not-so-newguy
Legend
I'm surprised to find myself in this situation. One of the DMs has moved away, while the other DMs are either burning out or uninterested in running AL. Another player and I have agreed to take over the responsibilities.
Before I started playing in April, I made inquiries about Adventurers League on Enworld forums here.
Last week, I started running my first AL game at the store. I was hesitant to DM at first, since I had played exclusively "at home" games for about 30 years before starting AL about 3 months ago. The response from the players have been positive in spite of their crappy die rolling last night. I threw them some curveballs by making use of some of the monster's special abilities.
Anyway, here are the summaries from the last two sessions that I posted on Facebook plus my description the interior of The Drowned Tower. Somebody posted a photo of the Battlemat (mid-battle) on Facebook. My old chess pieces were a big hit, even though their out of proportion. The symbology behind chess pieces works well for DnD battles. Unfortunately, I can't save the image on my device and share it.
[Sblock] The Drowned Tower (Session 1)
Last week the Adventurers (Ketari Rylas Dexter Geoffrey) found themselves in Mulmaster, after hearing rumors of activity by the cultists of The Crushing Wave. Specifically of someone working on behalf of the cultists in the Docks District.
While walking the mean streets of Mulmaster, our intrepid band stumbled upon Salvar Brix being accosted by 4 thugs within this area. Brix claims the Adventurer's are his reinforcements to his attackers and a fight ensues. The party makes quick, bloody work of them. Post fight, Brix explains that he's investigating a friend's murder and he implores the party for help. As reward for rescue, Salvar gives the party free room and board at a fine establishment of which the party takes full advantage.
The next morning, Brix explains the details of his dilemma and makes an offer. His friend, Drayson Fivestar, went missing two months ago while investigating a ruined tower. A month ago he returned and his behavior had changed. He took up residence in a crappy apartment in the Docks District and began frequenting a crappy pub. Brix assumed he had found something of import within the tower, but Drayson kept himself apart from all his old acquaintances.
Recently Drayson was murdered and Brix wants the group to find the one responsible. Meanwhile, Brix would try to decipher Drayson's notes to find the exact location of the tower. Brix gives the group three leads to investigate.
1) The Temple of Umberlee. They talked to the head priestess (her name is Rydah). They find out that the priestess was not directly behind the murder, but she is glad Drayson's dead. Apparently, Drayson had been trying to convert Umberlee worshippers to The Crushing Wave Cult.
2) The Rusty Chock. Rylas managed to charm the proprietor, Moe, while the rest of the gang distracted the few bar-flies hanging around. Moe claims that Drayson was trying to convert the Umberlee people and Drayson was just asking for trouble from the Head Priestess.
3) Drayson's Apartment. With his room ransacked, the group found little here besides a strange drawing on the wall and a copper piece between the cushions of the couch. Somebody vandalized the picture by writing HERETIC across it.
The next morning they visit Brix who has deciphered enough of Drayson's books to find the Tower's location. Also he discovers that someone from The Crushing Wave traveled to the tower possessing a magical artifact. Brix promises 100 platinum for that artifact.
The band has just entered the tower; Geoffrey by plummeting through a hole, Dexter by jumping down a hole, Ketari and Rylas just used the stairs. After tripping a magical ward and battling some fierce mosquitoes, the group manages to extract a decrepit chest for 220 gold pieces in loot. The next session will begin with the group in that room.
The Drowned Tower (Session 2)
Bran
Dexter
Geoff
Juleanne
Ketari
Pel
Rylas
Description
MUD: The mud is a ripe composition of dirt, rock, rotting vegetation, occasional animal waste and bones, plus water with a hint of sea saltiness from the peat bog below.
Mud is everywhere and slowly oozing its way inward and downward. Oozing through the stairwell and the breaches in the outer walls, including crevices that have been widen by rodents. Rats are occasionally spotted entering and exiting cracks in the floors, ceilings, and walls.
Ceilings: 12 feet high. Stone with rotting wood supports.
Light: No natural light source.
Air: Stifling and Humid.
It is a warm spring day, even warmer within the confines of the tower. A small amount of air flow along the stairwell makes conditions barely tolerable.
Sound: the constant drip of water, the occasional slurp of mud, squeaks of rats, Buzz of insects.
DC 15 intelligence. The thick stone structure and surrounding mud dampen sounds from other levels of the tower (META: Advantage / Disadvantage where applicable)
Smell: Centuries of rot creates a permanent smell of decay throughout the tower.
Session Start
Rylas, Geoff, Ketari, and Dexter started the session in a decaying bedroom. There they found Pel picking through some old bones. Bran and Juleanne plopped through the hole in the ceiling shortly after this. Voila! We had our group for the evening.
The gang headed across the hall where we learned about fractions via a Black Pudding and slashing weapons. Some weapons were damaged by the puddings' corrosive effect. Dexter managed to use his trident to lift a white sapphire out of the thing.
Down the hall, they found a mace decorated with symbols of Bane (worth 180 gp).
Juleanne and Dexter silently crept downstairs and spotted a tattooed guard resembling a thug from the Docks in Mulmaster. Dexter made quick, silent work of him.
The rest of the gang began to clank downstairs. The sounds of moving furniture were soon heard from behind two large double doors. After some hesitation, Ketari pulled a Leroy Jenkins by running passed her allies and kicking in the door. What ensued was a very long grind of a battle due to crappy die rolls.
Bran, Geoff, and Ketari formed the front line while Juleanne darted around everyone. Pel and Rylas flung spells with Dexter sniping. Rylas turned the battle with Hypnotic Gaze. Unfortunately, one Fathomer shapechanged into an Elemental Water Snake and escaped into one of the many ratholes. He had placed a Hex on Geoff and planned to hide with the curse intact, but Rylas dispelled it.
I'm unsure what I will do with that Fathomer. If this was a home game, he'd try to make your collective lives miserable. Since time is limited at the table, I think he may just commit suicide. In any case, I will account for him. [/Sblock]
Before I started playing in April, I made inquiries about Adventurers League on Enworld forums here.
Last week, I started running my first AL game at the store. I was hesitant to DM at first, since I had played exclusively "at home" games for about 30 years before starting AL about 3 months ago. The response from the players have been positive in spite of their crappy die rolling last night. I threw them some curveballs by making use of some of the monster's special abilities.
Anyway, here are the summaries from the last two sessions that I posted on Facebook plus my description the interior of The Drowned Tower. Somebody posted a photo of the Battlemat (mid-battle) on Facebook. My old chess pieces were a big hit, even though their out of proportion. The symbology behind chess pieces works well for DnD battles. Unfortunately, I can't save the image on my device and share it.
[Sblock] The Drowned Tower (Session 1)
Last week the Adventurers (Ketari Rylas Dexter Geoffrey) found themselves in Mulmaster, after hearing rumors of activity by the cultists of The Crushing Wave. Specifically of someone working on behalf of the cultists in the Docks District.
While walking the mean streets of Mulmaster, our intrepid band stumbled upon Salvar Brix being accosted by 4 thugs within this area. Brix claims the Adventurer's are his reinforcements to his attackers and a fight ensues. The party makes quick, bloody work of them. Post fight, Brix explains that he's investigating a friend's murder and he implores the party for help. As reward for rescue, Salvar gives the party free room and board at a fine establishment of which the party takes full advantage.
The next morning, Brix explains the details of his dilemma and makes an offer. His friend, Drayson Fivestar, went missing two months ago while investigating a ruined tower. A month ago he returned and his behavior had changed. He took up residence in a crappy apartment in the Docks District and began frequenting a crappy pub. Brix assumed he had found something of import within the tower, but Drayson kept himself apart from all his old acquaintances.
Recently Drayson was murdered and Brix wants the group to find the one responsible. Meanwhile, Brix would try to decipher Drayson's notes to find the exact location of the tower. Brix gives the group three leads to investigate.
1) The Temple of Umberlee. They talked to the head priestess (her name is Rydah). They find out that the priestess was not directly behind the murder, but she is glad Drayson's dead. Apparently, Drayson had been trying to convert Umberlee worshippers to The Crushing Wave Cult.
2) The Rusty Chock. Rylas managed to charm the proprietor, Moe, while the rest of the gang distracted the few bar-flies hanging around. Moe claims that Drayson was trying to convert the Umberlee people and Drayson was just asking for trouble from the Head Priestess.
3) Drayson's Apartment. With his room ransacked, the group found little here besides a strange drawing on the wall and a copper piece between the cushions of the couch. Somebody vandalized the picture by writing HERETIC across it.
The next morning they visit Brix who has deciphered enough of Drayson's books to find the Tower's location. Also he discovers that someone from The Crushing Wave traveled to the tower possessing a magical artifact. Brix promises 100 platinum for that artifact.
The band has just entered the tower; Geoffrey by plummeting through a hole, Dexter by jumping down a hole, Ketari and Rylas just used the stairs. After tripping a magical ward and battling some fierce mosquitoes, the group manages to extract a decrepit chest for 220 gold pieces in loot. The next session will begin with the group in that room.
The Drowned Tower (Session 2)
Bran
Dexter
Geoff
Juleanne
Ketari
Pel
Rylas
Description
MUD: The mud is a ripe composition of dirt, rock, rotting vegetation, occasional animal waste and bones, plus water with a hint of sea saltiness from the peat bog below.
Mud is everywhere and slowly oozing its way inward and downward. Oozing through the stairwell and the breaches in the outer walls, including crevices that have been widen by rodents. Rats are occasionally spotted entering and exiting cracks in the floors, ceilings, and walls.
Ceilings: 12 feet high. Stone with rotting wood supports.
Light: No natural light source.
Air: Stifling and Humid.
It is a warm spring day, even warmer within the confines of the tower. A small amount of air flow along the stairwell makes conditions barely tolerable.
Sound: the constant drip of water, the occasional slurp of mud, squeaks of rats, Buzz of insects.
DC 15 intelligence. The thick stone structure and surrounding mud dampen sounds from other levels of the tower (META: Advantage / Disadvantage where applicable)
Smell: Centuries of rot creates a permanent smell of decay throughout the tower.
Session Start
Rylas, Geoff, Ketari, and Dexter started the session in a decaying bedroom. There they found Pel picking through some old bones. Bran and Juleanne plopped through the hole in the ceiling shortly after this. Voila! We had our group for the evening.
The gang headed across the hall where we learned about fractions via a Black Pudding and slashing weapons. Some weapons were damaged by the puddings' corrosive effect. Dexter managed to use his trident to lift a white sapphire out of the thing.
Down the hall, they found a mace decorated with symbols of Bane (worth 180 gp).
Juleanne and Dexter silently crept downstairs and spotted a tattooed guard resembling a thug from the Docks in Mulmaster. Dexter made quick, silent work of him.
The rest of the gang began to clank downstairs. The sounds of moving furniture were soon heard from behind two large double doors. After some hesitation, Ketari pulled a Leroy Jenkins by running passed her allies and kicking in the door. What ensued was a very long grind of a battle due to crappy die rolls.
Bran, Geoff, and Ketari formed the front line while Juleanne darted around everyone. Pel and Rylas flung spells with Dexter sniping. Rylas turned the battle with Hypnotic Gaze. Unfortunately, one Fathomer shapechanged into an Elemental Water Snake and escaped into one of the many ratholes. He had placed a Hex on Geoff and planned to hide with the curse intact, but Rylas dispelled it.
I'm unsure what I will do with that Fathomer. If this was a home game, he'd try to make your collective lives miserable. Since time is limited at the table, I think he may just commit suicide. In any case, I will account for him. [/Sblock]
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