[Gaming] D&D Jay's Game - She's Dead Jim
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doomdragon6
Staff member
Well, at least Falagar knows his true destiny is that he will not die until level 30. So he can proceed with reckless abandon, then come to terms with predstiny when the time comes.
Hey guys, while we have the long break, feel free to write up and Dairies.
Furthermore, I'd like your feedback. Either in the open or by PMs are fine by me. Tell me what you life, what you'd like to see or things you'd like me to consider in regards to your character as well as your character dealing with the other louts.
Furthermore, I'd like your feedback. Either in the open or by PMs are fine by me. Tell me what you life, what you'd like to see or things you'd like me to consider in regards to your character as well as your character dealing with the other louts.
I'll do something for Tyrdin. Not sure when or if it will be a traditional journal entry thing, but I will do something.
doomdragon6
Staff member
Hmm, feedback.. Off the top of my head:
Fun game, I do like the flavor "text" when given, and I like that you incorporate each person's skills/stories
However, what I don't like / sticks out:
- Pretty much every little "happening" or "encounter" or whatever has a loseable prize, or somebody that gets away, or whatever. While these can be nice, and I can see the appeal, these are nothing but frustrating. Here's what happens:
"Oh. That guy is taking gold off the table. If he gets away we won't get that gold. I know that Jay will make it so we cannot get him or the gold if he escapes. I should kill him!
BUT!!
"But killing him doesn't make the slightest bit of sense for my character, especially while we're locked in this heated battle for our lives. I'll keep fighting to help my comrades. It would be utterly ridiculous and RP-breaking to go and spend turns on that guy."
That's using the specific example of our last encounter, but this -sort- of thing happens constantly. Nothing takes you out of the immersion more than the quick-to-disappear "bonus prize" enemy blinking on the screen (if we were to imagine this like a PC game).
- Somewhat related to the above, but the whole "Godlike steps ahead of the players". To use another specific example, "whoever/whatever" escaping from the altar room via the swiveling bookcase. I simply can't accept that we, as alert adventurers, were not able to hear something or someone going through a swivelling bookcase and escaping up the stairs. I don't care how well-oiled the whole mechanism could be, we would be likely to hear it, as it's not like we were yelling and screaming.
Basically, again, it feels like a PC game. Instead of us being in an actual setting where we have a good potential of catching whatever this is, it feels like "Enemy A reaches Exit Zone. Enemy A fades off the screen. Players cannot find Enemy A because Enemy A technically does not exist on the map anymore."
Half the time, it doesn't feel like our characters were outsmarted or that we were outmaneuvered. It just feels like the gods that be (or, the DM) has decided that we will not catch this person until he is ready. Again, I feel less like a person in this world than a character forced to go along the paths of a computer game.
- Railroading
I feel terribly railroaded in this game. It's probably because you have a story written out that you want us to go through, but I really don't feel like we've made any choices in this game, other than, "Would you like to start Quest A or Quest B?" A shining example of railroading is when we went to the house we just came to, and NOBODY knew why or which house it was. We were just there because we made the vague decision to look for a house, and then you put us there, basically. I still don't know why we were at that house, or who were supposed to find, or if we even found him.
What I'm trying to say is, nothing feels organic, like some others DnD games I've played. Everything feels static and pre-programmed, like I'm playing a computer game. I understand that our choices open up different branches in the story, but I don't actually feel like our choices make a difference.
I'm not trying to dump on you or anything, but you asked for feedback and this is it. Otherwise, it's a fun game. For a personal note, I very much like how everthing works out to make Falagar look amazing.
Fun game, I do like the flavor "text" when given, and I like that you incorporate each person's skills/stories
However, what I don't like / sticks out:
- Pretty much every little "happening" or "encounter" or whatever has a loseable prize, or somebody that gets away, or whatever. While these can be nice, and I can see the appeal, these are nothing but frustrating. Here's what happens:
"Oh. That guy is taking gold off the table. If he gets away we won't get that gold. I know that Jay will make it so we cannot get him or the gold if he escapes. I should kill him!
BUT!!
"But killing him doesn't make the slightest bit of sense for my character, especially while we're locked in this heated battle for our lives. I'll keep fighting to help my comrades. It would be utterly ridiculous and RP-breaking to go and spend turns on that guy."
That's using the specific example of our last encounter, but this -sort- of thing happens constantly. Nothing takes you out of the immersion more than the quick-to-disappear "bonus prize" enemy blinking on the screen (if we were to imagine this like a PC game).
- Somewhat related to the above, but the whole "Godlike steps ahead of the players". To use another specific example, "whoever/whatever" escaping from the altar room via the swiveling bookcase. I simply can't accept that we, as alert adventurers, were not able to hear something or someone going through a swivelling bookcase and escaping up the stairs. I don't care how well-oiled the whole mechanism could be, we would be likely to hear it, as it's not like we were yelling and screaming.
Basically, again, it feels like a PC game. Instead of us being in an actual setting where we have a good potential of catching whatever this is, it feels like "Enemy A reaches Exit Zone. Enemy A fades off the screen. Players cannot find Enemy A because Enemy A technically does not exist on the map anymore."
Half the time, it doesn't feel like our characters were outsmarted or that we were outmaneuvered. It just feels like the gods that be (or, the DM) has decided that we will not catch this person until he is ready. Again, I feel less like a person in this world than a character forced to go along the paths of a computer game.
- Railroading
I feel terribly railroaded in this game. It's probably because you have a story written out that you want us to go through, but I really don't feel like we've made any choices in this game, other than, "Would you like to start Quest A or Quest B?" A shining example of railroading is when we went to the house we just came to, and NOBODY knew why or which house it was. We were just there because we made the vague decision to look for a house, and then you put us there, basically. I still don't know why we were at that house, or who were supposed to find, or if we even found him.
What I'm trying to say is, nothing feels organic, like some others DnD games I've played. Everything feels static and pre-programmed, like I'm playing a computer game. I understand that our choices open up different branches in the story, but I don't actually feel like our choices make a difference.
I'm not trying to dump on you or anything, but you asked for feedback and this is it. Otherwise, it's a fun game. For a personal note, I very much like how everthing works out to make Falagar look amazing.
I can negate at least this example.
We went to that area of town because we got information from the barkeeper. He knew the dwarf Carmine, who's corpse we found underground in the caves after fighting the wererat, and who was supposed to be the recipient of the letter that Flint gave to Helga.
We headed to the Hairy Lemon because we knew Carmine had been killed because he was involved, and that it was likely that Flint, who we met at the bar, would have some connection to Carmine as well, and therefore might have some connection to the events himself. So we went to the bar and asked if Flint was around. Harold said that Flint might be back in the evening, and gave us the area to look for Carmine's house in the meantime.
So we headed to Carmine's neighbourhood while waiting for night to fall. We eventually found a way to break-and-enter and found ourselves ass-deep in cultists and tieflings.
________________
So not only were we NOT railroaded in this particular instance, I actually feel it was the part of the campaign so far where I felt we were the most on-task. I felt SMART for making those connections.
The fact that Shawn was able to find a secret attic treasure cache that we were able to open using a key we had taken from our alleyway assassins just drove the point further home.
TL;DR: No one told us to go to Carmine's house but using the clues we had available we were able to figure out that should be our destination. We were not railroaded.
---------- Post added at 11:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:39 AM ----------
I have to echo the sentiments with the bonus prize enemies and ninja escapes, though. Especially since enemies who we know are carrying all the goodies tend to be the ones to VANISH. Actually, it feels like we've had someone escape from every single encounter so far...
Along the same lines - being robbed sucked. A LOT. Especially since at this rate I'm not sure we'll ever see that 1500g again. And I'm not sure how someone managed to rob 5 separate people in 5 separate rooms without anyone noticing a thing.
This is tempered somewhat by the idea that we'll occasionally stumble upon caches of bonus gold/items/etc., but I hope it isn't affecting our overall wealth-by-level. Which is to say, if we've found 2 out of a suspected 4 secret caches, been robbed for 1500g, and had an enemy MYSTERIOUSLY escape through secret doors with some-400g, it feels like we have a lot less than we should right now, which will only be compounded at later levels. This could be already taken care of behind the scenes, but this is just what I see.
See page 155 of Arcane Power for an explanation >
Thanks for the feedback, I do appreciate it. A couple of quick replies to answer some concerns.
This provides an on the spot opportunity of where players have to deal with something at the same time I have to deal with. I get great pleasure out of that. An NPC fails his morale check and his courage falters and he wishes to flee. The group chases him down. I look at my possible encounter sheet… and I see a special skill challenge as a possibility. Boom, I use it. Players are at first somewhat apprehensive of the skill challenge however quickly realize that when done in a specific way, it can be enjoyable. Conclusion? People warmed up to it and Helga fell over a fence. I like that. It will happen again in a new fresh way which I hope players enjoy.
Will it happen all the time? Nope! But do expect it in the future and while at some moments your character won’t want to find the matter pressing, I was kind of hoping the other group members would go, “Fuck that noise!” IC and take that lout who was taking your gold out as it would be more of their character style. The question is… was their character or the player even paying attention to what was going on? Who knows! But I do agree with you, your character would care little about the bets of a 6 and 7 dice game. In the future, the roles will be reversed (and you’ll like it a LOT… BWAHAHA)… and these players will like it I’d guess somewhat less.
As per deciding which characters can escape or not, all my characters have been open to whatever you guys choose, what you roll in your attempt to do what you want to do. Some will escape and some will be reused in following adventurers depending on player feedback which I LOVE! Simkin was supposed to be a one time deal but I like what happened. I reinvented him in a special way and you haven’t seen the end of his implication. Heck, who is to say he wasn’t always around but hidden with his sneaky means? How much have you been paying attention guys? bwahah
I do work the game somewhat differently that other players have run theirs. I like the fact that enemy players can hide behind things or hide from sight, just like players do against them and you can count on me to abuse that sexy part of combat! One day, I’ll go into detail about what has happened and what opportunities you guys missed. What caused what. Stating more will ruin a bit of the mystic of the storyline which has several things going.
I do admit I railroaded ONCE, in the last game session, when I made the dwarf scream so you can find the girl to add Julie to the game. I’m sorry. You guys went in another direction and I made her wait close to an hour. J
So sorry again.
As far as quest lines go… It’s not really Quest A or Quest B. It’s more like Quest A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 C3… there’s a general storyline and there’s progression, all done by my own hand (except for some riddles) as well as the subquests that for some players, have already commenced and for others commence soon.
1 stirge
1 clouded one
1 simkin
0 assassins
0 assassins
1 thieving guy
As for loot, sure, they may have something but it’s the way the cookie crumbles. I believe the hidden “loot caches” every game you guys may find do somewhat balance things. In some cases, you fail tests… and don’t get magical tanking armor. Bwahaha
As far as money goes, don’t worry about it TOO much. It will catch up. You’re in a mausoleum aren’t you? Think of surviving. Didn’t you notice the door closed behind you?
I appreciate the feedback folks, keep them coming! How about the riddles, sub-stories? What would you like to see more of?
I run the game using a battle sheet with a bunch of quick notes regarding all the NPCs in the game which I use as well as potential ones I may or may not use. For some NPCs that you will have a strong chance of having conflict against their stats a lot more detailed and amongst them a pair of stats that are linked or morale and loyalty which isn’t in conventional D&D games. At the end of every turn, I roll twice per enemy NPC to see how they’ll react to situations in combat. Are they losing? Are they losing? Are they willing to go on if they are hurt? How loyal are they to their companions? Do they see a way to escape? Etc… When you hear me say, start of TURN…. X.. I’m doing those rolls.
This provides an on the spot opportunity of where players have to deal with something at the same time I have to deal with. I get great pleasure out of that. An NPC fails his morale check and his courage falters and he wishes to flee. The group chases him down. I look at my possible encounter sheet… and I see a special skill challenge as a possibility. Boom, I use it. Players are at first somewhat apprehensive of the skill challenge however quickly realize that when done in a specific way, it can be enjoyable. Conclusion? People warmed up to it and Helga fell over a fence. I like that. It will happen again in a new fresh way which I hope players enjoy.
Will it happen all the time? Nope! But do expect it in the future and while at some moments your character won’t want to find the matter pressing, I was kind of hoping the other group members would go, “Fuck that noise!” IC and take that lout who was taking your gold out as it would be more of their character style. The question is… was their character or the player even paying attention to what was going on? Who knows! But I do agree with you, your character would care little about the bets of a 6 and 7 dice game. In the future, the roles will be reversed (and you’ll like it a LOT… BWAHAHA)… and these players will like it I’d guess somewhat less.
I work with your best player’s passive perception which sadly is… pretty pathetic. You guys have missed a lot of passive checks and if the players aren’t stating they aren’t checking something and providing me with a roll, I go with the… what… lout best 13 or 14? The good news is the new girl’s passive will help you guys a lot better. In this situation you guys will rest 50 feet away from the door with your crappy perception against a strong but not unbeatable stealth check. I would like to state more, but that would lead to spoilers which must not happen! Though those of you who have kept touch with every little detail will make sense of it all, I hope.
As far as line of sight goes, if you cannot see the character, then the pog will always be hidden, this will be always the case in my game. If you turn around the corner and ask what you see, you’ll see what you should see. Sometimes, you’ll get a punch in the FACE. Once a character has made its escape there’s no point tracking it for an hour. This has happened only twice against mini-bosses. Though you have killed 2 others. 50/50.
As per deciding which characters can escape or not, all my characters have been open to whatever you guys choose, what you roll in your attempt to do what you want to do. Some will escape and some will be reused in following adventurers depending on player feedback which I LOVE! Simkin was supposed to be a one time deal but I like what happened. I reinvented him in a special way and you haven’t seen the end of his implication. Heck, who is to say he wasn’t always around but hidden with his sneaky means? How much have you been paying attention guys? bwahah
I do work the game somewhat differently that other players have run theirs. I like the fact that enemy players can hide behind things or hide from sight, just like players do against them and you can count on me to abuse that sexy part of combat! One day, I’ll go into detail about what has happened and what opportunities you guys missed. What caused what. Stating more will ruin a bit of the mystic of the storyline which has several things going.
I’m going to take exception to this and I think you should pay better attention to the game. Instead of coming to a game session and falling on, “yeah, I don’t remember what is going on” a better effort can be provided and when there’s an extended period of investigation be more implicated. Everything happened for a reason. Some clues given were partial because the findings are partial.
I do admit I railroaded ONCE, in the last game session, when I made the dwarf scream so you can find the girl to add Julie to the game. I’m sorry. You guys went in another direction and I made her wait close to an hour. J
So sorry again.
As far as quest lines go… It’s not really Quest A or Quest B. It’s more like Quest A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 C3… there’s a general storyline and there’s progression, all done by my own hand (except for some riddles) as well as the subquests that for some players, have already commenced and for others commence soon.
In a way your substory fueled the main story, I liked that.
I was also impressed as the clues you had going on were limited and the decision was wise especially some others wanted to head in a different direction that would have led to your deaths.
0 thugs
1 stirge
1 clouded one
1 simkin
0 assassins
0 assassins
1 thieving guy
As for loot, sure, they may have something but it’s the way the cookie crumbles. I believe the hidden “loot caches” every game you guys may find do somewhat balance things. In some cases, you fail tests… and don’t get magical tanking armor. Bwahaha
Indeed. Though, I won’t worry too much about money. (it was 1200 actually and you should ask Shawn why he took your shit, not me. Didn’t you notice the new pairs of shoes?)
2 out of 5 caches now to be exact. Ask Falagar.
As far as money goes, don’t worry about it TOO much. It will catch up. You’re in a mausoleum aren’t you? Think of surviving. Didn’t you notice the door closed behind you?
You shut your whore mouth HC!
I appreciate the feedback folks, keep them coming! How about the riddles, sub-stories? What would you like to see more of?
doomdragon6
Staff member
I understand most of what you do, I'm merely saying that some of it is frustrating. Granted, a lot of it can be due to our characters' dazzling incompetence.
As for the story thing, I do apologize for not knowing what's going on half the time. Speaking of Carmine's house or whatever, I guess all of that got set up in the session I wasn't there, so that's probably why I had no idea who those people were or why we wanted to find them. I'll grant that that was me not knowing vs. anything else.
I do pay attention, guys, whether you believe it or not. But for whatever reason I can't ever piece together what's happening or why it's happening, and if something happened, after a week or so I can't even remember why. Like, I don't even actually know why we're in the mausoleum.
Maybe someone like Gusto could do a -brief- summary of events to let me know why things are happening. I don't know if it's missing that initial session or what, but this is why Falagar isn't telling grand stories about the adventure-- because he has no idea what the fuck is going on.
I do apologize for being like this. I've always had issues with things like this, even with movies.
As for the story thing, I do apologize for not knowing what's going on half the time. Speaking of Carmine's house or whatever, I guess all of that got set up in the session I wasn't there, so that's probably why I had no idea who those people were or why we wanted to find them. I'll grant that that was me not knowing vs. anything else.
I do pay attention, guys, whether you believe it or not. But for whatever reason I can't ever piece together what's happening or why it's happening, and if something happened, after a week or so I can't even remember why. Like, I don't even actually know why we're in the mausoleum.
Maybe someone like Gusto could do a -brief- summary of events to let me know why things are happening. I don't know if it's missing that initial session or what, but this is why Falagar isn't telling grand stories about the adventure-- because he has no idea what the fuck is going on.
I do apologize for being like this. I've always had issues with things like this, even with movies.
I feel bad for focusing on the negative, as one tends to do when giving feedback.
- I like the character arcs so far. Making Falagar out to be Malren's hero, hinting that Salvatore was last seen heading off to Goodmead, implying that Magart was still alive as recently as a few days ago, and if he escaped Carmine's fate, is waiting for him in Goodmead, kidnapping Lady Mila as an act of retribution (or perhaps something more mystical!?).
- I like my new opportunities to RP that Sylvie grants to Helga. It'll be nice to show her loving motherly side, rather than always the angry vengeful side. (On that note, please keep in mind that she still loves Magar but now recognizes he has a lot more flaws than she previously would have admitted to. )
- As much as missing out on hidden treasure annoys me (which it shouldn't because I shouldn't know about it, hint hint), it is REALLY gratifying to stumble onto a false floor panel that houses a switch that opens a false bottom of a chest. I like the reward for careful exploration, even now, when it is at odds with our haste to stop the baddies and find Mila.
- I appreciate being able to prove myself in battle, since as a Fighter, my skill checks don't often come up in RP. With that in mind, especially with my amended Battlerager rules, give me the opportunity to fucking OWN somebody in combat. It's the one thing Helga is good at and I keep getting put up against bosses/minibosses who are at least as badass as me and can also heal themselves or whatever.
- Even tough I basically failed the skill challenge chasing that assassin, I enjoyed it. Throwing one of those in here or there would be awesome.
- I like the character arcs so far. Making Falagar out to be Malren's hero, hinting that Salvatore was last seen heading off to Goodmead, implying that Magart was still alive as recently as a few days ago, and if he escaped Carmine's fate, is waiting for him in Goodmead, kidnapping Lady Mila as an act of retribution (or perhaps something more mystical!?).
- I like my new opportunities to RP that Sylvie grants to Helga. It'll be nice to show her loving motherly side, rather than always the angry vengeful side. (On that note, please keep in mind that she still loves Magar but now recognizes he has a lot more flaws than she previously would have admitted to.
)- As much as missing out on hidden treasure annoys me (which it shouldn't because I shouldn't know about it, hint hint), it is REALLY gratifying to stumble onto a false floor panel that houses a switch that opens a false bottom of a chest. I like the reward for careful exploration, even now, when it is at odds with our haste to stop the baddies and find Mila.
- I appreciate being able to prove myself in battle, since as a Fighter, my skill checks don't often come up in RP. With that in mind, especially with my amended Battlerager rules, give me the opportunity to fucking OWN somebody in combat. It's the one thing Helga is good at and I keep getting put up against bosses/minibosses who are at least as badass as me and can also heal themselves or whatever.
- Even tough I basically failed the skill challenge chasing that assassin, I enjoyed it. Throwing one of those in here or there would be awesome.
doomdragon6
Staff member
I agree with the above.
Also, Gusto pointed out that it wouldn't be as frustrating if you didn't tell us we missed something.
Once we leave a room and can't go back, saying, "Oh yeah, you missed a TOTALLY AWESOME shield. Nya nyaa!" just makes us feel like you're taunting us.
On one hand, I like knowing. On the other, it just makes me feel like I'm reading a GameFAQs guide and makes me go "Shit! I missed the treasure in the other room. Better reload my save."
Also, Gusto pointed out that it wouldn't be as frustrating if you didn't tell us we missed something.
Once we leave a room and can't go back, saying, "Oh yeah, you missed a TOTALLY AWESOME shield. Nya nyaa!" just makes us feel like you're taunting us.
On one hand, I like knowing. On the other, it just makes me feel like I'm reading a GameFAQs guide and makes me go "Shit! I missed the treasure in the other room. Better reload my save."
LOL! I'll do my best to try to taunt you guys less and I do believe Rath took the summary job in a post a few pages back.
As far as treasure cache goes, you missed out on some that's a given but it's also an added bonus. You guys get to explore a bit more and take your time to look about and whatnot. I like that. It also allows my traps to work and get close to my ultimate plan to KILL FALAGAR! *raises fist in air*
The big scores will come and I hope you'll be pleased down the line in a few levels, probably after the holidays I'll ask for people's top 3 again privately.
As far as treasure cache goes, you missed out on some that's a given but it's also an added bonus. You guys get to explore a bit more and take your time to look about and whatnot. I like that. It also allows my traps to work and get close to my ultimate plan to KILL FALAGAR! *raises fist in air*
The big scores will come and I hope you'll be pleased down the line in a few levels, probably after the holidays I'll ask for people's top 3 again privately.
doomdragon6
Staff member
Seeing as Falagar has gone down 3 times, he probably will die before too long.
Thing is, I can't do anything about it because his whole point is to be an idiot.
Thing is, I can't do anything about it because his whole point is to be an idiot.
He has knowledge, but lacks the wisdom to use it. He's book smart, but not everyday, common sense smart.
R
rathkor
Ill have a summery of last game posted before the next game. I'll need time to listen to the recordings, as I missed some info towards the end.
as for feedback, theres not a lot I can add.
The BAD:
- Losing gold, as in the poker guy. i knew he'd be running with it, but i was afraid of wasting an attack trying to get to him while a murderous knight who stood through a 400 lbs cart crashing on top of him and bursting into flames.
- Every encounter seeming to end in a chase. While the occassional chase can make an encounter exciting, too many is repetative. The last chase made the entire team just say, "meh, let him go and lets keep going."
- Skill Challenges, I've not been a fan of them since they were introduced. They, in my oppinion, severly hinder the players ability to RP. Like falagar said during the one skill challenge you use, some of us might have done some sort of skill check, while others would have used a long ranged attack to stop the guy. If you really want to incorperate skill challenges, i would suggest coming up with a way to include tactics other tha just skill checks.
The GOOD
- Well thought out story with character specific quests that tie into the main quest. I was really impressed with how Helga's and Tyrdin's Quest tied into the main story, and hinted at Rathkor's. I'm interested to see how this will continue to unfold, and possibly bring these hopeless Louts closer as a team.
- The Fights have all been challanging, but not impossible. Balancing this sort of skill is not easy for a DM, and you,ve managed to do it as well as any other ive seen. and thats with haveing to account for a battlerager.
- incorperating RP. in our last session, we went without a single battle, and you appologized. i remember thinking to myself that you didnt need to appologize for the lack of a fight, because it was still a pretty fun session. sometimes, if the RP and story is compelling enough, a fight isnt needed. at least in my oppinion.
- The promise of our actions having consequences. Doom mentioned not feeling like our decisions have any effect on the world, and admittedly, it doesnt seem to have, at least not yet. I feel the reason we havent seen the ramifications of our actions is because it is still too early in the game. I can feel things shifting below the surface, waiting to emerge. Plus, weve seen our first real example of choice affecting the world. Falagar taking our gold led to us being attacked by Skeletons and Wraiths. Again, i am excited to see what future sessions will hold.
as for feedback, theres not a lot I can add.
The BAD:
- Losing gold, as in the poker guy. i knew he'd be running with it, but i was afraid of wasting an attack trying to get to him while a murderous knight who stood through a 400 lbs cart crashing on top of him and bursting into flames.
- Every encounter seeming to end in a chase. While the occassional chase can make an encounter exciting, too many is repetative. The last chase made the entire team just say, "meh, let him go and lets keep going."
- Skill Challenges, I've not been a fan of them since they were introduced. They, in my oppinion, severly hinder the players ability to RP. Like falagar said during the one skill challenge you use, some of us might have done some sort of skill check, while others would have used a long ranged attack to stop the guy. If you really want to incorperate skill challenges, i would suggest coming up with a way to include tactics other tha just skill checks.
The GOOD
- Well thought out story with character specific quests that tie into the main quest. I was really impressed with how Helga's and Tyrdin's Quest tied into the main story, and hinted at Rathkor's. I'm interested to see how this will continue to unfold, and possibly bring these hopeless Louts closer as a team.
- The Fights have all been challanging, but not impossible. Balancing this sort of skill is not easy for a DM, and you,ve managed to do it as well as any other ive seen. and thats with haveing to account for a battlerager.
- incorperating RP. in our last session, we went without a single battle, and you appologized. i remember thinking to myself that you didnt need to appologize for the lack of a fight, because it was still a pretty fun session. sometimes, if the RP and story is compelling enough, a fight isnt needed. at least in my oppinion.
- The promise of our actions having consequences. Doom mentioned not feeling like our decisions have any effect on the world, and admittedly, it doesnt seem to have, at least not yet. I feel the reason we havent seen the ramifications of our actions is because it is still too early in the game. I can feel things shifting below the surface, waiting to emerge. Plus, weve seen our first real example of choice affecting the world. Falagar taking our gold led to us being attacked by Skeletons and Wraiths. Again, i am excited to see what future sessions will hold.
doomdragon6
Staff member
Here's a summary that I wrote.
I wrote this. Not Rathkor. Rathkor is not having problems logging into Halforums from his parents' computer. Rathkor did not write this. He did not message me asking if I could post it for him. He did not do these things because I wrote this, because I have a steel-trap mind for plot details and I am very dedicated to writing quality summaries.
When you thank someone for writing this, you would thank me and not someone else, like Rathkor.
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After a long fought battle that almost claimed the lives of the heroes, the adventurer’s decided to investigate the basement where the battle took place. The basement was broken up into two parts: The large open area where the fighting took place, and a smaller room used as a dungeon. One prisoner, a Dwarf, appeared to still be barely alive. The party tried their best to heal the Dwarf, but were unable to do much. Tyrdin, using his mental abilities, managed to determine that the Dwarf was being controlled by some unseen being, something dark, violent, and evil. The being was easily able to detect Tyrdin’s meddling with his puppet.
The party decided that they should rest, as almost all of them were exhausted from the battle. They claimed their rooms and slept, Helga sleeping in the dungeon in case anyone attempted to attack the prisoner. In the night, Tyrdin had a nightmare that shook him to his core. When he awoke, He found himself angry, holding back some violent force.
When the party awoke, they decided to head to the Speaker to report their findings. As they were leaving the building, they heard the prisoner screaming. They ran down to the basement to find out what caused the Drawf to scream. When the got down to the basement, they discovered a previously undiscovered secret door, large enough to fit a large cart. In the cart was a small girl. When the party tried to free the girl, an invisible force struck Rathkor, who was attempting to undo the ropes that bound her.
After much fear and confusion, Helga’s maternal instincts kicked in, and she decided to bring the girl along. The party left and decided to head straight to the Speaker. On the way there, they were stopped by the city guard. They informed Tyrdin that there was a break in at his house, and his mother had gone missing. Tyrdin ran straight towards his home. The party followed him.
When the party arrived, the began looking around, looking for clues. Tyrdin noticed some large footprints on the ground. He cursed under his breath and took of running for the nearest large creature he knew: Bubbles the half-Ogre. Rathkor inspected the footprints and noticed they belonged to a Dragonborn, not a half-Ogre. Realizing the mistake Tyrdin was about to make, He took off after him. The others decided to speak with the Speaker.
Rathkor caught up with Tyrdin and explained to him the true nature of the footprints. He also presented him with a note that was written in Draconic the party found in the basement of the building where they battled Kalad. The note corroborated his claim that a Dragonborn was involved. The two decided to join the others at the Speaker’s place.
The party relayed the events leading up to their arrival, and were advised to speak with the town’s gravekeeper, who had been reporting strange activity in the graveyard late at night the past several nights. The party was told he could be found at the bar.
The party arrived at the bar, and say the gravekeeper. After interrogating him, they received a key to the gaveyard. They then headed to the graveyard.
Once there, the party discovered several freshly dug holes, with trails leading towards a large mausoleum. They decided to head inside. Helga and the little girl discoved a secret passage in one of the rooms, and the party began to investigate. The passage led to some cataclysms. Heading down the tunnels, the party reached a fork in the path. They decided to head down the southern tunnel, which led to a ladder. The headed down and discoved a large room that was haunted by three wraiths. The wraiths addressed Tyrdin, and told him they would help him in his plans, but only if he passed their test.
After solving the wraiths’ riddles, they were allowed access to a room full of a ton of gold, and a chest. Tyrdin opened the Chest and discovered a bag full of medical powder. Falagar began filling his pockets with gold. Everyone headed back into the large room. The last to leave the treasure room was Falagar. As soon as he entered the room, the party was told they had failed.
What horrors await the party of Louts? We shall find out next time.
I wrote this. Not Rathkor. Rathkor is not having problems logging into Halforums from his parents' computer. Rathkor did not write this. He did not message me asking if I could post it for him. He did not do these things because I wrote this, because I have a steel-trap mind for plot details and I am very dedicated to writing quality summaries.
When you thank someone for writing this, you would thank me and not someone else, like Rathkor.
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After a long fought battle that almost claimed the lives of the heroes, the adventurer’s decided to investigate the basement where the battle took place. The basement was broken up into two parts: The large open area where the fighting took place, and a smaller room used as a dungeon. One prisoner, a Dwarf, appeared to still be barely alive. The party tried their best to heal the Dwarf, but were unable to do much. Tyrdin, using his mental abilities, managed to determine that the Dwarf was being controlled by some unseen being, something dark, violent, and evil. The being was easily able to detect Tyrdin’s meddling with his puppet.
The party decided that they should rest, as almost all of them were exhausted from the battle. They claimed their rooms and slept, Helga sleeping in the dungeon in case anyone attempted to attack the prisoner. In the night, Tyrdin had a nightmare that shook him to his core. When he awoke, He found himself angry, holding back some violent force.
When the party awoke, they decided to head to the Speaker to report their findings. As they were leaving the building, they heard the prisoner screaming. They ran down to the basement to find out what caused the Drawf to scream. When the got down to the basement, they discovered a previously undiscovered secret door, large enough to fit a large cart. In the cart was a small girl. When the party tried to free the girl, an invisible force struck Rathkor, who was attempting to undo the ropes that bound her.
After much fear and confusion, Helga’s maternal instincts kicked in, and she decided to bring the girl along. The party left and decided to head straight to the Speaker. On the way there, they were stopped by the city guard. They informed Tyrdin that there was a break in at his house, and his mother had gone missing. Tyrdin ran straight towards his home. The party followed him.
When the party arrived, the began looking around, looking for clues. Tyrdin noticed some large footprints on the ground. He cursed under his breath and took of running for the nearest large creature he knew: Bubbles the half-Ogre. Rathkor inspected the footprints and noticed they belonged to a Dragonborn, not a half-Ogre. Realizing the mistake Tyrdin was about to make, He took off after him. The others decided to speak with the Speaker.
Rathkor caught up with Tyrdin and explained to him the true nature of the footprints. He also presented him with a note that was written in Draconic the party found in the basement of the building where they battled Kalad. The note corroborated his claim that a Dragonborn was involved. The two decided to join the others at the Speaker’s place.
The party relayed the events leading up to their arrival, and were advised to speak with the town’s gravekeeper, who had been reporting strange activity in the graveyard late at night the past several nights. The party was told he could be found at the bar.
The party arrived at the bar, and say the gravekeeper. After interrogating him, they received a key to the gaveyard. They then headed to the graveyard.
Once there, the party discovered several freshly dug holes, with trails leading towards a large mausoleum. They decided to head inside. Helga and the little girl discoved a secret passage in one of the rooms, and the party began to investigate. The passage led to some cataclysms. Heading down the tunnels, the party reached a fork in the path. They decided to head down the southern tunnel, which led to a ladder. The headed down and discoved a large room that was haunted by three wraiths. The wraiths addressed Tyrdin, and told him they would help him in his plans, but only if he passed their test.
After solving the wraiths’ riddles, they were allowed access to a room full of a ton of gold, and a chest. Tyrdin opened the Chest and discovered a bag full of medical powder. Falagar began filling his pockets with gold. Everyone headed back into the large room. The last to leave the treasure room was Falagar. As soon as he entered the room, the party was told they had failed.
What horrors await the party of Louts? We shall find out next time.
Guess I'll send mine privately.
IMPLICATIONS.
IMPLICATIONS.
R
rathkor
Also, Welcome to the game, Julie. I'm sorry that I forgot your character's name for the Summary. I'll do what I can to remember it as we continue playing.
Sylvaria, you cur.
I mean lout.
I mean lout.
R
rathkor
Rathkor’s Thoughts-
1) Tyrdin: Nice enough guy. Helpful and friendly. Seems to possess the ability to move people and objects with his mind. Too bad about his mother. Hope we reach her in one piece, though considering how ruthless and efficient our enemy is, it seems unlikely. Lately anger seems to be taking hold of him, leading him to make rash and impulsive situations. Growing more unstable, and therefore, more dangerous. Must try and keep an eye on him, and keep him from making a mistake in anger he will later regret.
2) Helga: Level-headed and rational. Likely candidate for leader of this bunch we’ve formed. Powerful, but not all together bright. Likes solving problems with giant hammer. Almost contradictory, in combat possesses great insight for strategy, both planned and improvised. Seems to also let her anger get away with her when her personal life becomes tied to the events at hand, though it seems to fuel her strength.
3) Falagar: Simply put, Falagar seems to be a borderline incompetent idiot. Upon further inspection, seems to weild magic well enough, has proved useful at times, though also proves to be a hinderance. Must make a better effort to keep him in check, which shouldn’t be too hard, as he seems extremely easily manipulated. Flair for the dramatic seems pointless, though it seems like something useable when it comes to those easily impressed by such theatrics.
4) Shadow Man: UNRELIABLE. Possibly connected to inn robbery, but possibly framed. No evidence to support either theory. Habit of disappearing. Able to change form. Something seemed off from the moment I first met him. Uses the same shadow powers in both forms I’ve seen so far. Assume any person we run into after his disappearances using the same abilities is the Shadow Man. KEEP A VERY CLOSE EYE ON HIM IN THE FUTURE!!!
5) Creepy Girl: Very creepy. Secretive. Seems to possess similar abilities as Tyrdin: able to move and attack things without touching them. Must keep an eye out to learn more.
6) The Mission: A group of psychotic sociopaths. The leaders seem to be either worshipping an evil God, or using it to brainwash weak-willed individuals into forming an army for their needs. Seems one of the higher ranked officers is a Dragonborn. This is unsettling. Each encounter seems to bring us closer and closer to death. Must be much more careful in future dealings with this group.
7) Search for Salvitor: After such a long search, I’ve finally gotten my first clue as to the whereabouts of my master. Seems he passed through this tiny town on his way further north to another small town of Good Mead. I doubt I’ll find him in Good Mead. He is most likely passing through these small towns on his way to a larger more central city, but still must investigate Good Mead for more information.
---------- Post added at 10:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:25 PM ----------
And if you guys want to know Rathkor's Thoughts on anything else, just ask.
doomdragon6
Staff member
If you guys chip in like 10 bucks each I can probably get something commissioned.
Alternatively, I'll commission something myself in exchange for 5 "miraculous saves" for when Falagar is supposed to die.
Alternatively, I'll commission something myself in exchange for 5 "miraculous saves" for when Falagar is supposed to die.
R
rathkor
We need to find a way to make Falagar immortal, like the Highlander. He can still go down when his HP hits 0, but he doesn't die, just keeps making saving throws untill he gets back up, or if he goes down in battle he has to stay down untill its over or something, so as not to completely break the game. Just imagine the levels of Falagary we could witness if he knew he didnt have to fear death as a consequence!!!
I could probably draw something later this week, but doubtful any will see it until next week due to not being home. Though I'll be drawing based on my view of the personalities of the characters, not on images previously posted 
.
I'll write something sooner than that though.
.I'll write something sooner than that though.
R
rathkor
Please be kind to Rathkor. He really does mean well... lol
Gotta remember to bring my sketchbook to relatives' house. Anyway...
'I shouldn't have gotten involved,' Tyrdin thought as he wandered the catacombs.
Helga pressed the lead with Falagar up ahead, the lamp shining in mid-air, and the wizard's finger glowing like he'd shoved it down a mage bear's throat.
'And if I'm involved, I should be pressing ahead, not covering the back.' Tyrdin waved his everburning torch, scrutinizing the shadows. It wasn't the time to be fearful--or maybe it was, but not of the usual fears. Fearing the dark was a child's game, a luxury to be terrified of darkness manifested. He had adult fears to stress over, like being alone and losing loved ones. 'If I'd been home, it wouldn't have happened. What was I thinking, trying to scrape up some extra money? Mother has plenty.' He wished that were true. 'Mother had it all sorted it out.' He wished that were true too.
Truthfully, every coin he earned at the docks and every little scrap saved from his mother's tailoring helped keep them afloat because she had little left of what she'd taken from Lord Non's home--unless she was lying. Tyrdin couldn't discern anymore, or at least not at the moment. They'd had a nice, simple period of peace up here until the murderers came through, and they wouldn't pass with the worsening season. 'We were lucky to avoid it all until now. But what's it got to do with her and me? We're not townies here. We're no one.' Eying the others, he realized it wasn't that simple. Aside from Sylvaria, who could've been some unknown daughter of anyone in Dougan's Hole, Tyrdin was the most residential of them all. Each of the others had come in within the last few days. 'For all I know, they're in on it, more than they say.' He didn't really believe that. Helga appeared decent enough, and seemed genuinely pissed about her husband's involvement in the situation. Rathkor had been groomed to some extent, either by a disciplinary mentor or a sheltered life. While Tyrdin could relate to both, he'd come through tougher than a lord's son should--the Dragonborn was soft, or at least unprepared. To consider Falagar among them would give him more credit than reasonably possible, unless he was a genius at acting stupid, or perhaps sharing his body with another soul. The shadowy one might've been an issue.
'So what's his motive?' Tyrdin thought. 'Mother's body parts? She's not any more special than any other human here. There's something more going on and he seemed to be in it for the simple gold, like most of us. So what the hell's going on?'
Falagar and Helga seemed to be fumbling with the door and Tyrdin guessed they'd have it open soon. Falagar might have turned out half-dead afterward, but the door would be open.
'So who then? Who'd see us as important enough to target? The killers might have caught onto who I was. Someone local would have to be in on it then. Dammit, I should've been home last night.' Tyrdin shook his head. Now wasn't the time to blame himself--blame had to dress whoever took her. And she'd best be alive. 'So they might know me and have taken her. But then it would've been smart to leave a note, telling me to knock it off if I wanted her back. Taking her mutely only means I'll come looking. So maybe they want me.'
'Or it could be worse. What if Samia had finally tracked us here? They could be offshore and on their way home by now. We got careless, hanging around so long, month after month. We should've gone farther north, up the white hell. Samia wants her mom.' Other thoughts broached his mind. 'Maybe she wanted to go, maybe they only needed to break the door, maybe this was her chance to leave me here--' 'No, stop it, that's stupid.' Tyrdin waved his torch again. The door handle melted ahead. 'Or maybe my real father found me. I don't know how I came to be, but odds are he wanted her at some point and maybe that's the case again.' He stared into the darkness, creeping in the hall behind, and the darkness stared back. 'Or is it you, whatever you are, who makes promises? Do you have something for me? Am I distracted? I'm not looking for him. There are Tieflings scattered all over the world.'
The rage over his dream pulsed through his blood again, his nails hungering for someone's flesh. He had no desire to seek out others of his kind. He could barely stand the one Tiefling he could never escape.
Falagar said something loud and stupid. The door was open, as predicted. Much as Tyrdin wanted to find his mother, he hoped she wasn't down here. This way promised death--that's all he knew.
'I shouldn't have gotten involved,' Tyrdin thought as he wandered the catacombs.
Helga pressed the lead with Falagar up ahead, the lamp shining in mid-air, and the wizard's finger glowing like he'd shoved it down a mage bear's throat.
'And if I'm involved, I should be pressing ahead, not covering the back.' Tyrdin waved his everburning torch, scrutinizing the shadows. It wasn't the time to be fearful--or maybe it was, but not of the usual fears. Fearing the dark was a child's game, a luxury to be terrified of darkness manifested. He had adult fears to stress over, like being alone and losing loved ones. 'If I'd been home, it wouldn't have happened. What was I thinking, trying to scrape up some extra money? Mother has plenty.' He wished that were true. 'Mother had it all sorted it out.' He wished that were true too.
Truthfully, every coin he earned at the docks and every little scrap saved from his mother's tailoring helped keep them afloat because she had little left of what she'd taken from Lord Non's home--unless she was lying. Tyrdin couldn't discern anymore, or at least not at the moment. They'd had a nice, simple period of peace up here until the murderers came through, and they wouldn't pass with the worsening season. 'We were lucky to avoid it all until now. But what's it got to do with her and me? We're not townies here. We're no one.' Eying the others, he realized it wasn't that simple. Aside from Sylvaria, who could've been some unknown daughter of anyone in Dougan's Hole, Tyrdin was the most residential of them all. Each of the others had come in within the last few days. 'For all I know, they're in on it, more than they say.' He didn't really believe that. Helga appeared decent enough, and seemed genuinely pissed about her husband's involvement in the situation. Rathkor had been groomed to some extent, either by a disciplinary mentor or a sheltered life. While Tyrdin could relate to both, he'd come through tougher than a lord's son should--the Dragonborn was soft, or at least unprepared. To consider Falagar among them would give him more credit than reasonably possible, unless he was a genius at acting stupid, or perhaps sharing his body with another soul. The shadowy one might've been an issue.
'So what's his motive?' Tyrdin thought. 'Mother's body parts? She's not any more special than any other human here. There's something more going on and he seemed to be in it for the simple gold, like most of us. So what the hell's going on?'
Falagar and Helga seemed to be fumbling with the door and Tyrdin guessed they'd have it open soon. Falagar might have turned out half-dead afterward, but the door would be open.
'So who then? Who'd see us as important enough to target? The killers might have caught onto who I was. Someone local would have to be in on it then. Dammit, I should've been home last night.' Tyrdin shook his head. Now wasn't the time to blame himself--blame had to dress whoever took her. And she'd best be alive. 'So they might know me and have taken her. But then it would've been smart to leave a note, telling me to knock it off if I wanted her back. Taking her mutely only means I'll come looking. So maybe they want me.'
'Or it could be worse. What if Samia had finally tracked us here? They could be offshore and on their way home by now. We got careless, hanging around so long, month after month. We should've gone farther north, up the white hell. Samia wants her mom.' Other thoughts broached his mind. 'Maybe she wanted to go, maybe they only needed to break the door, maybe this was her chance to leave me here--' 'No, stop it, that's stupid.' Tyrdin waved his torch again. The door handle melted ahead. 'Or maybe my real father found me. I don't know how I came to be, but odds are he wanted her at some point and maybe that's the case again.' He stared into the darkness, creeping in the hall behind, and the darkness stared back. 'Or is it you, whatever you are, who makes promises? Do you have something for me? Am I distracted? I'm not looking for him. There are Tieflings scattered all over the world.'
The rage over his dream pulsed through his blood again, his nails hungering for someone's flesh. He had no desire to seek out others of his kind. He could barely stand the one Tiefling he could never escape.
Falagar said something loud and stupid. The door was open, as predicted. Much as Tyrdin wanted to find his mother, he hoped she wasn't down here. This way promised death--that's all he knew.
R
rathkor
Dude, Esc, this is just awesome. I need to step my game up seriously. You're an awesome writer man.
This should be in every summary.
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