Okay, every once in a while I’m reminded that other people read this blog (although probably not after that sleepvomit story…), so I asked the players a question to go with the little “Dramatis Personae” list that I’ve put at the start of each game. That’s actually already proven useful, not just as a way for me to make jokes about people’s characters, but to see who was around when. Anyway, the question was “How are you liking your new character?” which, after years of playing one character (for the most part) in Rise of the Runelords, I was interested to find out. Some players seemed to immediately find traction with their new class, others… I’m sure it is on its way.
Rolland – playing Floki Blodvin, is enjoying the usefulness of the Ranger class. And while he enjoyed playing Halvard, he is getting a lot of mileage being useful outside of combat, as his skills are applicable in a bunch more situations than were Halvard’s.
Ben T. – playing youthful Paladin Victor Glorington, is the only person who stuck to the “one sentence rule” everyone else ignored, but he is enjoying being cheerfully ignorant and sanctimonious.
JIM – playing Orny, is enjoying the Witch class a lot. The role of 2nd line/caster and debuffing is fun and the cantrips are incredibly useful tools so far.
Mike – playing Uun Cleng, is enjoying the robust nature of the Barbarian class. Previously, he felt like he had little room for error with Dagfinn, but with Uun’s big Hit Point total and plenty of physical skills, he feels Uun has a lot more room to fuck up and therefore experiment more. He also thinks Uun is a nicer or at least more honest guy than Dagfinn.
Sean – playing tiefling Gunslinger, Nobody, has yet to put rubber to the road with the class. He just sucks as a gunslinger just now. He is looking forward to the mid-levels. Part of that, I’m reasonably certain is that Sean has been rolling like ass every time he fires his gun, yet rolls pretty well with his back-up weapon.
Noe – playing Malicia the Rogue, is having a harder time quite getting used to the role. Arradin had a very clear role, but Malicia hasn’t quite carved herself a niche yet. Noe said she is having fun playing a misanthropic character…
Matt – playing Percy the Cleric, is enjoying playing a misanthropic character too. Both Tengu went with misanthropy, which is funny. Matt is enjoying the Cleric class, which has quite a bit of breadth too it, and is enjoying being able to get into physical combat.
The savages gave a piercing cry and leapt into enraged combat with the castaways now pouring from the campsite and into the confusing terrain of the jungle undergrowth. Floki made a run for Gelik, grabbing his ankles and hauling the surprised savages back a little, they regained their pull on the gnome, wrenching joints horribly. But one of the savages was set upon by Malicia, who had slipped into the foliage and circled around behind him. The wounded savage dropped Gelik’s elongated arm and whirled to face… Victor, who appeared, having abandoned plans to don his armour. Furious at having been backstabbed by this young, very clean looking guy, combat was joined. Victor traded blows with Gelik’s abductor, but the furious axe blows laid the Paladin low. Nobody dashed in, fired off his starting pistol to let everyone know that they could start, then got stuck in with his axe. The other abductor dropped Gelik and focused on killing Floki. That plan didn’t work out too well, but Floki also had time to stash Gelik’s body below some low fronds. Other than that the fight in the jungle ground to a deadlock.
After initial success on the path, with one savage brought down quickly, Uun was beset by more and hacked down by their crude axes. Orny stayed a respectable distance and slung some Hexes, sending – eventually – three savages to sleep with his Slumber hex. Percy stepped in and viciously beaked Uun’s attacker, opening a vein with his Tengu natural weapon. As soon as he got a free moment, channeled some healing energy that got Uun back up. There were some hilariously bad coup de grace attempts as what should have been deathblows resulted only in the savage leaping back up to his feet in anger.
A compromise of sorts was reached – Victor had been keen that the bodies not be mutilated but they should be burned, lest they creep back as undead as dead bodies on this island are wont to do. Floki and Sasha were more interested in taking trophies to use as warning signs. Floki took the heads, while Sasha went for the more tender parts, reasoning that once one has lost ones head, one has nothing less to fear – but that most men would think twice about crossing a boundary marked by some other dudes sliced-off dick. That speaks of a more profound horror.
They threw the bodies on the signal fire and set it alight, burning the corpses, hopefully beyond recyclable potential. They fell into an exhausted yet wary sleep and slept a little longer the next day. Then they set to fortifying their encampment. Ishiro was overcome with shame for not setting defensive snares targetting man-sized attackers and so led a party to do that. Then there was some talk of building a moat around the camp, and hacking back the jungle. The party found their fellow castaways helpful and engaged, although it is clear that Aerys and Gelik are now seriously concerned about everyone’s chances of getting off the island prior to being abducted and whatever… savaged.
Sasha, on the other hand, is just happy this place livened up a bit. She was ready to track down the barbarians, an option that was strongly considered. Jask was down for whatever, but in the end the party decided to head down the coast with Ishiro to indfay ishay easuretray, working on the belief that it may contain something to help them fend off the savages. Like piles of gold.
I tried to get by with just a satisfied grunt. I failed.
Party Loot:
1 wooden drawer
2 bottles
1 ship in a bottle miniature of the Jenivere
1 canvas sheet used as a raingator
2 saws, short two handed
1 jar of nails
1 lantern, bulls eye
10 lantern oil, jars of
5 belying pins
3 shovels
1 hatchet
1 boat hook
1 tool, mop
3 clubs, driftwood
7 weapon, scimitars, rusty
3 armor, chain shirts
2 clothes, sets of
1 scarf, Varisian
1 potion, hide from animals
1 crowbar
1 chisel
1 padded armor
1 ink, bottle of
1 sextant
1 telescope, water filled
1 saddle, camel
1 short spear
1 lute
1 javelin
1 clothes, masterwork
1 pouch, spell component
1 potion, reduce person
1 rope, sounding
1 awl
1 rasp
1 saw
5, wooden handles
5, strophes
1 charts and scrolls from brine demon
6 heads, severed
1 penis, bobbited
Flokiâs Kill Sheet:
Blueblack Krait â 1
Cannibal â 2
Dinonicus â 1
Lacedon â 2
Sea Scorpion â 2
Skeleton â 2
Snake Construct â 1
Zombie â 2