The Exploits of Javelin Company, RHC Flint Chapter [Starting Cauldron Born!]

Greetings all...Wanted to write about our first session with the great adventure series. Like many of you, creating a 'unit' for our PCs was a good idea, and came up with having small 4-6 person Companies or Teams...with flavorful names. And so we have Javelin Company.

Found someone's (likely on this board) logo for the RHC and put together a cool dossier that would be sent to Delft.

View attachment Recruits.docx

I had to do a lot of exposition, as people in my 4-person party forgot the details of the world and such. I found myself talking along time straight, so I wanted to get into the skill challenge as soon as I could.

I was walking them through as best I could, though, they seemed not to be able to hit on skills that would work. My party sometimes like to look at which score is their highest....then shoehorn in a reason why it might work.
"I want to Stealthily go up to a guy and see if notice or hear any plans he is making"
"OK...roll Stealth - but that will just get you a bonus to a Perception check, since you're sizing up the crowd."
"Oh, I have a low score in that...so let me rethink this"

Anyways...with 2 rounds to go, they Intimidate one guy to give up the other two. But Dafton gets through the checkpoint. They become obsessed with trying to find him, but I get the Duchess and King to start arriving, and mention that you feel a main threat has been avoided. I didn't know what to do with Dafton here...I let him shout at Stanfield...my party was ready to kill him, but he just caused a raucous. No Docker fight (but they hate dockers now).

I've got a 20 Passive Insight guy, (everyone else is at 10 or 9!) so he noticed Sokana being an Eladrin. I TRIED to play this down, but red flags went up everywhere. They wanted to take a nap with her! I got them top side, and had good interactions with Lee, Geoff, Smith, Deflt (king was too busy). I mentioned that the crowd was 50/50 on whether this ship was a good idea or not.

I gave them the run down of the Coaltongue, but probably should have done a better job. They didn't come up with any creative solution, but it worked. Anyway, fight ensues...and there is fire everywhere immediately. The fire sprites did a good job of slowing them down, and Sokana got to the boiler. The halfing bit it pretty quickly. They were shocked that they saw the Duchess apparently riding some sea beast, and not drowning....so lots of questions.

By the time they get down to the lower deck, (they are asking where are the guards??), people are hurting. I didn't use Sokana's other sprite or her action point. She instead closed one of the valves, the engineers rusted the others. She put here fire wall on the ladder squares so PCs were getting burnt. By the time our 4th PC is in the engine room, Most players are single digit HP, and the boiler count is in the low teens. I am sensing not only TPK, but Total Campaign Kill...as everyone is going to die! I don't think I conveyed how in trouble the ship was. The PCs didn't know the count. Anyways...confident she did her job...she walks up to players and does her wind stride thing, teleporting to an upper deck...and killing 2 PCs. BTW....no one has healing potions.

Luckily the cleric had some mass heal spell and she got them up again. The other Engineer fled...and basically didn't even try to fight the guy chasing him (who had 2 HP). The PCs fixed the valves...and one of them got tongs and fished out the rod (taking 5 damage)...this brought the count up a lot (BTW...the 5 turns for the valves is alot AFTER you halve it for the rod!) They finally alert Geoff, and because there were more than 20 rounds left, I called the situation under control. They search the ship room to room...but cannot find Sokana (teleported to gun deck...dove out). Not sure what to do with her...but the HATE her now too! It was running late, so I rushed the end...and plan to do the aftermath over email...so they can prep their characters with gear that they will get.

All in all...they really like it. Since there is 4 of them, I think I should scale the encounters down a bit...no idea how I'm going to run Varal yet...but I told them 'Lot's of healing potions next time!'

Hey, welcome! I'm glad you and your group are enjoying the game.

The campaign is designed with the assumption of a party of 5 PCs, but depending on how tough your group's characters are, you might be able to keep the challenge level as written. If your group doesn't optimize for combat, though, it might be necessary to tone things down.

If you ever have any questions or need any help, please just ask. I and some of the other GMs running ZEITGEIST love to share our experiences and offer advice.

al_fredo said:

Since there is 4 of them, I think I should scale the encounters down a bit...no idea how I'm going to run Varal yet...but I told them 'Lot's of healing potions next time!'

Click to expand...

I really don't think you should. Most of the encounters are on the light side (with the odd exception). A four-person party might struggle taking the lighthouse/sea-wall, but with good tactics they will just find it challenging.

This advice goes double for subsequent adventures where the party often gets extended rests between encounters, and so can throw everything they've got at them.

Go for level 19 with Varal. It's more fun. What other level 1 adventure pits the PCs against a 19th level foe? Remember - he's close to getting what he wants, so might not be shooting to kill at this stage. If the party gets TPKed you can always decide he just knocked them out (they are allies and servants of the king, after all).

Healing potions are a good idea though!

My Zeitgeist party was 4 PCs until recently. I did rebalance a decent number of the encounters, but it was generally as simple as either removing one monster or deleveling them partially/fully. Some of the encounters I left alone, because I knew the players would come prepared and have an extended rest.

I ran the level 20 Asrabey as-is, though, and it worked fine. Well, he killed the Duchess, but they did knock him out and capture him.

Overall, I'm pleased with how the difficulty turned out. I've had a PC within one death save of dying at least once, and dropped PCs plenty of times.

Since you've got a Cleric in the party, I think you'll find that encounter difficulty is much less of an issue as the PCs level up and the Cleric gets more uses of Healing Word. Level 1-5 is about the only level range in the game where healing potions have much utility.

Here is the via email Aftermath I typed up for the group. As someone else mentions, I thought that if the king said he was going to marry a Danoran, and the very next scene they meet Lya...it would be pretty easy to put together. So, I'm going to let the marriage part slip in later I think, and then have Lya confirm it at the end. Or maybe just Lya saying it. Not sure yet. Anyways:

Geoff Masarde emerges from the Coaltounge's superstructure, a heat warped shovel in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. His formal garments are smoking and charred. He gives a slight nod to you and Stover Delft and turns his attention to two noblewomen while his bodyguards find him clean attire. "Madness!", he boasts, cooling his drink with his magical ice wand.

You are treated for your injuries and thoroughly questioned by Principal Minsiter Harkover Lee. You tell him all that you saw: the ritual components, Sokana, the engineers...and the Duchess. "It is a wonder the Coaltounge still steams on. Masarde informed me that there is only slight damage to the boiler and relief valves. We'll make it back to Flint, though we'll limp into port. But, better than swimming. The king will likely want to have word. Distressing news about his sister. Get cleaned up and join the rest for the King's speech in a few moments. The royal guard has secured the traitors below deck, but no trace of The Duches her handmaiden. "

Minutes later, the king is about to give his speech. As he nears, he takes the time to speak with you.
"Javelin Company of the RHC, I presume? You have saved this ship and lives of everyone aboard. Well done. Yet, forgive me if I seem less than enthusiastic about your heroism. Tell me, what are your names and have you families?"

You answer the king in turn, shaking his offered hand. You always knew King Aodhan to be a capable sword fighter, even in his 70s. But meeting him in person leaves you no doubt why he is king. He exudes grace, power and wisdom. Yet, you sense a deep sadness due to his sister's betrayal...worse than when his Queen, Belea, passed a few years ago.

"May you never suffer betrayal from your blood as I. Ethelyn and I disagreed on many things, but I did not think she could...." King Aodhan trails off. "All the more reason for this speech. For Risur, my friends." He heads toward the center of the banquet tables.

Delft chimes in. "Conspiracy. Treason. Attempted regicide. And we thought the Danorans were our biggest problem! "
"Now, now", Lee returns. "We won't know the details until we fully interrogate the prisoners. But it appears as though threats to Risur come from outside and in our borders. Ethelyn held great sway in Risur. I fear her actions could spark much civil unrest."

The king starts his speech. You see a royal clerk beginning to transcribe...no doubt this will be in distributed to the masses tomorrow.
"Friends! Four wars and countless years we have quarreled with the nation across the sea. We call them cursed and unnatural. They call us primitive and superstitious. And what was gained over the centuries of conflict? Little territory and lots of blood. This ship represents the pinnacle of Rusuri technology, a ship that was to be the crown jewel in our fleet and to show Danor that we've come far from relying on shamans and sages. Yet, this ship was built with aid of some Danorans....and in fact we've learned that they wish for lasting peace as much as we do. Ironically, this arms race has shown me that radical steps must be taken. For as long as there is possibility of war, there will be people who wish to begin it - whether it is firing a first shot, sinking a ship or.....assassinating a king."

Gasps emit from audience.

"In few moons turn, perhaps a year, I will convene a summit in Flint and it is my intention to sign a peace agreement with Danor. The events of today have shown we need a permanent solution. We cannot lose more sons and more daughters of both our nations to pointless wars. It is time to join our countries together to begin a time of healing and peace. We must end wars, or wars will end us.


My countrymen....for Risur!"
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]A mixture of applause and murmurs come from the crowd as the refrain of the Risuri anthem plays again. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]"Peace? With the nation the king himself fought against..twice?" Delft exclaims. "Tough sell."[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]"Indeed," Lee concedes. They both grab a drink.[/FONT]

Recap of our next session:

PC's meet Lya, and they aren't really impressed. I downplayed her a bit, but when it came time for Q&A, they had now questions for her. Ok then!

It's off to the Impossible. I've told the party that public sway is now very behind the King, which gets the PCs a bit worried - thinking that he made have orchestrated this whole thing. But, it was confirmed that the Duchess planned it, so they are now focused on her.

They get to the mine, and have a pretty easy go of it. Rogue shoots a fiery bolt at the barrels, which does some damage. Question...the PCs killed the other two elementals, but not the Air one. Does this now follow the player like a companion? I didn't want to deal with that, so I just say the elementals only were in this mine complex. They travel to the fort and actually disregard the easier part of the wall. Instead, they sneak to the northeast shore, and passwall there. Their 1st attempt failed, but they got it on the second.

I put them in a similar tower and set the scene where they could travel harbor side, or on top of the wall. They decided to make a run on top of the wall...trying to bum-rush for the lighthouse. They actually had some issues here with the sheer number of enemies and the wizard hit them from up top. But after it was down to two guys, I had them surrender. We stopped here, and pick it up when they get the pyrotechnics flare active.

Ok....Next session.

Defend the Lighthouse. This skill challenge worked really well, and my players loved it. It took a round or 2 to for them to fully grasp the mechanics, but still went pretty smoothly. Every was in the PC's favor, until round 9 when 16 patrolmen showed up. I don't think the party fully understood what might happen...and after 4 of them dealt with a barricade in the Yellow section, 12 advanced, and attacked the party. 3 of them got taken out by traps, but the others attacked (I ruled here that Traps/Wards made the enemies turn end - they didn't get an attack). Still...9 attacked for 6 damage each. 54 HP, between 4 party members. Ouch! On round 10, they retreated to the control room. They attacked enemies (bad move...but they didn't know fighting would immediately cease on round 10. Patrolmen advanced again...but only 4 made it in. 24HP of damage between now 3 living players....and they survive. Two PCs were down to 1 and 2 HP! A cannon shot blows off a piece of the wall...and the remaining patrolmen throw down their weapons. The 2 free surges of healing was very welcome!!

Rutger Smith is a smiles...and does his cigar thing. He knows about the the other team (Balista Company)....and they recovered the gnome in the mine. They are now the lead investigators on the scene. Then Varal makes his appearance. PCs are like 'WTF!" Immediately, they know they will have to face this guy...but they don't know if he is trying to help or hurt the duchess. They don't ask around or investigate (that's their job!)...but our Vekeshi Mystic know that it's some Eladrin magic in the air. PCs are confused, but make their way toward the central tower.

They walk past the jail en route. Our extremely good-hearted Cleric sees know reason to keep these mostly civilians in jail. She apologies to the Danoran Lt, and says they are here for the duchess. The Lt. is grateful...and tells them about the sewer system and the gives his key to the roof. All smiles. [I actually thought this would end badly, but my players are so into the story...they really feel the conflict with all the different factions here. Great stuff].

Varal is back...and the planes shift. Welp...even with the knowledge of the back way in , they charge ahead to the hedge maze. At first I thought they talk to Dhu...but my fighter charges him instantly. Gillie doesn't make it very far. Rolled really poorly, and the striker hit twice for loads of damage. The maze made it tough to fight...and if I had better Fog of War on my software, it could have been very cool. But with only 3 or 4 rounds of battle, the fight only took place in that first corridor. Maybe I need Dhu to duck in and out of the bushes more. Oh Well. Oh yeah...and they have their grunts with them...so 8 PCs on the map where you can only do single file was pretty crazy. No one used fire.

We ended the night their...and we have the final scene to come up. I have no idea how this will play out, but I don't see the PCs making it. Though, the grunts with their shots may get Varal down. I 'm going to tell my group up front that he's weak, but his defenses are high...and they need auto-damage or 20s to hit. I might reduce his HP a bit (to account for 4 PCs not 5)...but we'll see.

Anyways...time to start reading mission 2!

Shout out to RangerWickett for including me on the 'ongoing campaign' thread. I will do my best to keep updating! We're not a fast group, so I hope it doesn't get too boring! Adventure #2 looks amazing...can't wait to start it!

Contuning on...

PCs are at the inner keep and go inside. They have their 4 minions with them. They notice all the charred bodies and are really worried about confronting Varal. They get to the top of the stairs and eavesdrop on the entire conversation, when Varal opens he door.

There was some back and forth here, but the PCs were insistent on taking both Nathan and the Duchess. They rolled Intimidate and Diplomacy, and I'm not sure if the high level 1 DC was what I should have used. They got in the high 20s, but I was thinking this was vs. Varal's Will. At any rate, they didn't give Varal anything to feel go about, other than "These are criminals against Risur, we have jurisdiction here." After a misplaced comment from the thief of "Stand down, or we will make you stand down." It was time to roll initiative.

I had Varal (using lvl 20) ready an action, and the wizard hit with a magic missile (I told them that crits and auto-damage were basically only going to work here). Varal hits a ton with the fire arc...and some PC's heal. The remaining minion is used to fire a pistol (auto hit) and the cleric buffs with +5 do allies attacks. Varal uses the lion shield to take out on PC (well, totally ineffective)...and hit another with his whip. The Wizard (who was staying back in the entrance way) uses an action point for two Magic missile, normally 8, but +5 with the cleric buff)..and the 26 Dmg was enough. They had zero dailies with miss damage...so really, if the wizard doesn't stay up...it's a TPK. (Well, TPUnconcious.) It was weird that the minions hit, but the PCs couldn't...but whatever.

It's clean up time, and the PC learn of the entire plot and why the Duchess would do such a thing. They have zero sympathy. They didn't know what to do with Nathan (hand him to Lya, charge him, or grant asylum)...so they told Lya he's being implicated in the conspiracy. PCs would let the 'courts' handle it. Lya was OK with this at the hand off...and that's that. The 'bomb' of her marrying Aodhan I left to this very moment - but the PCs didn't seem too shocked. I let it drop during Varal's speech that there was a marriage pact (something they didn't know yet)...and when the found out it was Lya...they just shrugged. Oh well! I think they didn't have too much opinion on Lya either way. Short session, but we used the time to level up, and requisition equipment. On to the Dying Skyseer!

Guys...great job on this adventure. Everyone, including me, thought it was really well written and designed. High points were Lighthouse Defense, and the Coaltongue encounters And my party was very happy with the role-playing to combat ratio.

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you on the MapTool campaign file thing yet. I'm working 12 hour days at the moment and it's hard to find time for much of anything. I'll make sure to save adventure instances in the future for others to use, though, so my rainbow puzzle prep work for adventure 3 won't go to waste...