I am running a mini campaign where the players level up after each session of play. The first session was protal under the stars with six pcs ran by two players. One player had a blacksmith, elf artisian, and a turnip farmer. The other had a jestor, an indentured servent, and a shaman (with one hp).
because there were only 6 pcs I made the following changes: one one spearing throwing statue, only 3 crystal creatures, and only one blast from the fires statue.
One of the best moments was when the jester threw a dart and scored a critical against the immortal demon sanke. The dart hit the snake in the head for +d3 damage and droped him to the bottom of the inititative. This probably saved the party, as it bought anouther round of hacking at it. Unfortunantly, the snake did get one more bit in and killed the jester.
In the star room, they collapsed the pool onto the clay soldiers, and elven atrisian made a silk rope out of the jester's silk clothing and tied a grappling hook onto it. They used this to swing it down and smash the golem generals that were not in pit and thus not affected by the collapsing pool. In the end, only the elf, the turnip farmer, and, amazingly, the shaman with one hp survived. The farmer became a fighter, and the shaman became a cleric.
Thoughts from the players: it was alot of fun. It was the first time playing without miniatures and battle grid maps and they really enjoyed that aspect. The thought the game was much more imaginitive and interesting. Also, they seemed to take to their characters diying much better than I suspected they would. I think its because, with only a d4 hps, they weren't having high expectations of living any way, so they just went with the flow and had a good time. They were constantly affraid and wanting to just leave the dungeon, which I liked as the GM, cause it meant they were excited and not bored. They did find the secret treasture chamber, which I kind of made an inevetibility because I wanted to continue with the next part of the adventure, getting a pice of a dryad's tree.
Mini campaign, level up after each session.
Moderators: DJ LaBoss, finarvyn, michaelcurtis, Harley Stroh
Re: Mini campaign, level up after each session.
The second adventure the characters were level one. There was an elf and a fighter played by one character, and a cleric played by the other. This was a home brewed adventure where the players had to go into the woods and find the dryads tree in order to get a piece of its bark. The woods are wild with no trails, and the local villiage that is on the edge of the farm dont dare enter, or even log its timber.
What the players dont know is that the dryad charmed a bugbear, and is forcing the bugbear to help protect her. She instructed the bugbear to beat a local goblin band into sumbission. When the players entere the woods they feel a strange presence, like the trees themselves are watching them, and indeed, they are being watched in a way. The dryad senses their presence as well as their intent to violate the sanctitity of her tree and puts a plan into motion....
The players were quite affraid of getting lost in the woods, and did things like carving marks into trees to help mark a path of return home (which gave them a bonus to their intelegence checks to not get lost, but only angered the dryad more). A small band of goblins was sent to tryt o mislead the party to a cave where a "clue" to the location of the tree would be. But in fact, it was a trick, as the cave is home to a basilisk. Ignoring the warnnings of the hundreds of animal bones lying around the entrance to the cave, the party went in, and the basilisk. The fighter got bit a few times but did not get paralyzed, and finally killed the creature with a mighty deed of arms to ram his sword down its throat, dealing an extra d4 damage.
Very beat up the party decided to rest in the cave, figuring it would be safe. One member went out to get fire wood, and a goblin say that they had not been defeated. SO when they emerged the next morning, they found 10 goblins and the bug bear ready to bear down on them. They party fought hard as the goblins attacked in waves of 3. The elf cut a pound of flesh from his body and burne 5 strength to spell burn and cast sleep, succeding in putting three goblins, teh second wave, to sleep before it could re-enforce the first wave. after slaying the first wave, and putting to sleep the other three, the rest of the goblins fled after failing a moral check, and the bugbear fled as well.
The party interogated the captured goblins that had been put to sleep and found out that the bugbear would likely head back to the tree, as he seems to spend alot of time there. So, the party made tracking checks and tracked the bugbear back to the tree. There they had a rough fight against the bugbear and a dryad that, though had few hps and a lame melee attack, could use word of command. While the elf and fighter fought the bugbear, the dryad and cleric spelldualed. The cleric was eventually charmed by the word of command and beat the elf to death with her mace. Before that, the elf spell burned something like 5 points of agility and got covered in bleeding sores to try to cast sleep again, but failled the roll. The word of command wore off and the spell dual continued while the fighter continued to fight the bugbear, using MDoA to disarm the bugbear, and delay its ability to attack. The cleric and dryad eventually simulcasted and, the dryad charmed the cleric againw ith word of command but also, the cleric got holy scantuary up, so neither the dryad or fighter could attack her. Also, since she had holy sacntuary up, the player asked if she could do subdual damage to the fighter. I ruled that that was fine, and so she whacked the fighter but didnt put him down. Finally, the fighter killed the bugbear, and ran and slayed the dryad as well. The cleric moaned in pain as she was instructed to protect the dryad, but once the spell woke up she felt fine. They got the piece of bark, and found their way out of the forrest and back home. Oh, and when they rolled the elf over, he was dead, apperently, when he spell burned and made dangerious promises to a dark creature of the pit, that creature came to claim the elf's debt much sooner than he anticipated...
the party finished the scrying ritual with the bark of the tree and found that the other half the demon rod they are looking for is in a aztec style temple located deep in "Hag Swamp." They are now level 2 and adventuring there but will first do a side adventure converted from the modual "quest for the silver sword." Also, since the party is only two members now, they each will get to roll up another level 2 character, with the option to chose a class for them, but wont get the 1d4 0 level hp kicker. Or, they can make up to 4 0 level random pcs. It is their choice as to waht they think will be more helpful in their quest. Also, because the cleric decided to destroy the imortal snake's demon horn and seems to behaving success converting the fighter to be less chaotic and, at least, more neutral, recived some luck reward. The fither though, still has to suffer being low on luck, and suffering a -1 (for a total of +0) to his attack rolls with longswords (his lucky weapn) and a slower speed because he has the wild child trait. but, still has net gain since his d3 went to a d5, and rolled crazy lucky on hps (first hp roll on the d12 was a 10, and for second level rolled a 12, this, combined with a +2 per level from stamina and 3 hp at zero level, puts him at 29 hps at level 2!).
the plan is, after the next adventure, they will level to level 3, then do had swamp, then, will combine the rod with its missing part, and awaken the war-wizzard, which will send an undead barbarian horde to slay them for looting his tomb. After sussefulling defeating him and his undead horde, the pcs will do the last adventure, at level five, in the free RPG book, as a kind of epeloge to what happened after their daring mission.
I would like to write all this up as a longer level 1-5 campaing following up after the first adventure, but for now, this shorter version works since I dont have access to alot of monsters, xp rewards for monsters, or magic items. BUt I really like the history of the war-wizzard and all the potential that his scrying glob, demonic broken rod, and other worldly patrons has for great adventures.
How did teh players like first level? alot. The spell dual was really enjoyed by the cleric, and the mighty deed of arms seemed to be well liked and often used. The elf was a bit weak because of terrible stats, but even so, every one enjoyed the elf spell burining. The cleric, who is lawful, that generally liked the elf more than the brash, tomb looting fighter, suddenly changed her mind when the elf started slicing pices of his own flesh off and making deals with dark powers and developing bleeding sores on his face to cast terrible and frightinging magicks. The mostly one on one dual between the fighter and bugbear was also alot of fun. So far, no real complaints.
What the players dont know is that the dryad charmed a bugbear, and is forcing the bugbear to help protect her. She instructed the bugbear to beat a local goblin band into sumbission. When the players entere the woods they feel a strange presence, like the trees themselves are watching them, and indeed, they are being watched in a way. The dryad senses their presence as well as their intent to violate the sanctitity of her tree and puts a plan into motion....
The players were quite affraid of getting lost in the woods, and did things like carving marks into trees to help mark a path of return home (which gave them a bonus to their intelegence checks to not get lost, but only angered the dryad more). A small band of goblins was sent to tryt o mislead the party to a cave where a "clue" to the location of the tree would be. But in fact, it was a trick, as the cave is home to a basilisk. Ignoring the warnnings of the hundreds of animal bones lying around the entrance to the cave, the party went in, and the basilisk. The fighter got bit a few times but did not get paralyzed, and finally killed the creature with a mighty deed of arms to ram his sword down its throat, dealing an extra d4 damage.
Very beat up the party decided to rest in the cave, figuring it would be safe. One member went out to get fire wood, and a goblin say that they had not been defeated. SO when they emerged the next morning, they found 10 goblins and the bug bear ready to bear down on them. They party fought hard as the goblins attacked in waves of 3. The elf cut a pound of flesh from his body and burne 5 strength to spell burn and cast sleep, succeding in putting three goblins, teh second wave, to sleep before it could re-enforce the first wave. after slaying the first wave, and putting to sleep the other three, the rest of the goblins fled after failing a moral check, and the bugbear fled as well.
The party interogated the captured goblins that had been put to sleep and found out that the bugbear would likely head back to the tree, as he seems to spend alot of time there. So, the party made tracking checks and tracked the bugbear back to the tree. There they had a rough fight against the bugbear and a dryad that, though had few hps and a lame melee attack, could use word of command. While the elf and fighter fought the bugbear, the dryad and cleric spelldualed. The cleric was eventually charmed by the word of command and beat the elf to death with her mace. Before that, the elf spell burned something like 5 points of agility and got covered in bleeding sores to try to cast sleep again, but failled the roll. The word of command wore off and the spell dual continued while the fighter continued to fight the bugbear, using MDoA to disarm the bugbear, and delay its ability to attack. The cleric and dryad eventually simulcasted and, the dryad charmed the cleric againw ith word of command but also, the cleric got holy scantuary up, so neither the dryad or fighter could attack her. Also, since she had holy sacntuary up, the player asked if she could do subdual damage to the fighter. I ruled that that was fine, and so she whacked the fighter but didnt put him down. Finally, the fighter killed the bugbear, and ran and slayed the dryad as well. The cleric moaned in pain as she was instructed to protect the dryad, but once the spell woke up she felt fine. They got the piece of bark, and found their way out of the forrest and back home. Oh, and when they rolled the elf over, he was dead, apperently, when he spell burned and made dangerious promises to a dark creature of the pit, that creature came to claim the elf's debt much sooner than he anticipated...
the party finished the scrying ritual with the bark of the tree and found that the other half the demon rod they are looking for is in a aztec style temple located deep in "Hag Swamp." They are now level 2 and adventuring there but will first do a side adventure converted from the modual "quest for the silver sword." Also, since the party is only two members now, they each will get to roll up another level 2 character, with the option to chose a class for them, but wont get the 1d4 0 level hp kicker. Or, they can make up to 4 0 level random pcs. It is their choice as to waht they think will be more helpful in their quest. Also, because the cleric decided to destroy the imortal snake's demon horn and seems to behaving success converting the fighter to be less chaotic and, at least, more neutral, recived some luck reward. The fither though, still has to suffer being low on luck, and suffering a -1 (for a total of +0) to his attack rolls with longswords (his lucky weapn) and a slower speed because he has the wild child trait. but, still has net gain since his d3 went to a d5, and rolled crazy lucky on hps (first hp roll on the d12 was a 10, and for second level rolled a 12, this, combined with a +2 per level from stamina and 3 hp at zero level, puts him at 29 hps at level 2!).
the plan is, after the next adventure, they will level to level 3, then do had swamp, then, will combine the rod with its missing part, and awaken the war-wizzard, which will send an undead barbarian horde to slay them for looting his tomb. After sussefulling defeating him and his undead horde, the pcs will do the last adventure, at level five, in the free RPG book, as a kind of epeloge to what happened after their daring mission.
I would like to write all this up as a longer level 1-5 campaing following up after the first adventure, but for now, this shorter version works since I dont have access to alot of monsters, xp rewards for monsters, or magic items. BUt I really like the history of the war-wizzard and all the potential that his scrying glob, demonic broken rod, and other worldly patrons has for great adventures.
How did teh players like first level? alot. The spell dual was really enjoyed by the cleric, and the mighty deed of arms seemed to be well liked and often used. The elf was a bit weak because of terrible stats, but even so, every one enjoyed the elf spell burining. The cleric, who is lawful, that generally liked the elf more than the brash, tomb looting fighter, suddenly changed her mind when the elf started slicing pices of his own flesh off and making deals with dark powers and developing bleeding sores on his face to cast terrible and frightinging magicks. The mostly one on one dual between the fighter and bugbear was also alot of fun. So far, no real complaints.
Re: Mini campaign, level up after each session.
I like your idea of level up after every session, and I am looking forward to your 2nd level report.
Looks like there will be a huge disparity in hp between the party members. That should be interesting, and good for the playtest to examine extremes.
Looks like there will be a huge disparity in hp between the party members. That should be interesting, and good for the playtest to examine extremes.
Re: Mini campaign, level up after each session.
So, in this third adventure, the party is 3rd level. There were only two members left alive, a cleric and fighter, so the party was joined with two new characters, another fighter, and a thief. For this level of play a sent the players off on a side quest and ran the old DnD basic modual "quest for the silver sword." I removed all magical enhancments for found treasure (e.g. the +1 plate mail is just plate mail) but kept other magic items such as a magic bell that, once per day, would make a feast large enough to feed evry one in the room.
As the party was half way though their two week trek to the lost temple in Hag Swamp, they came across a town that was cursed with a prepetual winter. The local villagers asked the party to help, even though they had little they could offer them in the way of a reward. The cleric spoke up and said "all I ask is you build a temple or small chaple dedicated to the goddess of justice!" and the townfolk agreed if they could rid them of the curse.
There was alot of dungeon crawling in this adventure but, for the most party, the party kicked but in this adventure. The fighters, doing d8+d4 damage really hacked things to pieces. A giant white widow that freezes people in a block of ice when it bites them was beaten witout to much trouble, as well as a golem made out of armor, an ice golem, and even the climatic battle with a wererat and his ratling followers was not so scary. Even the gelatnious cube, modified as per the DCCRPG rule book was totally creamed. The creature ahd 20 hps and 4 attacks that each delt d4 damage, and every time the creature dished out 5 points of damage, it would grow 5x5 feet larger, gain 5 hps, and gain an extra attack. But the party killed it two rounds. I think one reason for this is that, about half way though exploring the dungeion, the party was able to return to town, and one fighter and the cleric were able to get full plate armor. (the suite of armor golem was full plate and could be reparied to serve as a normal suite of armor, and then they had enough gold to buy a suite). This army gave them ac 19 and 18 and made them about impossible to hit. So one lesson learned, don't let even a 2nd or probbaly third level party get a suite of plate mail.
They did have trouble in one room (and this was before they got the full plate). There was a room with 4 coffins, and when they entered the room, 3 zombies and a ghoul emerged. The two fighters hacke their way pretty good though the zombies untill the goul paralyzed one of them. The cleic tried three times, unsuccesffully, to turn the monsters, eventually rolling a nat one and gaining disfavor with her diety. The penalty was that her -1's for all her casting would take two days to go away isntead of one. They finally defeated the encounter with one fighter paralyzed from the goul which was going to last 60 minitues. Meanwhile, the party thief decided to search the coffins. Finding a secret compartment in one coffine (but not the trap) got stuck with a poisn needle that was save or die in 2d6 minuets unless healed with any kind of magical healing. Luck was burned in order to make the save but even with a succesful save, the thief was paraylzed for 60 minuets from the poison. Meanwhile, the other fighter decided to check the other coffins. A bad idea, the fighter found another secret compartment (easy to find now that they know waht they are looking for), and set off a 3d6 firball trap save for half damage. The paralyzed thief and mage were not allowed to make saves as they were...paralyzed. The fighter was taken down to one hp and the thief died. The other fighter, with only 5 hps at max (rolled awful for his hps) also died. The cleric had two rounds to save them but failed on both casting checks, yet again, as her diety tests her. The thief failed his luck roll to be only mostly dead (from having negative mods to burning to much luck) and the fighter died from just rolling bad. So this left the party with its original two survivors, the beefy fighter and cleric.
When the party returned to town to rest up, they had a new magic item, a bell that once per day would summon a feast for every one in the room when the bell was rung. So, while resting up for their second trip, the cleric summoned every one in town and rang the bell so she could give them all a feast, a nice welcom after the famine imposed by the harsh and never ending winter. She did this in the name of her diety, and won many converts to her faith, and gained a ton of luck points and a +2 tempory boos to casting rolls.
They returned in their full plate and steam rolled the rest of the dungeon. After the big fight, the were able to end the curse and rescue a band of elven adventures led by a noble elf, Eledan Silvercrest. The elf swore that he and his elven brethen would come to their aid in their darkest hour. Also, the lord of the land saw fit to also swear to aid the adventures in any way they can for ending this curse and saving one of his villiges. The party recived the ruins to be their one keep, with the fighter paying townsfolk money to clean it out and rebuild it. The cleric also donated severl hundred gold pieces to the town to help buy new seed and farm animals so they could start to rebuild their lives faster. The party has come to be known truly as heors, with the aid of the lord of the land's army, and the elven woriers of the woodland relm should they ever need it (and, once the unwhittingly awake the war wizzard and his army of undying barbarian bezerkers, they will).
Some final thoughts, watch out for gold and item inflation. The party got way to wealthy which is my fault for not properly adjusting a DnD basick modual well enough. A fighter with decent stats and good hp rolls can be extreemly effective, and I don't think this is a game where magic items are neccearsy in order for the party to do well at high level. I don't think this shuld mean there are no migic items, but they can be fewer and more mystrious and interesting since yuo dont need a flood of +x swords and armor. The party eventually had three spell books (one from the previous elf, the war-wizzard's spell book, and one book they found in this adventure). I was hoping the theif would get to try to cast a spell out of the book as if casting from a scroll but it never came up, died to soon I guess.
Next stop, Hag swamp and third level!. There they will fight mostly lizard men and giant lizards as the search ancient ruins in the swam for the other half othe demon rod. Probably will be able to play this next session in a week or so.
As the party was half way though their two week trek to the lost temple in Hag Swamp, they came across a town that was cursed with a prepetual winter. The local villagers asked the party to help, even though they had little they could offer them in the way of a reward. The cleric spoke up and said "all I ask is you build a temple or small chaple dedicated to the goddess of justice!" and the townfolk agreed if they could rid them of the curse.
There was alot of dungeon crawling in this adventure but, for the most party, the party kicked but in this adventure. The fighters, doing d8+d4 damage really hacked things to pieces. A giant white widow that freezes people in a block of ice when it bites them was beaten witout to much trouble, as well as a golem made out of armor, an ice golem, and even the climatic battle with a wererat and his ratling followers was not so scary. Even the gelatnious cube, modified as per the DCCRPG rule book was totally creamed. The creature ahd 20 hps and 4 attacks that each delt d4 damage, and every time the creature dished out 5 points of damage, it would grow 5x5 feet larger, gain 5 hps, and gain an extra attack. But the party killed it two rounds. I think one reason for this is that, about half way though exploring the dungeion, the party was able to return to town, and one fighter and the cleric were able to get full plate armor. (the suite of armor golem was full plate and could be reparied to serve as a normal suite of armor, and then they had enough gold to buy a suite). This army gave them ac 19 and 18 and made them about impossible to hit. So one lesson learned, don't let even a 2nd or probbaly third level party get a suite of plate mail.
They did have trouble in one room (and this was before they got the full plate). There was a room with 4 coffins, and when they entered the room, 3 zombies and a ghoul emerged. The two fighters hacke their way pretty good though the zombies untill the goul paralyzed one of them. The cleic tried three times, unsuccesffully, to turn the monsters, eventually rolling a nat one and gaining disfavor with her diety. The penalty was that her -1's for all her casting would take two days to go away isntead of one. They finally defeated the encounter with one fighter paralyzed from the goul which was going to last 60 minitues. Meanwhile, the party thief decided to search the coffins. Finding a secret compartment in one coffine (but not the trap) got stuck with a poisn needle that was save or die in 2d6 minuets unless healed with any kind of magical healing. Luck was burned in order to make the save but even with a succesful save, the thief was paraylzed for 60 minuets from the poison. Meanwhile, the other fighter decided to check the other coffins. A bad idea, the fighter found another secret compartment (easy to find now that they know waht they are looking for), and set off a 3d6 firball trap save for half damage. The paralyzed thief and mage were not allowed to make saves as they were...paralyzed. The fighter was taken down to one hp and the thief died. The other fighter, with only 5 hps at max (rolled awful for his hps) also died. The cleric had two rounds to save them but failed on both casting checks, yet again, as her diety tests her. The thief failed his luck roll to be only mostly dead (from having negative mods to burning to much luck) and the fighter died from just rolling bad. So this left the party with its original two survivors, the beefy fighter and cleric.
When the party returned to town to rest up, they had a new magic item, a bell that once per day would summon a feast for every one in the room when the bell was rung. So, while resting up for their second trip, the cleric summoned every one in town and rang the bell so she could give them all a feast, a nice welcom after the famine imposed by the harsh and never ending winter. She did this in the name of her diety, and won many converts to her faith, and gained a ton of luck points and a +2 tempory boos to casting rolls.
They returned in their full plate and steam rolled the rest of the dungeon. After the big fight, the were able to end the curse and rescue a band of elven adventures led by a noble elf, Eledan Silvercrest. The elf swore that he and his elven brethen would come to their aid in their darkest hour. Also, the lord of the land saw fit to also swear to aid the adventures in any way they can for ending this curse and saving one of his villiges. The party recived the ruins to be their one keep, with the fighter paying townsfolk money to clean it out and rebuild it. The cleric also donated severl hundred gold pieces to the town to help buy new seed and farm animals so they could start to rebuild their lives faster. The party has come to be known truly as heors, with the aid of the lord of the land's army, and the elven woriers of the woodland relm should they ever need it (and, once the unwhittingly awake the war wizzard and his army of undying barbarian bezerkers, they will).
Some final thoughts, watch out for gold and item inflation. The party got way to wealthy which is my fault for not properly adjusting a DnD basick modual well enough. A fighter with decent stats and good hp rolls can be extreemly effective, and I don't think this is a game where magic items are neccearsy in order for the party to do well at high level. I don't think this shuld mean there are no migic items, but they can be fewer and more mystrious and interesting since yuo dont need a flood of +x swords and armor. The party eventually had three spell books (one from the previous elf, the war-wizzard's spell book, and one book they found in this adventure). I was hoping the theif would get to try to cast a spell out of the book as if casting from a scroll but it never came up, died to soon I guess.
Next stop, Hag swamp and third level!. There they will fight mostly lizard men and giant lizards as the search ancient ruins in the swam for the other half othe demon rod. Probably will be able to play this next session in a week or so.
Re: Mini campaign, level up after each session.
nanstreet wrote:I like your idea of level up after every session, and I am looking forward to your 2nd level report.
Looks like there will be a huge disparity in hp between the party members. That should be interesting, and good for the playtest to examine extremes.
Thanks, I am just tyring to test out the different levels and classes as much as possible, while trying to incorperate things like spell duals as much as possible. Also trying to test out other rule modifcations suggested in some of the fourms, such as using a d16 instead of a d20-4 for two handed initiative and letting players use luck to avoid getting hit. I am going to try to throw in a dwarf and elf for the next adventure. So far it has been alot of fun!