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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9612868" data-attributes="member: 16069">Not KotS (D&D 5e)The Game:So, Rob begged and begged and begged- so unbecoming, and eventually I agreed, yes- I’d DM a game for him and his friends in Japan, there’s only a nine-hour time difference and I’m semi-retired these days so for the last few weeks (actually it’s over a month already) on either a Thursday or else a Friday morning, at 10 AM, I’m playing D&D on Fantasy Grounds with five people beaming in from Japan. It’s 7 PM over there. I can’t lie, it feels weird, I should be working and yet… I’m playing D&D. What a life.We’re playing a version of Keep on the Shadowfell (5e) because… well, I had a version ready to go- no long mental journey, just- let’s try this.The Players:Al (playing McGow) last played D&D in his native Canada twenty-five plus years ago (and obviously not this edition), for Kenji (playing Spek) and Yui (playing Travis Pickle) this is their first time. Whereas Rob (playing C-Fax) has been playing since the dawn of time (relative), as has his wife Sandy (playing Mavis).So, it takes a while for us to get into it to begin with, and of course there are lots of rules to learn, including a few House Rules.XP:We're using the milestone method, it's my intention to make the PCs work for it. We're counting XP for no other reason than bragging rights- whoever has the most crows the loudest.Encounters:I've used Keep on the Shadowfell as a jumping off point, 5e'ed everything as much as I can- nothing too complicated, I don't want to have to do lots of work. That being said the encounters are going to be tough, XP/CR-wise they're all going to be Deadly, or thereabouts. I've talked about this with the players and they're okay with this- although they're saying that now, let's see if the mood changes when a few PCs (I hope) bite the dust.House Rules:At first level (only) a PC can trigger their healing HD if they drop to zero and they’re not already dead, i.e. they’re only dying. Dead outright is still dead outright, there’s no coming back.The PCs get an Inspiration Point (IP) for every encounter that they survive; they can have a maximum of three, but the combats here are going to be tough and so the likelihood is they’re going to have to spend their IP’s just to keep from dying, at least that’s my intention.IPs can be used to re-roll a failed roll, or to add advantage to a roll not yet taken, or to take another action, or else (at any level) to trigger a Healing HD.PC creation:All of the PCs were conjured from the PH, it’s the only book we all had access to, and built using the standard array- 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.Everything else is 5e by the book.And so…The PCs (in alphabetical order):Arbuthnot McGow (Al), Male Mountain Dwarf (Soldier) Fighter Level 1Chromium Malifax (Rob), Male Silver Dragonborn (Noble) Paladin of Bahamut Level 1Mavis Golightly (Sandy), Female Half-Elf (Acolyte) Cleric of Chauntea Level 1The Inspector (Kenji), Male Rock Gnome (Charlatan) Sorcerer Level 1Travis Pickle (Yui), Male Lightfoot Halfling (Criminal) Rogue Level 1Or as they will become known, if they survive long enough- McGow, C-Fax, Mavis, Spek & Travis.All of the players rolled up (at least) two PCs during character creation, for the obvious reason.The Backstory:The adventurers have travelled from Baldur’s Gate, they’re heading for a small-ish walled village in the sticks called Kirkgate. Kirkgate is the last known location of Dicky Bird, aka the Fat Pidgin. The Fat Pidgin is a halfling adventurer of some renown, although Dicky is getting on in years and now very much retired. The story is Dicky has found love- Edna Gingster, the sole heir to the Gingster halfling hand-pie fortune is besotted with her little Fat Pidgin.However, for reasons unknown Dicky has vacated Baldur’s Gate and apparently taken on one last ‘job’; the adventurers have discovered that Dicky has gone in search of an ancient dead dragon’s long lost treasure horde, purportedly hidden somewhere near Kirkgate. Dicky’s reasons for his last ‘job’ are his own, but now he’s missing, and Edna wants him back.The adventurers have therefore been hired to bring Dicky safely home, Edna’s paying and big time (1,000gp each).Note:Travis Pickle (Halfling Rogue) is a distant relative of Dicky, Spek (Gnome Sorcerer) has spent the last five years drinking with Dicky (off and on)- mostly in some of the shadier watering holes in Baldur’s Gate. McGow (Dwarven Fighter), has a similar story to tell, although he’s only known Dicky for the last six months or so. C-Fax (Dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut) and Mavis (Human Priestess of Chauntea) know Dicky only by reputation, they are however good people, and Mavis is an old friend of Edna Gingster’s, and so they’ve also been hired for the job. This pair are inseparable, partners in everything.And so, the adventurers head off to Kirkgate, the last leg of the journey made sitting in the back of a farmer’s cart, which is where we get to meet them.Quests:#001 Save Dicky Bird aka The Fat Pidgin, and bring him home safely to Edna Gingster, keep in mind Dicky could be travelling incognito. Reward: 2000 XP (shared) & 1000gp each.#002 Find and investigate the ancient dragon burial site Dicky was looking for, he might still be there. Reward: 250 XP (shared).Now to the action.</blockquote>

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