Tales from the Road...

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Fenris Ulfhamr
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Tales from the Road...

Post by Fenris Ulfhamr »

So since I've gotten back to the Great Swamplands (you may know them as "Floor-Id-Dah") and gotten drafted to the Road Crew, I've had three seperate quasi-occasional "campaigns" running. I've started no less than THREE funnels: The Tribe of Ogg and the Gift of Suss, Sailors on a Starless Sea, and The Shambling Un-Dead- great funnels, all! Unfortunately in some regards, it has been impossible to finish any in a si ngle session, so each has turned into a mini-campaign of it's own pending the schedules of my core players.

See, how I do is like this: In each game there are usually 2-5 "core" players whom I personally know, and/or show solid interest in continuing the game. These players I get backstories from (assigning a small "fate" bonus to Luck), allow them an added degree of customization or importation/adaptation from another game, and weave them into the story. The "walk-up" players receive 2-4 random pre-gens with the capacity to join the band, so to speak. Even mid-game with higher level core players, casual or walk-up players can take the role of level-0 henchmen from town without seriously derailing the story while keeping it accessible.

So far it's working! My hope is to get too many players to carry through a "regular" campaign, but whet their appetites enough to start their own!
Last edited by Fenris Ulfhamr on Sun Sep 18, 2016 5:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Black Kylessa (c) LV 2 Wizard (orphan)
Str7/8 (-1) Agi17(+2) Sta9(0) Per6(-1) Int15(+1) Luc15(+1) AC13 (padded armor, fumble d8) HP7 Sling+2 (1d4-1) or dagger+/-1 (1d4-1) Spd30 Init+2 R+3 F0 W0 Ragdoll (Mara), Pony, 48cp 602gp Common, Chaos, Halfling, Dwarven
Animal Summoning 64 Wealful/Woeful magic (erupts from the earth),Charm Person 83 Blue Star (black beam), Runic Alphabet, Mortal 43 no change, Spider Climb 53 no change (six extra eyes),Magic Missle 94 Fine Control (meteors),Chill Touch 50 no change (skeletal hands)
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by GnomeBoy »

Sounds like a helluva plan!
...
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Fenris Ulfhamr
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by Fenris Ulfhamr »

YES! As of this night I now have SIX official games under my belt and a growing band of marauding PCs! Most of the original players from my three "campaigns" have leveled, with new additions and stragglers eager to catch up and gain some hard-earned power and glory for themselves.

Last night we ran Shambling Un-Dead as a funnel to a near TPK before conceding to time restraints. I allowed the surviving PCs to escape to a nearby town as refugees, and we'll be switching to a more (or less!) survivable module. BUT FIRST, genius moment of the night: the party threw an unlit lantern at a band of aquatic deadites hoping to drive them off or kill them- but not a flint nor steel amongst them! The solution was a 15' pole tipped with a goose tied in a tunic which was flipped into the leylines (igniting both bib and bird) then into the oil puddle spreading UNDER THE LEAD GHOULY'S VERY FEET! The remaining round saw the roasting rotten pin cushioned with bolts and arrows felling him to roast in his own briney juices as his comrades turned tail...

Tonight, my Sailors group met the Slow God, paid a high price for a really bad sword, and decided to camp poolside in the keep. I think a certain brother-from-another-monster will be dropping by in the night...mwahaha...

...those poor villagers....

Black Kylessa (c) LV 2 Wizard (orphan)
Str7/8 (-1) Agi17(+2) Sta9(0) Per6(-1) Int15(+1) Luc15(+1) AC13 (padded armor, fumble d8) HP7 Sling+2 (1d4-1) or dagger+/-1 (1d4-1) Spd30 Init+2 R+3 F0 W0 Ragdoll (Mara), Pony, 48cp 602gp Common, Chaos, Halfling, Dwarven
Animal Summoning 64 Wealful/Woeful magic (erupts from the earth),Charm Person 83 Blue Star (black beam), Runic Alphabet, Mortal 43 no change, Spider Climb 53 no change (six extra eyes),Magic Missle 94 Fine Control (meteors),Chill Touch 50 no change (skeletal hands)
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Fenris Ulfhamr
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by Fenris Ulfhamr »

Well, October has run a bit slow due to cancellations from my core groups, but Sailors on a Starless Sea concluded nicely (well, not SO nicely, seeing as how the tentacled horror was...er...molested by an inventive-if-creepy player into fleeing) and my second group has moved on to Doom of the Savage Kings with newly minted level 1s and a few newbie players with a fistful of 0s! I guess that puts me at 8 so far, that DCC judge buckle so tantalizingly out of reach... yet so many new players! I'm still hoping to finish The Gift of Suss, and will try Portal under the Stars with 1s and zeroes to see how that differs from my straight funnel runs I've done. So...many...games!!!! :mrgreen:

Black Kylessa (c) LV 2 Wizard (orphan)
Str7/8 (-1) Agi17(+2) Sta9(0) Per6(-1) Int15(+1) Luc15(+1) AC13 (padded armor, fumble d8) HP7 Sling+2 (1d4-1) or dagger+/-1 (1d4-1) Spd30 Init+2 R+3 F0 W0 Ragdoll (Mara), Pony, 48cp 602gp Common, Chaos, Halfling, Dwarven
Animal Summoning 64 Wealful/Woeful magic (erupts from the earth),Charm Person 83 Blue Star (black beam), Runic Alphabet, Mortal 43 no change, Spider Climb 53 no change (six extra eyes),Magic Missle 94 Fine Control (meteors),Chill Touch 50 no change (skeletal hands)
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Fenris Ulfhamr
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by Fenris Ulfhamr »

This past week was crazy. My normal Wednesday core group (now running Doom) is switching to bi-weekly, so some of Thursday's crew and some first time players jumped on it. We ran a "quick" scenario from The Shambling Un-dead, linking it via the party's druid (cleric) going to Cowlinsport to retrieve an artifact believed to have been brought there by an outcast from their order. The unnamed hero's statue in the park is recognized as an ancient allegedly heretical druidess. The ensueing battle ended with the death of a few zeroes, but creative play won the day- and the orb- although the battle took ALL NIGHT...

The NEXT night our heroes from Sailors discussed what their characters did with their week or so of downtime and the spoils of victory, and promptly set back out. Two (from the previous night's game) rested not at all an found adventure and artifice in Cowlinsport before rejoining the main group, others cast week-long rituals, trained, established contacts, or ate of forbidden fruits gained from the previous haul. A couple elves hit level one, becoming eligible for their discount mithril, so lo and behold if a small elven vessel doesn't just pull into harbor. Said elves also task their brethren (and the allied druids amongst them) to find the "thirteen moons of Aereth", ancient mystical orbs of great power lost to time. Rumors suggest that one had been taken to Cowlinsport- that's IT!- another held by an ancient wizard whose demense is only accessible when the stars are right once every 50 years. Separate rumors circulating amongst the tavern rabble mention a great black pearl-a black moon?- in a tower beneath the sea accessible when the tide is at its lowest. Properly baited, hooked, and half reeled in, the party chose to plunder The Portal Under the Stars in a single session and plan to move on to The Tower of the Black Pearl hoping to collect the third "moon" as the druidic elves once called it...

Black Kylessa (c) LV 2 Wizard (orphan)
Str7/8 (-1) Agi17(+2) Sta9(0) Per6(-1) Int15(+1) Luc15(+1) AC13 (padded armor, fumble d8) HP7 Sling+2 (1d4-1) or dagger+/-1 (1d4-1) Spd30 Init+2 R+3 F0 W0 Ragdoll (Mara), Pony, 48cp 602gp Common, Chaos, Halfling, Dwarven
Animal Summoning 64 Wealful/Woeful magic (erupts from the earth),Charm Person 83 Blue Star (black beam), Runic Alphabet, Mortal 43 no change, Spider Climb 53 no change (six extra eyes),Magic Missle 94 Fine Control (meteors),Chill Touch 50 no change (skeletal hands)
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by GnomeBoy »

I'm prepping Tower of the Black Pearl myself...

[SPOILERS]

I got some advice that became odd-seeming after re-reading the module. Someone said that they got great effect and atmosphere out of emphasizing the wet interior -- but the magic keeps it dry inside (otherwise the consequences for room 2 from the thing in room 12 would already be in effect). Someone else talked about the effort that went into scaling the outside of the tower in order to get entry, but I'm pretty sure the intention is that only 5 feet or so (maybe 10?) are sticking up above the water's surface.

And I've just started thinking about how to deal with the consequence of room 12; the time-table as written seems... off (given the nature of room 4).

Curious how you're dealing with these bits in particular, or the whole thing in general. :mrgreen:
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.

Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters

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Fenris Ulfhamr
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by Fenris Ulfhamr »

I have the tower's top just a bit above the waves- a few feet (and a DC 5 climb check) above the top of the boat they sailed up in (last time, anyway). As for that other bit, if you mean the door that will get harder to open later, I DO have a plan!

SPOILER ALERT! Intentionally vague spoilers ensue, PM me for clarity








So, assuming the gang puzzles out the three portals and doesn't just loot them (and there's a big IF there), getting back to door #3 will be awfully hard in the tower's later state. The two option present themselves: 1) They get the Pearl and have to devise a way to get back in ten years later (sooner if creative) and learn to hold their breath. That ball is in THEIR court, but certain patrons may aid such an undertaking. See also the Tribe of Ogg or 2) they don't get the Pearl and just have to mope about until they can get back in for another shot at it, but at least they can breathe easily. Either way, the key they'll need requires a very lucky or high level party which hopefully will be able to solve the new set of problems as well. Also if ever my players return to the scene of a module, I always add new tenants!

Black Kylessa (c) LV 2 Wizard (orphan)
Str7/8 (-1) Agi17(+2) Sta9(0) Per6(-1) Int15(+1) Luc15(+1) AC13 (padded armor, fumble d8) HP7 Sling+2 (1d4-1) or dagger+/-1 (1d4-1) Spd30 Init+2 R+3 F0 W0 Ragdoll (Mara), Pony, 48cp 602gp Common, Chaos, Halfling, Dwarven
Animal Summoning 64 Wealful/Woeful magic (erupts from the earth),Charm Person 83 Blue Star (black beam), Runic Alphabet, Mortal 43 no change, Spider Climb 53 no change (six extra eyes),Magic Missle 94 Fine Control (meteors),Chill Touch 50 no change (skeletal hands)
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by GnomeBoy »

I agree about how much is above the waves. Hadn't thought about the 'hard to open door', assuming the PCs are either out before it's an issue or something heavy is going on, and that heaviness will be fun, and a 'barred' door is going to be excellent punctuation.
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[SPOILERS]
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I guess my 'beef' (if one can have a beef with an H. Stroh adventure) is that 1-4 are not directly physically connected to the rest. If the spell is broken, the spell is broken, and it should all start to 'change' all at once. Maybe not all at the same rate (6 and 7 are theoretically 'deepest'/closest-to-water so they should go before, say, 5 and 11), but they should all be starting to fail at the same time... It should NOT be that 5 goes and then 4 goes. Sorry, Harley, that makes no sense. I suspect word count cramped that detail... Imagine passing through area 2 with the pearl in hand, seeing jets of water from cracks in the walls putting out the candles a few at a time!
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.

Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters

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Fenris Ulfhamr
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by Fenris Ulfhamr »

Oh! I totally missed the whole point you were getting at. I agree with your logical assessment, but it can all be semantics (dramatics, that is!) to say...

...lets assume the Judges Forum to be for judges and therefore chock full-o-spoilers...

...all fails randomly and thereby roughly all over, but still fills in the order listed.

Black Kylessa (c) LV 2 Wizard (orphan)
Str7/8 (-1) Agi17(+2) Sta9(0) Per6(-1) Int15(+1) Luc15(+1) AC13 (padded armor, fumble d8) HP7 Sling+2 (1d4-1) or dagger+/-1 (1d4-1) Spd30 Init+2 R+3 F0 W0 Ragdoll (Mara), Pony, 48cp 602gp Common, Chaos, Halfling, Dwarven
Animal Summoning 64 Wealful/Woeful magic (erupts from the earth),Charm Person 83 Blue Star (black beam), Runic Alphabet, Mortal 43 no change, Spider Climb 53 no change (six extra eyes),Magic Missle 94 Fine Control (meteors),Chill Touch 50 no change (skeletal hands)
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by GnomeBoy »

Fenris Ulfhamr wrote:...all fails randomly and thereby roughly all over, but still fills in the order listed.
I agree. Like I say the "deep" bits are probably the first to go, but they are also the bits that no one may feel any need to go back to...

My plan at the moment is just play around with the timing and scale for dramatic effect, and not worry about the round-by-round sequence. It's possible that's more or less what Harley would've had in mind, but also felt you need to list things out so all readers/GMs are happy. Not everyone is comfortable when the rules fade out and things get squirrely.
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.

Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters

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Fenris Ulfhamr
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by Fenris Ulfhamr »

Wednesday night the mercenary troupe in Hirot set out for the tomb ofthe Savage Kings after talks with Bull Haverson and Ymae the witch indicated that the old serpent mound may contain something to aid in their hunt (actually following two separate leads). The guardian was dealt with with torches by a clever new player, and a persistant search of another room prevented the ambush there. Magic spells likeWord of Command can REALLY turn the tide in a battle! We'll hear from these guys in a fortnight...

I actually held off running Black Pearl this Thursday (the tides aren't right for a couple days yet) in order to include a couple of my regulars who called out, and instead returned a final time to finish off The Shambling Un-Dead. I realize I'm essentially mining a tournament module for random side-quest encounters, but it turns out the "source of power" reported to lie in Cowlinsport wasn't refering to the orb in the park, but something in the final room. We were joined by two new players who were escaped refugees from the overrun hamlet returning with the heroes to route the un-dead once and for all- which they did nicely. One character, who refers to himself as the "Chaos Rider", made the deal and acquired the power in the final room- but how this will set him at odds with patron and party have yet to play out... Stay tuned!

Black Kylessa (c) LV 2 Wizard (orphan)
Str7/8 (-1) Agi17(+2) Sta9(0) Per6(-1) Int15(+1) Luc15(+1) AC13 (padded armor, fumble d8) HP7 Sling+2 (1d4-1) or dagger+/-1 (1d4-1) Spd30 Init+2 R+3 F0 W0 Ragdoll (Mara), Pony, 48cp 602gp Common, Chaos, Halfling, Dwarven
Animal Summoning 64 Wealful/Woeful magic (erupts from the earth),Charm Person 83 Blue Star (black beam), Runic Alphabet, Mortal 43 no change, Spider Climb 53 no change (six extra eyes),Magic Missle 94 Fine Control (meteors),Chill Touch 50 no change (skeletal hands)
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Fenris Ulfhamr
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by Fenris Ulfhamr »

My Thursday crew was expecting to ship out to the Tower of the Black Pearl when they got an invitation they couldn't refuse- and became embroiled in Intruige at the Court of Chaos! Seriously one of the most fun modules I've ever ran, but you have to use the props for this one. I dug out some play-doh for the relevant challenge (I have a player who always draws/sculpts/discusses one thing, so he kinda auto-passed this one, lol). With all the silly things that went on at our table, and me running about the store with the players for "private" in-character audiences, we got a lot of looks and questions. We may have a third group spawn from this!

Black Kylessa (c) LV 2 Wizard (orphan)
Str7/8 (-1) Agi17(+2) Sta9(0) Per6(-1) Int15(+1) Luc15(+1) AC13 (padded armor, fumble d8) HP7 Sling+2 (1d4-1) or dagger+/-1 (1d4-1) Spd30 Init+2 R+3 F0 W0 Ragdoll (Mara), Pony, 48cp 602gp Common, Chaos, Halfling, Dwarven
Animal Summoning 64 Wealful/Woeful magic (erupts from the earth),Charm Person 83 Blue Star (black beam), Runic Alphabet, Mortal 43 no change, Spider Climb 53 no change (six extra eyes),Magic Missle 94 Fine Control (meteors),Chill Touch 50 no change (skeletal hands)
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Fenris Ulfhamr
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by Fenris Ulfhamr »

HA! Ridiculous hi-jinks at the Court of Chaos ensued as the party defeating their stunt doubles in the egg chamber then moved on to the betrayal! This table's core group consists of mostly chaotic players, but neutral (good) newcomer contested with the self-titled "chaos rider" (an elf) for control of the Egg. His mercurial effect for Force Manipulation is to phase out, so he snatched the thing and proceeded to become incorporeal/invisible, forcing the goodly cleric to bide his time to strike.The thief greased the steps leading down, nearly taking out three of the party, then the chaos rider rematerialized near the waypoint as the cleric stole the Egg! A round of Flaming Hands and apologies later, we return to the court where the cleric burnt 10 Luck (10!) to gain initiative and completely bypass the final skirmish and escape with the Chariscuro envoy. Now murmurs persist of a raid on the planes of Balance... but we still have the pregernaut ( the 12' tall and pregnant MALE warrior) to deal with! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Black Kylessa (c) LV 2 Wizard (orphan)
Str7/8 (-1) Agi17(+2) Sta9(0) Per6(-1) Int15(+1) Luc15(+1) AC13 (padded armor, fumble d8) HP7 Sling+2 (1d4-1) or dagger+/-1 (1d4-1) Spd30 Init+2 R+3 F0 W0 Ragdoll (Mara), Pony, 48cp 602gp Common, Chaos, Halfling, Dwarven
Animal Summoning 64 Wealful/Woeful magic (erupts from the earth),Charm Person 83 Blue Star (black beam), Runic Alphabet, Mortal 43 no change, Spider Climb 53 no change (six extra eyes),Magic Missle 94 Fine Control (meteors),Chill Touch 50 no change (skeletal hands)
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Fenris Ulfhamr
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Re: Tales from the Road...

Post by Fenris Ulfhamr »

DING! For my FIFTEENTH game we decided to tackle the Tower of the Black Pearl. My core PCs are on a quest to collect the thirteen Moons of Aereth, an a large mystically endowed black orb may be of that set, so...

I've run the Pearl before, and we progressed a good way into it, but the first half of our session getting to that is what was different. My PCs are coming out of the Courts of Chaos so some of them are a bit ...different...now. I had a festival in the heroes honor at a starting town (from whence they where abducted by the Court), and now upon return time was short in getting to the Tower before the tides were right. Sadly, due to time constraints of everyone wanting downtime activities, adding new PCs, and the general chaos of a seven+ group, I had to McGuffin the male warrior's pregnancy issue. Sure was a good thing their NPC wizard friend had a girdle of masculinity/femininity lying around!

Black Kylessa (c) LV 2 Wizard (orphan)
Str7/8 (-1) Agi17(+2) Sta9(0) Per6(-1) Int15(+1) Luc15(+1) AC13 (padded armor, fumble d8) HP7 Sling+2 (1d4-1) or dagger+/-1 (1d4-1) Spd30 Init+2 R+3 F0 W0 Ragdoll (Mara), Pony, 48cp 602gp Common, Chaos, Halfling, Dwarven
Animal Summoning 64 Wealful/Woeful magic (erupts from the earth),Charm Person 83 Blue Star (black beam), Runic Alphabet, Mortal 43 no change, Spider Climb 53 no change (six extra eyes),Magic Missle 94 Fine Control (meteors),Chill Touch 50 no change (skeletal hands)
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