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Dust Bowl: Yet Another AIMHack Campaign


Sarachim

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Originally Posted By: Dantius
And if you divide things into classes, then you'll eventually run into someone what wants to play a character that the classes can't cover (ex. a mage with low INT and tons of STR and DEX for HP and Evasion), and you've hit a brick wall.


I beg to differ, classes could be used to give a boost to starting skills like races are. While imposing limits of some kind as well, personally with a system like AIMhack I'd lean towards the Fallout route.

Attributes, skills, traits and perks. I think the addition of traits could benefit certain classes, however if it's too similiar to perks then fair enough. However I'd set each trait to boost one thing whle hampering another, so the player picks a trait for both it's positive and negative side.
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Which Fallout? I should have said that however I'm referring to the Fallout 2 and tactics systems premise. Not how it was handed but the aspects of the system, I could see something like a trait and perk system working for AIMhack. With the traits being more geared towards class bonuses, essentially a way to focus a character towards a class you have in mind.

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Originally Posted By: Grail Shadowblade
Which Fallout? I'm referring to the Fallout 2 and tactics systems premise.


so was i (actually i was thinking of fallout 1 more than 2 since you just said "fallout", haven't played 3 or tactics at all)

anyway having a laundry list of traits to pick from seems restrictive and unnecessary in what's meant to be a relatively freeform rpg
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Well they wouldn't be the usual idea of Fallout traits, I'm thinking more along the lines of things like Finesse and Fast Shot. They boost certain abiities of your character and hamper others. They would be positives and negatives to certain skills, in either prefabbed arrangements or DM approval.

 

Admittedly this isn't what I was thinking at first but I've completely lost the idea for now, perhaps it'll come back to me.

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I feel some of this discussion is getting worrisome-ly close to sacrificing one of AIMHack's great charms (as least IMO) in favor "balance." Part of what I love about the system is it's simplicity. Refining the system to make it better is great! But I hope that simplicity is not sacrificed on the altar on balance.

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Originally Posted By: Triumph
I feel some of this discussion is getting worrisome-ly close to sacrificing one of AIMHack's great charms (as least IMO) in favor "balance." Part of what I love about the system is it's simplicity. Refining the system to make it better is great! But I hope that simplicity is not sacrificed on the altar on balance.


Quoted for truth. So much truth. Point-buy is about as complex as I ever want it to be, at least on the player side. tongue
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Speaking of real improvements to the system...this is a very small issue, but...

 

Is there any chance of a change that will involve Elves, Dragonborn, and Goblins NOT all getting the same racial bonus to Composure? All existing characters would have the right to keep existing bonuses, of course, regardless of a change. And one of the three races will keep the Composure bonus. But it'd be nice to have more variety on this front. Currently no race has bonuses with Martial or Crafting, FWIW.

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Well still not what I had in mind but this is an idea taken from my work in progress system and tweaked for here.

 

I use a point buy system for character creation, however unlike AIMhack I lumped the entire point pool together. What this means is the players have to not only worry about their attributes but also their skills from the same amount of points.

 

The following is a very tweaked version of my system:

 

Quote:
Using a point pool of 30 points now buy your skills and attributes, however you may not spent more then 10 points on your attributes. All attributes start at zero, which is assumed to be enough to keep you alive but at a very basic level.

 

From there it's the usual rules for point spending, just an idea. The numbers are just picked at random however. My system uses 55 points and uses a very different skill method then AIMhack.

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Originally Posted By: Triumph
Speaking of real improvements to the system...this is a very small issue, but...

Is there any chance of a change that will involve Elves, Dragonborn, and Goblins NOT all getting the same racial bonus to Composure? All existing characters would have the right to keep existing bonuses, of course, regardless of a change. And one of the three races will keep the Composure bonus. But it'd be nice to have more variety on this front. Currently no race has bonuses with Martial or Crafting, FWIW.


I've been debating changing some of them to something more interesting, like "Goblins get a +1 to all rolls involving intimidation, including saves against it." Basically I never got around to it.

Also, now I'm sick, so I'm thinking kinda slowly.
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Originally Posted By: Triumph
Currently no race has bonuses with Martial or Crafting, FWIW.


Given that Martial and Magic are the two main combat skills, a race getting a bonus to either of them would probably be too powerful in comparison to the others. I mean, the idea is good, but that wasn't the best example.
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If you were the PC and were near death in a fight you'd be a hell of a lot more terrified than the player, who isnt actually going to die. PC's never seem all that worried when their near death now that I think about it. Now that I think about it, they usually just get pissed at whoever is supposed to be healing them.

Originally Posted By: Lilith
Given that Martial and Magic are the two main combat skills, a race getting a bonus to either of them would probably be too powerful in comparison to the others. I mean, the idea is good, but that wasn't the best example.
You could solve this by having every race get either a generic Martial or Magic bonus that goes to whatever Martial (or Magic, depending on the race) that the player chooses. Of course, then you'd end up with some races being nothing but mages and other races being nothing but warriors, so it still doesnt work to well if someone decides to min/max.
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Originally Posted By: Tirien, Master of Waffles
If you were the PC and were near death in a fight you'd be a hell of a lot more terrified than the player, who isnt actually going to die. PC's never seem all that worried when their near death now that I think about it. Now that I think about it, they usually just get pissed at whoever is supposed to be healing them.


people with a normal and healthy fear of death don't routinely go out on life-threatening adventures
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Originally Posted By: Lilith
Originally Posted By: Triumph
Currently no race has bonuses with Martial or Crafting, FWIW.


Given that Martial and Magic are the two main combat skills, a race getting a bonus to either of them would probably be too powerful in comparison to the others. I mean, the idea is good, but that wasn't the best example.

A bonus to crafting could work, though. It could make sense for goblins, since uncivilized people tend to make their own stuff.
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Originally Posted By: Sarachim
A bonus to crafting could work, though. It could make sense for goblins, since uncivilized people tend to make their own stuff.
Your average "uncivilized person" usually isnt that good with advanced crafting techniques, like forging steel armor and weapons. Besides, I thought the goblins of mote were somewhat civilized?
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Goblins aren't primitive barbarians, but they (along with humans) have tended to be presented as races that end up on the fringes of society ("proper," city-dwelling society primarily consisting of elves, dwarves, dragonborn, and lacewings). Or at least that's the impression I've gotten.

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Originally Posted By: Triumph
Goblins aren't primitive barbarians, but they (along with humans) have tended to be presented as races that end up on the fringes of society ("proper" society primarily consisting of elves, dwarves, dragonborn, and lacewings). Or at least that's the impression I've gotten.

That sounds right to me. I think my basic point (that goblins would be more likely to acquire goods by making them than by shopping for them) still stands.
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First and foremost, before I say anything else, a big thank you to Sarachim, the other players, and everyone who subbed. The campaign was great, and the players worked well together.

 

Now my hugemassive response to the hugemassive number of hugemassive posts (I missed that word).

 

Originally Posted By: Nioca
1. Magic Classes
I don't see what putting a label on different levels will do. You're simply swapping the arbitrariness of numbers with the arbitrariness of 'easy' and 'powerful'. Also, I'm sure making those distinctions is a healthy thing to do. One thing I don't want in AIMHack is separate tiers of spells (Summon Monster I, Summon Monster II, ..., Summon Monster IX). I'd like to see a caster's existing spells remain useful in later levels. Of course, some game-changing things like area-of-effect spells and stronger status effects shouldn't appear at first level, so perhaps that's the problem you're trying to address.

 

An aside: sometimes, when people are talking about 'spell levels', and certain schools of magic are worse than others, I get the feeling that I'm playing a different game than everyone else (or worse, I get the feeling that everyone around the table but me owns a handbook). I, as a non-DMing player, have no idea how the vast majority of stuff works mechanically in AIMHack. When I proposed my spell list, I didn't go and say, "Battlesong should give a +2 bonus to these following skills"; I just handed the flavour description over and the DM translated it mechanically and balanced it. Heck, I'm not even sure how my crossbow's damage worked.

 

And oddly enough, I found the opacity liberating. If I'm playing a fighter, I shouldn't have to know whether armour lowers the chance of being hit or simply provides damage reduction -- I should just decide whether armour makes sense flavour-wise. Still though, if we want to make AIMHack consistent across campaigns and be able to intelligently debate balance, more mechanics could be opened up.

 

Originally Posted By: Nioca
2. Double the levels, double the trouble.
I have nothing to compare it to, so I probably shouldn't say anything. But I never got the feeling that we were overpowered or underpowered. In fact, I never got the feeling that the party was progressing in power at all (aside from the fact that we could absorb more damage in the final fight). Part of it is the fact that players don't have to add their modifiers to their rolls in AIMHack -- that's the DM's job. In D&D, you able to say "This number I am adding today is higher than the number I was adding yesterday. This makes me a better person!" The other part can be chalked up to the roleplaying equivalent of the Red Queen Hypothesis: it doesn't matter if you're level two or twenty, a five usually misses and a fifteen usually hits.

 

Nioca, what exactly do you mean by housekeeping? Keeping track of the spells you memorized for the day?

 

Originally Posted By: Nioca
3. Trials and Attribute-lations
A while back, I thought of a concept character: one point in every skill, then just bump up the primary attributes every level. As it turns out, not a lot of skills depend on attributes, so this isn't as bad as it seems. Maybe remove the dependence of skills on attributes (perhaps keeping the dependence for Martial(Any Melee), Martial(Any Ranged), and Magic(Any)). I'd like to keep attributes around for other stuff (STR->Hit Points, DEX->Dodge Chance, INT->Spells per Day, Willpower?), and also for generic rolls (break down a door, etc.).

 

Originally Posted By: Nioca

4. Wait, don't we already have someone who does that?

In some cases, you're right. Having two diviners, or two trackers would have been a waste. But once you've filled up every character archetype, it's good to have overlap. A large part of why this party did so well was because we had two good healers. And remember, redundancy is good. And remember, redundancy is good.

 

Originally Posted By: Nioca

5. I roll for Deus ex machina.

This has always bothered me a fair bit reading other campaign logs, but no one else complained so I didn't say anything. Divine intervention makes a good story in moderation, so it should be done for story reasons (i.e. DM's discretion), not because someone rolled high. Also, how well you pray depending on a random roll is a bit... odd, but that's neither here nor there.

 

Originally Posted By: Nioca
1. Bumble in the Jungle
Yeah, the wandering segment ran a bit long. But it had a purpose: establishing the size and dangers of Ouracasaossacaoasascaasos. If we had just found the goblins right away, the island wouldn't have seemed as dangerous. Of course, later on in the campaign, we were able to zip back and forth without any random encounters, but I chalked this up to Kheini not sending her friggin' animals against up (and Sarachim not wanting to draw focus).

 

In my ideal world, there would be no random encounters, and every enemy we face would have a detailed backstory. This is because in my ideal world DMs have unlimited free time.

 

Originally Posted By: Nioca
2. Suddenly, Labyrinth
It was a bit odd, but I assumed this was going to tie into Eric's backstory.

 

Originally Posted By: Nioca

3. Expecting Cities? Too Bad. Jungle Time.

Mister Urbane Bard was a bit out of place too. But I don't mind the occasional red herring, as long as it doesn't place one character at a severe disadvantage. An example would be a long D&D campaign I played in, where the main archvillain was a lich artificer and thus the most common enemies were undead and constructs. This put the party rogue at a perpetual disadvantage.

 

Another natural disadvantage is the limited number of sessions. When you have a group of Real Life friends who can play the same campaign for years, you can have long running story arcs that take to the party to a variety of locations and challenges (man, I wish my group was still like that).

 

Originally Posted By: Nioca
I particularly like how you handled NPCs
This.

 

Originally Posted By: Ephesos
Not that the setting is sacred, but some of us might have plans for it...
In this specific case, it's easy to tone down the severity of the moss. Right now, all that's known about it is that is grows quickly and you shouldn't take a bath in it. There could be some simple way to deal with it.

 

But in general... Mote is really becoming a shared setting, and we should decide now how much the status quo should change during the course of a campaign. On the one hand, we don't want one campaign to ruin the setting for all future campaigns (no "Chalmy comes back and now Mote is a zombie apocalypse setting"). On the other hand, we still want to keep the possibility of an epic storyline for each campaign. And, ideally, we'd want to avoid something like a canon split.

 

Maybe I'm reading too much into this. In any case, I think the same common courtesy guidelines that applied to forum post RPs apply to Mote and any other settings as well.

 

Originally Posted By: Dantius
Plus, you could then give cool titles to mages, like you could have Eva, Journeyman Evoker, or Nikax, Sage Enchanter, or Zarusa, Elder Pyromancer, since titles are freaking awesome.
But this is what the Occupation line is for. :-P

 

Originally Posted By: Sarachim
(Also, thank you for not mentioning my habit of forgetting that NPCs exist until someone else mentions them. :p)
Hey Sarachim, you kept on forgetting that NPCs exist. :-P

 

Actually, I found it funny how I kept on forgetting they exist. One round, I'd make a point of speaking to Thuja and Bafon, because relating to people outside the party is what Wybren is supposed to do. But the next round I'd be all, "Oh right, those guys." Personally, it was the lack of miniatures that made it hard for me to remember the trailing NPCs, and that's not something you can get around in AIMHack.

 

Originally Posted By: Triumph
I feel some of this discussion is getting worrisome-ly close to sacrificing one of AIMHack's great charms (as least IMO) in favor "balance." Part of what I love about the system is it's simplicity. Refining the system to make it better is great! But I hope that simplicity is not sacrificed on the altar on balance.
This, but if we can find a system that's both simple and balanced, let's go with that.

 

 

 

Still writing the epilogue. It's not a big issue, but how was the party going to divvy up the magic items we found (portal ring, emotion ring, sound want)?

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Originally Posted By: Dinti
In my ideal world, there would be no random encounters, and every enemy we face would have a detailed backstory. This is because in my ideal world DMs have unlimited free time.


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


...yup, if only.

Originally Posted By: Dinti
But in general... Mote is really becoming a shared setting, and we should decide now how much the status quo should change during the course of a campaign. On the one hand, we don't want one campaign to ruin the setting for all future campaigns (no "Chalmy comes back and now Mote is a zombie apocalypse setting"). On the other hand, we still want to keep the possibility of an epic storyline for each campaign. And, ideally, we'd want to avoid something like a canon split.


I love that it is becoming a shared setting, which is why I don't want to get too testy about anything anyone does to the setting. Again, unless it's along the zombie apocalypse lines. Like, I have plans for Ouracasos one day in the future, but they will easily be adapted to the changes Sarachim wrought. (It will be something much higher-level than anything so far, to the point where I might go with abstraction)

But I digress. The shared setting thing is what I want. In a big way.
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You possibly COULD do a zombie apocalypse, but it would have to be set on some small, out of the way island that nobody cares about. Besides, a zombie apocalypse is to cliche, a landshark apocalypse would be better.

 

A bit curious about something though... When the island resurfaced in Liliths scenario, wouldnt it have caused a massive tsunami?

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Originally Posted By: Tirien, Master of Waffles
You possibly COULD do a zombie apocalypse, but it would have to be set on some small, out of the way island that nobody cares about. Besides, a zombie apocalypse is to cliche, a landshark apocalypse would be better.


Like, the entire Blood Marsh campaign.

Also, a wizard did it.
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I have a question for the players that I don't think anybody has addressed yet. One of my highest priorities was maintaining a good pace, mostly by responding to players' questions and actions as quickly as possible. Sometimes this got a bit hectic, and created a tradeoff between the speed and the quality of my answers. A similar problem applied in combat; I get the impression that my private rules for combat were less complex than those of other GMs, but I kept them simple so I'd be able to process actions faster.

 

The thing is that playing and GMing are such different experiences that I have no idea how fast I was compared to other GMs. So, my question: would I be better if I were faster? Could I lose a little speed without hurting the mood? Or did I somehow get it just right?

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In my times subbing (I know played Leitha, Wybren, Eric...I think that's all), I felt like you did quite a good job most of the time. The one and only time I remember noticing things seeming slow was when I playing Leitha and the party was in Labyrinth, in the final session (still want the log to see how it ended!!!), but assumed that was because the party kept getting split up and you were dealing with different groups.

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Originally Posted By: Dintiradan
I, as a non-DMing player, have no idea how the vast majority of stuff works mechanically in AIMHack.

Half the time mechanical things are just made up on the spot anyway. The DMs just like to pretend they can invent a system where they don't need to do that. tongue

Originally Posted By: Triumph
(still want the log to see how it ended!!!)

Everyone died. Even Patches. It was very sad.

Dikiyoba.
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Originally Posted By: Dintiradan

Still writing the epilogue. It's not a big issue, but how was the party going to divvy up the magic items we found (portal ring, emotion ring, sound want)?


I don't believe Leitha ever offered the portal ring to the group's treasure pot. She might not know how to use it, but she took a considerable risk stealing it from Hoggle, and isn't going to just hand it over. tongue

(Unless it's in exchange for a large stack of coins. :p)
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...Actually I felt this one of most competent behaving parties in the history AIMHack thus far. Not exactly a Special Forces caliber team, but more functional than Brigandage or Hope for sure, and probably more competent than we in Selos were. Not quite sure about Bloodmarsh. Theressa was pretty competent (aside from accidents involving sextants), but they were epic heroes, after all, so it was to be expected.

 

Of course, I suppose that even if the Dust Bowl game managed to be the most competent AIMHack party thus far, you might still argue that in absolute terms they were incompetent and would have failed without Patches. Hmm.

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One thing I would like to see in the future (and this is a general AIMhack trend, not something specific to Dust Bowl) is a less sudden ending. The ending tends to be final confrontation, a few paragraphs of information from the DM, and then, boom, end campaign. I would rather there be some time after the final confrontation to wrap up any lingering questions or subplots and say whatever good-byes are necessary.

 

Dikiyoba.

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Originally Posted By: Triumph
and probably more competent than we in Selos were.

What do you mean, "probably"? No habitat was burned, no river crossings were an embarrasing failure, no riots were led against friendly NPCs, and we only had a couple people almost die in the final fight instead of everyone. And we did it all without help of any magical butterfly tattoos, too. tongue

Dikiyoba.
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Originally Posted By: Dikiyoba
... no river crossings were an embarrasing failure...
Sinking like a rock and then skipping over the water the next moment was pretty entertaining though. They probably should have just told Zarusa to throw a bunch of fireballs at the sponge monster, then again, that probably would have set the entire river on fire.
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Originally Posted By: Tirien, Master of Kittens
I think the main reason GM's do that is so the dysfunctional parties dont end up killing each other at the end. Then again, this was the first/only party not to attempt to kill each other on a regular basis. At least, it feels like that.


Umm...As I recall, Brigandage was the only party where the members violently squabbled on a regular basis. There was conflict in other parties, for sure, but this was NOT the "the first/only party not to attempt to kill each other on a regular basis," your feelings notwithstanding.

Originally Posted By: Dikiyoba
Originally Posted By: Triumph
and probably more competent than we in Selos were.

What do you mean, "probably"? No habitat was burned, no river crossings were an embarrasing failure, no riots were led against friendly NPCs, and we only had a couple people almost die in the final fight instead of everyone. And we did it all without help of any magical butterfly tattoos, too. tongue

Dikiyoba.


Okay, Diki, you win. The DB party was absolutely more competent all around than the Selos party. smile

Originally Posted By: Dikiyoba
One thing I would like to see in the future (and this is a general AIMhack trend, not something specific to Dust Bowl) is a less sudden ending. The ending tends to be final confrontation, a few paragraphs of information from the DM, and then, boom, end campaign. I would rather there be some time after the final confrontation to wrap up any lingering questions or subplots and say whatever good-byes are necessary.


I heartily endorse this!
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Originally Posted By: Dikiyoba
One thing I would like to see in the future (and this is a general AIMhack trend, not something specific to Dust Bowl) is a less sudden ending. The ending tends to be final confrontation, a few paragraphs of information from the DM, and then, boom, end campaign. I would rather there be some time after the final confrontation to wrap up any lingering questions or subplots and say whatever good-byes are necessary.

Dikiyoba.
Originally Posted By: Tirien, Master of Kittens
I think the main reason GM's do that is so the dysfunctional parties dont end up killing each other at the end. Then again, this was the first/only party not to attempt to kill each other on a regular basis. At least, it feels like that.

Actually, it has more to do with the fact that after the epic showdown of ultimate destiny, the GM's brain is more than likely leaking out of his/her ears at that point. Additionally, the final showdown also typically happens late in the session, meaning that the amount of time the GM has left is infinitesimally small. And finally, going out with a bang is more likely to be easier to handle than trying to handle the clean-up in-session. After all, it's easier to apply time-skips and such during an epilogue.

That said, I would like to see a little of this at some point.
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Originally Posted By: Nioca
Actually, it has more to do with the fact that after the epic showdown of ultimate destiny, the GM's brain is more than likely leaking out of his/her ears at that point. Additionally, the final showdown also typically happens late in the session, meaning that the amount of time the GM has left is infinitesimally small. And finally, going out with a bang is more likely to be easier to handle than trying to handle the clean-up in-session. After all, it's easier to apply time-skips and such during an epilogue.

A way to avoid this would be to take what we do now in one long session and split it up into two shorter sessions. The first would be the lead up to the final confrontation and the second would be the actual confrontation plus wrap up.

Dikiyoba.
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Originally Posted By: Dikiyoba
A way to avoid this would be to take what we do now in one long session and split it up into two shorter sessions. The first would be the lead up to the final confrontation and the second would be the actual confrontation plus wrap up.


This is what happened with Labyrinth, and I'm actually really happy with how that went. Splitting the end also let me prepare for the final fight in Jareth's castle to a much greater degree than usual.

Needless to say, I want to do this with Rumors. But I also hope that I can run that campaign slightly longer than my past efforts. Anyway, we'll see.
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Hey look! It's the epic finale log!

 

Click to reveal.. (quotes)
Xiriatl: "Honestly, I never understood why you people think baring your teeth at someone is a sign of friendship."

 

Eva: "Well, we have a reasonable idea of what 'stupid and dangerous' means on Mote. Here, the rules are different."

 

Thuja: "Well, if you do whatever the gods tell you, this kind of thing can happen."

 

Gramzon: "There is always time for a cup of tea. It clears the mind and helps one think."

 

Wybren: "Plan B! Plan B! I told you that was Plan B!"

 

Leitha: "You suck at pep-talks, Xiriatl."

 

Eric: "I wouldn't mind some painkillers, frankly. Or at least enough alcohol to knock me out."

Once again, a huge thank you to all the players. And to all our subs, especially Triumph. You guys make GMing feel easy. Some people have asked questions for the epilogue, so I'll reprint the answers here:

 

Vurziveh really did send an emissary to Riole to demand its surrender. Mayor Krila was undecided about how to respond, but the storms stopped a few hours after the war broke out on Ouracasos, and then Krila refused.

 

Sergeant Ruos, the marines, and some of the common sailors finish building their boat a week after Vurziveh's death. They're returning to Koros (along with any party members who want to go), but Selika, most of her people, and the goblins are settling on the island with Kheini.

 

The same day you killed Vurziveh, Thuja told everyone that he'd kill them if they followed him, then stomped off into the swamp.

 

Speaking of epilogues, we have two already!

 

Click to reveal.. (Xiriatl)
After sleeping off his exhaustion from the battle with Vurziveh, Xiriatl returned to Riole. As promised, he received a parcel of land on the edge of town and a stipend to build an alchemical workshop and conduct research. However, he soon found that the reward had strings attached. Alarmed by Vurziveh's attack on the town, Riole began to build up its military might, and conscripted Xiriatl to make potions for its army. Financially secure but dissatisfied with the repetitive work demanded of him, Xiriatl soon found himself longing for another chance to explore Mote and acquire new knowledge.

Click to reveal.. (Eric)
"I wouldn't mind some painkillers, frankly. Or at least enough alcohol to knock me out," Eric managed to say.

 

But both proved unnecessary, because a moment later he passed out.

 

Eric didn't remember much about the next few days. Mostly he remembered the bitter taste of the sleeping draught the healers provided him and a lot of pain. His arm wasn't broken as badly as it had first looked, but both legs were completely shattered and most of his back felt like one large bruise.

 

Still, it could have been worse. He could have died. He could have broken his neck. His legs could have been wrecked beyond repair. He could have broken his other arm too. Instead, he was being treated by healers who were used to dealing with the horrific injuries of soldiers. It would take some time, especially since the healers had many patients from the weather mages' attack on Kheini's camp to tend to as well, but he would be up and about again. In the mean time, he had pen, paper, and lots to think about.

 

He was finally going home, after years of searching. It was thrilling, but also a bit frightening. Where, exactly, would Hoggle send him? Would anyone recognize him? Was it best to tell his story, or to keep quiet? How did one go about bringing a religion from one world to another? Eric wasn't entirely sure that Sliros knew either.

 

When the ship was finished and the others prepared to return to Riole, Eric was unable to return with them. His arm was better, but both legs were still immobilized. It would be a long time before another ship passed by. Fortunately, Kheini had a solution.

 

"It'll be a difficult journey and we'll have to wait for the winds to be just right, but you're light enough to ride a giant eagle from here to Koros and make your way to Riole on foot."

 

The right winds came the next morning after Eric was well enough to walk around again. A guard arrived at Eric's tent at dawn. "Quick, Kheini is waiting for you up on that hill!" He pointed the way.

 

Eric bowed in thanks and set off on a brisk but careful walk, using his halberd for support. Kheini and a young female giant eagle were waiting for him at the top of the hill.

 

"Go, quick. The winds may not be right again for a while," Kheini said.

 

Eric bowed and climbed onto the giant eagle. "Good bye, good luck, and thank you again for your help."

 

The eagle spread her wings, took a running start, and jumped into the air. Eric hung on tightly and closed his eyes as she gained elevation and headed for the open ocean.

 

It was dusk when the exhausted eagle landed on the shoreline of Koros. She had been losing elevation for the past mile and for one heart-stopping moment Eric thought she would crash into the sea, but then a strong breeze helped push her up and onto land. Eric slid off her back and helped her stagger into a nearby grove of trees. Then he headed east. It was midnight when he arrived at Riole, and he immediately found an inn, paid for a room, and fell asleep.

 

In the morning, Eric went to the docks to search for a ship that could take him to Tanan. He was surprised to meet Eva there. She was examining a ship closely.

 

"Eva! I would have expected you to leave already."

 

Eva shook her head. "I haven't found a sturdy enough ship yet. I've been on non-kraken-proof ships twice already. I'd like not to repeat that experience a third time. That said, I think this is the ship for me."

 

 

And so Eric found himself bound for the island of Tanan on the same ship as Eva. When the ship arrived, they said their final good-bye and parted ways. Eric made his way to the portal and returned to the Labyrinth. He avoided the castle and the goblins avoided him, so he was able to find Hoggle without problems.

 

"Oh, good, you're back. I was starting to getting worried. I take it you won?"

 

Eric nodded weakly.

 

"I visited some of my friends while you were gone. They know you're coming and will help you get settled in again. They'd actually heard about your disappearance, and so I was able to get the timing right. You've been on Mote for six years, so I'll put you on Earth about six years after your disappearance."

 

"Thanks, Hoggle."

 

"Don't mention it. Now, you know the drill; don't touch anything."

 

Eric sat down and prayed while he waited. He was impatient, excited, and terrified in equal proportions. He knew that Sliros was there, focused and waiting. Hoggle finished the portal and stepped back. Eric stood up, stepped through the portal...

 

...and returned home.

Nioca, let me know if you're writing your epilogue up yourself or if you'd like me to do it.

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I still haven't forgiven Patches for screwing up my Sleep spell.

 

The sudden end: It would be nice to have a longer denouement, but on the other hand it was running late and I don't think it would have been fair to Nikki if the session was extended.

 

I'm wrapping up my epilogue right now: Sarachim, do you want me to PM it to you?

 

EDIT: Thoughts that went through my mind as I wrote my epilogue:

  • "Oh, this is just like doing one of those forum post RPs. Why did I stop doing those again?"
  • "Oh yeah. Because I get carried away and write a huge post, and because I'm a slow writer."

 

--------------

Originally Posted By: Dintiradan
I've heard that landsharks are actually very intelligent.
Originally Posted By: Everyone Else

:-(
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