Blizzard at Revel's End (OOC) Temporary Hiatus

FitzTheRuke

Legend
Story Thread (IC)
Rogue's Gallery

I've got a hankering to overwhelm myself with too many games again! Those who know me know that I run a consistent PBP game, and I will never ghost on it. If I end it, there will be discussion. I've been running PBP games here for a few years now, and we've managed to take a few all the way to their stories end. PBP can be very slow, and a mistake I've found that people make (including myself) in running 5e games, is to try to run one of those awesome hardcover adventures. The trouble with them is, by my best calculations, they'd take eight to ten YEARS to fully run at the rate PBP moves. (I've run about a third of Tomb of Annihilation in nearly three years). So, I figure that the smart thing to do here is to run something shorter.

The new "Rime of the Frostmaiden" adventure book has a lot of nice short stories and cool locations. I feel inspired to take one of those locations, and the general setting, and run something of my own there. This game should have a nice length that hopefully we can all get through. I call it "Blizzard at Revel's End" (as you can see in the title of the thread).

From the Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Adventure:

"Revel’s End is a panopticon, a prison configured in such a way that the activities of the prisoners can be closely monitored from a central location. Situated on the frigid, misty coast of the Sea of Moving Ice, the prison is a single-story structure topped with battlements. Rising from the core of the panopticon is a tower that holds the prison’s administrative offices and guard barracks. Both the prison and the tower are carved out of a tall, blade-shaped rock that rises high above the sea cliffs. This rock, called the Windbreak, shields the tower against the brutal winds that sweep down from the Reghed Glacier. "

This is a horror-themed game that will involve some scary stuff happening during a white-out blizzard at an extremely isolated prison in the dead of winter.

Your characters (This might be a bit ambitious of me):

As the adventure will all take place in a fixed location, I see no need to form a proper adventuring party. I'd like the group to be made up of three distinct groups: You can pick or roll randomly:

Prison Staff: You are a member of the Lord's Alliance and work at the prison (in what capacity will depend on what you make). Level 3 character. You get a bonus uncommon magic item, 500gp worth of equipment, and can use standard point-buy for your abilities. Cold-weather clothing is also free.

Prisoner: You are a prisoner here. You have no equipment (other than clothing). BUT you get a bonus feat, even though you're level 3. You can roll your stats with 4d6, drop lowest, and reroll your lowest rolled score.

Guest: You have recently arrived and are an ally/guest of the Warden. You are level 4, but you can't take a feat - just an ASI for you. You get the standard array for abilities and the starting packages of equipment for your class and background. You get cold-weather clothing for free too. Lucky you.

All of this is subject to approval (I don't know if I will have created a potential bad combo here - let me know if there's flaws). Oh! One more thing: No Unearthed Arcana. Otherwise, don't get carried away.

Lastly, if you're a prisoner, you might not want to make a spellcaster. The cells have antimagic fields. Still, if you DO make a prisoner who's s spellcaster, I will reward you for whatever hell you have to go through early on with stuff later. Ditto for fighters who put up without armour or weapons for the first bit. Obviously Monks (and maybe Rogues) will do best as prisoners. Eventually, I'm sure you can pick up some gear from the dead. AHEM. Did I spoil something? I bet you knew there'd be dead, didn't you?

Let me know what you think, and if you have any questions.
 
Last edited:

log in or register to remove this ad

Leatherhead

Possibly a Idiot.
So, the players will come from different groups if they want?

I am very tempted to make a Prisoner Fighter, as a re-imagining of one of my first characters ever. But I have to ask what kind of alignment we would be doing?
 

JustinCase

the magical equivalent to the number zero
That sounds very interesting! I like the idea that there's basically three different groups working together, although it would take some RP-ing to get them all to cooperate, I think.

I'm going to think about a character. This could be a lot of fun!
 

Kobold Stew

Last Guy in the Airlock
Supporter
Definitely interested, if you have room for me! Will come up with a character idea sometime tomorrow.
Maybe a Goliath Ranger, or Druid that will eventually be able to turn into a polar bear?

Will think. Exciting!
 

FitzTheRuke

Legend
So, the players will come from different groups if they want?

I am very tempted to make a Prisoner Fighter, as a re-imagining of one of my first characters ever. But I have to ask what kind of alignment we would be doing?

Ah. Good point. In my head it is a mix of all three groups and alignment is up to you. I don't mind evil characters, only disruptive players. If you want to be evil, just remember that your character is a person, not a caricature and that this is a cooperative game. Evil (IMO) should be a fun way to play someone who is deeply flawed, not a reason to derail the narrative.

I don't believe that an evil character can't get along with a good one (even be friends) if their goals are in line. I also believe that good players can play characters that don't get along (regardless of alignment) while the players themselves remain free of conflict. It just takes good communication (like all things in life).

Long way of saying "up to you."

(I do expect you to make a character who will be motivated to work together with other people in order to survive a hostile event. One that is capable of making friends and allies (even if reluctant).

Oh, and if you want to make a prisoner, we need to discuss your crime!
 

Leatherhead

Possibly a Idiot.
Right, evil in the sense of being motivated to achieve selfish goals and being willing to do questionable things to that end. Not in the "I must destroy all goodness and life" sense of evil.

As for the crime, I'm thinking a botched robbery at a noble's manor, that ended up with too much collateral damage as a result. There were gems and gold obviously, but the paperwork uncovered was far more valuable and dangerous. Getting sent to the max security prison was two parts keeping him locked up, and one part keeping him hidden and alive because he might be useful later.
 

FitzTheRuke

Legend
Right, evil in the sense of being motivated to achieve selfish goals and being willing to do questionable things to that end. Not in the "I must destroy all goodness and life" sense of evil.

As for the crime, I'm thinking a botched robbery at a noble's manor, that ended up with too much collateral damage as a result. There were gems and gold obviously, but the paperwork uncovered was far more valuable and dangerous. Getting sent to the max security prison was two parts keeping him locked up, and one part keeping him hidden and alive because he might be useful later.

Yeah exactly!

Sounds like something that could happen if you robbed a Whterdhavian noble... or worse, a noble in Baldur's Gate. There's a lot of corruption in both those cities. Depending on how you want to play it - a lot of the collateral damage could have been not actually your fault.
 

JustinCase

the magical equivalent to the number zero
I’m playing around with the concept of a Waterdhavian noble, probably a minor one in the family such as a bastard son, and he’s an arrogant fellow who got into a lot of trouble.

Could be the same trouble as @Leatherhead’s character? A different family, perhaps?

Either way, I’m condering a v-human eldritch knight fighter. And a prisoner, because executing a member of the Waterdeep nobility is not usually a good career move.
 

FitzTheRuke

Legend
I’m playing around with the concept of a Waterdhavian noble, probably a minor one in the family such as a bastard son, and he’s an arrogant fellow who got into a lot of trouble.

Could be the same trouble as @Leatherhead’s character? A different family, perhaps?

Either way, I’m condering a v-human eldritch knight fighter. And a prisoner, because executing a member of the Waterdeep nobility is not usually a good career move.

Could have been the inside-man in the heist-gone-wrong, if you both like. You can also work out if that means that you're allies, or hold a grudge. (That you can drop to work together again as the game moves forward).
 


Remove ads

Top