J-H
Hero
This is a new campaign I have written and have started running. When it's done, I'll make any necessary changes, edit it, and then put it up on the DM's Guild, probably for $14.99. I am pretty sure I am over 200 pages of content. No art, because I don't do art.
The main thrust of the campaign is that it will be large hexcrawl (18x16, with each hex 12mi across). The party is opposing a group of Aztec-like Aaracokra who are gathering sacrifices and power so that Huitzopochitl, their evil chief god, can manifest on the Prime Material Plane in person. The group will have to travel around finding information, mapping the region, and gathering allies to stop his plans. If they take too long, they get to fight a manifested god, which may be a TPK unless they get really creative. Once they have crossed the ocean and arrived on the main map, I will be tracking the passage of time and having enemy actions take place. The speed at which Huitzopochitl upgrades and manifests may be impacted by them attacking the temples of his subsidiary deities.
I have, currently, over 50 custom items available if the party finds them, including a very plot-significant item. I'll try to note what they are when they come up.
I'll try to keep things low-spoiler since my party members may find this. If you're in my game, you already know it from this introduction.
Feel free to ask questions! Unless you're in my party.
12/19/20 Session 1
The party is 13th level, and coming off the Castlevania-based "Castle Dracula" campaign. They are very well-equipped, and we just had a 5-year time-skip. Some of them got an extra skill proficiency during the downtime. Major changes noted here. The party is composed of:
-Dwarven life cleric (Has a druid cantrip & 1st & 2nd level druid spell as a result of actions taken during last campaign)
-Wood elf kensei monk (houseruled: Kensei are no longer incentivized to not use their weapon to gain +2 AC; they get it just by making any unarmed attack, including their bonus martial arts attacks)
-Dwarven zealot barbarian
-Half-orc armorer artificer (new, not present last campaign)
-Half-elf vengeance paladin
-Half-elf arcane trickster 10/champion 3
They receive the messages documented in the "hook" adventure, calling them to Iberia. They make their preparations and head out, choosing to route through Venice and then a ship through the Mediterranean. I mentioned a single bandit attack along the way, but in an area where the average level is 3-5, a group of wealthy people pulling out glowing magical weapons that are covered in frost, lighting up with fire, etc., is a signal even the dumbest bandit can understand as "Not worth it."
The party lands and is directed inland, approaching the army camp. They meet with the king and are presented with 'the plan' by one of the nobles there. They generally agree to it, but have some thoughts on how to make the main army more effective. This results in some discussions of shields, pavises, tortoiseshell formations, and the like. Ultimately, the artificer goes outside camp with some spectators, gets a couple of big oak logs from an area where wood was being cut, and, in 10 minutes, transforms them into 160 heavy wooden shields that merely need leather straps added, via the magic of Fabricate. One of the nobles present immediately makes him a job offer for after the crisis is over.
After gathering information, the group decides to travel at night, since the Aaracokra only seem to attack during the day. They don't have terrible rolls at stealthy travel or picking good camping spots, and arrive early. The arcane trickster sneaks around the enemy fortification, doing recon. He rolls very well, has Invisibility, and many hours to watch, so they see everything important. The next morning, everything is normal, until a couple of patrols return around 10am. 30 minutes later, they watch 3/4 of the camp lift off and fly towards the main army camp.
The group then sneaks as close to the camp as they can. Once they reach about 200' away, there's no more cover, and they know they will be spotted. The arcane trickster goes invisible and heads out; the paladin grabs the barbarian and Dimension Doors to just on the inside of the kitchen gate, which they promptly unlock. The Hasted monk (via Artificer) dashes towards the fortified camp at an incredible speed, followed by the last two members of the party.
They blenderize the Aaracokra cooks and nearby guards. The artificer does the Iron Man thing and flies into the sky, drawing the attention of almost the entire Aaracokra Combat Air Patrol (CAP), which head for him. They pelt him with javelins for a couple of rounds. He has AC 23, so he usually get hit once per round for single-digit damage.
The senior priest on the temple uses Fire Storm on three of the party members, but rolls only 21 out of 7d10, and then they all save for peanuts damage. The acolyte's Fireball fares only slightly better. The monk engages the Champion atop the temple and does take substantial damage (including a Harm) - but not quickly, as his AC is quite good. The artificer keeps the CAP distracted, such that they do not return to the temple area fast enough to make a difference there. Once all of the high-level and spellcasting opponents are down, their only foes are the regular guards, who are not likely to do much damage at all, so I handwave the end of the battle by rolling 2d6 for the number of air-skiffs left in camp (8) and how many get away (5), leaving the party with 3 air-skiffs captured instead of rolling out all the chasing and stuff. It was late.
Mistakes I made as DM: Didn't call for Concentration checks when the artificer was hit for 3 damage. His saves are very good, but a broken Haste would have made things harder for the monk. I also forgot to use the +2 to hit and +1d6 damage Plunging Fire the Aaracokra possess, which led to a couple of missed attacks that would have otherwise hit.
Next time - the party frees the captives, inspects the air-skiffs, and chats with the yuan-ti slave.
The main thrust of the campaign is that it will be large hexcrawl (18x16, with each hex 12mi across). The party is opposing a group of Aztec-like Aaracokra who are gathering sacrifices and power so that Huitzopochitl, their evil chief god, can manifest on the Prime Material Plane in person. The group will have to travel around finding information, mapping the region, and gathering allies to stop his plans. If they take too long, they get to fight a manifested god, which may be a TPK unless they get really creative. Once they have crossed the ocean and arrived on the main map, I will be tracking the passage of time and having enemy actions take place. The speed at which Huitzopochitl upgrades and manifests may be impacted by them attacking the temples of his subsidiary deities.
I have, currently, over 50 custom items available if the party finds them, including a very plot-significant item. I'll try to note what they are when they come up.
I'll try to keep things low-spoiler since my party members may find this. If you're in my game, you already know it from this introduction.
Feel free to ask questions! Unless you're in my party.
12/19/20 Session 1
The party is 13th level, and coming off the Castlevania-based "Castle Dracula" campaign. They are very well-equipped, and we just had a 5-year time-skip. Some of them got an extra skill proficiency during the downtime. Major changes noted here. The party is composed of:
-Dwarven life cleric (Has a druid cantrip & 1st & 2nd level druid spell as a result of actions taken during last campaign)
-Wood elf kensei monk (houseruled: Kensei are no longer incentivized to not use their weapon to gain +2 AC; they get it just by making any unarmed attack, including their bonus martial arts attacks)
-Dwarven zealot barbarian
-Half-orc armorer artificer (new, not present last campaign)
-Half-elf vengeance paladin
-Half-elf arcane trickster 10/champion 3
They receive the messages documented in the "hook" adventure, calling them to Iberia. They make their preparations and head out, choosing to route through Venice and then a ship through the Mediterranean. I mentioned a single bandit attack along the way, but in an area where the average level is 3-5, a group of wealthy people pulling out glowing magical weapons that are covered in frost, lighting up with fire, etc., is a signal even the dumbest bandit can understand as "Not worth it."
Message 1:
The Lord Mayor of Porto,
To the noble adventurers of the Belmont Order:
Greetings and well-wishes. Knowing your efforts in
ending the invasion of the dread vampire Dracula and
his armies, I wish to alert you to a situation which may
require your talents. Recently, we have received
reports of strange ships flying through the air,
accompanied by men who have wings like birds.
Guardsmen sent to interrogate them have either been
ignored, or have disappeared. Outlying villages have
been depopulated, with signs of fire magic and
javelins raining from the sky. This is beyond our
experience, and some of our wealthier merchants and
citizens, concerned for what the next months may
hold, have taken up a collection to reward those who
bring military force to protect our city.
Message 2: Received in Venice
Relayed by Sending. Porto has fallen. Thundercleave
Keep besieged. Flying enemies with powerful magic.
Send help.
Message 3: Delivered by east-bound ship near Malta
His Royal Majesty Fernando, King of Iberia and
Protector of its Peoples, Duke de Aragon,
To the Belmont order, with utmost urgency:
A small army of bird-people, equipped with flying
boats the like of which we have never seen, has
occupied the western portion of Iberia. They are able
to bypass walls entirely, and appear to be enslaving
many whom they capture. They have set up a
fortified encampment at Zamora. A particularly skilled
local hunter eluded their eyes, and reports that they
have constructed an odd temple, resembling a blocky
version of the many pyramids used by the priest-kings
of the Egyptians… and that they take many captives
there, and kill them in the light of the noonday sun.
Their priests wield potent magics. My vassals are
summoned for war, but horses and lances are of little
use when we cannot make even one hidalgo in a
hundred fly for a battle.
The Lord Mayor of Porto,
To the noble adventurers of the Belmont Order:
Greetings and well-wishes. Knowing your efforts in
ending the invasion of the dread vampire Dracula and
his armies, I wish to alert you to a situation which may
require your talents. Recently, we have received
reports of strange ships flying through the air,
accompanied by men who have wings like birds.
Guardsmen sent to interrogate them have either been
ignored, or have disappeared. Outlying villages have
been depopulated, with signs of fire magic and
javelins raining from the sky. This is beyond our
experience, and some of our wealthier merchants and
citizens, concerned for what the next months may
hold, have taken up a collection to reward those who
bring military force to protect our city.
Message 2: Received in Venice
Relayed by Sending. Porto has fallen. Thundercleave
Keep besieged. Flying enemies with powerful magic.
Send help.
Message 3: Delivered by east-bound ship near Malta
His Royal Majesty Fernando, King of Iberia and
Protector of its Peoples, Duke de Aragon,
To the Belmont order, with utmost urgency:
A small army of bird-people, equipped with flying
boats the like of which we have never seen, has
occupied the western portion of Iberia. They are able
to bypass walls entirely, and appear to be enslaving
many whom they capture. They have set up a
fortified encampment at Zamora. A particularly skilled
local hunter eluded their eyes, and reports that they
have constructed an odd temple, resembling a blocky
version of the many pyramids used by the priest-kings
of the Egyptians… and that they take many captives
there, and kill them in the light of the noonday sun.
Their priests wield potent magics. My vassals are
summoned for war, but horses and lances are of little
use when we cannot make even one hidalgo in a
hundred fly for a battle.
The party lands and is directed inland, approaching the army camp. They meet with the king and are presented with 'the plan' by one of the nobles there. They generally agree to it, but have some thoughts on how to make the main army more effective. This results in some discussions of shields, pavises, tortoiseshell formations, and the like. Ultimately, the artificer goes outside camp with some spectators, gets a couple of big oak logs from an area where wood was being cut, and, in 10 minutes, transforms them into 160 heavy wooden shields that merely need leather straps added, via the magic of Fabricate. One of the nobles present immediately makes him a job offer for after the crisis is over.
After gathering information, the group decides to travel at night, since the Aaracokra only seem to attack during the day. They don't have terrible rolls at stealthy travel or picking good camping spots, and arrive early. The arcane trickster sneaks around the enemy fortification, doing recon. He rolls very well, has Invisibility, and many hours to watch, so they see everything important. The next morning, everything is normal, until a couple of patrols return around 10am. 30 minutes later, they watch 3/4 of the camp lift off and fly towards the main army camp.
The group then sneaks as close to the camp as they can. Once they reach about 200' away, there's no more cover, and they know they will be spotted. The arcane trickster goes invisible and heads out; the paladin grabs the barbarian and Dimension Doors to just on the inside of the kitchen gate, which they promptly unlock. The Hasted monk (via Artificer) dashes towards the fortified camp at an incredible speed, followed by the last two members of the party.
They blenderize the Aaracokra cooks and nearby guards. The artificer does the Iron Man thing and flies into the sky, drawing the attention of almost the entire Aaracokra Combat Air Patrol (CAP), which head for him. They pelt him with javelins for a couple of rounds. He has AC 23, so he usually get hit once per round for single-digit damage.
The senior priest on the temple uses Fire Storm on three of the party members, but rolls only 21 out of 7d10, and then they all save for peanuts damage. The acolyte's Fireball fares only slightly better. The monk engages the Champion atop the temple and does take substantial damage (including a Harm) - but not quickly, as his AC is quite good. The artificer keeps the CAP distracted, such that they do not return to the temple area fast enough to make a difference there. Once all of the high-level and spellcasting opponents are down, their only foes are the regular guards, who are not likely to do much damage at all, so I handwave the end of the battle by rolling 2d6 for the number of air-skiffs left in camp (8) and how many get away (5), leaving the party with 3 air-skiffs captured instead of rolling out all the chasing and stuff. It was late.
Mistakes I made as DM: Didn't call for Concentration checks when the artificer was hit for 3 damage. His saves are very good, but a broken Haste would have made things harder for the monk. I also forgot to use the +2 to hit and +1d6 damage Plunging Fire the Aaracokra possess, which led to a couple of missed attacks that would have otherwise hit.
Next time - the party frees the captives, inspects the air-skiffs, and chats with the yuan-ti slave.
