It has been a few years since I touched this blog! Shortly after my last blog post, nearly three years ago, I moved back to Philadelphia to get a new job, drink some beers, and catch up with old friends. I was able to reconnect with my old gaming crew and have some adventures! I also thought about blogging my new/reborn life in Philadelphia, but decided that blogging about fantasy is so much more fun. For many reasons, (good reasons, I promise) our gaming crew failed its last saving throw, and moved on to different worlds, leaving a hole in my fantasy heart! I still get to play board games or a quick pickup-short campaign here and there, but things aren't the same.
Last Tuesday night, I was waiting for the Orange Line at City Hall, and I felt a pang of nostalgic longing. Every Tuesday, for over a year, I used to go over to a friends house to play Dungeons and Dragons. We had a great spread! We would eat fantastic food prepared with care by an awesome lady, and delve into journeys carefully constructed by our Dungeon Master. (His blog is here.) As I stood among the throng of Philadelphians waiting on the platform, I realized with sadness that I would not be playing D&D with my friends that night. An era has truly come to an end. "What do I do now?" I thought hopelessly.
The answer has been here all along. I've recruited some new friends to go on an adventure! One, at least, has never played a tabletop RPG before in her life! I hope there will be many more posts to come, as new characters get a chance to kill bad guys (or maybe good guys) and get some epic (or maybe crappy) loot.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
A rogue, a cleric, a duskblade. Aid/Hindrance to the PCs
So, in week three, I introduced three PCs who have allied themselves with our players. They were all kidnapped and brought into cells. I've had a few adventures with these new characters, and so I think it's appropriate to unveil their classes and a little bit about my philosophy about creating them, without giving much away to the players. Let's start with the two chicks.
Ivella Smythlei and her Lady in Waiting, Yenna. These two were the women that our adventurers were paid to find. They claim that they were walking north in the forest, when they were attacked by an unseen foe. This foe must have poisoned them and knocked them unconscious, because they woke up in the cell together.
Ivella is a rogue. She is only child of the Smythlei family, and she was arranged to marry another noble. It's clear that she didn't want to do this, so she took off with Yenna. I wanted to make Ivella a rogue, because it seems that nobles make good rogues. She has to have some kind of combat training, since she's a noble, and I thought that silent espionage might be a good fit. She's been helping out the PCs with traps, locks, and she can do a bit of damage with sneak attack, though she prefers to hang back and shoot with her sling. Ivella also speaks dwarven, and though she is headstrong, she doesn't seem to be stupid. She's been very diplomatic and kind with all of the PCs. All of them seem to like her.
Yenna is a duskblade. I didn't let the PCs pick any classes from non-core books, but I really love duskblades and I wanted to have one for myself to play. I was in a campaign where one of my comrades was a duskblade and he was badass! I also picked duskblade because Yenna is a beautiful half-elf who is not from Elgria. She comes from a distant land (her accent is a bit Russian). So, an exotic form of fighting training seemed to suit her character very well. I wanted it to be something that is foreign to the PCs, not just a basic fighter. She hasn't really used her "duskbladeness" to the fullest yet, because she hasn't really needed to, but her falchion is badass. She was the one who cast ghost sound and distracted the orc jailer so she and Ivella could escape. Yenna, though much prettier than Ivella, lacks the genteel-soft quality. Biff has already referred to her as a "bitch" multiple times. She's a little sharp-tongued and impatient. She seems to make up for it though by saving the PCs lives.
Caleforn Goldenstave, an elf cleric. Caleforn says that he and Rashial and Pashial (two twins) were in the forest enjoying themselves when they were ambushed and brought to the caves. One day, the orcs came and took Pashial. Then, what Caleforn thinks to be some days later, they took Rashial. He hasn't seen or heard from them, and has no idea how long he's been there, nor anything else. The elves seem to be an important plot-note for our adventures so far, and I wanted to have an elf involved in the dungeon crawl. I also wanted Caleforn to be almost an "anti-cleric." Meaning, he's kind of a "surfer" who is really into having sex with chicks. I wanted a somewhat obnoxious yet kind character, to see how the PCs would interact with him. I've really enjoyed having Caleforn around. On one hand, he says constantly says ridiculous things, yet on the other, he's been very essential to keeping them alive in the caves. He's also very good with a bow. He has precise shot as a feat, and has occasionally stuck an arrow in the gullet of an orc guard.
Biff hates Caleforn, which was something, knowing Evan as a person, I kind of suspected would happen. Abelard, on the other hand, seems to like Caleforn, and think he's an alright dude. Alric doesn't seem to have an opinion. He doesn't like elves very much, but Caleforn has been helping him. All three party members like Ivella, especially Alric, because she speaks to him in dwarven. Biff seems hot and cold on Yenna. On one hand, she's smokin' and can handle a sword, but on the other hand, she's a "bitch." Alric likes Yenna. I think he respects her as a fighter. Abelard hasn't really claimed one way or the other. It will be interesting to see how these relationships pan out.
Ivella Smythlei and her Lady in Waiting, Yenna. These two were the women that our adventurers were paid to find. They claim that they were walking north in the forest, when they were attacked by an unseen foe. This foe must have poisoned them and knocked them unconscious, because they woke up in the cell together.
Ivella is a rogue. She is only child of the Smythlei family, and she was arranged to marry another noble. It's clear that she didn't want to do this, so she took off with Yenna. I wanted to make Ivella a rogue, because it seems that nobles make good rogues. She has to have some kind of combat training, since she's a noble, and I thought that silent espionage might be a good fit. She's been helping out the PCs with traps, locks, and she can do a bit of damage with sneak attack, though she prefers to hang back and shoot with her sling. Ivella also speaks dwarven, and though she is headstrong, she doesn't seem to be stupid. She's been very diplomatic and kind with all of the PCs. All of them seem to like her.
Yenna is a duskblade. I didn't let the PCs pick any classes from non-core books, but I really love duskblades and I wanted to have one for myself to play. I was in a campaign where one of my comrades was a duskblade and he was badass! I also picked duskblade because Yenna is a beautiful half-elf who is not from Elgria. She comes from a distant land (her accent is a bit Russian). So, an exotic form of fighting training seemed to suit her character very well. I wanted it to be something that is foreign to the PCs, not just a basic fighter. She hasn't really used her "duskbladeness" to the fullest yet, because she hasn't really needed to, but her falchion is badass. She was the one who cast ghost sound and distracted the orc jailer so she and Ivella could escape. Yenna, though much prettier than Ivella, lacks the genteel-soft quality. Biff has already referred to her as a "bitch" multiple times. She's a little sharp-tongued and impatient. She seems to make up for it though by saving the PCs lives.Caleforn Goldenstave, an elf cleric. Caleforn says that he and Rashial and Pashial (two twins) were in the forest enjoying themselves when they were ambushed and brought to the caves. One day, the orcs came and took Pashial. Then, what Caleforn thinks to be some days later, they took Rashial. He hasn't seen or heard from them, and has no idea how long he's been there, nor anything else. The elves seem to be an important plot-note for our adventures so far, and I wanted to have an elf involved in the dungeon crawl. I also wanted Caleforn to be almost an "anti-cleric." Meaning, he's kind of a "surfer" who is really into having sex with chicks. I wanted a somewhat obnoxious yet kind character, to see how the PCs would interact with him. I've really enjoyed having Caleforn around. On one hand, he says constantly says ridiculous things, yet on the other, he's been very essential to keeping them alive in the caves. He's also very good with a bow. He has precise shot as a feat, and has occasionally stuck an arrow in the gullet of an orc guard.
Biff hates Caleforn, which was something, knowing Evan as a person, I kind of suspected would happen. Abelard, on the other hand, seems to like Caleforn, and think he's an alright dude. Alric doesn't seem to have an opinion. He doesn't like elves very much, but Caleforn has been helping him. All three party members like Ivella, especially Alric, because she speaks to him in dwarven. Biff seems hot and cold on Yenna. On one hand, she's smokin' and can handle a sword, but on the other hand, she's a "bitch." Alric likes Yenna. I think he respects her as a fighter. Abelard hasn't really claimed one way or the other. It will be interesting to see how these relationships pan out.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Chapter 3: The perils of adventuring solo and a variation of the infamous ten foot pit
We started week three with a bang. Abelard was back, though unfortunately Ranger Rick has had to bow out and is not going to be able to continue playing with us. (hmm, I wonder if the PCs will ever meet Rick again.. muah hah hah)
While Alric and Biff were venturing out in the forest, Abelard stayed behind to speak with the full-figured and hairy Salty Sneed. He hung with her for a little while, enjoying the free ale and sharing stories. After a few hours, he began to sense that Salty had an ulterior motive of the intimate kind, and he decided to set out. Abelard knew that his friends were heading north in the forest, and so he decided to head north too. Alone. After about an hour of adventuring, the day began to turn to night. And while Alric and Biff were fighting goblins, Abelard continued through the forest, failing a vital listen check. Without warning, a small metal disk with jagged edges whizzed out from between the trees, pegging Abelard right in the shoulder. He tried to dive for cover, and while in mid-air, his vision blackened around him, and he fell unconscious.
Meanwhile, Biff lay, stable but unconscious, and Alric, exhausted from cleaving kobold after kobold, fell into a deep sleep. Biff's raven was set for the watch, but he didn't do a great job. Neither dwarf nor human heard their predators approach and knock them unconscious.
What followed next practically took all night. My virgin characters met a variation of the infamous ten foot pit. Alric and Biff woke to find themselves together in some kind of pit-style jail cell. They were naked, and without any of their equipment. Abelard found himself alone in an adjacent cell, nude and hurdy-gurdyless. The cells were about 5 feet total in diameter, with ten foot high walls. Each cell had a iron/wooden slatted door on the ceiling. Most the walls were entirely smooth, and there were rocks all over the floor. The adventurers soon found out that they were not alone. A goblin passed them, walking along above them. Then he crouched above Alric and Biff's cell, and defecated. After the feces hit the floor, it turned very very hard. Gross! Also, their original quarry, Ivella Smythlei and her Handmaid (later to be identified as a half-elf named Yenna), were in the cells next door. Alric and Biff were able to speak to them through a small chink in the wall. The adventurers also heard the strange sound of snoring, which eventually stopped as Alric began to yell, revealing that there was, in fact, yet another captive. A somewhat-stoned-sounding elf, who identified himself as Caleforn Goldenstave. (Who does, in fact, have a golden stave...)
The PCs went through a number of ideas to try and get out. Alric found that yelling really only attracted the attention of their captors, but didn't get any results. Alric and Biff found that there was one wall they could climb up, though only Alric was strong enough to do so on his own. Abelard gave up, and began drawing prison cell graffiti on the walls. He also chatted with Caleforn, who was lamenting the loss of the twins he had been seducing in the forest before they had all been captured. Ivella and Yenna, were occasionally speaking with Biff and Abelard, trying to collaborate on how to escape. Alric climbed up the wall and yelled, and the orc jailer just stepped on his fingers. Alric tried building a castle out of goblin poo and rocks, but only got himself about 3 feet off the ground. Biff shot a magic missile at the door, which appeared to singe it a bit but didn't open it. You can imagine how much fun I was having behind my DM screen.
After about an hour of failed planning, Alric decided to climb the wall and punch the door. Voila! He was strong enough to bust through. However, he didn't quite have a plan on what to do after he got out. Instead of helping his friend Biff escape, Alric noisily climbed out himself, only to be confronted by the orc jailer (Who by the way, is a level 2 fighter with a bastard sword). Alric did manage to overrun the jailer and tear down a cave-corridor to find a room that had all of their equipment. Meanwhile, Biff tried in vain to climb out of the jail cell. Although Biff has decent strength for a sorcerer, (I think his strength is 10), it was not enough to pull himself up the vertical wall on his own. Alric managed to grab his battle axe before the jailer beat him to a pulp. Alric fell unconscious, and the captives waited in anguish for news of their friend. They heard little. Suddenly, Alric was dropped back into the cell, unconscious, but his wounds had been patched up. Biff saw the hatch close above him, and a large rock was rolled onto the door. The PCs were back where they started, only now Alric was unconscious and there was a rock above the door of Biff and Alric's cell.
Luckily for our adventurers, the women next door were a little more adept at team work. The PCs heard a very strange noise, almost like the sound of moaning or crying coming from far away. They heard the footsteps of the jailer retreat, and suddenly Ivella and Yenna jerked into action, punching their hatch with rocks and helping eachother climb out. They snuck down the hall to find their stuff, and began making mincemeat of the single orc jailer. Yenna stayed in swordplay with him while Ivella stayed back, rolling the rock off of Biff's cell and slinging bullets at the orc. The orc was suddenly dead, and of course, was carrying keys. Everyone was released. And as it turns out, Caleforn Goldenstave, not only having talents for seducing women, also has healing powers from his goddess, Ehlonna. Biff decided that he hates Caleforn, though with a fantastic bluff skill, has convinced Caleforn that he likes him and is his "bro." Caleforn went down into Alric's cell and healed him. And that was the end of the adventure for that night.
I had a really fun time with this. I didn't know that it was going to take the players almost two hours to get out of this pit and be healed and ready to go. I also really enjoyed the planning, frustration, the roleplaying (especially between Abelard and Caleforn), and it's really fun to watch the different ways that people's brains work. Like, for me, it was very obvious to try and climb up and hit the door. However, hitting the door didn't seem to be an option that crossed anyone's mind. I also think that being thrown into a situation where you have this character, and you have all their items picked out, and you're getting used to the way your character functions, and then to have those items taken away from you, very much throws you off guard. I borrowed this idea from a previous campaign that I had been in, where I was the PC who had all of her stuff taken away and was thrown into a pit with all of the other PCs (who had also had their stuff taken.) It's a cool idea, and like any cool idea needs to be used sparingly. I really enjoyed doing this to the guys, because I remember what it was like when my character got thrown into a pit and didn't have any of her stuff.
While on one hand I wanted to make this difficult for them, I also wanted to give them a little bit of character interaction to help them find a "way out" if things didn't go the way they had planned. (or, in this case, not planned at all.) Instead of making Ivella and Yenna non-combat NPCs, I decided that they should definitely have classes and combat ability. I threw Caleforn in for comic relief, plot (he's an elf, and his knowledge is useful), and also a temporary cleric. I knew I was going to be throwing these guys into a complex cave/tunnel system, where it would be unclear if they could escape for some time. And therefore, I thought that making their party a little more diverse would be fun. Especially for first-timers. They are still wandering around this dungeon. Next installment will detail Ivella, Yenna, and Caleforn a little bit.
While Alric and Biff were venturing out in the forest, Abelard stayed behind to speak with the full-figured and hairy Salty Sneed. He hung with her for a little while, enjoying the free ale and sharing stories. After a few hours, he began to sense that Salty had an ulterior motive of the intimate kind, and he decided to set out. Abelard knew that his friends were heading north in the forest, and so he decided to head north too. Alone. After about an hour of adventuring, the day began to turn to night. And while Alric and Biff were fighting goblins, Abelard continued through the forest, failing a vital listen check. Without warning, a small metal disk with jagged edges whizzed out from between the trees, pegging Abelard right in the shoulder. He tried to dive for cover, and while in mid-air, his vision blackened around him, and he fell unconscious.
Meanwhile, Biff lay, stable but unconscious, and Alric, exhausted from cleaving kobold after kobold, fell into a deep sleep. Biff's raven was set for the watch, but he didn't do a great job. Neither dwarf nor human heard their predators approach and knock them unconscious.
What followed next practically took all night. My virgin characters met a variation of the infamous ten foot pit. Alric and Biff woke to find themselves together in some kind of pit-style jail cell. They were naked, and without any of their equipment. Abelard found himself alone in an adjacent cell, nude and hurdy-gurdyless. The cells were about 5 feet total in diameter, with ten foot high walls. Each cell had a iron/wooden slatted door on the ceiling. Most the walls were entirely smooth, and there were rocks all over the floor. The adventurers soon found out that they were not alone. A goblin passed them, walking along above them. Then he crouched above Alric and Biff's cell, and defecated. After the feces hit the floor, it turned very very hard. Gross! Also, their original quarry, Ivella Smythlei and her Handmaid (later to be identified as a half-elf named Yenna), were in the cells next door. Alric and Biff were able to speak to them through a small chink in the wall. The adventurers also heard the strange sound of snoring, which eventually stopped as Alric began to yell, revealing that there was, in fact, yet another captive. A somewhat-stoned-sounding elf, who identified himself as Caleforn Goldenstave. (Who does, in fact, have a golden stave...)
The PCs went through a number of ideas to try and get out. Alric found that yelling really only attracted the attention of their captors, but didn't get any results. Alric and Biff found that there was one wall they could climb up, though only Alric was strong enough to do so on his own. Abelard gave up, and began drawing prison cell graffiti on the walls. He also chatted with Caleforn, who was lamenting the loss of the twins he had been seducing in the forest before they had all been captured. Ivella and Yenna, were occasionally speaking with Biff and Abelard, trying to collaborate on how to escape. Alric climbed up the wall and yelled, and the orc jailer just stepped on his fingers. Alric tried building a castle out of goblin poo and rocks, but only got himself about 3 feet off the ground. Biff shot a magic missile at the door, which appeared to singe it a bit but didn't open it. You can imagine how much fun I was having behind my DM screen.
After about an hour of failed planning, Alric decided to climb the wall and punch the door. Voila! He was strong enough to bust through. However, he didn't quite have a plan on what to do after he got out. Instead of helping his friend Biff escape, Alric noisily climbed out himself, only to be confronted by the orc jailer (Who by the way, is a level 2 fighter with a bastard sword). Alric did manage to overrun the jailer and tear down a cave-corridor to find a room that had all of their equipment. Meanwhile, Biff tried in vain to climb out of the jail cell. Although Biff has decent strength for a sorcerer, (I think his strength is 10), it was not enough to pull himself up the vertical wall on his own. Alric managed to grab his battle axe before the jailer beat him to a pulp. Alric fell unconscious, and the captives waited in anguish for news of their friend. They heard little. Suddenly, Alric was dropped back into the cell, unconscious, but his wounds had been patched up. Biff saw the hatch close above him, and a large rock was rolled onto the door. The PCs were back where they started, only now Alric was unconscious and there was a rock above the door of Biff and Alric's cell.
Luckily for our adventurers, the women next door were a little more adept at team work. The PCs heard a very strange noise, almost like the sound of moaning or crying coming from far away. They heard the footsteps of the jailer retreat, and suddenly Ivella and Yenna jerked into action, punching their hatch with rocks and helping eachother climb out. They snuck down the hall to find their stuff, and began making mincemeat of the single orc jailer. Yenna stayed in swordplay with him while Ivella stayed back, rolling the rock off of Biff's cell and slinging bullets at the orc. The orc was suddenly dead, and of course, was carrying keys. Everyone was released. And as it turns out, Caleforn Goldenstave, not only having talents for seducing women, also has healing powers from his goddess, Ehlonna. Biff decided that he hates Caleforn, though with a fantastic bluff skill, has convinced Caleforn that he likes him and is his "bro." Caleforn went down into Alric's cell and healed him. And that was the end of the adventure for that night.
I had a really fun time with this. I didn't know that it was going to take the players almost two hours to get out of this pit and be healed and ready to go. I also really enjoyed the planning, frustration, the roleplaying (especially between Abelard and Caleforn), and it's really fun to watch the different ways that people's brains work. Like, for me, it was very obvious to try and climb up and hit the door. However, hitting the door didn't seem to be an option that crossed anyone's mind. I also think that being thrown into a situation where you have this character, and you have all their items picked out, and you're getting used to the way your character functions, and then to have those items taken away from you, very much throws you off guard. I borrowed this idea from a previous campaign that I had been in, where I was the PC who had all of her stuff taken away and was thrown into a pit with all of the other PCs (who had also had their stuff taken.) It's a cool idea, and like any cool idea needs to be used sparingly. I really enjoyed doing this to the guys, because I remember what it was like when my character got thrown into a pit and didn't have any of her stuff.
While on one hand I wanted to make this difficult for them, I also wanted to give them a little bit of character interaction to help them find a "way out" if things didn't go the way they had planned. (or, in this case, not planned at all.) Instead of making Ivella and Yenna non-combat NPCs, I decided that they should definitely have classes and combat ability. I threw Caleforn in for comic relief, plot (he's an elf, and his knowledge is useful), and also a temporary cleric. I knew I was going to be throwing these guys into a complex cave/tunnel system, where it would be unclear if they could escape for some time. And therefore, I thought that making their party a little more diverse would be fun. Especially for first-timers. They are still wandering around this dungeon. Next installment will detail Ivella, Yenna, and Caleforn a little bit.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Chapters 2: Angry elves, tricky goblins, and ... lizards?
So, we've had an exciting past few weeks here in Elgria. Our somewhat rugged adventurers are cutting their teeth on taverns, goblins, and, later, the dreaded ten foot pit.
Week number two was a little tough because we were missing half of the party. Yet, our hardy boys pressed on. The party decided to head back to the Soggy Bottle to wait for the return of Ranger Rick, to no avail. Luckily, Salty Sneed was feeling a little generous with the ale, and while she continued to pour it down Abelard's throat, Alric and Biff decided to get some info about their mission and the surrounding area. Biff managed to impress some of the locals with his wit and charm, and he ran into a mysterious gentleman with an eyepatch who was ready to volunteer some information. He hadn't seen the woman that Biff was looking for, but was very knowledgeable about the forest. He told Biff and Alric a whole bunch of stuff, including that the Sugar Forest to the north and northwest was the home to the elven population on the Cape. Apparently the elves seemed a bit ticked lately, and it was rumored that there was a group on the fringe that was becoming a little hostile to the local humans.
Biff and Alric didn't want to wait any longer for Rick, so they told Abelard they were going to head out and look for Ivella. Abelard told them to go ahead; he seemed very interested in staying to speak with Sneed for a little longer. So, the sorcerer and the barbarian headed out north, along the rocky cliff coast of the Cape of Sirens and into the Sugar Forest. They had no evidence of the missing bride-to-be, or her lady in waiting, but still they pressed on. After a few hours in the forest, the men heard a rustling in the trees, only to discover that they were surrounded by a band of elves.
One of the elves hopped down from a nearby tree, and demanded to know why the men "were walking armed through the Mallendor." She was tall, for an elf, with dark, green-streaked hair. Biff tried to reason with them, only to fail with a horrible diplomacy check. Alric took a try at speaking, with the intention to provoke, not soothe. The men could see at least six elves with their arrows trained on them, and Biff tried to smooth things over again. Their lives were spared, but they learned very little from Al'londia and her band of elves. They seemed disinterested, if not hostile, to the activities of men. She let them know that she did, in fact, see two women walking in the forest, and she and her scouts overhead them speaking. They were talking about a boat, and the Caves of Sorrow. She grumbled a little about men, and also about goblins. Al'londia gave them passage through the forest, noting that they were "not bannermen." Biff breathed a sigh of relief, though Alric seemed a little disappointed that his axe was not going to bathe in elven blood.
The two pressed on, knowing little about the Caves of Sorrow, and less about the forest. At nightfall, they came upon a clearing. It looked as if there were something, a child, maybe, laying on the ground. They looked around, but didn't see anything else unusual. Alric went ahead to check it out, while Biff waited near the trees as a lookout. As Alric approached the body, it stood up and giggled as a spear came flying out of the trees to his right and pierced Alric in the shoulder. As Al'londia had alluded, elves weren't the only creatures in the forest. The hideous creatures, afterwards identified as goblins, traded blows with our heroes. Overall, I was impressed with the strategy of this fight. They are both new to the game, but employed pretty good tactics despite the fact that the goblins got the jump on them. Biff hid behind a rock to cast spells, while Alric cleaved heads with his great axe. They dispatched the goblins rather quickly, and this time, remembered to loot. They discovered three unusual things: a large pouch of gemstones, a note that said, "Yoo doo gud wif dem elfees. Yoo brin men now. All men. Even onnez wif buubs. Moon is hav! Need bye fulll! Muss hurree!" Complete with backwards letters and written in purple ink. It was signed, but the name is illegible. They also discovered an incredibly ornate dagger. It's encrusted with red jewels, though it is obviously not for display. The dagger appears to be made with very high quality steel. Molded into the end of the hilt, is the head of a leopard.
Alric and Biff quickly deduced that this dagger must belong to Ivella Smythlei, seeing that the leopard is on their coat of arms. Biff hung onto it, and he was surprised to find that it made him feel pretty good. Just north of the clearing, the two saw what looked like the remains of a struggle. Small trees had been flattened and the ground was pretty tore up. Unfortunately, neither of them have any woodland survival skills, so they couldn't really make out what happened. They could just tell that something was amiss. Darkness had fallen, the half-moon shone down upon them, and they pressed on.
After an hour or so, they were ambushed by four small lizard-like creatures. The fight was not going well for the adventurers. Alric was already beat up from earlier, and Biff was low on spells. Ambushes on parties of two can be pretty rough. Two lizard-creatures surrounded Biff, while the other two engaged Alric. Biff got hit pretty badly, but decided he wasn't going out without taking at least one with him. He decided to give his new dagger a try. Surprisingly (or maybe not) the dagger increased Biff's melee skills, and he managed to stab one of the lizard creatures right in the heart. However, the severeness of the wounds set in for Biff, and he fell alongside his enemy. Alric, seeing his friend fall, roared with fury, and unleashed a rage upon the remaining creatures. He managed to take them all out, and still have two hit points to spare. He somehow managed to stabilize Biff, and that is where they rested for the night.
This is where we wrapped for our second week. I had more things planned, but with party members absent it didn't make much sense to continue. Luckily, the break enabled Biff and Alric to level up. This week was pretty fun. Biff and Alric do pretty well on their own, despite the fact that their character classes have no healing powers, nor do they have much in the way of tracking or wilderness survival. They both are quickly learning the mechanics of their classes. Alric with his axe, and Biff with his charm and spell-casting. Though I feel kind of bad for Evan(Biff) because he has a lot of ranks in Bluff and Diplomacy, yet his rolls have been astoundingly horrible. The only time he really succeeded was in the tavern with the eye-patch man. I had a feeling tonight might get one of them killed, because Rick was unexpectedly absent. Before the game started, I did have to do a bit of revising, but on the whole I was pretty impressed.
Week number two was a little tough because we were missing half of the party. Yet, our hardy boys pressed on. The party decided to head back to the Soggy Bottle to wait for the return of Ranger Rick, to no avail. Luckily, Salty Sneed was feeling a little generous with the ale, and while she continued to pour it down Abelard's throat, Alric and Biff decided to get some info about their mission and the surrounding area. Biff managed to impress some of the locals with his wit and charm, and he ran into a mysterious gentleman with an eyepatch who was ready to volunteer some information. He hadn't seen the woman that Biff was looking for, but was very knowledgeable about the forest. He told Biff and Alric a whole bunch of stuff, including that the Sugar Forest to the north and northwest was the home to the elven population on the Cape. Apparently the elves seemed a bit ticked lately, and it was rumored that there was a group on the fringe that was becoming a little hostile to the local humans.
Biff and Alric didn't want to wait any longer for Rick, so they told Abelard they were going to head out and look for Ivella. Abelard told them to go ahead; he seemed very interested in staying to speak with Sneed for a little longer. So, the sorcerer and the barbarian headed out north, along the rocky cliff coast of the Cape of Sirens and into the Sugar Forest. They had no evidence of the missing bride-to-be, or her lady in waiting, but still they pressed on. After a few hours in the forest, the men heard a rustling in the trees, only to discover that they were surrounded by a band of elves.
One of the elves hopped down from a nearby tree, and demanded to know why the men "were walking armed through the Mallendor." She was tall, for an elf, with dark, green-streaked hair. Biff tried to reason with them, only to fail with a horrible diplomacy check. Alric took a try at speaking, with the intention to provoke, not soothe. The men could see at least six elves with their arrows trained on them, and Biff tried to smooth things over again. Their lives were spared, but they learned very little from Al'londia and her band of elves. They seemed disinterested, if not hostile, to the activities of men. She let them know that she did, in fact, see two women walking in the forest, and she and her scouts overhead them speaking. They were talking about a boat, and the Caves of Sorrow. She grumbled a little about men, and also about goblins. Al'londia gave them passage through the forest, noting that they were "not bannermen." Biff breathed a sigh of relief, though Alric seemed a little disappointed that his axe was not going to bathe in elven blood.
The two pressed on, knowing little about the Caves of Sorrow, and less about the forest. At nightfall, they came upon a clearing. It looked as if there were something, a child, maybe, laying on the ground. They looked around, but didn't see anything else unusual. Alric went ahead to check it out, while Biff waited near the trees as a lookout. As Alric approached the body, it stood up and giggled as a spear came flying out of the trees to his right and pierced Alric in the shoulder. As Al'londia had alluded, elves weren't the only creatures in the forest. The hideous creatures, afterwards identified as goblins, traded blows with our heroes. Overall, I was impressed with the strategy of this fight. They are both new to the game, but employed pretty good tactics despite the fact that the goblins got the jump on them. Biff hid behind a rock to cast spells, while Alric cleaved heads with his great axe. They dispatched the goblins rather quickly, and this time, remembered to loot. They discovered three unusual things: a large pouch of gemstones, a note that said, "Yoo doo gud wif dem elfees. Yoo brin men now. All men. Even onnez wif buubs. Moon is hav! Need bye fulll! Muss hurree!" Complete with backwards letters and written in purple ink. It was signed, but the name is illegible. They also discovered an incredibly ornate dagger. It's encrusted with red jewels, though it is obviously not for display. The dagger appears to be made with very high quality steel. Molded into the end of the hilt, is the head of a leopard.
Alric and Biff quickly deduced that this dagger must belong to Ivella Smythlei, seeing that the leopard is on their coat of arms. Biff hung onto it, and he was surprised to find that it made him feel pretty good. Just north of the clearing, the two saw what looked like the remains of a struggle. Small trees had been flattened and the ground was pretty tore up. Unfortunately, neither of them have any woodland survival skills, so they couldn't really make out what happened. They could just tell that something was amiss. Darkness had fallen, the half-moon shone down upon them, and they pressed on.
After an hour or so, they were ambushed by four small lizard-like creatures. The fight was not going well for the adventurers. Alric was already beat up from earlier, and Biff was low on spells. Ambushes on parties of two can be pretty rough. Two lizard-creatures surrounded Biff, while the other two engaged Alric. Biff got hit pretty badly, but decided he wasn't going out without taking at least one with him. He decided to give his new dagger a try. Surprisingly (or maybe not) the dagger increased Biff's melee skills, and he managed to stab one of the lizard creatures right in the heart. However, the severeness of the wounds set in for Biff, and he fell alongside his enemy. Alric, seeing his friend fall, roared with fury, and unleashed a rage upon the remaining creatures. He managed to take them all out, and still have two hit points to spare. He somehow managed to stabilize Biff, and that is where they rested for the night.
This is where we wrapped for our second week. I had more things planned, but with party members absent it didn't make much sense to continue. Luckily, the break enabled Biff and Alric to level up. This week was pretty fun. Biff and Alric do pretty well on their own, despite the fact that their character classes have no healing powers, nor do they have much in the way of tracking or wilderness survival. They both are quickly learning the mechanics of their classes. Alric with his axe, and Biff with his charm and spell-casting. Though I feel kind of bad for Evan(Biff) because he has a lot of ranks in Bluff and Diplomacy, yet his rolls have been astoundingly horrible. The only time he really succeeded was in the tavern with the eye-patch man. I had a feeling tonight might get one of them killed, because Rick was unexpectedly absent. Before the game started, I did have to do a bit of revising, but on the whole I was pretty impressed.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Chapter 1: The Soggy Bottle
Well, this past Thursday our virgins had their first forays into the unpredictable and exciting world of Dungeons and Dragons. Andy was sick and the weather was crappy, so Ranger Rick did not make an appearance. However, we decided to press on anyway, because I hate waiting.
So here is what I was thinking: I know that the first few weeks are going to be a little clunky, so for our first meet, I wanted to make sure I gave them enough time to make their decisions and discuss options for combat, but not spend too much time on the nitpicking of rules, making it more of a drag than fun. I think that we managed to balance that out just fine.
Our rugged adventurers: Abélard de la Sonnerie, the curious bard; Alric Anklebiter, the husky barbarian; and Biff Jesus, the nomadic sorcerer; all met at this place called The Soggy Bottle. The Soggy Bottle is the inn closest to the docks in the port town of Stonesong. Stonesong (See, it's that little dot at the tip) is
located in the Cape of Sirens, which is part of the Western Kingdoms of the expansive Elgrian Empire. Every PC came to The Cape of Sirens for a different reason, but there is no doubt that the rumors of mystery, intrigue, and adventure were a big draw.
Alric was stationed at the bar, receiving dirty looks from the Bottle's ample-bodied and amply haired proprietress, Salty Sneed. Abelard was entertaining some sailors while Biff looked on, equipped in his jedi-style robe. Suddenly, a drunken thug approached Biff (whom the PCs later learnt was named Roscoe) and accused him of owing money to somebody named Dom Flario. Of course, a fight broke out, and our guys immediately got their first taste of combat.
Alric didn't even fly into a rage, but started hacking at the thugs like Patrick Bateman through prostitutes. Biff managed to crowd control and also do some damage. Abelard made some attempts for combat, but was incapacitated by a rogueish thug early in the round. He could only lie helpless on a table, and he eventually fell unconscious from blood loss. I was actually rolling quite poorly, except for the time my rogue critted and shanked the crap out of Abelard. Eventually, Alric and Biff were able to take the guys down, with the aid of an angry Salty Sneed.
Lessons Learnt:
1. The power of "Grease." Grease is a level one spell. It can either be targetted or area of effect, and can severely cripple your enemies rendering them pretty useless if they fail a reflex save. Biff incapacitated Roscoe and another thug for a round with this spell, saving his, and possibly Abelard's, lives. The party also discovered that it can render their allies useless. When Alric went over to take a swing at a greased up thug, he ran right into the area of effect, and consequently fell on his dwarven arse for a round.
2. Critical Threats. Alric rolled a natural twenty, which translates into a critical threat. He then confirmed his critical hit with a roll of 17, successfully decapitating his enemy with massive two handed damage. Criticals are powerful things.
3. Loot. Since this was their first game, as a DM I felt compelled to explain the importance of looting. They were about to walk out of that tavern without checking the bodies of their attackers, and doing so, they would have missed a small vial of liquid that one of the sneaky thugs was carrying. I'm pretty sure I won't have to remind them again, and whether I will have to will not be an issue, because I won't.
After this, the town guard showed up, lead by the Headsworn Guard, Frandrew Oakensword. Oakenshield was pleased that they got rid of the thugs, but also let them know that due to the violent nature of incapacitating them, (The thugs were all lying dead in pools of blood) that they would have to do him a favor to have this scuffle swept under the rug. After Abelard was picked up and healed by a cleric in the guard, the crew set out to meet Lord Smythlei, the ruling noble on the Cape of Sirens.
The crew doesn't know much about the Smythlei family, only that they have claims to this territory that trace back hundreds of years. The hardy adventurers were brought to Castle Stonetop and were introduced to Lord Smythlei, a portly man with a comb-over and chubby hands. They discovered that not only was his daughter, Ivella, to be married next week to the son of the Lord of the Fingers, but that she had run off that morning, insistent on stopping her upcoming nuptials. Generous man that Smythlei is, he offered the party fifty gold each to track her down, and bring her alive.
Earlier in the evening, I had to explain the importance of looting. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find them ready and eager to negotiate for more of a reward without prompt. Biff was the first one to open his mouth, asking for more money. I told him to make a diplomacy check, and he did. Unfortunately, he rolled very poorly, and as it turned out, when Biff opened his mouth to speak to Lord Smythlei, he accidentally spit right on his face. Smythlei was visibly grossed out. Smooth talking Abelard attempted to put things right, and used his verbal prowess to try and smooth things out. However, before he could even open his mouth, he tripped over his own two feet and awkwardly stumbled. (He rolled a 1, making his diplomacy very low on a check that was moderately difficult) You can imagine my chuckles, and the laughs of the rest of the party. Alric just gave the guy a thumbs up, Apparently he didn't want to risk anything with his 3 charisma. I do commend them on their effort. They're playing like veterans already! That's where we wrapped for the night.
Lessons Learnt:
1. Rolling a 1. Traditionally, rolling a 1 means a critical failure in combat. However, there are times when rolling a one for a skill check can also have quasi-disastrous results. I don't think all DMs do this, but I do. It doesn't have to be life-threatening, but can provide entertainment and general hilarity. I see rolling a 1 in a non-combat situation is almost like something out of the PCs control happened to make this go so badly. It was very fun to have a crew understand he impact of a low roll early on in the game.
2. Whatever you say, your character is saying. There were a few times when Evan just talked aloud without thinking when it came to character interaction, and it influenced the game as if it were Biff saying it. I think it might take a little bit for him to make this adjustment. Much to my happiness.
I expect to cover more storyline in the future. Combat took a little bit of time because everyone is just starting to get the hang of it. I'm not in a hurry. I know at least one of my PCs had a good time. Evan sent me a text this week saying that he bought his first set of dice, but he couldn't decide, so he bought two. I officially have a convert.
So here is what I was thinking: I know that the first few weeks are going to be a little clunky, so for our first meet, I wanted to make sure I gave them enough time to make their decisions and discuss options for combat, but not spend too much time on the nitpicking of rules, making it more of a drag than fun. I think that we managed to balance that out just fine.
Our rugged adventurers: Abélard de la Sonnerie, the curious bard; Alric Anklebiter, the husky barbarian; and Biff Jesus, the nomadic sorcerer; all met at this place called The Soggy Bottle. The Soggy Bottle is the inn closest to the docks in the port town of Stonesong. Stonesong (See, it's that little dot at the tip) is
located in the Cape of Sirens, which is part of the Western Kingdoms of the expansive Elgrian Empire. Every PC came to The Cape of Sirens for a different reason, but there is no doubt that the rumors of mystery, intrigue, and adventure were a big draw.Alric was stationed at the bar, receiving dirty looks from the Bottle's ample-bodied and amply haired proprietress, Salty Sneed. Abelard was entertaining some sailors while Biff looked on, equipped in his jedi-style robe. Suddenly, a drunken thug approached Biff (whom the PCs later learnt was named Roscoe) and accused him of owing money to somebody named Dom Flario. Of course, a fight broke out, and our guys immediately got their first taste of combat.
Alric didn't even fly into a rage, but started hacking at the thugs like Patrick Bateman through prostitutes. Biff managed to crowd control and also do some damage. Abelard made some attempts for combat, but was incapacitated by a rogueish thug early in the round. He could only lie helpless on a table, and he eventually fell unconscious from blood loss. I was actually rolling quite poorly, except for the time my rogue critted and shanked the crap out of Abelard. Eventually, Alric and Biff were able to take the guys down, with the aid of an angry Salty Sneed.
Lessons Learnt:
1. The power of "Grease." Grease is a level one spell. It can either be targetted or area of effect, and can severely cripple your enemies rendering them pretty useless if they fail a reflex save. Biff incapacitated Roscoe and another thug for a round with this spell, saving his, and possibly Abelard's, lives. The party also discovered that it can render their allies useless. When Alric went over to take a swing at a greased up thug, he ran right into the area of effect, and consequently fell on his dwarven arse for a round.
2. Critical Threats. Alric rolled a natural twenty, which translates into a critical threat. He then confirmed his critical hit with a roll of 17, successfully decapitating his enemy with massive two handed damage. Criticals are powerful things.
3. Loot. Since this was their first game, as a DM I felt compelled to explain the importance of looting. They were about to walk out of that tavern without checking the bodies of their attackers, and doing so, they would have missed a small vial of liquid that one of the sneaky thugs was carrying. I'm pretty sure I won't have to remind them again, and whether I will have to will not be an issue, because I won't.
After this, the town guard showed up, lead by the Headsworn Guard, Frandrew Oakensword. Oakenshield was pleased that they got rid of the thugs, but also let them know that due to the violent nature of incapacitating them, (The thugs were all lying dead in pools of blood) that they would have to do him a favor to have this scuffle swept under the rug. After Abelard was picked up and healed by a cleric in the guard, the crew set out to meet Lord Smythlei, the ruling noble on the Cape of Sirens.
The crew doesn't know much about the Smythlei family, only that they have claims to this territory that trace back hundreds of years. The hardy adventurers were brought to Castle Stonetop and were introduced to Lord Smythlei, a portly man with a comb-over and chubby hands. They discovered that not only was his daughter, Ivella, to be married next week to the son of the Lord of the Fingers, but that she had run off that morning, insistent on stopping her upcoming nuptials. Generous man that Smythlei is, he offered the party fifty gold each to track her down, and bring her alive.
Earlier in the evening, I had to explain the importance of looting. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find them ready and eager to negotiate for more of a reward without prompt. Biff was the first one to open his mouth, asking for more money. I told him to make a diplomacy check, and he did. Unfortunately, he rolled very poorly, and as it turned out, when Biff opened his mouth to speak to Lord Smythlei, he accidentally spit right on his face. Smythlei was visibly grossed out. Smooth talking Abelard attempted to put things right, and used his verbal prowess to try and smooth things out. However, before he could even open his mouth, he tripped over his own two feet and awkwardly stumbled. (He rolled a 1, making his diplomacy very low on a check that was moderately difficult) You can imagine my chuckles, and the laughs of the rest of the party. Alric just gave the guy a thumbs up, Apparently he didn't want to risk anything with his 3 charisma. I do commend them on their effort. They're playing like veterans already! That's where we wrapped for the night.
Lessons Learnt:
1. Rolling a 1. Traditionally, rolling a 1 means a critical failure in combat. However, there are times when rolling a one for a skill check can also have quasi-disastrous results. I don't think all DMs do this, but I do. It doesn't have to be life-threatening, but can provide entertainment and general hilarity. I see rolling a 1 in a non-combat situation is almost like something out of the PCs control happened to make this go so badly. It was very fun to have a crew understand he impact of a low roll early on in the game.
2. Whatever you say, your character is saying. There were a few times when Evan just talked aloud without thinking when it came to character interaction, and it influenced the game as if it were Biff saying it. I think it might take a little bit for him to make this adjustment. Much to my happiness.
I expect to cover more storyline in the future. Combat took a little bit of time because everyone is just starting to get the hang of it. I'm not in a hurry. I know at least one of my PCs had a good time. Evan sent me a text this week saying that he bought his first set of dice, but he couldn't decide, so he bought two. I officially have a convert.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
We got a bard, meet Abélard!
Well, this past week, we got good news and bad. The bad news, Biff, our sorcerer, could not come because he was jet-lagged from his trip to Paris. Yeah. So obviously I wasn't going to start the campaign with someone missing. The good news = We got a new player. Todd's neighbor, Fred, used to play D&D back in the day! So we got him all set up.
As Fred flipped through the PHB, he decided that he wanted to play a class that he had never played before. He initially wanted to be a druid. Now, I think that druids have potential to be really cool characters. They get a bit of pizazz and can be pretty versatile. However, for a first time player (or a returning player from long ago), set in a campaign of complete newbs, it's not ideal. Druids can get complicated: with spell-lists, an animal companion, and wildshape abilities, the character sheet more resembles a character pamphlet.
As a DM, my worst fear is letting my own prejudices influence the decisions of my players, and in turn, their player characters. I don't want my own bias to get in the way of someone playing the kind of character that they want, EVEN if they want to play an extremely annoying, self-righteous paladin. (Yuck.) I explained this to Fred, and added that if he really wanted to play a druid, I would help him get it all figured out. Luckily, for both of us, Fred also has some interest in music, lore, and tale-telling, so he decided to go with bard instead. Hooray! I love bards. I also think that for a first time player, bards make a nice class. They have a broad skillset, and make for fun role-playing opportunities. They also add a little bit of flair and can often set the tone for public relations.
Player: Fred
Character name: Abélard de la Sonnerie
Race: Half-elf
Class: Bard
I think Abélard is going to be a bit of a schmoozer amongst the wealthy, and while he might be good at making gold, his history also includes shopping sprees in seedy bars. Like many bards before him, Abélard is on a search for a great subject that will help him compose his masterpiece. Unlike many bards before him, Abélard plays the hurdy-gurdy.
As Fred flipped through the PHB, he decided that he wanted to play a class that he had never played before. He initially wanted to be a druid. Now, I think that druids have potential to be really cool characters. They get a bit of pizazz and can be pretty versatile. However, for a first time player (or a returning player from long ago), set in a campaign of complete newbs, it's not ideal. Druids can get complicated: with spell-lists, an animal companion, and wildshape abilities, the character sheet more resembles a character pamphlet.
As a DM, my worst fear is letting my own prejudices influence the decisions of my players, and in turn, their player characters. I don't want my own bias to get in the way of someone playing the kind of character that they want, EVEN if they want to play an extremely annoying, self-righteous paladin. (Yuck.) I explained this to Fred, and added that if he really wanted to play a druid, I would help him get it all figured out. Luckily, for both of us, Fred also has some interest in music, lore, and tale-telling, so he decided to go with bard instead. Hooray! I love bards. I also think that for a first time player, bards make a nice class. They have a broad skillset, and make for fun role-playing opportunities. They also add a little bit of flair and can often set the tone for public relations.
Player: Fred
Character name: Abélard de la Sonnerie
Race: Half-elf
Class: Bard
I think Abélard is going to be a bit of a schmoozer amongst the wealthy, and while he might be good at making gold, his history also includes shopping sprees in seedy bars. Like many bards before him, Abélard is on a search for a great subject that will help him compose his masterpiece. Unlike many bards before him, Abélard plays the hurdy-gurdy.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Popping cherries: Breaking in table-top virgins
Let me start off by saying I haven't been playing DND for very long, relatively speaking. In fact, for a majority of my life, I was a closeted roleplayer; making fun of people who played table top games, including public(albeit friendly) verbal tongue lashings of some acquaintances I met along the way. I feel a tad guilty about this, and a few years ago I played DND for the first time. After the first session, I was hooked. This past summer, I tried DMing for the first time. I had a blast, though due to some unfortunate events I had to stop, and eventually move to a place far from my regular gaming crew(s). I remembered the words a friend said to me long ago, "I didn't know anyone who played, so I just got my friends to play." Well, I took his advice, and last week my gaming virgins rolled characters.
Since I am the only one in the entire crew of us who has really played, I've decided to keep things relatively simple and slow. Explaining the rules of that giant bible: AKA the Player's Handbook, can be kind of tough and overwhelming to the fresh bloods. It was not long ago that I was a noob, and I can remember the confusion as if it were yesterday. I have tried to only explain the basics, as to not turn them off from the complexities. (Gaming, like sex, is not good if your prospects are frigid or confused). This was the game-plan for last week, and some rules that I have already set.
First off, we are playing v. 3.5. I never bothered to learn 4e, and from what I have heard/read about it, I'm pretty sure I'm not interested. The bad thing about playing 3.5 is that the books are out of print, and therefore hard to find. I went to Mind Games, the local gaming shop here (I was very psyched to see it was still open, though their website could use a bit of work), and while I couldn't find any PHBs (as you can see, they are selling at Amazon USED for 47 bucks a pop), I did manage to find a 3.5 DMG! Whoohoo! I also went ahead and bought myself a whole bunch of dice. I know that soon enough, my manvirgins will get sets of their own, and there is nothing more inspiring to buy your own than seeing someone else's massive collection! I must be the only lady in the world who uses a makeup pouch to carry her D&D dice... I hope they are going to be able to get their own PHBs, as of right now they are using mine. As for books, I have restricted them to the PHB only, and suggested some good starter classes. I did not restrict alignments, and I have decided that if some of them are fast learners, we can progress into prestige classes. I told them they did not have to tell the other players what their alignment was. However, they decided that it was OK to share.
First off, I had them roll their attributes. Here is how I like to roll them:
You roll four d6. Subtract the smallest roll. Write that number down. Repeat 5 more times. If you like your set, keep it. If you don't like your first set, you discard it, and roll your attributes one more time using the same rules. If you don't like your set after the second roll, you get a third try. However, the third try, you only roll three d6. Whatever the result of that roll is your number. Do that five more times. You do not get to choose between sets of attributes. Once a set is discarded, it is discarded forever. Sometimes this results in low attribute scores. Oh well. Make it work.
So that is what we did. For our first meet, there were four of us total: Andy, Evan, Todd, and me, of course. None of them had exceptionally great rolls. They were mediocre to good. Todd's were average, and he decided to take the gamble and reroll, much to his dismay, and my glee, he ended up with attributes that look like what you see above.
Yes, he rolled a 16, 11, 11, 7, 11, 5. Ho ho ho. All in all, the rolls aren't that bad. 16 is a good score! But might I direct your attention to the Charisma attribute. Yes, that is a negative 4 charisma modifier you see there. See, my friend Todd's character is Alric Anklebiter, the dwarf barbarian. Dwarves get a penalty to their charisma, the sweaty, unattractive mouth-breathers that they are. Needless to say, I am very excited to put this party in fun NPC negotiation situations. So this is what the campaign is going to start with:
Player: Todd
Character name: Alric Anklebiter
Race: Dwarf
Class: Barbarian
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Alric has a troubled past. He and his wife were ambushed by orcs. She was killed, and he fought them all, nearly dying. He was saved by someone, but his face is eternally scarred. He blames Kord for his loss in life, and has decided spend the rest of his life killing, caring not whether he lives or dies.
Player: Evan
Character name: Biff Jesus (pronounced Haysoos)
Race: Human
Class: Sorcerer
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Evan is the least experienced of the crew, and my oldest friend. He at first wanted to be a wizard, but decided on sorcerer because I think it is a great class for a first timer. As long as he gets to carry a fancy sword, dress like a jedi, and kill people, he's gonna have a blast. He's also the only member of the crew to have any charisma abilities, making him he spokesman for the party, and possibly the glue that holds them together.
Player: Andy
Character name: Rick
Race: Human
Class: Ranger
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Lawful Evil Ranger Rick. Andy made an interesting choice right from the beginning, and I think that between Alric and Rick, I'm going to have my hands full with some crazy decision making and interesting party dynamic. Rick also has an unusual backstory going on. He is the surviving man of a conjoined twin. Apparently, they were separated, but part of his twin's brain stayed with Rick. Derg, as his brother is named, often argues with Rick. We're going to have to see where this multiple personality thing is going to go. So much for keeping it simple....
I've been tossing around ideas for a campaign. The first few meets are going to go slowly, and that is to be expected. I read somewhere that I should try a few practice encounters, to show them how combat is going to go. I might do that, but I probably won't. Or, it will be a practice encounter that will count for the overall storyline for the campaign. I'll post more as the campaign progresses. Don't want to give anything away!
Since I am the only one in the entire crew of us who has really played, I've decided to keep things relatively simple and slow. Explaining the rules of that giant bible: AKA the Player's Handbook, can be kind of tough and overwhelming to the fresh bloods. It was not long ago that I was a noob, and I can remember the confusion as if it were yesterday. I have tried to only explain the basics, as to not turn them off from the complexities. (Gaming, like sex, is not good if your prospects are frigid or confused). This was the game-plan for last week, and some rules that I have already set.
First off, we are playing v. 3.5. I never bothered to learn 4e, and from what I have heard/read about it, I'm pretty sure I'm not interested. The bad thing about playing 3.5 is that the books are out of print, and therefore hard to find. I went to Mind Games, the local gaming shop here (I was very psyched to see it was still open, though their website could use a bit of work), and while I couldn't find any PHBs (as you can see, they are selling at Amazon USED for 47 bucks a pop), I did manage to find a 3.5 DMG! Whoohoo! I also went ahead and bought myself a whole bunch of dice. I know that soon enough, my manvirgins will get sets of their own, and there is nothing more inspiring to buy your own than seeing someone else's massive collection! I must be the only lady in the world who uses a makeup pouch to carry her D&D dice... I hope they are going to be able to get their own PHBs, as of right now they are using mine. As for books, I have restricted them to the PHB only, and suggested some good starter classes. I did not restrict alignments, and I have decided that if some of them are fast learners, we can progress into prestige classes. I told them they did not have to tell the other players what their alignment was. However, they decided that it was OK to share.
First off, I had them roll their attributes. Here is how I like to roll them:
You roll four d6. Subtract the smallest roll. Write that number down. Repeat 5 more times. If you like your set, keep it. If you don't like your first set, you discard it, and roll your attributes one more time using the same rules. If you don't like your set after the second roll, you get a third try. However, the third try, you only roll three d6. Whatever the result of that roll is your number. Do that five more times. You do not get to choose between sets of attributes. Once a set is discarded, it is discarded forever. Sometimes this results in low attribute scores. Oh well. Make it work.
So that is what we did. For our first meet, there were four of us total: Andy, Evan, Todd, and me, of course. None of them had exceptionally great rolls. They were mediocre to good. Todd's were average, and he decided to take the gamble and reroll, much to his dismay, and my glee, he ended up with attributes that look like what you see above.
Yes, he rolled a 16, 11, 11, 7, 11, 5. Ho ho ho. All in all, the rolls aren't that bad. 16 is a good score! But might I direct your attention to the Charisma attribute. Yes, that is a negative 4 charisma modifier you see there. See, my friend Todd's character is Alric Anklebiter, the dwarf barbarian. Dwarves get a penalty to their charisma, the sweaty, unattractive mouth-breathers that they are. Needless to say, I am very excited to put this party in fun NPC negotiation situations. So this is what the campaign is going to start with:
Player: Todd
Character name: Alric Anklebiter
Race: Dwarf
Class: Barbarian
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Alric has a troubled past. He and his wife were ambushed by orcs. She was killed, and he fought them all, nearly dying. He was saved by someone, but his face is eternally scarred. He blames Kord for his loss in life, and has decided spend the rest of his life killing, caring not whether he lives or dies.
Player: Evan
Character name: Biff Jesus (pronounced Haysoos)
Race: Human
Class: Sorcerer
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Evan is the least experienced of the crew, and my oldest friend. He at first wanted to be a wizard, but decided on sorcerer because I think it is a great class for a first timer. As long as he gets to carry a fancy sword, dress like a jedi, and kill people, he's gonna have a blast. He's also the only member of the crew to have any charisma abilities, making him he spokesman for the party, and possibly the glue that holds them together.
Player: Andy
Character name: Rick
Race: Human
Class: Ranger
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Lawful Evil Ranger Rick. Andy made an interesting choice right from the beginning, and I think that between Alric and Rick, I'm going to have my hands full with some crazy decision making and interesting party dynamic. Rick also has an unusual backstory going on. He is the surviving man of a conjoined twin. Apparently, they were separated, but part of his twin's brain stayed with Rick. Derg, as his brother is named, often argues with Rick. We're going to have to see where this multiple personality thing is going to go. So much for keeping it simple....
I've been tossing around ideas for a campaign. The first few meets are going to go slowly, and that is to be expected. I read somewhere that I should try a few practice encounters, to show them how combat is going to go. I might do that, but I probably won't. Or, it will be a practice encounter that will count for the overall storyline for the campaign. I'll post more as the campaign progresses. Don't want to give anything away!
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