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The Dark Squad in the Secrets of Saltmarsh #136 Into the Mere of the Dead Men.
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<blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 8650460" data-attributes="member: 16069"><p style="text-align: center"><strong>Twilight Squad in the Secrets of Saltmarsh</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Session #089: The Twilight Squad's Struggles in Goblin Gulch.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>The Twilight Squad (in alphabetical order, no egos here).</strong></p><p><strong>Big Man (played by George) Male Human Fighter Lvl 1</strong></p><p><strong>Dave McTiernan (played by Bear) Male Human Fighter Lvl 1</strong></p><p><strong>Grumpy Slagg (played by Kev) Male Dwarf Monk Lvl 2</strong></p><p><strong>Halibert Shambles (played by Bear) Male Human Fighter Lvl 2</strong></p><p><strong>Juanita Branch-Withers (played by Kev) Female Forest Gnome Wizard Lvl 1</strong></p><p><strong>Nancy Female (played by George) Human Cleric of the Sea (Poseidon & Umberlee) Lvl 2 </strong></p><p><strong>Porthole Slagg (played by Haggis) Male Dwarf Barbarian Lvl 2</strong></p><p></p><p>The Twilight Squad are in action, because Jim/Haggis is going to be away for the next six weeks (rehearsing and then performing in a play), only... now he isn't, he's quit the production, but we decided to play the Twilight Squad this session anyway- just to see how they went.</p><p></p><p>These are the new rules, skip ahead if you've seen them before.</p><p></p><p>1) All PCs have a new REACTION ACTION, so when a bad guy reveals themselves a Player/PC that sees and/or is aware of the event says "I react to that", whoever says it first gets it and can then take a single action- to move, attack, or whatever.</p><p></p><p>Example-</p><p></p><p>A wolf breaks from hiding and rushes twenty feet at PC#1, but PC#2 shouts "I react to that" first. PC#2, who already has bow in hand shoots at the wolf but misses. PC#1, shouts "I react to that" and then runs away from the wolf, or readies an attack to slice the wolf as soon as it gets into range- or does whatever it wants with its REACTION.</p><p></p><p>Note in the above example other PCs can obviously also react, but... you get one reaction/turn- it only renews after you have completed your next turn.</p><p></p><p>I'll keep track of who has a REACTION to spend, but I suggest you do too.</p><p></p><p>So, new rule 1)- called Reaction Action event for all PCs.</p><p></p><p>2) If you kill an enemy you go again, which means- reduce an enemy to 0 HP or below and you immediately get another ACTION that you must use immediately- to move, or to attack again (if another enemy is in range), or... whatever.</p><p></p><p>Note if you kill five enemies on your turn then you only get one immediate ACTION to spend, not five. Always just one extra ACTION.</p><p></p><p>But, if you take your immediate ACTION and you kill another enemy, well... then you get another immediate ACTION, there is no maximum- so keep going.</p><p></p><p>Also note, if you kill an enemy on your REACTION ACTION, then... same, go again, as above.</p><p></p><p>So, new rule 2)- Kill and you go again.</p><p></p><p>3) Battlefield promotions, as soon as you overcome all of the enemies in an encounter then I'll drop the XP on your PCs. If you have enough XP to level up then... SHOUT OUT! Because when you do you immediately level up your PC there and then and... they get an immediate LONG REST and all of their abilities and spells are back etc. Note, this applies just to the PC/s that have levelled up- not all PCs, a gift from the gods.</p><p></p><p>So, new rule 3) Level up for recharge.</p><p></p><p>4) INSPIRATION POINTS for the win- all PCs start with two Inspiration Points, you can use them for pretty much anything, including- </p><p>to regain a (first level) spell slot already used,</p><p>to take another action,</p><p>to re-roll a bad dice,</p><p>to give advantage to self,</p><p>to use a healing surge (spend one recovery HD immediately), and...</p><p>to take another REACTION.</p><p></p><p>At the end of every completed encounter the PCs will receive another Inspiration Point, so always spend at least one point in every encounter.</p><p></p><p>New rule 4) Inspiration Points FTW.</p><p></p><p>Last new rule.</p><p></p><p>5) Describe the action/outcome for bonuses to hit, skills checks, damage or whatever roll you like.</p><p></p><p>Not so much role-play as narrative.</p><p></p><p>Example #1- PC #1 says "I stab the goblin."</p><p>DM says- "Roll to hit."</p><p></p><p>Example #2- PC #2 says "I yell- 'naughty word you fatso' (in goblin) at the goblin and then when it's dithering/getting angry I gut him like a squealing pig."</p><p>DM says- "roll to hit, at +2."</p><p></p><p>Example #3- PC #3 says "I ready an action, as soon as that goblin sniper pops his head out I shoot him in the face- blood goes everywhere causing him to stand up disorientated, wander about and fall off the cliff."</p><p>DM says- "Nice, roll to hit with advantage, and if you hit it's a crit."</p><p></p><p>So, the gods are smiling on the Twilight Squad, but they're also going to be very much out of their depth, let's see how it goes.</p><p></p><p><strong>BUT...</strong></p><p></p><p>They don't work- the new rules, by which I mean to say that we slogged through what follows, and it took us nearly three-and-a-half hours to play maybe eight or nine turns of action.</p><p></p><p>The new rules didn't work for a variety of reasons.</p><p></p><p>Don't get me wrong their were some excellent moments of super-high-energy-fun, but in between, well... 1st and 2nd level PCs = lots of rolling and missing, and once all of the Inspiration Points had been spent...</p><p></p><p>Also, none of the rules above were really of any benefit to some of the PCs, in particular the casters armed only (mostly) with cantrips, both Juanita and Nancy had a very hard time of it.</p><p></p><p>If we played this again (there's a clue) then I'd allow the casters to just spam their spells- no limit to their use, in truth I should have worked this out ahead of time, or else figured something out.</p><p></p><p>So, have a read- see what you think.</p><p></p><p>But keep in mind, we're back to the Dark Squad in the next session, thank heavens.</p><p></p><p>So, Goblin Gulch, here we go, and just to say I'm going to annotate a few pictures here, a full explanation of events would be a trial, both for you to read and for me to write-</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]249692[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>The start of it all (apart from the bit in the last session), the Twilight Squad's new adventure, we had such high hopes. Oh... the action, there are goblins atop a pair of pillars in this area, they're firing their bows down on the T-Squad.</strong></p><p></p><p>That is until Big Man goes hop-stepping and slaughtering, the gnome-sized young man manages to leap onto the first stump/stack- kill two goblins, dropping one (almost) on Halibert, and then leap to the second pillar to slaughter a third.</p><p></p><p>Nice work!</p><p></p><p>That's how it was supposed to happen.</p><p></p><p>Such high hopes.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]249693[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Big Man, after his leap-frog slaughter just rushes on ahead.</strong></p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]249694[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Mangy wolves emerge from a cave to the east, Big Man forges on- flushing goblins out of hiding as he goes.</strong></p><p></p><p>Note, part of the issue is that these buggers are Forest Goblins (I got them from Nord Games Ultimate Bestiary) and they have a bonus action Hide power and so in the image above there are actually seven goblins on the screen.</p><p></p><p>Can you spot them?</p><p></p><p>Look again.</p><p></p><p>I can see them on my screen.</p><p></p><p>But this is Big Man's turn- hence his token being highlighted, he can only see one of the goblins with his passive perception of 11.</p><p></p><p>I thought about just revealing all of the goblins but that's all of their trick- they're hard to spot, they attack from hiding. Without this talent, well... maybe I should have just played them stoopid.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]249695[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Juanita has not landed a hit yet, we're over an hour in- the gnomish witch therefore conjures an illusory giant (well, fairly big) frog and then uses the beast to attempt to lure other goblins out of hiding.</strong></p><p></p><p>The trick works, a bit.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]249696[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>The Twilight Squad rush on, this image depicts Porthole's first frenzy, the crazy Dwarf has just had to come to Big Man's rescue, the human fighter is down and bleeding out, laid low by more of the sneaky goblins. Porthole manages to cut down three goblins in a row, remember the new rule- kill an enemy and get another action, well... we've had to reinvent the charge but, what the hell.</strong></p><p></p><p>Note, at this point Big Man is still leading the way with a four-kills-in-a-row frenzy.</p><p></p><p>Also note, I sent the PCs the picture of a fleeing goblin, top left- they seemed to think that this fellow was loaded down with treasure.</p><p></p><p>They're so... naïve/child-like/full of wonder (delete as you think fit).</p><p></p><p>I think they should probably take another look at the image.</p><p></p><p>A moment later Grumpy Slagg almost falls foul of a trip wire, while Halibert has to leap over a snapping bear trap.</p><p></p><p>Any guesses as to what the goblin pictured is doing?</p><p></p><p>I'll provide one more clue, he's not carrying a backpack full of treasure, which even at the end of the session the PCs were still convinced of.</p><p></p><p>“We've got to get down to search that goblin!”</p><p></p><p>Yeah, that's right- that was the treasure goblin.</p><p></p><p>Players!</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]249697[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Then there are some more wolves, and more pillars with goblins on them. Also note bottom left, Big Man has just rustled up a couple more previously hidden goblins- his technique is a delight. Generally he rushes towards where ever he has just spotted a goblin, or been shot at from that direction, then dives into the undergrowth screaming threats and thrashing around with his halberd.</strong></p><p></p><p>It's tactically terribly unwise.</p><p></p><p>It works almost every time.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]249698[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Halibert goes on a killing spree, see the goblin on the pillar just to NE of him, he manages to cut the legs off this fellow by leaping up from a lower pillar- nice work.</strong></p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]249699[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Halibert keeps on killing, but this is the last picture from the session.</strong></p><p></p><p>But here's the thing.</p><p></p><p>Grumpy Slagg kills a total of five goblins and/or wolves, Dave McTiernan the same number; Halibert maybe one more, Big Man takes down eight, but Porthole- he's a bad bugger. The dwarf with access to bombs (but not many of them) manages to kill eleven enemies, and in one well-timed slaughter he slays five enemies in a row.</p><p></p><p>So, if you've got a good to hit roll then you're in action (at least when you're not missing), but if you are casting cantrips then even if you hit you're struggling, and certainly not as able to chain multiple kills.</p><p></p><p>And that's really what the new rules were for, or else were designed to try to make happen- this was to be a shooting gallery (with melee also available). At lots of times the REACTION ACTIONS proved useful, even generating a few lesser killing sprees now and then. But... not enough.</p><p></p><p>Also, I'm going to share out a bit of the blame.</p><p></p><p>The players didn't help themselves at times- when one of them runs so far ahead then none (or few) of the others can sometimes see, or even get to, the action. You could have retreated a bit, or just spread yourselves out a bit more wisely- two on the ravines either side, three down the middle- or else some variant in which everyone is paired up.</p><p></p><p>Hey-ho, you live and you learn, and that's right- all of the Twilight Squad are still alive.</p><p></p><p>Bring on the Dark Squad, I say.</p><p></p><p>Stay safe and well you lovely people.</p><p></p><p>Cheers the Dark Squad and goonalan.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goonalan, post: 8650460, member: 16069"] [CENTER][B]Twilight Squad in the Secrets of Saltmarsh[/B][/CENTER] [B]Session #089: The Twilight Squad's Struggles in Goblin Gulch. The Twilight Squad (in alphabetical order, no egos here). Big Man (played by George) Male Human Fighter Lvl 1 Dave McTiernan (played by Bear) Male Human Fighter Lvl 1 Grumpy Slagg (played by Kev) Male Dwarf Monk Lvl 2 Halibert Shambles (played by Bear) Male Human Fighter Lvl 2 Juanita Branch-Withers (played by Kev) Female Forest Gnome Wizard Lvl 1 Nancy Female (played by George) Human Cleric of the Sea (Poseidon & Umberlee) Lvl 2 Porthole Slagg (played by Haggis) Male Dwarf Barbarian Lvl 2[/B] The Twilight Squad are in action, because Jim/Haggis is going to be away for the next six weeks (rehearsing and then performing in a play), only... now he isn't, he's quit the production, but we decided to play the Twilight Squad this session anyway- just to see how they went. These are the new rules, skip ahead if you've seen them before. 1) All PCs have a new REACTION ACTION, so when a bad guy reveals themselves a Player/PC that sees and/or is aware of the event says "I react to that", whoever says it first gets it and can then take a single action- to move, attack, or whatever. Example- A wolf breaks from hiding and rushes twenty feet at PC#1, but PC#2 shouts "I react to that" first. PC#2, who already has bow in hand shoots at the wolf but misses. PC#1, shouts "I react to that" and then runs away from the wolf, or readies an attack to slice the wolf as soon as it gets into range- or does whatever it wants with its REACTION. Note in the above example other PCs can obviously also react, but... you get one reaction/turn- it only renews after you have completed your next turn. I'll keep track of who has a REACTION to spend, but I suggest you do too. So, new rule 1)- called Reaction Action event for all PCs. 2) If you kill an enemy you go again, which means- reduce an enemy to 0 HP or below and you immediately get another ACTION that you must use immediately- to move, or to attack again (if another enemy is in range), or... whatever. Note if you kill five enemies on your turn then you only get one immediate ACTION to spend, not five. Always just one extra ACTION. But, if you take your immediate ACTION and you kill another enemy, well... then you get another immediate ACTION, there is no maximum- so keep going. Also note, if you kill an enemy on your REACTION ACTION, then... same, go again, as above. So, new rule 2)- Kill and you go again. 3) Battlefield promotions, as soon as you overcome all of the enemies in an encounter then I'll drop the XP on your PCs. If you have enough XP to level up then... SHOUT OUT! Because when you do you immediately level up your PC there and then and... they get an immediate LONG REST and all of their abilities and spells are back etc. Note, this applies just to the PC/s that have levelled up- not all PCs, a gift from the gods. So, new rule 3) Level up for recharge. 4) INSPIRATION POINTS for the win- all PCs start with two Inspiration Points, you can use them for pretty much anything, including- to regain a (first level) spell slot already used, to take another action, to re-roll a bad dice, to give advantage to self, to use a healing surge (spend one recovery HD immediately), and... to take another REACTION. At the end of every completed encounter the PCs will receive another Inspiration Point, so always spend at least one point in every encounter. New rule 4) Inspiration Points FTW. Last new rule. 5) Describe the action/outcome for bonuses to hit, skills checks, damage or whatever roll you like. Not so much role-play as narrative. Example #1- PC #1 says "I stab the goblin." DM says- "Roll to hit." Example #2- PC #2 says "I yell- 'naughty word you fatso' (in goblin) at the goblin and then when it's dithering/getting angry I gut him like a squealing pig." DM says- "roll to hit, at +2." Example #3- PC #3 says "I ready an action, as soon as that goblin sniper pops his head out I shoot him in the face- blood goes everywhere causing him to stand up disorientated, wander about and fall off the cliff." DM says- "Nice, roll to hit with advantage, and if you hit it's a crit." So, the gods are smiling on the Twilight Squad, but they're also going to be very much out of their depth, let's see how it goes. [B]BUT...[/B] They don't work- the new rules, by which I mean to say that we slogged through what follows, and it took us nearly three-and-a-half hours to play maybe eight or nine turns of action. The new rules didn't work for a variety of reasons. Don't get me wrong their were some excellent moments of super-high-energy-fun, but in between, well... 1st and 2nd level PCs = lots of rolling and missing, and once all of the Inspiration Points had been spent... Also, none of the rules above were really of any benefit to some of the PCs, in particular the casters armed only (mostly) with cantrips, both Juanita and Nancy had a very hard time of it. If we played this again (there's a clue) then I'd allow the casters to just spam their spells- no limit to their use, in truth I should have worked this out ahead of time, or else figured something out. So, have a read- see what you think. But keep in mind, we're back to the Dark Squad in the next session, thank heavens. So, Goblin Gulch, here we go, and just to say I'm going to annotate a few pictures here, a full explanation of events would be a trial, both for you to read and for me to write- [ATTACH type="full"]249692[/ATTACH] [B]The start of it all (apart from the bit in the last session), the Twilight Squad's new adventure, we had such high hopes. Oh... the action, there are goblins atop a pair of pillars in this area, they're firing their bows down on the T-Squad.[/B] That is until Big Man goes hop-stepping and slaughtering, the gnome-sized young man manages to leap onto the first stump/stack- kill two goblins, dropping one (almost) on Halibert, and then leap to the second pillar to slaughter a third. Nice work! That's how it was supposed to happen. Such high hopes. [ATTACH type="full"]249693[/ATTACH] [B]Big Man, after his leap-frog slaughter just rushes on ahead.[/B] [ATTACH type="full"]249694[/ATTACH] [B]Mangy wolves emerge from a cave to the east, Big Man forges on- flushing goblins out of hiding as he goes.[/B] Note, part of the issue is that these buggers are Forest Goblins (I got them from Nord Games Ultimate Bestiary) and they have a bonus action Hide power and so in the image above there are actually seven goblins on the screen. Can you spot them? Look again. I can see them on my screen. But this is Big Man's turn- hence his token being highlighted, he can only see one of the goblins with his passive perception of 11. I thought about just revealing all of the goblins but that's all of their trick- they're hard to spot, they attack from hiding. Without this talent, well... maybe I should have just played them stoopid. [ATTACH type="full"]249695[/ATTACH] [B]Juanita has not landed a hit yet, we're over an hour in- the gnomish witch therefore conjures an illusory giant (well, fairly big) frog and then uses the beast to attempt to lure other goblins out of hiding.[/B] The trick works, a bit. [ATTACH type="full"]249696[/ATTACH] [B]The Twilight Squad rush on, this image depicts Porthole's first frenzy, the crazy Dwarf has just had to come to Big Man's rescue, the human fighter is down and bleeding out, laid low by more of the sneaky goblins. Porthole manages to cut down three goblins in a row, remember the new rule- kill an enemy and get another action, well... we've had to reinvent the charge but, what the hell.[/B] Note, at this point Big Man is still leading the way with a four-kills-in-a-row frenzy. Also note, I sent the PCs the picture of a fleeing goblin, top left- they seemed to think that this fellow was loaded down with treasure. They're so... naïve/child-like/full of wonder (delete as you think fit). I think they should probably take another look at the image. A moment later Grumpy Slagg almost falls foul of a trip wire, while Halibert has to leap over a snapping bear trap. Any guesses as to what the goblin pictured is doing? I'll provide one more clue, he's not carrying a backpack full of treasure, which even at the end of the session the PCs were still convinced of. “We've got to get down to search that goblin!” Yeah, that's right- that was the treasure goblin. Players! [ATTACH type="full"]249697[/ATTACH] [B]Then there are some more wolves, and more pillars with goblins on them. Also note bottom left, Big Man has just rustled up a couple more previously hidden goblins- his technique is a delight. Generally he rushes towards where ever he has just spotted a goblin, or been shot at from that direction, then dives into the undergrowth screaming threats and thrashing around with his halberd.[/B] It's tactically terribly unwise. It works almost every time. [ATTACH type="full"]249698[/ATTACH] [B]Halibert goes on a killing spree, see the goblin on the pillar just to NE of him, he manages to cut the legs off this fellow by leaping up from a lower pillar- nice work.[/B] [ATTACH type="full"]249699[/ATTACH] [B]Halibert keeps on killing, but this is the last picture from the session.[/B] But here's the thing. Grumpy Slagg kills a total of five goblins and/or wolves, Dave McTiernan the same number; Halibert maybe one more, Big Man takes down eight, but Porthole- he's a bad bugger. The dwarf with access to bombs (but not many of them) manages to kill eleven enemies, and in one well-timed slaughter he slays five enemies in a row. So, if you've got a good to hit roll then you're in action (at least when you're not missing), but if you are casting cantrips then even if you hit you're struggling, and certainly not as able to chain multiple kills. And that's really what the new rules were for, or else were designed to try to make happen- this was to be a shooting gallery (with melee also available). At lots of times the REACTION ACTIONS proved useful, even generating a few lesser killing sprees now and then. But... not enough. Also, I'm going to share out a bit of the blame. The players didn't help themselves at times- when one of them runs so far ahead then none (or few) of the others can sometimes see, or even get to, the action. You could have retreated a bit, or just spread yourselves out a bit more wisely- two on the ravines either side, three down the middle- or else some variant in which everyone is paired up. Hey-ho, you live and you learn, and that's right- all of the Twilight Squad are still alive. Bring on the Dark Squad, I say. Stay safe and well you lovely people. Cheers the Dark Squad and goonalan. [/QUOTE]
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The Dark Squad in the Secrets of Saltmarsh #136 Into the Mere of the Dead Men.
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