Paul's game is, I think, something I've been needing without me necessarily knowing. His initial pitch on our last Dark Heresy night was "Up to 10 ECL and 10 class levels" and then later supplemented via text with "In Droaam, working for Daughters of Sora Kell." Now, this already sounds fun. Monstrous PC working for the leaders of a monstrous nation. I really dug that, but the first thing that I latched onto was the leeway we were given with character creation.
I love crunch in game systems. It's not something I need, but I do like my fix now and then, and sometimes when given the opportunity, I like to fiddle with optimization. You see, I don't usually optimize my characters for other games, such as our Age of Worms campaign, because I don't care for the hassle of the bookkeeping, I don't wish to burden my GM with skews in character ability, and I don't wish to overshadow my fellow players' characters because I wish all of us to have a fun experience.
When Paul announced the levels for this mini-campaign, however, I jumped on the chance to push some limits. Not all of us did, mind you, but the impact is seemingly less, as each of our races have distinct advantages, and most of us went for acutely focused class structures, which means fewer instances of overlap and more fun as our characters do what they do. Taylor has mentioned not being entirely happy with his character as it stands, so he might ask Paul for a change, but I don't think he didn't enjoy himself during the game.
All of this is not to say that I don't have reservations! My fears, however, are that he might slip into a challenge fallacy with our characters. My sorceror, while powerful, is really only as potent as a 15th level character. David's living spell character, on the other hand, is teetering close to epic levels of power, because he was looking at gaming his character, as well. The others vary mostly by situation as to where they sit, but we're definitely not a 20th level party, no matter what our ECLs say, as racial ECL adds seem to not follow any particular scale, and it could be very easy for Paul to design encounters that would just be too powerful for us to really handle.
Part of our weakness vs. apparent power level stems from the allocation of gold. We built our characters with 10th level gold, then got a boost of 100k each by the Daughters as payment for this dangerous task. This effectively puts us at 14th level gold, but not 20th, which means power level will be curbed more, as D&D works off of a "your toys make you good" system. The fact that the extra 100k came after character creation makes a large difference, as well, as choices made are slightly more restricted than they would have been if we had gotten the starting gold for 14th level (150k) or higher.
I'm excited at seeing the challenges to come in the campaign, because I thought the three stone golems were rather clever, and despite my fears, I'm sure Paul will have an exciting adventure for us, and I'm interested in seeing his approach to the three-part model as far as pacing and scene breakup goes.
7.27.2013
Sealing the Dragon's Gate, Part 1 (of 3?)
This week, we switched gears a little bit because Angela is training to multiclass into police officer by taking a class to become a reserve officer. Since she has little time for prep for our Age of Worms campaign, Paul stepped up with an interesting Eberron campaign. The story is as follows:
Each of our characters were approached separately by the honor guard of the Daughters of Sora Kell and escorted to The Great Crag to meet with an envoy of the coven. There, we were told of a prison created at the dawn of the worlds, when Eberron surrounded Khyber and trapped its hellish spawn with it, and how deep in the bowels of the Demon Wastes(I believe, I'll have to ask Paul for confirmation), a fissure was being created that could spill all manner of nasties onto the face of Eberron.
This, of course, would be bad for Eberron, and more importantly, bad for Droaam. The Daughters have a good thing going, and global disruption cannot be stood for. The divinations have shown what would happen if given time, and thus our newly formed band were to make haste to seal the portal/fissure with the application of powerful magic, provided on a scroll.
Not knowing what we may face, an advance of gold was asked for and given and we were also granted use of an airship and an allotment of a week to arrive at our destination, which we did with a day to spare! (Technically untrue, as we were given 3 days for preparations, and it was a 3 day journey, but still made it under a week.)
Once we arrived, it didn't take long for us to come to an ancient bridge spanning a chasm atop a mountain, and leading to an entrance into the rock, itself. The bridge was of grand size, 30 or 40 feet across and nearly four times as long, flanked on either side by large statues of dragons of various looks, some of which had been destroyed or seemingly removed. The plinths the ones to our right rested on were welcome, however, as they were our only shield against the powerful winds that whipped through the area, threatening to blow us off the bridge to our deaths.
The wind, it turns out, was just one of our worries, as the three whole statues still standing became animate and began to attack. Attacks were quickly dispensed and spells thrown, and though we almost lost our Harssaf, the encounter was finished rather quickly, with the five companions barely worse for the wear. Dusting off the debris from the statues' shattering, haste was made to the entrance into the mountain and we entered a partially constructed chamber with massive steps leading down. Just beyond the threshold, however, we found the fairly fresh naked corpse of a tiefling, with no apparent cause of death.
This prompted caution and almost triggered another violent conflict as a kobold came into view and greeted us in the language of dragons. Since we are envoys of Droaam, essentially, we met well with the creature and agreed to be escorted to his 'city', which was a hovel of lean-tos and shanties amid great ruins with dragon motifs everywhere. We were told that we would be presented to the leader of this village and then left in a building that barely accommodated our sizes until we would be met. We took the opportunity to rest and were led to another immense chamber, wherein rested what could only be assumed to be an ancient dragon.
Though we have seen much amongst the varied races of our own home nation, the sight of a child of the creators of the world was awe-inspiring. The great beast seemed to be blind, however, possibly from being inside this structure for eons, and some of its scales had sloughed off.
It spoke to us in a peaceful manner and seemed to take interest in our quest as something it agreed to, giving a promising start to this trek. However, one has to think... if a dragon of immense age can be counted among our allies in this venture, what horrors do we face in the task to come?
Cast of Characters
Saint Cleanse, Awakened Sainted Empowered Divine Living Fireball Monk 7/Paladin 2/Shibu Protector 1 - David
??, Medusa Fighter 10 - Angela
??, Dragonkin Dragonborn Dragon Adept 10 -Tami
??, Harssaf Rogue 10 -Taylor
Anak, Draconic Human-blooded Arkamoi Sorceror 2/Incantatrix 8 - Me
Further thoughts:
This is rather neat. Most of our group really like Eberron and the history of the world, and this story fits well. I appreciate that Paul has made this an exploration mystery early on, because that's where the setting thrives.
Each of our characters were approached separately by the honor guard of the Daughters of Sora Kell and escorted to The Great Crag to meet with an envoy of the coven. There, we were told of a prison created at the dawn of the worlds, when Eberron surrounded Khyber and trapped its hellish spawn with it, and how deep in the bowels of the Demon Wastes(I believe, I'll have to ask Paul for confirmation), a fissure was being created that could spill all manner of nasties onto the face of Eberron.
This, of course, would be bad for Eberron, and more importantly, bad for Droaam. The Daughters have a good thing going, and global disruption cannot be stood for. The divinations have shown what would happen if given time, and thus our newly formed band were to make haste to seal the portal/fissure with the application of powerful magic, provided on a scroll.
Not knowing what we may face, an advance of gold was asked for and given and we were also granted use of an airship and an allotment of a week to arrive at our destination, which we did with a day to spare! (Technically untrue, as we were given 3 days for preparations, and it was a 3 day journey, but still made it under a week.)
Once we arrived, it didn't take long for us to come to an ancient bridge spanning a chasm atop a mountain, and leading to an entrance into the rock, itself. The bridge was of grand size, 30 or 40 feet across and nearly four times as long, flanked on either side by large statues of dragons of various looks, some of which had been destroyed or seemingly removed. The plinths the ones to our right rested on were welcome, however, as they were our only shield against the powerful winds that whipped through the area, threatening to blow us off the bridge to our deaths.
The wind, it turns out, was just one of our worries, as the three whole statues still standing became animate and began to attack. Attacks were quickly dispensed and spells thrown, and though we almost lost our Harssaf, the encounter was finished rather quickly, with the five companions barely worse for the wear. Dusting off the debris from the statues' shattering, haste was made to the entrance into the mountain and we entered a partially constructed chamber with massive steps leading down. Just beyond the threshold, however, we found the fairly fresh naked corpse of a tiefling, with no apparent cause of death.
This prompted caution and almost triggered another violent conflict as a kobold came into view and greeted us in the language of dragons. Since we are envoys of Droaam, essentially, we met well with the creature and agreed to be escorted to his 'city', which was a hovel of lean-tos and shanties amid great ruins with dragon motifs everywhere. We were told that we would be presented to the leader of this village and then left in a building that barely accommodated our sizes until we would be met. We took the opportunity to rest and were led to another immense chamber, wherein rested what could only be assumed to be an ancient dragon.
Though we have seen much amongst the varied races of our own home nation, the sight of a child of the creators of the world was awe-inspiring. The great beast seemed to be blind, however, possibly from being inside this structure for eons, and some of its scales had sloughed off.
It spoke to us in a peaceful manner and seemed to take interest in our quest as something it agreed to, giving a promising start to this trek. However, one has to think... if a dragon of immense age can be counted among our allies in this venture, what horrors do we face in the task to come?
Cast of Characters
Saint Cleanse, Awakened Sainted Empowered Divine Living Fireball Monk 7/Paladin 2/Shibu Protector 1 - David
??, Medusa Fighter 10 - Angela
??, Dragonkin Dragonborn Dragon Adept 10 -Tami
??, Harssaf Rogue 10 -Taylor
Anak, Draconic Human-blooded Arkamoi Sorceror 2/Incantatrix 8 - Me
Further thoughts:
This is rather neat. Most of our group really like Eberron and the history of the world, and this story fits well. I appreciate that Paul has made this an exploration mystery early on, because that's where the setting thrives.
7.21.2013
Dark Heresy, Session 3: Tattered Fates
We spent a short time, maybe a day or two, hiding out and recuperating within the massive confines of that torturous manufactorum, but thankfully, our psykers, after the rest, began to gain their powers back. I've never been too skittish around those sanctioned to serve our Emperor, as they have seen Terra and serve HIS will, but so help me, that Xantippa has come dangerously close to having the barrel of my shotgun pressed low against the back of her hairless head!
How is it that she may bring the curse of the warp upon us so much, yet her sister administers the Emperor's gift with no such error? I bring to bear an oath that if the psyker be found to have warp-spawned taint beyond her normal abilities, I will be the first to lay the Emperor's wrath upon her.
I apologize for this outburst, but I feel it had to be said. She vexes us and puts us in peril more than our enemies, I swear! However, she has dedicated her service to the Emperor's Holy Ordos, like the rest of us, and shall be counted among my allies until such time as her trespasses become more dire.
Anyway, after emerging from hiding, we traversed the corridors back to the warehouse section we had found before and found it to be less inhabited than it was before. No doubt, these degenerates had counted us dead and had become lax in protecting this section. We fell upon them more directly this time, and our aim was guided by the Saints, bringing brutal death to those present in the form of gunfire from Rhia, Nicodemus, and I, and warp-based talents of Ishta and Xantippa.
Our Arbiter had moved to flank as the scribe and I charged headlong, creating confusion and bringing these enemies of the Empire down swiftly. This was not to be the end of our challenges, however, as a tent in the warehouse area housed another, perhaps a rogue Priest of Mars, but I am not qualified to make such assessments. He and his servoskull both put up resistance, but were cut down before they could take much action against us.
Sadness struck our hearts, however, when we discovered our Inquisitor Karkalla among the brutal medical tortures in this tent that were being visited on man and xenos, alike. We had arrived at his last moments, and he had just enough energy to tell us where we were and the peril that had gripped this world, as well as giving us a cryptic name for contact. We ripped his rosette from his body, where it had been affixed with spikes, and I set about dousing the room with chemicals Nico told me were flammable as the rest began to take some of the tech out of the tent. I then lit the chems and we all stood a short moment in respect of our former master.
Once we had paid the respects to Karkalla, we began to gather as many weapons and as much small tech as we could before ascending on a lift to the surface, in the hopes of finding an illicit trade on this corrupt pleasure planet where we could sell and acquire items of use before finding our fellow acolyte that the Inquisitor had directed us toward.
We were, at first, met as we reached the street with much merriment and oddness, as well as an odd prophecy spouted by a lady that approached us almost immediately. We then gathered a short burst of intel and direction from a civilian and began to make our way to where we assumed we could trade our ill-gotten goods.
Cast of Characters
Rhia, Gunpoint (Hive World) Investigator (Arbiter 4) - Angela
Xantippa Thebe, Son of Nightmare (Void Born) ?? (Imperial Psyker 4) - Paul
Ishta, Son of Nightmare (Void Born) ?? (Imperial Psyker 4) -Tami
Nicodemus, Regulus (Imperial World) Inditor (Adept 4) -Taylor
Mohrdecai, Cadian (Fortress World) Sergeant (Guardsman 4) - Me
A Short Note: I know we've been gaining rank quickly in this campaign, but we started as Rank 1 Acolytes in an adventure meant for Rank 4 characters. David, the GM, has told me that things would slow down from here on out, but that he still thinks that the pace we've been gaining XP isn't out of the question for as hard as it gets.
I've not played the first part of this adventure, but I do remember things being pretty tough on the back end, but at the same time, I worry that we'll be too high rank going in to Damned Cities, which I have played the first half of, but not the last.
How is it that she may bring the curse of the warp upon us so much, yet her sister administers the Emperor's gift with no such error? I bring to bear an oath that if the psyker be found to have warp-spawned taint beyond her normal abilities, I will be the first to lay the Emperor's wrath upon her.
I apologize for this outburst, but I feel it had to be said. She vexes us and puts us in peril more than our enemies, I swear! However, she has dedicated her service to the Emperor's Holy Ordos, like the rest of us, and shall be counted among my allies until such time as her trespasses become more dire.
Anyway, after emerging from hiding, we traversed the corridors back to the warehouse section we had found before and found it to be less inhabited than it was before. No doubt, these degenerates had counted us dead and had become lax in protecting this section. We fell upon them more directly this time, and our aim was guided by the Saints, bringing brutal death to those present in the form of gunfire from Rhia, Nicodemus, and I, and warp-based talents of Ishta and Xantippa.
Our Arbiter had moved to flank as the scribe and I charged headlong, creating confusion and bringing these enemies of the Empire down swiftly. This was not to be the end of our challenges, however, as a tent in the warehouse area housed another, perhaps a rogue Priest of Mars, but I am not qualified to make such assessments. He and his servoskull both put up resistance, but were cut down before they could take much action against us.
Sadness struck our hearts, however, when we discovered our Inquisitor Karkalla among the brutal medical tortures in this tent that were being visited on man and xenos, alike. We had arrived at his last moments, and he had just enough energy to tell us where we were and the peril that had gripped this world, as well as giving us a cryptic name for contact. We ripped his rosette from his body, where it had been affixed with spikes, and I set about dousing the room with chemicals Nico told me were flammable as the rest began to take some of the tech out of the tent. I then lit the chems and we all stood a short moment in respect of our former master.
Once we had paid the respects to Karkalla, we began to gather as many weapons and as much small tech as we could before ascending on a lift to the surface, in the hopes of finding an illicit trade on this corrupt pleasure planet where we could sell and acquire items of use before finding our fellow acolyte that the Inquisitor had directed us toward.
We were, at first, met as we reached the street with much merriment and oddness, as well as an odd prophecy spouted by a lady that approached us almost immediately. We then gathered a short burst of intel and direction from a civilian and began to make our way to where we assumed we could trade our ill-gotten goods.
Cast of Characters
Rhia, Gunpoint (Hive World) Investigator (Arbiter 4) - Angela
Xantippa Thebe, Son of Nightmare (Void Born) ?? (Imperial Psyker 4) - Paul
Ishta, Son of Nightmare (Void Born) ?? (Imperial Psyker 4) -Tami
Nicodemus, Regulus (Imperial World) Inditor (Adept 4) -Taylor
Mohrdecai, Cadian (Fortress World) Sergeant (Guardsman 4) - Me
A Short Note: I know we've been gaining rank quickly in this campaign, but we started as Rank 1 Acolytes in an adventure meant for Rank 4 characters. David, the GM, has told me that things would slow down from here on out, but that he still thinks that the pace we've been gaining XP isn't out of the question for as hard as it gets.
I've not played the first part of this adventure, but I do remember things being pretty tough on the back end, but at the same time, I worry that we'll be too high rank going in to Damned Cities, which I have played the first half of, but not the last.
7.18.2013
Age of Worms, Session 27
When we left off, almost everyone had been brought back to the land of the living, and none the happier for it, since we were all in foreign bodies, though it did hold some humor and fascination in certain degrees.
Once we had taken a couple of days to get our legs in our new bodies and prepare further, we ventured in again to the accursed warehouse and its cavernous depths, below. Signs of life were nonexistant, and it appears as if the doppelgangers had all but abandoned the upper levels, possibly for fear of attracting much attention, since there was already some comings and goings to the place.
When we got below, we had a short time fending off the guardian octopus in the water-filled chamber that leads into the lower levels of the complex. Though we had thought that it might take our offering of fish and go, it also grabbed the holder of the bag and we had to fight to keep our companion with us. A decision that we somewhat regretted later, as you will see.
Retracing our steps, we found the rest of the complex to be as empty as the rest until we managed to make it back to a door within the mirror maze where most of us lost our lives. Imagine our surprise when we went in to find none other than Allustan on a throne in the chamber! Many a thought went through our minds, then. Had we been duped? Was this a test for entry into some secret society? Well, no. The Allustan we saw before us changed into a different form almost immediately, and engaged us in battle, casting spells and taking the psion's thrall (the very man we had just rescued from an octopus, I might add, and whom me and my fellow druid had empowered with spellcraft) under his command. The fight with the ensorcelled thrall was a tough one, as his multiple attacks and tough hide made him a formidable foe.
The wizard, himself, had cunningly placed traps in his lair, and tried to control our actions and movements with hindering spells, but we were able to engage him in hand-to-hand combat, at which point he turned into a hulking brute and pulled forth an axe, wielding it with efficiency! By this time, we had surmised that this being was a doppelganger, but his seeming change in aptitudes confused us and we were put on our back foot in an attempt to match skill with this warrior.
Though we cleverly maneuvered his controlled battlefield and worked quite well together, despite our new forms, in the end, it was our brute force, and not cleverness, that won out against the man...thing. We took stock of his belongings and the furnishings of his throne room, finding some infernal device that we wanted no part of, then ventured further into another chamber, this being his bedchamber, where we took stock of (mind you, 'taking stock of' in this sense is the same as 'added to our stock') valuables therein.
Then, we went into what we assumed was the last chamber in these lower levels, a room riddled with silvery spider's webs and multiple women in various states of dress, who claimed to be araneas and the prisoners of the creature we had just slain. We bargained their freedom, which could have been given at any moment, though we were cautious, for any information they could give us and they offered material reward then went about their way, leaving us to decide what to do with this complex now that we know its secrets.
Cast of Characters
Able Nightengale, Gloaming Healer 7/+1 Negative Level - David
??, Goblin Psion (Telepath) 5/Thrallherd 2/+1 Negative Level - Paul
??, Human Warblade 4 - Paul (thrall)
??, Equiceph Rogue 5/Thief-Acrobat 2/+1 Negative Level -Tami
??, Human Druid 5/Planar Shepherd 2 -Taylor
Rill Meadowwhisper, Flind Druid (Shapeshifter variant) 7/+1 Negative Level - Me
Notes: I've not read this adventure path, so I'm unsure if this was it, but it left me thinking that we missed something along the way. The lack of replacements in the dungeon to harry us after a few days was odd, too, but a little suspenseful. I thought maybe we were walking into a large, overly prepared group when we fought the greater doppelganger (Angela told us what it was after the fact, because we all thought it was neat).
No spoilers, please. Just typing out loud here.
Also, I know I'm lousy with these character names. Maybe Angela can clue me in, and correct any class mistakes made if she catches this post.
Once we had taken a couple of days to get our legs in our new bodies and prepare further, we ventured in again to the accursed warehouse and its cavernous depths, below. Signs of life were nonexistant, and it appears as if the doppelgangers had all but abandoned the upper levels, possibly for fear of attracting much attention, since there was already some comings and goings to the place.
When we got below, we had a short time fending off the guardian octopus in the water-filled chamber that leads into the lower levels of the complex. Though we had thought that it might take our offering of fish and go, it also grabbed the holder of the bag and we had to fight to keep our companion with us. A decision that we somewhat regretted later, as you will see.
Retracing our steps, we found the rest of the complex to be as empty as the rest until we managed to make it back to a door within the mirror maze where most of us lost our lives. Imagine our surprise when we went in to find none other than Allustan on a throne in the chamber! Many a thought went through our minds, then. Had we been duped? Was this a test for entry into some secret society? Well, no. The Allustan we saw before us changed into a different form almost immediately, and engaged us in battle, casting spells and taking the psion's thrall (the very man we had just rescued from an octopus, I might add, and whom me and my fellow druid had empowered with spellcraft) under his command. The fight with the ensorcelled thrall was a tough one, as his multiple attacks and tough hide made him a formidable foe.
The wizard, himself, had cunningly placed traps in his lair, and tried to control our actions and movements with hindering spells, but we were able to engage him in hand-to-hand combat, at which point he turned into a hulking brute and pulled forth an axe, wielding it with efficiency! By this time, we had surmised that this being was a doppelganger, but his seeming change in aptitudes confused us and we were put on our back foot in an attempt to match skill with this warrior.
Though we cleverly maneuvered his controlled battlefield and worked quite well together, despite our new forms, in the end, it was our brute force, and not cleverness, that won out against the man...thing. We took stock of his belongings and the furnishings of his throne room, finding some infernal device that we wanted no part of, then ventured further into another chamber, this being his bedchamber, where we took stock of (mind you, 'taking stock of' in this sense is the same as 'added to our stock') valuables therein.
Then, we went into what we assumed was the last chamber in these lower levels, a room riddled with silvery spider's webs and multiple women in various states of dress, who claimed to be araneas and the prisoners of the creature we had just slain. We bargained their freedom, which could have been given at any moment, though we were cautious, for any information they could give us and they offered material reward then went about their way, leaving us to decide what to do with this complex now that we know its secrets.
Cast of Characters
Able Nightengale, Gloaming Healer 7/+1 Negative Level - David
??, Goblin Psion (Telepath) 5/Thrallherd 2/+1 Negative Level - Paul
??, Human Warblade 4 - Paul (thrall)
??, Equiceph Rogue 5/Thief-Acrobat 2/+1 Negative Level -Tami
??, Human Druid 5/Planar Shepherd 2 -Taylor
Rill Meadowwhisper, Flind Druid (Shapeshifter variant) 7/+1 Negative Level - Me
Notes: I've not read this adventure path, so I'm unsure if this was it, but it left me thinking that we missed something along the way. The lack of replacements in the dungeon to harry us after a few days was odd, too, but a little suspenseful. I thought maybe we were walking into a large, overly prepared group when we fought the greater doppelganger (Angela told us what it was after the fact, because we all thought it was neat).
No spoilers, please. Just typing out loud here.
Also, I know I'm lousy with these character names. Maybe Angela can clue me in, and correct any class mistakes made if she catches this post.
7.17.2013
Dark Heresy, Session 2: Tattered Fates
This place smells, in equal parts sanitizers, offal, and raw meat. To gaze upon a sky would be a welcome change, but I wonder, with some of the injuries our band have taken so far, if we will survive many more engagements. There are things here much more worrying than the heretical brutes running this charnel house. Whatever was sensed in the shifting room is enough proof of that.
We felled a great predatory grox-like beast and a few more of the handlers/manufactorum workers before moving through into a chamber in which there appeared to be a blasphemous altar with a sacrifice nearby! The man's throat had been cut and he seemed to be the one to have done the deed, if the knife clutched in his hand was any indication. I spat upon the altar, but Nicodemus was keen to understand why the altar was there and to read a dataslate nearby. I warned him that I found him to be walking dangerously close to blasphemous acts by inspecting the thing further, he retorted that we could better combat the heresy by understanding it.
Well, when I blew that invisible thing by the altar away, I didn't know it from Russ. The Emperor blessed me with an understanding of how to pull a trigger. Nobody needs reading to learn how to deal with the enemies of Man. I do realize I have ran away from the subject at hand, but it vexes me to think that the old man forgets the danger inherent in our duties as servants of the Ordos and Him On Terra.
Anyway, the altar was destroyed, and the thing guarding it and we move on, with me giving it another dose of my spittle, were that it only caustic and could melt the damnable thing! After this, we moved into a large area, possibly a dockway or storage facility, but it was quite dark, save for one illuminated area that had a little bit of activity in the form of armed men much like the ones we had encountered all throughout the place. The plan seemed solid, but the poor lighting as well as the effects of the drugs we had been subjected to, meant that our aims were off and we had men down quick, but no casualties, as when I came to, I noticed that all were accounted for, and that someone - Nicodemus, I presume, but I'm unsure - was able to spirit us to safety, hidden in the bowels of this damned factory.
Our injuries are even more worrisome than before, as one psyker, as mentioned, has lost an eye, and the other has lost their right thumb. Hopefully we can pull through. May the Emperor protect.
Cast of Characters
??, Hive Worlder Regulator (Arbiter 3) - Angela
??, Void Born Aspirant (Imperial Psyker 3) - Paul
??, Void Born Aspirant (Imperial Psyker 3) -Tami
Nicodemus, Imperial Worlder Scribe (Adept 3) -Taylor
Mohrdecai, Cadian (Fortress World) Armsman (Guardsman 3) - Me
We felled a great predatory grox-like beast and a few more of the handlers/manufactorum workers before moving through into a chamber in which there appeared to be a blasphemous altar with a sacrifice nearby! The man's throat had been cut and he seemed to be the one to have done the deed, if the knife clutched in his hand was any indication. I spat upon the altar, but Nicodemus was keen to understand why the altar was there and to read a dataslate nearby. I warned him that I found him to be walking dangerously close to blasphemous acts by inspecting the thing further, he retorted that we could better combat the heresy by understanding it.
Well, when I blew that invisible thing by the altar away, I didn't know it from Russ. The Emperor blessed me with an understanding of how to pull a trigger. Nobody needs reading to learn how to deal with the enemies of Man. I do realize I have ran away from the subject at hand, but it vexes me to think that the old man forgets the danger inherent in our duties as servants of the Ordos and Him On Terra.
Anyway, the altar was destroyed, and the thing guarding it and we move on, with me giving it another dose of my spittle, were that it only caustic and could melt the damnable thing! After this, we moved into a large area, possibly a dockway or storage facility, but it was quite dark, save for one illuminated area that had a little bit of activity in the form of armed men much like the ones we had encountered all throughout the place. The plan seemed solid, but the poor lighting as well as the effects of the drugs we had been subjected to, meant that our aims were off and we had men down quick, but no casualties, as when I came to, I noticed that all were accounted for, and that someone - Nicodemus, I presume, but I'm unsure - was able to spirit us to safety, hidden in the bowels of this damned factory.
Our injuries are even more worrisome than before, as one psyker, as mentioned, has lost an eye, and the other has lost their right thumb. Hopefully we can pull through. May the Emperor protect.
Cast of Characters
??, Hive Worlder Regulator (Arbiter 3) - Angela
??, Void Born Aspirant (Imperial Psyker 3) - Paul
??, Void Born Aspirant (Imperial Psyker 3) -Tami
Nicodemus, Imperial Worlder Scribe (Adept 3) -Taylor
Mohrdecai, Cadian (Fortress World) Armsman (Guardsman 3) - Me
7.15.2013
Age of Worms, Session 26
I'm not sure if we got started late or if we digressed quite a lot, or what, but we didn't get much accomplished in this session, though we all had quite a bit of fun and some good laughs at the end.
After fishing some of the party out of a deep pit trap that we discovered had an illusory bottom, we ventured further into the underground complex, following the doppelgangers that had slipped away from us in the previous encounter.
This led us into a room filled with maps and notes, which we hastily gathered some of and stuffed into our satchels to peruse later, deciding that we needed to move quickly and pursue instead of wasting too much time and giving our enemies time to prepare or set up an ambush.
We were too late, of course, and when we entered the next chamber - a vast maze of closing corridors all made of mirrors, they got the jump on us. Simply, the band was outmatched in the cramped quarters, and even the aid of summoned creatures was only barely able to swing victory just into the grasp of the party, of which only Taylor's Druid and Paul's Warblade Thrall were left alive, and they promptly retreated to the safety of the city proper with the dead bodies.
During the combat itself, Paul's Psion dropped and Taylor was able to get to him in time to cast Last Breath, bringing the man back as a Goblin, though out of commission for the rest of the fight. The rest of the party were Reincarnated and came back as various, somewhat shocking, figures.
The Reincarnation table used is one of my own creation and features almost 80 different races. Some of these races boost a character far beyond their present level, and may end up being more of a curse than a blessing when it comes to experience gain, despite the benefits gained from the new race.
Cast of Characters
Able Nightengale, Gloaming Healer 7/+1 Negative Level - David
??, Goblin Psion (Telepath) 5/Thrallherd 2/+1 Negative Level - Paul
??, Human Warblade 4 - Paul (thrall)
??, Equiceph Rogue 5/Thief-Acrobat 2/+1 Negative Level -Tami
??, Human Druid 5/Planar Shepherd 2 -Taylor
Rill Meadowwhisper, Flind Druid (Shapeshifter variant) 7/+1 Negative Level - Me
After fishing some of the party out of a deep pit trap that we discovered had an illusory bottom, we ventured further into the underground complex, following the doppelgangers that had slipped away from us in the previous encounter.
This led us into a room filled with maps and notes, which we hastily gathered some of and stuffed into our satchels to peruse later, deciding that we needed to move quickly and pursue instead of wasting too much time and giving our enemies time to prepare or set up an ambush.
We were too late, of course, and when we entered the next chamber - a vast maze of closing corridors all made of mirrors, they got the jump on us. Simply, the band was outmatched in the cramped quarters, and even the aid of summoned creatures was only barely able to swing victory just into the grasp of the party, of which only Taylor's Druid and Paul's Warblade Thrall were left alive, and they promptly retreated to the safety of the city proper with the dead bodies.
During the combat itself, Paul's Psion dropped and Taylor was able to get to him in time to cast Last Breath, bringing the man back as a Goblin, though out of commission for the rest of the fight. The rest of the party were Reincarnated and came back as various, somewhat shocking, figures.
The Reincarnation table used is one of my own creation and features almost 80 different races. Some of these races boost a character far beyond their present level, and may end up being more of a curse than a blessing when it comes to experience gain, despite the benefits gained from the new race.
Cast of Characters
Able Nightengale, Gloaming Healer 7/+1 Negative Level - David
??, Goblin Psion (Telepath) 5/Thrallherd 2/+1 Negative Level - Paul
??, Human Warblade 4 - Paul (thrall)
??, Equiceph Rogue 5/Thief-Acrobat 2/+1 Negative Level -Tami
??, Human Druid 5/Planar Shepherd 2 -Taylor
Rill Meadowwhisper, Flind Druid (Shapeshifter variant) 7/+1 Negative Level - Me
7.13.2013
Dark Heresy, Session 1: Tattered Fates
I'm still a month behind, but getting these typed up when I can. On the 19th of June, our group, having come off my own Pathfinder campaign, had decided to play something different for a change, and David took the reins, deciding to run the Dark Heresy campaign, Haarlock's Legacy.
Now, knowing that David has owned the three-part adventure since the books dropped, I haven't looked much into them, in an effort not to spoil anything for myself, as a player, but I've seen plenty of scathing remarks made about the series. I'm not sure of the basis of most of them, just the general consensus that the arc is almost impossible to run/play. One reviewer has even said that he "would rather convert AD&D 2nd Edition modules to Dark Heresy than run Haarlock's Legacy again." I hope this does not bode ill for our own campaign, but time will tell. At the moment, everyone seems to be having fun.
Anyway, I somewhat digress, and as I said, we got together to play Dark Heresy. Taylor and I brought characters that we had made, but the other three decided to take advantage of Dark Heresy's ability to completely randomize a fully-realized character until they gain more knowledge of the setting and system. Despite not choosing a single thing about their character (except possibly gender?), I believe everyone was happy with what they ended up with.
We awoke groggy, obviously drugged, amongst dozens of other people, on the gritty floor of what appeared to be a theater of some sort, perhaps an arena, which was confirmed when we discovered the floor was also littered with bones and great doors, closed with heavy grates lined the edges of the place. Then the howling began.
Those around us panicked as the sound grew louder and one of the grates opened. A couple of us ran over and grabbed bones, ready to fend off whatever was coming through, but one of the xenos canids broke through our picket and began to maul some of the civilians. It was gruesome, but we redoubled our efforts, not knowing what else to do.
Some of the others were looking for a means out of the place and after a few moments and maulings later, a man was seen above, in the seating over the arena wearing a bird-like mask and a flowing cape that resembled wings, who then made his way over to a machine and performed the rites to lower a ladder, then made haste out of the area.
I did not personally witness this man, but Nicodemus related it to us other four, and I have little doubt in his words. The man is likely part of the Machine Cult, since he was able to easily manipulate the machine spirit of the ladder device. Nicodemus, though very learned and obviously knowledgeable in those same rites, had difficulty, himself, in persuading the spirit to retract itself.
Though a twinge of guilt over the loss of the civilians struck me, I reminded myself that my companions and I serve the God-Emperor, and the thought that we might have been especially targeted is gravely feared. We have no contact with our superior, and the drugs have hindered us greatly. I'm having trouble remembering some names, like those of our employer and even some of my own band. Hopefully this will wear off soon.
At any rate, we made our way through corridor after corridor. This place seems to be a manufactorum for meat processing, but we've not encountered much life in the place, save for a few barbarous worker-menials, from which we gathered weapons after killing them in defense of our own persons. The savages seem to be wearing leathers from the skins of any beast they can, including humans. Though we serve the Emperor even in death, through giving our bodies for rations, etc., I find the practice of wearing the skins of our fellows revolting and possibly blasphemous.
I'm not terribly sad to say that one of the witches in our company lost an eye in one of the skirmishes, but they now sport, mostly due to the sheer amount of damage upon their own bodies, our best armor recovered so far. The arbiter, it should be noted, wears some of the grotesque skin-leathers. I find that detestable.
This place is dangerous, and obviously not all is as it should be, we have been sneaking through, as best we can, with as little confrontation as we can manage, but perhaps the weapons we have recovered will see us out of this Emperor-forsaken hole.
??, Hive Worlder Enforcer (Arbiter 2) - Angela
??, Void Born Neonate (Imperial Psyker 2) - Paul
??, Void Born Neonate (Imperial Psyker 2) -Tami
Nicodemus, Imperial Worlder Scrivener (Adept 2) -Taylor
Mohrdecai, Cadian (Fortress World) Guard (Guardsman 2) - Me
Now, knowing that David has owned the three-part adventure since the books dropped, I haven't looked much into them, in an effort not to spoil anything for myself, as a player, but I've seen plenty of scathing remarks made about the series. I'm not sure of the basis of most of them, just the general consensus that the arc is almost impossible to run/play. One reviewer has even said that he "would rather convert AD&D 2nd Edition modules to Dark Heresy than run Haarlock's Legacy again." I hope this does not bode ill for our own campaign, but time will tell. At the moment, everyone seems to be having fun.
Anyway, I somewhat digress, and as I said, we got together to play Dark Heresy. Taylor and I brought characters that we had made, but the other three decided to take advantage of Dark Heresy's ability to completely randomize a fully-realized character until they gain more knowledge of the setting and system. Despite not choosing a single thing about their character (except possibly gender?), I believe everyone was happy with what they ended up with.
We awoke groggy, obviously drugged, amongst dozens of other people, on the gritty floor of what appeared to be a theater of some sort, perhaps an arena, which was confirmed when we discovered the floor was also littered with bones and great doors, closed with heavy grates lined the edges of the place. Then the howling began.
Those around us panicked as the sound grew louder and one of the grates opened. A couple of us ran over and grabbed bones, ready to fend off whatever was coming through, but one of the xenos canids broke through our picket and began to maul some of the civilians. It was gruesome, but we redoubled our efforts, not knowing what else to do.
Some of the others were looking for a means out of the place and after a few moments and maulings later, a man was seen above, in the seating over the arena wearing a bird-like mask and a flowing cape that resembled wings, who then made his way over to a machine and performed the rites to lower a ladder, then made haste out of the area.
I did not personally witness this man, but Nicodemus related it to us other four, and I have little doubt in his words. The man is likely part of the Machine Cult, since he was able to easily manipulate the machine spirit of the ladder device. Nicodemus, though very learned and obviously knowledgeable in those same rites, had difficulty, himself, in persuading the spirit to retract itself.
Though a twinge of guilt over the loss of the civilians struck me, I reminded myself that my companions and I serve the God-Emperor, and the thought that we might have been especially targeted is gravely feared. We have no contact with our superior, and the drugs have hindered us greatly. I'm having trouble remembering some names, like those of our employer and even some of my own band. Hopefully this will wear off soon.
At any rate, we made our way through corridor after corridor. This place seems to be a manufactorum for meat processing, but we've not encountered much life in the place, save for a few barbarous worker-menials, from which we gathered weapons after killing them in defense of our own persons. The savages seem to be wearing leathers from the skins of any beast they can, including humans. Though we serve the Emperor even in death, through giving our bodies for rations, etc., I find the practice of wearing the skins of our fellows revolting and possibly blasphemous.
I'm not terribly sad to say that one of the witches in our company lost an eye in one of the skirmishes, but they now sport, mostly due to the sheer amount of damage upon their own bodies, our best armor recovered so far. The arbiter, it should be noted, wears some of the grotesque skin-leathers. I find that detestable.
This place is dangerous, and obviously not all is as it should be, we have been sneaking through, as best we can, with as little confrontation as we can manage, but perhaps the weapons we have recovered will see us out of this Emperor-forsaken hole.
??, Hive Worlder Enforcer (Arbiter 2) - Angela
??, Void Born Neonate (Imperial Psyker 2) - Paul
??, Void Born Neonate (Imperial Psyker 2) -Tami
Nicodemus, Imperial Worlder Scrivener (Adept 2) -Taylor
Mohrdecai, Cadian (Fortress World) Guard (Guardsman 2) - Me
7.06.2013
Age of Worms, Session 25
We left off this game with our lone hero, Able, having made haste to Eligos' manor to escape the fate of his companions and collect himself before figuring out what to do next.
His search would not take long, however, as Allustan, anticipating the original party might have some trouble (I believe this is what we settled on as reason to insert new characters), decided to send another group ahead to Greyhawk to aid, but they found they were too late.
Able briefed them on what had transpired and where and promptly led them back to the bowels of the warehouse where his companions had lost their lives, seeking righteous retribution in the name of St. Cuthbert. There, the invisible foes that had proven so difficult before were mercilessly slaughtered and the band ventured further, fighting a giant octopus until the beast fled before venturing deep into the stone chambers below to be confronted by a band of featureless men after half the party had fallen into a pit trap.
The fight took a while and hindered rescue attempts of the others, but eventually the heroes were victorious and were able to regroup, ready to venture and investigate further.
Able Nightengale, Human Healer 7 - David
??, Elf Psion (Telepath) 5/Thrallherd 2 - Paul
??, ?? Rogue 5/Thief-Acrobat 2 -Tami
??, Human Druid 5/Planar Shepherd 2 -Taylor
Rill Meadowwhisper, Halfling Druid (Shapeshifter variant) 7 - Me
This session was longer that the write-up would suggest, of course, because each of our encounters had an interesting twist that we had to face, and which made combat just a little longer than it normally would be. The first, our invisible opponents, nearly wiped a party before, the underwater battle with the octopus was challenging when options are limited, and fighting an encounter with half the party cut off from the rest all served as reminders to be ready for anything in D&D.
Also, as
one can see, Taylor rejoined the group this session, and we're all happy for it. In this campaign, his reserve healing and support spellcasting has become a great boon to the party.
His search would not take long, however, as Allustan, anticipating the original party might have some trouble (I believe this is what we settled on as reason to insert new characters), decided to send another group ahead to Greyhawk to aid, but they found they were too late.
Able briefed them on what had transpired and where and promptly led them back to the bowels of the warehouse where his companions had lost their lives, seeking righteous retribution in the name of St. Cuthbert. There, the invisible foes that had proven so difficult before were mercilessly slaughtered and the band ventured further, fighting a giant octopus until the beast fled before venturing deep into the stone chambers below to be confronted by a band of featureless men after half the party had fallen into a pit trap.The fight took a while and hindered rescue attempts of the others, but eventually the heroes were victorious and were able to regroup, ready to venture and investigate further.
Able Nightengale, Human Healer 7 - David
??, Elf Psion (Telepath) 5/Thrallherd 2 - Paul
??, ?? Rogue 5/Thief-Acrobat 2 -Tami
??, Human Druid 5/Planar Shepherd 2 -Taylor
Rill Meadowwhisper, Halfling Druid (Shapeshifter variant) 7 - Me
This session was longer that the write-up would suggest, of course, because each of our encounters had an interesting twist that we had to face, and which made combat just a little longer than it normally would be. The first, our invisible opponents, nearly wiped a party before, the underwater battle with the octopus was challenging when options are limited, and fighting an encounter with half the party cut off from the rest all served as reminders to be ready for anything in D&D.
Also, as
one can see, Taylor rejoined the group this session, and we're all happy for it. In this campaign, his reserve healing and support spellcasting has become a great boon to the party.
7.05.2013
Rise of the Runelords, Session 18: The Skinsaw Murders
I've been absent for some time from the blog, but gaming has continued. I'll be catching up (hopefully) with some short session reports on the games I've not posted yet and I still have a few other articles swimming in my head for when I get caught up.
This write-up is coming to you over a month after the actual session took place, so if I flub somewhere, maybe one of my players will swoop in with any corrections.
When we left off, Walt had just followed a mesenger-trained raven to its roost in the Underbridge district of Magnimar, to a rickety-looking clock tower. The cleric then made hast back to the rest of the party and reported his findings. Not wanting to let the villains no doubt holed up in the tower get mobilized to further their plans any more, the party made haste to the tower, set to enter and put an end to the murders that have gripped their part of Varisia!
Therein, the group found the place to be empty save for a pile of rags and refuse in the corner, a wagon, and an iron staircase leading up to the belfry, which they began to approach after a cursory search of adjoining rooms that were also empty. However, the base of the tower was occupied, after all, as the group found out when the pile of rags stood to almost twice the height of a man and brandished a weapon! The scarecrow-looking man began to mumble its eponymous rhyme as it began to attack the heroes, but quick action took the monster down with little injury to the PCs.
At this point, they reckoned (after a little investigation) that the scarecrow-man was nothing but a guardian construct, and thus began to traverse the floors of stairs leading up to the top of the tower. The going was slow, due to the questionable sturdiness of the stairs, but the group devised a system and began to make their way up to the top when one of the bells came cascading down the tower, slamming into most of the party on its descent or in its roll after landing. Only Walt escaped being struck by the heavy structure, but was there with healing to aid his companions that had been pummeled.
Using the Rope of Knots to bridge the gap in the stairs caused by the bell, the rest of the party ventured forward, with those leading the pack engaged in combat with some faceless stalkers, who had originally been disguised as tied up captives. These nuisances (the third group of these things encountered in the campaign!) were quickly dispatched and the party made their way to the roof, where they were ambushed by Xanesha!
The lamia's strength, suite of spells cast, and repitoire of spells at hand, as well as diversionary tactics proved too much for our heroes as Hyrum and Walt engaged and fell, followed by Rissi and Natsha, with Vic living at the end, corrupted by a charm spell cast by the Mistress of the Brotherhood, his fate, and that of the missing Elspeth, forever a mystery...
Cast of Characters
Walt Thrune, Chelaxian Human Cleric 7 (Merciful Healer) of Sarenrae - Paul (deceased)
Rissi Scuttle, Ratfolk Alchemist 7 - Angela (deceased)
Vic Alvaraz, Varisian Human Fighter (Mobile Fighter) 7 - David (whereabouts unknown)
Elspeth, Half-Elf Wizard (Evoker) 7 - Tami (whereabouts unknown)
Hyrum Vassal, Chelaxian Human Tyrant (LE Antipaladin variant) 4 of Urgathoa/Monk 3 - David (secondary) (deceased)
Natasha Caine, Chelaxian Human Rogue 5/Assassin 2 - Angela (secondary) (deceased)
Final thoughts: Well, the TPK (we counted it as one) was somewhat unexpected. I had read all I could about the adventure path on the Paizo forums and in blogs, and I knew that Xanesha was pretty much the encounter that would give PCs the most trouble. Still, with their track record up to that point, it was a little shocking, especially when they started to turn things around mid-way through the combat.
All in all, though, I think it was fun. Though Rise of the Runelords is kinda meant to run you through the major tropes of fantasy rpgs, it's still fun, and that's what mattered to us in the end, though since this Rise of the Runelords and Taylor's Curse of the Crimson Throne games are canon in my Golarion, we might revist the fates of the fallen heroes at a later time.
Since we TPK'd in my game, David started running the Dark Heresy trilogy of adventures called The Haarlock Legacy. Much fun! More on that later.
This write-up is coming to you over a month after the actual session took place, so if I flub somewhere, maybe one of my players will swoop in with any corrections.
When we left off, Walt had just followed a mesenger-trained raven to its roost in the Underbridge district of Magnimar, to a rickety-looking clock tower. The cleric then made hast back to the rest of the party and reported his findings. Not wanting to let the villains no doubt holed up in the tower get mobilized to further their plans any more, the party made haste to the tower, set to enter and put an end to the murders that have gripped their part of Varisia!Therein, the group found the place to be empty save for a pile of rags and refuse in the corner, a wagon, and an iron staircase leading up to the belfry, which they began to approach after a cursory search of adjoining rooms that were also empty. However, the base of the tower was occupied, after all, as the group found out when the pile of rags stood to almost twice the height of a man and brandished a weapon! The scarecrow-looking man began to mumble its eponymous rhyme as it began to attack the heroes, but quick action took the monster down with little injury to the PCs.
At this point, they reckoned (after a little investigation) that the scarecrow-man was nothing but a guardian construct, and thus began to traverse the floors of stairs leading up to the top of the tower. The going was slow, due to the questionable sturdiness of the stairs, but the group devised a system and began to make their way up to the top when one of the bells came cascading down the tower, slamming into most of the party on its descent or in its roll after landing. Only Walt escaped being struck by the heavy structure, but was there with healing to aid his companions that had been pummeled.
Using the Rope of Knots to bridge the gap in the stairs caused by the bell, the rest of the party ventured forward, with those leading the pack engaged in combat with some faceless stalkers, who had originally been disguised as tied up captives. These nuisances (the third group of these things encountered in the campaign!) were quickly dispatched and the party made their way to the roof, where they were ambushed by Xanesha!The lamia's strength, suite of spells cast, and repitoire of spells at hand, as well as diversionary tactics proved too much for our heroes as Hyrum and Walt engaged and fell, followed by Rissi and Natsha, with Vic living at the end, corrupted by a charm spell cast by the Mistress of the Brotherhood, his fate, and that of the missing Elspeth, forever a mystery...
Cast of Characters
Walt Thrune, Chelaxian Human Cleric 7 (Merciful Healer) of Sarenrae - Paul (deceased)
Rissi Scuttle, Ratfolk Alchemist 7 - Angela (deceased)
Vic Alvaraz, Varisian Human Fighter (Mobile Fighter) 7 - David (whereabouts unknown)
Elspeth, Half-Elf Wizard (Evoker) 7 - Tami (whereabouts unknown)
Hyrum Vassal, Chelaxian Human Tyrant (LE Antipaladin variant) 4 of Urgathoa/Monk 3 - David (secondary) (deceased)
Natasha Caine, Chelaxian Human Rogue 5/Assassin 2 - Angela (secondary) (deceased)
Final thoughts: Well, the TPK (we counted it as one) was somewhat unexpected. I had read all I could about the adventure path on the Paizo forums and in blogs, and I knew that Xanesha was pretty much the encounter that would give PCs the most trouble. Still, with their track record up to that point, it was a little shocking, especially when they started to turn things around mid-way through the combat.
All in all, though, I think it was fun. Though Rise of the Runelords is kinda meant to run you through the major tropes of fantasy rpgs, it's still fun, and that's what mattered to us in the end, though since this Rise of the Runelords and Taylor's Curse of the Crimson Throne games are canon in my Golarion, we might revist the fates of the fallen heroes at a later time.
Since we TPK'd in my game, David started running the Dark Heresy trilogy of adventures called The Haarlock Legacy. Much fun! More on that later.
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