SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.
There had been plans (well had asked for players interested) for running an Alien RPG one shot (either Hadley’s Last Hope from the core rule book or Chariot of the Gods). But with the loss of Nan I didn’t feel up to running the session so put the plans on hold.
With the imminent arrival of the next D&D source book Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons, and the current Sly Flourish Kickstarter I am starting to feel I could run our campaign.
Our campaign has been on hiatus since the start of the pandemic. So that’s a pretty long break.
I had been sharing those posts previously in the hope that others would find my thought process informative and for myself.
Now they come into their own and should allow me to pick up where I left off on the prep side. Naturally over the months I have given some thought to the next session. Especially what the strong start will be.
However before I continue on the prep of the next session I need to review those previous posts to refresh my memory. Oh and just as importantly get a date for the session.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.
Ok this warning may be over dramatic but this post is here to record an idea down for a future session. I needed to capture it before I forgot all about it. So by reading this post, it may spoil an upcoming session for them.
I’ve been binge watching the tv series Scandal on Disney+. I’d seen it before but there are many things I like about it that warranted a second watch years after first watching it.
In Season 5 episode 21 there is a scene between the main character of the show Olivia Pope, her father Command (ex-head of a secret Government shadow organisation) and one of her love interests who also happens to be one of her fathers shadow agents, Jake Ballard.
Olivia is trying to help Jake escape from her fathers influence, and has turned up to take him away to “safety”. However a stand off develops with her father pointing a gun at Jake’s head. During this stand off Command says the following (I’m paraphrasing) “It may look like it’s my hand on the trigger, it may look like I’m pointing a gun at his head. But it’s an illusion. In fact it’s you whose doing it.”
That’s so cool.
Those words spoke to me. Inspired me.
I can use them, use this scene in a campaign.
The most obvious use would be in say a modern or scifi setting where there are guns. But I can see it working in a fantasy setting also with maybe a knife at the persons throat.
It could easily be the culmination of a rescue mission where the big bad replaces Command, the party replaces Olivia and the hostage replaces Jake.
I like how it adds a “final” twist to overcome for the party. It’s not an original twist. There are many examples of the kidnapper being cornered and holding the victim at gun point trying to save their own skin. There is a NCIS scene that comes to mind immediately for example.
But the word illusion also inspires. What if the person holding the gun/knife to the victim looks like one of the party using an illusion spell? Will it make them doubt who the real one is, mistrust the person, confuse?
How the party handles the situation will be interesting. I have no idea how it would play out, what the outcome will be. That’s something that’d be decided at the table at the time.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.
In what seems an age now (and technically it was) I made an initial stab at bringing the MtG Planeswalker Angrath to D&D, the Forgotten Realms, and my campaign.
Time passes, DM’s grow, get more experienced, learn new tricks (yes this old dog is learning new tricks!)
Although the adventurers in my campaign have not met Angrath yet. They have come across his minions, and herald. And they have definitely incurred his wrath by attacking his pirates liar, and stealing a boat from his pirate fleet.
So a reckoning is on the books for the party sooner than later.
The encounter with Angrath most certainly is a boss fight.
For this post I thought I’d revisit Angrath and reimagine him as a legendary creature.
To do this reimagining I will be following the Sly Flourish template for improvising legendary monsters (I only did a none post about it a couple days back).
Let’s get started…
The initial monster stat block for Angrath will remain the same, which is the Minotaur stat block.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the monster fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Legendary Actions:
Misty Step
Melee attack
Hit Points: 152 (doubling the Minotaur HP – but this most likely will be adjusted at the time of the encounter to take into account the level of the party and how the encounter is going).
Tweak Damage: Angraths whip will do 15 slashing damage plus 10 fire damage. His warhammer will do 8 bludgeoning damage plus 10 fire damage.
Spells:
Fire shield
Shield
Scorching ray
Minions: naturally Angrath will not be alone when he brings his wrath onto the adventurers. There will be pirates supporting him. He will also be able to redirect damage to his minions.
I do like the idea of Angrath being a legendary creature. It seems more fitting for the boss of a pirate fleet, and his Planeswalker heritage. I’m also now of the opinion these spells he now has access to are more in keeping with the character.
So that’s Angrath as a legendary creature. How balanced or challenging he is is another thing. That will only be known once he is used in anger in a boss encounter.
But the process of making Angrath legendary was fairly quick and painless. Vraska next I suppose. But less pressure as the party are a while off from meeting her.
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft (VRGR) as I mentioned in the previous post hit FLGS and online retailers last week.
Since then I’ve listened to a couple of podcasts reviewing the tome (The Tome Show and The RPG Academy). The consensus seems to be VRGR is a pretty good book.
Whilst listening to these shows and the odd skimming of pages, ideas started to flow through the ol’ noggin. Hence this post to capture them before I forget them.
The first was I’d love a party of adventurers in a horror/Ravenloft campaign/one shot to have an illrigger amongst them.
An illrigger is a new class created by Matt Colville for one of his players and released to the general public (you can buy the pdf on the MCDM webstore). Illriggers are “elite shock troops, the terror-commandos of Hell,… . Knights of Hell, they are high charisma counter-paladins who master devils and cast their own unique spells.” (https://mcdm.fandom.com/wiki/Illrigger) And yes it’s also crying out for use in an Avernus campaign.
The way the mists are described and used within the Domains of Dread had me instantly thinking of the small and big screen adaptations of Stephen Kings story The Mist (sorry not read the words themselves). So this is such an obvious source of inspiration for using the mists within a campaign. I like the idea of a Dark Lord using the mist to terrorise and subjugate the population of their Domain of Dread. But James Herbert’s The Fog could also be another influence here, along with John Carpenter’s The Fog (not the 2005 remake, ok if you are desperate to make it a teen horror story then maybe!)
Mist talismans, which are used to navigate through the mists to the Domain of Dread it is for/from, also present interesting opportunities for the adventurers. I see these allowing influences such as Stargate SG-1, The Fantastic Journey, The Time Tunnel, where the party are traveling from one Domain of Dread to another as part of some larger campaign story line. Whilst in the current location one of the party’s objectives is to find the next mist talisman, and possibly get the Dark Lord to open up the mists. Although I do like the idea of a generic mist talisman that works with any Domain of Dread, but its random which domain it guides them to. Or they can chose the domain but it’s “glitchy” and the majority of the time takes them elsewhere.
It’s hard to list or suggest inspiration for a campaign as it all depends on the horror genre(s) being used.
My teenage years were the Eighties. Which included the whole video nasty thing. I saw most of those movies that the moral minority had banned, and frankly the acting in most of them was awful. Worse than the actual plot of the movie. I particularly enjoyed zombie and slasher movies such as Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and the Living Dead movies.
So I know that they would influence my suggestions. But that session zero and the results of the content and themes questions (chapter 4 of VRGR) will have a major impact on suggestions for inspiration.
Although I’d love to do something based around Alice Coopers classic album Welcome to My Nightmare. Or even using Coopers The Last Temptation (along with the accompanying Neil Gaiman graphic novel) for the Carnival Domain of Dread.
Talking of graphic novels the classic Hellblazer comic and it’s antihero John Constantine would definitely be an influence. Although the dire Constantine movie and watered down single season tv series are best avoided.
I hope this brain dumpgiven you some ideas for your own campaign in the Domains of Dread.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.
Despite the next session of our D&D campaign still some distant time in 2021, session planning is still happening. Just without the immediate time pressure.
I’ve already discussed in a previous post as part of the belated #RPGaDAY2020 some of the plans for the session.
Luckily my friend Duncan very kindly said he would print some 3D models for me to make up a gift box of 3D stuff as a Christmas present for me.
Using a shared Dropbox folder I shared the 3D models for Duncan to use.
I tried to pick models that could be used in the next session and also in other encounters. So I went for statues, pillars, stairs, doors, oozes, and other bits.
That gift box of 3D models arrived this morning.
As you can see Nan enjoyed seeing what Duncan had printed for me. Although Nico wasn’t as impressed.
Now the priming starts as does perfecting painting stone.
Below is an annotated version of the players map for the Dwarven Excavation scenario from The Essentials Kit. Basically I’m using this to help myself work out and keep track about what scenery I need to bring the map alive on the table.
I did also stumble on the fact that Games Workshop sell some Middle Earth terrain that is not only affordable but perfect for what I need. So that has ended up in my grubby mitts.
Once I’m ready I’ll start sharing some test mock ups.
A big thank you to Duncan for such a generous gift.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.
Considering the current events in the world, it will come as no surprise that our session 8 has been postponed until at the moment an undetermined date in the future.
There was one suggestion about doing the next session online but I’ve not found anything yet that I’m happy with that works well on an iPad (my main device).
I’m a big fan of Twin Peaks the tv show. It was so inspiring and ahead of its time back in the late eighties, early nineties when it was first aired. Reading the book The Diary of Laura Palmer (basically this was meant to be a copy of her diary the characters were reading on screen) while the series was on really drew me into the Twin Peaks universe. I had never felt that sort of immersion before. It was incredible.
But why am I telling you all this? During this lockdown we are meant to be observing (although one or two seem to be ignoring it) I started watching rewatching the original series. It’s still great tv.
However there is the scene below between a shot Agent Cooper and a mysterious giant in his hotel room at the start of the second season. Luckily for you, you don’t have to read me explaining it, you can watch the YouTube clip below.
While watching that episode and scene it struck me this would be a fantastic way to deliver clues/hooks to the players.
I have previously mentioned using a particular players unconscious prone state during combat as they are making saving throws as an opportunity for a devil to tempt them with an infernal contract.
But I also love borrowing this idea of spirits inhabiting living vessels. With the spirits becoming “real” in our realm of existence under certain conditions. Like a player being near to death.
This dual existence could be something a player or npc has without being aware of it.
I love the idea of using a players saving throw turn as an opportunity to give plot hooks or clues.
Another thing I’ve been looking at that also falls under planning for the future is a labyrinth design to use when the players encounter an island inspired by the Cretan Labyrinth of the minotaur legend. Naturally there aren’t any “maps” of that. It’s a myth, although the labyrinth may have existed.
However initial google searches show that the Egyptians were also labyrinth/maze builders. So I might with a bit more digging be able to “borrow” one of their ancient designs.
But I did come upon an ancient British labyrinth design that is from the Bronze Age and can be found in Cornwall.
This labyrinth carving can be seen at a place called the Rocky Valley near the alleged home of King Arthur Tintagel.
If I had to chose one today to be used straight away I’d go with the home grown Rocky Valley one. So that is telling me It e found my labyrinth to use when the island is found.
It’s weird where you find inspiration sometimes. It’s why I advise students to widen their horizons and have hobbies that are not just playing video games when it comes to game design. The same applies to being a DM. It’s why they include the inspiration appendix in the DMG and PG.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.
In all likely hood session 8 may have to be rescheduled to a later date considering the current pandemic and stuff. It’s a discussion we have yet to have as a group. But one that will be held nearer the time.
One mechanic I haven’t used so far as a DM with the players during a session is inspiration.
Inspiration is dealt with in the Players Guide on Page 125 (and the DMG p240/241).
‘”Inspiration is a rule the Dungeon Master can use to reward you for playing your character in a way that’s true to his or her personality traits, ideal, bond, and flaw.”
So ok, that’s all good and dandy. I reward the players for doing something cool basically.
For the player it means “lf you have inspiration, you can expend it when you make an attack rolI, saving throw, or ability check. Spending your inspiration gives you advantage on that rol!.”
It doesn’t stack. So once the player gets inspiration they don’t get more inspired, and have multiple amounts of inspiration to use.
To help me and the players track when I give them inspiration and that they have it, I got these cool inspiration tokens off Amazon.
The hole in the middle of the token is for a d20. Which if they place one there doubly reminds them that they have inspiration to “spend”.
For me the tokens behind the screen will remind me that I can hand out inspiration during a session.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.
Today’s post was going to be some recent tips that Sly Flourish had shared on twitter over the last couple of days and my thoughts on them.
However inspiration hit me whilst I was in bed this morning. And I just had to record those thoughts before I forgot them. So you will have to wait for those tips and my take on them until tomorrow.
I can’t remember what sparked the train of thought off. The iPad was playing a podcast and I was semi conscious at the time. Drifting in and out of various states of sleep. Not quiet asleep but not fully awake.
But it came to me to use diaries scattered around the lost Ironstar mine to fill the players in on the backstory of the Ironstar clan. A standard video game tool in games like Bioshock.
From there my mind made the connection with probably my favourite book of all time Lord of the Rings.
I could use the diary and it’s discovery just like Tolkien had to act as a warning of something bad.
If the players recognise this borrowed scene from the book or movie then this will help ramp up the tension, especially if they think that I’m following the scene exactly.
Which I might then follow suit and have the group attacked. But there will be no balrog.
I get in my inbox on a “regular” basis an email from Johnn Four Playing Tips with usually a pretty interesting GM tip. There was one recently called ‘Back Pocket Encounter Idea: Planar Rifts’. Which basically involves opening planar rifts up for the players to encounter.
And that is the idea I’m going with instead of a balrog or some other big nasty creature from the under dark. While the Ironstar dwarves were alive they opened up a 1 foot square planar rift that bought about their demise.
I think the players will also jump to conclusions when they encounter the planar shift and think they are off to Avernus. Particularly after the conversation we had at the start of the previous session. I’m happy to have that bit of misdirection. More tension.
The one thing I’m concerned about at the moment is the mine big enough? The one I plan to use (see previous session planning post) is something I think could be completed in a single session, two at most depending on duration of the session. I’m leaning now to repurposing the lost mine from the Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign that is included in the Starter Kit.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.
While the players negotiate the date for the next session I still need to start planning. The time between now and the next session will just fly by. Before I know it I’ll be staring down the barrel of the next session with very little done.
That’s the benefit of the way of the Lazy DM. You focus on the important things that you need to run a session, whilst keeping the workload to a minimum.
It’s also why I write these planning posts. They are my notes for the next session, and sometimes ideas for future ones. Which I do refer back to while preparing my notes for the next session.
These days often my first task after a session is the post mortem (which I share with the world) followed by an update of my mind map.
Which is then followed by one of these posts capturing early thoughts about the next session.
Having justified these posts (probably for the umpteenth time) I think I should get on with my thought process.
During the players time in Mintarn and their quest for information about the Ironstar mine I kept mentioning that they were getting looks, glances from those around them. I think that was me not ready for them to take on Angrath but to have them fearful that at any moment they could be surprised by him and his pirate crew. (That bit probably could have been in the post mortem.)
The party think they managed to dodge a bullet. They went back to Mintarn and avoided Angrath. Or did they?
The party are basically camping on a beach at the moment.
So my thinking is, and I think this fits in with the ‘create a strong start’ of having a handful of pirates crash out of the undergrowth and attack the breakfasting party.
After the encounter from the beach they will notice a much larger boat near theirs. They won’t be able to get to their boat in time and make an escape. They will have to go in land.
For this over land travel and the search for the lost Ironstar mine I plan to run it based on the group challenge that was used in the D&D Beyond encounter of the Week: Detour Past Dragonspear. I will make it clear to the party that they will find the mine whether they fail or succeed. However how well they do on the challenge will determine what shape the party get there in and what happens when they find the mine.
The map I am going to use for the lost mine is from the Essentials Dragon of Icespire Peak adventure. I like the Dwarven Excavation scenario a lot for this. It looks the perfect length for our sessions. It’s designed for level 2 characters. So the threat level will have to be upped a little.
I also like the idea of using the Circle of Thunder or Dragon Barrow scenarios as potentially something the party could stumble upon to and from the lost mine. Although these would make great mini islands for the party to discover also.
So that’s my thinking at the moment. Obviously more to follow.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one.
It’s that time in the run up to the session that I visit the library to print out the bits I need for the session. I dread this bit because it’s so painful using the library computers. They are sooooo slow.
Luckily I only had two or three campaign related things to print. Plus some one shot adventures for the Judge Dredd RPG, along with a couple of pages that help with traits and descriptions (that is also useful for the WOIN system), plus using a d10 instead of the d6 dice pool. Yep I’m getting a Judge Dredd (/Strontium Dog) GM folder ready. Just on the off chance I get to run a session or two. I also printed off the pages from the Genesys FAQ that give the new power level values for the adversaries from all three previously published books.
I am trying to keep the amount of printing to a minimum (due to being economically challenged). So like the previous session my session notes are hand written.
The cost is one side of being a DM/GM nobody really discusses. Printing costs, miniatures, tiles, handouts, etc all add up. Yes you can go digital. But that doesn’t work for me! Yeah I know a geek like me saying that is shocking. Instead of the dudes on a map (whether that’s tiles or a battle map of some kind) could be replaced with theatre of the mind combat. From my limited experience the dudes on a map has been more helpful and easier for the newer players to D&D in the group. It is also easier for me a DM/GM too.
I suppose the expense has been higher as a new DM/GM that doesn’t have a collection of resources to use. And that a lot of the stuff I have now is reusable.
One thing I printed out was a table I “borrowed” from a resource some-one did online for a fishing mini game for D&D. I wasn’t interested in the mini game. I’m happy with whoever wants to fish while at sea to just do a foraging action, and make a roll for it. But the hard bit was deciding what fish they caught. I’m not a fishing person. The nice thing is that the table they created works for sea and freshwater.
The two dungeon maps I printed out have saved me time creating my own. Once or even if used this session they can go into the back of the DM folder with other maps I have printed as an instant adventure resource if needed. All I’ve had to do is populate the dungeons.
