In less than three hours (as I write this) I will be setting up and playing Shadowdark.
My current workload (marking assignments) has made me regret planning a mid week session. But we live and learn and I’m pretty sure I’ll repeat the mistake again and again.
Waiting for me at home will be a printout of the fourth and final monster sheet that Kelsey did for the Kickstarter. That arrived earlier in the day along with a load of other printing I had done.
I did finish a preliminary GM cheat sheet for Shadowdark last night. Which I’m hoping will be useful this evening. I’ll go more into that during the post mortem.
I’ve also printed out the annotated dungeon map from the Quick Start Kits GM guide for the adventure we are playing tonight. Which will be handy. Just a shame it’s not available as a single A3 image.
As I was grabbing my stuff together for this evening first thing (so I can just get home grab everything and shoot back out) it struck me just how minimalist this session will be.
There will be a photo (shared via Instagram) this evening. But this is going to be shocking. I’ll definitely make sure the photo is in the post mortem.
I did download last night the YouTube videos from the previous post so I can listen to them in the car on the drive to and from work. It’s a shame this stuff isn’t available as a podcast. But this is the next best thing. Just a little inconvenient getting it onto the phone.
I am about as ready as I can be. A tad nervous. But as long as we have fun.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.
It’s that time again to start thinking, planning, and plotting for the next session.
I finally got my hands on a wooden box to home a certain infamous deck. I think this will make an intriguing prop for the players.
I want a bag for the deck of illusions. However I’ve not found one I like yet.
Another arrival as a quality of life thing as a DM is a card quiver. This is now the home of my npc, dungeon map, quest, taroka, condition, and encounter decks.
As the photo shows I’ve added one or two stickers to the case.
A Three-Dragon Ante deck also turned up. I think this will be an interesting prop for one or two sessions. I want to make taverns more interesting.
I need to finish my harvesting sheet (it’s two pages) for use at the next session. I’m sure they will want to harvest the basilisk, and the “Hamund’s Harvesting Handbook: A Complete Guide to Harvesting and Crafting in D&D 5e” has some great rules for doing this.
After that I need to look at crafting.
This next session the party will finally meet Rullus and his minions. I’ve not decided how it will play out. I still need to stat him out. Although his minions will be thugs.
Right time to end this post and play a little Doom for that mega series of hot air.
With Saturdays D&D session now behind me, my thoughts are now turned towards Wednesday and the Shadowdark one-shot.
As hinted in the initial post that prep involves watching some videos by Kelsey (the games designer). Which I’ve embedded below for easy reference and rewatching for me.
These videos are great as a resource for some-one looking to try Shadowdark, and particularly the Quick Start kit with it’s included adventure.
I know that one player has already created a human priest character for the session.
I’m not sure which direction the other players want to go, whether that’s using precons or roll their own. I’ll find out on the night I suppose.
In meantime I need to try and create a version of the Shadowdark GM cheat sheet that I did for D&D.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.
It’s the morning of game day. So it’s time to go through the Lazy GM (rebranded during the OGL Fiasco of 2023) steps to get ready.
But before I do that I was processing some last minute ideas for this session and future ones.
Yesterday I went to the online printer in the UK that I found (Doxzoo) and had the WotC plane shift booklets for Ixalan and Innistrad ordered along with a copy of a book I got off the DMs Guild on harvesting monsters (there is no print option).
I’ve been on the edge of pulling the trigger on purchasing the latest D&D adventure compendium Keys from the Golden Vault to get the gambling games rules.
However a quick Google got me those rules. So I can punt that decision into the future. So I have the ability to run Three-Dragon Ante and Life and Death during a session.
I like the idea of having this as an option to make visits to a tavern more interesting. I’m also toying with the idea of possibly using Life and Death today!
It’s possible that the lizardfolk the party will bump into will challenge the party to a game with some reward other than money as the prize for winning, such as a map.
I’ve also this morning ordered a copy of Three-Dragon Ante off Amazon along with a wooden box to keep the deck of many things in.
Obviously with Three-Dragon Ante arriving tomorrow playing that will be an option in future sessions. Whilst I could use the deck of many things today if I so wished. I think the mystery box will add to the theatrics when it is final found. Although I do like the idea of using it for the deck of illusions as well.
I’m also working on my own cheat sheet, slash riff on the generator tables by Sly Flourish for harvesting based on the pdf book I bought on harvesting. As I want to use harvesting of monsters more productively with the party seeing as they have been harvesting corpses! The hope of this sheet is that it will help me improvise harvesting during a session. Or during planning for a monster I stat out using the Folio of Fiends.
I also whilst skimming through the stuff about the latest WotC adventure thingy got reminded of the arcane lock spell. A spell that will be used either in this session or the next I think.
Plans are afoot to run a one-shot using the free Shadowdark rpg QuickStart from Arcane Library (and available FREE on DriveThruRPG).
I’m a fan of Kelsey’s work. Like many others I backed her Kickstarter for the Shadowdark rpg. I went all in. That’s the rulebook, lots of additional content, GM screen. You know everything I could get basically.
Naturally I want to play Shadowdark.
Somehow Fenland Gamers has grown a small group of players interested in playing one-shots or short campaigns that are not only D&D 5e, but other systems. I think the driving interest is that they love playing RPGs however life doesn’t allow for the commitment to a regular campaign.
It’s that group of players that I’m arranging a session or two of Shadowdark.
I’ve had the fore-mentioned QuickStart guide printed out, along with the first three monsters Kelsey did as part of the Kickstarter, blank character sheets, and the precons. Oh and I nearly forgot an A3 copy of the map from the included adventure.
Now I’m busy reading the rules, and adventure. Plus watching the videos Kelsey did during the kickstarter.
I’m sure there will be another post (or two) before we get Shadowdark to the table. I’ll share initial impressions about the QuickStart then.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.
So I have a stat block for the Bagman (see last planning post) but I’m pretty sure that before I need that I’ll need a stat block for Rullus Hobb.
As the back of his npc card shows he’s a sorcerer. Sadly there are no official npc stat blocks!
The ideal time to use the Folio of Fiends preview.
I’ve also spent a morning playing with heroforge to create my take on an avatar of death, and one or two different Harengons.
I just need to buy the stls and get them printed.
My priority is multiple angels of death to use with a certain deck of cards!
I’ve also been approached by a player about another player joining the group.
We have room for one more. The group is currently five in size. A player has dropped out because of life stuff. Plus we are looking like we will lose one more due to other commitments that clash with the game now regularly happening on a Saturday again (thanks to my life events changing).
I kinda like the group size at four. It’s a nice size.
So this session will see a new player come along for a trial session to see if our game is a right fit for both parties.
Now I just need to work out how they can join mid dungeon!
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.
So the Bagman has been seeded in the campaign. Which means I will need stats at some future session.
In Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft (where they introduce the Bagman) they use the stats for a troll (from the Monster Manual) as it’s base.
Taken from the srd 5.1 2023 covered under the Creative Commons
Then they do the following to make the Bagman unique, and feel like the Bagman.
“With tactics and traits in mind, you think of your troll as an abductor and give it the Grappler trait of a mimic and the Amorphous trait of a black pudding so it can sneak in anywhere. Finally, you don’t think of the troll as a minion, but you give it the Alien Mind trait to reflect its tormented psyche.” Page 225,Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Here are the relevant bits from the srd and Van Richten’s for those traits.
“Grappler. The Bagman has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.”
With this trait I do need to remember this rule from the Monster Manual for any player the bagman is trying to abduct and is trying to escape.
“GRAPPLE RULES FOR MONSTERS … A creature grappled by the monster can use its action to try to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the escape DC in the monster’s stat block. If no escape DC is given, assume the DC is 10 +the monster’s Strength (Athletics) modifier.” Page 11, Monster Manual
“Amorphous. The Bagman can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.” Taken from the srd 5.1 2023 covered under the Creative Commons
“Alien Mind. If a creature tries to read the minion’s thoughts, that creature must succeed on a Intelligence saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + the minion’s Intelligence modifier or be stunned for l minute. The stunned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.” Page 225,Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
However in the Dragon+ issue 37 article about the creation of the bagman they drop the following that the “bagman should be an entity with high Stealth”.
So in addition to the additional traits that the WotC designers gave the Bagman I’m tempted to also give the Bagman this additional trait.
“Sneaky (Trait). This creature has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.” Page 12, The Lazy DM’s Forge of Foes sampler.
Plus an additional skill of Stealth +7
Which I think gives the Bagman that high stealth ability they thought he should have. So that the Bagman can recreate the idea of “nothing’s more disturbing in a horror movie than when something horrible is in the background and the main characters don’t see it.” Dragon+ 37
Going by the “MONSTER STATISTICS BY CHALLENGE RATING” table on page 274 of the Monster Manual the proficiency bonus for the Bagman is +3.
But does the Bagman need to be an “elite” monster? An “elite” monster as described by Mike Shea in his uncovered secrets volume 2 (a pdf for patreons of stuff that didn’t make it into the Lazy DM Companion) “elite monsters are equivalent of two characters of their level”.
“Elite monsters have the following additional traits:
They have double the listed hit points.
They inflict double the listed damage.
They have one use of legendary resistance per day, letting them turn a failed saving throw into a success.
For that last one Mike describes Legendary Resistance as:
“Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the monster fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.”
Let’s face it the Bagman will not be taking on the party with the aid of minions or any other creatures. So when they do finally face off against the Bagman he needs to be tough enough to last longer than a single round.
I think making the Bagman “elite” does that.
So that’s my initial thoughts for a hopefully easy to run Bagman. Now to just fit that all onto an Arcane Library blank monster card!
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.
In a weeks time we should be holding our twelfth session of this campaign set in Sly Flourish’s City of Arches.
We should be back on track now for having the session fortnightly with the change of job.
After the last session turned into a side quest for those that could make it. It did give me the opportunity to give a bag of holding to the party. Which means I can start seeding in a session or two the bagman.
But at the moment I think the session will be an improv session.
At the moment the party are having a long rest, no idea what they want to do next.
I need to get some adventure seeds planted with them, and progress the main one about the cult, maybe even have the rival to Adel popping up.
In between lesson prep, and the #dungeon23 stuff I need to get my head round the direction of some of these potential threads.
I don’t know about you, but these session planning posts are very useful for me to go back and review what I was thinking.
I’m sure there will be at least another prep post this week. Catch you there.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.
Ok technically this isn’t for session 11, but then again the Bagman stuff isn’t possibly either. But these are notes for me to look back on when planning future sessions in the campaign so I don’t forget.
So there I was watching a YouTube about what other DM’s have in their DM kit and I came across the this one by Wally DM.
In it he mentioned that along with the Monster Manual he also includes a copy of his book Wally DM’s Journal of Puzzle Encounters.
“That sounds interesting”, I thought to myself.
So I googled it.
Which lead me to DriveThruRPG (which did not like me trying to log in using my Facebook details, which is how I normally do it!)
After watching the review embedded on the books page I purchased the pdf of the book (I’ll get a printed copy payday).
What sold me was the very first puzzle mentioned in the review using a stone statue of an owl and gems. It reminded me very much of puzzles from an early fps. I wanted to use this.
The Prismatic Owl puzzle (depicted on the cover) as it’s called in the book is one I will be printing out and adding to my folder for new players! It won’t work with Matt Colville’s The Lost Tomb of the Delian Order. But it could work with Frank Mentzer’s Dungeon, or some other maps I have in my DM folder ready to be called upon (you might like this Sly Flourish article on the subject), even maps generated on the fly using the cards/geomorphs I have would work with it.
It’s also something you could use when running a one shot at a con or FLGS.
I will definitely be using it at the first opportunity with my current campaign.
As I work my way through the book I’m pretty sure there will be more than a few puzzles I’ll want to use in the campaign.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.
Didn’t think I’d be posting about this so soon. But my friend Colin did a blinder.
I thought I’d get the model of the Bagman at the next Fenland Gamers club night in two weeks time. There was no way I thought I’d gave it last night. The same day I asked if Colin could print it. He DID!
Bagman
Looks like the party will be receiving a bag of holding sooner than later.
I am leaning towards the troll stat block. The art of the two looks so similar.
However I could take that stat block and use the Lazy DM Companion to adjust it to something more “challenging” for the party and fitting the Bagman. Could the Bagman be a dire troll?
Or I could use the Monster Generator from the Uncovered Secrets Volume 2 (aka Lazy DM Companion Volume 2) to generate a quick and dirty stat block.
There is a bit of advice that does need baring in mind when coming up with the stat block from a Dragon+ interview with the creator of the Bagman.
“Stephen felt that bagman should be an entity with high Stealth, because nothing’s more disturbing in a horror movie than when something horrible is in the background and the main characters don’t see it.”Dragon+ issue 37, https://dnd.dragonmag.com/2021/04/21/in-the-works-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft-2/content.html[8/19/2022 7:05:37 AM]
That same interview gave an interesting plot hook to explore as well.
“And like an evil parasite, it was committing atrocities while you and the party were asleep in the towns you were visiting? The party might think they’re following a murderer but in reality they’re bringing this killer with them and they’re the problem! And what if the party becomes paranoid that it’s one of their number who is doing this? Maybe this sneaky, evil being realizes that one of the party members is figuring it out so it decides to try and take them into the bag one night.” Dragon+ issue 37, https://dnd.dragonmag.com/2021/04/21/in-the-works-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft-2/content.html[8/19/2022 7:05:37 AM]
