I feel I screwed up this session. The demon was a bit overpowered in some ways, and I don't think I actually ran the combat well. Of course, old school games can be very lethal. The battle started when they were ready, but it really only lasted a few rounds.
The dice gods hate me - I rolled great for the succubus and her attacks and damage, but horribly for the NPCs I ran attacking her. And my players did not do a whole lot better: first round, the elf gets killed with a backhanded blow that threw her across the dungeon against the wall. A bit of damage was done to the demon from a few of the players and NPCs but not enough to throw her off her game. The lizard man does get two attacks (he has a tail, and I just parlayed the double fire for missile weapon into his native tail should be a pretty well-earned ability). He managed a bit of damage, and the others were trying their best, but my NPCs missed. One even dropped her spear - I rolled a 17. Next round the succubus manages to hit Hexis, the lizard man, but not quite killing him. The halfling manages a blow last round with explosive slingshots, but this round she managed to hit the druid in the back - he was in the line of fire. The druid used his magic staff to smash the demon, and she took more damage but was still standing and fighting. A minor demon has 50 strength points, so it takes quite a bit to kill them. Next round the halfling manages to use her whip (yeah, really should have been a turn to switch weapons but we were playing loosely with the combat rules) and gets it around the demon. Who, while weakened from the continued attacks, is still stronger than the halfling. Marianne, the lapinfolk, helps and pulls and between the two of them they get the demon down on the ground. But she manages to get back up next turn and deals a killing blow to the lizardman Hexis. Deimos, the mage, has failed twice to cast a spell - mere sparks drift from his gestures. But this round he finally manages to bring the bear, who, next turn, leaps on and finally kills Silgith.
Sister Ishbarra at one point darted across to try to lay healing hands on Dawn, the downed Elf. The roll was not good enough, so the elf and lizardman are now dead player characters. This also brought her to 1 strength point left - she was really hurt before and has not had time to heal. There was not enough space to put her in the battle - that room was a bit confined. And the players do not want NPCs to die if it can be avoided - this group does not use them as meatshields!
I will note that killing the demon is note quite right: the demon will respawn in the Pits. But she loses stature, and it will be years before she can come back to this plane of existence.
There is a garrulous voice from above: "The door is open! Who are you and are you okay?" They meet Kegbeard, and bring their companions up with them. There is then a bit of a lore dump. They helped improve the corruption twice now: freeing Stubboon's ghost and sending Silgith back to the Pit has helped a lot. Kegbeard does have the previously mentioned healing baths, so Sister Ishbarra and the others, over the next few days, will soak and get healed back up. This is also a chance for the player who lived to use their XP a bit if they want to. Arachne is now freed, and she can knit more armor. And in fact, I did set up Kegbeard so he can enchant armor and weapons. The players will have a chance to improve their kit here.
Assuming the group wants to keep on playing, we'll bring in replacement PCs. Kegbeard has friends, and they may be heading to Woodfall. Though not for the reasons I was hoping to set up: I gave Silgith the curse spell and was going to do that. But things moved too fast. And we may keep playing or perhaps switch or try something else entirely. I feel that session did not get run well. Part of that is it has been quite a while that we have been playing but there are long gaps between sessions. Keeping invested in characters is hard when you only see them every 4-6 weeks.
Could the demon have been handled differently? Sure, hindsight being what it is. A couple of the players came up with some good ideas, but we had no way to implement them. I think I should have been a bit more flexible about a few things: holy water came up and Sister Ishabarra is a cleric. But the rules in TFT are different. I should have allowed something like that. But another part of the issue was I was tired and having a hard time tracking my own game, let alone the 2 other games I am playing in. While I'd like to say my job is mentally taxing (well, I suppose it really is - today I had to figure out how to implement JWTs for security. I've used them before but merely from a consumer's view...and I'll hush now). Regardless, my attention span for gaming seems fractured lately. Both running and playing. I felt bad about the Monday night's game: I've not been asking questions and exploring the lore like I feel like I should be doing. I am just showing up (though my character, a mutant flying squirrel, is a lot of fun to play) I think sometimes. I just need to breath a bit and maybe clear my mind. Though I think I will take the GM's map and add a layer for contacts in the next day or so.
Anyway. Need to also start prepping for a Brass Rings game. So yes - game prep never ends. I've a few weeks I think, and I've two main ideas that I can sort of get a broad outline on. I just need to quit getting distracted by things (which is why GigBee, the flying squirrel, is easy to play - he is constantly distracted. Mostly by food). And life, while mostly really good, is complicated in ways I never expected. Truth to be told I worry about a few personal family things and that has a major impact on everything.
No update on the Traveller software: I got hung up when adding bases to the systems. A bit of a data update, and while the schema is easy, the UX side of things got complicated as this involved multiple tables. AI is helping, but I also figured I needed to not be on the computer 12 hours a day (and here I am, on the computer again!). But the bases will get added to the systems. I think the next step is the system generator: I'll add that to the planet details so that once you have a planet, there will be a link to generate the rest of the system based on Book 6, Scouts. And maybe the Mongoose book. And maybe the Perilous Void book as well. Think I'll add options...
Yeah, too much to do it seems. And sadly, a post without pictures. Will have to fix that.
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| Baby Bear thinks about destroying the table |
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| GigBee got an acorn tank! Gift from fellow player in the game. |
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