That indelible, incredible spin.
Session VIII: He's a Gumball Wizard
Our Party
Azok - Silver Dragonborn Barbarian
Harrod -Half Elf Paladin
Grog -Half-Orc (Ogren) Fighter
Scruffy - Blue Dragonborn Paladin
Stephen - Halfing Bard
Peter -Human Thief
Despite a lot going on, the session went very smoothly. Harrod, Stephen and Peter tangled with a group of zombies while Azok, Scruffy and Gorg partied at the Tooth and Claw Tavern . While the two Draonborn played Uno Mas, Gorg got bored playing the slots and went for a walk, where he passed a running man who disappeared into Grixby's house. Then he noticed that the smithy was on fire.
Simple Three-Card Monte rules
Player bets a small amount and the DM and the Player each roll d6. If if the numbers match, the player wins twice their bet. If the numbers don't match, the bet is lost.
Everyone pitched in putting out, but the smith was found dead inside, his head missing. They also found the jar-batteries, fully intact and with a note that read, "Consider this gift a warning. Do not meddle in my affairs again."
They snuck into Grixby's darkened house, and found that it had been abandoned in a hurry. In Grixby's lab, they found a ledger with the word 'Swordfish' scrawled in the back. On the upper floor they found a room with a large pillar that resembled a gumball machine. Inside the glass tank were thousands of little, spherical gems in four different colours: red, blue, green and yellow.
There was only one door out of the room and it was locked with four large tumblers on a screw. Each time the screw turns (each dice roll to pick the lock), or is jostled, d8 of the crystals drop down the shoot and shatter on the floor. When the crystal breaks, it shatters into a small summoning circle and a small Chromatic Imps, the same colour as the crystal, pops out and begins to fly around the room and attack the occupants.
After party overcame the trap with a solution that surprised me. They summoned an Unseen Servant to fly up the spout and carried out a couple of balls at a time. It took a bit of time, but it worked.
Next session: Mirror gates and 'The Slime Room!'
Azok - Silver Dragonborn Barbarian
Harrod -Half Elf Paladin
Grog -Half-Orc (Ogren) Fighter
Scruffy - Blue Dragonborn Paladin
Stephen - Halfing Bard
Peter -Human Thief
Despite a lot going on, the session went very smoothly. Harrod, Stephen and Peter tangled with a group of zombies while Azok, Scruffy and Gorg partied at the Tooth and Claw Tavern . While the two Draonborn played Uno Mas, Gorg got bored playing the slots and went for a walk, where he passed a running man who disappeared into Grixby's house. Then he noticed that the smithy was on fire.
Simple Three-Card Monte rules
Player bets a small amount and the DM and the Player each roll d6. If if the numbers match, the player wins twice their bet. If the numbers don't match, the bet is lost.
Everyone pitched in putting out, but the smith was found dead inside, his head missing. They also found the jar-batteries, fully intact and with a note that read, "Consider this gift a warning. Do not meddle in my affairs again."
They snuck into Grixby's darkened house, and found that it had been abandoned in a hurry. In Grixby's lab, they found a ledger with the word 'Swordfish' scrawled in the back. On the upper floor they found a room with a large pillar that resembled a gumball machine. Inside the glass tank were thousands of little, spherical gems in four different colours: red, blue, green and yellow.
 |
| Blue: Cold. Green: Acid. Yellow: Force. Red: Fire |
Next session: Mirror gates and 'The Slime Room!'
Bar Games: Challenge!
Get drunk, start a fight, talk to the mysterious stranger, hit on a server and steal a purse or two. If you're lucky there is a card game going or some dicing in the back alley. What else is there to do in bar?
Looking for something new to present to my players I came up with these simple mini-games for use as a bit of local colour, traditional games or challenges in local bars.
Bard Challenge
Players: Usually 2
Objective: To outplay your opponent in a battle of the arts
Primary Stat: Charisma
A Challenge is an informal duel between two bards used to settle bets, determine territory, bolster rivalries and determine standing in local communities and venues. It is usually occurs between bards of a similar type (musicians, singers, dancers, actors, acrobats etc) who compare and contrast their skills in front of an informal crowd. In game terms, its nothing less that pure Charismatic combat.
Once a Challenge is issued, it is customary for the character who has been challenged to go act first ,though they may pass this opportunity back to the challenger if they wish. Each character has Charisma Hit Points equal to their Charisma Stat, and their Charisma score also determines their AC.
Charisma Attacks are determined by rolling d20+Performance Skill+CHA Modifier, vs the opponent's CHA-AC. On a successful hit, d4+CHA Modifier in Damage is subtracted from the CHA-Hp. When a character reaches 0 CHA-Hp, they have been out performed and have lost the Challenge.
The winning character gets a +1 Bonus to their performance roll the next time they perform in that venue/location. The loosing character suffers a -1 Penalty to their Performance roll at the same location/venue. Collect enough enough in one location and your fame (or infamy) will spread to other venues, and even other towns.
Looking for something new to present to my players I came up with these simple mini-games for use as a bit of local colour, traditional games or challenges in local bars.
Bard Challenge
Players: Usually 2
Objective: To outplay your opponent in a battle of the arts
Primary Stat: Charisma
Once a Challenge is issued, it is customary for the character who has been challenged to go act first ,though they may pass this opportunity back to the challenger if they wish. Each character has Charisma Hit Points equal to their Charisma Stat, and their Charisma score also determines their AC.
Charisma Attacks are determined by rolling d20+Performance Skill+CHA Modifier, vs the opponent's CHA-AC. On a successful hit, d4+CHA Modifier in Damage is subtracted from the CHA-Hp. When a character reaches 0 CHA-Hp, they have been out performed and have lost the Challenge.
The winning character gets a +1 Bonus to their performance roll the next time they perform in that venue/location. The loosing character suffers a -1 Penalty to their Performance roll at the same location/venue. Collect enough enough in one location and your fame (or infamy) will spread to other venues, and even other towns.
Bar Games: Mad Minders
Get
drunk, start a fight, talk to the mysterious stranger, hit on a
server and steal a purse or two. If you're lucky there is a card game
going or some dicing in the back alley. What else is there to do in
bar?
Looking
for something new to present to my players I came up with these
simple mini-games for use as a bit of local colour, traditional games
or challenges in local bars.
Mad
Minders
Players:
1
Objective:
To gaze into madness, beauty or chaos and emerge with your mind
intact.
Main
Stat: Wisdom
This
game has many different names and is played many different ways
depending on location and local customs. It can involved the player
ingesting certain foods, substances or liquids. Sometimes it involves
staring into the eyes of a particular animal, or concentrating upon a
magical device or effect. But no matter how it is played, the game
forces the player to see if they can withstand a psychological
assault.
In
game terms, the player must make 3 out of 5 Wisdom Saving throws. The
starting DC is 13, and goes up by one for every successive Saving
Throw (13,14,15,16,17). If the player is successful in 3 out of the 5
Saves, they have withstood the psychic onslaught emerged with the
bulk of their sanity intact.
If
the player fails 3 of the Saving Throws, the player has lost their
psychic battle and pull away, their mind temporarily scrambled.
Duration:
Win the game. Symptoms last for 1hour.
Lose the game: Symptom lasts for d8hours.
Win the game. Symptoms last for 1hour.
Lose the game: Symptom lasts for d8hours.
Roll
D8 for Symptom.
1-
Severe paranoia. Everyone is out to get you!
2-You
continually hear your parent's voices speaking in your head. Nothing
serious or demeaning. Just parental platitudes and reminders to
finish your chores. Disadvantage to all rolls involving Hearing for
duration.
3-You
continually hear music in your head. Non offensive stuff like winter
carols and birthday songs. Disadvantage to all rolls involving
Hearing for duration.
4-Colourful,
shiny lights appear in your vision. Not unpleasant or painful, but
distracting. Disadvantage to all rolls involving Sight for duration
(counts as Lightly Obsured), including Combat, for Duration.
5-You
begin to experience full on hallucinations complete with lights and
sound (what they are is up to the DM and the player). Disadvantage to
all rolls for duration.
6-You
believe yourself to be a chicken for the duration. May choose to act
normally if they choose, but deep down you truly believe you are a
chicken and are only really happy clucking about, laying eggs and
eating corn. Advantage to all rolls involving chickens for duration.
7-A
profound insite lets you add 1 to your Wisdom stat for the duration.
8-Roll
again. This time the effect is permanent.
The Cheap DM: The Warlock's House Map
Modified an existing map from Elven Tower and adapted it to my own needs to serve as the floorplan to the Warlock Laru's lab/shop/residence. And yes, you spotted it. That is an interplanar psychocannon aimed at a thaumatically charged black-silver mirror etched with fluxing co-numeral coordinates up there in Laru's lab.
1: Customer Office.
This is where Laru, and occasionally Grixby would meet with clients requiring the services of Warlock.
2: Grixby's Lab
Small workspace the apprentice Grixby has taken over in order to to continue his passion for alchemy. This room is lit by jar-battery lights.
3: Kitchen
4: Grixby's Room
Light by one jar-battery light.
5: Shop
Laru and Grixby primarly provide services for those who might require Warlock or an Alchemist (more clients come to see Grixby), but they also lazily maintain a small curio shop filled with strage idols, magical components, Grixby's potions and the occasional surprise.
6: Second Floor
7: Gumball Trap
8: Secret Room
Here Laru stores much of his books, scroll and paraphernalia related to the Illitid.
9: Library
10: Laru's Room.
That's suppose to be a bed, not a TV.
11: Laru's Lab
12: Preparation Room
13: Interplanar Psychocannon.
Bar Games: Riddle Sticks
Get drunk, start a fight, talk to the mysterious stranger, hit on a server and steal a purse or two. If you're lucky there is a card game going or some dicing in the back alley. What else is there to do in bar?
Looking for something new to present to my players I came up with these simple mini-games for use as a bit of local colour, traditional games or challenges in local bars.
Riddle
Sticks
Players:
2
Objective:
To outwit your opponent in a battle of intellect.
Main
Stat: Intelligence
Riddle
Sticks is a conversation game between two opponents. It was
originally a riddle game, but it can be any sort of conversation of
opposed views, be it an intellectual debate, a legal mediation, an
insult contest or a quote battle. Each player is given three sticks
which are handed over when specific points are scored.
Each
round, both opponents make an Intelligence roll (d20+Int Modifier),
representing their side of the conversation. The player with the
higher results wins that specific point and the loser hands over one
of their sticks.
On
a tie, neither side scores a point and no sticks are handed over.
If
a player rolls a natural 20, the loosing character must hand over 2
sticks.
If
a player rolls a natural 1, they must hand over a stick to their
opponent, even if they otherwise win the round.
Winning
Condition: To get all 6 sticks.
Once
the game has concluded, the looser must make an Intelligence Saving
Throw with a DC of 13. On a successful Saving Throw, the two
opponents leave as friends, or at the least as a respected allies. On
a failed Saving Throw, the two opponents will depart as bitter
rivals.
Bar Games: Uno Mas!
Get drunk, start a fight, talk to the mysterious stranger, hit on a server and steal a purse or two. If you're lucky there is a card game going or some dicing in the back alley. What else is there to do in bar?
Looking for something new to present to my players I came up with these simple mini-games for use as a bit of local colour, traditional games or challenges in local bars.
Uno Mas!
Players: The more the merrier!
Objective: Drink more than anyone.
Main Stat: Constitution
Your traditional drinking game. All that is needed is a row of shots and a stomach of steel. Each round all participants will take a shot and make a Constitution Saving Throw. Fail enough the Saving Throws and you're out of the game.
The DC depends on the type of potable is being consumed.
Beer 12 Halfling Dew-wine/Moonshine 16
Fortified Wine 13 Gnomish Snapjuice 17
Vodka/Rum/Whiskey 14 Dwarven Grog/Dragonborn Fire Oil 18
If a player fails their Saving Throw, their Constitution Modifier goes down by 1. When their Constitution Modifier reaches -4, the character must tap out, fall over, begin to vomit violently, or otherwise give some indication that they out of the game.
Winning Conditions: The last character standing, wins.
At the end of the game, all Characters must make one last Constitution Saving throw with a DC of 13. If they succeed they wake up with a bad hangover, but no other lasting effects.
If they fail, roll d6.
1-Wake up with a tattoo (player's choice, but DM's approval)
2-Wake up in jail! Its 10gp to be released. Cost of bail goes up by 10gp for each successive release.
3-Wake up with d6 damage in cuts, bruises and scrapes. No memory of how you got them.
4-Wake up with no coins, gems or jewellery
5-Wake up in a pigsty
6-Wake up clean, happy and refreshed in your own bed. You get one Advantage roll that you can use anytime that day.
Looking for something new to present to my players I came up with these simple mini-games for use as a bit of local colour, traditional games or challenges in local bars.
Uno Mas!
Objective: Drink more than anyone.
Main Stat: Constitution
Your traditional drinking game. All that is needed is a row of shots and a stomach of steel. Each round all participants will take a shot and make a Constitution Saving Throw. Fail enough the Saving Throws and you're out of the game.
The DC depends on the type of potable is being consumed.
Beer 12 Halfling Dew-wine/Moonshine 16
Fortified Wine 13 Gnomish Snapjuice 17
Vodka/Rum/Whiskey 14 Dwarven Grog/Dragonborn Fire Oil 18
If a player fails their Saving Throw, their Constitution Modifier goes down by 1. When their Constitution Modifier reaches -4, the character must tap out, fall over, begin to vomit violently, or otherwise give some indication that they out of the game.
Winning Conditions: The last character standing, wins.
At the end of the game, all Characters must make one last Constitution Saving throw with a DC of 13. If they succeed they wake up with a bad hangover, but no other lasting effects.
If they fail, roll d6.
1-Wake up with a tattoo (player's choice, but DM's approval)
2-Wake up in jail! Its 10gp to be released. Cost of bail goes up by 10gp for each successive release.
3-Wake up with d6 damage in cuts, bruises and scrapes. No memory of how you got them.
4-Wake up with no coins, gems or jewellery
5-Wake up in a pigsty
6-Wake up clean, happy and refreshed in your own bed. You get one Advantage roll that you can use anytime that day.
Bar Games: The Bloody Knife
Get drunk, start a fight, talk to the mysterious stranger, hit on a server and steal a purse or two. If you're lucky there is a card game going or some dicing in the back alley. What else is there to do in bar?
Looking for something new to present to my players I came up with these simple mini-games for use as a bit of local colour, traditional games or challenges in local bars.
Bloody Knife
Players: Usually 2, sometimes more
Objective: A knife throwing contest were the target is your opponent
Main Stat: Dexterity
Two opponents stand across from each other and a knife is placed on a mark exactly halfway between them. When the game begins, they race for the knife, then take turns throwing it at each other. The game can be played anywhere from first blood all the way up to the death.
Two opponents stand 10-20 paces apart. A knife is placed exactly between them. When the game begins, each side must make an Initiative roll to see who grabs the knife first. On a tie, make a second Initiative roll until someone wins.
The player who won the knife goes first and makes a Ranged Attack with the knife. Remember, if the target player is using the Dodge Action, then the Ranged Knife Throw is rolled with a Disadvantage. Once the throw has been made, the target player now has it and can throw it back their opponent at the start of the next round. Usually only one Throw is made per round, but not always.
On a successful strike damage is rolled as normal, Most knives do d4+DEX damage, but the use of different types of throwing weapons, even poisoned or magic ones, is not unheard of.
Players may not wear armour or use shields of any kind. Traditionally, the game is pretty lax in terms of the use of charms, spells and small magic items to give a player an advantage. However, all arrangements to this effect must be done before the game begins as casting of spells (either by the player or an outside magic-user) during play is considered cheating. Using Class Features and Feats is permitted when applicable (ie, Deflect Missiles).
An Attack roll of natural 20 does double damage.
An Attack roll of a natural 1 puts the character in a bad position. The next round the Attacking character has an Advantage on their attack roll (in practical game terms, this cancels out the Disadvantage given by Dodge manoeuvre).
Players may not cross the centre mark during their attack.
Winning Conditions: There are three options for winning. One option must be agreed upon by both before the game begins.
1-First Blood: the first player to score a hit that draws blood from their opponent (the loss of 1 or more Hit Points) wins.
2-Bloody Knife: The first player to loss half or more of their starting Hit Points, looses the game
3-Death: The first player to die, looses.
Looking for something new to present to my players I came up with these simple mini-games for use as a bit of local colour, traditional games or challenges in local bars.
Bloody Knife
Objective: A knife throwing contest were the target is your opponent
Main Stat: Dexterity
Two opponents stand across from each other and a knife is placed on a mark exactly halfway between them. When the game begins, they race for the knife, then take turns throwing it at each other. The game can be played anywhere from first blood all the way up to the death.
Two opponents stand 10-20 paces apart. A knife is placed exactly between them. When the game begins, each side must make an Initiative roll to see who grabs the knife first. On a tie, make a second Initiative roll until someone wins.
The player who won the knife goes first and makes a Ranged Attack with the knife. Remember, if the target player is using the Dodge Action, then the Ranged Knife Throw is rolled with a Disadvantage. Once the throw has been made, the target player now has it and can throw it back their opponent at the start of the next round. Usually only one Throw is made per round, but not always.
On a successful strike damage is rolled as normal, Most knives do d4+DEX damage, but the use of different types of throwing weapons, even poisoned or magic ones, is not unheard of.
Players may not wear armour or use shields of any kind. Traditionally, the game is pretty lax in terms of the use of charms, spells and small magic items to give a player an advantage. However, all arrangements to this effect must be done before the game begins as casting of spells (either by the player or an outside magic-user) during play is considered cheating. Using Class Features and Feats is permitted when applicable (ie, Deflect Missiles).
An Attack roll of natural 20 does double damage.
An Attack roll of a natural 1 puts the character in a bad position. The next round the Attacking character has an Advantage on their attack roll (in practical game terms, this cancels out the Disadvantage given by Dodge manoeuvre).
Players may not cross the centre mark during their attack.
Winning Conditions: There are three options for winning. One option must be agreed upon by both before the game begins.
1-First Blood: the first player to score a hit that draws blood from their opponent (the loss of 1 or more Hit Points) wins.
2-Bloody Knife: The first player to loss half or more of their starting Hit Points, looses the game
3-Death: The first player to die, looses.
News Story on Autism NS's D&D Program
Ha! Finally figured out how to share this outside of facebook. This is the group.
Sensory Friendly Dice Tower
Here is the intrepid owner of the game store where we hold our D&D5 game, showing off the sensory friendly dice tower that Autism NS purchased for the players.
Session VII: Slavers and Saloons
Our Party
Azok - Silver Dragonborn Barbarian
Harrod -Half Elf Paladin
Grog -Half-Orc (Ogren) Fighter
Scruffy - Blue Dragonborn Paladin
Stephen - Halfing Bard
Peter -Human Thief
So last Wednesday I ran smack dab into a power-game problem. The player who runs the Azok the Dragonborn Barbarian had been absent last session and when he returned this week he was angry that the other characters had returned the Irradiated Amulet to Grixby the alchemist, despite the fact that it would be absolutely no use to anyone in the party. In fact it would have been very dangerous to keep around. Azok, of course, immediately set about plotting to steal it back.
Azok - Silver Dragonborn Barbarian
Harrod -Half Elf Paladin
Grog -Half-Orc (Ogren) Fighter
Scruffy - Blue Dragonborn Paladin
Stephen - Halfing Bard
Peter -Human Thief
So last Wednesday I ran smack dab into a power-game problem. The player who runs the Azok the Dragonborn Barbarian had been absent last session and when he returned this week he was angry that the other characters had returned the Irradiated Amulet to Grixby the alchemist, despite the fact that it would be absolutely no use to anyone in the party. In fact it would have been very dangerous to keep around. Azok, of course, immediately set about plotting to steal it back.
I also happened to introduce as a clue for later on, that
Grixby has electrical lights in his lab that run on Bagdad Batteries. He
learned the technique from his master, the Warlock Loomus Laru*...
Bagdad
batteries have been pretty much debunked as a historical fact, but I used the basic science. Combined a copper cylinder
and a metal rod soaking in acid and it generates a current. Hook that to some ungrounded,
uninsulated copper wires and you have enough electricity to power a few measly light (on a larger scale, it can power other things, hint, hint). I described Grixby's lab as having
about half a dozen of these three-foot ceramic jars, each filled with liquid acid and
wrapped in copper wires pushed up against one back wall.
 |
| ... the guy with a snake on his face! I almost did this. I still might. |
Of course seeing these, Azok immediately drops the
idea of stealing the amulet and wants these jars. He asked Grixby to buy them,
but the alchemist turned him down. So Azok demanded the jars, and Grixby, a
little cowed, told him 300gp a jar. Azok, who had nowhere near that kind of
money, then wanted to buy the jars on credit. Grixby told him to leave. Azok
then drew his weapon and made an Intimidation roll, which caused the poor
Alchemist to practically piss himself as the Dragonborn walked out of the lab with two of
the batteries, but leaving a promissory note for 600gp.
Azok’s plan, apparently, is to hook these jars up to his
sword. I explained until I was blue in the face that strapping two, three-foot
tall foot ceramic jars filled with acid to his back, and then running an uninsulated
copper wire to the base of his sword would not be a good idea. Not to mention the fact he just mugged the man who had been selling the party cheap healing
potions.
The other players got annoyed that this was all taking so
long. I was annoyed it was taking so long. Azok was annoyed that no-one thought what he was doing was a good idea. I didn't want to say 'no' to what he was doing, I don't even think's that bad of an idea. I definitely have 'tek' lurking in the corners of the gameworld, so a sword hooked to a future battery that hangs off a belt is definitely possible down the line. But I can't think of any work around the basic set up of the jar-batteries that would allow him to do what he intends. Especially considering the only two people who really understand how the whole thing works are the man he just mugged and his Master, who hasn't been introduced yet, but is very central to at least two of the current plotlines.
 |
| The final result would look something like this, only with a lot more screaming and convulsing. |
For the overall plot there needs to be in-game consequences here, I'm just worried that it might cause Azok to sulk some more. Best hope is that he gets distracted by something else and I can shuffle the batteries out of sight and hopefully out of mind. Maybe if I dangle a chainsword in front of him? I can definitely see a dragonborn barbarian with a chainsword.
In the meantime, the rest of the party set about trying to stop the sale of the Midnight Star saloon to a group of slavers. They learned from Peter the Thief's contact that the owner of the saloon had taken 10,000gp as a down payment, and will take the other half once the slaver has sold his cargo. A couple of the players spent a good half hour coming up with a plan to raid the slaver's ship, which was awesome and I'm going to make some maps for the ship and part of the dock. The complication will occur when the pirate ship, Venomous arrives in the middle of the raid to take possession of the cargo.
Scuffy meanwhile, found 'The Tooth a Claw', a bar that caters to the darker elements of the city. It is also where I plan to try out some of the Bar Games. I've been working on. Next up: The Bloody Knife.
*yes Laru comes from Johnny Larue and yes, he does looks like an evil John Candy.
Scuffy meanwhile, found 'The Tooth a Claw', a bar that caters to the darker elements of the city. It is also where I plan to try out some of the Bar Games. I've been working on. Next up: The Bloody Knife.
*yes Laru comes from Johnny Larue and yes, he does looks like an evil John Candy.
Bar Games: Fire Scorpion
Get drunk, start a fight, talk to the mysterious stranger, hit on a server and steal a purse or two. If you're lucky there is a card game going or some dicing in the back alley. What else is there to do in bar?
Looking for something new to present to my players I came up with these simple mini-games for use as a bit of local colour, traditional games or challenges that can be found in different bars and locals.
Fire Scorpion
Players: 2 or more
Objective: Who can withstand the most pain from a scorpion's sting
Main Stat: Strength
Scorpions (or other stinging creature) are placed in a jar or small cask, one per each participating character. When the game begins, each character must put their hand in the jar and hold it there for a long as possible while being stung. The Fire Scorpion, a large, red angry creature so named from its bright colour and fearsome venom, which is said to feel being stabbed by a red-hot knife. The venom isn't often lethal, but a sting is so painful that the victim often wishes they were dead.
Each round, all players make a Strength Saving Throw. The first round the DC is 11. For each successive round the DC goes up by 1. If a player fails a roll,the will involuntary pull their hand from the jar, loosing the contest. A player can avoid this by permanently sacrificing 1 Hit Point, permanently damaging their body, but fighting through the agony long enough to roll again the next round.
A roll of a natural 1 means the player has a Disadvantage on the following Saving Throw roll.
A roll of a natural 20 means the player has an Advantage on the following Saving Throw roll.
After the game, normal sensation will return to the hand in d8 hours. Until then the character will be at a Disadvantage to all rolls that require the use of that hand.
Winning Condition: Be the last person to have their hand in the jar.
Looking for something new to present to my players I came up with these simple mini-games for use as a bit of local colour, traditional games or challenges that can be found in different bars and locals.
Fire Scorpion
Objective: Who can withstand the most pain from a scorpion's sting
Main Stat: Strength
Scorpions (or other stinging creature) are placed in a jar or small cask, one per each participating character. When the game begins, each character must put their hand in the jar and hold it there for a long as possible while being stung. The Fire Scorpion, a large, red angry creature so named from its bright colour and fearsome venom, which is said to feel being stabbed by a red-hot knife. The venom isn't often lethal, but a sting is so painful that the victim often wishes they were dead.
Each round, all players make a Strength Saving Throw. The first round the DC is 11. For each successive round the DC goes up by 1. If a player fails a roll,the will involuntary pull their hand from the jar, loosing the contest. A player can avoid this by permanently sacrificing 1 Hit Point, permanently damaging their body, but fighting through the agony long enough to roll again the next round.
A roll of a natural 1 means the player has a Disadvantage on the following Saving Throw roll.
A roll of a natural 20 means the player has an Advantage on the following Saving Throw roll.
After the game, normal sensation will return to the hand in d8 hours. Until then the character will be at a Disadvantage to all rolls that require the use of that hand.
Winning Condition: Be the last person to have their hand in the jar.
Wonderful Wednesdays
Going through my files I realize that I have quite a number pics I've collected of my favourite super-hero of all time, Ms. Lynda Carter. When I was a kid there weren't a lot of media options for comic book fans. There was the cartoon Spiderman, the Bixby Incredible Hulk TV series, and Wonder Woman. As a result all three are still my favoutite heroes, but the thing that really caught my attention, besides the idea that all you needed to do to become a superhero was to spin in place, was Ms. Carter herself.
Deciding I should do something with the pictures I've collected and inspired by HeroPress: Wonder Woman Wednesdays, I'm going to post a pic every Wednesday, and no gallery of Wonder Woman pictures would be complete without this masterpiece.
Sessions V and VI: Meanwhile, back in the sewers ...
Our Party
Azok - Silver Dragonborn Barbarian
Harrod -Half Elf Paladin
Grog -Half-Orc (Ogren) Fighter
Scruffy - Blue Dragonborn Paladin
Stephen - Halfing Bard
Peter -Human Thief
The party handled the last section of the sewers and the 'Ratomancer' (their name for him) who had stolen Grixby's amulet without too much trouble. In fact they smashed Skabies the Ratling Warlock so fast I didn't even have time to get a spell off. After that it was just moping up the rest of the giant rats, collecting the 'Irradiant Amulet' and heading back to the Storm Crow Tavern. So ended the introductory part of the campaign.
The next session picked up the next morning. Coaltooth, the owner of the Storm Crow had been so happy to have his basement free of giant vermin that he let them stay in a spare room. Two players were absent, so Azok and Grogt spent the morning sleeping off the previous night's celebration.
The remaining party split into parts to explore the city district known as The Ashes, so called because of the large Crematorium that looms over to the east. The smoke that billows from the great smokestacks slowly coats everything in the district like a grey snow.
Harrod and Scruffy went off in search of a furrier, and to see if they could track down any clues as to the young girl who had approached them in the bar. Peter and Stephen went to return Grixby's amulet, and then wanted to visit the Midnight Star Saloon, an old hang-out of Peter's.
This was the first test of my large-scale maps and NPC standees and I'm please to say that it worked out better than I’d hoped. The kids liked exploring the ‘board’ and it helped everyone keep track of their characters and locations. Carathon is based heavily on Lankhmar (and Sanctuary, the City State of the Invincible Overlord and a generous dash of Ankh-Morpork for good measure), so much so that I am using the map from the TSR supplement as the base map of the city. I found maps of the generic districts that comes with the book, blew one of them up so that it covered six pages and printed it out.
I decided early on that I wasn't going to run the game in any established D&D world, though I would never rule out a trip to Planescape, Darksun or Al Qadim. I made a few attempts at building the world, complete with cities, legends and such, but quickly realized that I didn't want to do that either. It felt too much like I was hemming myself in. What I have is an idea for an overall story arc that should carry the party to about level 5, but how it plays out, or even if it plays out, will depend on the actions of the players and their PCs.
I started by opening up the city map and told the kids that I haven't planned out every building in the district. If they had an idea for a shop or tavern to let me know. Now the district has an 'Adventurer's Guild', which is really just a run down storefront run by an old Duck veteran named Drake Mallard (Drake is a title, not a name) who brokers jobs for mercenaries.
They party even suggested that the Midnight Star was not friendly towards non-humans. I already had a sub-plot ready about a band of drunken slavers who had taken over the place, so this dovetailed nicely, especially when Stephen the Halfling snuck in, tried to talk to the toughs and (delightfully) rolled a 1 on his Persuasion roll. Never had a Halfing been flung so far, so quickly. Peter's player even decided that his Criminal Contact was a hostess there, and that he had history with the Slaver boss, so this place, which was a quicky idea based on my favourite Western movie, is quickly becoming a focal point to the game.
Since that had been a success I decided to get the players to help me design the overall gameworld. At the end of last session I asked them to think about the land where their characters had come from. They can choose not to participate if they want, or they can give me as much detail as they want. I may not use all of it, but I think it will help them keep invested in the game and save me a shit ton of work I don't really want to do. I'm looking forward to them keeping me on my toes.
Azok - Silver Dragonborn Barbarian
Harrod -Half Elf Paladin
Grog -Half-Orc (Ogren) Fighter
Scruffy - Blue Dragonborn Paladin
Stephen - Halfing Bard
Peter -Human Thief
The party handled the last section of the sewers and the 'Ratomancer' (their name for him) who had stolen Grixby's amulet without too much trouble. In fact they smashed Skabies the Ratling Warlock so fast I didn't even have time to get a spell off. After that it was just moping up the rest of the giant rats, collecting the 'Irradiant Amulet' and heading back to the Storm Crow Tavern. So ended the introductory part of the campaign.
The next session picked up the next morning. Coaltooth, the owner of the Storm Crow had been so happy to have his basement free of giant vermin that he let them stay in a spare room. Two players were absent, so Azok and Grogt spent the morning sleeping off the previous night's celebration.The remaining party split into parts to explore the city district known as The Ashes, so called because of the large Crematorium that looms over to the east. The smoke that billows from the great smokestacks slowly coats everything in the district like a grey snow.
Harrod and Scruffy went off in search of a furrier, and to see if they could track down any clues as to the young girl who had approached them in the bar. Peter and Stephen went to return Grixby's amulet, and then wanted to visit the Midnight Star Saloon, an old hang-out of Peter's.
This was the first test of my large-scale maps and NPC standees and I'm please to say that it worked out better than I’d hoped. The kids liked exploring the ‘board’ and it helped everyone keep track of their characters and locations. Carathon is based heavily on Lankhmar (and Sanctuary, the City State of the Invincible Overlord and a generous dash of Ankh-Morpork for good measure), so much so that I am using the map from the TSR supplement as the base map of the city. I found maps of the generic districts that comes with the book, blew one of them up so that it covered six pages and printed it out.
I started by opening up the city map and told the kids that I haven't planned out every building in the district. If they had an idea for a shop or tavern to let me know. Now the district has an 'Adventurer's Guild', which is really just a run down storefront run by an old Duck veteran named Drake Mallard (Drake is a title, not a name) who brokers jobs for mercenaries.
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| My gameworld now as Runequest Ducks. Deal with it. |
Since that had been a success I decided to get the players to help me design the overall gameworld. At the end of last session I asked them to think about the land where their characters had come from. They can choose not to participate if they want, or they can give me as much detail as they want. I may not use all of it, but I think it will help them keep invested in the game and save me a shit ton of work I don't really want to do. I'm looking forward to them keeping me on my toes.
The Abandoned Sanatorium
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| Boilers |
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| An old furnace, or some other kind of machine? |
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| This room was quite large and empty. You could almost hear invisible chains rattling |
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| Stairs up to freedom,or down to greater dangers? |
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| A dead end |
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| The control room |
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| The crawlspace |
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| The mine door |
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| The low door |
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| The prison door |
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| Inside a crawlspace. The skull was there when I opened the door,I swear. |
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| The gnome has always been here. And he has told me such terrible, beautiful things. |
Yo Joe! The RPG
This was based in my love of the Larry Hama comics, but I stopped reading the comics at at about the same time I started to grow out of toys. After that, I stopped paying much attention to the franchise.
But I do have a lot of nostalgia for those comics and some of those toys, and the one thing I've wanted to do was write and/or play a classic comic/cartoon era GI: Joe game.
Well today I found one, the Yo Joe Roleplaying Game, by Jay Libby, and its blown my ten-year old little mind. I couldn't do better than this, nor would I want to. It even has stats for the A-Team! My only goal now would be coming up with stats for the October Guard.
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