Tuesday 20 November 2018

November

November is Movember for me and I hate it.
I have no facial hair and I know it is for a cause but I think I will shave it a week early as it looks ridiculous on me.

Time to give one of the villains in the D&D game a mustaches to make the players aware as well.

Thursday 15 November 2018

Session 18 in Rise of the Runelords in 5e

The group learns that Shalelu's step father abandoned her after her mother was killed in the Elven community of Crying Leaf. Jakadros wept at how weak he was leaving a child and the village behind with his embarrassment of failure. He eventually joined the order of the Black Arrows to atone for his past, but it seems his past has caught up to him as well as death and destruction.

Heading back to camp, the group finds out that these are the last of the rangers of fort Rannnick as well as the fort commander is missing in the Shimmerglenns, on one of his monthly walkabouts.


Learning the party is considering taking back the fort the rangers pledge service to them to join forces and show the group a secret way into the fort, a cave behind the falls leads to a secret way into the fortress.
A few clashes with orcs and ogres around the fort has the group learn that Kreeg clan ogres and Bloody Skull tribe have allied to take the fort from the black arrows, but they have tried this in the past and failed, why now did they succeed?

Observing the fort the group learns major damage has been done to one gate, as the second is to well protected to assault the fort head on. Just before entering the secret tunnels, they witness a blue wyvern land on the top most turret, Charles does not say anything but knows immediately his father a orc of great power, Dank Vapour is within.


Heading through the falls into a secret cave and armoury, they encounter a few shocker lizards (giant lightning eels, yawning portal pg.236, just made them meduim size and gave them a walking speed).
The cave kept going but they used the secret armoury door to sneak into the court yard and spike a door shut of the barracks containing 12 ogres, it was raised off the ground so they covered all the chopped wood under it with oil and set it ablaze, escaping back to the secret door to watch the beasts roast alive, the smell and sound was abysmal.
Continuing on a old crypt of buried black arrows did not rest easy as several specters assaulted the group, Tamar casually turned or took them down with the power of Desna.
Using the same conjure animal spell as before, giant eagles assault the walls as the group leaves the hidden caves to sneak into the main keep.
An erie silence greats them, as garbage litters the floor within fort rannick. Charles quickly gets the rangers to show him the way up to the next floor and with stealth they by pass all to the stairs leading up and surprise the occupants of the commander's quarters.
I changed all the Kreeg ogres to bloody skull orcs in the fort but kept all the ogres in the courtyard, it seems they had a disagreement and one would not bother the other if sounds were made.
Dorell Kreeg was changed to enchanter from volo's guide pg.213 just added orc racial traits and Hookmaw Kreeg was replaced with ogre (made medium size) beserker from nord's ultimate bestiary pg.120.
The fight was all one sided as Tammar dropped a silence spell into the room, effectively eliminating Dorellas spell arsenal from the engagement. Hookmaw was a larger threat but finally when down, but before that Dank and his right hand man, er orc (Jaagrath, just used the name) opened the chapel door and entered the hallway while throwing out Dank vapes from the vape machine, yeah I know it's dumb but it's player background!

Toucan attacks Dorella as the Druid wildshapes into a Rino to charge Hookman


Charles, Toucan and the rangers Vale & Kaven enter the fight in the Commanders quarters, the D4 represents the spot where silence has been cast, the two ogre bodyguards hear the fighting as Dank and Jaargrath call for help




Later Ulfgar the druid wildshapes into a giant crap as Dank is dealing far too much damage.


Finally Dank is slain and Charles chops his fathers own head off, as orcs start running up the stairs they back away as infighting and looting begins among remaining orcs and ogres.

Climbing outside on the ramparts, Charles holds Danks head high, the orcs flee in panic as Doomsmasha flees on windstalker, Danks wyvern.
Doomsmasha is one of the sons of Dank Vapour.

Lucrecia watches from the distance as the ogres walk away to hook mountain and the orcs flee into the woods, Doomsmasha lands Windstalker close by,
"It seems the sons of Dank, will fight for leadership of the tribe" Lucrecia stated
Dismounting and walking towards her Doomsmasha says "the orcs are useful but not needed, what do we do now?"
"the dam gates are open almost fully opened, the Magga is near the village, we will ambush your brother and his friends there" said Lucrecia.
"Charles will die by my own hand" stated Doomsmasha
"come, we need to set the stage" said Lucrecia as they walked towards Turtleback Ferry.  

Monday 12 November 2018

What I did today

What I did Today

Working on converting Rise of the Rune Lords book 3 The Hook Mountain Massacre to D&D 5e
Doing a cool attack on Sandpoint by stone giants, every soon will have that written up, about 4 sessions reports behind.

I Remember the fallen today as it is Remembrance Day

What I did today?

  • Listening to: Cannon Fodder eps.91
  • Reading: re-reading Warhammer 40,000 First and only
  • Watching:all the Marvel season two of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones,season one of cloak and dagger, it's always sunny in Philadelphia season 13,The Big Bang Theory season 11, Disenchanted, A.P.Bio and more....
  • Playing: D&D 5e in Golarion world
  • Eating: nothing, down 14 pounds, goal is to be 190 in the new year(not going to happen)
  • Drinking: water

1. Sitting in my cart are 10 Pathfinder pocket 1e books, will not buy them unless I sell 2 lots of my RPG books I'm looking to unload.

Received,
Starfinder:Alien Archive 2
Mutant Crawl Classics
Creature Codex


In the Mail,
last 2 books of Reign of Winter
book 1 of War for the crown

Pr-Ordered

1.D&D 5e, Waterdeep dungeon of the mad mage (delayed a week)
2.D&D 5e Guildmaster guide to Ravnica
3.Midgard
4.Midgard handbook
5. Sitting in my cart are 10 Pathfinder pocket 1e books, will not buy them unless I sell 2 lots of my RPG books I'm looking to unload.


Will purchase the Starfinder beginning box when a pre-order is out.


Missing,
Adventure Paths
last 4 books of Jade Regent (Fear I will never get book 4 of this AP, as it is over priced)
last 2 books of Winters Reign (in the mail)
All 6 books of Wrath of the Righteous (this is a maybe)


Missing 17 11 4 Adventure Paths Books or 10 if I buy wrath of the Righteous? 

Wednesday 7 November 2018

Star Wars by Fantasy Flight Games


Star Wars by Fantasy Flight Games is an expensive game, I'm shocked at the price tag here in Canada. I do feel like I want to try it but the cost may drive me out of it, added that you have to buy special dice for it pushes me out farther. I know an app is a inexpensive way to get the dice but it feels wrong to do that?

I looked into buying used.....................

I bought 3 sets of dice for the game for $50 Canadian, which is a good discount, around 50% off.
I currently have 2 beginner sets, so sitting at 5 sets of dice.
I own the Edge of the Empire book I bought on release and found someone with the force & destiny book, that I may purchase.

Starting to get a few things for it. Its looking like a maybe for this one day?

Sunday 4 November 2018

How I re-skin monsters

The Black Magga is a creature in Rise of the Runelords adventure path. It is a plesiosaur neck and head on a octopuses body.





Here is the final art in Rise of the Runelords for the Black Magga

What did I use for this?
A Froghemoth




I just changed the tongue attack to a tentacle attack that does the same thing and gave the bite a 10 ft reach. I then described everything as how it looked like the Black Magga did the attacks. simple.

Friday 2 November 2018

Spells that I may change

Spells I may change. (so far)

-False life
-Enhance ability
-Enlarge/Reduce

Trying to give love to spells that I used to use very frequently in pathfinder a new possible home in D&D 5e. 

First blind attempt, here we go,

1. False life, change it to roll 5D4 (choose the 2 highest dice) + 4 and higher levels is the same as written in the player's handbook. So it will almost always result in 11 or 12 additional H.P's cast at level one.

Why would you do this? an increase in the spells amount would make it as good as the shield, really no one plays shield correctly as you have to declare it before finding out if its a hit (or how close, it is a guessing game), it usually happens so fast that it never gets used. Even roll 2D4 and pick the highest is better, but possible 8 or 9 H.P's at level one gets you to ignore a minor hit till you start facing CR 2 creatures then it is only good for a type of set resistance (damage resistance in pathfinder).
It is better then shield as it in effect and you could still use shield if you wanted, still I think it needs more at level one and lose the plus five per level and make the first casting of it higher. we will see?


2. Enhance ability, loved this spell back in the day, you would keep the spell the same plus add +1 to the appropriate stat to a maximum of 20.  Cast at Higher level add an addition +1 to the appropriate stat to a maximum of 20.
+2 at level 3
+3 at level 4
+4 at level 5 etc,etc.....
You would remove the ability to cast, on one additional creature for each slot above 2nd level.

-Bear's Endurance (Constitution)

-Bull's Strength (Strength)

-Cat's Grace (Dexterity)

-Eagle's Splendor (Charisma)

-Fox's Cunning (Intelligence)

-Owl's Wisdom (Wisdom)

3. Enlarge/Reduce,

 Enlarge would remain the same as in the players handbook but you would add,
+2 to Strength to a maximum of 20
-1 to Dexterity
-1 to melee attack rolls and AC

Reduce would remain the same as in the players handbook but you would add,
-2 to Strength
+2 to Dexterity to a maximum of 20.
+1 to melee attack rolls and AC

Thursday 1 November 2018

Vapors of Dank

With weed in Canada legal we will now take a look at Dank Vapors axe of Vaping. 

With the axe of  Dank being a +3 weapon it has even more properties.

The handle is hollowed and turned upside down can be huffed upon like a bong.
 This is a action & bonus action to light it and take a huff.

up to four different types of fuel, if you will to fuel Daniel Dankcliffe.
You have to find the dank kush to fill Danil Dankcliffe first.
It is a simple Survival check based on your environment.

Survival checks,
Forest DC 15 for Northern lights
Mountain DC 18 for Tibetan Budda
Stream/River DC 15 for Maui Wowie
Cold environment DC 18 for Yukon Gold

After finding it, make a Medicine check DC 12 to refine it.
if check is made 2d3 uses. (half all results for Tibetan Budda)
if check is failed 1d2 uses only.

effects only add to a Barbarians rage abilities.

1. Northern Lights
- Damage resistance 2+1per dose taken, to non magical damage after applying other resistances first.

2. Maui Wowie
- You gain flying for one round, your move speed becomes your flying speed for one round.

3.Yukon Gold
-Rave Rage, you ignore the line under Rage page 48 if your turn ends and you have haven't attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then per hit off Daniel Radcliffe of yukon gold.

4.Tibetan Budda
-  apply all three other types listed above.

Wednesday 31 October 2018

Session 17 in Rise of the Runelords in 5e


The group went into the Barn wanting to end this with the obese half-ogre sorceress that almost killed them the first foray into the farmstead, revenge is what fueled the group now.
 Charles and Toucan lead the way and killed to penned up hounds that they fought before, no other soul was present, 3 doors faced them now. Two are on raised platforms 15 feet above the floor.

Charles rips one of the doors open, hanging on one hinge the other door is thrust open, waiting a few seconds as the room beyond is filled with spider webs of large size, out of one of the web tunnels a horse sized spider lurches out at Charles!



The upper doors are opened and three half-ogre brutes come out peppering the party with ranged attacks in the form of javelins thrown from the upper levels.

Tamar moves forward as Shalelu begins firing at the giant spider but first drops a hunter's mark on said spider, Ulgar summons a giant octopus and a Deinonychus to push the half-ogres of the platforms, Mama starts casting spells and immediately Toucan disengages to go after Mama.
 
  





Mama gets forced back as one of her sons has to push past her to stop the monk from getting to her, she worries and casts cloud kill forcing the group to fall back out of the barn, in her next round after the cloud dissipates in the clean wooded air she casts Bigby's hand to enter the the fight.
The group falls back from that deadly cloud kill, Tamar enters the barn after the cloud moves and Charles goes screaming through the barn and leaping up and over and on to the catwalk, by now the Deinonychus engages Mama. 






She is getting assaulted on all sides, arrows from the Ranger, a summoned monster from the Druid, the Barbarian and Monk coming towards her from the other side and the Cleric casting a spell, she once again opens Dimension door and gets killed while stepping through the door to safety by the summoned creature.

Toucan and Charles find three prisoners in a holding cell at the back of the barn, freeing them they come to learn that these are Rangers from Fort Rannick, Jakardos Sovark, Vale Temros and Kaven Windstrike.
Shalelu begins crying as she recognizes one of the Rangers, her step father Jakardos
"why, did you abandon us at crying leaf?" she questioned.

Tuesday 30 October 2018

Small Goals

I have started changing the way I do things, I always try to have something cool and larger then it needs to be.

I started changing my way of thinking slowly and just recently.

Make a cool encounter next session. I will focus on doing that and make it the best (coolest) one yet.

Monday 29 October 2018

Random Encounters on Hook Mountain

Random Encounters on Hook Mountain

30% chance on trails leading up to the Kreegs clanhold.
If an encounter is rolled, roll a D6.

1- Three Xorn assult the party going after anyone with metal armour.
2- Three Ettins looking for Ogres to eat, attack. All three ettins are on a slope higher up, 55 feet up the slope, hard climb DC16, roll boulders down at the group.2d8+5 damage.
3- Four Winter Wolves looking for a meal. If party is using stealth roll wolves perception roll vs parties stealth roll (group roll averaged out) for the DC number. If concealed, roll wolves perception with no advantage. If not surprised the Wolves try and ambush the group. 2 wolves attack the party and retreat as 2 hide and try to go after the ones in the back of the group.
4- Three Ash Drakes TOB 149 try and drag one of the party members off the cliff face, later to eat the meal after it's been beaten down the D100+25 foot drop (1D10 falling Damage per 10 feet) use grappling rules from PHB pg.195 to try and grab the player and use remaining move to move grappled player off the ledge.
5- 2D4 Ogrekin, these ogres are looking for people/animals to eat, they are hungry. If 4 ogres are rolled make one a chain brute (Mordenkainen's ToF p.221) If 8 is rolled make the eighth one a ogre warchief (Nerzugal's Extended Bestiary p.79). Group should easily get the drop on these ogres if stealthy.
6-  Two Owl bears, both females, going back to the den with two each offspring. each 2 offspring count as one owlbear, when it takes half damage it does half damage. Party can avoid this if they are smart and leave them alone.


Looking at replacing encounter four,Ash Drakes for two wyverns (mated pair) as wyvern peaks are close by. 

Sunday 28 October 2018

How I do Cold Exposure damage in D&D 5E

I modified the exposure rules in Pathfinder on page 442 of the core rulebook and added it to a 5e spin.
My players are 8th level.

Party members are climbing hook mountain to get to a tribe of ogres. Climbing the mountain is simple enough but a few survival checks will get the party on a path that the ogres use very frequently. They could also try and avoid patrols by climbing.

Exposure to the elements is unused in D&D 5e, at least in my games, but I will change that and make the group fear mother nature. In this three hour journey along the trail they may have a random encounter but the way will be swift up the mountain, but if they decided to climb it will take 6 hours and they will get up without encounters but exposure and falling down the mountain may happen.

Rules, Failure does not mean instant death, but slow or very little progress up the mountain.

Climbing,
DC 14 Athletics check every hour for six hours to climb the mountain (advantage with climbers kit or creative methods (spells,equipment,player wording,etc..))

Search for Trail,
DC 15 Survival check, a success means they find the trail to walk up the mountain in three hours but they have a 30% chance of a random encounter every hour. Reduce percentage chance by 15% for creative RPGing (using stealth, slowing the pace down, using spells,etc,etc...)
Players will use HELP, in my games I allow the HELP action which gives advantage to skill check rolls.

Player's Handbook page 291 has the exhaustion chart, the group will make Constitution Saving throw DC 13, for cold weather under 40 degrees F (4 degrees C).
Partial Winter clothes gives advantage, fully clothed winter clothes (gloves,hats,boots,etc) as do spells that protect against the cold that last one hour requires no roll at all, you succeed.
Each hour of exposure adds +1 to the DC.
Hour one DC 13 Con save
Hour two DC 14
Hour three DC 15, etc...

Each failure does 1d8 Exposure damage, not actual Hit Points but exposure damage.
How many Exposure points do I have? your current H.P's divided by six, why six? Players Handbook page 291 has six levels of Exhaustion.

A 8th level Cleric should have, with a Con stat bonus of +2, 59 HP's at level 8.
59 divided by 6=9.83 round down, 9

First hour of exposure if failed results in 1D8 Exposure damage, lets say a six is rolled.
Second hour of exposure is failed as well, resulting in a further roll for exposure damage, resulting in another six of exposure damage, total 12.
That is below the 9 for level one, which results in level one Exhaustion, disadvantage on ability checks. Level three pretty much would kill the character unless they get out of the cold weather.


Quick google search and now I re-skin each level by using these words to describe the effects,



What are examples of 'nonfreezing' cold injuries?

Chilblains are a mild cold injury caused by prolonged and repeated exposure for several hours to air temperatures from above freezing (0°C or 32°F) to as high as 16°C (or about 60°F). In the affected skin area there will be redness, swelling, tingling, and pain.
Immersion foot occurs in individuals whose feet have been wet, but not freezing cold, for days or weeks. It can occur at temperatures up to 10°C (50°F). The primary injury is to nerve and muscle tissue. Symptoms include tingling and numbness; itching, pain, swelling of the legs, feet, or hands; or blisters may develop. The skin may be red initially and turn to blue or purple as the injury progresses. In severe cases, gangrene may develop.
Trenchfoot is "wet cold disease" resulting from prolonged exposure in a damp or wet environment from above the freezing point to about 10°C (50°F). Depending on the temperature, an onset of symptoms may range from several hours to many days but the average is three days. Trenchfoot is more likely to occur at lower temperatures whereas an immersion foot is more likely to occur at higher temperatures and longer exposure times. A similar condition of the hands can occur if a person wears wet gloves for a prolonged period under cold conditions described above. Symptoms are similar to an immersion foot.

Saturday 27 October 2018

Feats at level 1, for all


I allow the variant rules for humans on page 31 of the player's handbook and I'm currently toying with the idea of allowing all races to do the same, but they would have too take penalties to character creation to get it.

For example. The Dwarf page 20 in the 5e player's handbook.

Constitution Stat bonuses would drop to only a plus one
Would lose the Darkvision ability
Also lose Combat Training in half of the lists proficiency.

Is it worth a feat? maybe?


Session 16 in Rise of the Runelords in 5e

The first foray into The Graul Homestead was and still is a humiliating defeat to the player characters, they did what most parties do not, they ran.

Running away from the enemy saved the lives of three members as two fell in combat to the Grauls, the confined space, mixed with deadly spells from Mama Graul really hampered the abilities of the adventures.
CloudKill took the group down faster then anything I have done to them in the past, running for their lives has made them a little bit nervous for the next engagement with Mama.

  


Arriving back in Turtleback Ferry with the bodies of Toucan and Shalelu, they rushed to the Temple of Erastil where Father Maelin took them in and made arrangements to try and find 300 gold worth of diamonds for the second casting of revivify.
Shortly after the components for the spell was located and purchased and the spell was completed and both members where returned to the group.

After resting the evening and planning a new raid on the farm house brings the party into a fight for their lives, cloud kill spell starts taking a toll on the group faster then they can heal it back.

Clearing the basement out first, the group takes on the largest Ogre they have ever fought with his two giant rats the group falls back and makes short work of the Ogre and his friends.


Mama is a necromancer and she and her three zombie half-ogres start to take the party down again.





With two summoned giant octopuses (Octopi?) Charles holds back the group so that they can start to flee once again.




The group runs out the boarded up windows into the open air as Mama Graul sends the zombies in pursuit as the cleric drops spirit guardian, denoted by the blue bead.


Toucan with an incredible amount of movement runs to the front of the house to battle Mama as the Ulfgar transforms into a giant constrictor snake (represented by the T-Rex) to make short work of the zombie half-ogres.
Mama needs to escape, as the monk is making short work of the sorceress in melee.



A shimmering doorway opens up before Mama Graul as she flees from the group in fear.
They look towards the Barn, knowing that she must have fled into it or the surrounding woods?

To be continued..........  

Tuesday 23 October 2018

Surprises Re-skinning

Surprises, some like them, some do not.

I do.

In the near future the group with try to kill Dank Vapour and all his Sons.

Dank is part of one of the players background story they wrote up.

Currently and not in the session reports one of Dank's sons has been killed and more are out there in the wilds and the clan will try to kill the player character (Charles the half-orc barbarian) as he is scene as a mark, a mark upon Nulgreth, the Blood God a Orc Deity. 

The surprise will be the Wyvern that Dank's son rides, it will be a young black dragon rules but will look blue. The surprise is it is actually a young blue dragon (using the young black dragon rules) with lightning attack and the front legs are missing, they were amputated years ago.

I will be using this model



and wanted to freak the party out when a blue wyvern starts spitting out lightning breath weapon attacks. It will be the young black dragon stats and will have to have the thing flying every time it makes claw attacks, but what the hell lets freak them out :)

 

Saturday 20 October 2018

Sons of Dank

The sons of Dank Vapour

DoomSmasha- (LE, male half-Orc, third son of Dank)
Stands 6'4" tall, wears a plate mail and his helmet visor has the skull of an ogre set in the face plate and can be raised up. He is the quiet, attractive, well thought out son that by's his time, waiting to strike the enemy when he has the advantage, not them. He has an un-orc characteristic, that he will fallback in the face of a greater enemy, the reason he does not lead the tribe today.
   He served as a mercenary in the Trunau militia till he betrayed the men he followed in an ambush, he set up and collaborated with Stone giants that he informed where the detachment would be.

Doomsmasha as he is now called among the skull crushes, he took an oath of vengeance against the rangers of fort rannick after he settled in the area of Turtleback ferry for what they did to his tribe.

DoomSmasha's helmet is similar to General Kael's helmet from the willow movie.



I will be using the Blackguard stats for Doomsmasha's (volo's page 211) but adding advantage attacks against all rangers of Fort Rannick.

Friday 19 October 2018

Working On?

Working on?

Working on converting Rise of the Rune Lords book 3 The Hook Mountain Massacre to D&D 5e

What I did today?

  • Listening to: Game Classy episode 173, Androids & Aliens episode 7
  • Reading: starfinder
  • Watching:all the Marvel season two of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones,season one of cloak and dagger,Wrecked season 3, one episode left, it's always sunny in Philadelphia season 13 and more.... Iron fist season 2 is not watched yet but it was cancelled. I have yet to watch it.
  • Playing: D&D 5e in Golarion world
  • Eating: nothing, down 13 pounds, goal is to be 190 in the new year
  • Drinking: coffee & water, had a beer last night.

1.Ordered 30 D4's to make healing potions out of salt and pepper shakers from the dollar store.
2. Waiting on my Starfinder Dead Suns Pawns coming in from Wordery.
3. Sitting in my cart are 10 Pathfinder pocket 1e books, will not buy them unless I sell 2 lots of my RPG books I'm looking to unload.


Pr-Ordered

1.Starfinder:Alien Archive 2
2.D&D 5e, Waterdeep dungeon of the mad mage
3.D&D 5e Guildmaster guide to Ravnica


Debating buying

1.Vampire 5e


Sunday 14 October 2018

Sunday Game Cancelled



This does not happen to often but it does, canceled games get cancelled.

This Sunday's session will be moved due to an illness.
Life sucks once in awhile but you move on and deal with problems as they arise.

Currently the group is level 7 and in the middle of a giant dam that a group of Ogres where trying to destroy.

The next session the party will dive deeper into the skull crossing dam and try to find out what was going on within it.
 The session will begin first with the remaining rangers from fort Rannick taking on the rescue of villagers from Turtleback Ferry, should not take longer then two hours of real time.

Need to set up more sons of Dank Vapour backstory.

Saturday 13 October 2018

StarFinder

Began reading the rulebook, once again and listening to Androids and Aliens podcast from the glass cannon network.
I do miss listening to podcasts at work. Now I can no longer listen while I work due to a position change three years ago. I do have to say I miss that element.

I think to much and have been doing so with my current campaign ending on 36 sessions, what to play next?
I have to say, I would prefer to play starfinder to pathfinder 1e. Pathfinder 2e would make me reconsider starfinder?
I need a little more crunch in my games then D&D 5e allows and I do get tired of house ruling, rules in my game that are well pathfinder versions.
I do enjoy the easy of D&D 5e to pathfinder 1e, and starfinder seems to be a go between for pathfinder 1e and D&D 5e rules wise. 

Time will tell what I do next but by the time this happens Pathfinder 2e will be out almost a year and starfinder, I'm sure will have a second book of classes to add to the core rulebook, I currently have all the books and pawns for that game the is released.
   

Tuesday 9 October 2018

Session 15 in Rise of the Runelords in 5e

The road to Turtleback Ferry from Magnimar would take close to 2 weeks to complete, once they raided the Mayors personnel warehouse, some equipment and a little magic was obtained they geared up were met by Shalelu Andosana, Female Elf, Rogue/Ranger, the parties scout was a formidable in all aspects.
She explained the journey a head and help make sure they are prepared for all the issue to come in the wilds.





45 years ago The Order of the Black Arrows have been charged with keeping the lands around Turtleback Ferry safe from, mainly the Kreegs a group of Ogres that have been slaughtering humankind for over a hundred years in that area.
On the way in Ilsurian, a skirmish between a tribe of Orcs known as the Bloody Skulls and the local militia had ended with a defense tower lost to the Orcs and they were looking for adventures to clear it out as the militia was to bust keeping the rest of the tribe at bay. Charles wanted to attack the Orcs as this was his old tribe, the bloody skulls had dome many things to him and his mother, but the past was pushed away for the greater good of the original quest. He walked away with all the old thoughts swimming in his head of what had transpired so many years ago.





Upon crossing one of two rivers that meet at claybottom lake sits Turtleback Ferry, they crossed the river by paying the toll from a ferry crossing, not any boat will do but a upside down gigantic turtle shell, hence the villages name, Turtleback Ferry.
Tamar immediatelywent to the local tempel to introduce himself, Ulgar accompanied him as well.
There they met Maelin Shreed, mayor and Cleric of Erastil, with friendly greetings they got information about the fort,village and surrounding area.
Toucan and Charles went straight to the Bottoms up the local tavern to worship Cayden Cailean and find out as much as they can about the Sihedron Runes, fort, village and what ever else they can turn up.
In time they find out that many of the locals have Runes tattooed on ankles,the shoulder or the small of the back and through interrogation of one local find out that it was a mark that would give you a discount if shown at the local casino. Unfortunately this casino, Paradise, is now at the bottom of the clay bottom lake, sunk weeks ago. 
The people had no idea how sinister this mark real was.

Getting what they thought they needed for the next part of the journey together, the group set out for Fort Rannick on Lamashan (October) 1st, time to see what had happened to the Fort.
Shalelu was dressed and ready before dawn to guide the group to the fort after asking locals how to get to the fort.

After crossing skull river miles from town yowls of pain in the near by woods sends the group investigating the sounds, soon after the sounds intensify to sounds of combat, they emerge from a clearing to see a cougar, a fire pelt cougar to e exact fighting a hound, the cat is trapped in bear trap.

Across from them baying of many hounds and someone signing a children song that sounds made up, the group decides to help the cat after Ulfgar the groups druid senses that it is a pet of someones, the first of many hounds are killed.
From across the clearing a Ogre bursts from the woods surrounded by 9 or 10 hounds as he release the hounds he gives the attack command and begins roaring at the group
" I's huntin' kitty cat! No concern o'you's less you's wanna be hunted too!"

Rukus and his hounds engage the group,

The fight is bloody and short with little problems for the players as they mop up this Ogre and the dogs.






After freeing and healing the cougar, she tugs on Ulfgars cloak to follower her, a brief ritual late and Charles communicates with her finding out her name is Kibb and her master has been captured by Ogre-kin and locked up with other friends.

The party moves towards the farmstead. The farm is over grown and in bad need of repairs everything including crops is suffering from neglect.
A enormousness Ogre and a smaller friend ambush the group pn the road to the homestead. 






They move towards the home on the farm entering it slowly but are immediately set upon by a few traps, going through the house room by room fighting half-oger kin, they were doing well till a sorceress, mama as the others called her.
This obese women and her zombies began killing the party one by one, if they did not flee they would have all died, 2 party members did in fact die.
running back to the road to Turtleback Ferry they ran with Toucan and Shalelu dead.
They only had enough diamonds to revivify one, so Toucan the half Tengu half Aarakocra was brought back from the dead.
Intense negotiation with the Maelin Shreed the mayor and priest of Erastil secured more diamonds to be used on Shalelu, she was back among the living again, time to make Mama pay for crimes against the party! 



Saturday 6 October 2018

Working on?

Working on converting Rise of the Rune Lords book 3 The Hook Mountain Massacre, I mentioned what to do after the campaign and someone said play part 2 next, so took shattered star book one of the shelf to read.

What I did today?

  • Listening to: Game Classy eps. 162  
  • Reading: re-reading Players Handbook 5e, pathfinder 2e
  • Watching:Ozark season 2, two episodes left to watch, all the season two of Marvels members of the Defenders, Wrecked season 3, it's always sunny in Philadelphia season 13 and more....
  • Playing: D&D 5e in Golarion world
  • Eating: nothing, down 13 pounds, goal is to be 190 in the new year
  • Drinking: coffee & water


Bought a few books.

Missing,
Adventure Paths
last 4 books of Jade Regent
last 2 books of Winters Reign
All 6 books of Wrath of the Righteous (this is a maybe)
book 1 of War for the crown (Flags you failed me)

Map Folios,
have all currently

Adventure Path Pawn sets,
I have all current Adventure Path pawn sets

Missing 11 7 Adventure Paths Books or 13 if I buy wrath of the Righteous?


StarFinder

Have everything currently out for Starfinder, not the maps.

Thursday 4 October 2018

What is my favorite class in D&D 5e?



                                                      What is my favorite class in D&D 5e?


That is easy, it has to have religious applications. My first two choices are cleric or paladin, I could play other classes that have a strict religious code or conduct but I would fantasize about a world where gods are real and people would be zealots in faith towards said gods.

Imagine are real world that a priest of what ever religion you currently follow or know about would grant magical powers to you if you followed their code/conduct.   

Remarkable. 

My old campaign was going to end with the players banished to a far realm, it was going to be Earth 1972 and with it, it would herald a new age. I would have combined the 5e rules with modern age of 1985.
Gods would be real, once that campaign ended I was going to do a second campaign of only 18 months of evil characters and do the exact same ending.
Still on my radar, hopefully one day? 

Monday 1 October 2018

Halfway done the campagin?

           
    I will be shortly halfway completed my current campaign, with being behind three session reports to write up and with three more to complete to hit the halfway mark I have begun thinking of the next campaign.
What to run next?
Pathfinder 1e?
Pathfinder 2e?
Another D&D 5e campaign?
Starfinder?
Vampire the Masquerade 5e?
Warhammer Fantasy role-play 4e?
13th Age?
D&D 4e?
etc,etc,etc......

I still have time to think about it, I already posted the Return of the Runelords adventire path teaser commercial in are group chat and a few said lets do that, but I believe shatter star adventure path is part two the Rise of the Runelords AP?

Time will tell.
I plan on getting a Vegan cake to celebrate the halfway mark, one of are group is a vegan.

But what image should I get on the cake?

Thinking of this one?

 


Sunday 30 September 2018

Session 14 in Rise of the Runelords in 5e

With he rest of the group finally reaching the top of the abandoned clock tower, Xanesha waited for them at the peak, outside of the building her lair had been defiled by these two legged creatures.





She is like no other monster the party had fought before, beautiful, powerful and cunning!
They had the fight of their lives ahead of themselves.

As they rushed the peak of the clock tower Xanesha was waiting for them, with false life and spider climb already cast and activated she fired three arrows at Charles as he climbed the stairs onto the outside of the tower, and with her movement began slithering on the outside of the tower, the party was surprised at how well she had prepared herself.

Between fireballs, counter spells and staying at long range as much as possible she had reduced the group to all below half hit points and they began to doubt themselves of the outcome of this engagement. A well placed hold person spell ended the spider climb which put her at a disadvantage on a lucky attack roll, she had to flee to survive this confrontation, she misty stepped down the stairs and began the run down 200 feet of stairs, but she began taking too much damage and jumped of the tower to feather fall the last 25 feet to freedom to the groups dis pair, that was three villains to escape them.



This was found in the nest of this Abomination





They has more clues when a ledger was found with plans to kill the local lord-mayor Grobaras himself.
The clues
- they are trying to focus on greedy people
- it is tied to the Sihedron symbol
- someone has different way of marking greed on people
- Xanesha has a sister in a village name turtleback Ferry
- the fort by or near the village may have already fallen? (fort Rannick)
- a death plot of the mayor is in the works

Once the Mayor learned of this he fainted and upon awakening begged the group to go to Turtleback Ferry on his behalf and find these culprits and bring justice to them. They would be handsomely compensated for the effort, they agreed. 


Tuesday 25 September 2018

Pathfinder Playtest

Myself and 3 other friends par-took in a game of Pathfinder 2e playtest this past Sunday.

After two session, I have to say I really enjoy the action economy by far. Movement is so fluid with this 3 system.
I do like, concentration, conditions but really need to keep playing it. 

Tuesday 21 August 2018

The Graul Homestead

The Graul Farm took a players life, the confined rooms and add in a cloudkill spell ready knocked the group down for the count.

Once the party took a heavy beating they ran in fear, yes fear. Once the Monk dropped, the summoned Octopuses began smashing the windows out and they fled. The NPC (Shalelu) dropped next.

They ran back to Turtleback Ferry to revivify the 2 lost souls. They spent one session and part of another in this farm house, it really hurt the party. They are in the final battle against the same creature again, but in the barn this time.
Once the first party member dropped I immediately did a quick monster change, they were fighting a level 12 Necromancer and 3 Ogre Zombies, but medium size. I dropped the necromancer from level 12 to 10 lowered the Hit Points by 14 and lost the level 6 spell. I then halved the H.P's on the last Ogre zombie.

Five level 6 P.C's plus a lion (Medium size) hard a very hard fight. 

I need to write up the session 14 and 15 still. 

Monday 6 August 2018

The amount of product helps & Pathfinder 2e second group


I enjoy having a company do all the work for me, lots of quality products and books really helps when planning out a game for your friends.

I want to show how to use Paizo with the D&D 5e engine can really help with building a better game as you take a back seat to having the majority of the work done for you. (Was now it will be Pathfinder 2e).

We will take a look at the Adventure Path Hell's Rebels

Hell's Rebels is an Adventure Path I would like to run one day, it encourages players to be the good guys starting a rebellion in an evil province/state. In the link above if you scroll down you see 12 sources of help to run this campaign for your group.

Originally was going to run this for 3 friends in Dungeons & Dragons 5e engine, now with the Pathfinder 2e playtest document given away for free, I have taken upon myself  to convert it to the second edition of Pathfinder.

I will be doing session reports as in my Rise of the Rune Lords 5e game and share my thoughts here to look over when I run this for my other group of gamers.

August 19th will be session one. Pathfinder 2e Hell's Rebels

Sunday 5 August 2018

Session 13.5 in Rise of the RuneLords in 5e

They quickly found a guide to take them to the Irespan and once they got there stopped and stared around total lost with how to proceed? They saw Ravens here and there, which one did they need to go to? They needed to find messenger birds not wild ones.
After going into a tavern and getting laughed at by the locals the characters began getting desperate,  then it hit Charles as he poured over his character sheet, Path of the Totem Warrior gives Spirit Seeker, which allows beast sense and speak with animals. A short conversation with a Crow, as he was offended to that Charles thought he was a Raven, they found the messenger birds they were looking for, they had been nesting at the old clock tower, an abandoned tower, the locals called it The Shadow Clock.





They entered the building and looked up at the vast empty tower with just a staircase circling the interior, six store rooms on the main floor faced them. They searched the rooms on the main floor and one of them a large scarecrow emerged.
I was thinking they would have a difficult time with the golem dressed as a scarecrow but once they took the mask off and made a quick roll to find out what it was, the nature 20 told them all they needed to know and magic made short work of it.
Once the search of the main floor was done they worked at climbing the tower from the inside, the tower itself was over 200 feet tall, the long ascend.
Into the third floor climb the bell began tolling and was getting closer, the rope had been cut! It was screaming down at them, Charles and Ulfgar took the damage and all fell to the floor below.
After wasting magic to heal themselves, Ulfgar changed into a giant spider and Toucan mounted him and began climbing the tower from the outside. Charles and Tamar began the long ascend once again keeping an eye on the remaining tower bells.
 Ulfgar entered the tower at the Clock face as he ascended the tower with ease as a spider, they saw 2 faceless stalkers getting ready to unleash a second bell at the other two party members trying to jump the gap that the first bell made.

   Ulfgar was shoved off the edge but caught the edge 100 feet down but still pasted Charles and Toucan running up the stairs, Toucan went into unconsciousness fighting the last stalker on his own and was rescued by Ulfgars timely appearance. 

Saturday 4 August 2018

Sessin 13 in Rise of the RuneLords in 5e

They ran down the stairs as the fast as they could and Mac chased after 2 cultists that fled from the second story window, at this point Tamar Jaxx had tracked them down, with Shalelu Andosana.

Tamar Jaxx arrived in Magnimar newly deputized and with the help of Shalelu tracked his new           co-workers, he was assigned to them and needed to find out what they had found and to report that the ghoul attacks had dwindled to only a few rag tag stubborn ghouls who refused to leave the area.

Following the clues that the Inn that the group stayed in supplied him with, Shalelu went to the the Lost Coast Road entrance/exit and waiting to make sure they were not on the way out.
Luckily (or un-lucky) he walked in on the main floor as 4 cultists set an ambush for the same group he was looking for, he trigger it just as they came running down the burning building.

The fight was fast a furious but the party had the upper hand from the beginning and as the cultists ran out onto the docks to escape a loud splash just of the south western corner was the cleric that they had encountered at the top, he jumped from the flames to save himself into the Yondakari River.

Ulfgar dove into the river shape changing into, you guest it a giant Octopus, Tamar,Charles and Toucan chased down 2 of the last cultists. Mac took off in pursuit of the window fleeing cultists.
Justice Ironbrair, seriously confusing Ulfgar in the process escaped the grapple attempt and made it to shore fleeing down the back alleys towards the crowed areas. The cultists chased by Toucan and Charles went through a alley and started climbing a building onto the roof.

Ulfgar was outpaced by the elf so he summoned a Allosaurus and commanded it to get 'em. One of the cultists broke his neck falling from the roof after Toucan roundhouse kicked him and Charles broke the other ones back landing on him after they both fell off the roof.
Meanwhile Mac disappeared into the crowd running the cultists down, Tamar tried to enter the building to look for clues and the flames were to much, he exited the sawmill looking up to see if anyone else was inside he witnessed 2 ravens fight their way out of a small outhouse shaped building on the roof and fly of in the distance towards Irespan (under-bridge)



The people of Magnimar ran as fast as they could from the Allosaurus and in a way helping clear the way for Justice Ironbrair, he knew he could not escape a bipedal carnivore so turned back towards the river, he dove in of the fence he climbed and the beast got one last chomp, but the freedom of movement spell he had placed on himself saved him once again.

They had only one lead the Irespan. Where did those messenger Ravens go to?  

Pathfinder Playtest

I have been reading the Pathfinder Playtest and learning.

Currently I like what I see but I have not gotten far into reading, I will be taking Hell's Rebels Adventure Path and see if I can convert it to Pathfinder 2e.
Tentatively I will shot for a August 19th start time for this campaign and it will have 3 players in the group. I invited a fourth and when they bailed another person was asked but it has been a week so I will keep the game to 3 players and a NPC player.

If you want to get the PDF for free go you Paizo.com register an account or sign into your account and the front page has the links for the downloads.

Enjoy!

Sunday 29 July 2018

Session 12.5 in Rise of the Runelords in 5e

Once again Ulfar was the star of this encounter changing into a giant Octopus and pinning creatures down so the rest of the party could encircle and eliminate these creatures pretending to be the Foxgloves.





Searching the townhouse unearthed a few things, a nest egg from Aldern holding money, legal papers as well as the deed to the townhouse itself. The deed indicates that the Foxglove family only financed two -thirds of the manor's construction So years ago; the remainder was financed by a group called the Brothers of the Seven. The deed also bears an unusual clause near the end that
indicates that after 100 years , ownership of Foxglove Manor and the lands within a mile "around and below"reverts to the brothers.
In a thin Ledger, nearly a dozen entries from over the past 3 months labeled as "Iesha's Trip to
Absalom," each indicating Foxglove was paying someone referred to as "B-7" 200 sp a week for her "trip," dropping off the payment every Oathday at midnight at a place called "the Seven's Sawmill."



The group left in search of the Seven's Sawmill, they found it to be on the Inlet Isle of Kyver's. (number 18 on the map below)


They arrived to find a tall building, support on large posts over the Yondabakari River.





The main floor was absent of anyone so the group went up towards sounds of people working, operating saws, winches and other wood cutting implements. They encountered 4 works, that quickly donned masks, drew viscous long straight edge blades and attacked the group as intruders.




Remarkably no one came to investigate the loud disturbances that this battle made, but being in a loud sawmill the party figured the noise covered the expected fighting.  Fate was not looking out for them, one of the cultists on the upper floor witnessed the on going fight and after a few rounds of combat organized the other 3 with him to go down and engage the group from both sides of the fight.








After getting ambushed by a second group coming down from the floor above the party started using more offensive magic and the druid once again shape shifted into the creature I hate the most.








 After finally killing eight cultists they climbed all the way to the top level, this time they had the jump on the bad guys, killing 2 cultists quickly and the main villain showing himself as a Judge no less, the elven cleric dropped a  Insect plague and the parties cleric replied with a fireball. They sawdust in the room exploded causing blindness and a fire to spread rapidly within this room.









Tuesday 24 July 2018

What I did Today

What I did Today

What I did today?

  • Listening to: Game Classy podcast eps. 154 
  • Reading: Rise of the Runelords book 3 The Hook Mountain Massacre, Hell's Rebels book 2 and Ruins of Azlant book 1
  • Watching:  Luke Cage S02, Jessica Jones S02, the magicians S02, walking dead S08
  • Playing: D&D 5e in Golarion world (Pathfinder) Rise of the Runelords book 3
  • Eating: Beef and Broccoli
  • Drinking: water
  • Discussion:Weight loss, I can't stop eating :)

Bought a few books today.
Shipping Mummy's Mask map Folio (on the way)
Shipping IronFang Map Folio (on the way)

Missing,
Adventure Paths
last 4 books of Jade Regent
last 2 books of Winters Reign
book 4 of Mummy's Mask is on back order but ordered and waiting on it.
All 6 books of Wrath of the Righteous (this is a maybe)
last 3 books of Hells Rebels, book 4 ordered and on back order
book 1 of War for the crown (Flags you failed me)

Map Folios,
will have all in a week, in transit

Adventure Path Pawn sets,
I have all current Adventure Path pawn sets

Missing 17 11 Adventure Paths Books or 17 if I buy wrath of the Righteous?

Monday 23 July 2018

Adventure Paths

Here are the Adventure Paths that I have played.

Currently playing Rise of theRunelords in D&D 5e rules.

Played Kingmaker in Pathfinder rules. In book 2 the party was TPKed.

Played Carrion Crown in Pathfinder rules. This was my first Adventure Path I ran and in book 4 dropped the ball and another player took over as the GM and ended at level 13. We ended it to play D&D 4th edition and after 6 months of that we started playing 5th edition of D&D.

Ran books 1,2 and 3 of Giantslayer in D&D 5e starting at level 4, the game ended at level 13.




My Son is Running Ruins of Azlant in the 5e rules, they are in book 2, I do not play in that game but it is in my house.


So What Adventure Paths would I like to do? in no particulate order,

Hell's Rebels
Ruins of Azlant
Hell's Vengeance (only if Hell's Rebels, we complete)
Iron Gods
Shattered Star (only if we complete Rise of the Rune Lords)
Skulls & Shackles
Curse of the Crimson Throne
Return of the Rune Lords (only is Shattered Star is completed)