D&D 5E Campaign Playtest - Rise of the Runelords

[Connorsrpg]

Session 2 - GM Stuff / Playtest Report

Well, esp given the lack of combat, there was not a lot to report.

We used the Dec2012 version of the rules. I had a lot of fun converting the NPC Dwarf rogue (Grontwin) to these rules. They seem like the best for the player stuff. I really liked the reigning in of the attack bonuses and tying them to a class ability.

I did not update Tsuto or the goblins to the current playtest. As such they were a little weak. (I would liked to have added some monk stuff to Tsuto - as it was I added his Wis mod to AC on the fly). These guys were a pretty easy fight, but I did have goblins arrive separately, and Tsuto late in the fight.

Even with the creatures I converted, I did not go and add +3 to the creature attacks. I feel that finally the PC attacks have been reigned in, but it is at the same time the monsters went out...a lot! I mean a human commoner is now +3 attack (with 10 Str and Dex)? A human fighter with the same stats is +1? Anyway, I simply used the class bonuses as a guide. Martial creatures and those that fight for a living got a +1 attack bonus (as well as their stat modifiers). Some exceptions may have received +2, but I did not jump to the ramped up attack bonuses of the Dec2012 Bestiary.

I believe players liked the skill rules. I certainly like more dice being rolled. Once again, I simply had to memorise a few DCs (this time 10/15/20) and everything else was easy.

Prone condition seemed good. I like that there is a distance for ranged attacks to not have disadvantage, though I would double it to 20ft. Another minor nitpick. I would like to see getting up from prone at least double and cost 10ft of mvt.

I must say though, this session was VERY easy to run. Adapting the module from 3.5E on the fly was also easy. Writing up unique creatures was fun and all seemed to go as planned. There may be a few issues out there with the new playtest, but we did not strike them. My favourite so far.

Only trouble we had was one player understanding how dual-wielding worked (and her PC was specialised in it). Sal is a 4E only player up until this playtest and had trouble with each hand doing different damage, and applying penalties when doing so. (On her sheet we had attacks and damage written with each weapon for a normal attack).

We also had to convert the elf warlock over to wizard. I believe the spellcasters were happy with how things went, and the rogues seemed exceptionally versatile. (Running an NPC I had trouble even keeping up with all the options - I just rolled a random trick each round). Maybe the players can give some specifics...cheers, all.

 

[Chaddy]

I found the updated wizard really fun to play, the only downside I have is that spells don't list the important facts separate from the description. This slows down combat as you spend time reading up on the spell.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Session 3 GM Stuff

We just completed our 3rd Rise of the Runelords playtest. It seems all is going well. We discussed mixing up the playtests to try different combos, levels, etc. but most players were very happy sticking with the Playtest campaign. So, it is certainly suiting our play and campaign style.

I also noted the two players who started with 4E have certainly adapted to the rules now. It did take some time (getting used to having options available beyond what was on the sheet). One of them is now running his own DnDN playtest

As GM, I had no trouble with the rules. They seem quite intuitive at this stage. Individual rules moments:

1. I still had to ask about cover. (Need to commit this to mem, like Ability check DCs).
2. Wondered about rules for facing more than 1 foe at a time. There is no bonus for ganging up. I kinda like the idea there should be. (Savage Worlds does this well).
3. I really liked the charts that give magic items some flavour. (Some of my fav things from 3E DMG II).
4. I still did not go with the latest 'to hit' mods for monsters. Being a campaign I feel they are too generous. (So in a way this is not true testing of the monsters, though, I did love how everything else played out).
5. Part-time NPCs: It was very easy to adjust some human stats on the fly - such as turning the Warrior into a Hunter. (Like 4E monster blocks).
6. Main NPC. I am running an NPC dwarf rogue along with the group and I am finding it hard to remember all of the options. Though I do love the way it plays. Obviously I need to probably go with some sort of Companion/Monster stat block instead of full PC sheet (but I have kept it this way, as another player may join us and take over the NPC).

In all I am quite pleased with the direction. Admittedly I haven't devoured the Encounter Level stuff. I simply eyeball (or more likely just go with what was in the 3E module we are running).

Players might wish to point out individual character stuff, but I believe they are getting very comfortable with the options available.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Well, not playing enough got to us. We couldn't keep up the playtesting. We had to make a choice b/w the Campaign (with a complete set of rules) or Playtest (using various adventures).

The Campaign won out, so we have converted to Savage Worlds. Sorry, no more playtest reports here (though I might have to head to the conversion forums and start a new thread there for converting Rise of the Runelords to Savage Worlds).

 

[Connorsrpg]

Wow, after converting to Savage Worlds, and then to our own hybridisation of that system (we call Bashed & Borrowed), here we are back converting to 5E.

The group just cleared out Fort Rannick. (I am not including what exactly happens next in the modules, as it makes no sense to me).

Anyhow, after converting we have the original 3 dwarves:
Arkin, Mountain Dwarf Mason, 7th level Cleric of Torag (War).
Bryak, Hill Dwarf Noble, 6th level Wizard (Evocation).
Kathra, Hill Dwarf Thug (I pieced together), 6th level Fighter (2-weapon Champion).
(The 4th dwarf, Grontwin, was squished in the Shadow Clock Tower).

Others that have joined:
Hargev, Shoanti Human Wanderer, 8th level Druid (Circle of the Land). (Came in when player's previous PC took off with Nualia, his sister)!

About to join. This is a new player, whose PC was staying with the Black Arrows when they were raided. The PCs saved him.
Novak, Half-elf Weaponsmith, 5th level Fighter (2 weapon Eldritch Knight) - (Though I have also built him as a 2-weapon Blade Warlock too, so the player is deciding).

NPCs still with the group. (I can attach these two if people are interested).
Shelalu, 5th level Ranger (Hunter)
Orrik Vancaskerkin, 5th level Fighter (sword & shield Champion).

Anyway, now we are going 5E, I will be posting how we deal with the new rules.

I will also post any conversions if people are interested or are also planning to run this as a 5E game. (I know there is another site where someone is converting Pathfinder stuff. I may use some of that stuff, but will most likely be doing a lot of my own. I actually like doing that stuff ).

This will NOT be a story board. If you are interested in that, as well as the PCs in detail, etc, head on over to our Golarion setting site. (A home for any/all games we base in the setting): http://pathtogolarion.wikidot.com/

I will try to keep all discussion here related directly to 5E

 

[Connorsrpg]

Well, so far, so good. PCs converted well and we seem to have an easy handle on the rules.

Arkin decided to stay and run Fort Rannik, so we have a new PC. Abas, another 2-weapon fighter. Yep, that makes for 3 in the group, but each have a different Archetype, so that is interesting.

Not really sure how to talk about the rules, as a lot of people are now using them, but I am more than happy to answer questions.

The party is currently on a journey, back down the Yondabakari River. Our last session was a side trek recovering a stolen religious idol for the village of Chala. This was a converted version of the AD&D module Swamplight (where the lizardman were boggards and the rakshasas became zern (from the 3E MM4). Zern are present in the swamp, as I have started one of my Realm Sheets for the Mushfens).

I will post some monster conversions and other docs I have used for 5E.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Hook Mountain

For DMs interested, here is how I handled Hook Mountain.

Ogre Fighters and Barbarians: I made my own conversions. Attached below. Please note that these were done prior having the DMG, so they might need a little more boosting for their CR, but they sufficed for our game.

I just used the ogre entry in the MM for others. The exhausted/slave ogres I simple gave levels of exhaustion (up to the 1/2 hit points level).

Hags: Used green hag covey, but really hammed up the personality of each. (Attached below - sheet with the pictures I used for the hags).

Lamatar - just used Wight from the MM.

Barl: I added some necro stuff and advanced a normal Stone Giant (again, before having the DMG). Attached below.
Stone giant from MM.

All this happened in a row. Party tried to take a rest before Barl, but he and his stone giant companion came for the party (camping out in the foundry), so this fight proved tough. The stone giant opened by tossing the hag's cauldron at the group and followed with rocks and the PCs quickly decided they were outmatched and fled into the mines.

Barl and giant left Hook Mountain. (So the group were never really pitted against this encounter for long...I will have to bring Barl back another time ).

 

[Connorsrpg]

The Mushfens

I have one of my Realms Sheets started for the Mushfens. I mainly used this for the random encounters during the trip to Fort Rannik. I converted a lot of the creatures to our B&B System we were using.

Now the PCs are returning that way, including a side trek into the swamp, so I have converted a few creatures to 5E.

Below I have attached:
Mushfens Realm Sheet (a work in progress).
Zern stats
Marsh Giant stats (on my first go at converting my colour-coded stat templates that I used for B&B)
Boggards (inc chieftain and shaman)

 

[Alcamtar]

Why did you not stick to Savage Worlds?

 

[Connorsrpg]

Great Q.

Not sure if you are serious, but for the record I love Savage Worlds. Reading the core book was such an inspiration for me. I guess, at the heart of it, the group always played D&D. We liked what we saw with the new edition (and how easy it is to adapt) so after a vote this is the direction we took.

One thing that did tip us over was the creatures with high Toughness. Lots of ogres were very hard to bring down and it did not prove fast at all. But that could have been my fault.

From my end, it meant a lot less converting. I love converting stuff, but I also like to have a lot to draw upon (which there is for D&D).

I can't possibly answer this here. SW inspired me so much, we actually used it as a chasis to create our own game (see B&B stuff on my website). Now we are still using a LOT of those ideas, but with D&D 5E as the chasis.