Here are the stats for the NPC rescue team collected by Queg to rescue the PCs from Captain Morgan Bauman's hideout. The story of their daring escape/ rescue will appear soon over in the story hour thread.
Bronson's player ran Queg
Nate's player ran Marcus Vale
Sully's player ran Galen Cobb
Tavaari's player ran Morgan Erendyl
It was entirely accidental that we had two major npcs named Morgan this episode. It was pretty confusing. Oops.
Lessons learned:
- The players really enjoyed the opportunity to play someone different. Score. I'll have to do this again sometime.
- I should have emailed the NPCs to the players ahead of time. They only had a few minutes to look over the character sheets before the game began. They would have been better prepared to use the characters abilities (and had more fun) if they had more prep time.
- I foolishly didn't expect Nate's player to want to play Marcus' familiar, Rasputin, as well. I should have been ready for that.
- I forgot to include initiative modifiers and attack bonuses for touch spells in the character sheets.
Even the short time that the players ran these characters served to flesh out the characters. Galen Cobb hits on any female within eyesight, who knew? He's also poised to jump from drunkard to abyss dust user.
I managed to throw in a few useful things for later. Galen's saber, Mother's Venom, may be important later. Marcus' cloak Fiend's Embrace (from the Dungeon of the same name) may be important as well. I've still got some devilish (demonish?) ideas for Rasputin that I just didn't have time to work in. Nate invited Marcus to join the crew of the Albers. He's not going to join up right away, but that gives me an easy way to insert him into the action if it becomes necessary.
Incidentally, the adventuring group known as the Stormblades is named for the band of the same name in the Shackled City Adventure Path. My group was inspired by the Shackled City one and is intended for the same purpose, to act as foils and competitors. They were introduced early on in the campaign, but haven't gotten much face time yet. Just planting seeds for the future...
Galen Cobb
Neutral Human Male Rogue 4/ Fighter 2
Str 15, Dex 16, Con 8, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 6
HP: 32
AC: 18 (flat footed 15, touch 13). Additional +1 dodge bonus vs. selected opponent.
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +1
Move: 30’ (6 squares)
Attacks:
+1 saber (+9 to hit, 1d8+3 damage, 19-20 x2 critical. slashing)
mw shortbow (+9 to hit, 1d6+2 damage, x3 critical, 70’ range increment, piercing)
Special Abilities: Sneak Attack +2d6, Evasion, Trapfinding, Trap sense, Uncanny Dodge.
Skills: Balance +7, Climb +5, Craft (carpenter) +6, Disable Device +12, Disguise +6, Hide +11, Listen +0, Move Silently +9, Open Locks +14, Profession (sailor) +5, Search +10, Slight of Hand +8, Spot +0, Tumble, Use Magical Device +7
Feats: Low-Key, Contemptible Target, Weapon Focus (saber), Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
Equipment: Mother’s Venom (
+1 saber),
+1 studded leather armor, masterwork buckler, masterwork composite shortbow (+2 Str), 20 arrows, masterwork thieves’ tools, belt pouch,
potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of protection from evil, potion of shield of faith (+2), wand of cure light wounds (15 charges, UMD DC 20),
wand of color spray (10 charges, UMD DC 20, Will save DC 11), 100 gp
Languages: Common, Orc.
Galen Cobb is a 40 year old human. He has bloodshot eyes, a thin beard, an unhealthy complexion, and a persistent weak cough. He is a drunk and a very sick man. He is the kind of man whose face you can never quite place and whose name you forget moments after being introduced.
Cobb served as a deck hand and ship’s carpenter aboard the Coup de Grace, under Captain Horatio Blackthorne. The day the Coup de Grace was raided by the Thonian Imperial Guard, Cobb was late returning from shore leave because he was sleeping off a drinking binge. His irresponsibility saved him from being hanged as a pirate with his fellow crewmen. Cobb feels deeply guilty that he survived when his friends were killed have pushed him ever further into the bottle. He would have died years ago if not for the help of his friend and former first mate Marcus Vale. As the only other survivor of the Coup de Grace, Vale understands Cobb’s guilt and has thus far succeeded in keeping him from drinking himself to death. Cobb hopes that rescuing his former captain’s son is a first step toward redemption.
* * * * *
Morgan Erendyl
Chaotic Good Elf Male Swashbuckler 3/ Wizard 3
Str 12, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 9, Cha 11
HP: 32
AC: 19 (flat footed 14, touch 15).
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +3
Move: 30’ (6 squares)
Attacks:
+1 rapier (+11 to hit, 1d6+4 damage, 18-20 x2 critical. piercing)
mw shortbow (+10 to hit, 1d6+1 damage, x3 critical, 70’ range increment, piercing)
Special Abilities: Spells, Summon Familiar (a tabby cat named Shanna), Grace (+1), Insightful Strike, Elf Wizard Racial Substitution Levels (generalist wizardry and natural link).
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +5, Concentration +7 (+11 when casting defensively), Escape Artist +10, Jump +8, Listen +3, Move Silently +11, Perform (dance) +2, Perform (sing) +2, Profession (sailor) +1, Search +5, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft +10, Spot +3, Swim +3, Tumble +16.
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (rapier), Combat Casting, Combat Expertise.
Equipment: +1 Bracers of Armor,
+1 rapier, masterwork composite shortbow (+1 Str), 20 arrows,
wand of false life (1d10+3 hp, 10 c),
scroll of locate object, two scrolls of bear’s endurance, scroll of bull’s strength, potion of cure moderate wounds, spell component pouch, belt pouch.
Spells Prepared: 0-
daze (DC 13 Will),
detect magic, ray of frost (x2), 1-
mage armor (already cast),
shield, sleep. 2-
cat’s grace, knock, mirror image (1d4+1 images).
Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic, Orc, Sylvan.
Morgan Erendyl was born in the elven kingdom of Alfhiem more than 150 years ago. He has been an on-again off-again member of the adventuring band known as the Storm Blades for the last five years. During most of that time he has been the band’s only male member. Morgan’s inability to view their adventures as anything more than an amusing distraction sometimes alienates his friends. However, his skill and good nature have secured him a place alongside the Storm Blades whenever he wants it. The Blades have been hired by Marcus Vale on several occasions, including the lucrative venture where they recovered his distinctive cloak. They also have contacts with a number of prominent members of Freeport society.
Morgan is a clothes horse with an irreverent attitude and an eye for good looking gentlemen. He hold Tavaari in high regard and is eager to come to his rescue.
* * * * *
Marcus Vale
Chaotic Neutral Human Male Wizard 5/ Sea Witch 2
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 23, Wis 12, Cha 13
HP: 27
AC: 16 (flat footed 14, touch 12).
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +9
Move: 30’ (6 squares)
Special Abilities: Spells, Summon Familiar (a quasit named Rasputin), Curse of the Sea Witch (as
bestow curse, DC 20 Will, 1/day), Call Maelstrom (creates whirlpool, 1/day).
Skills: Concentration +11, Knowledge (arcana) +16, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (the planes) +13, Listen +3, Profession (sailor) +9, Speak Language (1), Spellcraft +18, Spot +7, Swim +1.
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Ship Mage, Empower Spell, Silent Spell, Quicken Spell, Improved Familiar.
Equipment: Fiend’s Embrace (cloak grants +1 resistance to saves, +4 enhancement bonus to Int, and fire resistance 10), spell component pouch, belt pouch.
Spells Prepared: 0-
detect magic, detect poison, prestidigitation, ghost sound. 1-
disguise self, grease (DC 17 Ref),
mage armor (already cast),
magic missile (x2, 4 missiles, 1d4+1 each),
shield. 2-
silent charm person (DC 17 Will),
false life (1d10+7 hp),
invisibility (x2),
scorching ray (two rays, 4d6 each). 3-
fireball (7d6, DC 19 Ref),
haste (7 targets, 7 rounds),
summon monster iii. 4-
dimension door, empowered scorching ray (two rays, 4d6 x 1.5 each).
Languages: Common, Aquan, Abyssal, Infernal, Auran, Celestial.
Marcus Vale has always been a sailor and a scholar. In happier times he would regale his friend and captain, Horatio Blackthorne, with tales demons and genies. He carefully studied the sea life he encountered in his travels.
If Vale had not gone to find Galen Cobb the morning that the Coup de Grace was raided by the Imperial Guard, he would have died alongside his crewmates. He attempted to save his friend, but the Guard foiled him at every turn, aided by the imperial diviners. Vale and Cobb eventually fled to Freeport, where Vale teaches at the Freeport institute and does his best to keep his last crewmate from killing himself with drink. He was shocked to discover that Horatio Blackthorne’s son had also survived. When Lydon brought him the news that Nathan had been captured or killed, Vale sprang into action.
Vale has a short beard, shaved head, a gold ring in his ear, and an array of nautical tattoos. He is 45 years old. When he is expecting trouble he wears a deep red scaly cloak made from the hide of a demon. It’s metal clasp is shaped like a six-fingered hand.
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