Arthurian Adventures (in Ireland)

[Roman]

Here are the basic Sir Anton's stats:


Basics
Player: Roman
Name: Sir Anton von Mu(e)nchen
Titles: Servant of Lady Nimew, Preserver of Nature, Order of the Dove, Protector of (the Old) Faith
Gender: Male
Nationality: Holy Roman Empire (Germany), Bayern (Bavaria)
Languages: Common/English, Family/German, Druidic/Old Faith
Bloodline: Lesser Noble
Race: Human
Class: Knight (7 Levels)
Prestige Class: Blue Knight (3 Levels)
Total Level: 10
Experience Points: 49,900 XP
Fate Points: 9
Fates: To Be in the Right Place at the Right Time, To Show that Dragons Are Redeemable
Accomplished Fates: To Find New Land to Call His Own, To Defeat the Enchanter that Enslaved the Dryad, To Ensure that the Old Faith Never Completely Disappears (Long Live Santa Claus!)
Nobility: 100
Most Egregious Transgression: Serious (Switching Allegiance from King Anguish to the Lady of the Lake)
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 146 lb (very skinny for his height it seems, but dice don't lie...)
Age: 18 (18 is the physical age, but 19 is the nominal age, since time in hell passes much slower than in the material world)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
Skin: Slightly Tanned
Allegiances: Code of Chivalry, Oath of Fealty (Lady Nimew)
Former Allegiances: King Anguish (Foresworn in Favour of the Lady of the Lake), Lady of the Lake (Now Deceased - Killed by Sir Anton's Brother: Friedrich von Mu(e)nchen)
Oaths: To Give the Fool the Pretty, To Avenge the Death of the Lady of the Lake (Let's call her Luciana - She was always referred to only as the Lady of the Lake...) by Defeating His Brother
Motto: "Freitheit du(e)rch Dienst!" ("Freedom through Service")

Ability Scores
Strength: 14/+2
Dexterity: 8/-1
Constitution: 18/+4
Intelligence: 12/+1
Wisdom: 12/+1
Charisma: 16/+3

The lesser noble bloodline gives +2 constitution bonus as a replacement for the normal extra feat that humans get and for the extra skill points that humans get. This brought up Sir Anton's constitution from 16 to 18. At 4th level I raised his wisdom from 10 to 11 and at level 8 I raised his wisdom from 11 to 12.

Movement Related Statistics
Speed: 30 ft or 80 ft on his heavy warhorse (normal warhorse speed is 50 ft, but this one [called Blitz] has a speed of 60 ft and of course Sir Anton is a kinght which at this level adds another 20 ft to his horse's speed for a grand total mounted speed of 80 ft)
Encumberance: Light Load (58 lb), Medium Load (116 lb), Heavy Load (175 lb), Lift over Head (175 lb), Lift off the Ground (350 lb), Push or Drag (875 lb)

Saving Throws
Fortitude: 14
Reflex: 4
Will: 4


Combat Statistics
BAB: +10/+5
Attack: Noble +3 Longsword +16 (d8 + 5 [+ d6 against less noble creatures]), or +18 (d8 + 5 [+ d6 against less noble creatures]) when Mounted, or Masterwork Heavy Lance +15 (d10 + 2) when Mounted, or Masterwork Heavy Lance +13 (d10 + 2) when Dismounted
Full Attack: Noble +3 Longsword +16/+1 (d8 + 5 [+ d6 against less noble creatures]), or +18/+13 (d8 + 5 [+ d6 against less noble creatures]) when Mounted, or Masterwork Heavy Lance +15/+10 (d10 + 2), or Masterwork Heavy Lance +13/+8 (d10 + 2) when Dismounted
Initiative: -1
AC: 18
Hit Points: 154

Weapons
Noble + 3 Longsword
Masterwork Heavy Lance
Dragon Bane Dagger +1
Masterwork Longsword
Masterwork Dagger x 2

Protective Items
Masterwork Heavy Steel Shield (AC bonus +2)
Fish Mail* Armour (AC bonus +7)

*Fish Mail: Sir Anton has magical armour that seems as if it were made of scales and Sir Anton has had some mystical contacts with fish, so I christened it 'Fish Mail'. It granted Sir Anton a DR of 1/-. Now, however, while Sir Anton was in fairyland (I was absent for two prior sessions), Queen Titania polished and shined his armour to the extreme and thus upgraded it to reflect 10% of the damage he suffers per physical attack (but a minimum of 1 point per physical attack) back to the attacker. The armour also grants fire resistance of 10 and adds +1 to all saving throws.

Steed
Heavy warhorse called "Blitz" with speed of 80 ft

Other Gear
Backpack with waterskin
Week's worth of trail rations
Bedroll
Sack
Flint & steel
Hooded lantern
Three pints of oil in flasks
Large golden cross on a golden chain - no longer worn around the neck, but still kept as a reminder of his former faith
Bible - no longer read, but still kept as a reminder of his former faith
Oak Leaf - Holy Symbol of the Old Faith
Tent
Torch x 6
Parchment x 20
Ink vial x 2
Pen
Copper Feather - Order of the Dove symbol


Money
250gp



Knight Class Abilities
Mounted Combat +2
Knight's Warhorse
Code of Chivalry
Aura of Knighthood
Armour Tolerance +3
Ride-by Attack
Dispense Justice
Spirited Charge
Trample

Blue Knight Class Abilities
Breathe Water
Druid Spells (As a Druid of the Blue Knight Class Level -2)


Spells
Druid Spell List
Casts Spells as a Druid of the Blue Knight Class Level -2
Spell Points: 5


Spell Cost in Spell Points (5 Spell Points available)
0th Level: 1
1st Level: 2
2nd Level: 12


Feats
Piety
Faith (Old Faith)
Power Attack
Power Surge


Skills (52 Skill Points [double the standard skill points for the intelligence bonus])
Diplomacy: 6 (1 rank + 3 charisma bonus + 2 special*)
Gather Information: 5 (+ 3 charisma bonus + 2 special*)
Handle Animal: 20 (13 ranks + 3 charisma bonus + 4 special*)
Intimidate: 8 (+ 3 charisma bonus + 5 nobility bonus [at nobility 100] + 1 special*)
Knowledge: Nature: 3 (2 ranks + 1 intelligence bonus)
Knowledge: Nobility 9 (8 ranks + 1 intelligence bonus)
Knowledge: Religion 9 (8 ranks + 1 intelligence bonus)
Listen 1 (+1 wisdom bonus)
Ride: 16 (13 ranks - 1 dexterity bonus + 4 special*)
Search 1 (+ 1 wisdom bonus [I suspect this was a mistake and it was supposed to be based on intelligence bonus, but that one is +1 regardless so it does not change anything])
Spot 1 (+ 1 wisdom bonus)
Swim: 9 (7 ranks + 2 strength)




*Special = Skill Synergy, Feats, Class Abilities, etc

 

[LadyK]

Sir Chris

Sir Christine, Lady Knight

6th level Hedge Mage
1st level Enchantress
1st level Knight

Stats

Strength: 9
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 18
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 16 (18 to Males)

Fortitude: 5
Reflex: 3
Will: 6

Hit Points: 48
Armour Class: 17 (touch: 13, flat foot: 15)
Initative: +2

Nobility: 6
Base Attack Bonus: 4

Skills with a modifier of at least +8:
Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Prophecy, Ride

Weapons & Armour

Masterwork Longsword
Dagger x 10
+1 Dagger
Light Crossbow
Morningstar
+5 Ignoble Longspear of Wounding
+6 Noble Longsword

Chain Shirt
Magic Cloak (+1 to saving throws)
Magic Ring (+1 to AC)

Alegiences

Noblesse Oblige
Code of Chivalry
Oath of Fealty to Prince Caius


----
Merciful Godess! Prince Caius is gonna kill me!

 

[Roman]

He, he, I just described to the player of Prince Caius what happened last saturday...

 

[Particle_Man]

Important!

I will not be there for sat. the 19th. Blair said he could run a one-shot. Just so you know. Update to follow.

 

[Particle_Man]

Well, this one was interesting because I had no idea what I was going to do this session. None. I have been sick for a while and I spent my time resting, not planning. But it worked out.

Princes Caius and Kelvin were in heaven, where they got a chance to ask one and two questions of angels, respectively. Kelvin used his to find out where Albion was and how to defeat him, and was given a mental map of Greenland (with Albion’s lair pointed out) and a vision of his and Caius’s followers causing a distraction while the “main team” snuck in. Caius asked if there was a chance of him getting into heaven after his plan (at the time unknown to me, but pretty “ends justifies the means” method of dealing with one of their main opponents). He got a general answer: if you do good works and avoid evil deeds, you can get into heaven.

The rest of the party had a dream while Lady Christine was on watch. In this dream a Hellwasp was spotted (a wasp with red, evil, multi-faceted eyes). It flew onto Christine’s shoulder. She swatted it away, but another landed there, and others, and soon she was covered in them. Then they covered all but her face, which was screaming in agony, and just before her face got covered, her eyes turned red and multifaceted.

When the party awoke, a bronze statue of Christine-and-Weasel was found, but not Christine and her familiar. Spooky, eh?

Meanwhile, to deal with the plague, Cassandra and Leanne found some druids and brought them in and warned them of plague and alerted the “Druid network”. So we had priests, druids and poor Hobb the hermit trying to cure them. There was also an alchemist in town talking about a possible cure for the disease involving injecting a fluid into people, particularly the children. Caius and Kelvin convinced the townsfolk that this was a good idea, and Kelvin even injected himself.

So 200 people died of the plague the first night, 100 the second, etc. (half the previous number each night), due to help from everyone involved. There were also disappearances during the night. At first these were attributed to people running away from a plague-ridden city, but then the party got suspicious when the disappearances did not level off like the plague-deaths did.

The party staked out an orphanage (with Caius disguising himself as a child, Cassandra as a dog, and Leanne as Leanne). Some kids mentioned a mysterious man that might take them to safety from the plague. This man got scared off by the other knights arriving a bit too soon. But Leanne, Caius, and Cassandra discreetly followed the man, who met three other figures and went in a different direction, to the, er, Red Light district (ladies of the evening, doncha know).

Anyhow, it turned out to be 4 super-wights, who tried to lure and kill a prostitute (she actually was very lucky and got away unscathed). Caius and Leanne engaged them while Cassandra went for help from the knights at the orphanage. Combat ensued, the wights were defeated, and one was revealed as…the alchemist!

Suddenly those injections took on a more serious turn! Kelvin made his will save, but many townsfolk who had injections now believed that Albion the giant was the rightful king, not Anguish or Arthur! A few guards even tried to kill Count Randolph!

On searching the shop, they found more of the fluids, and a cooking pot. They also tracked down a warehouse with 60 human bodies on hooks inside of it, plus a map that had useful red dots at various locations (could be great for locating wights!).

Leanne used her ring to ask Titania for a way to cure the madness, and was told of asperilla, that only grows on the west coast of Ireland (they were on the east coast). So Leanne and Cassandra used magic to get over there, but found giants doing foul magic on a henge there! The giants effectively “turned off” the henge from the druid/hedge mage network and “realigned it” to their own dark magics. Leanne used spells to scare the giants off north, but it was too late. Cassandra then used magic to go to the next henge north and warn the druids there, who were able to disguise their henge from the giants. Leanne spent time destroying the “dark henge”, but there wasn’t time to “Retune” it.

Meanwhile, a mad knight appeared outside the west gate of the city. Anton and co. rode out to meet it, and it turned out to be Anton’s brother, Friedrich, who was out of his mind (Insanity spell). After some trouble, they subdued him, and got him locked up in the city. In his lucid moments they found out that he was led by a nun to kill a hag disguised as a lady of the lake (d’oh!) and then was given a book to read. In his insane moments he mentioned the fingerbones of Christ and “the grey abbey”. Sir Bradley’s cohort brother George knew that this was an expression for an abbey whose nuns had turned from Christ to darker powers.

Between the map from the warehouse, notions of abbeys in Ireland, and ideas of all the places that claimed to host the fingerbones of Christ (there are many), they narrowed the field down to 3 abbeys. The party’s current plan is to hit those three abbeys, find the fingerbones of Christ, try to cure various conditions, and then go to Greenland and face down “King” Albion.

Not bad for something pulled out of the air, anyhow.

 

[Particle_Man]

4 sessions to go!

This sat. I was gone and the gang had a one-shot without me. I will be here this coming sat, and the following one. Then out of town for two sat's. Then back for two sat's. Then back to work. Wow. Makes one think.

Anyhow, I plan to try for a movie night after it is all over (an Excalibur/Monty Python and the Holy Grail double feature). And I might simply "age" everyone 15 years for (part of?) the last session, just to have the tragic end play out (can't have King Arthur without the tragic end, dammit!).

OOC, one of my players could soon be drafted to stop bullets with his chest (he's from a european country where they do the draft...I don't think his country is at war...but you never know...). Hope he can stick around for a while longer, though. But if he has to go, best of luck to you, and don't try and do the "movie hero" thing. Do the "keep your head down and survive" thing. I'd like to see you again one day, and unlike my game, in real life you don't get to spend fate points to come back to life, however changed.

I note that I am stingy on magic items (I tended to focus on adding powers to one item per character, but I haven't really been following proper "upgrading" in a long while (by the way, this is the players' cue to hint (or just state) what "upgrades" they would like, as I have a plot point coming up that allows for an easy upgrade). This made me think of a new d20 game coming down the pipe in August called Iron Lore. Apparently it is magic-item light, but beefs up the characters with special skills and feats that they can use as tactical stunts for extra wackiness. Magic is powerful, but unreliable and rare. Lots of buzz on this one. I might check it out.

I wouldn't mind trying out the rpgobjects samurai game when it comes out on paper. But as a player (this is my way of subtly hinting to my party, which contains at least 3 DMs, each of whom is a damn sight better at it than I am). Ain't got time to Dm when working, even as a slacker Dm.

And Castles and Crusades dances in the back of my mind.

So much stuff, so little time. I wish I were a teenager again. Or very, very, very rich.

 

[LadyK]

my vote would have to be for rich. tenager -- eww, angsty

 

[Particle_Man]

my vote would have to be for rich. tenager -- eww, angsty

Ah, but the classic would be my current mental state (no angst) combined with a teenager's free time, body, and HAIR! Long, thick, beautiful, flowing hair!

 

[Particle_Man]

One of the funnier lines when the druid Cassandra sensed that one of the stone henges has "gone off the radar" (due to giants destroying it).

"I felt a great disturbance in the force, as if a million squirrels cried out in terror, and suddenly were silenced."

props to Aampi, Star Wars fan extraordinaire!

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

You guys have been going at this for a while. As I think I mentioned, I'm dusting off an old semi-arthurian tinged campaign for my home group and I was thinking of dusting off a Goodman Games Dungeon Crawl Classic for the basic structure? What kinds of things would I need to add to your classic D&D crawl to get something that feels Arthurian?

Single combat? Introduce a symbolic or allegorical elements to the story? Add some illusions and have the bad guys try and trick the PCs into giving themselves up?

I guess I'm really asking about the Arthurian tropes that you've seen a lot in your games and which of them you think are most suitable for easy introduction into a more standard D&D story.