Sandbox game session 3

Last session ended with the party defeating their ambushers and capturing its leader. The new session started with the party questioning the prisioner about who he was and what were he doing. After stripping him of all valuables and discovering a brooch with the shape of a serpentine dragon bitting its tail and a letter, they knew they were on the bandit's track. The prisioner tried at first to deceive them but ended giving information for his life after making Vanon, the priest, promise they won't kill him. Meanwhile Scarlett, the illusionist, told Phillipe, her hireling, to kill the prisioner but he refused and told her she hired him to protect her, not to kill helpless prisioners. (I ruled that and the player didn't like it. Perhaps I should have let it and see how things unfolded. )

The next day the party let the prisioner free and they proceeded through the woods until they reached the hills where the bandit's lair was supposed to be. After some searching and tracking by Brom, the ranger, they found a trail leading to a lonely hill. At that point Scarlett told Phillipe to leave and go back to inform Baron Fent about their progress so far. That decision took the party aback and a brief discussion ensued that put at risk the party integration. The priest said he had found the job and in a way hired all to fulfill it, and that included Scarlett's hireling. The illusionist wanted then to leave but the rest talke her out and they all continued forward but not before Scarlett left Phillipe guarding the horses and cart.

Night was already falling but they insisted on following the trail uphill. Scarlet found the illusion hiding a cave entrance and they went into the tunnel. Upon reaching a pair of wooden doors the gained entrance since the priest beared the brooch and they've got the watchword from the prisioner. They killed the orc guarding the gate and proceeded into the compound. They explored it a bit without finding anyone (I rolled no1's on the 1d6 for random encounters!) until they found a empty room, next to a locked one, to rest for a while.

After resting they went out again only to hear grumbling voices down the corridor. They quickly ran back to the room. They heard the voices passing and entering in another room, and also the jingling of keys and a door being opened and closed. The group then gathered outside the locked door and the priest knocked. A booming voice was heard, keys jingled again and the door opened only to show a huge sleepy bugbear demanding who was bothering. The priest handed the letter and as the bugbear trid to read it they all pushed inside knocking the humanoid down. They ganged on the bugbear as Scarlet closed and locked the door. The large humanoid was subdued but not before yelling for help. Help that came too late and was ushered away by the fighter faking the bugbear's voice.

Since the bugbear was not dead they tied and gagged him, and waited for him to wake up. Meanwhile Kratos the fighter took his platemail and Tamryn the thief ranscked his pouch and chest, taking some coins and a cloak. After the brute woke up the interrogated him about Rogan and Zeglin (the fighter and wizard leader of the bandits), the statue they were looking for, and other things. After knocking him unconcious they proceeded into the wizard's rooms.

There they met with a series of magical door that ended with the priest and illusionist separated from the rest of the group. They managed to get past the doors and found and octogonal room with the statue they were looking for. When the priest got closer a pair of rays emerged from the statue's eyes and struck him. A flash of bright light followed immediately. After that, to the eyes of the illusionist, the priest was only a black stain on the floor. It took a while dealing with the magical doors for the rest to get all together. Unknown to them the priest have fallen down a shaft into a cavern with a pool of water and a gray ooze...

Until next session!

Sandbox game sessions 1 and 2

The Labyrinth Lord sandbox game is on! We've played twice already and it's been a lot of fun although there are some details in the game mechanics to improve. The rules are new to all the players and I've been DMing 3.x for to long. Reading Philotomy's OD&D Musings and Quick Primer for Old School Gaming over and over, as well as other articles about what a sandbox game is supposed to be, has been of great help to put me on the right path.

Session #1: After a group of caravan guards got into trouble at the local tavern (The Crooked Billet) and ended in baron Fent's dungeons, for almost killing Kragg, the tavern half-orc bouncer, Brenner, a worried merchant aproached the party for help. The party, composed by Kratos the Veteran, Vanon Acolyte of Trithereon, Scarlet the Prestidigitator (illusionist), Phillip the men-at-arms (Scarlet's hireling), Tamryn the Rogue and Brom the Ranger (NPC), agreed for a fair price to help the merchant end his journey. They were to go from Ramshorn to Glendour, the cross the Gloomfens to Broomsage abbey and finnaly to Stornawane.

Over the next days across the snow covered moors and misty fens the party fended off several attacks: an albino ape (by throwing some rations), a tiger (which was later skinned by the ranger), a pack of wolves (blinded with a color spray) and several ghouls (turned by the cleric).

This session had some roleplay to get the characters together and several encounters (a lot of 1's in the wandering monsters checks) that allowed to test the combat sequence.

Session #2: At Broomsage Abbey the cleric was to meet Morris an old friend and Cyndorian priest. The priest asked for help to recover a relic (a human sized marble statue) stolen by bandits. The abbey resorted to the baron of Stornawane for help but he dismissed the plea. It seems the baron who, as many others, uses these bandits as enforcers and mercenaries in border wars, doesn't want to act against them. Not knowing what to do he sent for his friend and now offered him a very generous reward to get the relic back before the Festival of Forever which will be held in a month. The cleric promised to help after ending his contract with the merchant.

At the end of the journey in Stornawane the merchant payed them a bonus and also offered them to get bonded with the Merchant's Guild. All but the cleric accepted to bond. After that the cleric, fighter and man-at-arms went looking for some action so I decided to use Chgowiz's post about ladies (or dudes) of the night. At the last minute Scarlet's player decided her hireling to head back. The other two rolled a d100 to see what kind of company they find and I rolled a d20 to see the consequences. On the d100 the cleric rolled a 15 (brazen strumpet) and the fighter an 81 (expensive doxy), and on the d20 I rolled an 8 (disease) both times! They'll start felling the symptoms soon...

Back to the tavern (The Leather Exchange) from the fun, the celric told the rest of the party about the stolen relic and all agreed to accompany him back to the abbey. At the abbey they asked for several supplies (horses, a cart, arrows, rations, a longword and a dagger) before leaving for the hills where the bandits were supposed to have their hideout. To reach the hills they crossed a forest where they were attacked by a pack of dire wolves. After dealing with the wolves, they encountered another party (they were in fact bandits patrolling) composed by 4 men and 3 orcs. When questioned about what they were doing in the forest, both groups lied to each other. The party said they were looking for wolves and the bandits said they were bounty hunters after a half-orc wanted for murder. After bidding farewell they both continued their way, the bandits double backed to follow the party and the party sent the ranger to see if they were being followed. The dices said the ranger was not seen and that allowed the party to set up an ambush.

They made a campsite on elevated ground and hid in the surroundings: the thief climbed a tree, the cleric and fighter in the cart, the illusionist and her man-at-arm in a ground depresion and the ranger in the bushes. The illusionist made an image of the fighter as being the only on watch. They were to wait the ranger's attack to spring the trap. The bandits approached the camp in a wide arc with the 3 orcs in the center and the 4 humans split 2 to left and 2 to the right. When the orc charged uphill to attack the lonely guard one of them fell dead with an arrow in the chest. The fighter and cleric jumped from the cart attacking the remaining orcs who belived the illusion and were then outnumbered 3 to 2. The thief unhung herself onto one human (I ruled it counted as a backstabbing) killing him on the spot but leaving her face to face with the leader. With the surprise lost the bandits put up a fierce fight, but fell one by one, until only the leader remained and, after being severly wounded, surrendered.

This session had a lot more roleplay and big encounter that allowed the party to hone their skills working together as a group.

Until next session!

Past, Actual and Future Campaigns

My Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk (D&D 3.5e) campaign is officially on hold. One of my players got a great job at Google Ireland and left for the lands of the leprechauns. Other two, a couple, are expecting a baby anytime soon and they won't have much free time to play in the near future. I hoped we could finish the module before these events happened but it could not be.

So, last weekend I finally started my new campaign, sandbox-style, set in the Blackmoor region of the World of Greyhawk. I have four players (possibly a fifth one) which two of them are experienced players (one is my wife) and the rest are complete newbies to tabletop RPG games. We're using Labyrinth Lord Core Rules with some classes and spells from the AEC and some house rules. The all-human party is composed by Kratos the Veteran, Vanon Acolyte of Trithereon, Scarlet the Prestidigitator (illusionist), Phillip the men-at-arms (Scarlet's hireling) and Tamryn the thief-wife. We are going to play once every two weeks.

Also, since the guy that went to Ireland was the DM of our Oriental Adventures campaign, that one too is on hold indefinitely. That left three of the guys (one also played in my EttRoG game) without any game. So, I decided, upon my wife suggestion, to resurrect another dormant campaign: Maure Castle (D&D 3.5e).

Yes, I know I said before I was moving away from 3.5e, but the guys are gameless and I'd really like to run those levels. This campaign will see existing characters Denar High Priest of Heironeous, Quinath Leafholder Warlock/Defender and Knight of Luna and Master of Autumn Kentsui Inowe (wife) face the perils of Maure Castle dungeons. They will be joined by another character to be rolled on our first session. We are going to play once a month.

I'm very excited about the future of both campaigns.

Blackmoor underbaronies II

In the Canonfire! forums, users Chameleon and StuGIII shared some comments and ideas about the same topic. I decided to take them into account and make some changes on the previous list of Blackmoor's underbaronies.

The still inhabited and surviving underbaronies are:

1. Dantredun.
2. Dearthkettle (includes Glendour keep).
3. Blackmoor - The town is in ruins and occupied by Orcs but the underbarony it is not. Mosshold and the Wizard's Wood are part of it.
4. Ramshorn - After the castle was rebuilt a small village grew around it.
5. Tonnsborg - The seat of power is not properly in Tonnsborg, but elsewhere in an inland manor or estate to the NE.
6. Stornawane (includes Broomsage Abbey).

The ruined underbaronies are:

1. Trollbar - The town/castle might still be inhabited but the open country to the North and East is abandoned.
2. Egg of Coot - The area is a ruined underbarony only inhabited by the Egg's automata, Orc and Qullan tribes.
3. Kolbenborg - The area west of the Egg, north of the Burneal Forest and south of the Land of Black Ice is ruined and abandoned.
4. Greenhead - The village/keep, south of Stornawane in the middle of the Cold Marshes, might be inhabited but the area around it is abandoned.

Read An RPG Book in Public Week

Remember we're in the second "Read An RPG Book in Public Week" of the year. Certainly a curious event to promote the hobby. Click on the image above to find out more about it!