Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Dale's Campaign - Session #16

Well if there was ever a session to podcast, it was not this one.

We were back in high school this past Friday. We acted like a group of fifteen year old kids with the immature jokes and other locker room humor.

I’m still learning how to properly use the recording software as the recording volume needs some tweaking. I had it up too loud so it was not comfortable to listen too.

And thanks to those on the Dragon’s Landing Inn forums for helping me out with some of the issues about recording and doing a podcast.

They gave me some helpful hints about how to set up the area to reduce noise as much as possible.

And it looks like I’ll have to buy a mixing board and another microphone or two. I have a cheap ($20) Radio Shack microphone you can use for 360 degree recording and it does a decent job, but I’ll need another one to make sure that everyone gets heard clearly.

Dale and Aaron’s voices are clearly audible but the rest of us, especially Mike, need to be a little closer to the microphone.

So in addition to possibly rearranging where everyone sits at the table I’m off to the pawn shop soon in hopes of finding a simple mixer and possibly some higher quality microphones.

(Edit: Nothing usable at the pawn shops unless I wanted to jump back to the 1970’s. Tomorrow I’ll be dropping some change at Sam Ash.)

One other thing I need to deal with is the ambient background noise. But everything I’ve tried so far makes everyone sound like they are in a metal box when speaking. I’ll be trying a few things here and there to fix that.

But like all things, I’m sure the quality of this all will improve over time.

And, if everything goes right, I might be able to publish a low quality podcast of our final two sessions in the World’s Largest Dungeon. It’s low quality because it was recorded with a SanDisk digital audio player that I placed on the mantle of my fireplace while we were five to ten feet away from it.

Before I do that I need to get setup with a hosting service and edit the living daylights out of the recording. Like the part in the recording where we are ordering pizza and my phone number and address are clearly stated for all to hear.

But enough of the podcast for now, I’ve got an actual gaming blog entry to type in.

We started off discussing any changes to our characters and what teamwork routines we have.

The DMGII just listed teamwork routines, but never put any cap on them. Well that was pretty silly of the authors to leave such a wide opening loophole for powergamers to exploit. But that loophole was patched up in the PHBII when they said that any one PC can only have one teamwork routine per four levels.

Previously we never really worried too much about them, just assuming that we probably would have learned any routines that made sense for us to have. But with the new rules, we needed to clarify which ones we do and don’t have, and what we should learn.

We’ve narrowed it down to four routines (the names may not be perfect):

Spell Barrage – This one is almost required for a gestalt group of spellcasters. Every area effect blast spell cast in the same round has a +2 DC to its reflex saving throw DC for each blast spell cast before it in the same round.

Group Flank – If anyone in the group qualifies for flanking with an opponent, everyone has flanking. This is a big aid for Kineo and his orb spells. If Culan and Mark qualify for flanking, Kineo has it from range and gets his orb damage plus sneak attack damage, and the rest of us will get +2 on our ray spells.

Group Trance – I have a feeling this one is going to get taken a lot and might be overpowered. But it is certainly a good reason for someone in the group to be an elf or half-elf. If someone in the group is an elf or half-elf, then that person can lead everyone else in an elven trance. This means that everyone participating is considered fully rested in only 4 hours. Once again, a gestalt group with more than one arcane caster just cannot pass this up.

Friendly Fire – This gives bonuses to reducing or preventing damage when hit by area effect spells cast by your allies.

As for character redesign, Kal has done none, though that may change in the future.

I like Kal pretty much how he is, but giving up the illusion school of magic is hurting a little. I did it originally for role-playing reasons. Kal was supposed to be naïve to start off with and considered necromancy to be evil and illusion to be dishonest, but he’s been out in the world now for over 6 months. He still considers necromancy to be evil, but can see the advantages of illusions. But the other schools all are worth keeping, so the group will have to work around him.

I think the only person so far that has used the character redesign rules is Brian. And for that I think he just dropped Dodge to take Shield Specialization. That’s not what I would call a drastic change.

Dale also told us that our magical tower is not easily usable. First we must find a suitable place for it to be placed, just like a regular tower. Second we can’t just pick it up and move it anyone we want to. Basically he wants it to be a semi-mobile base of operations for us.

We helped him clarify exactly what he wanted the tower to be. It can only be used “at the speed of the plot”. That is a phrase I read from the writer of Order of the Stick meaning that the magic of the tower will return when it is a good time in the story line for it to come back.

And that’s something I can appreciate because how many of you DMs out there have regretted giving something stats only to have your players exploit it and use it against you?

And next up we had Dale asking us for information on what we wanted to see happen in the current campaign or any changes we’d like to see.

Aaron: “I really love drow.”
Sean: “I really hate drow.”
Aaron: “Just kidding.”
Aaron thinks he’s funny.

Among our ideas, of which any, all, or none could be adopted – all at Dale’s whim:

- Stop taking it easy on us. That night hag we fought should have really put a major hurt on Kal when he was stupid enough to get between her and her prey. But she only cast Magic Missile at him. My fear now is that Dale might go crazy on us. We shall see.
- Use a larger variety of monsters and change things up on us. I showed him a powered up bulette and gelatinous cube that I modified with E-tools. I then let him keep those printouts. Oops.
- Create a group of evil NPCs that would be our “evil twins”.
- Don’t railroad us onto a plotline, but make sure we have direction so we know where to go for the next step in the plot. (There is usually a very fine line between the two.)
- Give us some non-standard challenges, like non-combat and puzzles. The abduction of the mayor of Darken Moor is an excellent example of that.
- Sometimes the good guys don’t know everything, and sometimes what they know is wrong. What if the mayor was actually good-aligned and just being made to appear evil? That’s a plot twist and a half right there.
- Keep it up with the PC’s actions having an effect beyond the immediate situation. The reformation of the Brothers Grimm and the return of Darken Glen are good examples.
- Visit ENWorld for good ideas and tips, most notably the general and rules forums.
- Brian wants a no-win scenario. I’m hoping he doesn’t get that. I don’t want to be yelling out “Kahn!” at a game session. Aaron’s wife and neighbors may not appreciate it.
- Aaron would like some further investigation into the whole ancient civilization story arc that all but disappeared after a while.
- Scale our times and distances better. Dale admits that he’s not good at that. Now that we’re aware of that, it’s not as much of an issue.
- Incorporate some of our PCs’ backgrounds into the game. Kal would love to nuke some orcs because of his history, but that has never been explored in the game.
- I’d like to have Baron Kordt (the evil baron) as an adversary.
- Before giving us magic items, determine if they will actually be of any value to us. In a gestalt group, wands, scrolls, and potions have a much smaller value to us because we have an excess of spells and we’re over level 10. Recently all we’ve done is sell 90% of the magic items Dale has put in the dungeons. And they should almost always be in the hands of someone who knows how to use them.

That’s a large list of stuff, but like I said, it was just us throwing stuff out there for him. If he chooses not to use it, that’s fine. If we weren’t having fun, he wouldn’t be running a game.

Then we jumped into the game with a recap of our recent deeds and us moving on out of Darken Glen.
- He repeated the short bit about the lich whining about us upsetting the balance and promising to do something about that.
- The town of Darken Glen put up a fountain of us as thanks.
- Each of our mentors and the Order of the Heart gave us as all attaboys.

And to end it all and move us into the next plot, Baron Barcum sent us an official letter requesting our attendance for a party in our honor. We assumed he’d be asking us a favor as well.

So we gathered up our tower, our horses, and Kineo’s dog and headed off to the city of Graystone, Barcum’s headquarters.

Kineo promised his butt-ugly girlfriend that he’d be back, but he won’t be.

During our two week trip we noted that the effects of the change of swamp to forest was far-reaching and we met up with a troupe of guards called the Order of Saint Michael.

They are basically lawful good and lawful neutral set up to keep the peace of the region. We rode along with them for a period of time for safety and to get some information.

They told us that there had been a very large green dragon spotted in the area of the city call Trade Meet. We made note of this for future reference.

They also told us that this entire area was not safe for people thanks magical experiments in Baron Kordt’s territory. His dark wizards had a tower with a portal to beyond that went haywire causing the tower to explode and for months the portal remained open spewing out awful creatures until the traveler-god Saint Leonard (Jaxil’s deity) came in and closed the portal. Even though the portal was closed, its effects are still felt as the creatures from there still roam about the countryside.

At one point in our travels we felt like we were being watched through scrying, but the moment we began casting a spell, the feeling ended. Kal suspects that lich is involved.

All was well until we actually made it to Graystone.

The place was a nightmare for anyone whose alignment was not Lawful Jackass.

At the gate we were greeted by a man who was described to us as being a 20th level bureaucrat. After a not-so-small gate fee we were given a large book of rules and regulations (the short version) for this town and allowed inside.

We were all but accosted by people wanting to represent us as legal council the moment we cleared the guard area.

No matter where we went there were lawyers trying to be nice, not-so-nice, or even bully us to get our business.

Sean: “You have be in an armored tank to get anywhere in this town.”

Just to make headway in the city we had to hire ourselves a lawyer as even the innkeepers were in the street trying to get us to stay at their place.

Kal hated this city and returned to daydreaming about turning evil and cleansing this town with fire, or at least give it a metropolis-sized enema.

This was one of those time where giving up the illusion school was a mistake.

Our hired lawyer had us get into a cart and fake that we were diseased so that the roads would clear out of our path.

Finally we made it Baron Barcum’s keep and had to wait in a 100+ person line before we saw him.

He was quite pleased to see us, but a little saddened by our opinions of his city. We were greatly disappointed that the party was the next day because we’d have to spend another whole day in that city.

But that’s ok, Kal rolled a natural 20 on his diplomacy skill check (total score 36 at least). That got us an escort to Baron’s semi-secluded guest house and a group of tailors to get us all gussied up for the party.

And thus began the downward spiral for our senses of humor that we haven’t seen sense the Living Lock fiasco in the World’s Largest Dungeon.

I guess as long as we keep it limited to once a year, it’s alright. I guess.

Giggity

We fast forwarded to the next night at the party where we all paired up with the high class ladies at the party.

The Baron awarded us with 1000gp apiece, including Jaxil, and we had a wonderful evening.

Mark sought out a pretty and chaste young maiden to provide him some pious entertainment for the evening.

Culan sought the attentions of a beautiful young lady that turned out to be the Baron’s youngest daughter. He had to compete with other men of high social standing but she spent her time at the party with him.

Kal chose to aim for the attentions of the slightly older women at the party and not to go any farther than that. We were in over our heads on this one and ticking off someone with money and connections could be dangerous. Ok that’s not quite true, I just smelled a trap and didn’t want to touch anything.

Kineo has made some pretty poor decisions in his adventuring career. Including reading from an evil book bound in human skin. But this night he made the worst decision so far; he wooed and “took to bed” the Baron’s eldest daughter. And the worst of it is yet to come.

Meanwhile, late in the evening, Culan was returning to our temporary abode when he was waylaid by a group of thieves called The Band of the Laughing Rogue.

According to them he was carrying too much money and it needed to be redistributed, to them, of course.

Culan began talking with them and found out they weren’t really hard-nosed, evil cutpurses, but were rather a group rogues that had been taken over by “the boss”. They’ve never seen him, but he keeps everyone in line with real threats of death.

After quite a bit of banter, Culan and they came to an agreement; we would take out the boss and the Band of the Laughing Rogue would become his eyes and ears in Darken Glen to make sure that evil would not return to the town.

He gave them 500gp and escorted them to gates, and later sent 1000gp to them and sent a note to the new town council of Darken Glen letting them know about the deals he had made with the Band. If the Band reneged on their deal (which involved not stealing or killing), the town was to consider them outlaws and treat them as such.

The next morning the Baron officially summoned us to his court.

Kineo gulped.

Baron Barcum had found out about Kineo and his eldest daughter, but any issues dealing with that, including any potential complications, would be dealt with later.

Complications such as the Baron having no sons and I hope you can figure out what that might mean on your own.

Kineo’s possible destiny was delayed when Culan filled the Baron in on the agreement he made with the Band of the Laughing Rogue.

The Baron decided to wait until we returned from the city sewers before any further business was discussed.

So with some minor buffing, we found the nearest sewer entrance and traveled down into the muck.

We were quickly attacked by our old friend the elder water elemental (he wasn’t all water though – ugh).

We fought the last one with the benefit of several of us being able to fly, so this time around it hurt us more but it ended the same.

The best thing we found out is that the spell Mass Cure Light Wounds is amazing in the hands of Jaxil.
Normally it heals 1d8+level (max +25), but with Jaxil it is 1d8 + 10 (his level +1 for healing domain) + 10 (Complete Divine feat that adds 2 per spell level for healing spells) + 2 (another feat that adds 2 if a turn attempt is used).

Reduced that is 1d8+22 points of healing to everyone in range (damage if you’re undead).

Now that is a walking band-aid.

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