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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rhenny" data-source="post: 6774130" data-attributes="member: 18333">Session 0 and Kickstart of the Mini-Campaign "Harried in Hillsfar"We decided to start this mini-campaign on odd days when we could not get 3 or more players for our entire Princes of the Apocalypse campaign, so I will be running this Expedition adventure arc for only 2 or 3 players (depending on who is around on game nights).We started with a session 0 to create characters.   I let them make 40 point PCs knowing that they would be only 2 or 3 in the party.  16 the highest possible starting attribute 12 points for that.  A standard array for that would be something like 16, 16, 14, 14, 10, 10.   I think both players chose to take 16, 16, 16, 12, 10, 8 though.Once I read them the adventure background about Hillsfar and how the regime had become xenophobic and had cast out non-humans, using non-humans as slaves to fight in an arena, the players immediately decided to make 2 Dwarves.   Aedd Felspard is a fledgling Hill Dwarven wizard who had been chased out of Hillsfar just a few days ago.  He has a book that he believes others are trying to steal from him.  As a sage, he unearthed a text that he feels is filled with dark secrets that should not fall into the hands of others.  He is prepared to guard it with his life.  (He is planning to become an abjurer).Clean Baldy is a Hill Dwarven monk who will eventually follow the Way of the Sun Soul.  He values his freedom and is a Far Traveler who has made his way from his clan on a pilgrimage into the Upper Underdark and back to Hillsfar, only to be persecuted by the humans in Hillsfar.Both PCs are lawful good and have a natural feeling of kindred, but they didn’t begin the adventure together.The adventure began one morning when Aedd woke up in the bushes where he was hiding outside of the walls of Hillsfar.  He peed and stretched as the sun warmed him.  Then he looked back to the west and saw a robed Dwarf running toward him coming from the walls of Hillsfar.  The robed Dwarf was being chased by three Red Plumes (the guards of the city).  Just as it looked as if the robed Dwarf would be caught, he exhibited an unnatural burst of speed and was able to make it within 10’ of Aedd, who had already called out to him.As the guards were still about 60’ away, Aedd used his magical energy to pick up a rock and catapult it toward one of the guards.  Unfortunately, for Aedd, the guard swerved and the rock flew harmlessly past him.   As the guards closed, they shouted out to the Dwarves.  “Hey…you are now aiding and abetting a criminal.  Stand down!”  That didn’t stop Aedd or the robed Dwarf who told Aedd his name was Clean Baldy.  The two Dwarves tried to hold their ground against the guards, but each of them took a spear to the body.  Still up, Clean Baldy tried to smack one of the guards upside the head with his quarterstaff.  He hit the guard, but the guard did not go down.  A second spear jabbed at Clean Baldy, and nearly took him down.  Then, Aedd tried to conjure some frostbite on the injured guard, but to no avail.  That’s when one of the other guards turned his spear upside down and swung it at Clean Baldy, trying to knock the monk out so that he could be taken back to Hillsfar as a slave.  Aedd, fearing for his own life, conjured a bladeward and tried to run.  Unfortunately, one of the guards swung his spear, knocking the wizard unconscious as well.The guards tied up the two Dwarves and hauled them back to a prison in Hillsfar to await their fate.CommentsOhh boy…2 PCs will have a tough time, but we are up for the challenge.  I didn’t have much time to read the adventure yet and the players wanted to make characters and start so I just improvised an opening scene.   At first I was sad that the Dwarves couldn’t get away, but now I really like how this has begun.  First, it will give me a chance to do some pre-adventure with them.  Second, it has shown them how dangerous even 3 Red Plume guards can be (which will be important for later).I have since read the first 2 parts of the adventure, and I like it a lot.  It is strange and creepy, and a good prelude to Out of the Abyss.  I have not been involved with D&D Expeditions so I did not really know what to expect.  It is also nice that I could buy this for Fantasy Grounds for just a $1 dollar donation.Since we started so quickly after making up PCs, we didn’t get the PCs right for the short session.  The monk forgot to add wisdom bonus to ac, so he fought at AC 13 rather than AC 16, and the wizard only had 4 spells in his book (and he thought he had to memorize/prepare just 2 for the day – like in earlier editions of D&D).  That’s probably why he didn’t have an AoE spell ready to go.  But, my players don’t care.  They are good sports and they like how they’ll now have to find a way to escape the prison dungeon in Hillsfar.  I also had a number of inspirational ideas to work out next session.We spent about 30 minutes during character creation and talk about the setting/background and about 20 minutes of roleplaying and combat.Until next time…</blockquote>

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