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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Dalor Darden Posted - 19 Feb 2018 : 19:32:22
So I'm starting a new group with my kids. I played a long running campaign with friends for nearly two decades called The Shields of the North...and now my kids and some of their friends are wanting to play too.

We are starting in Phlan in the Ruins of Adventure; with the following things "in the future" for them:

Against the Slavers: will be "in the area" by having Darkshelf Quarry actually be one of the early adventures. Replacing the Village of Darkshelf with the city of Phlan who will be using the Quarry to bring stone for rebuilding. I'm pushing the other segments of the module to the Pirate Isles though. Slavers come into the Moonsea to buy slaves and to take them as well. Details are sketchy right now; but the essence is there.

Against the Giants: After the city of Phlan is "saved" giants will start raiding outlying settlements. Hill Giant Chief will be in the foothills of the Dragonspines...then the others in the Dragonspine Mountains.

Temple of Elemental Evil: will be in Sullaspryn. No village of Hommlet. Going to convert Sullaspryn to a pirate haven (a version of Nulb).

I have several smaller adventures planned too; but for the most part I'm only going to place things "in their way" and let them go from there.

Current party is:

Oynstein: LG human male Paladin of the Triad.

Din of the Dragonspine Mts.: CG dwarf male Barbarian (Battlerager).

Caelcormac: CN elf male Fighter/Magic-User

Krage: N human male Druid

Ahleena: N elf female Magic-user/Thief

?: NG elf female Cleric/Magic-User (daughter hasn't decided a name)

More to come...
16   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
cpthero2 Posted - 08 Nov 2020 : 02:05:55
Great Reader Darden,

So did your son continue on his own and win! :) The daring assassin continues and stabifies everything on its own. This story cannot end here!

Best regards,




Dalor Darden Posted - 01 Nov 2019 : 00:12:23
This entire group disintegrated...

In it's place rose a single character that has continued playing.

My son is playing a human assassin (now only level 3) in the Ruins of Adventure in Phlan.

Far from being a "Shield of the North" he is quickly becoming a scourge.

As for the old characters, the players got discouraged after the Ogre fight. This generation doesn't seem to like it when they can't "save game" and "reload" when something goes badly for them.

The assassin (named Brunard) has done well for himself though. He has several disguises he is using to good effect in the emerging climate of a slowly recovering Phlan:

Gawain (I tried to talk him out of it): a scribe that works for Councilman Ulrich Eberhard. Ulrich knows that "Gawain" is a capable combatant and has even hired the young man to eliminate five Zhentish individuals in the town so far.

Esdich: a mercenary for hire equipped with a two-handed sword (Brunard has an 18 strength!) he acts as a point of contact at the Bitter Blade for those interested in hiring an assassin. Things got hot for Esdich after Brunard's latest assassination and the mercenary hasn't been seen since.

Tod: a street bum that reeks of booze. Tod usually is just an eyes and ears information gathering disguise for Brunard.

Clayton: Brunard's new "middle-man" who has been working Nat Wyler's Bell and even the Cracked Crown trying to sew information into people's ears that he "knows a guy" that can get dirty deeds done.

Marn: a clean shaven version of Esdich with better clothes and gear; Marn is a "new" mercenary in town that is looking for work.

Murdock: a small time adventuring thief/ruffian. Murdock is Brunard's newest persona and is getting ready to hire a group of adventurers to go into the ruins on adventure.

Brunard was rolled using the Unearthed Arcana table "Method V" found on page 74.

He is currently a LE human male Assassin 3
STR 18 (19*), INT 17, WIS 16, DEX 17, CON 13, CHR 9, CMS 13
Hit Points: 15
Armor Class: 4 or 7 (studded leather armor or none)
Skilled with Two-Handed Sword, Shortsword and Heavy Crossbow; but various disguises have him also carrying Daggers and/or a Broadsword.
Magic Items: Belt of Hill Giant Strength* (taken from his victim the Druid Banyun, page 8 Ruins of Adventure)

He has come across a Ring of Protection +1 (from a Zhentish victim) and a pair of Gauntlets of Ogre Power (also from Banyun); both of which he sold to Councilman Porphyrys Cadorna.

With the money from sales of those two items he bought himself a townhouse near the Cracked Crown and hired four mercenary guards to protect the home...all in the guise of Council Scribe Gawain (I really need to get him to change that name...but I think he takes a perverse pleasure in sullying the name of a Knight...).

He also keeps a hideout elsewhere in the docks area.

I'm hoping to entice more players back into this game; because it was going really well until their setback against the Ogres.
Dalor Darden Posted - 13 Mar 2019 : 18:20:17
The party had a major encounter with a group of Ogres. Alas they lost the berserk warrior Din who was "last seen" battling toe to toe with the ogre leader as the party retreated. Had it only been ogres the party could have prevailed, but there was also several gnolls with them and there were just too many foes.

The party doesn't know it...the rest of the party...but Din managed to slay the ogre chief and then took a wild run toward the River Stojanow where he plunged in head first plate armor and all leaving behind his battle axe and cutting straps as he sank with his knife. He then later "came up for air" on the far bank within the confines of the enchanted Quivering Forest. With only a knife and his enchanted hand axe in hand he is trying to make his way back to Phlan.

The rest of the party, Krage knocked cold and all other spells spent, also is making for Phlan with wary gnolls at their backs sporadically firing arrows...too afraid to close into the range of magical strikes (that the party simply doesn't have left).

More to come...
Markustay Posted - 21 Feb 2019 : 04:11:26
LOL

Your post did inspire me to create a new location on my next map - a settlement called 'Pantee' (it was elven at one time, and the name means some thing along the lines of "Holy Blood of Angharradh"). The humans who dwell there now - on the western border of the High Forest - are known for their no-nonsense treatment of travelers and miscreants alike, and have a large group of outriders specially trained to spot potential problems and return to warn the town (or handle it themselves, if the threat is small enough). These horsemen are known as the 'Shields of Pantee".

Get it?

I crack me up.......
Dalor Darden Posted - 19 Feb 2019 : 23:10:08
1e/2e is the shiz man!
Markustay Posted - 18 Feb 2019 : 23:25:45
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

As much as I like Golarion, to me it feels like most of the countries are meant to be stand-alone, but were shoved together, anyway.

Its pretty glaring, though, when you look at the socio-political side of things, with Varisia...

The (main) setting (Inner Sea) has like 8 different (main) human racial groups, and I really love how their campaign book shows this off - its reminiscent of the amazing Iron Kingdoms stuff for 3e (which is sadly almost impossible to find now). Seeing the 'peoples' profiles that way really gives you a feel for the world itself. Now, the main campaign area alone has like 20-30 kingdoms, which all have very different 'flavors' (for the most part). But Varisia because it was once a setting unto itself, has THREE of those races in it. They all COME FROM THERE. Thats just weird - that ONE country has the origins for nearly half the racial groups of the much larger campaign setting.

They did do some 'revisionist history' with the barbarian group saying it 'migrated there from the east' (which somewhat goes against the vibe we were given early on, when Varisia was stand-alone). HOWEVER, when they actually started developing that 'off-the-map eastern region', those same barbarians get barely a mention, and seem completely unconnected to the history there. So yeah, not very good, lore-wise (and our very own Steven Schend developed Iobaria for them, and did a bang-up job, and he cannot be blamed for what was broken from the get-go). There is an over-arching 'ancient (non-human) history' that connects it all together (The Runelords), but the humans are kind of swept under the rug on that one (driven out of their own lands, but the Runelords eventually ruled over everything, so it seemed kind of pointless).

So, aside from the (racial) history, at one point more than half of all their APs took place in that one country, before the rest of the world was opened up, and it gives it a 'crowded' feel there, unlike the rest of everything, which is fairly open and empty (figuratively - it feels empty, when comparing it to the Realms, which has a mountain of history for every square foot of land LOL).

I was interested in running Golarion (if not Pathfinder) some time ago, and invested in it, and even started applying my mapping skills to the place, but then I thought - it all worked so much better as supplementary material for The Forgotten Realms, filling in the gaps we had. Seriously, so much of it - including great swaths of its history - can just be dumped right into FR with very little effort. This has more to do with how the world was designed, and by whom - the flavors are VERY similar, in most respects (and anyone who thinks Golarion is more 'modern' than FR, just NO - only a couple of Gol. countries have a vibe like that, and so do we - we had Aurora's Whole Realms catalogue, AND we had GUNS!). Waterdeep always gave me that 'Gothic' vibe, and now post-SP, even more-so (broken, dirty, etc.).

And if you are running 3e/3.5, its really a no-brainer to cherry-pick from the place. Of course, some of us are STILL running 1e/2e....

Get with the program!!!
Wooly Rupert Posted - 18 Feb 2019 : 19:50:37
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

The Guide to Drakmoon Vale is really just the 'campaign setting', as it were, it was the earliest stuff Paizo did, back when they were still affiliated with WotC. Later, the released the Varisia setting, when they began to do Adventure paths NOT set in an official D&D world. Then still later, after a couple of Varisia-based AP's came out, they released an entire planet as the setting, and rolled both the Varisia and Darkmoon Vale stuff into that (worked well for the small DV, but not so much, methinks, for Varisia, because it as designed to be stand-alone, and it shows).



As much as I like Golarion, to me it feels like most of the countries are meant to be stand-alone, but were shoved together, anyway.
Markustay Posted - 18 Feb 2019 : 05:20:21
The Guide to Drakmoon Vale is really just the 'campaign setting', as it were, it was the earliest stuff Paizo did, back when they were still affiliated with WotC. Later, the released the Varisia setting, when they began to do Adventure paths NOT set in an official D&D world. Then still later, after a couple of Varisia-based AP's came out, they released an entire planet as the setting, and rolled both the Varisia and Darkmoon Vale stuff into that (worked well for the small DV, but not so much, methinks, for Varisia, because it was designed to be stand-alone, and it shows).

So now that you got the mini-history lesson, thats the deal - Darkmoon vale was a setting, and had a bunch of adventures written for it. they were all excellent, but i really loved Carnival of Tears. Now, Darkmoon Vale is just a tiny piece of a country in a campaign world, and most of their APs traveled MUCh further afield, hopping around different countries, to the other side of the globe, and even off-planet! So poor little Darkmmon Vale which was excellent unto itself andf meant to be able to fit into anyone's campaign, on any world, got lost in the shuffle. They bundled all the stuff together a couple years back and I bought it all (I think it was only like $35), but now I don't see a lot of it - I guess they have no interest in publishing small stuff anymore. Damn shame, because they were REALLY good at it.

So the Guide to Darkmoon Vale - while excellent - isn't an adventure. Its the backdrop for a bunch of adventures... if you can still find them. It could still prove useful, though - lots of great NPCs and story-hooks in there, plus a town (would work well near 'dwarf lands', like in The North. Given the Werewolf leanings, it would fit perfectly up near the Darkwoods, in the NW corner of The Silver Marches (there was a dragon magazine adventure set there that also had a group of werewolves, and blending the two would probably work very well). I am looking through my stuff and I can't seem to find the main, introductory adventure, which had to do with kidnapped children, IIRC. I thought it was the CoT I mentioned earlier, but that doesn't look like it - I'll have to dig deeper.

EDIT: I found it on the web (and I am REALLY pissed it isn't with my other DMV materials) - that adventure is called Crown of the Kobold King. Thats the one I think kids would particularly enjoy (rescuing a bunch of kidnapped children). Anyhow, this whole suggestion only really worked if you could have found a bundled deal as I did; it was well worth the cover price - a whole mini-setting (that can literally fit into any world), with about 6 adventures to go with it (so its a great 'start area' for new campaigns).

Plus, ya know, werewolves, and a 'town bully', and an ebil mining company that treats its employees like slaves...

EDIT2: Hollow's Last Hope is the first part of a four-part series, and the CotKK is part 2. It really is a nifty story-arc for new players.
Dalor Darden Posted - 17 Feb 2019 : 21:44:34
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Awhile back, I had gotten a 'package deal' (bundle) of products from Paizo about the Darkmoon Vale - I HIGHLY recommend it for your group. Conversion shouldn't be a problem (what edition are you running? 3PF is extremely similar to 3.5). You can really shoe-horn it in anywhere (I stuck it in a valley just SW of The High Forest, but its small and can go anywhere).

Trust me - your kids will LOVE IT. Carnival of Tears is especially appealing to a younger group of player (and if you watch the anime Goblin Slayer before hand, so much the better). You may NOT want younger kids to see it, though {'rapey goblins', as my sons put it). Nothing like taking what was once a frightening creature in folklore - that D&D turned into laughable crap - and turning back into the scary thing it was meant to be.

I just now checked - it seems they bundle Darkmoon Vale with other stuff now, which is weird, because it doesn't come with any of the modules set there (instead, it itself become the 'little slice' in a larger pie, in the new bundle). Shame - all those modules and the very region had a nice 'Ravenloft vibe', but also more D&D-ish, rather than Domains of Dread. Of course, PF has an entire country with that vibe (so much for them not copying FR's redundancy of regions LOL).



I found a "Guide to Darkmoon Vale"...is that what you are talking about?

We are actually playing AD&D 1e/2e (just a few things from 2e).
Markustay Posted - 16 Feb 2019 : 20:42:24
Awhile back, I had gotten a 'package deal' (bundle) of products from Paizo about the Darkmoon Vale - I HIGHLY recommend it for your group. Conversion shouldn't be a problem (what edition are you running? 3PF is extremely similar to 3.5). You can really shoe-horn it in anywhere (I stuck it in a valley just SW of The High Forest, but its small and can go anywhere).

Trust me - your kids will LOVE IT. Carnival of Tears is especially appealing to a younger group of player (and if you watch the anime Goblin Slayer before hand, so much the better). You may NOT want younger kids to see it, though {'rapey goblins', as my sons put it). Nothing like taking what was once a frightening creature in folklore - that D&D turned into laughable crap - and turning back into the scary thing it was meant to be.

I just now checked - it seems they bundle Darkmoon Vale with other stuff now, which is weird, because it doesn't come with any of the modules set there (instead, it itself become the 'little slice' in a larger pie, in the new bundle). Shame - all those modules and the very region had a nice 'Ravenloft vibe', but also more D&D-ish, rather than Domains of Dread. Of course, PF has an entire country with that vibe (so much for them not copying FR's redundancy of regions LOL).
Dalor Darden Posted - 16 Feb 2019 : 03:20:06
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban

Why not include Ravenloft (the module). We had a blast running through that one. You could actually get your kids to respect vampires again. Just be sure to stress that Strahd will do a lot more than just sparkle if they catch him in sunlight.



I thought about this module...I could possibly work it in somewhere on the eastern shore of the Moonsea.

I'll give it some more thought and see if there might be a way to get the party there.
Dalor Darden Posted - 14 Feb 2019 : 17:13:15
We did use the Pool of Radiance as per the Ruins of Adventure Module.

The campaign is a slow crawl right now and so the party is still in the midst of "clearing out" Phlan.

They have already went to Darkshelf Quarry and triumphed there; but it was a hard fight and a character (the Paladin) was killed. He was Raised when taken back to the Temple of Tyr however.

The group has had several "random" encounters in the city outside the civilized area and the humanoids have gained a healthy respect for the amount of firepower the party can rain down in the form of Sleep spells from 3 magic-users as well as a powerful front line in the form of the Paladin, Battlerager, and the Druid's Call Lightning spell...a city is a big ol' outdoor dungeon where Krage is thriving.

The roles adopted by the players have been:

Oynstein: Heavy Armor wearing Tank. He draws enemies in and with his shiny suit of Plate Armor +1 and magical Shield +2 (along with a dex of 16) makes him AC: -3 which is hard for the regular humanoids to hit. His sword swings true most of the time and his casualty count is nearly as large as the dwarf. Oynstein is a LG human male Paladin level 4 of the Triad.

Din the Battlerager is a front line fighter who wears plate armor too; but does not use a shield. He fights with a Battle-Axe in his primary hand and a Hand-Axe +1 in his off hand and creates a bloody mess wherever he goes with his exceptional strength (18/77) allowing him to slay outright most humanoids. It doesn't hurt that this dwarf also has a high dexterity (16) and an outrageous constitution (19) allowing him as many as 22 Hit Points per level! Din "the Barbaric" is a CG dwarf male Barbarian level 3. I nixed the rule that said Barbarians can't adventure with magic-users because TECHNICALLY Din is a Battlerager.

Caelcormac the elf is a rather sullen fellow who has taken to the role of party archer and enemy spell caster slayer. He always has his bow at the ready and focuses on spells that enemy spell casters can be hurt most by. He wears only leather armor (so he can use his elven surprise ability if alone); but does carry a shield +1 in case he has to get into a melee. His longbow is non-magical; but he does have an assortment of magical arrows alongside his normal arrows...he never hesitates to use magical arrows on enemy spell casters...especially in surprise segments. He fancies himself an elven "assassin" I think. He is a CN elf male Fighter 3 / Magic-User 3 and usually memorizes: Sleep, Magic Missile and Mirror Image.

Krage the Druid (now known as "Lightning Lord" jokingly by the party and "Sky Doom" not so jokingly by the humanoids of Phlan's ruins) is a force to be reckoned with. While he is no giant in a melee (wearing Leather armor and shield only; but wielding a scimitar +1, +2 vs magic using and enchanted creatures); it is his higher level spells that make him deadly to enemies. It takes him a while to Call Lighting to be sure; but if the party scouts out a camp/lair of humanoids (see Ahleena next) then he has plenty of time. He has a pair of wolves that guard him who were initially charmed, but his magic allowed him to train them well and they are now "civilized" enough to enter Phlan. Krage is a N human male Druid 5 and has a Wand of Ice Storms he uses sparingly and his usual spells seem to be: Animal Friendship, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Detect Snares and Pits, Entangle, Speak with Animals; Charm Person or Mammal, Cure Light Wounds, Fire Trap, Heat Metal, Produce Flame; Call Lightning, Cure Disease, Neutralize Poison.

Ahleena the "Dark Eye" is a nasty surprise for others. She is the party "executioner" once the Paladin has Judged an evil to be put to death...all wrapped in pretty clothes. She is the party scout and does a wonderful job at it. She has a Ring of Feather Falling that she uses constantly to jump from building to building in the ruins of Phlan without hurting herself and landing as light as a feather. Coupled with her Invisibility spell, it makes her a very effective spy and scout. She avoids melee most of the time and doesn't even like using her shortbow unless she has to; but she doesn't mind using her magic. She also has a Ring of Free Action she purloined right off the finger of an enemy fighter (Zhent) she subdued with a Sleep Spell in the civilized section of Phlan. He hasn't returned from Zhentil Keep since she dove off the ship leaving the harbor. Ahleena is a N elf female Magic-User 3 / Thief 4 who memorizes (usually): Charm Person, Sleep, Invisibility.

Ree the "Kind" is the party good will. She is also a spell battery of attacks. Standing strong in her Plate armor and shield, she is also very hard for enemies to hit with missile or melee attack. She (along with Krage) has actually advocated burning the ruins to the ground to flush out the "vermin" inside though. Only with "good races" is she full of weal. She carries a Wand of Magic Missiles (nearly spent) that she uses on enemy casters in every fight. Ree is a NG elf female Cleric 4 / Magic-User 3 who memorizes spell such as: Command, Cure Light Wounds, Light, Protection from Evil, Sanctuary; Find Traps, Hold Person, Silence 15' Radius, Spiritual Hammer; Burning Hands, Sleep, Flaming Sphere.

The Masked Mage Posted - 31 Jul 2018 : 11:31:00
Are you using the pool of radiance / Tyranthraxus story? If so do you intend to tie Bane and the Zhentarim to the Slavers and then to Temple of Elemental Evil? Could make an interesting through-line. You could even work the Citadel of the Raven into against the giants.
Thraskir Skimper Posted - 31 Jul 2018 : 03:14:30
What levels are these characters? Are you running this as a city adventure or a failed dystopia city adventure? Ie The city has fallen and is over run with 'monsters' or The City officials are hiring you or you live in the city and are part of the militia and are taking back the city block by block.
TheIriaeban Posted - 27 Jul 2018 : 01:24:28
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden

So I'm starting a new group with my kids. I played a long running campaign with friends for nearly two decades called The Shields of the North...and now my kids and some of their friends are wanting to play too.

We are starting in Phlan in the Ruins of Adventure; with the following things "in the future" for them:

Against the Slavers: will be "in the area" by having Darkshelf Quarry actually be one of the early adventures. Replacing the Village of Darkshelf with the city of Phlan who will be using the Quarry to bring stone for rebuilding. I'm pushing the other segments of the module to the Pirate Isles though. Slavers come into the Moonsea to buy slaves and to take them as well. Details are sketchy right now; but the essence is there.

Against the Giants: After the city of Phlan is "saved" giants will start raiding outlying settlements. Hill Giant Chief will be in the foothills of the Dragonspines...then the others in the Dragonspine Mountains.

Temple of Elemental Evil: will be in Sullaspryn. No village of Hommlet. Going to convert Sullaspryn to a pirate haven (a version of Nulb).

I have several smaller adventures planned too; but for the most part I'm only going to place things "in their way" and let them go from there.

Current party is:

Oynstein: LG human male Paladin of the Triad.

Din of the Dragonspine Mts.: CG dwarf male Barbarian (Battlerager).

Caelcormac: CN elf male Fighter/Magic-User

Krage: N human male Druid

Ahleena: N elf female Magic-user/Thief

?: NG elf female Cleric/Magic-User (daughter hasn't decided a name)

More to come...



Why not include Ravenloft (the module). We had a blast running through that one. You could actually get your kids to respect vampires again. Just be sure to stress that Strahd will do a lot more than just sparkle if they catch him in sunlight.
Thraskir Skimper Posted - 27 Jul 2018 : 00:56:09
Why would you oppose the slavers? Just sell them your prisoners and any family members who keep pestering you about letting their thieving family go. Solves all sorts of problems. You might have to go behind the backs of various do gooders or the like. Slaves are not coming back and if you supply them they will leave you alone. Slavers are harassing Phlan and you kill three birds with one stone. Keep the Paladin and Dwarf out of the loop lead off by your daughter to route out an undead problem while the Thief, Druid and Fighter Magic User solve the Prison over crowding problem.

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