mAcular
Explorer
What system was it? Did you consider it a successful run in hindsight?
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How Dragonbane Pointed out the Clashing Desires of My Gaming Group
- Thread starter Retreater
- Start date
Golden Bee
Explorer
You're free. Don't go back to RPGs with this crew.
aramis erak
Legend
Sounds like time to shake up the membership of the group... perhaps a smaller party with similar goals?
How many are even there for the game itself, vs just to hang out?
My group defeated the Dragon Emperor campaign BBEG easily enough, but got slaughtered a few sessions later when they went hunting a dragon.
Dragonbane. And yeah it was fun even though we had a rough time at first and an anticlimactic end.
mamba
Legend
if they survived then maybe it is salvageable… am curious for details
Details in spoiler tags.if they survived then maybe it is salvageable… am curious for details
The group quested throughout the Misty Vale to recover the lost sword of the dragon emperor, the blade with the power to destroy the warlock Koth. The vile warlock's tomb was under a protective ward that would allow the wielder of the sword to enter and hopefully kill the warlock who has awakened and sending his agents throughout the Misty Vale.
After dispatching Koth's minions and navigating puzzles and traps, the party finally reached his tomb for the final showdown. He was accompanied by a swarm of demonic vampire bats as he launched his attack.
In game terms, Koth received one action per PC. The group had 4 PCs and one NPC, so I left it at four actions. Additionally the vampire bat swarm got two actions, taking their actions on the same rounds as Koth's first two actions.
The bats and Koth drew initiative cards and ended up taking four actions before anyone else in the party could respond. In Dragonbane, you roll actions randomly, and they got several AoE attacks that severely weakened everyone. Then Koth got the action result that he strides up to the fighter and steals the dragon emperor's sword.
The warlock has the one weapon that can destroy him and will free him from his prison. The group spends their remaining actions to try to get the sword from him, but no progress is made. He blasts them with supernatural cold that permits them from healing naturally, so the party has no way to perform first aid on their dying comrades.
After all the characters are dropped, the warlock decides to leave the tomb with his sword, now free to wreck havoc on the Vale. The knight is able to use his force of will to remain conscious for a few seconds. The group had found some rare healing potions earlier in the dungeon, saving them for a desperate moment. He is able to save himself and two other party members with the magical potions.
The NPC, a knight in the order of the dragon emperor, tells the group that Koth is likely heading to the Dead Wood (which is the starting point of the next campaign, should we play it.) Before she passes - unable to get a healing potion - she begs the party to fulfil her quest and stop Koth.
So I think it's salvageable. It's just not the ending the players wanted. And they don't have much hope.
Mannahnin
Scion of Murgen (He/Him)
Ok, that is a bummer outcome, but it does sound salvageable. This is an Empire Strikes Back-style demoralizing loss, which could potentially set up a RotJ-style triumph later.
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Agreed, that doesn't sound like a bad place to start a new arc of the campaign from.
@Retreater so they lost the NPC that accompanied them and 1 PC if I read that correctly? If so, is the 1 PC ok with rerolling?
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