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The Bloodstained Sky: A Virtual Tabletop RPG Campaign


Lilith

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77oD16l.jpg

 

There aren't usually many opportunities for adventure on the tiny island of Eressos. Most of its people live quiet lives, farming the rich soil around Ounolokisha, the volcano at the island's centre. Those who seek fame or fortune travel to Port Jynt, where wine (the island's main export) is shipped to neighbouring islands in exchange for the few luxuries the people of Eressos enjoy.

 

When Eressians look to the skies, it's usually to judge the time of day or the likely weather. So nobody knew what to make of it when two months ago, a hazy red blot a little smaller than the sun appeared in the sky -- like a scrap of cirrus cloud at sunset, but persisting all through the day, and growing perceptibly larger as the weeks passed. Slowly the blot split and resolved into specks of scarlet scattered across the sky.

 

Last night, a brilliant streak of red cut through the night sky, falling to earth somewhere near the volcano's peak. This morning, animals started acting strangely: some became aggressive, while others ran around in a panic as if trying to escape from something. Today, you and a group of like-minded travellers resolved to trek to Ounolokisha, find where this mystery object had landed, and investigate its nature. After all, this is the most interesting thing that's happened on Eressos since Goodwife Borbolle gave birth to triplets.

 

Maybe one of you is a sailor on shore leave, looking for something to do while you wait for your ship to depart. Another could be a visiting scholar or merchant who's decided to investigate this new phenomenon, to see if you can learn or profit from it. Perhaps yet another is just a villager with dreams of adventure. Whoever you are, you're about to embark on a journey that could change your life in ways you can only begin to imagine.

 

***

 

Right. We're doing this thing. The setting is Mote, 10 years after the events of All the Creeping Things. The system is Savage Worlds. I'll be using the Fantasy Grounds virtual tabletop to run the game, as it contains handy features that MapTool lacks, like a full online rules reference that all of you can access during play, and pre-included systems to automate resolution of common actions. I've already shelled out the cost for an Ultimate licence, which allows all my players to play for free, so all you need to do is download the free demo (it's for Windows, but should be fully compatible with Wine) and connect to me (once I set up a game, obviously). There's also a free partial preview of the rules available here, for reference in between sessions. And of course, if at any point in the campaign you have any questions about the rules, you can also PM or IM me.

 

You'll be starting out with Novice characters (0 XP), both to give the PCs room to grow and so that you can all get a handle on the system before having to make too many character-defining decisions. In general, a Novice is solidly competent at two or three things, and reasonably to marginally competent at a few more. You're more than welcome to start coming up with an idea of what kind of character you want to build. However, please don't build a complete character yet -- since most people won't own complete copies of the rules (and I'll be tweaking a few of the rules anyway, to account for things like Mote's specific races) and I don't expect anyone to pay money to play in my campaign, what I'll do is invite players to a tutorial session, where we'll get the hang of the virtual tabletop software and the rules together.

 

One thing I will tell you right now, though, is that Savage Worlds offers a pretty broad scope for character creation. In general, have an area or two of expertise in mind, but don't feel pressure to overspecialise: most skills are potentially useful to most characters, and even a little investment goes a long way. There's likely to be some combat during the campaign, but giving your character combat skills isn't absolutely mandatory: non-combat characters can contribute in other ways during fights. Combat can be quite dangerous, even against inferior foes, so you won't necessarily want to rush into it anyway. I'll go into further detail on character creation during the tutorial session.

 

Expect this to be a long campaign: I've got enough ideas that it could possibly run to 40 sessions or more, if it goes well. I understand that's quite a time commitment, so feel free to sign up even if you're not 100% sure you can see the campaign through to the end. If you end up having to bow out halfway through, I'll understand, and we'll be able to continue without you. (Do try to let me know a session or two in advance, though.)

 

The overarching goal of the campaign will be to solve the mystery of the bloodstained sky. Whether they're motivated by goodwill, personal gain, scholarly interest, or pure naive curiosity, characters in this campaign will be seeking to understand what has just happened to their world, and will be driven enough to travel across Mote to find out. Keep that in mind when you consider what kind of character you might like to play. Also, your characters will be expected to work as a team: you don't all have to agree on everything all the time, but playing an antisocial loner who's constantly stalking off and refusing to interact with the rest of the group is likely to cause headaches for everybody and get old fast.

 

In terms of the overall structure of the campaign, expect to have a few clear leads at any one time which you can choose to pursue in the order and schedule you see fit, but don't be afraid to go off the beaten track if you think it'll help you achieve your goal. As far as tone and atmosphere goes, this campaign will probably end up less depressing than All the Creeping Things, but more depressing than City of Hope.

 

***

 

If all of that text didn't scare you off, you can express your interest and let me know what times you'll be free with this calendar. I'll schedule the tutorial session so that as many people can make it as possible. We'll spend some time messing around with the system to see how it works (and make sure the virtual tabletop works okay for everyone), and players who are still interested after that can sign up for the first real session afterwards.

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OK! I think we've got enough responses now to get an idea of when people will be free, so I'm scheduling the first session for my Saturday, most people's Friday 23rd August. Start time will be a bit flexible: I'll try to start around 9 AM Saturday Melbourne time, which is 5 PM Friday Mountain time (that means you, Dinti, Sylae and BJ) or 7 PM Eastern time (that means you, Sarachim, Nalyd and Nioca) but if you roll up late we'll catch you up.

 

(By the way, did you know that the event organiser can click on a time on the whenisgood calendar and see what time it is for everyone who's answered? Now you do!)

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We got an excellent turnout for the tutorial session: more players than I can accommodate in a single campaign, in fact. Sylae, Nioca, Dintiradan, Sarachim, Nalyd, and BJ Earles: you're my players. My apologies if you wanted to be in this campaign and your name wasn't called; since you were all people I'd like to play with, I felt the fairest thing to do was to invite players based on who had the most openings in their schedule and who was able to make the tutorial session. If one of my current players has to drop out mid-campaign, you'll be more than welcome to join.

 

It looks like we'll also be running it in MapTool after all, because certain aspects of Fantasy Grounds turned out to be a pain to work with, and its most useful features can be achieved in other ways. I promise to use small maps that won't make people's internet connections horribly implode.

 

Players, you'll soon receive a PM with further details on the campaign.

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We're on! First session is September 12th at 9 am my time, which is Wednesday September 11th at 7 pm EDT. When the time comes, use the web launcher for easy setup (or, if you prefer to use your own copy, please ensure you're using version 1.3b89 and configure MapTool's memory settings to start with at least a 4 MB stack size), and connect to The Bloodstained Sky.

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  • 2 weeks later...

24-hour warning, folks! Remember, either use the web launcher linked in my previous post (in which case you don't even need to download MapTool), or manually configure MapTool to use a 4 MB stack size. Connect to server The Bloodstained Sky as a player, with password aimhack. Also, in MapTool's preferences (Edit -> Preferences), please turn ON "Use tooltips for inline rolls" and turn OFF "Insert smilies", or the formatting of roll results may look weird.

 

Also, we have characters!

 

bloodskychars.png

 

Sir James the Rose, played by Sarachim! Some say his goats are running loose on the mountaintop, but he's still a hero in his own heart!

 

 

Sir James the Rose

Dwarf

Chivalrous Cavalier

XP: 0

Wounds: 0

Fatigue: 0

 

Agility: d8

Smarts: d4

Spirit: d8

Strength: d8

Vigor: d6

 

Fighting: d8

Riding: d8

Persuasion: d8

Streetwise: d4

Shooting: d8

Boating: d6

Swimming: d6

 

Parry: 8

Toughness: 8 (6 base, 2 armour, +2 vs missiles)

Charisma: +2

Pace: 5

 

Edges:

Noble

 

Hindrances:

Code of Honour

Delusional (believes chivalry and nobility count for much, much more on Mote than they really do)

Loyal

 

Gear:

Warhorse

Rapier

Bow

Chain hauberk

Medium shield

 

Background:

 

The house of Phiser is one of the larger, older, and more prolific noble families on Mote, not that that's saying much. With hundreds of dwarves across several islands claiming membership, odds are if you travel Mote long enough you'll meet a Phiser.

 

Of course, some Phisers are more memorable than others.

 

For instance, the third child of Lord Michel of Ouno (himself the head of a cadet branch of the junior line of the family that once kinda-sorta ruled Eressos) is Sir James, nicknamed "the Rose" for his bright shining armor, impeccable personal grooming, and flowery speech. His greatest passion is to uphold his proud heritage by battling the strange monsters, roving scoundrels, and evil sorcerors that plague Mote. His greatest ambition is to earn acceptance into the Most Serene Chivalric Order of Ounolokisha, a brotherhood of knights that is theoretically dedicated to same. His greatest hindrance is that his passion and his ambition are both terrible, terrible ideas.

 

For some time now, he has roved Eressos in search of a quest grand enough that success would enable him to petition for membership in the Serene Order (he does not know, and his money-conscious father has elected not to tell him, that most young knights gain acceptance through a modest donation instead). When the bloodstained sky appeared, he knew that only the most evil of sorcery could be behind it, and that destiny had called to him at last.

 

 

Relian Grimback, played by Nioca, needn't be so grim about his back when he's got his trusty wombat watching it!

 

 

Relian Grimback

Human

Druid

XP: 0

Wounds: 0

Fatigue: 0

PP: 10/10

 

Agility: d4

Smarts: d8

Spirit: d8

Strength: d6

Vigor: d6

 

Fighting: d6

Spellcasting: d10

Knowledge (Wilderness): d8

Notice: d6

Survival: d6

Tracking: d6

Healing: d4

Persuasion: d4

 

Parry: 6

Toughness: 7 (5 base, 2 armour)

Charisma: +0

Pace: 6

 

Edges:

Arcane Background (Magic)

Beast Master

 

Hindrances:

Curious

All Thumbs

Loyal

 

Powers:

* Sunray (Bolt, modified by light/solar trappings). Base cost 1 PP, range 12/24/48. A highly-concentrated and accurate beam of sunlight which can sear through weak points in a target's armor. Does 2d4 damage per ray (up to three), or can fire a single maximized ray that does 3d4 for 2pp. All rays have Armour Piercing 4.

* Rapid Repose (Healing). Base cost 3 PP, touch range. Kicks the target's natural healing processes into overdrive, causing it to naturally rebuild lost or damaged tissue and purge toxins within seconds. Heals 1 wound on success, and an additional wound with a raise. Must be used within 1 hour of a wound being incurred or 10 minutes of poisoning. Casting roll is penalised by both the caster and the target's wound penalties.

* Yarren's Batsight (Darksight, modified by sound/echolocation trappings). Base cost 1 PP/hour, touch range. Greatly enhances the recipient's hearing and grants them a form of echolocation not unlike that of a bat. In addition to normal effects of Darksight, it also provides a +1 bonus to hearing-based Notice rolls (+3 with a raise). However, sonic and sound-based attacks and hazards get a +2 bonus against the recipient as well.

 

Gear:

Spear

Reinforced leather armour

20 yards of rope

1 gold, 5 silver

 

Companion:

Waddles the Wombat

An ill-tempered wombat that's served as a companion for Relian for four years. It's best described as tolerating Relian and being grumpy (at best) toward anyone else.

 

Wounds: 0

Advances: None

 

Agility: d4

Smarts: d6 (animal)

Spirit: d6

Strength: d8

Vigor: d8

 

Fighting: d6

Notice: d6

Stealth: d8

 

Size: -2

Pace: 4

Burrow: 2

Parry: 5

Toughness: 6 (4 base, 2 natural armour)

Natural weapon: Claw, Str+d4 damage

 

Biography:

 

PERSONALITY: Amicable and polite. Tends to be loyal and protective of nature, family, and friends.

 

APPEARANCE: 6'1'', tan skin, green eyes, sharp facial features. In his early 30s, with dark red hair that reaches down to his waist, and a similarly red scraggly beard. Lean-to-average weight. Wears leather armor that's been studded and reinforced with animal bone, with lighter leather clothing, gloves, and boots.

 

BACKSTORY: Part of the youngest generation of the extensive Grimback family, and the second-eldest of eight brothers and four sisters, Relian developed an empathy for animals and nature at an early age, and animals seemed to be more at ease around him. As he matured, he soon discovered he had minor magical talent pertaining to nature. On his eighteenth birthday, he decided to set off and live in the wilderness, in an attempt to better understand nature and its processes.

 

He struggled for the first few years, but eventually managed to learn how to live off of the land, and slowly came to identify himself as a druid. Admittedly, he was a rather friendly sort of druid; while he did work to help protect nature, he wasn't nearly as militant as most others who would call themselves druids; he felt there was more to gain by teaching understanding of nature, rather than simply defending it aggressively. He also didn't completely cut himself off from society, either; he made occasional trips to Port Jynt to purchase minor ammenities one couldn't get in the wild, and also make a bit of coin by offering his healing services to local farmers.

 

For the most part, this simple life agreed with him. He would frequently have some sort of animal companion at his side; sometimes a fox, sometimes a wolf, sometimes something stranger. Most recently, he had come across a wounded wombat. After healing it, he found she had taken a liking (or perhaps tolerance) to him, as she had wound up following him around for the past four years.

 

However, the most recent events have jolted Relian out of his simple life. Even when it was a simple blot, the red dot in the sky disturbed him, although he didn't quite understand why. As it grew, he eventually resolved to head out, heading to Port Jynt to see if anyone else had figured out what the anomaly was; it was as he entered the city gates that the red streak had fallen to earth. Noting the behavior of many animals the next morning, he resolved himself to join up with a group that was forming to investigate, so as to get to the bottom of these unusual events.

 

FAMILY: Relian has a very large family. The Grimbacks currently have a rather successful vineyard and wine business, with most of Relian's siblings having helped with the family vineyard at some point in time. However, it's not uncommon to bump into members of the Grimback family elsewhere on the island, in all sorts of various trades and professions. Relian's immediate family consists of: Great Grandfather Yari (Retired City Guard), Grandfather David (Retired Blacksmith), Grandmother Bemia (Retired Adventurer), Father Nicolian (Hunter), Mother Eve (Wine Farmer), 8 Brothers (Haefeor [Hunter], Trei [City Guard], Micilian [Grain Farmer], Jalmier [Adventurer], Wanier [Wine Farmer], Janisier [Wine Seller], Tamm [Teenager], Undaine [Teenager]), 4 Sisters (Emiline [Healer], Irione [Horse Breeder], Rienna [Furrier], Jylyinne [blacksmith]), 3 Uncles, 5 Aunts, 3 Sisters-in-Law, 2 Brothers-in-Law, 4 Nephews, 3 Nieces, 17 Cousins.

 

 

 

Kepling, played by Nalyd! He may seem like a bad ootheca, but don't bug him and he won't bug you!

 

 

 

Kepling

Lacewing

Shifty Contractor

XP: 0

Wounds: 0

Fatigue: 0

 

Agility: d8

Smarts: d6

Spirit: d4

Strength: d8

Vigor: d4

 

Climbing: d6

Fighting: d8

Lockpicking: d6

Notice: d6

Persuasion: d4

Stealth: d8

Streetwise: d6

 

Parry: 7

Toughness: 4 (3 base, 1 armour)

Charisma: +0

Pace: 6

 

Edges:

Limited Flight (Lacewing)

Assassin

Thief

 

Hindrances:

Cautious

Doubting Thomas

 

Gear:

Khopesh (longsword)

Leather armour

Lockpicks

Grappling hook

 

Backstory: Kepling was born and raised in Port Jynt, but ran away from home early in his life. Stowing away on a ship to a far more populous city, Kepling found himself alone, with no money, no home, and nobody to help. He soon resorted to crime to survive. And, as, over the years, survival became a matter of course, for profit.

 

As his skills for discovering dangerous secrets and obtaining precious items became better-known in the right circles, the lacewing began to gain clients and contracts. It is one such client that wishes to know the secret of the bloodstained sky.

 

 

 

Jered, played by Dintiradan, brings new meaning to the phrase "all too human"!

 

 

"Red" Jered

Human

Audacious Hunter

XP: 0

Wounds: 0

Fatigue: 0

 

Agility: d8

Smarts: d8

Spirit: d6

Strength: d6

Vigor: d6

 

Shooting: d8

Stealth: d8

Survival: d8

Tracking: d8

Healing: d6

Notice: d6

Climbing: d4

Fighting: d4

Swimming: d4

 

Parry: 4

Toughness: 6 (5 base, 1 armour)

Charisma: -2 (+0 vs humans)

Pace: 6

 

Edges:

Woodsman

 

Hindrances:

Curious

Illiterate

Outsider

 

Gear:

Dagger

Bow

Leather armour

Quiver

Barbed arrows (20)

20 yards of rope

3 silver coins

 

Backstory/Personality

A lanky redhead barely out of his teens, Jered is a hunter who spends his time wandering the uncivilized patches of Eressos searching for game. His visits to Port Jynt and the island's other villages for trade are brief. The townsfolk view him with disdain and suspicion. He's not only a human, but a boorish, uncivilized one at that. For his part, Jered has little regard for the niceties of society, and is more than happy to trade the narrow streets for the wide open sky.

 

Those willing to put up with him (he insists these few call him Red) find him frank and carefree, albeit rash. But his insatiable wanderlust means he's never among company for long. It would have to take some momentous event for that to change.

 

 

 

Leila Rithorn, played by BJ Earles, is hiding a dark secret from the other characters, but luckily for you, players and spectators get to know what it is!

 

 

Leila Rithorn

Elf

Secretive Fledgling Necromancer

XP: 0

Wounds: 0

Fatigue: 0

PP: 10/10

 

Agility: d4

Smarts: d8

Spirit: d8

Strength: d4

Vigor: d6

 

Fighting: d4

Riding: d6

Stealth: d4

Spellcasting: d8

Notice: d4

Investigation: d6

Knowledge (Arcane): d4

Persuasion: d8

 

Parry: 5

Toughness: 5

Charisma: +2 (+4 vs elves or upper class, +0 vs others)

Pace: 6

 

Edges:

Arcane Background (Magic)

Necromancer

Attractive

 

Hindrances:

Cautious

Quirk (minor: passes herself off as a noble)

Wanted (major: necromancy)

 

Powers:

* Rend Life (Bolt, modified by necromantic trappings). Base cost 1 PP, range 12/24/48. The caster gestures toward the target and a part of their life-force is ripped away. Deals 2d6 damage to the target (3d6 with a maximised bolt for 2 PP). The spell is imperceptible except through magical means. On a raise, the target must make a Spirit roll or temporarily suffer a -1 penalty to toughness. Has no effect on non-living targets.

* Deathly Presence (Fear, with necromantic trappings). Base cost 2 PP, range increment = Smarts x2. The chilling terror that mortals feel when in the presence of ghosts can be recreated and directed by necromancers. With just a few small, subtle pulses of necromantic energy, they can instill great dread in others. Every living creature in a large burst template must make a Fear check, at -2 if cast with a raise. The spell is also imperceptible except through magical means.

* Animate Dead (Zombie). Base cost 2pp/corpse, range increment = Smarts. Through a few gestures and some chanting, a necromancer can imbue a corpse with unnatural life. The resulting undead is bound to serve its creator for as long as it exists. Duration: 1 hour, 1d6 hours with a raise, 1 day with two (Spending double PP makes it 2d6 hours, 2d6 days with a raise, permanent with two).

 

Gear:

Rapier

Parasol

Horse

Formal dress

Spellbook

1 silver, 5 copper

 

Backstory:

Leila was born and raised in the city of Eolith on the island of Ona. It was there that she discovered a magic tome in a forgotten room in the city's largest library. Curiosity drove her forward, and from the pages of that black book she learned the ability to breathe life into the dead and bring suffering to the living. It wasn't long before her studies were discovered, and she was chased out of Eolith and off of Ona altogether. Over the years she wandered, continuing to study but doing her best to not be discovered. She traveled from Ona to Tanan, Koros, Laessos, and eventually to Eressos, where she passed herself off as the daughter of some distant noble. Perhaps here, on this quiet island she could master her powers in peace.

When the red stains appeared in the sky, Leila felt it had to be the result of dark magic. She had studied such things for many years, and if this wasn't it, she didn't know what was. If anyone hoped to find its source, they would need the help of someone who understood such things. Someone like her.

 

 

 

And finally, Bekora Tiquo, played by Sylae, may be last in this list but she's first in mechanical aptitude!

 

 

Bekora Tiquo

Human

Mechanic

XP: 0

Wounds: 0

Fatigue: 0

 

Agility: d8

Smarts: d10

Spirit: d4

Strength: d4

Vigor: d4

 

Knowledge (Engineering): d10

Notice: d8

Repair: d10

Investigation: d10

Shooting: d8

Riding: d8

Knowledge (Geography): d8

 

Parry: 2

Toughness: 4

Charisma: +0

Pace: 5

 

Edges:

Scholar

MacGyver

Steady Hands

 

Hindrances:

Elderly

Stubborn

Loyal

 

Gear:

Horse

Crowbar

Hammer

20 yards of rope

Iron spikes (10)

Shortbow

Quiver

Barbed arrows (20)

 

Backstory:

At some point, everything needs to be repaired. Oftentimes, the person who owned the thing could take care of it themselves, but when they couldn't, that was where Bekora Tiquo came in.

 

She's lived on the outskirts of a tiny village on Eressos for longer than many care to remember, making a living repairing the various components the mechanics in Port Jynt couldn't be bothered to ride out to. She was by no means an expert, but after countless years of fixing things, she'd eventually figure out a solution to a problem. The running joke among the villagers was that she knew the miller's mill better than he did.

 

Her reputation was enough that she made an annual pilgrimage around the island every harvest, stopping in every village she could get to on her horse and fixing whatever the locals threw at her. She had found that very few people had a problem with her being human when the only other way of getting their plow or press fixed meant sending it to the other side of the island.

 

It was during one of these pilgrimages that the sky began to burn red. She paid little attention to it and continued on. But a week after her return, she awoke to find it was gone, only a handful of red specks remaining. At the local inn, Altew the smith spoke of a red streak hitting the volcano late last night. The villagers insisted he'd simply had too much to drink the night before. Knowing there would be little business for her since harvest was over, Bekora decided to climb the peak and see what all the fuss was about. After all, she never let a chance to repair something escape her.

 

 

See you all tomorrow!

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Session 1 log! Sorry about the weird formatting, MapTool's log export format isn't the best.

 

Quotes!

 

 

Bekora Tiquo: "I would recommend that we make this quick, unless you want to be buried under an eruption."

 

Leila Rithorn: "If this is the result of dark magic, it would be unwise to aggravate it."

Sir James: "On the contrary, my Lady, if this thing is the product of dark magic, we must aggravate it thoroughly!"

 

Kepling: "Once, long ago, a necromancer may have died here. And now, this creature has appeared. We cannot assume a connection."

 

Relian Grimback: "You would think they would rally warriors to fight." Relian observes as he glances around.

Jered: "Fight what? That thing? How?"

Bekora Tiquo: "What could a man with a sword possibly do to that?"

Relian Grimback: "I didn't say they would be effective, but it would certainly be better than turning a blind eye, would it not?"

 

Jered: "I may not know nobles, but I do know bartering. And I think they just got something for nothing."

 

 

And one more order of business:

 

 

As he sleeps, Kepling dreams of secrets whispered to him in his own voice. He awakens with new insight, and a special Weird Edge.

 

Windows to the Soul: Once per session, you can look into a person's eyes and catch a glimpse into their mind, seeing their hopes and fears. When you do this, draw a single card from the Action Deck and consult the Portents Table (Horror Companion, page 29).

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

ding

 

 

Jered

Human

Audacious Hunter

XP: 5

Wounds: 0

Fatigue: 0

 

Agility: d8

Smarts: d8

Spirit: d6

Strength: d6

Vigor: d6

 

Shooting: d8

Stealth: d8

Survival: d8

Tracking: d8

Healing: d6

Notice: d6

Climbing: d4

Fighting: d4

Swimming: d4

 

Parry: 4

Toughness: 6 (5 base, 1 armour)

Charisma: -2 (+0 vs humans)

Pace: 6

 

Edges:

Woodsman

Alertness

 

Hindrances:

Curious

Illiterate

Outsider

 

Gear:

Dagger

Bow

Leather armour

Quiver

Barbed arrows (17)

20 yards of rope

3 silver coins

 

Backstory/Personality

A lanky human barely out of his teens, Jered is a hunter who spends his time wandering the uncivilized patches of Eressos searching for game. His visits to Port Jynt and the island's other villages for trade are brief. The townsfolk view him with disdain and suspicion. He's not only a human, but a boorish, uncivilized one at that. For his part, Jered has little regard for the niceties of society, and is more than happy to trade the narrow streets for the wide open sky.

 

Those willing to put up with him find him frank and carefree, albeit rash. But his insatiable wanderlust means he's never among company for long. It would have to take some momentous event for that to change.

 

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Lilith already knows my advance, but I'm gonna post it here anyway:

 

Leila Rithorn

Experience: 5

Agility: d6

Fighting: d4

Riding: d6

Stealth: d4

Smarts: d8

Spellcasting: d8

Notice: d6

Investigation: d6

Knowledge (Arcane): d4

Spirit: d8

Persuasion: d8

Strength: d4

Vigor: d6

 

Pace: 6''

Parry: 5

Toughness: 5

Charisma: 2

 

Hindrances:

Cautious (Minor)

Quirk (Minor)

Wanted (Major)

 

Edges:

Arcane Background (Magic)

Necromancer

Attractive

 

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Okay, my advance. Basically, I took the Power Points edge so as to have a greater power point reserve (because having just 10 quickly cramps one's spellcasting style). Also, all of the above days work fine for me.

RELIAN GRIMBACK - Novice Human Druid

Status: Healthy | PP: 15/15 (1/hr) | Wounds: None | XP: 5

 

AGILITY d4: Fighting d6

SMARTS d8: Spellcasting d10, Knowledge (Wilderness) d8, Notice d6, Survival d6, Tracking d6, Healing d4

STRENGTH d6: [none]

SPIRIT d8: Persuasion d4

VIGOR d6: [none]

DERIVED: Pace 6, Parry 6 (5 + 1 Weapon), Toughness 7 (5 + 2 Armor [1 vs Improved Hits]), Charisma 0

 

HINDRANCES: Curious (Major), All Thumbs (Minor), Loyal (Minor)

BACKGROUND EDGES: Arcane Background (Magic)

POWER EDGES: Power Points

WEIRD EDGES: Beast Master

 

==== POWERS ====

•SUNRAY (Bolt w/ Light & Solar Trappings) [1pp; 12/24/48Rng] - A highly-concentrated and accurate beam of sunlight which can sear through weak-points in a target's armor. Does 2d4 damage per each ray (up to three), or can fire a maximized ray that does 3d4 for 2pp. All rays have AP4.

•RAPID REPOSE (Healing w/ Biological Trapping) [3pp] - Kicks the target's natural healing processes into overdrive, causing it to naturally rebuild lost or damaged tissue and purge toxins within seconds. Heals 1 wound on success, and an additional wound with a raise.

•YARREN'S BATSIGHT (Darksight w/ Biological & Sound Trappings) [1pp/1hr] - Greatly enhances the recipient's hearing and grants them a form of echolocation not unlike that of a bat. In addition to normal effects of Darksight, it also provides a +1 bonus to hearing-based Notice rolls (+3 with a raise). However, sonic and sound-based attacks and hazards get a +2 bonus against the recipient as well.

 

==== EQUIPMENT ====

CARRY CAPACITY: 47lbs/30lbs (1st Tier Encumbrance)

•MONEY: 150 silvers

•Spear (5lbs) - Str+d6, Parry +1, Reach 1, 2H

•Reinforced Leather (20lbs) - +2 Armor, only provides +1 Armor vs. Improved Hits, covers legs, torso, arms.

•Backpack (2lbs + 20lbs Contents)

--•Bedroll (4lbs)

--•Flint & Steel (1lbs)

--•Rope 30yrds (15lbs)

 

 

Also, question: Does an animal companion count as an ally for the purpose of determining whether the companion is eligible for advances? I thought the answer was yes (which is why Waddles' NPC sheet has a note for Advances), but now I'm not sure.

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Also, question: Does an animal companion count as an ally for the purpose of determining whether the companion is eligible for advances? I thought the answer was yes (which is why Waddles' NPC sheet has a note for Advances), but now I'm not sure.

 

Looking at the official forums, I haven't got a straight answer on this one way or the other; some say they do, some say they don't. I'm gonna go ahead and rule that they do, since that's what allied extras do by default and there's nothing in the rules to specifically say that they don't.

 

Remember that extras have to have a "significant role" in the session to advance, though. Since you had her hang back from combat last session except for one round when it was already almost over, and she didn't really do much in session 1 either, she's not eligible for advances.

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Also, session's scheduled for 9 a.m. my time on Friday the 11th, which from your point of view is an hour earlier than it used to be thanks to daylight savings. That's Thursday October 10th for the rest of you, at 4 PM for Sylae, BJ and Dinti, and 6 PM for Nalyd, Sarachim and Nioca. Hopefully this will help with end-of-session tiredness issues.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, since the latest session ended with a party split, here's what we're going to do regarding next session.

 

Session 4A, featuring Nalyd and BJ Earles, will happen on my Sunday 20th, your Saturday 19th October, at the same time of day as the most recent session (4 PM for BJ, 6 PM for Nalyd).

 

Session 4B, featuring Sylae, Dintiradan, Nioca and Sarachim, will happen on my Wednesday 23rd, your Tuesday 22nd October, again at the same time of day (4 PM for Dinti and Sylae, 6 PM for Sarachim and Nioca).

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Session 2 log is up! The party sets out on a sea voyage, and it goes about as well as sea voyages on Mote ever do.

 

Quotes:

 

 

Bekora Tiquo: "Oh, great, it's not even been a full day since the eruption and they've started a cult."

 

Jered: "You seem to have confused me with your horse, knight."

 

Relian Grimback: "...No. It is not the way of deities, or the world, to coddle us. We must make our own way. Such is how nature has always been."

 

Sir James: "If you dawdle to speak to every delusional rogue we encounter, I may have to take on a different squire."

Jered: "Wish you told me that sooner."

 

Kepling: "My will is not broken. I could have resisted. I just did not. Hardly seems worth it. What do lights in the sky matter?"

 

Leila Rithorn: "May Sliros personally wipe the grin off that man's face. By the gods, I hate bureaucrats."

 

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31-hour warning for Sylae, Dintiradan, Nioca and Sarachim! And we have logs for session 3! I'm almost caught up again!

 

Quotes!

 

 

Bekora Tiquo: "For the record, I like the eel. It's... humbling?"

Leila Rithorn: "Speak for yourself. I tried it the last time I was in the area. I'm not looking forward to repeating the experience."

Relian Grimback: "It has an unmistakable fishy flavor. You could probably use a small amount to add a fish flavor to any dish you saw fit."

 

Relian Grimback: I glance over at the shouting guard. "Huh. I suppose that's one way to try to get through the checkpoint. Hopefully we can try to explain what he was doing... if we can figure it out ourselves, that is."

 

Jered: "Oh big bad dragon, please eat me right now, because my bossy knight sings like a cow."

 

Bekora Tiquo: "Son, if I had explosives hidden about, why would I tell you if I did? Seriously? ...but no, no explosives."

 

Jered: "Oh yes. Things were much better in your day, right?"

Bekora Tiquo: "Yes they were, and you can't prove me wrong because you weren't there."

 

Sir James: "Lady Leitha! My heart brims with joy to see you unharmed!" I glance past her. "And Kepling, you are here too."

 

Kepling: "It would not have been wise for either of us to go through that checkpoint. I'm sorry if- well, fine, then, I'm not sorry at all, and I hope you had a godawful time of it."

 

Leila Rithorn: I ride next to Kepling and whisper, "Any thoughts on getting into Wireld without being spotted? If not, perhaps you have some ideas on getting James to stop singing?"

 

 

Also, as a convenience for anyone who prefers to use their own installed copy of MapTool rather than the webstart link, I've uploaded a custom launcher that should work correctly with the latest version of Java. Save this into your MapTool directory and double-click it to launch MapTool with the correct settings.

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Calendar for Session 5! And the rest of the party gains 2 XP from this session!

 

Also, new rules, because apparently we need them!

 

Time-Out: Any player, including the GM, may call a time-out at any time to discuss a problem that's come up during play and is affecting that player's enjoyment of the game. Roleplaying stops immediately and players talk OOC until the problem is resolved to the player's satisfaction.

 

Roll-Off: Any player, including the GM, may call for a roll-off at any time during an argument between PCs. The argument ends immediately and all PCs involved in it may roll a d20: whoever rolls highest gets their way, unless every other player in the group strongly disagrees with their plan. I also reserve veto power on plans if anyone is being completely unreasonable, but I hope not to need to use it.

 

It's everyone's responsibility to respect others' needs during play, but also to make their own needs known. If you have a problem and don't talk about it directly, we can't know what's wrong. I want everybody to be able to have a good time.

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Time-Out: Any player, including the GM, may call a time-out at any time to discuss a problem that's come up during play and is affecting that player's enjoyment of the game. Roleplaying stops immediately and players talk OOC until the problem is resolved to the player's satisfaction.
holy crap what did i miss

 

The roll-off, I knew about. Was something else going on?

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holy crap what did i miss

 

The roll-off, I knew about. Was something else going on?

 

Mostly the idea of torturing an NPC that was discussed for a little while. If anything like that happens again, I want anyone to feel safe saying "stop the game, I'm not comfortable with this". To be honest, I should have done that myself earlier than I did, but I don't want my players' comfort to be at the mercy of my own good judgement. I know I billed this as a horror campaign, but there's a difference between being horrified and being traumatised.

 

It's not necessarily limited to keeping the group out of emotionally unsafe territory, though. If a player is feeling ignored or dismissed to the point where it's harming their experience of the game, they have the right to call a time-out over that too.

 

I certainly hope we can get through the whole campaign without anyone needing to call a time-out. But it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

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Time for me to read the logs. Sounds like this might have been my kind of RP.

 

Did you miss the rest of that post, in which I explained that I had instituted a new rule so that people would have a way to put a lid on discussion of distressing topics like torture?

 

Rowen, this isn't the first time that you, specifically, have shown a weird fixation on torture in a Spiderweb RP. It's getting uncomfortable. Please take a moment to think about how your behaviour affects others.

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Just for the record, I didn't forget the calendar. It's just that there's some RL stuff that's making it hard to determine my availability; for the time being, assume I can make the usual times, because you'll get just as much notice as I do regarding when or when not I'll be available (which is to say, very little. :rolleyes: )

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  • 2 weeks later...

Session 4 log! This is really two sessions in one: 4a and 4b have been combined into a single super-session for your reading enjoyment!

 

Quotes!

 

 

Kepling: "I'm not up for climbing the walls either. Or much of anything beyond getting eaten here."

 

Leila Rithorn: "Apparently, the city of Wireld doesn't do anything small. Including its vermin."

 

Bekora Tiquo: "I think I'd rather spend the night with James than as a cultist."

 

Relian Grimback: "We could be inviting disaster down onto Port Jynt by attempting to create this alliance."

 

Sir James: "There is more to chivalry than the clash of arms. Isn't it the duty of a knight to succor the weak, not to oppress them?"

 

Jered: "Giant fire monster being 'the least of our problems'? Guess you're not planning on going back home either, huh."

 

 

See you in a few days!

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We're currently using an online tool called MapTool to assist in running our game. Communication is primarily text-based, but there's also a graphical map window, allowing me to use visual aids for scene-setting, mapping out areas, and describing combat situations more precisely. We're also using a script-based framework within MapTool to automate certain actions such as dice rolls. Here's a screenshot from when we were first setting it up for this campaign, to give you an idea of what it looks like in action.

 

There are a lot of virtual tabletop options out there these days, with different features to suit different groups: some groups want specific tools to support running their chosen gaming system, some groups like to use voice chat, and so on.

 

Session 4 was actually two sessions rolled into one, since we had a party split for that session. The first ran for roughly 3 hours and featured only Leila and Kepling's players, while the second (on a different day) ran for about 5 hours and eventually featured the entire group.

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