Post by idrahil on Apr 10, 2013 21:53:43 GMT -6
Tonight began the first "All Delving Deeper" campaign I've run. I had been mid campaign with my daughters and was using a sort of 2e hybrid and had been working slowly towards the DD rules.
Couple of specifics:
Daughters are playing an Elf and a Thief. My son is using the "Dagger" rules set from Brave Halfling and playing a Knight. The Dagger rules are simplified rules that allow me to run things slightly different for him since he in only 7.
I began using the Adventures at Rainbow Lodge by Barrataria.
This is an excellent series of introductory adventures and scenarios. I had read through it and converted the encounters to DD. (Switching enemies to DD stats) but tonight was the first play through with the module.
Save or Die reviewed this module and commented that they thought an introductory adventure needed more "oomph" or glitz and glamour. Admittedly, the first adventure involves retrieving stolen horses (as opposed to slaying a dragon and being bathed in riches) but it was a big hit with the kids.
They had some funny moments in the lodge dining hall meeting each other. Seeing my 7 year old pretend he was a knight was funny "yes yes, that'll do. Yes take this plate way please" in this sort of pompous (maybe?) voice.
They eventually set out on the quest to retrieve the horses. (The adventure is obviously linear with a few branches that only affect what encounters the group runs into.) Several times in the module, it mentions the possibility of a skill system. It doesn't require it but mentions a sort of "d20ish" mechanic "Make a wisdom or tracking check. Roll a d20. If they roll a 14 or higher they succeed". I switched this to DD's d6 mechanic. (14/20 is 33% so instead of that they rolled a D6 needing a 5 or 6.)
Eventually They come upon a large, dead oak tree and hear what sounds like a bear growling. The thief makes a listen check and succeed and I tell them it isn't actually a bear, that the wind blowing through the stump makes what ever is inside sound that way.
The knight lights his lantern and heads inside and surprises a giant rattlesnake (The module mentions it a regular rattlesnake I think but making it giant sized with "venom dripping off it's dagger sized fangs" made it exciting and scary. They kill the snake and search the snakes burrow.
Here I changed from the module again. The module mentions a bag of 65 silver coins in the stump. I switched that out to 65 gold pieces and a 100 gp pearl (a little nod to the Mentzer Basic adventure).
On they go following the tracks into a forrest. I didn't want to drop any dangerous random encounters so I used a small list of benign nature encounters. While they were in the dark forest, they heard some rustling in the branches. This got them nervous and ready for a fight "I get my shield up, I put an arrow in my bow, etc."
Then they laughed when a flying squirrel jumped down and glided over them to the other tree.
At this point they find a cave and search for tracks. They note what looks like bear tracks going into the cave. They decide to wisely avoid the cave (which housed a cave bear! changed from the module's Owl Bear) but.......
When they come upon a small tomb that has been sealed shut with "Green mortar with ruins indicating it has been warded to keep something inside", out came the crowbar to pry it open!
Ok so they open tomb and are surprised by the ghoul inside. The ghoul promptly paralyzes their NPC hireling (Stable boy from the lodge).
They fight with the elf taking a hit for 3 damage. A few rounds later and the ghoul falls. At this point the module states that the tomb is just a red herring and to stock the tomb with treasure as needed.
I go with the DD rules here and see that the treasure code for a ghoul is B. I have my daughter roll for the treasure (Usually this wouldn't be done but they enjoy rolling and those seconds of nervousness as you see if you hit, found treasure, what you found, etc.
This is the really interesting part: She fails to roll any coinage but when it comes to gems she rolled a 1,000 gp gem and also rolls for the magic weapon or armor! Now the rules said Weapon or armor so I did a d6 roll with 1 being armor, 2-3 being misc. weapon and 4-6 being a sword. The roll was a 2 and then followed by a 39. So they got a 1,000 gp gem and a Dagger +1, +2 vs. Goblins & Hobgoblins.
This is a pretty rich treasure but it was rolled legitimately.
So, we ended their at the tomb for the night. I will say that the Dagger rules Knight is fairly powerful (AC 2, attacks twice a round) but that is ok, I pln to manage that by having some of Zen's 1 HP mooks attacking him during battles.
I'll post again next session
Couple of specifics:
Daughters are playing an Elf and a Thief. My son is using the "Dagger" rules set from Brave Halfling and playing a Knight. The Dagger rules are simplified rules that allow me to run things slightly different for him since he in only 7.
I began using the Adventures at Rainbow Lodge by Barrataria.
This is an excellent series of introductory adventures and scenarios. I had read through it and converted the encounters to DD. (Switching enemies to DD stats) but tonight was the first play through with the module.
Save or Die reviewed this module and commented that they thought an introductory adventure needed more "oomph" or glitz and glamour. Admittedly, the first adventure involves retrieving stolen horses (as opposed to slaying a dragon and being bathed in riches) but it was a big hit with the kids.
They had some funny moments in the lodge dining hall meeting each other. Seeing my 7 year old pretend he was a knight was funny "yes yes, that'll do. Yes take this plate way please" in this sort of pompous (maybe?) voice.
They eventually set out on the quest to retrieve the horses. (The adventure is obviously linear with a few branches that only affect what encounters the group runs into.) Several times in the module, it mentions the possibility of a skill system. It doesn't require it but mentions a sort of "d20ish" mechanic "Make a wisdom or tracking check. Roll a d20. If they roll a 14 or higher they succeed". I switched this to DD's d6 mechanic. (14/20 is 33% so instead of that they rolled a D6 needing a 5 or 6.)
Eventually They come upon a large, dead oak tree and hear what sounds like a bear growling. The thief makes a listen check and succeed and I tell them it isn't actually a bear, that the wind blowing through the stump makes what ever is inside sound that way.
The knight lights his lantern and heads inside and surprises a giant rattlesnake (The module mentions it a regular rattlesnake I think but making it giant sized with "venom dripping off it's dagger sized fangs" made it exciting and scary. They kill the snake and search the snakes burrow.
Here I changed from the module again. The module mentions a bag of 65 silver coins in the stump. I switched that out to 65 gold pieces and a 100 gp pearl (a little nod to the Mentzer Basic adventure).
On they go following the tracks into a forrest. I didn't want to drop any dangerous random encounters so I used a small list of benign nature encounters. While they were in the dark forest, they heard some rustling in the branches. This got them nervous and ready for a fight "I get my shield up, I put an arrow in my bow, etc."
Then they laughed when a flying squirrel jumped down and glided over them to the other tree.
At this point they find a cave and search for tracks. They note what looks like bear tracks going into the cave. They decide to wisely avoid the cave (which housed a cave bear! changed from the module's Owl Bear) but.......
When they come upon a small tomb that has been sealed shut with "Green mortar with ruins indicating it has been warded to keep something inside", out came the crowbar to pry it open!
Ok so they open tomb and are surprised by the ghoul inside. The ghoul promptly paralyzes their NPC hireling (Stable boy from the lodge).
They fight with the elf taking a hit for 3 damage. A few rounds later and the ghoul falls. At this point the module states that the tomb is just a red herring and to stock the tomb with treasure as needed.
I go with the DD rules here and see that the treasure code for a ghoul is B. I have my daughter roll for the treasure (Usually this wouldn't be done but they enjoy rolling and those seconds of nervousness as you see if you hit, found treasure, what you found, etc.
This is the really interesting part: She fails to roll any coinage but when it comes to gems she rolled a 1,000 gp gem and also rolls for the magic weapon or armor! Now the rules said Weapon or armor so I did a d6 roll with 1 being armor, 2-3 being misc. weapon and 4-6 being a sword. The roll was a 2 and then followed by a 39. So they got a 1,000 gp gem and a Dagger +1, +2 vs. Goblins & Hobgoblins.
This is a pretty rich treasure but it was rolled legitimately.
So, we ended their at the tomb for the night. I will say that the Dagger rules Knight is fairly powerful (AC 2, attacks twice a round) but that is ok, I pln to manage that by having some of Zen's 1 HP mooks attacking him during battles.
I'll post again next session