D&D General How Was Your Last Session?

[el-remmen]

I wasn't so sure it was as smooth as it could be, but the players all seemed to have a good time as there was a decent mix of exploring, social encounters, and combat.

The party successfully found a splinter group of monsters from the World Below and negotiated with its leader (a goblin named Wyckwax) to have him not join his forces with the evil trolls the party would have to fight and work to draw off more of the trolls' forces (goblins and trolls) from those legions. In return, the party is supposed to go defeat the guardians watching over the Troll Chieftainess's treasure hoard and allow Wyckwax and his people to take it.

My favorite moment from this exchange was when Wyckwax explained that "ALL the evil races - elves, dwarves, gnomes, and the like - banded together to drive his people to the World Below ages ago."

After that the party went to camp out where they were to wait for their firbolg allies, but instead were captured by treants they did not want to fight, successfully argued to be allowed to be brought before the treant queen and made a deal with her, once she explained that the firbolgs had helped precipitate the problem of the troll hordes, the forest fires, and the marching trees in their quest for blind revenge.

Negotiations with the firbolg after this, to get them to drop their plan of total revenge for a more manageable goal that also allowed Wyckwax's group to leave the area unmolested (as opposed to the firbolg goal of killing every last one) did not go as well and the giants retreated to discuss their options, saying they might come to help the PCs defend a local hamlet from the encroaching trolls - but were not sure they could agree to the conditions.

Finally, the PCs made their way to roadhouse in the path of the troll horde, where they set up defenses to aid the locals who refused to leave their homes, despite the danger.

As we left off, the party had defeated a wave of goblins (with a good use of a tidal wave spell when they were awkwardly wading across a deep stream) and all but one of the first wave of ogres - but a second wave of goblins were arriving just as trolls, who were hidden beneath the water, emerged to join the fight!

My two favorite moments from this battle were Nora the ranger/sorcerer's player saying "Ogres are a lot easier to deal with when you are prepared!" (compared to last session, when she expressed fear of a TPK when facing off against a large group without a warning). And when Rollo the Barbarian held a simple wooden bridge over the stream against three ogres by himself.

We're playing again in two weeks because May is looking difficult for scheduling and we may have to skip that month and we didn't want to wait til June.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

18th session of Monte Cook's 3E Banewarrens campaign run with Shadow of the Demon Lord on Owlbear Rodeo.

Five player characters at Level 3:

• Dwarf Fighter/Warrior. Heir to a lost kingdom. His trinket is half of a treasure map.
• Elf Wizard/Magician. Outcast from elven lands, raised in Ptolus, keeper of a dark secret. His magical traditions are Arcana, Teleportation, Chaos, and Fey.
• Goblin Oracle/Magician. Responsible for the destruction of his tribe. Specialized in the Fire and Forbidden magic traditions.
• Changeling Spellbinder/Magician. Created by House Vladaam to replace a child they kidnapped and held in servitude. Naturally, she wants revenge. Celestial and Battle traditions.
• Human Paladin/Priest. Cleric of Lothian, the primary god of Ptolus. His magical traditions are Life, Theurgy, and Battle. His wife was murdered by undead and now he seeks answers.

This session was primarily exploration. By the end, the PCs had finished exploring Map 1 of the Outer Vaults. They ascended to Map 2. With that milestone reached, they all hit Level 4.

Additionally, they learned some valuable information from the sentient staff rescued from the Pactlords in the previous session:

• Where the Pactlords are headquartered
• How to destroy the Pact that holds them together
• Where to find the Key that seals the Banewarrens

Basically, they now know the likely endgame for the campaign. So a very important session overall.

Next: What do they find in the secret chamber?

 

[THEMNGMNT]

37th session in my Dragon Heist/Deck of Many Things mashup. 8th level half-orc cavalier fighter, halfling swashbuckler rogue, and half-elf evoker wizard/grave cleric.

Deep below Mount Waterdeep, the player characters are fighting their way through a drow stronghold that has been conquered by their mind flayer nemesis. The drow are now thralls or dead.

This was a short session -- a single fight against a draegloth, mindwitness, and some grimlock minions. The mindwitness has some superb debuffing eye rays, but due to the low save DC it didn't impose a single condition on the PCs. Insert sad DM emoji. This was a deadly fight but the PCs have reached that level when they've started to steamroll deadly encounters. Time to dial it up.

Next session: The drow matron mother!

 

[Davo3]

3 Apr Adventurers' Log:​

While separated from the group, Gulder finds a secret exit/entrance to/from the treasure room region of the vault.

Chetter reaches Gulder and gives directions to the group in the town of Vrane in Acasavania. Gulder heads that way, but Chetter, with a much faster rate of travel, goes in search of Miria Arendel, reported to sell magic arrows in the Free States, near the Acasavania border. He acquires a new magic bow and ten various arrows, three of which can take holy water and the rest seem to snare. He also learns of Miria's sister, Aria, who makes magical tattoos (for those she finds worthy).

Darren has gone off to find more info about Makera "Mirabell" Alvorin, the vampire who escaped us.

Meahwhile, Nera and Nestor commission a special wooden box to isolate the Hoard Golem Gem from nearby metal so that Nestor's Genie Vessel can safely be used for metallic treasure. They also notice many merchants packing their wares up. Inquiry reveals that about once a quarter, Acasavania experiences a "blood moon", during which life is at risk and everyone who can will stay locked up indoors, presumably with their livestock. Further investigation reveals some connection between the Blood Moons and mysterious, ancient purple runestones that are located in many places around Acasavania. These seem to predate an ancient cult, the Followers of Kulzaki, whose symbol is a bat with horns. There are stories of portals to the Shadowfell, but this cult seems to have disappeared over a century ago. Still, the Blood Moon is feared.

As our adventurers meet at the old inn in Vrane, they decied to take advantage of the Blood Moon (that very night) and head to the nearest crystal on the morning of the expected Blood Moon.

At this point, our party is:

• Chetter, a L5 Kender Ranger
• Gulder, a L5 Dwarven Fighter
• Nera, a L5 Elven Wizard
• Nestor, a L5 Half-Elven Warlock
• Darren, a L5 Reborn Sorcerer, who is off chasing the vampire.

We still have the following at our Base Camp:

• Sadia, a Goblin follower and fortune teller
• Mystaria, a Tiefling refugee and mother of Arkus
• Arkus, her son who has an affinity to magic
• Caelynn, the reincarnated Eladrin Elf

Getting there around dusk, they find a Shaman, Owen Blackthrorn (Student of Levina), performing a ritual that he says is to protect the local area. We join him, become transported to what may be the Shadowfell, and there we battle what we believe to be the shades of the town of Vrane. The largest one has a golden gem embedded in it's chest. We battle through to the return portal and slay all who follow us, as Owen closes the portal. Gulder smashes the gem.

Owen decides to tag along with us as we seek the relic of Nicnene in the Tower. We clear the first two levels of what we believe to be a 14-level tower, and elect to set up camp outside. We have also acquired the help of a pixie named Lilly who was apparently seeking refuge from the Blood Moon in a store room here via an unprotected hole in the wall.

As we settle in for a long rest, the party reaches level six.

• your scribe, Nestor Coldwind

I can post earlier transcripts if anyone is interested.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

19th session of Monte Cook's 3E Banewarrens campaign run with Shadow of the Demon Lord on Owlbear Rodeo.

Five player characters at Level 4:

• Dwarf Fighter/Warrior. Heir to a lost kingdom. His trinket is half of a treasure map.
• Elf Wizard/Magician. Outcast from elven lands, raised in Ptolus, keeper of a dark secret. His magical traditions are Arcana, Teleportation, Chaos, and Fey.
• Goblin Oracle/Magician. Responsible for the destruction of his tribe. Specialized in the Fire and Forbidden magic traditions.
• Changeling Spellbinder/Magician. Created by House Vladaam to replace a child they kidnapped and held in servitude. Naturally, she wants revenge. Celestial and Battle traditions.
• Human Paladin/Priest. Cleric of Lothian, the primary god of Ptolus. His magical traditions are Life, Theurgy, and Battle. His wife was murdered by undead and now he seeks answers.

In this session the PCs explored most of Map 2 of the Outer Vaults. It has proved to be far less dangerous than Map 1. At this point they have started to recognize Vault doors and be wary of the banes locked within. Unfortunately they're also skipping some cool content. Not too much I can do about that...yet.

Highlight was when the PCs gained a level at the start of the session those with cursed weapons looted from the Banewarrens also gained a point of Corruption. I'm not sure if they realize this is going to happen with every level. It pushed the goblin up to 5 points of Corruption. He doesn't want anymore. So he tried to throw away his weapon. He was forced to make a Will challenge roll with 5 banes -- one for each point of Corruption. Somehow he made it. The other two PCs with cursed weapons just looked on.

The players have begun to debate whether or not they want to push on and try to complete the whole dungeon...or pause their exploration and return to town. I definitely favor the latter, and the adventure expects it, but I don't get a vote. I just get the infinite power of a DM. We'll see what happens.

Next session: The Inner Vaults?

 

[Blue]

Last session I ran, I finally clarified someone about my group: give them time and they will take time in session to spend it. Regardless of the pacing I'm trying for.

At the end of the previous session, they had a plan about an arc-ending battle. It was really good, unexpected, and will greatly reduce the threat of the big bad. But it involved ambushing someone at an event he was known to attend in three days. They were one day travel away.

I prepped expecting this even. But I made the "mistake" (not a mistake) of asking them about those days. And suddenly they were splitting up,making alies, spreading rumors, gathering more information. Even running things quickly, we spent enough time to fill the session. (One of my players is a teacher who gets up at 5am, we have a hard stop time of 10pm.)

I feel like I've disappointed by players by not getting to the "main event" they were expecting. But by the same token they were one ones who picked this opportunity (not what I was expecting at all) because of other information they had researched and it had an already established date.

I tried to run through those two days ASAP, but after some people started on their plans for those two days, going around the table to ask others what they were doing so everyone would have a chance at spotlight just ate up the session.

(Side note: the party are wanted and posters are up for them, plus they knew there were factions from earlier investigation. This wasn't an opportunity for "two days downtime" unless they wanted to just hole up, which they didn't.)

 

[Blue]

Last session in our Theros: Everliving campaign was a lot of fun. I may be dead.

(Note: this may be adapted or taken directly from a published adventure. If so, please don't tell me.)

In Theros there are "people" who escape from the Underworld after death. The leave behind their personality and memories when they do, and become an undead known as the Returned. They wear their shaped golden funereal masks, but are otherwise featureless. But an echo of those memories can also escape, called an Eidolon.

Early in the campaign on we intercepted one Returned beign chased by others who labelled him Varius the Heretic. Varius' mask, unlike any other we cae across, had encoded runes inside of it. We've been following them.

There's a "new" god who was a Returned to then ascended to godhood, with the domain of trickery. Varius was an oracle and also worshiped this god.

Anyway we've been following this and ended up finding Varius' Eidolon, which we need to decipher the next part of the mask. But this echo can't do it alone, so we managed to convince it to come with us (and it's VERY distractable) back to Sentessa where we have another oracle who together can do it.

Anywhile, it takes us a while to figure out how to get the Eidolon which would draw lots of attention and the sage together. We manage it, and then there is an attack on the city by a chimera. Bells are ringing, and a hopalite recognizes us as adventurers and asks us to help.

It's at the Summer Shrine, which is this huge Oak Tree and nature preserve, which was sacred to Nylea (nature/hunting), my character's deity. I'm playing a rather impulsive Satyr hunter/archer (rogue class) who's definitely having a "coming of age" arc. We just hit 3rd level.

So we go to the part, there are a lot of beasts about acting aggressively that I correctly identify as "maddened". So I yell for everyone to not hurt them and try to deal with the flying chimera. Durign the time I get attacked by one, and by the time I got away from it was down to 4 HPs. Anyway, I deal with one possible instigator for this with no change, and then go back to my original thought it's the chimera doing this and race to the top of the Great Oak.

And in doing so, leave behind my companions. We had approached through dense brush that was difficult terrain, and the first few rounds were them Dashing 60'. However Satyrs have 25' of movement, I can Dash as an action, and also Dash as a bonus action thanks to rogue's Cunning Action, so I was moving 105'. So I wasn't really with them, and they got delayed further by beasts I had passed.

Anyway, it took me three round at that much higher speed to get to the top of the Great Oak, where I would hide, pop out with an arrow, and move where I couldn't be seen. I am bonus action bound, and it would have been much better to start the round hidden, pop out and shoot, move then hide, but that would lose a whole round of advantage/sneak attack to set up.

This worked for a few rounds until I messed up my hide, and the chimera followed me. One gaze restrained me, and then it breathed fire at me while I had disadvantage on DEX saves.

So I'm down and making death saves, and the other characters are five or more rounds of dashing behind me and don't know I'm down.

At the beginning of combat I even mentioned ooc that Spyros (my Satyr) would need to get hurt before he took to heart Ember's admonishments about not running ahead. If he survives I think this will make him less carefree and more cautious, and also more "stick together" which is good. Character growth through near-death.

I'm having a grand time. I created him with flaws and places to grow, to move from a teen to an adult, and I made the choice to honor that with my eyes wide open it might kill him. And it might. But that's okay - that's what stories are made of. And it will force him to grow if he survives, and that journey is what I am interested in for his arc.

Can't wait for next session. But I will have a replacement worked up just in case. Theros is an Ancient Greek analog, I'm thinking a centaur.

 

[Blue]

Just as the title says, I want to hear about your latest session of DnD, or any other game really.

Be as detailed or as brief as you like!

Thanks for starting this thread, I've enjoyed both reading other's exploits and getting to show off my own both from the player and DM side.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Thanks for starting this thread, I've enjoyed both reading other's exploits and getting to show off my own both from the player and DM side.

You’re welcome! By far the best thread I ever started!

 

[Guest 7034872]

I'm learning a lot from reading people's posts on this thread: it's definitely helping me climb the learning curve.