[June] Campaign reports

[the Jester]

I'm currently running two groups. One is an epic and nigh-epic party (I do believe the lowest level pcs are now 20th). The other is a mid-level (up to 9th, iirc) halfling-themed party.

The halflings are trying desperately to reclaim a war wagon stolen from one of their number, and have stumbled into a terrible disaster of an encounter with a bunch of yuan ti. My story hour for this one (OSMtHW, link in sig) is actually pretty well caught up (I stopped about halfway through the most recent session).

The epic group has just finished up a series of crazy adventures in which they journeyed to Hell and slew Asmodeus. Then they attended a conference of the most powerful spellcasters to discuss establishing 'rules of war' for magic- this turned into a large discussion about magical conduct in general, and completely skipped over most of the issues it was called to discuss. Then they hunted down a demon princess who has been tampering with pcs in my campaign for over 150 years game time and over 10 years real time. Next I think they're planning to storm the Bastion of Law and attempt to end an endless battle between Law and Chaos.

 

[Bran Blackbyrd]

Well, my campaign has been on hiatus for close to a year due to the group getting split up across three or four states. However, when we last left off...

My Homebrew: The party survived an attempted poisoning at the inn where they spent the night and were about to leave town on the trail of a fugitive and to find a cure for their friend (a girl who is only mostly dead) when they were stopped by the town guard and locked up. Upon seeing the group getting arrested, the bard that was going to join the party slinked off into the shadows (wimp) wanting no part of the trouble. They had been accused of murder, but the accuser had cut and run. They insisted they were innocent and had actually helped solve the murder. While they were being notified of their situation a regional magistrate showed up and took over. Some locals the party had saved spoke up for them and so the magistrate (actually a new player) made the group a deal.
Riders had been sent to the next town to verify there stories. The magistrate said they could rot in the cell until the riders returned, or they could help him hunt down and destroy a black dog that had been terrorizing the countryside. It would go a long way towards clearing their names and they could share the reward being offered by the Merchant's Council. The PCs don't enjoy rotting so they agreed.
They tracked the hound into a clearing in the forest, where it seemed to be fighting rather defensively. Tired of fooling around, the paladin scaled a small rock pile in the center of the clearing so he could get a better shot. He was promptly blasted in the face by a plume of fire breath and fell off. The hound's mate was hiding up there and now the party had two black dogs to deal with. When they finally killed the male, the female made a run for it. They followed her to a cave and finished her off. Searching the cave they spotted a small alcove in the rock above a pool of water. The paladin climbed onto the rogue's shoulders to look inside, was blasted in the face by a plume of fire and fell into the pool. A mad scramble ensued with them trying to get their hands on the wet pup. Finally they managed to kill it too.
They returned to town with the carcasses, the riders returned with a signed notice of the party's innocence and there was much rejoicing. The woman who tried to poison and then frame them was actually the mother of one of the men they had captured (and the mayor had hanged) for killing a messenger during a botched roadside mugging.
They were enjoying being treated like royalty while waiting for some officials to view the hound carcasses and give them their share of the reward when some MIBs from the beginning of the campaign strolled into the tavern and started menacing them. During the ensuing strangeness the rogue disappeared without a trace...

I kept this sort of vague since there are a lot of details that wouldn't make sense unless you knew the whole story. I'd write a story hour based on the game, but since we're averaging one and a half sessions a year (and I doubt anyone's very curious) it would be pretty damn slow...
The campaign is as low magic as I can make it without redoing the rules (I don't want to get in above my head any more than I already am) and most unusual creatures are so rare that hardly anyone believes they exist. The hellhound in this session was considered in the countryside it was terrorizing to be a truly horrifying creature of legend and the party had had two previous encounters with it in which they barely got a decent look at it and it escaped virtually without a scratch... I'm careful not to call creatures by their WoTC names and discourage the players from assuming what any creature actually is. The PCs themselves are mostly young friends from a quiet, remote village that were suddenly ripped from their normal lives by tragedy and sent on a journey by a mysterious woman. The end of this session also marked the return of this woman.
The rogue was spirited away by a secret fraternal organziation. He was carrying the symbol of their society, which he had recovered from a body. They will want answers and depending on how it goes, will either attempt to kill him or ask him to join!

 

[devilbat]

Heavilly modified Ravenloft: The party has just finished clearing out a warren of Ratmen, in aid of a group of Vistani, and have travelled to the city of Nartok. They have tracked the few remaining survivors of a military raid on their home town, who were taken as prisoners of war. One of the prisoners is a PC's daughter, so they are desperate to find them.

They know that the prisoners were brought to Nartok, but are unaware whether they are still there. An unfortunate attempt at introducing a new character with the "I'm always getting myself into trouble" mantra, ended with the party being labeled illegal freedom fighters, and an order form the local baron to kill them on site.

The group has heard of a man who runs a safe house, and a former prisoner caravan guard who was assaulted by the caravan captain who may be willing to provide information. They have made contact with a sympathetic member of the Nartok police force who has helped them escape capture in town, so far.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Just started a new campaign, this one in Castles & Crusades.

The PCs entered and cleared the goblin bandits led by an evil wizard from of caves outside of Thornhill.

They'll be returning to the caves next adventure, to take care of the ghouls they trapped behind the door to the ancient crypts within the caverns.

We had such fun playing C&C that I've a feeling that this is going to overtake our 3e game in a few months.

 

[Morrow]

In Swashbuckling in Freeport the party has just arrived in the city. They retrieved the Eye of the Sea Dragon from a band of sahuagin, alluded it's curse, and delivered the Eye to the Temple of Harrimast (God of Pirates) in Freeport. They've had a month of downtime to drink, shop, gather info, and spend their loot.


Tonight's session could go in half a dozen different directions. Hopefully it will allow the party to get a better feel for the city, meet some people, and become involved in one of several potential plots. It begins on the morning of Swagfest an annual holiday which commemorates a great pirate raid of the past. They might take part in Swagfest and become involved in excitement on the docks. They might track down one of several leads to help the undead lovin' cleric find undead potential converts (some of which lead to actual undead and some of which lead to... other things.) If things start to get slow I've got a cleric of Tinel (God of Knowledge and Magic) in the wings who is looking for someone to find his missing friend and who has heard good things about the party from the temple of Harrimast. (A simple sounding job that is really the beginning of something more sinister.) In addition, there are some folks in Freeport who know more about the bard-pirate's background than he might expect. It's an open question whether he'll find them before they find him.

Morrow

 

[Arnwyn]

Characters are 5th level, and just finished "Nbod's Room" from Dungeon Magazine (#51).

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Forgotten Realms: My players are arguing whether to kill a Very Young Half-Fiendish silver dragon that so far hasn't attacked them first, while exploring an ancient crystalline habitat created by an elder race of serpent folk full of snakes and psionic items with unknown functions.

So far, their only casualty is the complete body hair of one of the characters - but who knows what will happen to them next?

 

[cmanos]

Quick Backstory:

After stopping the kidnapping of people in Calatran, we were off to the west to look for a woman named Shenchan. While in the slavers pits we overheard a dwarf (duergar) talking to the head slaver (half-troll dwarf) about the woman. Investigation in town and among the freed slaves revealed the woman's name as well as the knowledge that she may be holed up in a monestary to the west, on the other side of the Gnarly forest. Also determined another of the slavers was a red-headed woman named Treale. After speaking to the captain of the guard, we learned Treale used to be a guard, but betrayed the captain and killed his best friends.

After a short down time we headed to Westgate and beyond into the Gnarly Wood. A snight fell we approached the Inn of the Guilded Leaf. Smell of charred flesh and wood lingered in the air. Sent the scout-types ahead. After taking care of some scavenging krenshar, we walked into the kitchen, surprising a large man in a red sash, who changed rapidly into a half-boar man (wereboar). Long fight, many injured. Finally killed Toungeater and secured the rest of the Inn from 25 drunken Red Sash merceneries.

In the cellar of the inn we found 2 headless bodies, one of the primarch of the church of St. Cuthbert in Calatran, and the second of the head of the guard of the master of our Wizard, Bentham. Also in the basement we found Shenchan, who had sealed herself in the cold storage room to keep herself from being taken by the bandits.

After securing the inn, taking care of final arrangements for the dead and returning the Cuthbertian primarch to Calatran, we returned with the knowledge that the Red Sashes were holed up in a cave a half days ride from the inn. Upon out entry intoi the cave system we discovered the complex was not held by just the Red Sashes, but three bandit groups. The first we encounter is led by a gnome wizard named Master Skaven, an old student of Bentham's master Xerxes. Instead of fighting us, he flees through spider infested caves. Of course we follow.

Cast of Characters
Dar Garron - L3 Human Cleric of Kord
Bentham - L3 Human Wizard
Sovallis - L3 Elf Ranger
Nob Nab - L3 Gnome Druid
Jaim - L3 Dwarf Barbarian
Lidda - L3 Halfling Rogue
Bronwyn - L3 Human Monk

 

[Morpheus]

Sounds very cool, Morpheus.

Thanks! The only problem right now is that we are only playing once-a-month because one of the guys (perhaps you've heard of him-MEG Hal) got a new job and has a crazy schedule. Starting in July, though, we will be playing weekly. Luckily, I'm playing in a WFRP game right now and Merkel Vogel (the Ratcatcher) is doing just fine...except for the fact that he had to flee from Marienburg because of his association with an elf (apprentice) wizard. Damn fey...

 

[Templeton580]

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