Work schedules can be rough: my Sunday group, in which we play The Fantasy Trip, alternates every few weeks as to who is running the game. For a new GM, he is doing really well and we've had some great adventures. Even more fun, it is all taking place in an expanded shared world.
Unfortunately, he has been working way too much as of late, so we're switching back for a bit to me running a game. Which is great as I've finished (with a thud honestly) running the Apex game. Sadly, only one son will show up, so the role playing will be all that more challenging.
I had started an adventure to bring in a new character as the werewolf is now a zombie werewolf being ridden by the Goblin mage, the Runt. I'll just rework that, but I had a plan with props and everything. I spent a couple hours Saturday doing some prep work: re-reading where we left off, figuring out a possible adventure, and then digging through the minis to find some that will work as well as spark some ideas. I found a good map and printed that out, as well as hand-making a different map on a large sheet of crinkled shipping paper. Then used a wax seal to seal that up: this will be something they find in the building.
I created a character around a mini I have (and did not paint anywhere near the image below). A grump bee-keeping Druid who lives in the southern Kalor desert, just a bit north of Windemere. He goes to town with his honey to trade and pick up any other supplies he may need, but generally keeps to the ruins several miles north of my little trade town.
Printed out a Dyson map with three levels on some tabloid paper, made some notes in the margin, and used the 2 volumes of Delve magazine for some random things. The map is keyed as D1/4 for Delve 1, page 4. I'll roll the stuff up when they get there. I'll be doing some random monster rolls though I did pick up a few I did want to have in there. Gathered up the minis and put them in a box, prepared some pouches with the treasures to find, and have some general hand-written notes. I may bring some additional random books and decks to the table just because I have them and really want to use the things I get.
I'll also be bringing back the sister of one of their early foes: Tressa Mountainsunder, sister to Vakkekara Mountainsunder. She was a magic user that used eyes to spy on things as well as portals. Unfortunately, they managed to kill her off before she could escape through a Gate. It was planned to flesh her out more and make her a long-running thorn in the adventurers lives. But there are more gates around, including one in the current adventure. The idea was that the new character was going to have fallen through a gate by accident and Eriznock wants whoever is inside that ruin, disturbing his bees, out of there. In fact, I'll have him give the adventurers a couple of healing potions and whatever non-gold treasures they find to find the place. He is a Dwarf, and still loves his gold. Just that he now has his bees make their own liquid gold: honey. Yeah, I see what I did there!
Finally, I am bribing them to show up and made some sweet potato rolls. Very similar to Cinnabons but with sweet potatoes. I did mess this batch up a bit: forgot the tablespoon of oil in the dough and forgot to add the pecans to the filling. I just stuffed the rolls with pecans and will hope for the best. The father really looks forward to playing, as do I.
Post game recap: well, things took an unexpected turn. They both seemed to like the random aspect of exploring a bit. Unfortunately, the 1st encounter turned out to be a desert lion! Oddly I had a lion mini already on the table as it was a stand-in for the Lamia. And I used the lion card from the Decks of Destiny so had the stats all ready and everything. The lion attacked their guide, who did manage to get one bow shot off before getting swatted by the creature! It almost killed her despite her leathers but fortunately I only rolled a bit below average for 2D of damage. The rest of the party, with the exception of Nova moved in to attack. As The Runt and his zombie steed/werewolf actually did more damage, the lion turned on them the next turn, and did manage to finally kill poor Agaric. Who was already dead from the last game, but the Runt has this zombie ring he found...
After finishing off the lion, I was asked if they could make a zombie from the lion. I now realize that this zombie ring needs to have some limitations. I decided that they needed to be sentient to become a zombie. I may have to do some additional adjustments so that the next foe they kill does not become a zombie!
There was a fountain in the corner. Using the Delve book, it was an illusion of entrails in the glowing water, and the 1st bladed weapon would become a +1. The Runt stuck his finger in, nothing happens. The Goblin Mage, not deterred, jumps into the fountain. He does have a pair of kitchen knives, so the 1st one is now a +1 kitchen knife. Finding his blade is now sharper than ever, he shares that with our rogue, Crut. Who has managed to lose not 1 but 2 magical blades due to critical fails! He quickly stirred his blade in the pool. No affect: it was only the 1st bladed weapon.
Meanwhile, Nova had done her physicking for Sonji (who does have a backstory), and they are off exploring more of the building. The next room they explore I roll a humanoid and a beast: beast was a snake, humanoid a wizard. I used the Decks of Destiny wizard cards (hey, twice in 1 game using those decks!) and have a player randomly pick a card. He turned out to be a 40 point wizard. The snake, Sam, is now a familiar. He was preparing to summon a Myrmidon but I had a positive reaction roll to the party as well as the group tried to talk their way out. A bit of discussion (and a hoarse throat from me as I tried to do a deeper Dwarf Wizard sort of voice) and the wizard and snake (the snake watching Crut very, very carefully) left.
They climbed up the stairs to a small watch tower, all of 10x10 feet or so. Putting 4 minis in that space is interesting. All that was there was a lantern. I had the players roll the dice from the Delve book, so they now have a lantern that has a 80' radius lighting effect, as well as being able to detect traps once per week. And it is pumpkin shaped. They also saw the Dwarf wizard stomping off across the dunes, upset that he could not delve with the group as he wanted all the gold. The snake was still watching Crut, coiled on the wizard's shoulder.
The next room was an L-shaped room back on the main floor. Rolled nuisance creatures - 6 scorpions. Now normally these are literally just nuisance creatures: both Crut & the Runt have magical armor that protects more than the creatures can pierce. Yet I still roll all the attacks, and just before I roll the one for Crut, I said the only way they can get hurt is if I roll triple damage. So of course, I roll 3 1's. Triple damage. And I roll high for that damage, which even taking off his armor almost kills poor Crut. And he is one of the longest lasting characters in this game (or several games now). Fortunately, that was the only critical roll I made, so they did kill off the scorpions, Nova healed 3 of the damage points, and using the healing honey from Eriznock, he got a couple more points. So now half the party is already damaged a bit! I will have to throw in some healing potions in the remaining rooms perhaps!
Anyway, I'll be poking around more of my random stuff and put in more interesting stuff. Just glad I am using some of the way-too-much-stuff I keep getting more of. And even used some of the minis! and of course, there are still more minis on the way (200+ from Blacklist Games assuming they don't go bankrupt and the minis, now in Quartermaster's warehouses, don't get sold off elsewhere to pay off debts! and also the Nord minis, and some interesting SF ones are in the mail now, and fun Centaurs...and I did order more paints so there is no excuse to not be painting more!)
Hailing from the desert Aster Clan, Sonji grew up in the Kalor Desert, learning the ins and outs of living in the desert. Her clan wiped out by a roving ogre raiding party, she moved to Windmere. Knowing little else, she offered her services as a guide through the desert. Eventually she joined the Guild of Feathered Guards, giving part of her fees for guild membership, but also getting a place to stay when in Windmere. She usually takes groups along the Trail of Lost hopes that winds through the desert, passing through Ceawla on the way to the Elemental City of Athukthad. She is taciturn, does not talk about her past, but is quick to defend her charges. She can also shoot her bow twice per combat round with astounding accuracy. Between the high DX and the missile weapon skill, she only misses on critical fails for targets in range.
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