|
Post by xerxez on Jun 7, 2012 17:59:49 GMT -6
I will admit that this spell has made me as a DM swear under my breath.
Several lovingly designed encounters were rendered cannon fodder by Sleep.
However, low level mages are not especially powerful, and I like them having at least two spells in their arsenal that let them alter the course of the adventure, chiefly Charm Person and Sleep.
Also, it has saved some of my groups from a TPK.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on May 28, 2012 5:09:32 GMT -6
Wish I could have seen this as a child! "Jack the Giant Killer" has the type of stop motion special effects seen in the early Sinbad movies but I like it. Some great and imaginative sets and costumes, the court of the evil prince is comprised of demons and witches and trollish creatures, and the wardrobe is stellar. It evokes the stage, like so many films from the sixties. Hope someone enjoys it! www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfCyFeI5dNA&feature=related
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on May 11, 2012 20:54:06 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on May 7, 2012 18:40:15 GMT -6
I'm thinking of doing this Geoffrey.
My questions:
1.What are your level criteria?--I prefer writing lower to mid level adventures.
2.With such an array of possibilities, I assume the modules will not fit into a specific setting?
3.Is this strictly swords and sorcery, or is planet sci-fantasy on the table?
4. I share Kent's question about monsters.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Apr 16, 2012 21:22:48 GMT -6
I had a sizeable collection of these fantastic books in the 80's.
There were a few less than perfect publications, but most were awesome, chock full of scenarios, monster ecology and cultural treatises.
I stumbled onto "Dark Folk" this past weekend in Half Price Books--got it for a few bucks and it is going to really be an asset to my campaign!
Robert Lynn Asprin contributed the article on Orcish Culture and what a joy it is! Dark Folk contains ecology and religious info on Orcs, Goblins, Kobolds, Gnolls and Trolls.
Each section not only details the race but contains a full length scenario, complete dungeon maps, a city map, NPC's, and magic items. There is a continental map for an entire side campaign. It is profusely illustrated by very good artists--the cover is done by one Janny Wurts and is a gorgeous painting--the interior art has some stuff that looks like Sutherland's stuff, only...dare I say this...maybe better? That would be Gerald O'Malley's lovely pen and ink scribblings and his occasional washed images.
I owned this book as a kid and ran one adventure out of it but now I will be wringing everything out of this book, it will give me a huge break! I have enjoyed reading the scenarios, the type is very pleasant, and the writing is fun to read.
The book is aimed at mid level characters--5th to 8th--and is a bit challenging but as much thinking as hack and slash.
I think I will seek out the others again--I also snagged a near mint condition of "The Lost City of Kiraz", of Harn mythology. A gorgeous dungeon map of an abandoned dwarven citadel inside a mountain--kind of like moria, but a little more manageable!
These items will adapt nicely to nearly any D&D game--they were actually designed for unofficial use with AD&D but I'll be doing D&D with them.
It's also pretty cool to know that Robert Asprin was involved in the hobby, I never knew that though I loved his books!
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Mar 19, 2012 18:48:07 GMT -6
I didn't mean it as a jab. He didn't just copy Kirby, he learned to draw with that style.
I think its awesome he was thus inspired, that's how art works--he gave a new interpretation of it.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Mar 19, 2012 18:04:15 GMT -6
Nice.
I see a lot of imitation of Jack Kirby (Kamandi Last Boy on Earth comic) but it's gorgeous flattery and even looks a little better than Kirby, who was always one of my favorites.
Echoes of Thundarr the Barbarian as well, maybe?
But Kamandi did it's share of borrowing--it borrowed heavily from Planet of the Apes.
Thanks for the link.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Mar 13, 2012 23:31:08 GMT -6
I saw the film a 2nd time and thought more kindly of it. Its not bad compared to the flotsam that usually flows out of Hollywood.
Maybe there will be some new art, some cool toys to use as props or minis in games, maybe an rpg.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Mar 10, 2012 1:28:27 GMT -6
I just came from the film at the new IMAX 3-D theater in our city. I did enjoy the film, and as a film I will give it a high B. As per Barsoom and Burroughs authenticity, I'm afraid it gets a D or maybe even an F. There are hints of John Carter of Mars in this screen hero, and hints of Deja Thoris, but it does not develop either of them enough, or other important characters. It does not follow the books and takes a great deal of liberty in addition of elements. It also did not even evoke any theme at all, let alone the themes explored by Burroughs. It's simply a romp. It makes a caricature out of John Carters loyal beast, but to be fair, it's a Disney film and this is one thing that will appeal to kids. The overall feel of the film was not grim enough for me, but Disney's usual target audiences will probably enjoy it. I will say that the redeeming quality for me was the portrayal of the tharks--the Green Martian culture sequences really evoked the books. I agree with darkling that the film avoids tropes, and I'm so glad they didn't politicize it with regards to the Confederacy and related issues. I agree with Finarvyn in some respects--I think modern crowds will like the film, Deja will appeal to girls, and kids of all ages will really enjoy this as a movie experience. It's just, I wanted it to scribe for the books..... I do feel the story was captured well in this online graphic novel--beware the link below, it is on the official ERB website but it is highly sexually charged. It's a brilliant interpretation, though... It uses the actual text and copiously illustrates it... www.erbzine.com/mag13/1302.html
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Jan 29, 2012 12:59:02 GMT -6
I don't think it all matters very much.
If Wizards of the Coast put Gary Gygax's name on a product, it's simply because they need his name to reach optimum sales.
They certainly did not do it to honor Gary Gygax.
Both Dave and Gary are honored by the community they helped create and both live on in their achievements.
Gygax was gifted with an ability and drive to take the game and apply in it's commercial forms and infuse it with it's long shelf life, and this was as much because he put real creative substance into it as much as other reasons.
I salute them both.
As for WoTC, I don't buy their products. I basically turn my head in scorn and contempt when I pass by them on the shelves.
I buy used AD&D and D&D products where I find them and I would not even consider WoTC PDF's.
The only way I would relent is they actually created a physical copy of the OD&D books with original art and writing.
I would buy that.
But since they won't do that, I am fairly positive, they'll never see a dime of this gamer's money.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Jan 15, 2012 14:51:42 GMT -6
Thank you for the edit, Finarvyn.
We have had some great games and there are some capital fellows but I have a couple players who I am cursed/blessed with them being not only a regular player but also a good friend and it makes it hard to drop the hammer.
I think your model is the only way for a game to thrive. I'm just about there--the co-GMing things on a timetable hasn't worked as well as I would have liked.
I appreciate your well wishes
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Jan 11, 2012 18:19:08 GMT -6
Well, I finally got around to sneaking back by that old bookstore and now, after almost thirty years, once again possess Galloway's F.W.
I agree with those who have written that the book is worth owning simply by virtue of the essays--I know they impacted me as a kid, shaped my dungeon design, and helped provide a much more realistic medieval motif to our early games, thank's to the generous historical detail Galloway provides.
I will admit that at fourteen, the rules themselves seemed incomprehensible, though I am amazed that I was able to digest about half of them then.
After a week of re-reading the book, I do grasp them at last and they are actually quite simple, and I would love to play.
I will not use all of the religious and magical material as it hits a little close to home in the domain of my private beliefs but it is easily adaptable to any campaign and the magic system is a bit of true genius.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Jan 2, 2012 13:15:00 GMT -6
Nix on the review-just discovered the film was from 2009, but I just found it. So in case, like me, you are hella behind the times, and missed them, I'll leave this up!
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Jan 2, 2012 13:10:58 GMT -6
Has anyone else seen this? Just discovered it this morning quite by accident. It is an unofficial prequel to the LOTR films which tells the tale of Aragorn's father Arathor, his mother Gilraen, and the band of Dundedain rangers led by Arathorn as they contend with Orcs sent to slay Isildur'e heirs. The opening scenes clunk a bit but after this it is very absorbing and has some beautiful story, scenery, character acting and plot. It's low budget but not badly done--the orcs look just a tad Halloweenish but it does not detract from the film experience. I was very touched by the movie, it is very faithful to Tolkien's Middle Earth and was made with love. Here is that link: www.bornofhope.com/FilmYouTube.htmlAnd it's face book page: www.facebook.com/pages/Born-of-Hope/23411734398?sk=wallAnd in case anyone missed the previous prequel, "Hunt for Gollum", which is also a great little film that recounts Aragorn's tracking and catching of Gollum, here is that link as well: www.thehuntforgollum.com/updates.htmI am planning on writing a review of Born of Hope on my blog after I reserach the film a little more and go back to the books a bit. The official website of the film has the soundtrack (which is quite good) available for free download and would make some great D&D background music! Enjoy.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Dec 26, 2011 11:40:50 GMT -6
Well, you already got some it appears but I thought one that was suggested was good--"Eldritch Warrior".
Witch Warrior or Witch Knight or Witchblade come to mind.
Rune Warrior...
Battle Mage...
Arcane Sword Master.
Arcane Warrior.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Dec 25, 2011 19:18:10 GMT -6
Not to be a grinch but I really hope this one is decent.
The second D&D film was not bad, it was watchable.
I cringed all the way through the first one.
It would be kind of neat if they would make one about the animated series with Hank the Ranger and the rest of the crew.
On that note, a film or tv series based on Joel Rosenberg's Gaurdians of the Flame would be delicious!
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Nov 29, 2011 6:52:36 GMT -6
Yes, thanks so much. I didn't know this existed.
Strangely, rather than being appalled, I find myself wishing it would have been filmed.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Nov 29, 2011 6:26:14 GMT -6
Greetings all. Really hoping someone could be of help here.
Does a table exist that provides suggested Experience Points for undertaking character class abilities, solving tricks/traps/puzzles and role playing (including playing alignment properly)?
This table must of course be compatible with OD&D/Holmes/AD&D classes and the attending XP levels.
It makes sense to me--in the AD&D DMG (1e) it mentions it but does not elaborate. Holmes does not indicate it and I don't know about OD&D as I do not own a copy of these rules yet.
Level progression in my campaigns tends to be a bit slow, and I'd like to change this. I know the early books seem to indicate this is proper enough but in our case it's a little too slow. In a two year campaign the highest levels attained are 3rd.
Now this is very much due to switching characters mid-campaign (i.e., creating new ones) and playing a few other systems but much of it is, I think, due to my inexperience in knowing how to stock dungeons with treasure commensurate with the party's XP needs for progressing. In my opinion, the treasure type tables are little help in this--often I will roll and the roll indicates nothing.
That simply isn't realistic or, in actuality, fair...not when the PC's have hazarded their lives against such beasts.
I would like to quit glutting my dungeons with coin and gems and start placing treasures like tapestries, silk, jade bars, ivory cases, paintings, incense, etc--stuff the party will have to convert and that may not be as enriching as coin but is more interesting, because, frankly, it gets a little old when they know that the chest they are about to open contains--can you guess....gold pieces! Or electrum pieces! Or....you get the picture.
A slight decrease in the monetary value of many treasure piles (not all mind you....) would be offset by awarding XP for the above mentioned player efforts.
My players always enjoy our games...but I can sense that they'd like to see a character who has adventured in twenty or thirty dungeons do a little better than 3rd level.
If anyone knows of a ready made table for this or if you have better advice, I'm all ears.
Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Nov 9, 2011 3:28:04 GMT -6
Greetings folks. I have written a review of James' e-book on my blog. This is extremely good stuff and shows that there is a lot of genuine talent in the OSR community. I am hesitant sometimes to critique people's stuff at their request in case I don't enjoy it or find it my cup of tea. With James' book, I could honestly say the contrary! jennerak.blogspot.com/2011/11/e-book-review-new-death-and-others-by.html
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Oct 11, 2011 12:56:49 GMT -6
1. Without doubt, Tekumel!
I'm of the opinion that one needn't be a Barker historiographer to enjoy a good game of Tekumel.
I know the professor said that EPT was but a brief intro and was not Tekumel as it would be if he were running it (or something like that) but I am convinced that any DM who had a decent grasp of that set of rules and knew nothing of the world but what he got from EPT could run a game that would be exotic, fun, and a breath of fresh air.
2. Holmes Basic edition D&D.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Sept 2, 2011 2:28:20 GMT -6
I just raised a toast. As I sip, I recall the blast of fresh air that the Arduin books brought to my D&D games.
I picked them up in Honolulu Hawaii and we played on my ship, had some good times!
I did not know Mr. Hargrave was a veteran--salute.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Sept 1, 2011 13:41:20 GMT -6
I have been, as yet, unable to run my Hidden kingdom game.
It is still something I am wanting to do very soon. I can't decide between systems and settings so at this point I am trying to figure out how to run that game, Empire of the Petal Throne, and Holmes D&D.
One of these games will have to be a monthly affair.
On a positive note, I was finally e-mailed back by Jon McClellan, the designer of Hidden Kingdom, who is friendly and willing to correspond with me about the game, which, in his own words, did not do as well as wished and would have been better as a computer simulation game.
He did say it was a labor of love still dear to his heart.
I did a lot of Arthurian research and discovered that the oldest Romano-British Arthur legend was in a still mostly Pagan Britain and not near as Christianized as later acothingys, so the game background is actually accurate--as accurate as can be in dealing with a myth as elusive as Arthur, who was probably a Welsh figure.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Aug 30, 2011 9:14:11 GMT -6
I use a caller for any group over 3 players when I am DMing.
It seems to help a lot, especially with dungeon adventures.
I tend to type out very detailed Dungeon Keys with text of room descriptions to be read aloud--I find that after reading the description, the caller system lets the players quietly discuss what they want to do while I re-read the secrets of the room and jot notes for any encounters or traps.
By the time I look up from this, the caller has a neat presentation for me of what the party is going to do. I've had time to study the room anew, and they have had time to think about what they want to do.
Having a caller does not tend to eliminate the need for being questioned by all of the players but they should try to have the caller ask the questions.
I also ask my players to roll their combat and damage die all at the same time when we are doing battles--saves a bit of waiting.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Aug 26, 2011 4:25:33 GMT -6
Steam tunnel exploration has always been an old college activity for a few brave or foolish souls.
Don't know about LARPing and steam tunnels.
I do know as a fourteen year old in Oklahoma City we had a fair knowledge of the drainage tunnels around our neighborhood and we did attempt to play live D&D in them with real torches. That was dumb, smoky, and our torches burned out quickly, aborting the game.
We were unaware of any others doing it, i think it is an idea that occurs naturally to some who really love the game.
I think the occult and demonic elements of the early games were more a result of agnosticism and atheism, certainly not any satanic agenda.
Demonology and magic craft seemed like any other mythological monsters to the players, the game designers didn't believe in them and had no religious objections to their inclusion as yet another layer to the game.
That's how I've always seen it, I am not saying that is the case.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Aug 19, 2011 1:30:15 GMT -6
G.B. you are right on. I'm wanting to do this with my Holmes game.
When I read Dave Arneson's "Adventures in Fantasy" this is exactly how he did elves, with the added factor (inconvenient as it is) that elves cannot endure sunlight and they are affected by Christian Holy Symbols due to their pagan nature.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Aug 10, 2011 1:15:29 GMT -6
Glorious battle--
Good ideas. And an awesome random list. By combining 4 of the themes for an adventure basis, it is nearly limitless and fresh every time.
I thought about this once and I got an idea from a thread here about something Gygax supposedly used to do with sealed envelopes of dungeon room contents.
The envelopes were provided by the players who came to the game and one was picked randomly for an encounter in the dungeon.
I thought this would be cool if you had EVERY player bring such an envelope.
Give them a rough idea of level and hit dice of encounters, a theme, or a town or dungeon. Provide them with the back story of the dungeon.
Each can be room contents placed as they are drawn from a pile and assigned to a generic dungeon map prepared beforehand.
Or they can be shops and streets of a city.
When your envelope is drawn, you run that encounter.
If you wanted, you could have a couple dozen players and arrange them by tables, people would get up and switch a table when they finished a certain level or encounter.
This is not something that would endure as a lasting style of play but it would be a blast once in awhile.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Aug 7, 2011 20:52:20 GMT -6
I'm not holding my breath. Fans have been asking for older stuff to be re-released for some time now and WotC has always resisted. I would be really surprised if we finally get what we wanted. If some sort of revival happens, I'll bet that it gets "updated" or "revised" or somehow doesn't look like what everyone is expecting. Exactly! I know someone with an actual white box set--I am going to be making them an offer soon and I hope they take it cause I really want to own one and use it but if not I am not paying the prices I've seen on the Net and I am not interested in anything by WoTC UNLESS it was the exact same game. New artwork would be acceptable, of course, though it would be cool if the new art was based upon the original illustrations as a nod to the first set. I also think it would be fine to clean up some of the grammar and add a little more explanation in spots. But I would want the original game. And none of the ridiculous so called "humor" they ruined the latest Gamma World system with.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Aug 7, 2011 12:24:12 GMT -6
This would be cool but it simply demonstrates that D&D was Gygax
and Arnenson's genius child, that it was never demonstrably
improved upon in ANY fashion by WoTC, and that they recognize this
fact themselves.
OD&D (and it's immediate family, Holmes Edition and 1st edition
AD&D) have not been forgotten or abandoned in over three
decades, but the gaming world would never have noticed had
WoTC never existed.
It wouldn't have made any difference to the hobby.
I have boycotted them for a long time and my intent is to NEVER
give them a dime.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Jul 15, 2011 14:26:03 GMT -6
It has always been my desire to DM a game where the players roll no dice and there is ZERO discussion of mechanics--it is all role playing, and narrative.
I think this would be a sweet game. I don't think my current crop of players would go for it, though. They feel they are doing something and identify more with their character when they are rolling dice for their actions.
I may try to get them to try a game the other way once.
The way I do it now is I let all players roll their damage and hit rolls and saving throws. It kind of builds tension to let them roll. If its a secret saving throw due to the character not knowing what it is they are saving against then I make the roll.
I also let them roll percentage chances for things the character would know if they succeeded or not, but not things like checking for secret doors or listening for noises.
One thing I have begun doing is to make all my npc, trap, and monster hit rolls and damage openly to all. I want a sense in my games that the dice are the Fates. I don't want players to think I am fudging or pulling punches or going by whim.
Was unaware of that OD&D rule since I haven't been able to play White Box OD&D yet since I am waiting to buy the actual boxed set, which I will. I have been using Holmes and 1st Edition AD&D.
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Jun 30, 2011 9:10:58 GMT -6
My son had a friend stay the night last night and the two of them and my daughter stayed up pretty late with me. They are ages 16-17. Growing bored with X-Box and Netflix, they were debating what to do and I nonchalantly suggested "How about a game of D&D?"
They agreed. Now my daughter has played the game maybe six times total and abandoned it long it ago as "not her thing." She has steadfastly resisted playing despite me occasionally begging her to join her brother and I for a game. So when she agreed quickly, I was under no illusions that she had a change of heart--she finds my son's friend "cute."
Hey, anything to get a player!
I have been working on several adventures but was saving them for this weekend when some friends and I have some serious gaming planned. So I decided to do what I used to do a lot as a kid playing D&D--wing it!
I keep copies of every character we ever roll up for our games and so I have a binder of characters of various levels. I let people rename them, change the sex if need be, and occasionally tweak them to fit a new game. My daughter picked a Halfling Thief ,Chinka Tumblefoot, my son ran his human Warrior Mage Eastwood, and his friend ran an Elf Fighter he had played in another game once long ago, one Verimoore.
We set the table up, put out the lights, and played by candle glow. And suddenly, we were in the mood to game!
I enjoy reading OSR blogs for many reasons, chief among them being I get a lot of inspiration, and other times I wouldn't call it inspired, I just plagiarize outright...for the gaming table only, of course.
While looking over Tombowning's Magician's Manse blog a day or so ago, I noticed a feature of his campaign environs called "The Tower of a Thousand Faces." It seized my imagination and so I had a vague idea for the adventure. From there I began to go off the cuff and with no prior planning whatsoever!
The party started off in a tavern in the great Northern city of Kravekos. They were drinking and smoking their pipes when in rushed a portly man, his clothes torn and dirty, his boots muddy with travel, and his face unshaven, sweaty, and terrified. Shaking, he walked to the bar and began to order one drink after another.
Our party approached him and asked him what was the matter. His name was Murgo, and he told them he had returned from a doomed expedition wherein three of his companions had died horribly. He was done with adventuring forever. Upon further prodding, he revealed that the object of their quest had been the Tower of a Thousand Faces, which lay in the Swamps of Ern. It was said that all the gold a man would ever want for lay beyond it's portal.
Two of Murgo's friends had perished in the swamps and the third had died inside the Tower to some horror in the dark, leaving Murgo to flee the swamps and somehow make it back alive. My daughter truly grew horrified at Murgo's description of a tower covered from top to bottom with crowded faces which were the visages of all of those who had perished within the Tower...
A table of Knights at meal overheard the convesration (don't ask me why Knights were eating in the tavern instead of the Castle...)and one Sir Allocon laughed at the tale, which he discounted as an old wives tale. Swamp fever was the only thing that Murgo had encountered....
Eastwood managed to convince Murgo to be their guide at least to the place where the Tower stood. The Knight was all too eager to take up a Quest, intending to prove the Tower a myth. So they agreed to meet in the morning outside the city gates and journey to the Swamps of Ern. After buying two horses and a pony, they were off.
They made camp that night on a lonely heath near an abandoned cemetery from ancient times. I decided an encounter was needed to enliven the journey!
On the Halfling's watch, she noted a strange green light in the direction of the cemetery. Rousing her companions, they debated their course of action. Sir Allocon refused to flee or shun to investigate this light, upon his knightly honor. Murgo, for his part, refused to leave camp.
Eastwood feared a trap of bandits, so he chose to wait with their horses and gear and Murgo while the other three checked it out and would promptly report back.
They shuttered the knight's lantern and he held onto Chinka's cloak since she and the Elf have Darksight. As they neared the ring of broken stones that had once been the cemetery walls, Chinka used her sneaking abilities to draw closer and from behind a tombstone she was able to discern that the green light was a magical orb which floated in the air from grave to grave, stopping over one area and hovering. She motioned to her companions, who joined her.
Verimoore and the Knight joined her and the elf, who had superior vision, was able to make out two figures, one standing still while another dug in the earth. Verimoore told Chinka and Sr Allocon to wait while he approached to challenge these sacrilegious persons as to why they were disturbing the rest of the dead.
Turned out to be an old man dressed in wizard's robes and his hunchbacked servant who was busy digging up a corpse.
The elf startled them, but when they recovered, they answered his inquiry with a warning to leave them be. Pressed further, the Mage said something about getting a proper army assembled very soon and marching down there to show Kravekos a thing or two about what power really means. Yes, it was a tactical blunder on the mage's part, but it made for good theater!
Verimoore (played by a very green player, remember) resolutely advised the wizard and his crony to leave off their sacrilege and depart at once or there would be trouble. Chinka meanwhile began to creep around to a place where her backstabbing ability would be of use...
But upon hearing of Kravekos, Sir Allocon could hide no more and boldly strode into the Wizard's green light, demanding he explain what he meant and assuring him he would first deal with Sir Allocon.
The Wizard was fine ith this. He raised his hands dramatically and cried..."To me, my servants...To me!" And from out of the darkness approached four animated skeletons and two ghouls!
Meanwhile, concerned that his friends had been away so long, Eastwood left the cowering Murgo and headed for the cemetery. He quickly saw the green light and made for it where he saw a terrible battle underway.
Now let me say, with a touch of superstition, that no matter what game my daughter plays, dice love her. It is the most bizarre thing I have witnessed. She cannot but roll good. And so while I will spare you a blow by blow account of the battle, the battle lasted ten rounds and she missed only twice while Verimoore hit only twice! Yes, Austin rolled 6 misses and fumbled twice!
But I proceed to hastily. It began well enough when Eastwood cast his Sleep spell and aimed it at the Wizard. Kaboom! Wizard and hunchback both dropped, snoring soundly, but alas, so did Sir Allocon who was standing too close! But this left the Undead to deal with, and without a cleric around to try and turn them!
My son found out he doesn't like ghouls. Besides getting 3 attacks each, they have that nasty paralyzing business. So he rejoiced in getting a hit in on the ghoul he faced, but not when he was slashed by ghoul claws and teeth and not only took damage but had to save vs. poison or be paralyzed.
He failed. And mind you, in our last game, this same character was paralyzed in the first round of a battle with a Carrion Crawler! He was not happy and his gaming mood quickly soured. Furthermore, the ghoul kept attacking him while he was down! To give him a chance, I made the rolls instead of letting the ghoul dispatch hi outright, reasoning that he was still resisting the poison and so was rolling around as best he could as it overtook his limbs, dodging the ghoul's attacks.
Meanwhile, Chinka managed to get her +4 Sneak attack in and that with a magical sword, +2 again! So a whopping +6. She hit and did double damage and severed the ghoul's head.
For the remainder of the battle, she used her magic sword and then her bow to mop up on the enemy.
Verimoore couldn't hit the broad side of a barn! The only thing he had going for him was that he had a low Armor Class and that as an elf he was immune to the ghoul poison. Beyond that, he was dismal and believe it or not somehow managed to roll a 1 TWICE in this combat! A 1is a fumble in our game and you lose your next attack!
While all this is going on, Murgo comes charging into the melee, apparently not so base a coward that he would allow his friends to be wantonly butchered. He scored a hit on a ghoul, did very pathetic damage to it, and then got slashed with ghoul poison and failed his saving throw--down he went!! And the ghoul turned to attacking Murgo instead of Eastwood, who would be down to 3 Hit points at the end of this fracas.
The party finally triumphed thanks to Chinka and Verimoore...well, mostly Chinka. Verimoore killed one skeleton. While both Murgo and Eastwood did minimal damage to one ghoul, it was Chinka who dealt the deathblow to every enemy except Verimoore's one skeleton. So my daughter was feeling pretty triumphant, my son was being very sullen, and his buddy simply breathed a sigh of relief.
Tragically, they found that Murgo had died in his battle with the Ghoul! Alas, his dark premonitions had proved true and his earlier escape from fate was in vain!
They searched and bound the Wizard and his hireling, then waited for everyone who was either asleep or paralyzed to come to. When that was done, Eastwood angrily tried to snuff out the Wizard's life (he's Chaotic Neutral) but Sir Allocon disputed this on moral grounds (Allocon is lawful good). It was a moot point though--just as Eastwood was about to cast Charm Person on the Wizard, the evil fellow spoke some magic word and vanished, his ropes falling to the ground.
The hunchback, whose name turned out to be Urg, blubbered and pleaded for his life. I managed to get really into character with Urg and he was so pitiful that they could not but spare him, but upon finding out that he lived in a hut in the Swamps and only occasionally worked for the Wizard, the party insisted that he replace their dead guide. Sniveling, he agreed, though he feared the Necromancer, who "lives in a great tower somewhere in the Swamp."
It was an "Aha" moment, admittedly cheap on my part since I had not planned it and since it made little sense plot wise but again, it was matinee stuff and the kids enjoyed it! They decided the Tower of a Thousand faces must be the Necromancer's tower! And so of course that is precisely what it is now...
And so the adventure ended for now (we didn't start until 2:00 am ) with the party anxious to reach the Tower of a Thousand Faces and very pleased with having found on the Wizard a Scroll with a spell of Protection from Petrification.
My son's friend really enjoyed it, my boy not as much cause he tends to get that way when he rolls badly, but I was happiest that my daughter got into it. She remarked that the game seemed much more fun when it was only 3 players and a DM. Hopefully this means she will play again, but who can tell? I certainly had a good time and it taught me that sometimes the open adventure is a lot of fun. I'm a devout Planner for my games but there was something refreshing in the spur of the moment, vaudevillian antics of an unplanned session.
I am looking forward to them reaching the Tower and the Swamps, and a big thank you to Ian/Tombownings for the adventure idea!
|
|