Sunday, June 27, 2004

Arachnopathia

Enter Sajsan, the Verrik Akashic.
When we last left our party they had just fended off the first onslaught of the Golbins and their Spidery critters. They secure the doors and shortly thereafter are sieged yet again by another group of the goblins. The second onslaught was in the form of a monstrous wolf spider with a goblin rider, and a cadre of goblin pelltasts. Bael used his animated maul and Sajsan used her bow to harry the goblins, preventing them from gaining access to the goblin. These were dispatched with some alacrity owing mostly to the bravery of Rhodri who jumped from the keep's walls atop the wokfspider and battled the rider preventing the wolfspider from gaining access to the keep. The battle was ended quickly when Melkior summoned an Ice Gorilla which made quick work of the goblins and wolf spider.
Their success lasted for an hour or so. After some of the party went to rest, there was a third attack. This was begun by the launching of spider sacks from across the river. One landed in the center of the Keep, the other hit the wall. Both burst into spider swarms. The party began to fight these, with somewhat more success than before. But then the fight was joined by another five goblins, and yet another giant spider, this one a poisonous web spinner.
The battle ensued and the party low on spells managed to overcome them with brute force. After that they saw more goblins retreating and saw this a chance for real rest. The next day brought no attacks, but they discovered the Traps were almost entirely dismantled and looted, onl a little rubish left where it stood. They kept a careful vigil that night, but no more sign of the goblins surfaced.
On the third day, the troops returned victorious having killed a single large spider, probably just a ruse, as Rhodri expected. The party met with the Steward Del Shauna who discharged Rhodri of his previous oath ( a year had passed), and asked him to take another. He would lead the party to track the Goblins back to their true lair, and either deal with them there, or report back the location so it could be dealt with by another force. If the party would agree to this mission, she would forgo the usual competition to gain her patronage for the mission to the Norwest. The party agreed and they began to prepare for this mission.

Hero Points - One to Rhodri for brave and cinematic action.

Note: Upon completion of the next mission (clearing the nest of the Goblins) the party will advance to 6th level. However long that takes.

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Hero Point Nominations

I am planning on handing out Hero Points as the occasion warrants.
But, I would like open the forum to people nominating others (or themselves) for Hero Points.
Sometimes I forget cool things from the adventure and you can remind me.
You can email the gang, or post a comment here.

Sunday, June 20, 2004

Arachnophobia

Introducing Rhodri, the Faen Oathsworn defender of Lady Steward Del Shauna!
Rhodri finishes his evening rounds and spots something unusual. He is convinced that it is a Goblin sneaking around the town. He convinces the guard and the keep is put on alert. The next day, a prospector from the Crags reports finding a Goblin Weavewarren to the North. The Steward considers the options and decides to send her troops to burn the warren down. Rhodri suspects a posisble trap but is overruled.
Meanwhile Bael, Melkior and Ikumna arrive at Arrowhail and discharge their package. They contemplate what to do with the town going on lock down and decide to stay inside. That evening, surprise, surprise, things go awry. The bridge tower goes silent... not responding.
But with only a skeleton guard left, Del Shauna feels nervous about opening the gates to investigate. She askes for volunteers in the local inn, and Bael and Melkior agree to help.
They cross the bridge, with the gate shutting behind them and investigate the tower. They find no sign of anyone, the watch is gone with no sign of a struggle. Then just as they decide to leave, they are attacked from the rook of the tower by a swarm of spiders. They fled the tower and began to fight the spiders on the bridge.
Back in the keep, the guards keep a careful watch on the combat. Then rhodri notices a strange webbed sack attached to the top of the gate house. He alerts the guards and pulls the Steward out of harms way. When he returns the guards have already begun shooting at the egg sack. Sadly, the results are that the sack opens and drops its contents, thousands of spiders on to the guards below. With two spider swarms to deal the situation looks grim. Rhodri deals a serious blow to the swarm by dropping a barrel of water on them. Meanwhile Melkior turns his magics on the swarm on the bridge.
After a pitched battle they managed to destroy the two swarms, but not before taking many bites, and some poison damage. When the smoke clears they stand by the open gates and look across the bridge. There in the bridge tower they see several small humanoid figures, they guess these to be Goblins.

Monday, June 14, 2004

Totem Warriors - Too

So I went on the boards (diamondthrone.com) and came up with a couple of ideas.

The Totem Warrior might have an actual totem of some sort (medium sized item in the form of her Totem Animal), this gives the TW access to their spirit guide. I am thinking of something like what Homer encountered on the Simpson's episode where he ate El Chile Loco (grown only in the graveyards of insane asylums). It might have some analog in native american religion as well.

The Spirit Guide will be a wise spirit able to give helpful (or puzzling) advice, intervene in some stylistical appropriate ways ( A bear spirit might cause salmon to jump of the river into the characters hands, a raven spirit might reveal what can be seen from far above, a snake spirit might heal some poison damage, etc..)

The spirit could on occasion summon similar creatures to help the character fight, or do other tasks (a wolf could track for the character, a shark pull a raft) using abilities appropriate to the class level of the TW. These would be mostly up to the DM but roughly as useful as having a companion animal around all of the time.

What do you think?

Sunday, June 13, 2004

Totem Warriors

This is something of a moot point since there are no totem warriors in the group, but here it is.
As with Druids and Rangers from D&D Totem Warriors get an animal companion as a class ability.

I am not a big fan of animal companions. It is difficult to figure out how they fit into the scheme of the game (are they NPCs, are they part of the character, who controls them, etc..) And I think they basically add all the time of another character to the game without adding the benefits of another mind at the table.

So I would like to come up with a solution. A simple one would be to remove the companion and give the totem warrior a bonus feat. But that doesn't really appeal to me. The companion gives the totem warrior a certain kind of style, where a bonus feat just makes them more useful.

What I would like would be a totem warrior specific ability that give style to the class.

Ideas:
1. Ability to speak with animals of the type, enhanced diplomacy with them (wild empathy) and some other sort of ability like that.
2. Have an actual totem (like a pole or something) that could give advice or other benefits (healing, etc..) depending on the type.

Anyway that is what I've got so far.

Saturday, June 12, 2004

Possible Rule Modifications

Okay... I am resisting the urge to modify the game rules for my AU game. But were I to do it here are some things I am thinking of.

1. Extending the 'disabled' period at negative hitpoints by the character level. Resurrection is really hard to come by in AU. So maybe death should be a little less common. Here is the idea. At 0 + Con bonus hps you are staggered, from that to your char level you are disabled, after that you are unconscious for 10 rds, then you are dead. This would make it possible to do something while under 0hp.

ex. 1st level Magister 12 con
0hps to -1hps staggered
-2 to -3hps disabled
-4 to -13hps unconscious
-14hps dead

ex. 10th level Warmain 16 Con.
0 hps to -3 hps staggered
-3 to -13 hps disabled
-14 to -23 unconscious
-24 hps = dead.

So that is a big difference, but it would help prolong people's lives.

2. Make the defensive energy and elemental spells more powerful. Currently, you cast Protection Vs Energy:Fire and get X amount of protection each round versus fire. My proposal. Protection vs. Elements protects you against all but one element. So Pro. Element/Fire gives you 12 hps elemental defense versus any element except fire. Likewise Pro. vs. Energy: Cold gives you 12hp energy defense against all energy forms except cold.
Rationale. The flexibility of the spells, make it very difficult to protect oneself against a spell caster.

Others might come up.

Tuesday, June 08, 2004

First Mini-Solos

Bael, a different kind of giant, finds himself with a job that will take him away from the civilization of Aelin. He picks up a package in the near frontier town of Jerad for transport to the distant frontier settlement of Arrowhail Keep. After picking it up he stumbles upon a strange scene. The dead bodies of several of the towns 'Home Guard' of Sibbecai Goons, and their killer a drunken Litorian by the name of Ikumna. The two are brought in for questioning, but using his magical abilities and Ikumna's brutal fighting abilities, they escape the station. They plan to leave immediately as soon as they find a guide to Arrowhail (off the beaten path). They head for the Wayward Wench, an illegal traveling bar, to obtain a guide.

Meanwhile, Melkior the Mojh Magister meets with his master Kamolan, who after seeing a Giant Knight take up residence and supervision of their monastery, urges him to leave and seek out his fortune elsewhere. He tells him of a trader/fence who had the promise of a strange icon. Melkior travels to Jerad to meet this man, Hermos, and contract for the piece. They meet, discuss prices, and are about to complete the transaction when a Giant Knight Champion of the Ward intervenes and demands the piece. In the confusion Hermos tries to run away with the piece but only gets a few paces away before being engulfed in a massive fireball.
The Giant pockets the piece and Melkior depressed decides to head for Arrowhail to seek the source of that item. He finds a guide who is planning to leave early for the distant Norwest. He contracts him, and the they head off. They meet up with Bael and Ikumna en route.

They are stopped a few miles outside of town however by the Giant Knight, and a group of Sibbecai goons from Jerad. Accusing them of murder, a fight ensues. The party is triumphant, they either knock out or scare off the group. After a brief discussion with the Giant Knight, they arrange for a truce and head off to the frontier wary of returning to civilization at all.
After weeks of travel, they make it to Arrowhail Keep, Em Tarel.

Thursday, June 03, 2004

Game Information

Scheduled Game: Sunday 1pm 6/6/04 Braden and Micah minis

Gameworld information. www.malaan.com/giants/


Still waiting for character sheets from most players.

Party so far.
Braden - Giant Iron Witch 5
Micah - Mojh Magister 5
Matt - Faen Oathsworn
Colin - Litorian (3) Unfettered (2)
Brenda - Verrick Akashic