Reflections from 9/12/09 DnD Session

There’s a trend of rules interface glitches with the module and standard D&D rules. They aren’t 100% compatible. For some things, it’s minor, such as use of the term ‘bruised’ instead of ‘bloodied.’ For others, it’s potentially more troublesome, such as the rules surrounding pushing there was also a subtle monster design difference for a creature who swallows characters. In the module, swallowed characters could use only melee basic attacks; in similar monsters in the Monster Manual 2, they may also use close burst attacks.

Because that monster got lucky and quickly swallowed 1/3 of the party, the situation seemed potentially dire, especially since the swallowed PC endures ongoing damage, and the only way to escape is by killing the creature. With a larger party, this wouldn’t be so terrible, since the large majority of the fire power is outside of the restriction. In this case, it was a full third of the group’s firepower. When the players panicked a little (mostly the one who’d been swallowed), I panicked a little and quickly lowered the creature’s level by two. I also fudged a die roll when the same creature stunned the other two members of the group in the next round and let the striker off the hook. The players were none the wiser (yay DM screen!). Both were probably the right decisions, but I also think merely reducing the level by one would have been appropriate as well.

I actually like the creature, after the adjustment to allow bursts and will probably add in another next session. Anything with stun affects are risky with small parties, so I’m not certain yet how that encounter will look.

This session included lots of pounding at defenseless things by the party. There was one secret door that they couldn’t unlock (they didn’t find the key, and have no thieving skills), and there was a trapped gelatinous cube at the bottom of a ziggurat. While I wouldn’t want too much of that, it worked out okay. There’s no real reason why they couldn’t pound away at the door and cube, and it allowed the plot to move forward in a relatively realistic way.

Another odd twist about this session resulted from a combination of factors. We had a new player to the group – but probably the most experienced at the table playing a wizard. He appropriately tended to stay in the rear of the small party. There also happened to be several intelligent, sneaky times of monsters this session, so he got picked on more than a little. Now the wizard is out of surges (he was also the one who got swallowed). I really thought his character might die there for awhile, and I didn’t want that to happen; not to a new player.

I’m not entirely happy with the representation of the swamp; there’s something about natural settings that challenge me on the battle map.

Notes from the Session

During the prep, I developed two primary paths the PCs could take; one would lead to Goodman Games’ Dragora’s Dungeon, the other, to some other, swampy content. I had one NPC advocate one choice, a second NPC wanted the other. While I thought the arguments were fairly balanced, it only took a moment for the decision to be made. On one hand, that’s good because there wasn’t frustration… on the other, there wasn’t the sense of genuine dilemma. These guys are heroes, after all. If there’s an option to solve something themselves, that’s what they’re going to choose.

While I’m pleased with the real option, I’d like to improve my dilemma level.

During the prep, the PCs did some minor bullying of court employees in order to provide themselves with a financial tip. Two of the three succeeded, the last did not, and the transaction ended. This ‘encounter’ was completely unexpected and I think I did a good job of inventing an NPC on the spot and running the interaction which included some skill rolls. The group gained solid advantage, but didn’t succeed completely – it even made sense that the character with the low charisma is the one who failed.

To provide some context, the PCs recently arrived in a small pocked dimension and found themselves in the court of Elwind the Matriarch. In the night, powerful magic hit the castle, sending everyone asleep, except for the two PCs who made their saving throws. Everyone was able to wake except for the highest leaders – the Matriarch, her cabinet members (including Mr. Fromell, the Tiefling minister introduced to the earlier) and the captain of the Zain-kin guard pledged to protect the land.

The Zain-kin are a species of large, military monkey-men; the last known clan of them lives in one of the town’s neighborhoods. As a whole, they are allied with Elwind.

As they prepared to seek out the caster of the spell, I wanted to spare them from another tracking skill challenge, so I offered to send a guide along. Only then they researched the magic as provided for in the module, and the guide became superfluous. The PCs still insisted on having their guide, so I went along with it. I planned to send him home when they reached the mouth of the dungeon, no biggie, I thought.

I didn’t put together, however, that I had planned an encounter of raiding Gnolls from the nearby demon controlled region. I quickly downgraded “Scotch” the Zain-kin guide to minion, added an extra gnoll minion, and made sure that poor Scotch didn’t survive the battle. Problem solved, with only minor complaints that they were issued a defective ape-man.

I also didn’t really expect them to fight the Gnolls. One of the PCs has a fairly high passive perception, so they were able to hear the monsters coming. Since the gnolls had nothing to do with their mission (I included them in order to set up future conflict with that region), I thought they might hide from sight.

One nuts and bolts lesson from this encounter: when I drew the (impromptu) battlemap, I should have positioned the characters better, from a practical standpoint. They started at the bottom center, and the gnolls started in the left edge (all relative to me). This had the affect of making much of my terrain irrelevant and made the outside battlefield seem artificially small. All in all it didn’t matter much, but could have been better. My balance of bushy ‘obscuring’ terrain and 5 and 10 foot rocks worked really well. There was cover, and climbing, and hiding and all that good stuff.

I probably should have accelerated the damage at the end of the fight: the toughest mob, with the most hp was saved until last (wisely on all sides); yet there was no doubt how the battle would end. Gnolls don’t run (as a rule) and the PCs had plenty of firepower; not to mention it was the last encounter of their day. I could have easily increased damage by .5 on all sides when the outcome became assured…

The last big takeaway came when they got to the first encounter area of the module. Even though the book is divided into sections, very often the different sections are encountered simultaneously. For example, in our session, as the PCs rappel down to a ledge, the ropes are cut and rocks are hurled at their heads. No problem, however, in the next section of text, you learn that the ground they have just reached is trapped. The lesson here is that good DMs, like good facilitators, good writers, good managers etc… really need to understand how the parts interact and affect one another. This requires some forward thinking and some time spent paying attention to the details.

Marvel to D&D 4th Edition

I'm hoping to get my old, once per year rpg friends to play some D&D 4th edition this summer, and we might try to convert the old Marvel characters into D&D, in order to keep the story going in some way.

As such, I've created a quick table of 4th edition classes by role to help their decision making:

Defender
fighter
warden
paladin
swordmage

Striker
rogue
warlock
barbarian
sorcerer
avenger
ranger

Leader
cleric
bard
shaman
artificer
warlord

Controller
wizard
invoker
druid

Lessons from the First Adventure

The group didn’t quite get what I was trying to do with the round robin, ‘what is the first story of your character,’ but that’s okay. They wound up creating a single shared ‘how they met’ story for themselves, which is still superior to making me engineer a ‘how the group met’ adventure.

I launched quickly into a skill challenge; I knew this would be tricky since it’s a new mechanic to pretty much everyone at the table. I wanted to introduce the concept because I think it has great potential if we can get better at it. DM’s need to design and execute them well, and players need to problem solve using their characters skills. All in all, I was pleased with the outcome. They missed an opportunity to interact with NPC’s which then made the rest of the challenge kinda boring. I realize now I need to be a little more clear about making their options visible.

I should have read up on the monsters a bit more, and thought their tactics out a little in advance. It worked out fine, but would have been smoother and quicker, with less book flipping if I had done that. I think I will continue using the cards for all quick reference information; at least this keeps everything in one place. It does create flipping through the cards, but my hypothesis is that this is outweighed by the certainty of all info in one place.

I must admit that it’s delicious to frustrate the players a little by making the mobs sneaky and by zapping the player characters with hindering affects. It’s also fun to bloody the PC’s and to knock them down sometimes.

Ideas Buzzing

It’s been a weird time in Seattle. Building in the background is the ongoing financial crisis (when can we declare a moratorium on the phrase, “in this financial climate”?), and an ongoing gang war between some South Seattle and Central Seattle gangs. Shootings have become frequent, some within blocks of our home. Then came two full weeks of snowy, city paralyzing weather, followed by flooding. This flooding was serious enough to close off all major land routes into the region and disrupted supply chains.

Piercing
Pain was comparable to the novocain injection during wisdom teeth removal (by the way, if the injections to prevent the ‘actual’ pain hurt that much, how painful must the tooth removal be?)
The piercer had a very professional and mellow affect. He was exactly the sort of person I hoped for.
The bleeding seems to have stopped; I don’t see any other oozing; so far, so good! It’s still tender, though.
My perspective on bacteria has changed; I’m very aware of cleanliness when it comes to the area near my piercing now. I don’t want an infection!

D&D 4th Edition Character Concept – built around chain weapon (flail) which has ‘reach’ property. I’m thinking warlord, to focus on keeping control of adversaries, preferably staying out of melee range, and adding entanglement, if possible. There must be entanglement rules in there somewhere.
The idea is inspired by the Uncanny X-Men comic from 20 yearsish ago when the Reavers ambushed Wolverine in Australia. They defeated him by staying at range with bolos and chain weapons. This concept may work better with a fighter. I plan to get the Martial Powers book soon to help sort it out and to give me new, fun ideas. I see that Clerics also have the ability to push baddies around, and have some advantages with flails. It occurs to me that there are probably several workable characters behind this concept.

Jazz Singer – the old version – shot when blackface was normal! Interesting how the version from the 80’s with Neil Diamond had its own, very different blackface scene.

D&D Feats

Notes to self: when Ayn hits level four, he gets another feat. I plan to take Channel Divinity: Harmony of Erathis. This provides a +2 to hit once per encounter to an ally.

Paladins are primarily defenders, but also can perform as back-up leaders/healers or strikers. I'm trying to balance his feats and powers to fill out the dual nature of the character and to allow him to perform in some of those roles capably.

My vision is to focus on the defender and leader aspects; that aligns with his impulse to hit the bad guys balanced with his urge toward harmony.

When I first created him, I took Ritual Casting as his feat. However, he couldn't afford a spellbook, and hasn't been back to civilization since. Now, ritual casting doesn't really fit into his concept. So, I think I'll retrain that feat into something defendery: either Ferocious Rebuke which allows characters to push opponents once per encounter, or Weapon Focus: Heavy Blade, which gives +1 damage rolls.

Ayn's Journal

I think I'll continue writing journal entries from my D&D character's perspective, and I may as well post that material here. We had a major battle during Wednesday's session. It was every bit as exciting as a video game boss-battle; really it was a little more exciting in some ways. In Dungeons and Dragons, there aren't save points to go back to. It's very possible for a character to really die, especially at relatively low levels, and often the consequences for defeat are significant. Fun stuff!

Ayn’s Journal Entry 2 – Kalarel

Shortly after the battle with the priest, we learned that Kalarel waited in the chamber below; the only way down was through a hole in the floor.

Like the priest, Kalarel seemed interested in negotiation; while there was little doubt that it would end in blood, Kalarel agreed to allow us down into his chamber, so that we could continue the discussion face to face. This allowed us all to climb down the rope and collect ourselves before the battle began.

Before the break down of negotiations, Kalarel admitted that dozens, if not hundreds of sacrifices had been required to move the ritual this far forward. The blood of these innocents still pooled in the chamber and dripped into another area below. This blood must be paid for. Kalarel’s death was only the beginning. Just as the innocents’ blood dripped red from Blackscale after the battle, so will the blood of the guilty conspirators drip from my blade. Justice will prevail in Winterhaven.
********
I must also comment on the nobility with which my cohorts conducted themselves. I’m not sure how we survived: after I destroyed the wight that Jack had kept occupied for most of the battle, I was struck by something… a blast from Kalarel perhaps, and all went dark. I awoke several minutes later, covered in blood. Had one of us failed, had one of us lapsed in courage or power, we would have perished, Shadraxil would have come through the portal, and Winterhaven would have been lost.

I fear that that once the business in Winterhaven is concluded, I may have to take my leave when I continue my journey home to Baldur’s Gate.

Dungeons and Dragons Story Fragment

Below is a journal entry I wrote from my character's (Ayn Blud) perspective based on Sunday's session. I had the privilege of running the party's wizard, Jack, since his player was absent. I had to leave before the end of the last battle, but I've since learned that my character, Ayn did prevail against the evil priest.

We are acutely aware now that every moment wasted is another moment Shar’s cult has to finish its ritual. Their success would have dire consequences that I would prefer not to consider.

Still, we were exhausted after our battle with the block of ooze; considering that the keep’s other inhabitants seem to avoid this area, we thought it best to rest, and to plan to face our dark adversaries in a final push, beginning tomorrow.
*******
Jack’s not quite himself today. He’s not talking much, and he seems to have forgotten that illusion spell he’s occasionally used before. Still, he remains mighty with the missles and fire, so there’s little reason to worry.
********
Looking back, my impatience turned into a benefit: we suspected a trap. When the group’s pondering and waffling became more than I could bear, I marched forward. I found myself trapped behind a wall of force, and the chamber filled with water. There were a few dicey moments when the water level reached my shoulders. I’m not a tall man, and I don’t swim particularly well...

Some of the others seemed to have some difficulty with some of the other statues in the room; I couldn’t really understand why they didn’t just stay away from them. Then again, I wasn’t really paying attention, with the water rising to chin level.

I notice that Jack was smart enough to stay away from the dangerous
statues...

**********
We entered an enormous and vile chamber of blood, sacrifice and pure evil. Before us stood a priest for this terrible religion. I was surprised when he initiated parley. It was clear that he was responsible for vast suffering and evil, still, it seemed wisest to engage him, perhaps discover more of what was going on. My rage built... I wanted nothing more than to slaughter this villain, but I restrained myself.

My comrades Rukh and Aelar also seemed interested in parley, so we approached. Negotiations quickly broke down when one (maybe both) insulted Shar. I don’t think they have much training in the art of diplomacy.

The next thing I remember, a swarm of vampires emerged from the darkness, and the foul priest struck me with a bolt of pure evil. Erathis was clearly watching, as Blackscale protected me. I charged the monster and engaged him, toe to toe, trusting that the others could handle the swarm of undead and whatever beasts lurked therein. He had to die, that’s all I really knew.

I felt exhilarated and godlike as the light of Erathis flowed through me and through my blade. Light will punish dark. I was again reminded of the advantages to fighting alongside (so to speak) a wizard such as Jack. His missiles and bursts of flame bring me great comfort during pitched battle.

I felt much less godlike as the battle wore on, but the villain also looked the worse for wear. Who would outlast the other? I refocused myself. Of course I would prevail. For Erathis. For order. For Winterhaven. For vengeance.

I had to leave before the end of the last battle, but I've since learned that Ayn did prevail against the evil priest.

Dungeons and Dragons, 4th Edition

Over the last month I've joined two Dungeons and Dragons groups. The first is highly motivated, almost (but not quite!) too motivated. Many would play until 11 p.m. on weeknights, and they're all too happy to play ten hours on one weekend a month. They are also happy to stop playing at 10 p.m., and so far, no one seems to mind if you miss a session.

I think the sweet spot for RPG's is around five total players, including DM. As you get larger than that, it's hard to focus on the individuals, and you have to wait longer for your turn. A group of seven seems manageable - that's how large this group is - but it's a bit much.

The second group hasn't quite hit lift off yet, but it's promising. These folks seem to have more going on and want to play in smaller chunks.

To be honest, I was only looking for one regular game. I am training for a marathon, after all. So far, I really like these guys though, so we'll see how it goes. It's also a little easier to take my motorcycle around town in the summer, making the commute fairly easy. If it all becomes too much, I'll have to drop something.

In the meantime, my first group is still chugging along, about once per month. That's my main RPG creative outlet, and I find myself trying to infuse the role playing character focus from that group into D&D. Happily, both D&D groups seem open to that sort of thing.

Break the Stereotype

So, I played Dungeons and Dragons, 4th editon for the first time today, DM'd by a 14 year old girl, with three other thirty something players and another teenager player. We had great fun.

I will admit, I would have enjoyed a bit more in-character role-playing. I don't like it when DM's read background information from their documents; I'd rather play it out.

I played a pre-generated female dwarven fighter. I never play dwarves, and I never play females. It was a good change for me.

One offs are a great opportunity to experiment with different types of characters.

I also met a couple guys who are starting a campaign in Greenlake soon. The thing is, I have someone in Ballard who I've been emailing, who will also be starting a campaign. I'll probably play with both at first. When two games gets to be too much, I'll pick my favorite (or most convenient).