, Si-Bu-Play? It daylight - you no can come out!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest says, “That’s what you think!” She steps out into the daylight. “I cast Thaumaturgy to tremor the ground and amplify my voice, ‘LEAVE NOW!’ I’m going to make S'il-vous-plaît look like a total badass!” She unleashes her dragonborn lightning breath attack at the surprised half-ogre and goblin.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I roll the d20s for the saving throws. The goblin dives aside and take half-damage, and somehow, the half-ogre makes it too! Growling (and crackling from left-over electricity) the half-ogre yanks its battle axe off the ground (getting a mild static shock from it), and charges at the disguised cleric.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Folax gets in another hit with the half-ogre using his light crossbow (according to him, it was ‘luckier’ than his rifle), while Tempest uses her ‘Invoke Duplicity’ to create a mirror image of herself. This does not deter the half-ogre though, who does a wipe-sweep at the cleric and her duplicate, scoring a staggering 16 damage, bringing her to 1 HP! In the end, Folax manages to down the half-ogre with a well-aimed stab with his dagger up through under the half-ogre’s chin and into its brain.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The goblin charges screaming at the gunslinger, but once the half-ogre collapses dead, it turns and runs screaming away. Tempest uses her last spell slot to fling a ‘Guiding Bolt’ at the retreating creature, and the adventurers watch as the bolt arches up, over and then down to smack the goblin dead in the distance.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I LOVE being a cleric!” states Jojo.</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />The kids really got into their characters this session. I had no idea what the outcome of the Haunted Tomb would be; the campaign book briefly gives some detail about the Specter, but that was it. The kids are now talking about how they might get S'il-vous-plaît out of the tomb to join their party.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Jojo asked an interesting question during the half-ogre fight: if she uses Invoke Duplicity while still maintaining her Disguise Self spell, will her duplicate be a duplicate of her dragonborn self, or her disguised self? I ruled the latter, but am curious to see if anyone else would rule otherwise.</i>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-53346119021106108152019-05-10T22:57:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:14:13.981-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 2: These were the bandits we were looking for<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />After a short break, we get on with the adventure. Jojo asks me if it matters that they’ve not cleared the bandits earlier, and I shrug and repeat that in D&D, they can do anything they want.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />“Of course, not getting rid of the bandits could have its consequences,” I add with an ominous tone.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />With that, we start the session.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The rest of the trip to Red Larch is uneventful, and the adventurers soon roll into the quiet town in the wee hours of the morning.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Red Larch is named after a type of tree that grows in this district. In fact, you see these trees growing along the road leading into town, a type of fir tree that is green on the top-half, and red on the bottom, sort of like it’s stuck in a perpetual autumn.” I’ve never seen a larch tree in my life, so I pretty much make it up. It’s a DM perk.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids nod appreciatively when I show them the town map of Red Larch. I describe the prominent 3-storey Swinging Sword Inn, the awful stench from the tannery as they pass it, and some of the other buildings.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Is there a tavern here?” Evan asks. Standard adventurer query, that one.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I briefly skim the campaign book. “Yeap, the building across the road from the Swinging Sword is a tavern called the ‘Helm at Highsun’, complete with a sign-board that has a large helm with eye-slits perched on top of it. Upon closer inspection, you realise that it’s an upturned washtub with some eye-slits cut out.” The Princes of the Apocalypse campaign book is great. Not too blurby, and relays interesting quirks that really make the game experience shine.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Of course, the kids decide to split up to explore town. Yes, trying to keep the kids together is like herding displacer cats. Evan decides to visit the tavern, while Jojo opts to check out the large empty fairgrounds to the east of town.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I start with Jojo. “It’s still really early in the morning, so few people are around. Tempest arrives at a large empty field, which obviously must be a fairgrounds or marketplace during certain days. There are empty wooden stalls, some wagons with missing wheels, and one wagon covered with a tent at the far end of the fairgrounds. There’s a light inside the tent; there’s probably someone in there.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">As the dragonborn cleric approaches the wagon tent, I describe a smouldering campfire next to the wagon, along with scores of glass pickle jars all around the place. Jojo says, “Where are all the COOL people? I’m not going to bother some pickle seller!” With that, she makes her way back to where Evan’s character is.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, Evan is trying to inquire about the most expensive drink in the tavern. I tell him that the bartender (a jovial-looking man in an apron) presents to him ‘Hagfish brew’ (it’s an in-joke from a previous adventure when Evan tried to drink slime from a Hagfish tank). “Best drink that a silver piece can buy!” he states.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“A whole silver piece for a drink!? Evan, that’s a rip-off!” declares Jojo.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan does the brotherly thing, and ignores her. “I buy two. One for me, and one for Jojo.” He presents the drink to the dragonborn cleric when she turns up. There are suspicious-looking bits floating in those drinks. I get the kids to roll a Constitution roll to see if either of them throw up. There’s a lot of gagging, but fortunately, they don’t spew all over the place.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You new to these parts?” asks the bartender. “Welcome to Red Larch, Gateway to the South!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“We’re </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">from</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> the south,” Jojo informs him.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Gateway to the North!” the bartender amends. “Towns like Red Larch are caravan stops and supply depots for settlements and farms all around the Dessarin Valley! These days though, caravans are finding it hard to get through, what with all the bandits raiding them!” I give the kids a meaningful look.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids do the kid-thing, and ignore me. Evan decides to check out the marble quarry in the north of town, while Jojo checks out the three-storey Swinging Sword Inn.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan finds a small stone hut at the entrance of the marble quarry, and after a few words with a very unfriendly quarry overseer woman who lives there, he decides to hang around with the rest of the quarry workers and help carve out some stone.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“The quarry overseer woman keeps complaining about being way behind on their marble orders, and that they should do night-shifts cutting the stone, but the quarry workers seem fearful about this. They keep referring to some strange figures at the quarry at night who watch them as they work. ‘I’m not working night-shifts while the Watchers are around!’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Evan, ask about the Watchers,” says Jojo.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan decides to carve out stone instead. I get him to roll a Strength check, which comes up unfavourably. “You finish carving out one marble block, and then realise that the guy next to you has carved out five!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Indignant, the gunslinger tries to carve out more stone, and this time Evan rolls a 1! “With a mighty clang, the head of the pick-axe you were given snaps off the handle! The overseer woman is furious! She gives you 3 coppers for your work so far, and tells you to leave! As you leave, you hear her arguing with another worker about the so-called Watchers.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Evan, ask about the Watchers!” insists Jojo, but the gunslinger decides to whisper ominously to the worker next to him, ‘You are being watched!’, completely freaking the guy out. He continues on his way out of the quarry, makes a failed attempt to break into the overseer woman’s stone hut, gives up in disgust and goes off to find Jojo’s character.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Meanwhile, Jojo’s dragonborn cleric is getting acquainted to the lady innkeeper (named Kaylessa Irkell) of the Swinging Sword Inn. Kaylessa seems to be someone who knows what a quality inn ought to look like, and has taken great pains to bring that quality to the sole inn in Red Larch. She freely shares her view on the town’s recent troubles to Jojo. “I tell you, it’s bad omens everywhere! Last week, we saw lightning flashing in the hills - upwards into the sky! And just last night, someone reported seeing a lightning flash in the south road!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo coughs, “Ah, yes - um, you can discount that last rumour.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Children used to be able to go berry-picking in the hills,” continues the chatty innkeeper, “But these days there seems to be a monster hiding around every corner! And on top of this are all the bandits raiding the caravans coming up the south road!” I shoot a glance at the kids, but they seem to be busy fiddling with their character sheets.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“In fact,” says Kaylessa without pausing for breath, “I can tell you what the source of all this evil is!” She motions the cleric closer. “It’s all because of the evil at Lance Rock! I keep telling Constable Harburk that we should send someone to clear out the evil at that rock cave, but he keeps making excuses about being too busy with matters in town!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“There’s a Constable in town?” says Jojo. “I’d like to meet him.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Kaylessa gladly gives directions to the dragonborn cleric on where to find Constable Harburk. Meeting up with Evan’s gunslinger, the two of them head off to the given building.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids, “When you two get there, you think you might have been given the wrong directions because the building is obviously a butcher shop, with a wordless sign of a meat haunch and cleaver hanging out front.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The two adventurers enter the butcher’s shop, and ask for Constable Harburk. A broad woman in an apron hollers for an even broader man in an apron from the backroom. He wipes his meaty hands on his apron. “Yes, I’m Constable Harburk. How can I help you?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“The town constable is the butcher!?” exclaims Jojo.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“It seems so,” I say. “Constable Harburk is helped by his four sons, who also help carve meat behind the shop. Oh, roll a Perception check, both of you.” They roll, and I tell Jojo. “You notice behind Constable Harburk that there are meat hooks hanging from the ceiling. On one of the meat hooks, there’s a man hanging by the back of his belt.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Um, right,” says Jojo. “I ask him if I can buy some meat off the hook - like that one!" She points to the man hanging on the meat hook.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The Constable turns and grins. “What him? Hah, well, he's not for sale. You see, we don’t really have a place to lock people up here. So when we find drunks on street, we hang them up in the meat room till they sober up.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Now that’s awesome!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">They ask Constable Harburk about the recent happenings, and the broad man shrugs. “Weather’s been playing up, monsters teeming in the hills, but most of all, there have been numerous bandit attacks on caravans coming up the south road. I’d go do something about them, but I’m just too busy with things in town!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids finally capitulate. “Okay, okay, enough already! We’ll fix the bandit problem!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The next day, the adventurers are back in the Westwood forest in front of a bemused Gib-Bob. “Hey, dude, sorry about not wanting to clear out those bandits before, but we’re back to help you out.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids, “Just then, there is a commotion from the other Elk tribe warriors. Gib-Bob frowns as a grey-haired woman dressed in animal furs strides through the crowd of Elk tribe warriors. She looks like she’s from a tribe like the warriors, but she’s wearing a different insignia.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Ghost Bear tribe,” mutters Gib-Bob to the adventurers. “They’re all a little… odd in the head. She probably doesn’t even know why she’s here.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Ghost Bear tribe!?” exclaims Jojo. “Why didn’t you tell us about these cool tribes sooner!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The woman comes up to Gib-Bob, and gives him a curt nod. (I asked the kids for a good name for her, and for the life of me, I can’t recall the name we chose, nor can the kids who continually refer to her as the ‘Ghost Bear Lady’) “The Ghost Bear tribe greets you, war leader of the Elk tribe.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Gib-Bob accepts her greeting politely. “What brings the Ghost Bear into these parts?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">She shrugs. “The Ghost Bears come and go as we feel. I felt this is where I should be, so here I am. I do not question why.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Right you are,” says Gib-Bob, while giving the adventurers a ‘I told you so’ look.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The Ghost Bear Lady seems content to follow along with the plan to attack the bandit camp. Soon enough I draw up the bandit camp and describe it to the kids. “The bandits are camped in a small clearing, with a trail leading off through the trees to a cave in the cliff-face. That’s where they probably stash all their stolen goods. You see a number of bandits, and one bandit leader who seems tougher than the rest. There’s also a wagon in the middle of the clearing, one with an iron cage fixed onto it. Inside the cage is a large, black bear.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oooo,” the kids go. “What does the Ghost Bear Lady think about that?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The Ghost Bear Lady nods, “I now know why I am here.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Gib-Bob says, “Hmm.. if there’s a way we can free that bear, it can do most of the work for us.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">In the end, the kids decide that Jojo will cast ‘Disguise Self’ on herself to look like a bandit, and saunter up to the cage and try free the black bear.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“After I free the bear, the Ghost Bear Lady can calm it down, right? Right?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Um, sure, probably-likely,” I reply unhelpfully. It’s good to be the DM.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Under the guise of the spell, the dragonborn cleric makes her way to the caged bear. I tell her, “No one seems to suspect that you’re not one of the bandits. You get to the cage door with ease, and see that the lock of the cage is already broken. Instead, there’s a metal spike holding the cage door shut.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The dragonborn cleric attempts to remove the spike, but Jojo rolls a bad Strength check. “The spike seems wedged in tight! Just as you heave to pull it out, you hear a voice behind you, ‘Hey! What are you doing there!?’”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh, who me?” Jojo replies innocently, “I’m just, um, checking the cage door to make sure it’s secure!” I get her to roll a Deception check, but the d20 continues to be unkind. The bandit starts towards the cleric, reaching for his scimitar.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Can I see him? I’m shooting him!” says Evan. The gunslinger takes aim and fires a loud shot at the bandit confronting Jojo. “Hit! With 8 damage!” With a surprised look on his face and blood spreading across his chest, the bandit falls over dead.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The gunslinger’s rifle shot brings all the bandits on their feet as the rest of the whooping Elk tribe barbarians charge into the clearing. “The bandits are all in disarray while the bandit leader shouts his orders. Excited by the commotion, the black bear lunges at the cage door, but fails to smash it open!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“I’m going to try to remove the spike again,” says Jojo as she rolls. “Yes!! Natural 20!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Obviously,” I tell her. “When the bear charged the cage door, it must have loosened the iron spike, and it falls off by itself just as you reach for it.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“No way!! That was pure dragonborn strength!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The dragonborn cleric drops her disguise spell and melts into the shadows as the black bear smashes out of the cage, swiping yelling bandits left and right. Gib-Bob engages in a fierce battle with the bandit leader, clashing his axe against the bandit’s scimitar slashes. Evan manages to take out another bandit with a cracking shot, while Jojo fries a couple of bandits in well-aimed lightning breath attack. She gives chase to another bandit fleeing towards the cave.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell the kids, “As the fleeing bandit reaches the cave, he looks up and sees… someone in robes and a stone mask watching him from the cliff face! The bandit raises his sword and warns the figure to stay back, but the figure thrusts his arms upwards and a blast of earth and rock erupts from under the bandit!” By the time Jojo catches up with the bandit, she only finds his remains among bits of rock and earth. She finds no one else at the scene.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The battle is over in a few minutes. While the kids loot the cave, the Ghost Bear Lady inspects the remains of the bandit Jojo was chasing. She gazes at the two adventurers, “There is the stirring of elemental evil here. And you two - your fates are entwined with the evil. Seek the Bloody Tree, for there your paths begin.” Before they can ask her anything more, the Ghost Bear Lady departs, with the large black bear following her docilely.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“The Bloody Tree?” Jojo wonders. “She’s not British, is she?”</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />I like to take our time playing through the little side trek quests before launching into the main adventure. I feel it helps establish the game world.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />And of course, after I introduce the Ghost Bear lady from the Ghost Bear tribe, do I realise that I stuffed up the name, and the PotA campaign book has it as the 'Tree Ghost' tribe. However, 'Ghost Bear' sounds way cooler, so I'm sticking with that. The Ghost Bear lady isn't a character from the campaign book, but I plan to use her as a plot device for sub-quests involving the 'High Forest' in the east which the campaign book does have. Gib-bob, of course, should feature in other sub-quests involving the Uthgart tribes themselves.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />The kids didn't take to Kaylessa the inn-keeper as much as I thought they would. I suppose she came across as more 'pushy and annoying' rather than 'chatty' with her Lance Rock quest push. Constable Harburk had a better reception, I don't think the kids will forget how he hangs up offenders by their belts.</i>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-30050879306074313932019-05-04T22:31:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:14:21.938-07:00D&D 5e [Princes of the Apocalypse] Session 1: Random Encounters and Animal Seduction<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Characters:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Tempest, Blue Dragonborn Cleric Trickery-Domain (played by Jojo, 14yo)<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Folax Huntreouss, Human Gunslinger (played by Evan, 12yo)</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><u style="box-sizing: content-box;"><span style="box-sizing: content-box; font-weight: 600;">Warning: This adventure contains a lot of references and spoilers to the ‘Princes of the Apocalypse’ campaign. If you have yet to play through the campaign, be warned that you’re likely to come across the same stuff we did.</span></u></i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />It’s about time we got into D&D 5e.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Admittedly, I did attempt to introduce the kids to D&D 5e using the “Lost Mines of Phandelvar” Starter Set, but after the first session, it never really took off. It’s been about 2 years since we seriously got down into an RPG campaign, so we’re itching to get back into one.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Evan, my 12yo boy, of course, decides to pick something completely different from the basic classes from the Player’s Handbook. If you’ve read some of our previous RPG sessions, he’s played a Skeleton Fighter, a Dark Stormtrooper operated internally by a Jawa, and in that Phandelvar session, he played a Warforged Construct.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />After some googling, he finally settles on the Gunslinger, a D&D 5e Homebrew Fighter-type, popularised by Matthew Mercer. I use the stats defined there, while Evan comes up with a rather traumatic background story involving him being dropped on the face too many times by his evil foster parents who eventually decide to abandon him in the woods because he was too ugly.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Jojo, my 14yo girl, decides to go with something completely different from the normal characters she plays, which tend to be either roguish, or rangerish, or druidish, or a mix of all three. In the end, she settles on a Dragonborn Cleric of the Trickery domain who worships Loki (she adores Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe).</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Yes, Jojo's character is still somewhat roguish, but at least she’s being pious about it! <img alt="" border="0" src="https://cf.geekdo-static.com/images/biggrin.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; vertical-align: middle;" /></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">What better way to start off an adventure than with a good old ambush?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I show the kids the Dessarin Valley map, and Evan immediately points to the Westwood and declares that his character lives there, in a very specific tree on the map.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Skimming through the suggested adventure hooks to get the players into the Dessarin Valley, I decide to improvise on the “Bears and Bows” bandit camp side-trek adventure.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Okay, kids, your characters do not know much about each other, but you both live in the woods, away from normal civilisation, and aside from the many, many monsters and creatures that you are familiar with in the forest, you are also friends with these barbarians who call themselves the Elk tribe. Anyway, a friend of yours from the Elk tribe (I poll the kids for a barbarian name, and they supply “Gib-Bob”) named “Gib-Bob” tells you that his tribe is expanding their hunting grounds into The Westwood. The barbarian scouts have located a camp of rough-looking humans, and have concluded that these are bandits after witnessing these humans rob and murder innocent travellers on the Long Road. Gib-Bob asks both of you to help clear out these bandits at their camp.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo shakes her head. “I dunno, dad, I really have no interest in killing bandits. Can I say ‘Thanks, but, no thanks’?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Ah well, there goes the plan. I eke out a grin. “Oh sure. This is D&D, where you can do </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">anything you want</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">. So, what do you want to do?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Is there a town nearby?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I point at Red Larch on the map. “Sure, the town of Red Larch is the closest to where you are. Just a day’s journey up the Long Road.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I present the kids two options of travelling, by day or by night. I explain that travelling by day has greater possibilities of bumping into other travellers, while travelling at night allows them to travel more stealthily, but at the risk of bumping into more dangerous creatures. They decide to travel by night, and I roll two d20s against the “Random Encounters: Night” column.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">4 and 9. Interesting.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You travel stealthily along the Long Road at night, and just as you approach a rise in the road, you hear a strange screeching roar on the other side of the rise.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Not bothering to hide, Jojo opts to walk up to the top of the rise and look at what is causing the noise, while Evan decides to hang back and arm his Musket rifle. “When Tempest arrives at the top, she sees a large strange creature off the side of the road. It has the body of a bear, and the head of an owl! The creature screeches in anger as it fends off two other creatures swooping down on it!” I show them a pic of the swooping creatures and the kids immediately identify them. “Hippogriffs!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I pull up the picture of the Owlbear from the Monster Manual and tell the kids, “Okay, kids, this is an </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">iconic</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> D&D monster!” I read some background about the habits and ferocity of the Owlbear, and its curious origins about how it might been either a creature fused by a demented wizard, or a native creature from the Feywilds.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The kids roll their eyes. “Of course, it’s a magic cross between an owl and a bear! I mean, look at it!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Magic mutant bear or not, the Owlbear is still a dangerous creature. I get Jojo to roll a Perception check and she rolls adequately. “As one of the hippogriffs swoops down to claw the angry owlbear, you notice a dark shape on its back!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Is it human-shaped?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Yeap. But you can’t make out much because it’s too dark.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Hey, dragonborn? I’ve got darkvision!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Oh, so you have! You see everything in black and white, and you definitely make out a human riding the hippogriff!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo seems plagued with indecision. “I don’t know which side to help! I mean, I love how that Owlbear looks, but I also love Hippogriffs!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“How about NOT helping either side?” Evan suggests wryly. He edges closer with his rifle at ready.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I decide to hurry things along. “As Tempest stands there indecisively, the owlbear gets clawed again by a swooping hippogriff! The owlbear screeches in fury, and then it sees you standing there in the middle of the road! It starts to charge towards you!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “The owlbear is an animal, right? Doesn’t Jojo have some sort of animal skill, like Animal Seduction, or something?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo face-palms. “Evan, first off, I’m not playing a ranger - I’m a cleric! Second, Animal </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Seduction</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">!? Do you think I go around asking animals, (she puts on a leery accent) “Heya, babe. Whatchya doin’?” Laughs abound as we pretend that she gets pepper-sprayed.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">When we get back to business, Evan declares that he is shooting the charging owlbear. He aims and fires his very first rifle shot in this D&D campaign.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">He rolls a 1.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“With a loud bang, the rifle in Folax’s hands misfires! The shot goes wild into the air (and no, it does not hit a hippogriff) and the rifle jams!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo decides to blast the charging Owlbear with a Guiding Bolt spell, but it fails to penetrate the Owlbear’s thick hide. The roaring beast lunges towards the adventurers, and I get them to roll for Initiative.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan gets first go. “I drop my useless rifle, and use my Light crossbow!” The gunslinger resorts back to the old-fashioned ranged attack, and fires a bolt.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">He rolls a 20! How’s that for complete turn-around?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Obviously embarrassed by his previous attempt, Folax manages to fire a crossbow bolt right between the owlbear’s eyes! Critical hit for 13 damage!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The owlbear is very bloodied at this point, but it manages to swipe a claw at the dragonborn cleric standing in its way. “It smashes Tempest for 8 damage, flinging her into a sideways aerial! Jojo, you’re down to 2 HPs! What do you want to do!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo opts to blast the owlbear with her draconic lightning breath. We piece together the scene: “Even while Tempest is upside-down in the air, she lets out a lightning bolt breath attack at the surprised owlbear, hitting it for 4 damage!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan re-loads and fires, but this time the bolt goes wide. I tell the kids, “The furious owlbear stands over the downed cleric, and opens its beak to stab down, but then.. it starts to fly!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo stares incredulously. “Owlbears can fly!? Oh wait, it’s the hippogriffs, isn’t it?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Sure enough, the screeching owlbear is being lifted into the air by the two hippogriffs. The flying creatures carry the struggling owlbear higher and higher into the night sky, before letting it go right above the forest. The kids wince as I describe the owlbear crashing into the trees beyond. “I don’t think it survived that fall!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tempest is still lying on the road. I tell the kids, “You see the two hippogriffs land beside the road, and yes, you confirm that there are two riders on the backs of these hippogriffs! A human male gets off his hippogriff and walks towards where Tempest is lying, while the other (a young woman) stays on her hippogriff.” I show the kids a picture of what the guy looks like.</span><br />
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<a href="https://rpggeek.com/image/4741395" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(50, 46, 77, 0.3); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; color: #004497; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/medium/img/iSd7K2KUR7mKz3qFtipsqxJd-w0=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale()/pic4741395.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Evan says, “I keep my crossbow pointed at the guy.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The human male reaches Tempest and grins down at her. “Are you okay?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Am I okay?” Jojo splutters. “I just got side-swiped into a flying aerial by a raging owlbear, and you ask me if I’m okay!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The human male laughs. “Hahah, oh, that was just a bit of fun sport! My flying partner and I were just having a bit of fun with that owlbear!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“You call flying around attacking animals ‘fun’!?” Jojo mutters. “I don’t like these guys!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The human male laughs again, and tells Tempest that he and his partner are both part of a 'flying club'. I tell the kids, “The name of the club is the… oh, I forgot. It’s a great name, so let me look it up.” As I flip through the campaign book, Evan makes a dial-up modem noise. Smart ass. “Ah yes, the Feathergale club. They all ride flying mounts, like hippogriffs.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I turn to Evan. “Roll a Strength check.” Evan rolls an 8. “Unnoticed by Folax, the woman rider on the other hippogriff suddenly does a swirling motion with her arms like this.” I demonstrate. “And then pushes her hands at you! A blast of wind rips the crossbow out of your hands and lands on the grass almost 15 feet away!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“An air-bender?” murmurs Jojo, referencing ‘The Last Airbender’.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The human male smiles and tells them that they are welcome to try to join the flying club anytime they want, and walks back to his hippogriff.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo waves. “Ooo! Ooo! Before you go, can I pet your hippogriff, please!?”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I tell her. “He laughs uproariously as he mounts his hippogriff. He says, ‘No.’ Then he and his partner launch into the air and fly off into the night.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jojo snorts. “I really don’t like these guys!”</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Adventure Notes:<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />Yes, I know, it’s called the “Feathergale Society”, but “Feathergale club” sounds more crass to me. And yes, deviation from the DM’s carefully prepared script is very common in our games.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />So the PotA campaign recommends that the party of characters be at least Level 3 before starting on the main adventure path. For a party of new characters, there are four or five 'starter' quests which can be used to level them up accordingly. I was hoping to use the 'Bears & Bows' quest, which involves attacking a camp of bandits which happens to have a captive bear, but the kids had other plans. The Random Encounter roll of 4 (Owlbear) and 9 (Feathergale knights) allowed me to introduce some sinister 'air-bending' characters. I'm happy that this seems to have worked very well.<br style="box-sizing: content-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: content-box;" />The Elk tribe is part of the Uthgardt human barbarian tribes in the Dessarin Valley. The campaign book refers to them as hostile to outsiders, but I thought it'd be interesting to have the kids start with a good relationship with them.</i>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-71104181038040350082018-09-02T04:06:00.002-07:002020-10-24T23:41:58.172-07:00KKCon 2018 Round-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>A Round-Up by KK Seuss</b></span></div>
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<br />KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-9239061867922484392018-02-21T20:29:00.000-08:002018-02-21T21:41:28.390-08:00Gamer kids these days (Jan-Feb 2018)Jojo (aged 13) and Evan (aged 11) give their personal comments about the games they’ve been playing these days:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Codenames: Duet</b></span><br />
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<b>Jojo:</b> “Well, it’s a change from the original Codenames. I prefer the original one. I find this a bit harder when you’re playing in teams because sometimes you’re all not on the same page, and then you overthink it. Evan and I were on one team, while Mum and Dad were on the other team. I found it harder to decide what clues to give to the other team because you need to discuss it with your teammate. And the scoring and timer is more complicated than the usual one. I love the new artwork though! Was it fun? Well, the original Codenames was competitive, and I found that more fun compared to this one.”<br />
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<b>Evan: </b>“Where’s the gloating!? In this game, you can’t say to the other team, “In your FACE!” when you win! And it was FUNNY when the other team gets it wrong! That was missing from this game!”
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Betrayal at the House on the Hill </b></span><br />
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<b>Jojo:</b> “I learnt something interesting with this game. Mummy says she doesn’t like this game when she first played it a long time ago - but I think that was because she played it with the wrong people! So far, we’ve played this twice, and I really enjoyed it, probably because I played it with the right people, like Dad and Evan. This game is partly like a role-playing game - you don’t know what is going to happen next because there are so many different possible outcomes. I wouldn’t have picked it off the shelf myself, mainly because I don’t like horror, gore, etc, but although this game is based off all that, I still had fun playing it! I think it puts scary things into a funny perspective! Nobody is striving to win or planning every single move - we’re just messing around to see what happens next. So yes, I found it fun and entertaining, and I want to play it again - I can even name some of my friends who would have a great time playing this!”<br />
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<b>Evan:</b> “I love this game! Especially when you can build the house to look real weird, like with a very long Upper Floor that protrudes over the Front Entrance! Love the different Haunts - we got the Mummy and the Cannibals. I really wanted to be the Traitor, and every time someone gets an Omen, we’d all cheer and hope for the Haunt to start! With Jo and me, it’s guaranteed fun as we make a lot of jokes while playing. I even found ways to mess with the Mystic Elevator - I wanted to use it to strand Dad in the basement! I think this game is really fun with friends who make fun of stuff!”
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Clank!</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmzIPuiggx44Y9wH8koTTdIVa7vhE5RcFtdoYj5NpnxEfsD-TqHM3NZdMIoxNQDVQAmXiBDUylFmRrXmpMH9n_q67bdIyycMpotRoAJgAJKfBSQvwE0yfOmWLmSJFOhQBBYXJmS0ue8c/s1600/File_001.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmzIPuiggx44Y9wH8koTTdIVa7vhE5RcFtdoYj5NpnxEfsD-TqHM3NZdMIoxNQDVQAmXiBDUylFmRrXmpMH9n_q67bdIyycMpotRoAJgAJKfBSQvwE0yfOmWLmSJFOhQBBYXJmS0ue8c/s400/File_001.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Jojo:</b> “I like all the cool cards, and the wonderful artwork. Usually in a game where you have a limited amount of time, I tend to stress out a bit more, but in this one - it was more fun than expected! I like replenishing the Dungeon Row, and reading the new cards to see what cool things they do. I never felt that I was in a situation where I had nothing to do.”<br />
<br />
<b>Evan:</b> “I like stealing the first Artifact I can get to, and then getting out ASAP. This reminds me of a video-game “Bonanza Bros” where you steal stuff and get out. And I like it that after you get out, you go party on the roof which triggers more dragon attacks! It’s all about the bragging rights, y’all!”
KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-3262984260515482992018-01-24T21:22:00.000-08:002018-01-24T21:23:22.405-08:00Travels, Games and Airport Security. Or how many games can you stuff into a Codenames box?QUEENSTOWN AIRPORT, NEW ZEALAND.<br />
<br />
I’m going through the X-ray check-point just before the boarding gate when I hear the dreaded words that no passenger wants to hear.
<br />
<br />
“Excuse me, is this your backpack? Could you please step aside?”<br />
<br />
“Sure, mate.” Okay, just smile and keep casual while frantically running through the mental inventory of what I packed into there. Oh God, I did not put the nail-clippers in there, did I? That’s an embarrassing rookie air-traveller mistake.<br />
<br />
“Something came up in the X-ray,” explains the officer with my backpack. “Let me just have a look through, okay?” He’s nicer than most airport security personnel I’ve met so far. In fact, this whole country is filled with the nicest people in the world, almost as if the colonial powers back in the day had migrated all the nice people here and left all the grumpy ones back in the old country.<br />
<br />
After a brief rummage (which fortunately was nail-clipper-less), he finally pulls out a box. “Can I open this?” he asks.<br />
<br />
I stare at it. “Sure thing.” It’s <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/178900/codenames">Codenames</a>. Why on earth would Codenames set off the X-ray machine?<br />
<br />
Okay, well, yeah. There’s more than just Codenames in that box.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
----<br />
<br />
10 DAYS EARLIER.<br />
<br />
My wife is upstairs packing to go on our holiday to New Zealand. The flight is in the wee hours of the next morning, and we’re throwing things into bags the night before. You know how some people start packing days in advance of a holiday, just putting in a few things, and then more things later? Yeah, we’re not like that.<br />
<br />
I’m at the games collection, staring at the shelves of games, trying to figure out what would make it into the travel bag this time. This holiday, we’ll be travelling with my brother-in-law, his wife and my 20-something-year-old nephew, so it’ll have to be something that caters for non-gamers (my brother-in-law and said wife) and something for a casual “Magic: The Gathering” player (my nephew). And it had to be something small - we were cramming everyone and everything into a people-mover when we get to New Zealand, so it’s carry-on bags and backpacks for everyone.<br />
<br />
I pull out Codenames. Yeah, this will go well with my brother-in-law. He loves party or group games, and we introduced him to <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/86156/reverse-charades">Reverse Charades</a> last time, which was a hoot. I then get the idea that perhaps I could empty out the Codenames box, and then put in just 25 Clue Cards, the placards, and a couple of Key cards. That should be good for a couple of rounds of Codenames, which is realistically what we’ll play in at least one night during the trip. And it leaves room for more games that I can pack in the same box. I start searching for what else can go in there.<br />
<br />
A text message dings. I glance at my phone. It’s my nephew saying that his mom and dad have already finished packing - they started a few days ago.<br />
<br />
Yeah, we’re not like that.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
“The X-ray picked up a round metal object,” says the officer as he pries open the Codenames box. “Do you know what it might be?”<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Codenames</span></b><br />
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<br />
As expected, <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/178900/codenames">Codenames </a>was well-received by my brother-in-law’s family. This game gets better as players on opposing teams give “less-than-helpful” suggestions on what the mysterious one-word-one-number Clues pertain to. I’ve never had a problem introducing this game to non-gamers, and it has firmly remained in our collection as a favourite.<br />
<br />
As Clue-Giver, my poor sister-in-law misread “Wombat” as “Worm bat”, which caused much confusion to her Guessers, and much hilarity afterwards when discovered. Two thumbs up, and buy that <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/789/vlaada-chvatil">Czech </a>a drink for designing a game that feels like it should have been made decades ago, yet polished enough to stand against a lot of modern designs.<br />
<br />
Taking just 25 double-sided Clue Cards, 2 Clue Giver cards and a few placards, Codenames is a breeze to travel with, if you expect to only get a couple of plays out of it. I’ll definitely be bringing this out on more family trips.<br />
<br />
I’ve not gotten <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224037/codenames-duet">Codenames Duet</a> on the table yet, but my interest has risen after a good friend informed me that Codenames Duet can be played well with two TEAMS as opposed to only two players. And it reduces downtime as both teams are trying to come up with good Clues at the same time. Definitely looking forward to giving this a go.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Hanabi </b></span><br />
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<br />
I explain to my nephew that <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/98778/hanabi">Hanabi </a>is a challenging co-operative game where 25 points is the maximum you can score, and that we’ve always only scored around 20. Of course, once I’ve told him that, we proceed to play a two-player game, and score 25 points straight up.<br />
<br />
I suppose it’s easier with two players in some ways, as there’s less chance for someone to screw up, but I think we were really lucky on how some of those cards came out. And I’ve noticed that I’ve become less risk-averse with my guesses; risking a wrong guess when there’s a few ‘Fuse’ tokens left is usually worth it.<br />
<br />
We don’t play this enough at home as a family, even though this is a great co-op game, and we’ve <a href="http://www.tabletopgamesweplay.com/2013/09/episode-5-hanabi_2.html">video-reviewed this game</a> in the past. Perhaps getting the deluxe set with the tiles would help, but then it wouldn’t be as portable as the card game, would it? :-p<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Castles of Burgundy: The Card Game </span></b><br />
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<br />
Our "<a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/191977/castles-burgundy-card-game">Castles of Burgundy: The Card Game</a>" set has travelled with us all over the South-East Asia-Australasia region. It’s my wife and my favourite game when we want a quick strategy game, and it’s just a bunch of small cards, so it’s easy to zip-lock into a sandwich bag and stuff into the Codenames box.<br />
<br />
Once laid out on the table though, this game starts to sprawl. We manage to keep it to a manageable size, but this is definitely not something you’d play on an airplane table.<br />
<br />
I taught my nephew and brother-in-law how to play, and we got a few games of this in. The card-play and action-chaining came second-nature to my nephew, who managed to “beat the master” and win on the last game we played by 1 point.<br />
<br />
Another excellent game from our favourite designer <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/4958/stefan-feld">Stefan Feld</a>.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Times Up! Title Recall</span></b><br />
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<br />
As you might know, "<a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/36553/times-title-recall">Times Up! Title Recall</a>" makes a regular appearance at game conventions, usually in the late hours of the night as gamers in varying degrees of frazzility try to come up with ways to explain phrases or words to their partners with waning neurons.<br />
<br />
The game innocently starts off in Round One as a <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1111/taboo">Taboo</a>-type game, allowing the Explainer to use words and actions to describe the answer, as long as they don’t actually quote the answer. And then in Round Two, it gets harder as the Explainer is limited to just a single word. And then in Round Three, it gets even harder as the Explainer is limited to just actions. The beauty of this is that the same Answer cards are used in all three rounds, thus challenging your memory as you try to recall answers from the previous rounds to justify why your Explainer is suddenly capering around like a chimpanzee.<br />
<br />
When we play this with the kids, we never go past the opportunity to play the unofficial ‘Freeze Frame’ Round, where the Explainer is limited to a single pose. And then onwards to the even more unofficial (yes, I know, how much more ‘unofficial’ is ‘even more unofficial’?) ‘Facial Expression’ Round, where the Explainer is limited to a single facial expression, which my son Evan is particularly fond of.<br />
<br />
Of course, with gamer kids, this was bound to happen:<br />
<br />
“Dad, in Round Three, it’s one guess and unlimited passing this round, right?”<br />
“Yeah.”<br />
Jojo focuses on her brother who she’s paired up with. “Ready, Evan? Go!”<br />
“Star Wars.”<br />
“Pass.”<br />
“Star Wars.”<br />
“Pass.”<br />
“Star Wars.”<br />
“Pass.”<br />
“Star Wars.”<br />
“YES!”<br />
<br />
For two games of Times Up and a glorious evening of hilarity, you only need 40 cards and an hourglass timer. Easy to squeeze into the Codenames box, although it is now hard to erase Evan’s facial expression of Kylo Ren from my memory.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Trigger! </span></b><br />
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<br />
The security officer takes out the offending round metal box which had obviously set off the X-ray. He cautiously opens it and asks, “What is it?”
<br />
<br />
I start to answer. <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/81850/trigger">Trigger </a>is a party game for three-or-more players where one player reads out a Yes/No/True/False question and everyone else slaps their right hand (to answer Yes/True) or left hand (to answer No/False) on the foam “Target” in the middle of the table, forming a “hand stack”. The questions are tricky and cute, like “The person on your right is not a woman.”. The scoring rules in my edition aren’t that great, but if you go to the <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/81850/trigger">BGG game page</a>, you’ll find rules for a far better scoring system where players score positive points for correct answers, or negative points for incorrect answers depending on the position of their hand in the “hand stack”, i.e. the top hand gets 1/-1 point for a correct/incorrect answer, and then the next hand below gets 2/-2 points for a correct/incorrect answer, and then the next hand below that gets 3/-3 points, etc. Great game for kids and groups; it rewards quick thinking and quicker reflexes. Like, my daughter Jojo is so fast in this game, it goes beyond normal physics and right into the quantum realm - the instant I observe that her hand’s not there, it is.<br />
<br />
“Um, er, it’s a card game,” I croak. Thank God I didn’t answer, “That’s my Trigger.”<br />
<br />
“Uh huh.” The officer places it back into the Codenames box and closes the lid.<br />
<br />
“It’s, uh, pretty good.”<br />
<br />
“Sure.” He zips up my bag. “Have a nice flight!”<br />
<br />
I head towards my waiting family. Friendly guy, really. This whole country is full of them.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My travel games extravaganza packed into a Codenames box</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What would you squeeze into a Codenames box?KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-87815918254341842742018-01-20T22:04:00.000-08:002018-01-28T18:41:09.285-08:00Who are 'we' in 'Games We Play'?First blog post for 2018, and I realise that we haven't updated (or created!) our profiles on our blog. So I decide to rectify this, and go round up the various members of the family today to interview them one at a time. Turned out to be an interesting exercise, with me asking gaming-related questions and typing furiously into the laptop while the family member drawled on about games they love to play.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
So here's me:<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmKhLWSIhCA10y1R1Io8ZGMm9mpSNVeqVCs19wALWuM_lybnpITIyCx3kzehG10JWjkTsmXCkBRJ02LZu_xzEh-qOZ-KUEG_9kaQ2NsQtlY90FALXifcvC5gL8lzOPZGcyiJF2Wo1Kj4/s1600/KK-Portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmKhLWSIhCA10y1R1Io8ZGMm9mpSNVeqVCs19wALWuM_lybnpITIyCx3kzehG10JWjkTsmXCkBRJ02LZu_xzEh-qOZ-KUEG_9kaQ2NsQtlY90FALXifcvC5gL8lzOPZGcyiJF2Wo1Kj4/s1600/KK-Portrait.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KK - Daddy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"My name is KK and I grew up playing boardgames like '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4479/ratrace">Ratrace</a>' and '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3149/lost-valley-dinosaurs">Lost Valley of the Dinosaurs</a>' before getting into RPGs and computer games, after which my friends and I turned 'Lost Valley of the Dinosaurs' into a pseudo-RPG where the explorers fought over precious ammunition before being eaten by T-Rexes.<br />
<br />
I got into modern-day boardgames close to the time when my kids were born, and we had friends come over to our place and over-play games like '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13/catan">Settlers of Catan</a>' to the point where we were giving bribes to the player who rolled a 7. And from there, my progression path was <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13/catan">Catan</a> -> <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/14996/ticket-ride-europe">Ticket to Ride: Europe</a>-> <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/">BoardGameGeek</a> -> <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3076/puerto-rico">PuertoRico</a><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/18602/caylus">Caylus</a><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/28143/race-galaxy">RaceForTheGalaxy</a><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/31260/agricola">Agricola</a>EveryOtherBoardgameThatINeededToPlayAndOwn.<br />
<br />
Now over 12 years of gaming, I like to say that I'm an all-rounded gamer, but do you want to know a Gaming Truth? <i>(glances around before whispering)</i> "It's not what game you play; it's who you play with". I can pretty much enjoy any sort of game, as long as the other players enjoy the game with me. Funny comments, laughter, smiles all around the table. That's what makes tabletop gaming so fun.<br />
<br />
So who are YOU going to play with next?"<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Cynthia upgraded her phone yesterday, and we are gobsmacked by how brilliant the camera is. After I dragged her away from playing with her new phone, I got her to take a few profile photos of all of us, and then sat her down for an interview:<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJhYVOSvwsJ-p0GnPtxFhaSA-VHVN7qrEKMzE_ErL0u2W2DpAmGGouRcnMfmTOU2fVLLOfOvD14Sl8kWFaJ5nUMTK1q3nD9lUXa-ENE6bjun_4GNxCF0CMDf5qN2hkIhjH5zZN_8QXVE/s1600/Cynthia-Portait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJhYVOSvwsJ-p0GnPtxFhaSA-VHVN7qrEKMzE_ErL0u2W2DpAmGGouRcnMfmTOU2fVLLOfOvD14Sl8kWFaJ5nUMTK1q3nD9lUXa-ENE6bjun_4GNxCF0CMDf5qN2hkIhjH5zZN_8QXVE/s1600/Cynthia-Portait.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cynthia - Mummy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"Hi, my name is Cynthia. I got hooked into games after I had my second baby; since we couldn’t go out much at night, we brought our social life into the house by inviting friends over for dinner and games in between nappy changes and controlled crying.<br />
<br />
I tend to like resource management or strategy games like <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/84876/castles-burgundy">Castles of Burgundy</a>, <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/55670/macao">Macao</a>, <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/31260/agricola">Agricola</a> and <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/182874/grand-austria-hotel">Grand Austria Hotel</a>. Games that are based on interesting historical background, particularly around the renaissance period. I like games where I have a player board in front of me to build on, and yet still interact with other players, and at the end of the game it feels I’ve given my brain a good workout.<br />
<br />
I love to see the tangible outcome of the game, and all the different moves I had to make in order to build the board in front of me. That's really satisfying! It's like, evidence that I’ve built something.
I love good banter around the game table, with everyone trying different strategies to win. The game sessions I enjoy most are when I’m playing with a bunch of funny and smart players, and I feel like I have to do my best to win.<br />
<br />
It's great that I can share this hobby with my husband, and that we can have fun with our friends and kids doing something that we love! It's precious, special quality time.<br />
<br />
Now, who’s up for a game of '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/148228/splendor">Splendor</a>' with all the expansions!?"<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Our recent foray into Netflix has changed our viewing habits in our household, particularly with my daughter Jojo who is now binge-watching every episode of "<a href="https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80039394">Dragons: Race to the Edge</a>" before school holidays are over. She's still keen to be interviewed though, so here she is:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJGgUUkiYSnDc26WoFCRQRFR6SBy69KSVbYJUMOMqyTL3ZgiYLMH69l2LmMJldkV0EIDuk2SUQsPvI3-B3JCjpZ6vZDle2MDIUdqTXY9yU50UWxwFMvX__WNInKhZol29gWTxzFnJ5ME/s1600/Jojo-Portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJGgUUkiYSnDc26WoFCRQRFR6SBy69KSVbYJUMOMqyTL3ZgiYLMH69l2LmMJldkV0EIDuk2SUQsPvI3-B3JCjpZ6vZDle2MDIUdqTXY9yU50UWxwFMvX__WNInKhZol29gWTxzFnJ5ME/s1600/Jojo-Portrait.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jojo - Dexterity Queen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"Hi my name is Jojo. I was introduced to games through my Dad (of course!) and I’m pretty sure the first few ones we started playing together was '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6351/gulo-gulo">Gulo Gulo</a>' and that chicken Zigga-whatever game - basically games with the big chunky figurines and pieces to move around.<i> (KK: She's probably talking about '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3570/chicken-cha-cha-cha">Chicken Cha Cha Cha</a>'. I've got the german copy 'Zicke Zacke Hühnerkacke'. No, I can't pronounce it either.) </i><br />
<br />
I do prefer more card games over board games. I like strategic thinking, but I also like fast-paced games, like being first one to answer, or dexterity games. <i>(KK: Jojo is the 'Dexterity Queen' in our house. Once, she made me cry in '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8098/jungle-speed">Jungle Speed</a>') </i><br />
<br />
Some sorts of games I'm attracted to are party games, not typical board games, like '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/33604/say-anything">Say Anything</a>', '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/136991/loony-quest">Loony Quest</a>' and '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/36553/times-title-recall">Times Up</a>'. I have a fantastic experience with RPGs, where you can make your own character, or something like that. RPGs are really amazing, you are free to do anything you want. Literally, just do anything. It was really cool! I like playing a stealthy, agility-type character like an elf. Yeah, not one story is the same, especially when Dad is GM-ing. You never know what’s going on in his head! <i>(KK: True! Even I don't know sometimes!)</i> It is so spontaneous, with lots of improvisation, and so exciting to play to find out what happens next!<br />
<br />
Dad once told me about different gamer-types, like Collector, Explorer, Puzzler, Killer, etc. I like games where I collect things and don’t want to lose all my good stuff. I might even stay in base. I'm getting a bit more adventurous though. I still like collecting stuff, and getting more powerful."<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
Lastly, I go hunt down the more elusive member of the family, the rarely-seen Evan who is predictably 'play-testing' some games on the XBOX. It takes some persuasion to get him down for an interview, but eventually, I finally get him to the 'interview futon' and start firing off some questions:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifR6LDY5mLtGwwe8DXILdtvfsbFJrBfOtd0BoG5FzEvg1CSKKWjFRpxhs0PYHlCtU16YRb2j4J4E44_5pbNy0QZYmvJA4vnsV8N1Lvrzj1z8bz1r5M0hMRvm2XICHepXtsOxCDQPYjov8/s1600/Evan-Portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifR6LDY5mLtGwwe8DXILdtvfsbFJrBfOtd0BoG5FzEvg1CSKKWjFRpxhs0PYHlCtU16YRb2j4J4E44_5pbNy0QZYmvJA4vnsV8N1Lvrzj1z8bz1r5M0hMRvm2XICHepXtsOxCDQPYjov8/s1600/Evan-Portrait.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evan - Spontaneous Move Specialist</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"Hi my name is Evan and I started playing games because my Dad told me to. I played games like '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/33604/say-anything">Say Anything</a>' - it was pretty 'meh'. I like <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/103885/star-wars-x-wing-miniatures-game">Star Wars X-Wing</a> miniatures because you can collect these cool mini ships and they all have special traits. I used to play Pathfinder RPG with my sister Jojo; that was a unique type of game. I liked it the most, especially when my character <a href="http://www.tabletopgamesweplay.com/2015/11/pathfinder-rpg-session-18-hagfish.html">Sharpblade</a> tried to drink the slimy water from the hagfish tank.<br />
<br />
I don't really consider myself a master gamer, but normally in boardgames, I get really close to the objective and almost win, except I come in second-place or somethin'. I am the most spontaneous player of the house - as in, I make pretty random moves. It's pretty awesome when I win even when I do that! <i>(KK: Yes, an 'Evan move' has special meaning in our house.) </i><br />
<br />
With video games, I like first person shooters, or third person shooters, because they allow me to see from a soldier’s perspective. It looks pretty realistic. I also like Nerf guns, and I review them on my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCroG1bZG4zv-nT3y4rQTbUw">YouTube channel</a> as a hobby.
If I had to recommend a game to someone new, I'd choose '<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/177524/ice-cool">Ice Cool</a>' because it is pretty simple and you just flick things. And it's short. Long games are pretty boring."<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
Yes, I think we need to work on Evan's attention deficiency. Maybe start with short adventure games, and work his way towards longer fare. Or I could just decommission the XBOX.<br />
<br />
What sort of games would you introduce?KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-40785960315783676432017-12-02T04:12:00.001-08:002017-12-02T04:32:59.008-08:00How I learned to stop worrying and love Cities of Splendor<b><span style="font-size: large;">Introduction (or “The expansions were free. But they came with this $50 Start Player token.”)</span></b><br />
<br />
PAX AUS 2017. Hundreds of gamers crowding around the generously-spaced TableTop area, and I’m number twenty in a queue at one of the game stall cashiers when I spot a copy of Cities of Splendor on a shelf. I pull it out and glimpse at the price. $50.<br />
<br />
I’ve read the first impressions and reviews of Cities of Splendor on BGG, so I knew what I was in for. Four expansions and a whole lot of air in a box. Oh, and a Start Player token. I liked Splendor, and it still comes out on some game nights as a quick starter or wind-down game, which is a lot more than I can say for many other games in the collection. Out of these four expansions, I was really only interested in one - the Orient expansion which introduces those Cool Red cards with Awesome Effects.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_-XuVeWOwyG5F9LOz0bb2Se1g-UkZPC7Yg4VPY4mHZgXUy2B27Z3c8KH_z1v8_U6iPEWOmQfVcfMyUQeEltY7zZrNwYyFv0U-R2CtGUSTub_EKSRpxFrse3pnd0V8Z2ftnSIHUVknDgJ/s1600/File_006.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_-XuVeWOwyG5F9LOz0bb2Se1g-UkZPC7Yg4VPY4mHZgXUy2B27Z3c8KH_z1v8_U6iPEWOmQfVcfMyUQeEltY7zZrNwYyFv0U-R2CtGUSTub_EKSRpxFrse3pnd0V8Z2ftnSIHUVknDgJ/s400/File_006.jpeg" width="299" /></a></div>
<br />
“Honestly,” I reason to myself. “$50 means that this is a box containing expansions worth $12.50 each. If I saw the “Orient” expansion by itself priced at $12.50, I’d snap it up and be happy about it. And if I saw the other expansions alongside it, I *might* pick them up based on collector’s instinct and poor impulse control.” And so, twenty transactions later, I am the owner of one expansion that I really wanted, and three other expansions that sort of came along with it like socially-awkward in-laws you hope to only see on infrequent special occasions.<br />
<br />
At home, I open the box and read the rules. First snag. It’s recommended that only one expansion should be played with the base game. What, I can’t mix them all in? Do they not play well together like my kids after chocolate cake? I decide to reserve my judgement until I’ve played through all the expansions.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Orient Expansion (or the one with Cool Red Cards with Awesome Effects)</span></b><br />
<br />
Need I say anything about this expansion that hasn’t already been said by other reviews? This expansion is awesome because its cards are awesome. Like, take a look at this one:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGs7I0lqt9-L2oMWABMatP-C1Zs2VpLdkPewcMpPcr7RP-PhhBo6V_QNBy1aHBBe5S33KGkdv4TplOKVrqPQ9kSrosHtKq9n0jJJjLfN0cxsubpH8MPM9-T586UBY-F1GmbDNBPSuZEGr/s1600/File_007.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGs7I0lqt9-L2oMWABMatP-C1Zs2VpLdkPewcMpPcr7RP-PhhBo6V_QNBy1aHBBe5S33KGkdv4TplOKVrqPQ9kSrosHtKq9n0jJJjLfN0cxsubpH8MPM9-T586UBY-F1GmbDNBPSuZEGr/s400/File_007.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
So you build this card, and claim another card. Two cards for the price of one! And if you plan it right, you can build a Level 3 Red card to claim a Level 2 Red card to claim a Level 1 card. THREE cards in a single turn! Incredible! It’s stupendous! It’s a Willy Wonka fizz-bang action-chaining special!<br />
<br />
Or how about this one?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAks-coYDFZSPFiJ9HCTDeGRHrUcriIVA5-X6s8LdBGSn3oB8ovQMgNPsSg3lhcUqclim1H6Y1CHB_uUbuiuoMvezKIF938SeW1py4-BNxOdldoi_ruOiYnD5NSUIZAUxyh0-9ZDAVWKrp/s1600/File_000.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAks-coYDFZSPFiJ9HCTDeGRHrUcriIVA5-X6s8LdBGSn3oB8ovQMgNPsSg3lhcUqclim1H6Y1CHB_uUbuiuoMvezKIF938SeW1py4-BNxOdldoi_ruOiYnD5NSUIZAUxyh0-9ZDAVWKrp/s400/File_000.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Build this card, and BAM! Reserve a Noble Tile. Like the one Fred across the table was working all game to get. Sorry, Fred, King Henry here might have been interested in some of your bling, but it looks like he’s been convinced to deal with us exclusively by Lovely Lola from our merchant guild’s Public (and Private) Relations Department.<br />
<br />
I expected much from this expansion. And got that and more. Two solid thumbs up.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Cities Expansion (or the one with Oversized Noble Tiles - Oh, They Flip to show Different Things on the Other Side. That’s Pretty Cool.)</span></b><br />
<br />
With the Orient expansion being such a resounding success, it was with some trepidation that I tried out the expansion from which the entire set is named after. This expansion replaces the Noble Tiles with City Tiles, which are really just Noble Tiles with prejudice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0czWovBd9QnxBo8Fmw7IT-GMwKzHpBKz12YgK129_IDqio04IpnKQs3LlPiOtTC7DcgSBeJjfF74uVxLcl-vzVGjkhUPRrH3eBQtqVedAx9DzZG7T-vufA9OwUcjKXzosMImizLrctB8q/s1600/File_001.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0czWovBd9QnxBo8Fmw7IT-GMwKzHpBKz12YgK129_IDqio04IpnKQs3LlPiOtTC7DcgSBeJjfF74uVxLcl-vzVGjkhUPRrH3eBQtqVedAx9DzZG7T-vufA9OwUcjKXzosMImizLrctB8q/s400/File_001.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The game ends in the round when someone claims a City Tile. The winner is the player with the highest VPs who has a City Tile. So you’ve got 16 VPs and I have 14? But I have a City Tile, and you don’t? Tough luck - I win.<br />
<br />
This expansion really brings out the race aspect of Splendor. But instead of everyone racing for the same 15 VP finish line, here it’s everyone racing towards three different finish lines. It’s like implementing a variant in the base game where you need to have 15 VPs and a Noble Tile to win.<br />
<br />
This forces everyone off the “just build the cards with the VPs” track into the “must get those gem sets for one of those Tiles” track. Yes, it does remove a viable strategy from the base game (which I’ve employed a number of times myself), but it forces set collection and competition for those sets. And more competition is always fun. I enjoyed my plays with the Cities expansion more than I expected, which is a good thing.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Trading Posts Expansion (or the one with the Needlessly Large Board with Static Powers)</span></b><br />
<br />
So honestly, why the board? Why not just have cards or tiles? Or better yet, why not have more than 5 tiles with different powers, and randomly pick 5 to play with each game? Surely that’s better replayability?<br />
<br />
Those were the sort of questions I had when I broke out this expansion. The powers themselves seemed to vary in usefulness. In particular, this power seemed OP-ed:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1ZJoPGv-9XeWZ1PtW9uiBZje0hut2ZFI1qcRLNQEldNhc4-akH0OEGUgUMmJkpAPDMRJDe0KGy9r58EzRr7C4Ny-BAaozZFCMDdYcCrukcO3SskxLT3cizXLO9iu9kkQxUTGvNH0jOkT/s1600/File_004.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1ZJoPGv-9XeWZ1PtW9uiBZje0hut2ZFI1qcRLNQEldNhc4-akH0OEGUgUMmJkpAPDMRJDe0KGy9r58EzRr7C4Ny-BAaozZFCMDdYcCrukcO3SskxLT3cizXLO9iu9kkQxUTGvNH0jOkT/s400/File_004.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This means that once you build 3 Reds and 1 White, you can claim this power which allows you to take a gem chip after you build a card. Seems like a no-brainer to build. So in my first game with my wife, I strove towards getting this power. And got my butt handed to me.<br />
<br />
Some after-game analysis revealed my oversight. I’d not noticed this particular combination which my wife gleefully exploited:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6UjfrcDxzEBfreuFXXnpcLO-FkaND_SD46stRFmIEIINDLQ2IP3exrSfp63s_bfSg0L95ROJnFeNtHZT6P0g9lG3HniyiEE-kVMlaA3RmPQWQgMF2GLrqJFBaY8G62vHFKB1a1ZTk-Bu/s1600/File_005.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6UjfrcDxzEBfreuFXXnpcLO-FkaND_SD46stRFmIEIINDLQ2IP3exrSfp63s_bfSg0L95ROJnFeNtHZT6P0g9lG3HniyiEE-kVMlaA3RmPQWQgMF2GLrqJFBaY8G62vHFKB1a1ZTk-Bu/s400/File_005.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Having this fellow available means that you’re pretty much guaranteed 8 VPs once you start hoarding Greens, which is exactly what my wife did and ended the game before I could even get a decent engine up.<br />
<br />
That was too quick, so we gave it another go. And BAM! It ended just as quickly, this time with my wife spreading Shield Tokens across the Trading Posts board and grabbing the “Gain 1 VP per Shield” power which gave her the extra VPs to end the game.<br />
<br />
If the Cities expansion is like a round-the-track race, then the Trading Posts expansion is more like the 100m sprint. The winner tends to be the one who quickly builds up one of the Trading Post powers, and abuses it to win. And which Trading Post power is best depends on what cards or nobles are available. It’s so fast that my wife and I can play several games of this back-to-back, and do a “best of 3”. Pretty neat.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Strongholds expansion (or the one with the plastic towers that look like bottles of sauce ketchup)</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbVLbPGqE0P85L2d5pX1K-xPksKL5y7PV2ihdpKTALCR7yXAOOgriAlI9ODzzzrqxCXfdC-voDBIoI4DSbK1WK5qkCBoFvvEKkZOH25DPuXIvwRXL1s_bJqzlDh6L_XEJQ11bICmhvzcS/s1600/File_003.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbVLbPGqE0P85L2d5pX1K-xPksKL5y7PV2ihdpKTALCR7yXAOOgriAlI9ODzzzrqxCXfdC-voDBIoI4DSbK1WK5qkCBoFvvEKkZOH25DPuXIvwRXL1s_bJqzlDh6L_XEJQ11bICmhvzcS/s400/File_003.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
“So every time you build a card, you get to do a Stronghold action, like placing or removing one of these ketchup bottles on a card,” I demonstrated to another group of players.<br />
<br />
“Tomato sauce,” replied one of the players in a bored, corrective tone, which initiated a string of ‘No-I’m-right-no-you’re-wrong’ statements, which ended with us agreeing to disagree. The yellow one was undoubtedly mustard though.<br />
<br />
This wasn’t an expansion I was looking forward to trying out. In fact, the plastic bits stayed in the sealed bag for the longest time until someone finally insisted that we should give it a go. Part of my reluctance was that I couldn’t see how yet another “reserve-a-card” mechanic could improve the game. And I felt that some players were going to be doomed in an endless, repetitive cycle of ‘I-place-my-stronghold-you-remove-it-I-place-it-back’ actions.<br />
<br />
We started the game. Most of us couldn’t work out what was valuable to each other, so the first few stronghold placements were pretty random.<br />
<br />
And then this happened:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvoyEVM85Sz1NXCWz94F00vn_F9cAloB23T8sd6LhEm2HMtwhLza4L9hDDj9lWGo0CQ3ux4h5LyozWBMtWDKR4vT0TtMNuwgKytyAgyJhSw2EajHInoll3UMXWBv5rZDbg4bL4GbAN4er/s1600/File_002.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvoyEVM85Sz1NXCWz94F00vn_F9cAloB23T8sd6LhEm2HMtwhLza4L9hDDj9lWGo0CQ3ux4h5LyozWBMtWDKR4vT0TtMNuwgKytyAgyJhSw2EajHInoll3UMXWBv5rZDbg4bL4GbAN4er/s400/File_002.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Much to the horror of the Green and Black players, they were suddenly limited to only purchasing Level 2 development cards which their engines weren’t ready for. They couldn’t build a cheap card without removing those strongholds, and they couldn’t remove those strongholds without a Stronghold action, and they couldn’t do a Stronghold action without building a card. The Yellow and Red players were sufficiently amused to leave their strongholds exactly where they were until they were nice and ready to claim the cards underneath.<br />
<br />
And then there was the turn when several players collaborated to place their strongholds on cards to deny the player in the lead. Oh my, it was mayhem. Players were building cheap cards, just for the Stronghold actions. There was vindictiveness. There was indignation to a level I’ve not seen since the days when someone rolled a 7 and moved the Robber.<br />
<br />
And I <i>liked</i> it.<br />
<br />
I seemed to have gone with the ‘race’ theme to describe some of these expansions. Strongholds is the sort of race that involves chariots, spiked hub-caps and bloodied gladiators. It’s not for everyone, but it’s sure fun with a right crowd!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Final thoughts (or “Let me tell you what I really think about this game”)</span></b><br />
<br />
Since purchasing Cities of Splendor, I can safely say that this game has hit the table a whole lot more, and I can see that this is going to be one of those games that we pack with us for holidays. This expansion surprised and delighted me, and that doesn’t happen very often.<br />
<br />
So how do I rate it? I'll use the trusty “I Play Games with my Wife” Measuring Stick, which sorts games into two classes: “Wife never wants to play this” and “Wife requests for it”. With Cities of Splendor, the wife lost a few games and raged that she never wanted to play it again, <i>and then requested for it the very next night.</i><br />
<br />
So, I think that puts Cities of Splendor into a class of its own.<br />
<div>
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KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979651794234201857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-36716256376212540582017-09-19T23:23:00.000-07:002017-09-19T23:23:58.504-07:00Cynthia Reviews: ...and then, we held hands.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With such a sweet title that appeals to couples like my hubby and me, we bought the abstract strategy card game recently when we went shopping for games. I was impressed by the backstory. Designed by David Chircop and Yannick Massa, this quirky card game was first created as a free ‘Print and Play’ game. It got so popular that it won the <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgamehonor/26881/2014-golden-geek-best-print-play-board-game-winner">2014 best ‘Print and Play’ winner</a> as nominated by fans on <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/">BoardGameGeek</a>.<br />
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After being picked up by a game publisher, <a href="http://ludicreations.com/">Ludicreations</a>, the card game is now available on all major game stores and online. We tore off the shrink-wrap and noticed that the artwork looked rather like ‘<a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39856/dixit">Dixit</a>’. French illustrator Marie Cardouat beautifully depicted the cards which each represent an emotion; happy, sad, ambivalent, calm, angry, manic, cold, resigned, content, betrayed, carefree, euphoric, enraged, depressed.<br />
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"...and then, we held hands" is a co-operative two-player game about finding balance. To win, players must complete objectives and reach the centre of the board. Each player takes a turn to fulfil the common emotional objective by discarding emotive cards to move from node to node. Players can use their own cards or their partner’s to complete an emotional objective. But if either player cannot move, the players lose and the game ends immediately.<br />
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We ditched the no-talking rule and converse for fun to display our emotions. We avoided suggesting any moves to each other though. In reality, we rarely argue as a couple. In this game, we were two angry people always arguing. We tried to make each other happy, but we just end up arguing and giving each other the cold treatment. We played the ‘Arguments Variant’ where we needed to resolve an argument by ending on the same node together. That was difficult to do in the game. Just when we resolved one argument, another one pops up and we are once again trying to resolve it.<br />
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We managed to hang on as a couple and got quite close to being in the centre. I only needed two emotive cards to move to the centre. But my hubby had to go through a whole display of crazy emotions before he could get to the centre. It’s a bit of a brain burner to get to the centre. When we finally did, we were so happy, we held hands!<br />
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We definitely would recommend this game to couples. The game theme depicts that relationships are hard work but when you do find the balance and compromise, both are happy when there is reconciliation.
KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-9384989131417281522017-09-03T04:42:00.001-07:002020-10-25T03:50:10.501-07:00KKCon 2017 Round Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-74122711823918677522017-08-27T20:38:00.000-07:002017-08-27T20:38:45.181-07:00Evan Reviews: Colt ExpressWe played Colt Express today. It was super fun. Every time we finish a phase, we would take turns narrating the cards, making it sound like we were reading a story. The thing that I found annoying is that the sheriff is invincible and deployed $1000 one round.<br />
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It was really fun because I played it with 3 other players, because when you play with 2 players, it's not really the same. This game keeps you very engaged and determined, although you're relying on luck every move. It's the same thing every round - Bang, run, bang, steal, move sheriff, run upstairs and punch.<br />
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We gave our characters nick-names. I played Django "Fett", my mum played Doc, my dad played Ghost "Bear" and my sister was Tuco "Taco". Overall, I'll give it a 4.9/5 rating of fun game-play. Evan out.<br />
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KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979651794234201857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-85576869095342884382017-08-19T00:45:00.002-07:002018-01-21T21:41:54.285-08:00How we organised an Escape Room Party at home for our daughter’s 13th birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yeah, it was a pretty wild idea, and I cannot imagine what was going through my wife’s mind when she blurted out, “Why not an Escape Room party!?” when we were brain-storming some weeks prior to our daughter Jojo’s 13th birthday.<br />
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However, after looking through some of the Escape Rooms around town, we could not find one that adequately fit Jojo's criteria of: No zombies, No murders, No viruses, No mad scientists, No jump-scares, No ghosts, No creepy music.<br />
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So the next wild idea came from me when I said, “Why don’t we just MAKE an Escape Room at home?” How hard can it be, right?
So here’s a list of things that we found during this endeavour.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. Look around for interesting items to use</span></b><br />
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My wife and I probably spent the next week or so walking around in a half-daze, looking for things around the house, or during grocery shopping, that could be used in our Escape Room. Once identified, we squirrelled them away in our bedroom. Obvious things like luggage bag locks, a lockable money box, small pad-locks were the first, but soon we also had a pair of binoculars, a terrarium, styrofoam cups, a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ poster, and so on.<br />
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Most of the things we had were stuff from around the house. Some of these, like the terrarium, were sentimental because it was the first one that Jojo made, and we thought it would be fun to incorporate it somehow. My wife found a list of symbols-to-alphabet letters that my son had made as an alien language, which we decided was perfect for a decoder.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. Ask a lot of people about what they loved about Escape Rooms </span></b><br />
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Every time we met up with people who had been through Escape Rooms, we would ask them about what they liked about it. In the age of Googling up ideas and answers, sometimes asking people you know works best, and we had the best ideas from some of our friends. The binoculars, for example, was inspired by a friend who had been through an Escape Room where she needed to use one to read numbers outside a window.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. Draft up a plan. And then revise it. </span></b><br />
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My wife convinced me that my original idea of “Locking the kids in the garage, and then going for a coffee.” would not cut it, so we eventually found time one late afternoon to draft out a basic outline of what our Escape room in the garage (or, more accurately, Escape Garage) would entail.<br />
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So with the stuff we accumulated, we drafted out one plan, and revised it over and over again. I think the plan evolved backwards. We knew that the kids would eventually gain the key to exit the garage. We needed a way to secure the key that required a puzzle, or series of puzzles, to unlock. The final idea was this:<br />
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The kids would have to find the three numbers (symbolised by the ‘X’, ‘Square’ and ‘Triangle’) that would unlock the dial combination lock that would give them the key to exit the garage.<br />
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After that, it was just designing three different series of puzzles that would lead to each of the three numbers.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">4. Be creative with the stuff you have </span></b><br />
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It’s hard to tell yourself to be creative with just your mind. Sometimes, you need to have something before you can start being creative with it. This was the case with the terrarium. After several ideas, we ended up writing numbers on the sticky side of little stickers, and then sticking them on the glass just below surface-level. We hid the numbers behind some rocks, and left a large sticker with a clue on how to find the numbers on the little stickers. The numbers would open a 3-digit luggage lock on the Tool Box.<br />
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One tip: if you are planning to use 3-digit luggage locks in your puzzles, try setting them as the FIRST puzzle in the series. This is because there will always be one kid who would start industriously going through every number on the combination lock while the others puzzle out the correct numbers.<br />
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Ideally, the time taken to solve the puzzle should be less than the time to brute-force your way through all the 3-digit combinations on the luggage lock.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">5. How many puzzles? How long should it take? </span></b><br />
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Our plan was to have a group of 4-5 kids attempt the Escape Garage in 45-60 minutes. It’s hard to predict how many puzzles it would take to make it last that long, so we took the ‘more is better’ approach, and designed a large number of puzzles that were obvious to solve, but not too obvious.
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And then, we left an iPad on the desk, and Face-Timed the kids every 10 minutes to see how they were doing. If they were stuck, we would drop hints to move them along. That allowed us to pace the entire Escape Garage experience to just under 60 mins.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">6. Video the whole thing. Big Brother style. </span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeNG3DcRpLZT3D8n5jQCJNRPQPI8hvMAV9vIKvnu-jQLZXb7Grg3zg9FTOKfgU6BecBLZIj7_GP0INT02teiufhLiu84A27_oMBH5Hoehv9LQy6V9YYi-BhxTturirSiO-O6fortrcL8/s1600/image3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeNG3DcRpLZT3D8n5jQCJNRPQPI8hvMAV9vIKvnu-jQLZXb7Grg3zg9FTOKfgU6BecBLZIj7_GP0INT02teiufhLiu84A27_oMBH5Hoehv9LQy6V9YYi-BhxTturirSiO-O6fortrcL8/s400/image3.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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We set up a video camera in the garage, and told the kids that it would be filming them throughout the experience. This turned out to be the best thing for the party, as the kids hollered and laughed at themselves when we played-back the footage later in the day during the party. Definitely a must-do!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">7. Don’t worry about things screwing up. Just have fun and roll with it! </span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPFhKCpBHrB1CBebgUOH0ijg497yHPmhci4MJRVmxzlRPliYUPZajNH1NgIhOWjXAZJ8dHm3rWShn4vkFSeSxYve-WTAPBbU3hbye5SOuFJAH65sQOoWPHp6tn7ekxSjYiShyiQd6FVI/s1600/image7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPFhKCpBHrB1CBebgUOH0ijg497yHPmhci4MJRVmxzlRPliYUPZajNH1NgIhOWjXAZJ8dHm3rWShn4vkFSeSxYve-WTAPBbU3hbye5SOuFJAH65sQOoWPHp6tn7ekxSjYiShyiQd6FVI/s400/image7.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Ultimately, this was a fun party thing we were trying to put on, so when we couldn’t come up with a ‘theme’ or ‘story’ for the Escape Garage, we just forgo-ed it, and told the kids that they were being split up into 2 groups of 4-5 kids each, and we were going to time each group to see how long they took, and how many hints they needed.<br />
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Regularly Face-Timing them helped, as the kids found things that could have been misleading (I accidentally left the receipt for the laptop in the work bag! The kids spent a few minutes puzzling over that one! :-p) which we told them to ignore when they showed us.<br />
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Also, never underestimate the deviousness of a bunch of 13-year-old girls put together. The first group who went in actually spent time hiding fake clues around the garage for the second group to find! Thankfully, we could sort it out via FaceTime with the second group, and I docked 10 minutes from the first group for their deception! ;-)<br />
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All in all, it was an awesome experience, and I think my wife and I have definitely earned a few ‘Cool Parents’ points from Jojo’s friends!<br />
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For those of you who want to know exact details on our Escape Garage, read on below.<br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Escape Garage Details: </b><br />
As mentioned, the aim was to find 3 numbers that would unlock the dial combination lock to release the key that the kids would use to escape the garage. There are 3 puzzle series that lead to each number.<br />
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One nice thing about having 3 separate puzzle series is that the kids could work on separate puzzles individually, keeping everyone engaged with something to do. So while one kid decodes a secret message, a few others are figuring out what another clue means, etc. It would have been nice to incorporate puzzles which require more than one kid to solve, like one kid reading out instructions on a wall to another kid who can't read the instructions herself, but we didn't have the proper room layout for that.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Puzzle Series#1: The Travel Bag </span></b><br />
The first puzzle series starts off with a little purple key hidden under the desk, which opens a purple money box also hidden in the desk. The money box contains some Australian coins, some Caribbean Pirate coins, and some beads, along with the note “Going on a holiday? Make sure you bring some travel money! Tour Australia. Then cruise the Caribbean. And then trade beads with the natives. Don’t forget your Travel Bag!”
Counting the Australian coins, and then the Caribbean Pirate coins, and then the beads would give them a set of 3 numbers that is used to open the 3-digit combination lock on a luggage bag labelled ‘Travel Bag’ on the floor.
The Travel Bag contains a pair of binoculars, along with a note (in code) with the ‘X’ symbol. The note (after being decoded) says, “Look far and admire the flower pots!” There is a small window facing the backyard, and someone looking out with the binoculars into the backyard should spot the number ‘23’ written in chalk on one of the flowerpots. This is the ‘X’ number to open the dial combination lock.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Puzzle Series#2: The Tool Box </span></b><br />
The next series starts with the kids noticing that the terrarium on the desk has a message and little stickers on the sides. The message says, “The numbers lie just below the surface. Open the Tool Box to proceed!” Closer inspection will show that the other stickers are just below the surface of the dirt in the terrarium, and digging just under the stickers will reveal three numbers written behind the stickers which show through the glass on the inside of the terrarium.
The numbers open the 3-digit combination lock on the Tool Box, which contains an encoded message along with a ‘square’ symbol: “There's one other name you might know me by. Star Lord! (shoots)” Guardians of the Galaxy fans (like my daughter) will immediately recognise that this is a line from the movie, and that Star Lord refers to Peter Quill in the poster.
If they follow the line of Peter Quill’s laser blasts, they will find the number ‘31’ written in chalk on the brick wall. The other numbers on the wall are just a distraction. This is the ‘square’ number to open the dial combination lock.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Puzzle Series #3: The Work Bag </span></b><br />
This series starts with the kids putting together a jigsaw puzzle which they are given at the start. The jigsaw contains a message: “Stack Jojo’s Birthday Wishes to open the Work Bag”. There are styrofoam cups placed around the garage. Closer inspection of the cups will show a number on one side, and the words ‘Happy’, and ‘Birthday’ and ‘Jojo’ on different cups. Stacking the cups in this order will give them the numbers to open the 3-digit combination lock on the bag labelled ‘Work Bag’ on the floor.
The bag contains a coded message: “Find the Hidden Word in the Holy Word. Psalms Forty.” There is a bible on the desk, and a bookmark in the bible with two holes cut into it, one marked ‘Verse’ and the other marked ‘Hidden Word’. Placing the bookmark on the page of ‘Psalms 40’ with the ‘Verse’ hole over the ‘Psalms 40’ title will reveal the word ‘here’ in the ‘Hidden Word’ hole.
The bookmark also has a message: “The Hidden Word will unchain your way forward!” This refers to the step-stool secured with a bicycle chain word lock next to the garage door. The word ‘HERE’ unlocks the bicycle chain word lock which frees the step-stool.
Closer inspection of the step-stool will reveal that it has an arrow (along with the symbol ‘Triangle’ on it) pointing to one edge of the stool. The underside of the step-stool reveals ‘o’s and ‘x’s drawn in chalk on the feet. Placing the stool on the rectangular chalk numbers on the garage concrete floor with the ‘o’s and ‘x’s lined up will show that the arrow points to the number ‘11’. This is the ‘triangle’ number to open the final dial combination lock.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Emergency Kit</span></b><br />
We also had an Emergency Kit with a bag of lollies in it. This was just for fun, and the kids really appreciated it!KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11245849448691848196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-83469081334551132162016-09-23T04:41:00.001-07:002016-09-24T05:59:19.050-07:00Driving your child out of his Skull<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABJnWxCgHuokkaJBs-jvoKJzqLABxo9reKT_42nb5mwqawToSo4T04oBiWKeZvt5hS7qoDgPDg_AwktSJ_4IxFecUztgHHwuYCbpBxewH9vdM4Pi68MKjWIR_2RsASqOXd9x9B3oUcsTe/s640/blogger-image-1164145955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABJnWxCgHuokkaJBs-jvoKJzqLABxo9reKT_42nb5mwqawToSo4T04oBiWKeZvt5hS7qoDgPDg_AwktSJ_4IxFecUztgHHwuYCbpBxewH9vdM4Pi68MKjWIR_2RsASqOXd9x9B3oUcsTe/s640/blogger-image-1164145955.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Okay, I've flipped one Flower, and I need another Flower to win. Dad said he put a Flower down, but you must NEVER trust Dad in a game, so he probably put down a Skull. Jojo says she's got a Flower, and she started the challenge first, so she would have had to have a Flower to win the challenge, but maybe she's tricking me into thinking she has a Flower but she really put down a Skull? Mom says she doesn't know how to play this game, and she probably put down a Skull because she doesn't know why anyone should put down a Flower, but maybe she randomly put down a Flower anyway? Or she could be bluffing and she's got a Skull!? Aaarrrggh!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Skull. The fun way to mess up your kids' minds. :-)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwUIp_suPV1oUGM7CShCCHuntoG8Kz7wdo0Ibj0nNG6YhjFElWvnAejDruNxfpfCO-BqGr5r3Esd1KuYmTZ4uhUm7QD3xKHJn0kVG_t6UXX1__iluBm_bfhaCXFTO51WbQtVeDVVxBV-A/s640/blogger-image--1800917822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwUIp_suPV1oUGM7CShCCHuntoG8Kz7wdo0Ibj0nNG6YhjFElWvnAejDruNxfpfCO-BqGr5r3Esd1KuYmTZ4uhUm7QD3xKHJn0kVG_t6UXX1__iluBm_bfhaCXFTO51WbQtVeDVVxBV-A/s640/blogger-image--1800917822.jpg"></a></div><br></div>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979651794234201857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8375906039196117668.post-68981263873027246802016-09-23T04:16:00.001-07:002016-09-23T04:16:35.653-07:00Kitty Paw!Tonight, me, Mum, Dad and Evan played a cute game call 'Kitty🐱Paw'. It's a game for sharp eyes. I thought I had this game in the bag, but surprisingly Dad towered over me with an end score of 23 and me 13 (If you were wondering what Evan and Mum got, they got negative points). I said that I lost because Dad was the only one not eating burger rings and not getting distracted. But Mum said it might be because he recently took up rubix cube unsolving. However he won, I will be training to win the game next time.<div><br></div><div>By Jojo 🐾🐱🐾<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpFY_iLzdcEs6jKvsr3QjpEkOTdn2H8gMAs5YLFb6u3LppL7sKdsD31KV2RaSQDIBeTRa6UeOpO1-EXuqwLCsQQe8UO4dPON9R2ZhjlPlwSM2ypLApNP_6FrZ150i6bE4GtqdENNPlO00/s640/blogger-image--1309373484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpFY_iLzdcEs6jKvsr3QjpEkOTdn2H8gMAs5YLFb6u3LppL7sKdsD31KV2RaSQDIBeTRa6UeOpO1-EXuqwLCsQQe8UO4dPON9R2ZhjlPlwSM2ypLApNP_6FrZ150i6bE4GtqdENNPlO00/s640/blogger-image--1309373484.jpg"></a></div></div>KK Suhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05979651794234201857noreply@blogger.com0