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CobiWann posted:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_vdwsLihQ6ACzcTpw_5BljzMN1Gqb1PHkT3gdBnTeQs/edit?usp=sharing I prefer the recaps in the thread because I'm having a hard time figuring out which entry is the latest. If you numbered the google document entries I'd be just fine with those.
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Jun 2, 2018 00:56
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Both would be nice, would mostly use the google docs links to share with non-goon friends.
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Jun 2, 2018 01:08
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I like ‘em here since I can read along by clicking your post history.
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Jun 2, 2018 02:12
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I also like them in thread, but I don't see a reason not to put them here and upload them.
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Jun 2, 2018 02:19
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Previously on Tanicus – Jackal where? Jackalwere! Also a lamia, aka a cataur. Previous recap - https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-8 ***** After rescuing the barbarian prisoners from the lamia high in the mountain ruins known as Calidran, the party arrives back at the village of Mountain Run the next morning where the party makes arrangements to travel back to Fallcrest. While normally a two-day journey on foot, the barbarians offers to take the party to the city via the river using their longboats, cutting the journey down to a day-and-a-half. After almost a week of sleeping in the open and eating field rations, the thought of a warm bed and a hot meal appeals to some… quote:Kynwal – ”The entire point of civilization was to NOT have to sleep in the open.” …while others would only take the longboats on one condition. quote:Biff – ”Is there a way to make sure our horses travel on the water with us? I know horses on boats, especially longboats, can be difficult…but we’re level four and we STILL have the exact same horses we started out with! I’m just saying, I want my own Shadowfax and this is how you get one.” The party would be accompanied to Fallcrest by the Silverhelm Irregulars including Krowe’s wife Rune. The prior evening Rune and Krowe had spent time catching up with each other before spending time catching up with each other. During their conversation Krowe told Rune about the true identity of Kolton Greywinter, the location of Brokenspire/Woodlawn Keep, and that Krowe is now, kind of, sort of, an officially unofficial Baron. After immediately referring to the castle as “our keep,” Rune pointed out that at the moment the keep was undefended and there was nothing to stop anyone from claiming it for their own, including any of the Red Wolf’s bandits who may have been out on patrol when their leader was slain. As the two adventuring parties loaded up the longboats for the trip to Fallcrest, Krowe would approach the husband-and-wife leaders of the Silverhelm Irregulars with an offer to hire their group to guard the keep, telling them that it was to ensure that the keep remained unoccupied. quote:Krowe – “Aside from the risk of the Red Wolf’s bandits moving back in, we all know what happens anytime there’s an abandoned castle, or dungeon, or tower. First a bunch of animals move in, then a horde of goblins show up and take over, then a bunch of hobgoblins decide they want a place to live, now you have a tribe of orcs who massacre the hobgoblins and claim it as their own, and then finally you jump right from orcs to a lich or some other powerful undead who calls it home.” As summer gives way into autumn, the Brandywine River flows faster than normal and the skill of the barbarian boatsmen allows the two adventuring parties (and their horses) to arrive in Fallcrest half-a-day ahead of schedule. Inside the city walls the citizens are putting the finishing touches on the decorations for the holiday of Leaffall, a five-day holiday celebrating the collection of the harvest and the beginning of autumn. After a good night’s sleep at Krowe’s house, the party delivered the head of Reinard Lenfaux (contained inside an earthenware jar filled with white vinegar) to the estate of Count Kennet Greywinter and collected their 1000 gold reward (of which Aya gave Krowe her share, as “What does a barbarian princess need money for?”). During the festival the DM breaks out the downtime rules from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and proceeds to run the party through several tasks, incidents, and moments of their choosing. For those who haven’t used the downtime rules they’re very nice for running through several days of downtime quickly, with ability, skill, and sometimes just plain die rolls to determine success, failures, and even complications both temporary and permanent. Typhomine and Hale – the pair spent their time at the forges as Hale crafted a mix of normal lead bullets and over a dozen silver bullets as well (”I craft a bunch of these bullets and I bet we NEVER see another werewolf the rest of the game!”) and Typhomine spent time working on a secret project (as the player was unavailable for this session). Biff – Biff spent his time providing religious services and performing rituals at the temple of Lethik, as well as putting together little pouches containing a copper piece and a sugar skull to be handed out during the festival. He brewed up several healing potions as well. Krowe – Krowe would write several letters to various NPC’s, bought a new set of scale mail to up his AC to 17/19 with a shield, paid to have the damage to Kynwal’s robes replaced from when he had attacked the wizard while under the effects of Suggestion, and took Rune out on a “date night” to the underground fighting pits. Over the course of four matches Krowe won 250 gold after going 3-1…with his wife beating him in the final fight via knockout. A portion of the gold went to retaining the Silverhelm Irregulars for an additional month. Kynwal – Kynwal continued his efforts to build a base of allies and contacts throughout the city as well as taking the time to gamble, raking in quite a pretty penny in the process, as well as picking up his personal sword from Abeforth’s Apothecary after having it magically enhanced. Aya – With the knowledge that the bandit attack on the Greywinters was actually a planned assassination, Aya vowed to get closer to the man who had defended Kennet from the bandits and received a knighthood for it, the Count’s personal bodyguard Ser Kallus Blackstone. Her interest in Blackstone was both professional and personal… quote:Biff – ”Either Kallus was in on the attack, or he may have seen something that might prove who was behind hiring the Red Wolf’s bandits. In either case, you’re going to have to pump him for information.” While Aya wasn’t able to extract specific and detailed information from Kallus, the foundation for mutual exchange was laid. Repeatedly. quote:Krowe – ”OK, I know the fact that it’s ME saying this, but this campaign seems to have a lot more hanky panky than the last one.” Aya also spent a portion of her downtime on another task – pursuing a rumor that an ancient totem sacred to her tribe was going to be sold on the black market in the next few days. Aya recruits Kynwal to assist given his growing contacts in the underbelly of Fallcrest. His queries lead back to the Broken Goblet tavern and the bartender Molari, a lovely female human who is in no way, shape, or form closely tied and associated with the criminal organization known as the Red Arrow Syndicate. Over a few drinks she tells Kynwal that the black market he is inquiring about travels from location to location. The next auction will be taking place in four days, on the first day of the waning moon, in the city of Stonebridge. The auction is normally invitation only, and while Melori received such an invite she had…scheduling conflicts that would not have allowed her to attend. She offers to give the invitation to Kynwal in return for acting as her proxy with instructions and funding (700 golds worth) to purchase a specific item; a candle made from the fat of a leprechaun. Kynwal agrees and is told to meet a lady named Leesal at an inn called the Laughing Carp in the days before the auction. With the primary goal being to purchase the totem, the party pools their personal funds only to find that even with the reward money, gold gathered during downtime, and changing copper and silver into higher coinage, it just doesn’t feel like enough of a purse. It’s Cavendish, Krowe’s seneschal, who makes the suggestion of a moneylender…specifically the clergy of Astilabor, thain of Commerce, Wealth, and Travel. The house of worship for Astilabor isn’t a temple so much as the combination of a bank and jewelry store. The party watches in awe as Kywnal negotiates with a gnome cleric, Hiskili Fairstone, and lands a fantastic rate – 3000 gold, 25% interest after a month…however only 10% after three weeks. 3000 gold is easily more than enough to ensure the successful purchase of Aya’s totem, and as adventurers we’ve already gotten our first lead in repaying the loan…  Kozin, a Labyrinth Lord rumored to have supposedly resisted a medusa’s gaze, accused of raiding, pillaging, arson, and cattle rustling. It’s a two day ride to Stonebridge along the Queensroad. The first day passes without incident, however during the night, the second watch of Krowe and Hale are keeping an eye on things… *POP* …when a crow falls out of the sky, its chest torn open and its lungs exploded. After waking up the rest of the party, Kynwal determines that it appeared that the crow’s lungs filled with overpressure and simply burst from the strain. The night sky itself is lit by the waxing moon and it’s Hale that notices a small shimmering area of the sky that quickly vanishes when she calls attention to it. The party eventually falls back asleep with Aya and Kynwal taking the final watch… …and waking up to the smell of bacon. quote:??? – ”Good morning! Don’t mind me, just helping myself to your cooking fire. Bacon?” Sitting on a rock is a man dressed in thick leather armor with a quarter-note carved into each shoulder, with a lute on his back and a flute hanging from his belt. He introduces himself as Wander Taleisham, travelling bard, on his way to Fallcrest from Stonebridge for a concert for an exclusive client list, invite only. ”I was hoping to see the ghost pirate ship that’s supposedly been sighted on the Queensroad during the full moon, but no such luck.” As the party warily questions him about his interest in a ghostly pirate ship, he reveals that he considers himself a sort of “speaker for and to the dead,” passing on messages from the peaceful dead to their loved ones and helping them to their final rest. ”Some ghosts just want messages delivered to the living and I’ve got a knack for doing just that.” As there had been a rumor of a bard playing in cemeteries during both the full moon and new moons, Biff immediately pounces on him. As opposed to his loud and boisterous manner, Biff tells Wander in a quiet, even, and direct voice that the next time he’s in Fallcrest he’s to report DIRECTLY to the Temple of Lethik and tell them of what he was doing. ”You’re a gifted amateur, and if you’re going to continue down this path you need to work with professionals, or else you’re going to do the wrong task for the wrong spirit.” Wander agrees, and plays a song for the party as breakfast is wrapping up. quote:Krowe – ”Do you think whatever happened to the crow earlier could happen to bigger birds, like an eagle or a roc?” The next day passes peacefully as well as the party travels through several small hamlets. That night, it’s once again the second watch of Hale and Krowe where something happens. As Hale is cleaning her guns, she sees the shape of what appears a wagon approaching the camp, moving down the road from the direction they came. As the shape approaches however, it grows in size and begins to glow with a soft blue light, emanating from a female form standing at the bow of a galleon, holding a lantern aloft as the ship sails “through” the packed dirt of the Queensroad.     quote:”Flotsam! Hard to starboard!” The party carefully approaches the galleon, which is “sailing” at a speed normal for a ship on the ocean allowing us to easily keep pace as it follows the Queensroad. Several holes pockmocked through the hull appear to have been the result of cannon fire and general combat damage. Aya reaches out to touch the ship as it passes her. Her hand pushes through the wood, allowing her to “feel” the ship as it moves. quote:”Collision imminent! Brace for impact!” Yet the ship continues to sail. Biff notices that the ship isn’t flying a pirate flag, but rather the flag of the Kaeri Navy, and while the nameplate has been damaged, the name of the ship floats in spectral letters just underneath the surface, identifying the ship at the Kanya’s Spear. After a glance at the rest of the party (and a couple of jokes between Krowe and Kynwal regarding the movie The Fog…the 1980’s version, NOT the remake, we’re a cultured group of players), it’s Krowe who steps through one of the larger holes in the hull, where’s greeted by some of the ship’s crew in the form of several ghosts and specters, accompanied by the eerie light of will-o-wisps.   One of the specters immediately notices Krowe. ”We are being boarded,” it hissed, turning towards the ladder towards the upper deck. Realizing he was about to get swarmed, Krowe slammed his hand against the Dragonhall crest on his tabard. ”My name is Krowe Dragonhall and I’m here to aid the crew of the Kanya’s Spear.” One barely passed Persuasion check later, the specter stares at Krowe and a recently-arrived Biff before croaking ”Ye need to be talkin’ to the Captain.” It motions for them to follow it up onto deck, where they are joined by Kynwal. The specter hands the trio off to the lantern-holding ghost, who takes them to the captain’s cabin.  quote:”And what have ye brought me, Daphne?”  The captain stares at the trio, specifically the noble crests of Krowe and Kynwal, and gives the medallion of Lethik around Biff’s neck a good hard look before dismissing Daphne. quote:Captain – ”Captain Kellix Redhammer of the Kanya’s Spear. You’re here to aid us? We’ve been sailing for a very long time.” The Captain reaches out a spectral hand and turns it so his palm faces the ground. A brass chain drops from his hand, ending in an intricate compass. The compass is real, and as it rotates on the end of its chain we can see that words have been etched into its casing – Kanya. quote:Captain – I made a promise to Kanya, and her father keeps his promises.” In his capacity as a cleric of Lethik, Biff promises Captain Redhammer that he will sail with them for the rest of the evening and from there deliver the compass to his daughter in Stonebridge. The rest of the party heads back to camp to gather up the horses and equipment, meeting together at sunrise as the galleon slowly fades back into the ether at the first touch of the morning light. *****  Stonebridge was named for the enormous bridge that crosses the Serpent Run River, growing from a military encampment meant to protect the bridge into a large, bustling walled city. Overseen by the Thornwood clan and sprawling over several islands, the city is known for its strong military and has been called by other noble houses to assist them in various conflicts through its history. Aside from its soldiers, the city also breeds and trains a variety of war dogs including the formidable ogre hounds, massive creatures that stand taller than a human being even while on all fours. Deciding to remain as inconspicuous as possible in the days before the auction, the party minus Biff enters Stonebridge to find lodging. The city’s laws are enforced by an elite group known as the Verdant Guard. But also patrolling the streets are several groups of children in emerald uniforms similar to those worn by the Verdant Guard. Known as the Green Watch, the children are accompanied by a soldier from the Verdant Guard and are responsible for calling attention to minor crimes such as littering or vandalism, with the Verdant Guard member stepping in if the situation escalates. At the party finds lodging at the Headstrong Hog, a riverside inn run by Tobin Fishskipper, Biff chooses to enter the city in his full clerical garb intent on delivering the compass to Kanya before joining everyone else. It takes a trip to Captain Redhammer’s old neighborhood and a visit to the hall of records for Biff to discover Kanya’s married name – Kanya Hammerknell, wife to Tain Hammerknell, a captain with the Verdant Guard. After returning the compass and putting Kanya’s fears to rest about her father’s fate, Biff changes out of his clerical garb and arrives at the Headstrong Hog… quote:Tobin – ”…and that’s how we got the name Fishskipper, because my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great granddaddy managed to skip a fish on the river FIVE times!” One natural 20 later, Krowe watches in disbelief at Tobin skips a fish across the surface of the Serpent Run River NINE times. ***** At the Laughing Carp in, a young woman named Lesil takes the invitation from Kynwal and studies what turns out to be a blank piece of paper. She dips the tip of her finger in her drink and rubs it across the surface of the paper to reveal a symbol – a trio of crossed arrows. ”If you are looking for entertainment this evening, perhaps you should take this invitation to the Ophelium Opra House.” Named for the World Tree that connects the planes of existence, the Ophelium Opera House is unique by virtue of being built in a spiral shape, with three levels distinct levels each one holding its own theater. A long line has begun to form for the evening’s performances, and when the ticket taker sees the invite he motions the party towards a side door. Steps beyond the door lead downwards to a small supply room where a guard requests the party hand over all of their ranged weapons. The party complies save for Hale who manages to successfully hide her pistol within her cloak. Through a secret door is a small stage with several chair set up on the floor. Various entities of…questionable intent, including… - A cleric of the Thain of Stealth and Self-Reliance - A woman from the Silverbook noble house - An Anti-Paladin of Catira, Goddess of Vengeance - A dwarf who kept shooting glances at Hale - A group of a half-dozen goblins, led by a caster-looking goblin with a stylized lightning-spiral painted on its forehead - Six orcs of the Broken Skull Tribe - A nervous looking human in blue and gray wizard accompanying a purple-skinned tiefling. A well-dressed man eventually comes out on stage to begin the auction as his assistants hand out a listing of the items for sale this evening. quote:1 – A still unliving brain exhumed from a zombie Aya turns to Krowe to ask him about the seal of his ancient ancestor who was indirectly responsible for the genesis of the Ancellyn, only to be coldly and curtly told ”Shut. Up.” He stares directly ahead, never reacting to anyone or anything, as the auction commences. The items are sold in lots of five, with breaks in between so the customers may look at the items. The highlight of the first lot is the goblin winning the spellbook, who holds it up and celebrates like he just won the Stanley Cup. During the second break, the dwarf comes up to hale and tells her that he’s there for one reason and one reason only – to ensure the orcs do not get their hands on the gun…or more specifically, ”not get their hands on MORE guns.” Aya has strong words with Krowe (“Remember just who you are talking to.”), while Kynwal, quietly making the rounds without directly interacting with anyone, overhears the auction’s host speak to the tiefling. quote:”Lady Melancholia.” A name known to the part, as a letter signed by her was found on the bodies of the tomb robbers in the crypt of High King Kel IV where Krowe obtained the ruler’s sword and two of her servants were slain, including the (apparently resurrected) illusionist who now nervously stands next to her. Melancholia would eventually makes her way to Kynwal with a polite smile on her demonic features. quote:”The Sword of Fallcrest is far from home.” The bidding would begin again with that of the Dragonhall seal. The anti-Paladin of Catira was the leading bidder for the item, raising the price to 3000 gold…before Lady Melancholia would bid 10,000 gold, easily winning the seal. Kynwal would manage to bring home the candle at 750 gold, 50 over Melori’s allowance. During the next break in bidding, the dwarf would again make his way to Hale and agree to work together in order to ensure the orcs would not walk off with the Siegebreaker, which appeared to be dwarven in make even through the maker’s name had filed off. Hale was insistent to ensure the gun was purchased by the party…which brought her into direct conflict with Aya who was determined to bring the totem back to her tribe. Kynwal and Biff managed to play peacemaker while Krowe remained somewhat quiet. quote:Aya – ”I do not wish to pull rank if it comes to it, but I am a princess and that should be taken into consideration.” The orcs and the dwarf were the highest bidders for the siegebreaker, but it was the dwarf who dropped out first. Kynwal managed to obtain the weapon after the orc hit his limit at 1000 gold, earning a glare from the green-skinned humanoid as Kynwal collected his second item of the auction. The totem was of interest to a few of the bidders, however it was the orc who still had his purse and felt slighted at Kynwal’s victory that he aggressively bid for the totem. Kynwal stood firm however, and the totem would end up in Aya’s hands…well, technically it would end up on her wrists…  The last item and the one that saw the most aggressive bidding was the Codex Terragnosis, and as Kynwal got a closer look at the codex he saw that the emblem set into the cover was a symbol that we had seen time and time before – the symbol of the Black Earth Cult, whom we’ve had several run ins with in the past. It would once again be Lady Melancholia who would bid an excessive sum in order to claim the codex as her own. With the auction over, the party retreated without incident back to the Headstrong Hog to begin preparations for the inevitable ambush from a jealous buyer, probably the orcs. The session would end with a dream sequence as Krowe tried to fall asleep… quote:The long tunnel stretches before you, lit only by the illumination from your makeshift torch. At the end of the corridor you see it – the door with the relief of the purple peryton set into the surface. One hand reaches out to touch the head of the creature…and the neck clicks slightly under the pressure. You manage to turn the neck…and underneath is an imprint…
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Jun 2, 2018 03:35
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Well, my tenderpaw in a game of Mouseguard just left the party in a huff and joined a drug cartel. I don't think anyone in the game expected this to happen when we started.
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Jun 2, 2018 07:04
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I ran an amazing urban shadows game today. It was set in LA and I set my players at cross purposes. It started when I asked the immortal which model person they held as their secret keeper. They said Gary Busey. The game started with Gary trying to buy up Boyle Heights to build a new stadium for Gene Simmons’s team, the LA Kiss. It ended with Gary, covered in blood from being attacked by the Werewolf, using a forklift to move Levitated Mass off the Immortal. It also lead to one of my favorite quotes, from the Veteran: “Does following Gary Busey through an active police blockade count as heading into danger? *Sigh.* Wait up Gar!“
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Jun 2, 2018 08:02
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thetoughestbean posted:Well, my tenderpaw in a game of Mouseguard just left the party in a huff and joined a drug cartel. I don't think anyone in the game expected this to happen when we started. I didn't even think that was possible in that game.
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Jun 2, 2018 14:21
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Ran my first game of Blades in the Dark yesterday!  We were all new to the system, so it started out kind of stiff, but as things went along people loosened up a lot, and we had a great time.We follow the tales of the Slippery Bastards, a gang of stylish and subtle thieves who take the most daring of heists. Or at least, that's the idea. At the moment, they're a nearly-broke group of people hanging out in a dank underground cave, none of whom are very good at coming up with names for things. The members are (I admit to having forgotten most of their last names, I'll have to get back to you all with that): Syren (Hound), a Skovlander who came to Doskvol in pursuit of her brother, who she's pretty sure is caught up in the city's underworld in one way or another. Arcy (Spider): A noble born of the city, she's an aspiring social butterfly who doesn't quite get that reciting obsessively-gathered details about the person you're talking to isn't a great way to make friends. Brance (Shadow): A student who got kicked out of University for being absolutely insufferable towards everyone, (and there was The Incident, of course) Bricks "Bricks" Rowan (Leech): Born to a family of corpse robbers, Bricks aspired to greater thrills, and his taste for high-stakes gambling led him to a life of higher-stakes crime. The crew met up briefly at the Hound's Paw to confirm the target of their heist--the jewel collection of Lord Archibald Swindon, a notorious slumlord with far more money than taste--before they split up to start investigating--time is money, after all, and they are very, very short on money. I did the standard 1 investigation action for each person, but I had them all pair up for the actions just so that there was a little more opportunity for interactions starting up. Syren and Brance followed Lord Swindon to figure out his schedule, and discovered that like a total rear end in a top hat, he walks through his slums with a giant guard detail basically every other day, just so he can feel really important. He also dropped his monogrammed handkerchief, which they scooped up because why not? It was just a thing I tossed out to have a little more interaction, but it paid off big. Arcy, meanwhile, was dressing up Bricks (poorly) so that they could pass as 'actually invited' at a small party that Lord Swindon was attending--she's not popular with nobles, but she knows so many servants that her showing up uninvited and unannounced is basically a long-running plague on high society. They get a little more info on the jewels they're going to be grabbing from the man himself (who gets no respect from other nobles, and was basically stuck in the loser corner), but ultimately they're kicked out. Arcy grabs all the appetizers she possibly can as she's escorted out by guards, who take enough pity on Bricks to let him follow behind instead of being force-marched away. The next two scenes were pretty short--Bricks and Syren find a way in from the abandoned manor next door (Lord Swindon's McMansion was built on what was originally its spacious yard, and they are rather close together as a result), and Brance fails to get blueprints for the actual manor they're stealing from. The actual heist begins, the make their entry, only to find out there are alarms on the windows. Except that Bricks crits his roll to disarm them, so it turns out all the window alarms are actually fakes meant to deter thieves. They make it into his study (where they find info on the vault's location, and mysterious powder that turns out to be GHOST COCAINE), make their way to the vault without incident... and then Brance completely botches opening the display case, and the guards are on them. A short scuffle later, which is largely managed by Syren, and they make their way out safely. And then Arcy declares that she wants a flashback. To leave an eel behind in the display case. As a calling card. They decide that it was all planned in the hideout the night before, when they were spectacularly drunk and fished an eel out of the canal bare-handed. As an extra touch, they use the handkerchief from earlier to make a little neckerchief for the eel. Blades in the Dark is great. The Lord of Hats fucked around with this message at 22:11 on Jun 3, 2018 |
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Jun 3, 2018 21:59
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The Lord of Hats posted:Ran my first game of Blades in the Dark yesterday! a first session in BITD that doesn't burn the building down is a rare thing. This gang is on the track to success.
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Jun 4, 2018 00:11
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Tanicus Chatper Listings! https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-1 https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-2 https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-3 https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-4 https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-5 https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-6 https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-7 https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-8 https://tinyurl.com/Tanicus-Part-9
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Jun 4, 2018 19:28
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 Edit: Part 5 requires permission. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Jun 4, 2018 |
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Jun 4, 2018 20:54
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rumble in the bunghole posted:a first session in BITD that doesn't burn the building down is a rare thing. This gang is on the track to success. Outside of Brance, who I don't think succeeded at anything outside of group actions, they were rolling incredibly well the whole night. That said, I think that I skipped over the process of crossing the manor more easily than I really should have, so that's something I'll remember going forwards.
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Jun 4, 2018 21:23
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MonsterEnvy posted:
Try now?
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Jun 4, 2018 23:23
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CobiWann posted:Tanicus Chatper Listings! Firstly, thanks bundles Cobi. Secondly, and I realise that this is basically asking for the Moon, but any chance of uploading the recounting of your last campaign?
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Jun 5, 2018 02:56
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JustJeff88 posted:Firstly, thanks bundles Cobi. I could try, it would be in drips and drabs though. I didn't realize just HOW much stuff I wrote...
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Jun 5, 2018 12:12
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CobiWann posted:I could try, it would be in drips and drabs though. I didn't realize just HOW much stuff I wrote... Don't break your back, or at least fingers. I felt that that campaign was like a good LP and should be preserved for posterity.
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Jun 5, 2018 16:50
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I just recently started running a game of Atomic Highway for some friends of mine, and it's already shaping up fantastically. For the unfamiliar, Atomic Highway is Mad Max: The RPG with the serial numbers filed off, only instead of actually filing the numbers off they yell 'Smoke bomb!' and run away when you ask about them. As a loose explanation, the system uses only d6's, with 6's being successes. You roll dice equal to your applicable stat, and can then add points equal to your ranks in a relevant skill to increase other rolls into successes, and natural 6's explode. Damage is calculated by multiplying the base damage of the weapon (10 lethal for a light rifle) by the number of successes you got. The average adventurer has around 14 health, so it can be quite lethal if you don't have Fortune points to modify rolls like PC's do. The gang consists of: Venisha - Humanoid Cat-Mutant Beastmaster with a menagerie currently consisting of a completely normal horse and a mutated vulture that often runs along on all fours like an ape Udarit - Feral Pit-Fighter who recently escaped enslavement after several years as a local warlord's pet champion Joe Cutter - Nomad Outrider whose mutation is enhanced hearing from his giant dog ears, the only one with a motorized vehicle, a dual sport complete with mounted grenade launcher for all your off roading needs Nicholas Wolfwood - 'Steader Bounty Hunter, lifted directly from Trigun, he's a drifter who sells justice to the highest bidder Robtimus Prime - Remnant Lore Keeper who has basically 0 ability to survive in the wasteland thanks to his sheltered upbringing, wears a battered Optimus Prime mask and is convinced the Transformers movie was a documentary Clovia - Tribal Brave with a nasty gun/spear and a mechanical rhino wearing an eye patch named Roosavelt After the group spends some time in the small Bartertown of Westwyrld prior to the start of our adventure, the community leaders decide they can kill two birds with one stone. It seems the steady supply of crude oil they have been receiving thanks to a deal with a nearby Trog (sub surface mutant) warren has slowed to a trickle, and the town as a whole has gotten sick of adventuring types in general, and the guy who goes around kicking machines to see if they are robots in disguise in particular, and offer the group each a week's worth of water and several gallons of precious guzzline to investigate. They're even willing to provide transport in the form of a modified '68 Peterbilt driven by "Generator" Jenny (think Ellie from Borderlands) who has modified the giant flatbed trailer into a half pipe full of War Boys doing sick tricks. They load up and head off across the desert with only minor difficulties (the rhino gets car sick on long trips.) Arriving at the quarry the Trogs call home, the group finds signs of a struggle and several wheeled vehicles, and Robtimus notices a new pipeline that has been grafted onto the existing one. Doing their best to avoid the barrels full of a mix of crude oil, guzzline, and animal fat that sit along the edge of the downward spiraling road, they descend to the bottom and enter a mine shaft into the rock. Joe takes point since his second mutation allows him to automatically get a success on his stealth rolls, but he is unable to figure out why one of the dim lightbulbs lining the tunnel begins to flicker as he approaches before it explodes with a loud pop and showers him with a flaming grey paste, doing 6 damage! This is the cue for a half dozen Trogs to spring from the walls and ceilings of the shadowy cross cut tunnels with knives drawn, screaming death to the raiders and vengeance for their loved ones. Most of the group is lightly wounded due to being surprised, though the Trogs quickly learn their knives slide harmlessly off of Robtimus's combination of natural and worn armor. Joe however is clearly still focusing on the fire, as a Trog bounds fluidly into his chest, stabbing him for another 8 and leaving him clinging to life with a sucking chest wound! Recovering their wits, they snap into action - Nicholas demonstrates his masterful shooting on the one on Joe's chest, the Trog flying backwards into the darkness from 30 damage right between the eyes. Clovia runs one through with her spear for similarly massive damage, then pivots with the body still attached and blows another one away. Robtimus bisects one with his sword as Venisha tears the throat from another, and Joe struggles to his feet to wrap his chain around the neck of the last one. Udarit is nonplussed that all the enemies are down, and runs ahead to find two older mutants working the pipeline machinery. As they try to surrender and shout for everyone to stop because these aren't the raiders, she bludgeons one so hard I'm pretty sure the last thing he saw was his own ribcage. The final mutant cowers in fear from the approaching group, but before anyone can react, they clearly hear the rumble of engines back at the tunnel entrance. As they race back the way they came the noise of pneumatic tools can be heard and the surviving Trog explains that they were raided a short time ago and a great number of their people were taken as hostages. It seems the raiders have returned, and as they draw near the entrance, they see a heavy metal grate being fitted into place, trapping them inside. Outside sits 3 raider buggies with weapons trained on the opening while 2 bandits work to secure the grate, backed up by 3 men with rifles and one with a crude homemade flamethrower. To their dismay, they can also see the bike, horse, and rhino being led away. The lieutenant of the outlaws, a short, toady man who looks as if half his face has been melted by fire, steps forwards and yells "Boss wants production increased by twenny percent in the next two days! We’re gonna start distributin’ to all the bartertowns on the tracks! If’n you ever wants to see yer dirty heathen brethern agin, you might wanna git busy makin’ the oil flow! Otherwise... wells, let’s just say yer kin ain’t gonna getta ‘otherwise.’” Behind him stands V'Dane Thrasker, a tall man with an even taller mohawk and a metal patch screwed to his skull covering his right eye, local raider warlord, boss of The Oasis, and former owner of Udarit. With a cold stare he strides forward, dragging a mutant forward by a chain and collar as he pleads for his life and a chance to convince the others to go faster. "Oh you'll convince them all right... he snarls as he forces a small device into the Trog's mouth and wraps it with duct tape. A flashing light can be seen through his cheeks, and as it blinks more rapidly, Thrasker coolly steps away and the device explodes. Stepping onto the body, he proclaims “In two days I’ll have another of your filthy kin come forward to convince you, and they’ll keep ‘volunteering’ to convince you every five minutes from that point until production increases by twenty percent,” then turns and strolls away. Robtimus charges the grate, intending to spend all 5 of his Fortune for a major plot twist to break through, but decides to use them for his dodge roll instead when the raider with the flamethrower steps forward and bathes him in fire with 3 successes - 36 Lethal if he doesn't mitigate it! The rest of the party drags the miraculously unhurt Robtimus out of harms way back down the tunnel, but not before Nicholas lets fly with a parting shot, spending all of his remaining Fortune to thread a bullet through the grating and into the clunky flamethrower and causing a thunderous explosion which wipes out several of the raiders. They spend some time unsuccessfully looking for another way out before the elderly mutant offers them a way out if they will save the rest of his family. After agreeing, they are guided to a broken down, rickety freight elevator that has been long abandoned. Fortunately for as unskilled as Robtimus is at surviving in the wasteland, he is equally skilled when it comes to machines, and he has it up and running in short order. Rising upwards, they slowly realize the whispering wind they are hearing is unnatural and Nicholas points his battered flashlight up to reveal a giant colony of bats! Frightened by the light, they swoop downwards, buffeting the elevator and causing several of the party to flail around. As the cage swings side to side they hear the distinctive metallic twang of a cable snapping, and the car lurches to a halt. They climb onto the roof as another one of the five cables lets go and find that though they are within arms reach of the top, their progress is halted by a heavy trap door covering the shaft. Clearly the elevator is supposed to trip a mechanism to open it, but with its ascent stopped there's no way through! A third cable snaps while Robtimus desperately tries to figure out the mechanism and Clovia, Udarit, and Nicholas push against the door, finally shoving it open despite the dust and guano of centuries and scrambling to the top of the shaft just before the remaining cables fail and the elevator plummets hundreds of feet to the ground with a resounding crash. Walking down the tunnel they have emerged in, they find themselves once more in the desert above the quarry. There is no sign of Jenny or the hauler, their personal mounts are gone, and they know the don't have enough supplies to make it back to Westwyrld. Grimly, they begin their walk along the pipeline towards The Oasis. Next time ---- Morlock Makeouts, Alfred/Steve, I Want To Build A Bomb, and The Oasis
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Jun 6, 2018 20:06
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I like the "Fortune" system a lot! The system sounds neat and you managed to get the "weird" PC, the Transformers guy, involved. I look forward to the next chapter!
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Jun 7, 2018 13:49
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Last night we managed to stop a group of radicals from breaking into a police station to steal weapons for their cause by convincing them to instead invade and commandeer a prison because said prison has some materials we need. In trade, we have invaded a PMC's headquarters to steal their weapons for said radicals. While I sent my mummy-elemental-dragon hybrid zombie off to ruin their spell resistance generator, we did a HALO jump off it and worked our way down to commandeer their Bless generator. It went very smoothly, in part because I can cast Invisibility at will and so we got a surprise round on them wherein I cast Grim Revenge, chained to hit everyone guarding the generator. Five failed fort saves later, all the guards have lost a hand, are bleeding profusely, and getting punched by the hand that was just ripped off and animated as a tiny floating wight. After getting blasted with a fireball, a sonic-ball, and a vertigo field, there wasn't a whole lot they could really do to threaten us.
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Jun 7, 2018 19:32
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Noir Orleans Session 8 GM's Note: This is a really long one, even by my standards... sorry! But a lot of stuff happened this session, and I figure by now everyone here should have a pretty good idea whether or not you find stories about this game entertaining. The Cast: -Doctor Delphi, the leader, with the powers of local precognition and short-range telepathy (though he dislikes using the latter power.) -Click, a hacker extraordinaire whose skills are enhanced by cyberkinesis. He can speak to machines, and they generally do what he asks them – though for some reason, his powers don’t work when he’s outside of structures. He can also induce what he calls his “ice cream headache attack” – basically a very minor psychic blast. -Snarl, the muscle. Born and trained on Mars, she’s blessed with super-strength and invincibility. She has some pretty serious anger issues. -Baskerville, the ghost. A G2 (second-tier engineered life form – in his case, a human-dog hybrid) with ability to phase himself and other objects/people. -Gateway, the rookie. Also from Mars, she has the power to create two-way teleportation portals. She’s also a skilled investigator. Previous Sessions: Session one Session Two: part one, and part two Session three Session Four part one and part two Session Five Session Six Session Seven * * * * * “I want you to kill the motherfucker.” Despite the weakness in her voice, despite the casts and the bandages, the calming hospital environs and the cocktail of painkillers running through her system, Boudicca’s statement hit Doctor Delphi with surprising force. There was a viciousness to it that he’d never seen before in his friend – fun-loving Boudicca, who only ever want to turn the party up to 11. Who always told him he was working too hard, that he needed to let his hair down sometimes (even if he didn’t have a lot of hair to let down at his age. “I understand you’re upset -” “I’m not upset,” she said, swallowing hard, and he could tell she found talking painful. The pain didn’t stop her. “I’m enraged. That thing killed my friends. Killed my fans. I’m looking at weeks if not months of physical therapy...” “I’m sorry this happened to you,” he tried. “We didn’t deserve this. We didn’t do anything wrong!” She actually managed to raise her voice for the last one, lift her head up off the hospital bed. “We were just having fun...” She fell silent for a few moments. Doctor Delphi didn’t feel like breaking it. “Promise me, Hodge,” she said when she finally spoke again. “Promise me that when you find that thing, you’ll end it. For my friends. For me.” There was a desperate edge to her voice that, much like the anger, struck him as completely alien to the Boudicca he knew. The request didn’t really sit well with him. Was the Grendel truly a monster? And did that even matter, if it was still a thinking, feeling being? Killing for the cause of saving the world is one thing, that was something he was trying to prepare himself for, but this wasn’t for any such lofty goal. This was revenge, plain and simple. Doctor Delphi looked Boudicca in the eyes. “I promise,” he said. Even as he said the words, he wasn’t sure if he was lying to his friend. * * * * * The Doctor shook his head, dismissing the recent memories. They’d been unable to locate Grendel since, so it was a moot point. His team needed him in the here and now, so he focused his attention back to the crowd assembled in the distance. The protest. Well, no. Calling it a protest would be wrong. That implies a degree of organization that was entirely absent from the two hundred or so Bywater residents who'd gathered to vent their anger at the Citimatics machines and the NeoCops Inc enforcers who'd come out to protect those machines. Mob was a much better term, given that they'd gathered spontaneously upon hearing the news that Citimatics was moving into the Bywater District with the intention of demolishing buildings and erecting mid-rise condos in their place. Most of the buildings in question were falling apart, had no power or utilities, and most of the residents were illegal squatters... But that's the thing. They had almost nothing, but that also meant they felt they had nothing to lose. It was abnormally hot, and everyone was feeling on edge – even the Crimson Key members who watched the situation develop from a nearby rooftop, assessing the situation. No doubt the heat was contributing to the rising tensions between the two groups. To their credit, the NeoCops had been acting very professionally so far. Standing at attention, blocking the mob’s access to the Citimatics demolition equipment, and enduring the jeers, barbs, and threats of the crowd. You didn’t need telepathy to figure out they didn’t like standing there doing nothing, though. Something was bound to give. quote:Click: “Obviously, we’re getting involved here.” One of the mob had broken forward from the crowd and threw a brick at the NeoCop officers. The chances of it actually hurting someone were slim – the cops were in body armour and had charged riot shields – but the hundred-to-one shot struck one unlucky officer who didn't seek the brick coming, and who’d been foolish enough to lift his visor a moment ago. It smashed his face in, and he collapsed. And the NeoCops opened fire. The brick-thrower was on the ground, full of holes, before the Crimson Key could react. But the really strange thing was the way the rest of the mob reacted to being shot at – not by running away, but by charging, brandishing their pipes and bricks against the NeoCops' automatic weapons. When the first half-dozen joined the brick-thrower on the ground, it didn’t dissuade the mob. The next half-dozen dead, if anything, simply spurred the mob forward. It was already a bloodbath, and getting worse by the second. The team leapt into action; no longer trying to make themselves look good to one side over the other, now their primary goal was to simply minimize the loss of life. Snarl started tossing empty vehicles onto the road between the two groups, trying to create a barrier between the two, while Gateway began creating rapid-fire gates to catch charging protesters and deposit them farther away from the action. Baskerville loaded up special glue ammunition into his guns and began firing at the front lines of both groups, trying to slow them down and/or disarm them. Click tried to get the NeoCops’ weapons to jam and malfunction, but wasn’t very successful – there was a lot of low-tech weaponry there he couldn’t “speak” to, and enough high-tech weaponry that even if he convinced some of them to stop working, it was only a drop in the bucket. Doctor Delphi was trying to use his telepathy to project calming thoughts on both groups (to frustratingly little effect) when he saw a half-feral stray cat caught in the crossfire and in danger of being trampled by the mob – he rushed out to rescue the bedraggled thing, getting winged by a thrown rock in the process before he could retreat back to safety... quote:Snarl: “You took the time to rescue a cat?” Gateway noticed Swashbucker was near the back of the mob, wielding a bright green, plastic squirt gun. He was squirting people in the face with it, one after another, and as soon as he did they collapsed into uncontrollable laughter, their anger against the NeoCops seemingly forgotten. He wasn’t making much headway toward defusing the situation as a whole, but he was clearly doing the best he could. Being nice wasn’t working, so Snarl roared at the mob and hefted a cement mixer high above her head, threatening the group with it; the NeoCops’ firearms didn’t provoke any fear in them, but that seemed to do the trick, since the mob finally broke and ran. The NeoCops officers clearly wanted to give chase, so Click hijacked their comms and sent them orders to fall back – they were very reluctant to do so, but eventually followed their supposed orders. After the two groups dispersed, Baskerville and Click set about sabotaging construction equipment in the area while the others approached an exhausted Swashbuckler – he still showed wounds from his last run-in with Malice. quote:Swashbuckler: “Since when did you carry a cat around?” Swashbuckler explained that while the demolition was already in the works, both groups were feeling more aggressive and violent than normal due to something Malice was doing with the hilt of the Tubal-Cain – as the first implement of war, he was using it to influence behaviour there. To what end? Swashbuckler wasn't entirely sure, though thinking aloud with Gateway the two of them theorized it might have been some kind of trial run for a later event, just to make sure it would work the way he intends. quote:Doctor Delphi: “You keep saying we should steer clear of Malice, but if his plans involve our district, that doesn't seem possible. You need to let us in on whatever it is you're planning, Swashbuckler.” Swashbuckler explained that the last time they saw him at the now-destroyed church, he was trying to recover the pickled genitals of Rasputin the Mad Monk from Malice - an occult artifact that could imbue whoever possessed it with ridiculous levels of durability for a few minutes every few days. To his horror, Malice performed a ritual that culminated with burning the genitals and snorting the ashes, which destroyed the artifact but also intensified its effects to the point that Malice should be completely invulnerable for a time – likely as preparation for his intended ascension to godhood. quote:Snarl: “So that's why his head stayed attached to his body when I punched him?” The Cup of Jamshid, Swashbuckler explained, is an ancient Persian artifact said to imbue those who drink from it with spiritual immortality – records are a little vague on what that might mean. It used to be in a private collection a few years ago, but was stolen and its location unknown ever since. Doctor Delphi offers to try to track it down (hoping that Gateway and Click's combined investigatory skills might accomplish what Swashbuckler could not), and Swashbuckler tells them that if they do find its location, to let him know. * * * * * Investigation wasn't really Snarl's thing. While Gateway and Click were busy trying to figure out where the Cup of Jamshid might have ended up, she figured the best use of her time would be to try to drive out baseline gangs from the Crimson Key's declared territory. It wasn't much of a challenge for her – plenty of them were well-armed with conventional weapons, but conventional weapons couldn't hurt her, so it was a fairly straight-forward if tedious affair. The hardest part was just finding where the gang members were holed up, and that wasn't particularly hard. She'd just chased away a baker's dozen baseline thugs from what was once a laundromat (and now a drug den), when Click contacted her over comms. quote:Click: “How's it going? You're not going too hard on the baselines, are you?” Click proceeds to ask Snarl out in an especially awkward fashion, though it takes Snarl some time to understand that's what he's doing – she's mostly just nonplussed at his interest, since she doesn't consider herself particularly attractive. quote:Snarl: “Are you sure you've got the right girl? You're not trying to get in touch with Gateway and you hit the wrong number or something?” She agrees to a casual outing for ice cream at some point, but then she realizes that a Nuclear Hellhound elite is watching her from a nearby rooftop. Ending the conversation with her teammate, Snarl half-leaps, half-climbs up to the same rooftop and confronts him. quote:Snarl: “The heck do you want, 'hound?” * * * * A couple hours later the entire team gathered at their derelict hotel base to discuss the message, and the results of the Cup of Jamshid investigation. Though before they got into it, Snarl complained about the fact that Doctor Delphi insisted on Terror Claw's presence during the meeting. quote:Snarl: “He's a flea-ridden, mangy stray. Why haven't you bathed him yet?” They discuss the pros and cons of whether or not to do a job on behalf of the Nuclear Hellhounds. While it would potentially bolster the Nuclear Hellhounds against recent aggressions by the Knights of the Storm (that goes into the pro column, since they don't want the nazis gaining territory in their district), they don't know any details of the job in question, and there's a very good chance it would involve a strike against another member of the villain truce (a big con.) Ultimately the deciding factor is that, as Doctor Delphi pointed out, they already switched sides against the Hellhounds once, doing so again might damage their team's reputation beyond repair – they'd forever be known as untrustworthy flip-floppers. With that decided, Gateway and Click reported the result of their investigations: That the Cup of Jamshid was, indeed, stolen years ago, after which it has switched hands several times. It's presently in the possession of an organization called the Black Mark, a secretive organization that sells rare technological and magical goods to villains able to afford their wares. They also discovered that the Cup is set to be auctioned off at a function the Black Mark is running in Baton Rouge two nights from now. * * * * * The Black Mark's security was good. Not amazing, but good enough – the fact the auction, which was taking place in the basement of the Baton Rouge Capitol Park Museum, was in theory only known to the select villains who were given invitations was its main method of preventing intrusions, but despite this they had dozens of staff (both powered and not) operating as security. The Crimson Key considered a smash-and-grab to get the Cup, but they wanted to avoid making enemies of the Black Mark if possible. Finding a way to get invited would be doable, but they didn't really have the resources to make a serious bid on anything the Black Mark might have. That left a classic heist. And that's why they found themselves in harnesses hanging from the ceiling at the makeshift auction hall, everyone touching a dog-eared Where’s Waldo book Swashbuckler was holding between them in a mid-air huddle – he assured them as long as they remained mostly still, didn’t speak louder than a whisper, and didn’t break contact with the book, they’d be completely impervious to detection of any kind. Rather than trying to sneak past the security, the team (with the exception of Doctor Delphi and Snarl) simply snuck into the museum a full day before the event was to take place, and just waited for the Black Mark to arrive and begin setting up. When the auction finally got underway, there were approximately forty villains or representatives of villain organizations in the crowd, all of whom were pretty serious players on a national or international stage, with the exception of two:Incantra and Sergeant Warlock. Both of them boast magic-themed powers, and tend to work as supervillains-for-hire among more mystically-inclined villains. Sergeant Warlock has a reputation as a workhorse of a mercenary, a consummate professional. Incantra does not – she has an ego the size of the grand canyon – but she more than makes up for her arrogance with her experience, having operated as a supervillain for two decades. Neither of them fit in among the crowd, so Gateway surmised that they must have been there on someone else’s behalf... Her guess was Malice. The stage was a temporary affair of wood panels and cinder blocks, put together in fifteen minutes and able to be taken apart even faster, and atop the stage was the goods the Black Mark intended to auction off that night. Sure enough, Swashbuckler pointed out the jewel-encrusted, golden cup on the pedestal was the Cup of Jamshid. But there was another item up for sale that, as a native-born Martian, caught Gateway’s attention. She informed the rest of the group about it via the telepathic link Doctor Delphi was maintaining for the mission. quote:Gateway: “So, we might want to think about a side goal for this mission. They’ve got a Dreadnaught up for sale.” The Dreadnaught was not in good shape – it was questionable whether or not it was even functional – but they quickly decided they needed to get their hands on it. If they could repair it, it would be incredibly useful for the plans for Noir Orleans. If not, they could always send it back to Mars for extra brownie points with their superiors. Doctor Delphi had used his telepathy and precognition to infiltrate the event, convincing Black Mark staff that he was a functionary belonging to the organization, so when the auction got underway he was well-placed at the back of the room to coordinate his team’s efforts. Click began trying to make contact with the Dreadnaught, but it was difficult – his power interpreted its circuitry as having slugging and archaic speech, like it was old tech, but it was also incredibly advanced beyond anything he’d experienced before. Still, before too long he’d managed to convince it to start its boot cycle. The Cup was about to go up for auction next – the team could see Incantra and Sergeant Warlock were getting ready to do something (presumably bid, or maybe they were going to try to steal it themselves?) - when the Dreadnaught was finally ready to act. Click instructed it to bust through the wall and make its way outside, and when it did so everyone began panicking. Doctor Delphi rushed to the stage and began yelling contradictory orders to Black Mark staff, simultaneously ordering them to help him get the auction items to safety until this security breach could be dealt with, and also to chase after the robot and bring it back. The Master of Ceremonies (a strange-looking fellow in a tuxedo who had no face, only an extra-large glowing mouth) tried to pull rank, but when several security staff failed to respond to the emergency hail (Snarl had knocked three of them unconscious when they patrolled too close to the Crimson Key’s getaway vehicle), and then the Crimson Key dropped several flashbangs in the middle of the auction hall, Doctor Delphi was able to use the chaos of the situation to get him to fall in line and follow orders. Doctor Delphi rushed out of the building with the Cup of Jamshid in hand, Snarl recovered the robot, and the Crimson Key made their escape... All without revealing their team’s identity to the Black Mark. Which of course didn’t preclude the Black Mark figuring it out at some point, but until they did they were safe from reprisal. * * * * * Back at their base, Swashbuckler paid the Crimson Key for the successful mission with a handful of 18th century Spanish dubloons – it was a little weird, but still perfectly valuable, so they didn’t complain about it. quote:Doctor Delphi: “So, without the Cup, Malice can’t finish his scheme?” Despite the initial rocky start, the team had taken a liking to Swashbuckler. They decided to take a bit of a chance with him, and tell him about the upcoming Titan attack in the hopes that he could help them prepare. quote:Swashbuckler: “Nice try. Pull the other one.” Doctor Delphi lied, of course – it wasn’t his precog powers, but those of precogs on Mars that foresaw the Titan attack. But Baskerville confirmed for Gateway that, on Earth, the fact that Titans possess some kind of immunity to precognitive powers is common knowledge among the cape community. quote:Doctor Delphi: “Look, I don’t blame you for being skeptical. There’s more to it than that, but I can’t really get into the details. Call them trade secrets, if you like. But the attack is coming, and we’d like you to be here to help.” With their business concluded, Swashbuckler took the Cup of Jamshid and departed, hoping to stay ahead of Malice’s reach until he could find a safe place and means to hide the artifact away – though he left them a way to contact him if they needed him for anything. “For a bunch of black-hearted, dastardly villains, you lot aren’t a bad sort.” * * * * * Meanwhile, Click and Snarl decided to have their date to celebrate a successful mission. They went to the Audubon Zoo in the Uptown District. It started out awkward, and didn't much improve as they wandered from exhibit to exhibit while eating ice cream, the shut-in hacker trying to make small talk with the giant woman from Mars. When they got to the white tiger exhibit, Click made his move and kissed her – and Snarl pushed him away, which sends him flying twenty feet into a park bench. quote:Snarl: “Oh, I'm sorry! You just... You surprised me.” As she helped Click to his feet, Snarl expressed her confusion about what they're even doing there. quote:Snarl: “Why me? I don't get it.” Snarl wasn’t given a chance to respond before being interrupted by the sounds of explosions coming from the far end of the zoo. Calling their date to a premature end, the two rushed to the scene of the disturbance, only to discover the Pack – a group of minor animal-themed villains whose only territorial claims in the city are relegated to the relatively remote Venetian Isles district – doing battle with Nightclaw next to the Penguin exhibit. This Nightclaw, though, displayed different powers to combine with his tinker-tech guns: The ability to transform his body, equipment and all, into a semi-liquid mud-like substance. When they arrived, Nightclaw was trying to tag Hoatzin with his singularity bullets, but her superhuman reflexes and incredible leaping ability were (so far) keeping Nightclaw from tagging her, and she was aggressive enough that he wasn’t able to put much focus on the rest of her team. However, it was clear this was a holding strategy at best, and their attempts at counter-attacks were stymied as Nightclaw would turn to seemingy-impervious muck whenever they got in a position to strike back. Sooner or later, he’d get in a single lucky shot, and his teammates – not even the nigh-invincible Water Bear – would be quick to fall to Nightclaw’s guns. quote:Snarl: “Those are new powers...” After activating the emergency Nightclaw-watch signal to the rest of the villain teams, Click sent a message back to the rest of the Crimson Claw, and a few of Gateway's portal-jumps later, the Crimson Key is on the scene. With Nightclaw focusing on Hoatzin, Snarl took the opportunity to rush him. Here, Nightclaw is overconfident, knowing that she'll have a tough time hurting his mud-like body, but she doesn't try to hurt him – instead, she snatches his guns out of his hands and crushes them. quote:Snarl: “Let's see how you do against me without your toys, little man.” The holdout pistol has limited shots, and Nightclaw suddenly becomes very conservative with his ammunition, though he's still presenting a challenge despite being drastically outnumbered. The Captain begins spraying a napalm-like substance from his claw-gauntlets, trying to limit Nightclaw's ability to flee or manoeuvre without actually harming Muck, and Baskerville follows suit by laying down cover fire with incendiary bullets. Click manages trace the mind control signal back to Nightclaw's base of operations – an underground bunker in a small residential area in the Mid-City District. He gives the coordinates to Gateway, who opens a portal there for Click and Doctor Delphi to go through. The other end of the portal revealed a basketball-court-sized lair of an unhinged mind. Part workshop, part panopticon, one whole wall was covered in a hundred monitors of varying newness and states of repair – everything from holo-projectors to ancient crt rigs – that displayed sights from places all over the city. Miles of cables ran across the floor, connecting a variety of electronic gadgets, only half of which seemed actually finished. Of course, the biggest device was Nightclaw's van-sized ammunition press. And amidst it all sat Nightclaw, a middle-aged wheelchair-bound asian man – displaying the telltale signs of Marchand Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that makes one reject most types of cyber-limb implants. Click immediately noticed that the entire place was rigged with hidden explosives, set to go off at a word. Of course, he immediately asked the system to please not to that, and it agreed. “Nightclaw,” Doctor Delphi called out. “We meet at last!” Nightclaw wheeled around, his eyes wide with surprise and hatred. The Doctor took a moment to explore Nightclaw's mind – he saw images of a proud officer with NeoCops Inc., then a bad encounter with some costumed villains left him without the use of his legs and his partner dead... Then his eruption as a metahuman tinker, and a never-ending quest for revenge against villain-kind as a whole. Meanwhile, the villains were closing in on Nightclaw-Muck, and all of a sudden he seemed distracted. Snarl took the opportunity to take away his holdout pistol and break that, too. Nightclaw responded by throwing himself at Snarl, his ooze-like body flowing over her and, when she opened her mouth to cry out, flowed through her mouth and into her lungs... Snarl fell to her knees as she began drowning, her allies leaping to action to try to help but unsure how to do so... “Your friend is going to die,” the real Nightclaw said to Doctor Delphi. “And you're not going to be able to help her. You found me? Good for you, but I've known this day would come eventually... And I've been ready for it.” Nightclaw flicked a switch and a pair of autocannons extended out of compartments in the ceiling, took aim at the villains... And then deactivated when Click told them to stand down. “Before you think about blowing us all up,” Click said to Nightclaw, “I've already taken care of your explosives.” Nightclaw's said the code word anyway, and much to his disgust discovered Click was telling the truth. “Just surrender, Nightclaw,” Doctor Delphi said. “Is this trail of death and violence you've been wreaking really what your partner would have wanted?” With that, Nightclaw flew into a rage, practically spitting his words. “YOU DON'T GET TO TALK ABOUT HIM!” He grabbed a telescoping nightstick off a table and charged at Delphi in his wheelchair – Delphi grinned, in half-pity and half-amusement, at the pathetic display... Until the nightstick caught the Doctor in the knee, then across the bridge of the nose as he fell. Click felt his confidence drain from him as he readied himself to engage in fisticuffs. quote:Doctor Delphi: “Tell me we're not going to lose to a wheelchair-bound tinker who's been stripped of all his gadgets...” The fight was relatively short, but in no way one-sided – Nightclaw's hatred-fueled determination serves him well, but eventually Doctor Delphi was able to use his precognition to outflank Nightclaw and knock him unconscious, and the villains only have a few broken bones and bruises to show for it. Muck regained control of his body and extracted himself from Snarl... It would be awkward, but Snarl is too relieved to be able to breathe again. Other villain teams arrived on scene – the Alpha Assembly, the Knights of the Storm, and the Cache Cowboys – when Doctor Delphi and Click emerge from Gateway's portal. Doctor Delphi tossed the real Nightclaw on the ground, unconscious, and the villains encircled him, assessing. Some looked at the Crimson Key, impressed, while other faces were envious. But when it came to Nightclaw himself, everyone was underwhelmed. quote:Blitzkrieg: “Really? THIS is the guy who's been terrorizing the Noir Orleans underworld?” There's a moment of silence as people took in the idea that this was really it – Nightclaw's reign of terror was over. When Baskerville reminded everyone that they couldn't just stick around forever (police were probably on their way), they talked again about what should be done with him. quote:Blitzkrieg: “I still say we just end him.” And with that, the truce was over; the Alpha Assembly were the first to leave, taking the prisoner Nightclaw in tow, and each other team followed suit. The Crimson Key knew that, for better and ill, people would be talking about what happened today... Next Time: The Villains Face Down Malice! Also, There's Kittens. But Mostly the Malice Thing.
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Jun 9, 2018 05:02
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Firstly, Falstaff, I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your updates. Also, the cat-related anecdotes were very  .
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Jun 9, 2018 06:02
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JustJeff88 posted:Firstly, Falstaff, I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your updates. Also, the cat-related anecdotes were very Yes, this.
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Jun 9, 2018 16:04
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This one just happened a few minutes ago. The paranormal investigative unit of a small town in Ohio is investigating a cult engaging in human sacrifice. While checking on a mysterious substitute bus driver who kidnapped a middle schooler, a bus suddenly swerved through the lot and nearly ran down Officers Zastava (Me) and Morton (So Math). Running up to the overturned bus in the parking lot between two strip malls, the cultist driving the bus already has a kid at knifepoint. As expected, negotiations break down and the cultist cuts the kid's throat (thankfully not enough to kill him). With a burst of magic, the cultist suddenly teleports to the top of the bus and is now wearing a white dress and holding a katana. She's Battle Princess Sophie, Knight of the Air! After Morton fires a few rounds that Sophie artfully dodges, she leaps off the bus and bounds forward with unnatural speed! Surely a deadly foe! And then Zastava shoots her once in the heart. She drops to the ground, killed instantly, halfway to her destination. End of fight scene. GURPS takes no prisoners yet again.
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Jun 11, 2018 02:13
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chitoryu12 posted:Zastava (Me) 
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Jun 11, 2018 02:16
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Yeah, I was having trouble thinking of a last name and it was the most recent thing I had read... Completely different though. Former drug addict and delinquent who's now a barely recovered alcoholic detective. I actually based some of his past on Will Francis from Aiden.
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Jun 11, 2018 02:29
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JustJeff88 posted:Firstly, Falstaff, I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your updates. Also, the cat-related anecdotes were very Bieeanshee posted:Yes, this. Thanks. I occasionally share feedback I get here with my players, so when the cat appeared Doctor Delphi's player recalled the suggestion here a while back about getting a mascot to go with his cybernetic hand. To quote, "Welp, the internet wants me to have a pet cat. Pointless to fight it, really!"
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Jun 11, 2018 17:48
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Falstaff posted:Thanks. I occasionally share feedback I get here with my players, so when the cat appeared Doctor Delphi's player recalled the suggestion here a while back about getting a mascot to go with his cybernetic hand. To quote, "Welp, the internet wants me to have a pet cat. Pointless to fight it, really!" As the... let's say "cohabitational human companion" to two formerly feral cats (owner isn't the proper term, I feel), I have a particular soft spot for the struggles of cats without a proper home.
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Jun 11, 2018 19:25
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I GMed for the first time today! It was a clusterfuck! The party has been assigned a mission to track down a traitor to the party Templar's order, and they are standing outside the traitor's dong-shaped hut (formerly a temple that I drew too phallicly). Several goblins have taken up camp-guard outside of the hideout, and upon the party approaching, stand up and walk towards the party. The leader of the goblins approaches the party leaders, Templar and Storm Mage, demanding to know what they want. The halfling Druid and the Bard follow behind. Templar and Storm Mage try to parley their way past, and the goblin leader says they will trade passage into the hideout for medical assistance. Nobody has any healing materials, but Druid has a lot of pipeweed. Turns out one of the goblins has severe anxiety and they will gladly trade passage for some of the weed. Druid leaves to administer treatment to the anxious goblin, named Bob. He feels much better. Templar and Storm Mage knock on the door, and the Traitor creaks it open asking what they want. Storm Mage says gently caress it and kicks the door open, revealing that the Traitor was in the middle of eating dinner with his guests. There's a Lady in the kitchen making dinner who is now nearly frozen in fear, continually miming her kitchen duties and prep. Storm Mage asks who the most dangerous person in the room is and I point to an Elf sitting at the dinner table reading a book. Templar corners the Traitor, who then reveals that he murdered those people Last Wednesday (which is a holiday commemorating the 15-Minute Wednesday War) on the orders of the master of the Templar's order. Outside the hut, a goblin named Brad or maybe Brian asks the Bard for a lullaby, saying it loves lullabies. The Druid continues to tend to Bob. Storm Mage steps out of the hut, and tries to sense for magic. He finds out that on one of the goblins, there is a magical remote time bomb of sorts with a spell attached to it - upon feeling the spell, the Storm Mage gets this impression: "large large more big huge large more big huge more more more" Storm Mage asks which goblin has the bomb attached to it, and it's Brad/Brian. Templar asks why Traitor turned against the order, and Traitor says that he needed to run away and prepare a ritual to remove a curse on him and the Elf at the table, passing it onto a sacrificial goblin. Outside the hut, Brad/Brian/Bradian is swaying to the music of the lullaby when it stops, says "I don't feel sOO GOOOOODDDD  " and writhes in pain as it expands to the size of a mansion and turns into an Akira-like blob of fleshy mass. (I gave it the Abomination's stats.)Meanwhile, in the hut, Templar confronts the Elf and realizes that she is a former "coworker" of sorts from his order, her acting as a Blast Mage to root out heretics and lawbreakers, blowing up houses 'n poo poo. He asks Elf, "why?", and she says that she broke from the templar order because it actually represents a chaotic god that is trying to take over the world or some other loving garbage, I barely remember what I said. She says she intends to build an organization to oppose the order, but also says that there's one secret about the whole thing that could jeopardize the entire operation. Bradian the Goblomination begins flailing wildly with its tree-like flesh arms, and one of them starts hurtling straight towards Bob. Druid runs in front of Bob, puts up her staff, and conjures a magical shield to deflect Bradian's blow. She doesn't manage to mitigate the damage, but she does open Bradian up to an attack. Storm Mage puts the Bradian-Goblomination to sleep, and...it falls on the hut. Right before Elf reveals the secret of the templar order, she gets completely and totally crushed under the Goblomination. The Templar attempts to pull her out, and only succeeds in pulling out her legs, attached to nothing else. The legs begin to speak, saying that Elf transferred her consciousness to them in the moments before death, but the magic on them runs out before Elf can reveal the secret again. He instead turns to the Traitor and asks him the secret, and it turns out that the templar order is under the command of the empire, and opposing it would take a lifetime if it were at all possible. The Lady continues to absentmindedly chop carrots, wishing she wasn't there. Storm Mage decides to just go home. After witnessing Elf die twice in a row and the Traitor reveal that all the might of the world would be against him if Templar were to take revenge against the false order, Templar chooses to look for medicine to make him forget the past two hours. Druid offers him a personally mixed and tested medicine named "alcoweed", and I came up with a GM move on the spot for this: quote:When you chug a toke, roll 2d6 + WIS. * On a 10+, the medicine has exactly the effect you want. * On a 7+, choose one: Templar rolls a 7, and forgets the past 2 hours but also gets stuck in a Memento-like situation of forgetting the past few seconds and continually asking for more and more drugs, lasting a few hours. Druid shrugs and just turns to the now horribly shell-shocked goblins to take care of their trauma. One of the remaining goblins asks Bard to play Freebird. At some point I said that Lynyrd Skynyrd made Freebird, but I don't think that's even true. Bard obliges the song request, and the goblin pulls a lighter out from its thong and waves it in the air as we fade out and end the session.  gg Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 03:21 on Jun 14, 2018 |
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Jun 14, 2018 03:13
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JustJeff88 posted:As the... let's say "cohabitational human companion" to two formerly feral cats (owner isn't the proper term, I feel), I have a particular soft spot for the struggles of cats without a proper home. I'm roommate to a rescue. I know what you mean.
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Jun 14, 2018 04:05
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The system: Delta Green The scenario: Operation STOP REPO http://fairfieldproject.wikidot.com/operation-stop-repo The cast: a Department of Homeland Security Federal Agent from NY, a Paramedic from Pennsylvania and a Crook from NYC, all official DG agents. The Green Box contents in the back of the cars: 1: Six illegally modified AR-15s fully equipped with ammo and other combat trappings 2: Two shot-up kevlar vests covering a brick of cocaine 3: A perfectly ordinary living parrot that should not be fine after spending unknown time in the trunk of a car in an airport parking lot which caused SAN loss for this realization 4: Two buckets of explosive compounds and one bucket of mixed compounds 5: A box full of Hustler magazines with fish heads pasted over all of the heads of the naked women inside The Fed came in via plane. The Medic came in her own car. The Crook took the bus. Their mission was given to them at a lovely motel at the airport and they received 10k in cash to give them a leg up if things got too troublesome. They had no idea what was in any of the boxes but their Handler gave them a list of all of the cars and their license plates so they started at the airport, the Fed bothering the people running the auction to see if any of the cars were still there. They failed so they didn't tell them what they did with all of the sold cars but 1 and 2 were recovered at the auction with the help of the staff and a lot of grand-standing about national security and DHS business as they marked the goods as evidence and loaded them into the back of the Medic's car. They got the location of 3 from the auction being willing to give that up because 3 was sold to Lou's Salvage, a junkyard and auto salvage joint out on the outskirts of Boston. The Fed/Crook was unable to convince Lou that the car was part of a DHS investigation, the Medic was unable to try to buy the car because the car flat wouldn't run. So they left the Crook behind to break in after hours while they went to the auction to keep an eye out for cars. While at Lou's, the Crook crawled under the junkyard fence, got caught by the security cameras and realized she'd have to break into the office to try and wipe the tapes and get the key to the car. She kicked in the door to the office, kicked the security computer to pieces and cut her foot up in the process getting blood everywhere, hobbled to the car with the office's first aid kit and absconded with the parrot before taping herself up a safe distance away. While at the auction, the Medic crit-failed her Alertness roll to watch for the cars at the auction block and blew half of their budget on the 1978 Monte Carlo which was not a car they needed. The Fed figured out how to burgle the files from the auction office (simply cut the power and enter when the loss of power was being investigated) but crit-failed her Search roll and decided to just steal all the sales paperwork. The three of them took the Medic's car and the Monte Carlo to a motel where they stayed up all night sorting through paperwork to see where Car 5 and Car 4 got to. Car 5 was in the suburbs (and covered in anime stickers) and was being used to teach a teenager how to drive. The Fed and the Crook (driving the Monte Carlo with everything they had acquired so far in the trunk) convinced the mother to call back the dad and the teen so they could pop the back. While waiting they realized the house was being staked out by Agent Smith (in a car, not a motorcycle) and they sent the Medic to go find Car 4 while the Fed intimidated Smith into walking away before she had to go intimidate the teenage son into returning the porn. While she was doing this, the Crook did something that very nearly put this entire scenario off the rails: passed me a note that said "while she's doing that I steal the cocaine so I can sell it later" and made her Stealth roll to pocket the coke. Neither of them were able to shake Agent Smith tailing them. Car 4 was in an apartment parking garage in South Boston and the Medic had to spend a few hours beating feet through the South to track down the new owner to get the key, ultimately bribing the owner with the remaining 5k and gaining the car with the explosives in the back. The Fed dropped the Crook off near the parking garage and called their Handler who told them they had to drive to Cape Cod to set up a new Green Box to hold their acquisitions. More Driving and Stealth rolls were failed so here's how this all shook out: Smith called Sandoval to play backup for torching the items as per Saffir's will. The Medic drove the Jeep with the explosives in the trunk and left the parking garage first because nobody knew she was involved with anything and played point car. The Crook was in the Medic's car with the cocaine and was being tailed by Smith. The Fed was in the Monte Carlo with everything else in the trunk being tailed by Sandoval. Nobody knew the Crook had the cocaine. The players at the table also didn't know she took it. Smith pulls his lights on to try and pull the Crook over to interrogate her. She tries to ignore him because she has a brick of cocaine. He tries to ram her off the highway in response. She pulls a U-Turn and goes into the other side of the highway, getting banged up from collisions and forcing Smith to chase her while desperately calling the others. The Medic's response was to report her car as stolen (in-line with her lie of being out of state for familial business). This, mixed with Smith's pursuit, resulted in the State Police putting up roadblocks. While this was happening, the Fed was menaced by Sandoval and shot him off the road after he shot up the back of her car and lightly wounded her with automatic rifle fire, thankfully missing his shot with an underslung explosive grenade. She shook him, stopped to drop everything off with the Medic (who continued the rest of this trip to Cape Cod with zero problems because nobody knew she was a player) and critically failed her Idea Roll for guidance and decided "I should make sure the Crook dies if she gets arrested so I should join the police chase". The Crook proceeds to avoid the police barricade by driving into oncoming traffic as the Fed tries to catch up with her, waving her badge all the while and telling people she's chasing the Crook as a matter of national security. If not for the cocaine, she could have just let her get arrested. Instead she manages to keep pace and follows her (and the police convoy) as the Crook goes the wrong way down an on-ramp, plows through a police barricade at the base of the ramp, gets banged up even further and is eventually convinced to stop by the Fed who manages to out-yell a cadre of armed State Officers ready to kill the Crook because they saw the back of the Monte Carlo and assumed that the Crook was heavily armed and willing to shoot at Officers. One successful Bureaucratic bluff later, the Fed "arrests" the Crook despite Smith's outraged complaints and drives towards the nearest DHS office before shaking any tails and parking to get a rental car. They fail a Luck roll and Sandoval knows where they are thanks to Smith but are both out of the car with the cocaine in the Fed's purse so Sandoval settles for assuming the goods are still in the Monte Carlo and sets the car on fire as the Fed rents a new car and the Crook stops at a drug store to get hair dye and disguise goods. Against their self-imposed odds, they drive past the burning Monte Carlo to join the Medic at the new Green Box, confirm return of all of the items and drop the key at a safe location, succeeding at their mission but leaving a sizeable paper trail and swath of destruction across the highways of Massachusetts and many things they will be accountable for. I went a little easy on them at the end because the night was winding down so I settled for Sandoval being exasperated and just taking the lazy way out followed by a successful ending.
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Jun 14, 2018 05:10
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You only broke 50 different laws, that's a drat good opera.
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Jun 14, 2018 06:22
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The last two recaps were a whirlwind of wonderful insanity. 
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Jun 14, 2018 11:56
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Just had our first session of our new Storm King's Thunder campaign, and I think this is gonna be a pretty fun one. We have the following cast of characters: -Weyland Shanks,  half-elf Warlock. His schtick is that he is kind of a bumbling librarian who got lost in the woods, stumble upon a giant feast that he happily ate, and then realized "...huh, why is this out here" only to find that it was a Fey Lord's and that he was now bound to serve his master. His natural thirst for knowledge is enhanced by the Feylord seeking forbidden tomes, etc., and so he tends to leap first when there's something interesting to be found regardless of the danger.-Alrick Telchar,  Dwarf Drunken Master Monk. He spends 24/7 drunk off his rear end and shouts angrily a lot. He doesn't like the half elves very much. He seems to be searching the world for good drink and beating everyone up in the process.-Kristoph Tol,  Air Genasi Galmour Bard. He is essentially a high class prostitute (don't call him that) who through the popularity of his services and his well-spoken wit has risen through the ranks and actually become a Government official as well. He was head to Nightstone on official government business, as well as to service a rich client who resided there.-Silas,  a half-elf Blood Hunter. His parents were slaughtered by Lycan on the day of his 10th birthday, and he watched the entire thing happen from the wardrobe they had hid him within. He fell in with a group of monster hunters who he found slaying the beasts as he emerged from his hiding place, and has been traveling with them purging the world of the taint of monsters ever since.Some light spoilers for SKT will probably follow as I recap, so be forewarned! The group came upon Nightstone and found it empty save for the ringing of the temple bell. Weyland, having come to Nightstone to do research on the stone that gave the town its namesake, made a b-line to the middle of the square as soon as he saw that the stone he was meant to survey was totally missing.  Ok, roll me some stealth checks. 19 16 18 I rolled a 1!A pair of worgs feasting on a dog they had slaughtered quickly descended on the party. Silas fired off a Toll of the Dead that rang in the head of the first worg and quickly took it to half health, and Alrick charged forth, drunkenly swinging at the worg and missing in the process. Apparently a party of 4 at level 1 is still no match for ravenous evil doggos as they took two quick bites. Silas was lucky enough to dodge, but a good roll on the part of the second worg hit Alrick with 11 damage which was exactly the amount of health we had, and three character actions in we were looking to be headed towards a TPK. The party slung spells and hellish rebukes at the wolves, and although Silas went down quickly on the next round of attacks, Kristoph quickly healed his friends up over two subsequent rounds and the party managed to subsequently make short work of the worgs. Licking their wounds, they continued to explore the town. They killed some goblins playing tag in a field and then decided to return to the town square to investigate the bell that was steadily ringing despite the absence of townspeople. Bursting into the back part of the temple, they startled two goblins who were taking turns swinging from the rope of the bell. Alrick missed with his axe but followed up with an unarmed strike and clobbered one of the pair, swearing in it's face in a flurry of dwarven rage. Then it was Weyland's turn. I'm going to tackle the other one! Ok, where's your weapon on your character sh- wait, you're going to what? Tackle it! This is going to go poorly. What is that even going to be? (our resident 5e rules expert) That would be an opposed strength check. (rolls) I got an 8! ....I got a 1.The librarian charged forth as the Goblin dropped from the bell it was swinging from and he managed to catch him in a flying bear hug just as he was pulling his weapons out, causing him to drop both of them and become enveloped in half-elf. Silas went forth and made quick work of the other goblin, and then proceeded to drain his blood into a waiting vial (something he had done with the other goblins before). Ok, you have made work of his friend and you now have one totally terrified goblin in Weyland's arms. Weyland, he smells pretty bad all of a sudden, you're pretty sure he crapped himself in fear. I take my handerkerchief out and hold it in front of my nose before approaching him and asking him where all the townspeople are. (as the goblin) "Me no tell you! You bad!" You don't seem to be getting much from him except his stench. We found perfume vials in the other bag, right? I'm going to spray him with one of them. He screams at you as you spray him. "No spray! No spray Vark!"Meanwhile, Alrick had wandered out into the main temple. This is a temple, right? That means there's gotta be, like, holy wine around here somewhere. Yeah.....well, the place is pretty ransacked by the goblins, but tucked away in the back part of a cabinet you find a VERY dusty bottle of what looks to be EXTREMELY old wine. Nice. You uncork it and it smells very strongly of vinegar. You're not su- I down it. The rest of you suddenly catch a whiff of a very strong acrid smell and turn to see Alrick chugging it. You're concerned.Kristoph decided to continue the interrogation: So, he doesn't seem to want to tell you much. I rolled a 19 persuasion! Really it should be intimidate...but you know what, he is pretty terrified that you just easily killed his friend and have captured him... Oh! He doesn't like the spraying, right? "You're gonna tell us what you know or the spraying will continue." Yeah, I'll allow that. I spray him again to emphasize my point. And again. And a third time.Reluctantly through perfume waterboarding the goblin slowly unloaded what he knew. We had to end there as Alrick had a hard stop time, but I'm excited to see where this motley crew comes up with next! I have no idea why the smilies decided to stop working halfway through this! Quidthulhu fucked around with this message at 22:53 on Jun 17, 2018 |
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Jun 17, 2018 22:46
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The forums have a per-post smiliey limit. You could split up the story into two posts.
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Jun 18, 2018 01:11
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Quidthulhu posted:Just had our first session of our new Storm King's Thunder campaign, and I think this is gonna be a pretty fun one. We have the following cast of characters: Fun update, Quid, but let me give you some friendly advice. In any version of D&D apart from 4th (which already does this), give all characters at level 1 starting HP equal to Con + one hit die. I played for years with a DM who started doing this back in BECMI and it was a stroke of genius. I am not starting edition wars, but it makes those early levels involve a lot less holding of breath anytime a monster hits someone.
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Jun 18, 2018 02:03
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5th edition DnD already gives characters their full hit die and con bonus for 1st level. Unless you mean full con score.
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Jun 18, 2018 03:32
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HiKaizer posted:5th edition DnD already gives characters their full hit die and con bonus for 1st level. Unless you mean full con score. Pretty sure that's exactly what he means, and it's a good idea.
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Jun 18, 2018 03:46
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HiKaizer posted:5th edition DnD already gives characters their full hit die and con bonus for 1st level. Unless you mean full con score. Exactly this. For example, a cleric in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th edition had a d8 each level, so a cleric with 12 con at first level would have 8 + 12 = 20 HP. It really helps mitigate one of the huge problems with low-level combat in any D&D edition except for 4th. There's still missing constantly, "one spell and done" for casters and melee classes getting gently caress all for abilities, but those are other issues. DivineCoffeeBinge posted:Pretty sure that's exactly what he means, and it's a good idea. Thank you, but I take no credit for it. Simply put, I had a DM with whom I played for years, but when I started with him it was 2nd edition. Apparently he had started back in the late 70s with the original AD&D where he and his compatriots noticed that 1st level characters were ludicrously fragile. Apparently the literature then essentially said that low-level characters would just get ground up, but who wants to keep making new characters every time the dice poo poo on you? They thought that this was a common sense solution, and I agree.
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Jun 18, 2018 04:53
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Played an InSpectres one shot yesterday- kind of a neat system with the hook of running a startup-like ghostbusters business being followed by a reality tv crew. Over the course of a 2.5 hour session we: - exorcised two first-gen iPhones, an office printer, and a digital foosball table from craigslist (we specialized in internet-of-things and other electronics ghosts) - ran our business out of a rented garage because it was a more legit startup that way - had total emotional meltdowns over: climbing 8 flights of stairs, our academic pedigrees, and trying to get our parking validated - got mistaken for IT support, a local events newsfeed, and a porn site due to our extremely ambiguous tech name (iBstn) All in all a very silly and fun one-shot game that degenerates very quickly. Would recommend.
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Jun 18, 2018 13:28
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