They Met at a Tavern 24: When the DM Mentions Something in Passing, Part II...

Better get this written down before I forget details of the chaos...

The Miscreants:

• Wayne: Pharan, human Sea Wolf
• Chris: Roult, human Basilisk Warrior
• Dan: Kiara, elf Ras Godai
• Seana: Zanegar, 1/2 orc Sea Wolf
• Callista: Erol, elf Priest
• Mike: Merrick, human Bard
• Mark (first timer): Irir, elf Thief

First of all, bumped a couple of the Repeat Offenders to 3rd level, since they keep showing up.

The returning crew from last week was heading back to Bettiholm, when they chanced upon a couple of adventurers (Merrick and Irir). The pair looked shady, so were welcomed to join the crew. The group then caught up with a small caravan carrying a mixed selection of supplied and curiosities for delivery to town. Some haggling went on, but the party was unsuccessful. 

The caravan parked outside of town at the caravanserai, and the party headed in to catch up with gem dealer Delmar. Perhaps to find a more reputable broker, since they suspected that Kashmi Rasam had double-crossed his buyer, and they didn't care to be associated with that. In the meantime, they had to dodge "Chicken Day" where the mayor was handing out food donations to the downtrodden of the city. Of which there were plenty. It's a good thing that the caravan included chickens among its cargos.

Somewhere in this, the DM produced a rough map of town and pointed out some features that the party had visited, as well as other landmarks:

Cat not included 

The Sealed Tower (upper RH corner) drew them like moths to flame... Well, it was sealed by multiple methods after Bad Things Happened, of course. Perhaps it's associated with the city's curse and loss of significance. What would have instigated it (question to players) - diabolic dealings and summoning. Always a classic. 

The party ventured to meet the mayor (Fabio Hegewald) as he was washing his hands after a day of handing out foodstuffs and (eeww!) touching the citizens. The mayor and advisor indicated that the sealing occurred after a priest of Terragnis had violated his vows and called up demons in a gamble for power. Can we get into the tower? No, its been sealed, although there might be alternate paths. Have other adventurers explored it? Yes, and they never returned (dramatic music). 

Well, ok - let's get some rest, resupply, and look at things in the morning (i.e. no carousing). Of course, they were met at their inn by representatives of House Zulad, the Dissatisfied Customer from the prior relic sale. Of course, they wouldn't have known of the double-cross, but their reputation was now suspect. And yes, we caught Rasam on his way out of town with a number of items, including the inner workings of the Orb. Of course, it wouldn't do to just kill him, as he has knowledge and talent (big reveal)...

They Met at a Tavern 21: When the DM Mentions Something in Passing...

What did I get myself into tonight, and with whom?

• Seana: Zanegar, 1/2 orc Sea Wolf
• Roger: Brom, dwarf Desert Rider
• Chris: Roult, human Basilisk Warrior
• Callista: Erol, elf Priest
• Daniel: Hawk, human Ranger
• Rick: Bjorr, 1/2 orc Paladin 

Note: Callista is Chris' granddaughter, who had never rolled dice before this session. This will become important later.

Well, the party docked at Zelkor's Ferry, arriving due to some unfortunate events in the last town across the water.

This, coincidentally (or not) was where a prior party arrived a couple of sessions ago... Note: None of the players (except the Shorter Half) were involved in that session, so it's untrodden territory.

ANYWAY, the DM (who had a trio of available scenarios lined up) mentioned that the party meets some other patched-up adventurers going the other way with a couple of chests of loot. They mention that they got it off some pirates, but you don't need to worry about them. Just the undead dragon.

So much for delving some pre-selected tomb or abandoned mine...

The paladin beelined to the inn to purchase a cask of ale to fortify himself for the adventure. It was determined to be evening anyhow, so everyone eventually followed. They got a bit of background from the militia sergeant and a rough map the adventurers had left. The desert rider asked the priest if undead dragons could still speak and throw spells (WIS roll, dirty 20) - we decided that Erol did well in her Undead Studies classes and suspected that, depending on the cause of undeath, that the dragon was unlikely to still speak. 

Things in the inn took a turn when the local blacksmith showed up to play (poorly) her bagpipes. As well as a certain coolness that came over the crowd when another local appeared, Hebetha Solace. Erol's neck hairs stood up a bit as the woman approached the table. I understand you are seeking looking to hunt down the undead dragon. I have associates who are in need of the head. I'll pay you good coin if you are able to retrieve it.  

More coin? We're in.

Oh, and she dropped off a pair of Hugo's Healing Potions (tm) as a down payment. 

In the morning, the band set off in a somewhat patched-up small sailing boat, captained by the sea wolf, with assistance by the ranger (sailor background). The desert rider hung over the rail, and tried to keep land in sight. 

A shark followed the ship, possibly lured by the desert rider's "chumming."

Campaign Journal: Final Entry

Who made it through all this nonsense:

• Jax-barbarian
• Slick-thief
• Frederick-thief
• Rondel-elf

This will be a long one. Buckle up.

We set the scene:

The smoke cleared from the battle. Forces bandaged up and counted their dead. Militia dispersed, back to protect their own town walls. The Acroria forces considered their situation – their city destroyed, their people refugees, their leadership dead or scattered. Out of this, the Librarian offered to help them solidify this new network, and journey to the Ha-Tak Pyramid to connect it to the Barrier.

Half the Khanate cavalry was returning north, and would escort the Librarian against harm.

That left the party, half the cavalry, and a handful of knights. There was still the root of the Chaos to be eliminated. Dukan Dildran and his contingent of cavalry would join, as well as Benedikt. And Serafina, who has been spending some time with Slick, will join on this final crusade. Oh yeah, and Kavderac, because dragon. After all, dragons may sense another dragon's horde location and size. It is how they assess the strength and age of their potential competitors, and whether it is wise to confront or give them a wide berth.

West toward the mountains and the blighted lands. First, the lair of Eorvalth, the doomed dragon. Consistent with the elven rangers' report, the lair was found to have been the site of a battle, with the dragon missing, as well as their loot. Kavderac sniffed around, disappointed. The dragon equivalent of couch cushion change was found, as well as a couple of overlooked scrolls. The company rested and considered next steps.

While they paused, Kavderac scouted the foothills and mountains for Eorvalth's missing hoard. Successful, he returned.

The dragon guided the party and their cohort into the mountains, with assurances that Eorvalth's hoard was found, and the mutant stronghold assumed to be close by.

Shadowdark: Bloggah's Blog Part 11: Wherein Doomsinger Gets His Bell Rung...

"Yeahgg! Get these beasts off me!"

"Down, dogs... Hey, they can't help it if you're eye to eye with a greyhound. Besides, you look like a chew toy.

"How's things?"

"Not bad, although I lost some coin at the fighting pit. Tarim got his dome rocked."

"Wow, that's a surprise. Bit off more than he could chew?"

"You don't know the half of it. You got any more of that amyonaise stuff?"

"Mayonnaise? Yeah, there's a squeeze bottle in the fridge."

"No way! This is the best! Shots!"

"Oh god..."

****

With Columbo's interpersonal skills in full force, we decided to boogie it over to the Adventurer's Guild, to stash the mithril, as well as see what options there may be for legal representation, just in case...

The last day of the Festival of Serath was in full force, with citizens bringing offerings to be burned in a hollow man, as well as offerings to help keep the oil burning in the temple, as it were... Tarim, always the curious sort, wandered over to check on the procedings, or perhaps start a holy war. Either/or. Sure enough, he got caught up in some disagreement with an acolyte while trying to "help" some fellow whose offering wasn't deemed suitable. Then ended up punching said fellow in the nose. I don't understand these barbarian religious traditions.

Columbo and I hastened to the Guild while Tarim wandered off to buy yet another suit of armor. We were able to secure Columbo's mitril in a hopefully dwarf-proof lockbox. Back to the armorer, where Tarim was getting upsold on a "membership" where he'd get first dibs on paying extra for armor with fancy bits. His coin... Columbo dropped of his masterwork armor, showing significant wear and tear from undead giant fighting. The repair lead time was several days, so he picked up some commoner's armor to slum it in the meantime.

That done, Tarim and I took the side streets back to Godfrey's place (our fixer). But he was distracted by the sounds of the fighting pits... Of course he signed up in the open category. This should be fun. 

Campaign Journal: Odd Jobs

Well, it looks like everyone got into a bad batch of hydra meat. It's getting a bit ripe. Well, except for:

• Slick: thief
• Orzu: gnome

With their comrades laid low or otherwise indisposed, the two PCs were left twiddling their thumbs. Casting about town, there was news of an attack on a patrol by Opharel forces. Concerning, as the two duchies had been in detente for some time. 

The two decided to visit the Temple of Garond, as the party had a writ of support from Proctor Armin, thanking them for their support of the temple in Neuforde. Prior Jaume Magrans was happy to chat with them and offer the temple's support while they were in town. That said, he did have a task of a sensitive nature that a pair of idle adventurers might be interested in. Although the problem of the Chaos mutants was one many leaders' minds, other nefarious things were afoot. Namely, necromancy. One of the local merchants, wine-seller Zadok Meir, may have a side gig going...  Sounds good. We like to keep the dead dead. 

But first, they needed some muscle. Orzu has Torvald to absorb some damage, but Slick's hench Flick is back at Cobalt Lake, helping the naga Queen Adra's crew.

Let's talk to Akreos. He has spare bodies. Particularly, Dukan Dildran, a flamboyant warrior from the northern tundra. A business call to Akreos. What would it take to free him? We could use his skills. Akreos is a businessman, willing to entertain an offer. Or more importantly, entertain his audience. And, in contrast to some of the criminals that end up in the arena, Dildran is a free man captured by the duchy's patrols. Ok, we can fake his death, I'll make some anonymous side bets to offset the loss. But you need to get his agreement. He's a proud one. Down to the gladiator pits, and cells of incarcerated combatants. Some negotiation and gaining of trust, and the northern nomad agreed to freedom in exchange for some help putting down the dead.

For game purposes, "NPC Jax" agreed to fake a few blows with the flat of her blade at the appropriate time, while Orzu cast an illusion of a convincing mortal wound. Slick and Torvard would wait in the wings as stretcher bearers to whisk the "dead" combatant away. All set.

But first, the wine-seller for a bit of recon. And snacks. Slick and Orzu ordered a couple of glasses and a charcuterie board. After a bit, Slick excused himself to hit the head. A quick twist of his ring, and invisible Slick checked out the back areas of the establishment. Kitchen, check. Servers, check. Stairs down, check. Slick slid down the steps to confirm a wine cellar. But there was a subtle undercurrent of decay. Not the most attractive bouquet. Hmm... Recon done, he slipped back upstairs and visibility to exit the place.

Source

Campaign Journal: The Ha'Tak Pyramid Welcoming Committee

When last we left our heroes, at least a couple were picking shrapnel out of their various bits.

Who made it?

• Fulvus, halfling
• Frederick, thief
• Jax, barbarian
• Rondel, elf
• Slick, thief
• Orzu, gnome (who had apparently been outside the pyramid taking a leak during the prior shenanigans)

Catching their breath, it was decided to pursue Grenade Throwing Dude (GTD). Checking the northeast door from whence he had appeared, no sound was heard. Cracking the door, they found an empty chamber with three exits and a painting of Khador (in her "wild party years" guise). Painting immediately filched. 

Something like this (original by Harry Clarke)

No sounds were heard from the three exit doors (although Goober was suspicious about the north and west doors), and Fulvus and hench Wena kicked the western exit open:

'Sup, yo (source)

After a brief beatdown by the undead knight, Fulvus and Wena bravely retreated, assisted by Rondel and a web spell. 

In the meantime, Slick and Flick cracked the north door, encountering a couple of burly skeletons in an old barracks. Henry Cee repelled them, and the two thieves pursued, eventually taking them down. The barracks and adjacent storeroom were pretty much devoid of valuables. Although Slick did find a jar of pennies (thanks to a crap roll on a Donjon treasure table).

Frederick was wisely watching the third door. And of course GTD cracks that door open, zaps him with a Chromatic Orb, and bolts. A side effect of the Orb was a nausea-inducing cloud, which half the party failed. 

Like this guy, but with grenades.

Most of the party retreated to the central room. The undead knight was slain from a safe distance, and decent treasure recovered. 

Campaign Journal: Headed North

 ... and this is why you always plan, at least minimally ...

Who showed up?

• Slick - thief
• Fulvus - halfling
• Rondel - elf
• Fred - thief
• Jax - barbarian

First, some quick worldbuilding. An opening question to the players. "So you've been adventuring for a while. And a few of you have been 'mostly dead.' What scars or other distinguishing characteristics have you accumulated?" ... 

That done, the PCs, after the prior session's misadventures and misbehaviors, decided that finding the northernmost node of the Barrier should be a priority, recognizing that the Theocracy had located and occupied one point, and Chaos seemed to be on the move.

Some brief resupply took place, Rondel dropped off his exploration notes with elvin stenographer Ellarwel, and the party prepped to leave town.

But first: Is there a local alchemist for some potions? I don't know. 2d6: 12. Yes, definitely... (Random name) Umm. Mery Clemyth has a shop west of town. Brother Sigeric has directions... Anyway, the party picked up a few items to make nuisances of themselves with. Healing potions? You're kidding, no reputable alchemist would dabble in that...

And off we go.

North we go along the trade road. Encounter at nightfall. Damnit, do I want to dig through my folio for my encounter sheet? Nah. Um... well-equipped and armed caravan hauling skins and ivory from the Khanates in the north. Caravan master (random name) Bruno Spadaro of the Spadaro trading family, you haven't heard of us? The PCs shook their heads. But Slick was quite enamored with the fellow's flamboyant hat. The PCs learned a bit of the mysterious northern Khanates, and their affinity for books. In fact, the caravan had a few traded used books in addition to their more valuable cargo. Rondel rooted through the books, picking one with the intriguing title of "Myths of the Comet-Fall." Could it have something to do with the Paragons of the Comet zealots/assholes that the party encountered? Time will tell.

Everyone settled down for the night. Except Slick. He wanted that hat. The dice were soooo on Slick's side. So many good rolls. The stakes just kept going up. Still good rolls. Finally, Slick was in the caravan master's wagon. He began to open a chest. CREAK. Finally! Hehe. Slick made one more good roll and escaped into the night, undiscovered. But hatless. The caravan master checked his ajar door, shrugged, and made sure it was securely locked. 

Campaign Journal: Doing the Job

 Who showed up?

• Fulvus, halfling
• Slick, thief
• Rondel, elf
• Orzu, gnome illusionist
• Random hangers-on

Frederick was under the weather, either from some bad eel, or perhaps a questionable tincture he bought from the caravan drover. Jax apparently decided to hang out at the stables.

The remainder of the party assembled for breakfast at the Archer & Chariot, deciding what to do with their day. As they dawdled, Alanso Ngom, the Theocracy military leader walked by with his honor guard. He paused, greeting the party, then asking them more on their thoughts and experiences combatting the twisted Chaos forces in the wilderness. Alanso was concerned that the Tribunal would lean towards becoming insular, rather than pressing battle vs the evil. On the other hand, he still needed to hedge his forces. The Tribunal had received their patrol's report on the forces they encountered but Alanso was curious at to the enemy's motivations. Rondel revealed that he had a charmed individual, who the soldier may be interested in seeing. Rondel led Alanso to his room, where they met Toby, his lobster-claw hands, and his fervent belief in the Great Maker.

'Nuf said, Toby was taken to meet the remainder of the Tribunal. Likewise, they were taken aback by the presence and appearance of the mutant. Toby put on a good show. The Tribunal decided to meditate on witnessing this individual. The Tribunal declared that a Chaos mutant should not be free within the city's walls, charm notwithstanding. Toby was surrendered to the custody of the Theocracy (And Toby was never seen again...).

Campaign Journal: Damned Horses!

"Yeah, when the riding animals start fighting, we're in new territory" - Frederick

More on that later....

Tonight was a small contingent:

• Frederick
• Fulvus
• Rondel
• Slick
• Three brave henchmen

Departing Axwold, the group dead-reckonned their way westward in search of the next point along the Barrier network. Things were progressing quietly. The party spread out, Fulvus scouting ahead. He bravely avoided a snake, but Slick did take a look at it to confirm it was Just A Snake. Yes.

As the party broke for lunch, they were set upon by pests. Because they show up to every picnic... 

Like this, but 3' long

Dispatching these flying pests, Slick climbed into their roost tree and recovered a puse with some coin and a potion. He also scouted westward, spotting clearings and paths that offered easier travel. Finishing their repast with no more vermin, they continued onward. 

Campaign Journal: On the Road Again, II

Back at it. A bit delayed with a work conference, taking care of outside things, as well as rejuvenating a couple of stalled project and tryin to wake the muse. Things in the works soon...

So, back to the party:

• Jax
• Frederick
• Slick
• Rondel
• Orzu
• and the Miscellaneous Others

The party, after vanquishing hobgoblins and other nuisances, set up camp for the night, being cautious to protect their horses, for some reason... ahem... 

Second watch was disturbed as Orzu spotted movement in the treeline, and Goober barked a warning. Everyone blearily scrambled to their feet as Orz kept a watch on the intruders. They appeared disciplined and cautious, spreading out and keeping low. The party did likewise, taking cover. Frederick took a potshot at one in the dark, one-shotting the foe. Another arrow went wide. Rondel said, "Sleep." Snoozefest. The intruders turned out to be a hobgoblin patrol, perhaps returning to meet their compatriots at the ruined fort. Slick offed them and went through their pockets.

In the morning, the party debated riding cross-country, or returning to the trade road in their search for the next node location. Jax suggested that the road, followed by some dead reckoning off the found map might be the best option. The party rode back to Karnione, stopping to drop some coin with the furrier and ale-wife in thanks for their aid. 

Campaign Journal: Hobgoblins and Lizards and Wraiths, oh my!

The party awoke after a quiet night, undisturbed by chitin wraiths and other nuisances. Our heroes for the week:

• Jax
• Bonk
• Stumbleduck
• Orzu
• Fulvus
• Slick

I began with a bit of retconning - Bonk was not present last session, but the doomed Xusto Goyanes was his best friend in town, so he needed a closure on the matter. After the required cinematic: 

Bonk spoke to Mayor Stroemen regarding contributing to the greater good. Stroemen discussed the ongoing threat and defensive needs, especially with the loss of militia. Bonk has been itching to start stronghold development, and considered this a good opportunity,  contributing a large percent of his cash to complete the wall and recruit more militia. On the condition that he is now referred to as "Captain." Everything comes with a price.

Onward...

Campaign Journal: Homecoming

When we last left our heroes, they had just come over the hill to Neuforde, to discover smoke rising from the town...

The evening's crew:

• Frederick
• Slick
• Jax
• Orzu
• Fulvus
• Various surviving henches

We started the session by leveling a couple of the hirelings, who had managed to survive long enough to become 1st level henchmen.

Prior to session, I had rolled randomly what buildings were destroyed/damaged. Bad news - they got the halfling trading post owned by Evrard Hornwood and Angilbart Tunnelly, our party's confidantes and fences (and that of Elsa Siegmund, the town's cattle farmer). Damaged buildings included the White Badger Inn, Mayor Stroemen's house, as well as the tanner's and carpenter's houses. The party’s house is undamaged, thankfully.

rough scanned and sketched map, red is fire

The halflings were glumly salvaging material from their trading post and sent the party to talk to the mayor. Mayor Stroemen and his lieutenant, Gorman Burscogh, were looking over the body of a chitin drake, a chimera previously encountered by some members of the party. The party suspected these abominations were the cause of other reports of fire they had heard in their travels. While the town's forces had slain this one, two more had escaped, flying east.

Among the casualties were four militiamen and two civilians, including Bonk's buddy, Xusto Goyanes the half-elf fisherman. The party now has multiple causes for vengeance!

Trurok the ogre had been injured and had retreated to his cave to pout. Rondel and Henry Cee headed into the woods to cure and console him, and set up the gnolls as pickets west of town.

Elsewhere, the town was gathering to put out residual fires, clean up, and begin repairs.

Stroeman was most worried about loss of nearly half his militia. He was concerned that he may need to request Hougan Duchy assistance if he couldn't retain sufficient local forces. Especially since doing so would limit the town's autonomy. 

The party retired to the White Badger to drink and consider their next moves. As they drank, the sound of a heavy caravan was heard. Venturing out, they saw a string of heavy wagons that looked something like this:

Something like this, but full of dwarves

Campaign Journal: On the Road Again

 The Usual Suspects last Sunday:

• Frederick
• Slick
• Bonk
• Stumbleduck
• And a Player to Be Named at a Later Time

(Jax got introverted and went flower hunting, Rondel stayed to babysit 'his' gnolls, and Fulvus was suddenly absconded with by some extended family).

The gang stood at the town gate of Mithlonde as dusk fell. One of the guards asked them business and chatted about recent fires and increased humanoid raids in the area. He gave them the quick run-down of the town's amenities, and welcomed them in. Mithlonde is a modest walled town situated around a 'Y' in the trade road. 

The party approached the town square, where a number of caravans were parked. They recognized a certain odiferous wagon, that of the peddler gnome Hugo. Hugo greeted them and was relieved to find out that his potions had mostly worked, and no harmful side effects had occurred. He sold a few remaining healing potions to the gang for a slightly inflated price (most had been bought out, demand was up). He also had a few smoke bombs available to experiment with. Fred bought these for later use.

Campaign Journal: Knowledge Found, and Treachery Most Foul

"Slave, thou hast slain me. Villain, take my purse.

If ever thou wilt thrive, bury my body,

And give the letters which thou find'st about me

To Edmund Earl of Gloucester. Seek him out

Upon the British party. O, untimely death! Death!"

 - King Lear, Act 4, Scene 6

Foreshadowing...

At the conclusion of the last session, the party had retreated from the ruin and barricaded themselves in the annex building, hoping to retreat east to the trade roads in the morning. They spent a rough night being harried by many legs scratching and testing the spiked doors and a spider's voice in their heads warning them of their impending dooms for intruding upon her lair.

Frazzled, the party gathered their gear, preparing to break out and face the threats. While gearing up, Mareth noticed that the flagstones below the electric trapped plinth were mis-matched, hinting at a passageway. Some cautious prodding and levering tipped the stone off the hidden door. Mareth just had to touch it anyway in his ongoing quest to collect rubbings of etchings and carvings found. Fortunately the trap was 'mostly' discharged, and he took only minor damage from a weak shock.

As the party pried open the passage, and exterior door gave way, and this unfortunate monstrosity lumbered in:

Inured to the appearance of various Chaos mutations, the party focused fire on the creature, quickly putting it out of its (and their) misery. Fortunately, it was not able to spread its disease to its assailants, although Slick did dip a dagger into its bodily fluids for later use. Eww.

Hearing more spiders approaching, the party re-barricaded the door and descended into the dark. 

Campaign Journal: Forest Sight-Seeing

Doh, just realized that my last entry was #500 for the blog. Nine years ago, I wandered into the blogosphere, for better or worse. It's been a good outlet for creativity, and even a bit of community.  I hope to keep my mind flexible enough to continue on with scribblings and crack-pot ideas for a while longer.... 

And now, on to our adventure:

Full table:

• Frederick
• Slick
• Jax
• Mareth
• Rondel
• Fulvus
• Bonk
• Henry Cee (NPC cleric)

Picking up where we left off last time, the party scouted the camp of the Chaos patrol from the woods. The camp was well-arranged, with several tents and brush cleared and pushed to the margins to form a rough abatis. A pair of guards watched the front. The party could see that they were mal-formed humanoids, similar to those they had encountered before. A pair of apparent leader-types conferred in the center of camp.

The party discussed options, deciding on two of the sneaky bastards (Slick and Fulvus) taking out the guards, and allowing for a surprise rush into the camp. Things went well until Fulvus stepped on a stick, betraying his approach. Slick took advantage of the distraction to shank his target. 

Battle closed, with the party squaring off against the mooks. Things went well, with Bonk even shrugging off a spell cast by one of the leaders, for a change. Minor damage was taken, with Bonk, as frontliner, taking the brunt of it between the foes' heavily-armored knight, and one weird naked dude who was running around... Fortunately everyone else avoided said naked dude and his acidic skin, with Jax putting him down without harm. The Chaos foes were fanatical to the end, with their shaman enlarging and attempting to wade into the fray. Tough to do when one of the thieves hamstrung him. 

Finally, the knight fell with a well-placed arrow through his visor, and the camp was empty.

The party dutifully went through everyone's pockets (except the naked dude) and recovered some loot, communiques from the gang's handler, notes regarding their intelligence-gathering, and a couple of fired clay balls that turned out to be one-time communication devices. The group did not take the bait and fire one off...

As they were finishing up, a second mutant patrol arrived, but were easily smoked.

The party commandeered the base camp for the night, fending off a few wayward zombies. They decamped in the morning, leaving heads on sharpened sticks, as one does.

Using their 'snake map' as a guide, the gang moved northwest, making good time. Around noon, the random dice had them set upon by a band of ne'er-do-wells, who rapidly realized that they were outmatched. A fortuitous '12' reaction roll, and the party now has a bunch of henches. The pot was sweetened by Bonk offering one bandit the scavenged armor of the Chaos knight, and Mareth subtly charming another... Goober got belly rubs.

Campaign Journal: Which Way is Up on the Snake?

Back to the game, and further explorations along an abandoned road within the western forests.

Last night's heroes:

• Frederick
• Slick
• Jax
• Mareth
• Rondel
• Henry See (NPC cleric)

The party, exhausted from their battle with the gnolls, crashed out at the ruined manor, securing themselves within the secret crypt that formerly held the undead knight. Noises were heard in the night, and the indomitable Goober growled at the door, but as none of the intruders appeared to be investigating the party's hidey-hole, they laid low. In the morning, a few of the gnoll corpses were found to have been dragged away. 

In the morning, the rescued merchants and their guards bid the party adieu, hoping to return to the trade road and better fortunes.

As the party made breakfast, they heard conversation outside the building and met a pair of fellows who introduced themselves as Divos and Albus - hunters and foresters patrolling this part of the forest. The pair had been tracking the gnolls, and were aware that the miscreants had been waylaying travelers for some purpose. Relieved that the party had intercepted the gnolls, the foresters noted that a larger camp was in the area, and that they had also found a few deformed or mutated animals in the region. 

Returning to the Campaign

Back at the table, and as I mentioned before- the pick-up game is now a 'real' campaign. Scary.

Who made it tonight?

• Frederick - Thief
• Waegstan, née Bonk - Fighter
• Jax - Barbarian (and Goober)
• Fulvus - Halfling
• Mareth - Elf

Since we'd been away from the table for about four weeks, I took a page from Gary G. and declared that four weeks had past in game-time as well. What have our heroes been up to in the meantime?

• Frederick - continuing to look for "unsecured loads" along the trade road with his halfling compatriots, as well as getting coastal traffic updates from the "Road Safety Committee" along the coast.
• Waegstan - Fishing, hanging out with the river boatmen, and advocating for a new sport of fish-tossing.
• Jax - Plant-hunting and studying from a sketchy herbal remedies book that she bought off a traveling bookseller.
• Fulvus - Negotiating with the town leadership to purchase a plot for the construction of a brewery.
• Mareth - Supervising the charmed ogre (Ogre #2 made his saving throw and wandered off) in ditch/palisade construction and making awkward attempts at negotiation when the ditch cut through someone's field.

Hugo, the gnome apothecary, had to leave town under urgent conditions, but left a "recently-developed" potion for the party to try out, along with a substantial list of possible side-effects.

The party also checked in with their compatriot Victor Matui, who is rebuilding his family keep outside of town. Victor's advisor Firmin had sent missives east to a colleague regarding information on the "Barrier," and had received some minor information in return, pending further discreet inquiries. Likewise, the chip of glass from the cracked hemisphere found in the watchtower appeared to be either ruby or some ruby-like alloy. If so, it would have required both an exceptional furnace and skill to create.

Sometime during this, a patrol representing the Hougon Duchy arrived in town. The captain noted the town growth and beginnings of fortifications. As a representative of the duchy, he offered the duchy's support and protection. For reasonable accommodations and financial support, of course. The town mayor conferred with the party, and they agreed to consider the offer, sending the patrol on their way. Which led to discussions on the with of becoming a vassal, whether this power was a viable ally, and a potential third way of developing their own power center or allegiances.

With that, the party set off to see if they could locate another 'node' of the Barrier.

The party re-located the overgrown road and returned to the watchtower location. While there, they were set upon by a band of goblins. Slaying half their number, and taking some minor damage, the remainder of the goblins fled, and the party continued south. 

Spotting some more ruins in the woods, the party investigated. The structure appeared to be a fortified manor or caravanserai. As per usual, Fulvus, Frederick, and Mareth crept about. Fulvus took advantage of the halfling ability to hide in the woods, but the dice rolled 00, and for once, he stumbled.

Source

Waegstan just walked up to the front door.

What's In My GM Bag?

It's been a few weeks. The brewery game went on hiatus as I paused to shift more into campaign mode, as well as spending a couple of weeks back on the Plains helping out my dad.  

Joethelawyer recently posted a "What's in my DM Game Bag?" video, and I've seen a number of other similar videos and posts over the years. Having the need to write a bit, let's go rooting through my bag, shall we?

I am an itinerant GM, with the majority of my play at cons, the FLGS, and now, the neighborhood brewery. So things are kept relatively compact. The majority of my game detritus lives in an expandable folio containing four folders:

1. Pre-gen characters and blank character sheets.

2. DM "Game Night" Aids: These are references to grab quickly for at the table use. Mostly comprised of houserules, campaign lore, a printed spreadsheet with loot and items accumulated by the party, local area random encounters, pre-rolled random treasure, NPC names and stats ,and local maps.

3. DM Aids: These are backup references or less commonly needed resources, as well as a few rules ganked from other games: Turn tracking, 2d6 usage guidance, the random headgear table, carousing rules, miscellaneous random tables for prompts, table safety, the Miscellaneum of Cinder, 

4. Maps and more maps: Some are statted up, either formally, or sketched out encounters, and lots of barrows, 

Also contained in the folio are:

• Graph paper: For at-the-table mapping
• Post-it notes
• Extra pens

Along with the folio, the bag carries:

My Dice: Two sets of Zucati dice, selected for being slightly oversized, with readable numbers for low light/aging eyes.

A few sets of spare giveaway dice, pulled from a gallon bag of random dice that we somehow acquired.

A dot-grid notebook for game notes and session writeups.

Rule books for table reference, currently the OSE rules tome.

Possibly additional session-specific references, such as spells or monsters, as necessary, to keep the players guessing.

Wet-erase mat, typically only used at con or game store games where I know I'll have table space.

Everything (except the mat) gets stuffed into a messenger bag, and we're good to go kill some stuff.

What's in your GM go-bag?

Returning to the Watchtower, or, More Fun With OP Old-School Spells

Whew, that was a session....

So the gang got together for a bit more restrained mischief. We had:

• Frederick - Thief
• Slick - Another Thief
• Waegstan, née Bonk - Fighter
• Jax - Barbarian
• Rondel - Elf
• Mareth - Another Elf

First of all, we made sure that the charmed ogres are fed and busy digging a ditch around town. They like a job to do, after all... Although there is some grumbling regarding the local mutton supply.

Next, trailing a caravan came a gnome driving a somewhat odorous wagon. Hugo was his name, and he claimed to be a seller of potions of a restorative nature. After some haggling, the party were the proud owners of four "healing" potions of dubious quality. (Hugo is an NPC stolen/borrowed from other friends' campaigns, so has been putting some serious mileage on that wagon.)

After a brief discussion, it was confirmed that the party intended to revisit the tower explored in the last session. With the excitement of charming ogres and all, they hadn't given the space a good once-over.

Which was good, since I'd actually prepped for this... 

Tower and inevitable underground bits

The party returned to the locale with no wandering ogres or other critters encountered. Waegstan, always optimistic, strode toward the tower, taking arrow fire. Determining that the tower was now guarded by hobgoblins, the party made plans. Waegstan continued to dodge arrows as the two thieves successfully reached the door unnoticed. The remainder of the party wisely provided cover fire from the trees. 

Frederick and Slick breached the door SWAT-style, taking a third hob by surprise and quickly dispatching him. The two headed upstairs, as most of the remainder of the party now rushed the tower. The remaining roof hobgoblins were done in with minor injury.

This gave the party time to inspect a plinth with a cracked red glass hemisphere previously noted in the tower main level. After some poking about, they decided to chip off a bit of the glass for later analysis.

Those Charming Ogres... Game recap

Greetings, travelers. Pull up a chair and we'll recount the most recent Brewery Session...

This week had a smaller party of four, due to some no-shows.

• Frederick, thief
• Fulvus, halfling
• Mareth, elf
• Rondel, another elf

We started out in Neuforde, as is the custom. Our scene began with Proctor Armin, a higher-up in the Church of Garond, arriving in town with a small entourage for the christening of the new temple grounds. He greeted the local clerics, Nicolas and Eustace, recognizing Eustace from seminary days. Eustace gifted the priest with a recovered idol found in a forgotten shrine, and recounted the story of his rescue. 

Eustace introduced the characters, and Proctor Armin was effusive in his compliments. However, the good priest sensed something was amiss with Mareth, who showed him the cursed ring the elf had found in another crypt. Some sideways negotiation and discussion of tithes went back and forth, and eventually the party was around 500gp lighter in coin and other items. But at least the cursed ring had been negated. 

In light of the party's rescue of the young cleric, converting a former chaos cleric to the temple (via a charm spell, of course), as well as their actions in the area and gifts to the church, Proctor Armin gifted them with a writ of support to document their favored works in the eyes of Garond.

All gathered at the inn for a night of revelry and celebration of the temple groundbreaking. A few of the party members over-indulged, but it was only unfortunate Mareth, who, for the second time, got the opportunity to roll on the carousing mishaps table. He woke up to find himself in bed with one of the visiting clerics. Those lightweight elves....

Anyway, it was time to shake off the hangovers and do some exploring. The party was keen to further investigate the "nodes" shown on an old wall carving, as hints to a magical barrier that had once been in use in the area. 

The party reviewed their sketch of the stylized network of nodes, determining that one may reside southwest of town in the forests. They asked about, and found a local hunter who thought he recalled some tower in the woods, along the remains of an abandoned road. Hiring the hunter as a guide, the party headed into the woods.