One Shot Taster Session Planning #1

D&D, one shot, RPG, session planning, taster

Yesterday my good mate Gavin expressed an interest in trying D&D.

Today along with Diego via messenger we arranged a date to hold a one shot taster session.

Naturally that means along side my regularly D&D planning I now have a second session to prep for (hence this and possibly other posts).

The first thing I have to decide is what to run for a session that ideally is going to run for about three hours.

The options I’m considering are the following:

  • The Lost Tomb of the Delian Order (by Matt Colville)
  • The Obsidian Skull (from the City of Arches)
  • The Goblin Ambush (from Lost Mines of Phandelver)
  • 1st Level Adventure Generator (from Sly Flourish’s Uncovered Secrets Volume 2)

The last option will involve a little bit more work for me, requiring me to roll against tables to come up with something.

The Goblin Ambush might be too short, unless it then runs into the Cragmaw Caves. Which would then be too long.

I will use pre-gen character sheets, most likely the official D&D ones. But which?

I could use the ones intended for Lost Mines of Phandelver, or the new ones intended for Dragons of Stormwreck Isle.

But I am tempted to try the pre-gen characters for Sly Flourish’s Fantastic Adventures, or (iirc) a pack of pre-gen character sheets I got off the DMsGuild that were recommended by Mike Shea in a video or blog post at one time or the other in the past.

These alternatives to the official pre-gens in many ways are better as they have more info on them such as spell details. Which cuts down on the need for a players handbook or having to constantly refer to it.

Along side which ever pre-gen sheets I go with I’ll be using the Wizkids 2D miniatures that just arrived. I should try and match up the character sheets to the minis in advance!

Well that’s my initial thoughts on this upcoming taster session. I’m sure there will be others over the coming days that I’ll feel compelled to share on here.

D&D Grp 2 Session 10 Planning #3

D&D, D&D Grp2, RPG, session planning

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.

One thing I’m bad it is remembering specific rules, especially when I’m not using them all the time.

One such area is that of magic items, identifying them, and attuning.

So I’ve created these “handy” rules reference cards to have on hand.

I’ve also been searching that amazing blog Dyson Logos for suitable maps to potentially use for Kartan, Tower of the Arcane. I’ve found a couple that I like the look of. Whilst there I found the perfect map for the Temple of Three Sisters.

I’m not sure how the next session will go or where!

Obviously I’m thinking they might visit the wizards. So most of the NPC’s the party will come into contact with will be magical leaning. They might even bump into the legendary wizard Dram!

I’m also preparing for some magic items to go missing or leant to the party. Hence the reference cards above.

I am having a hard time matching up the written description of Kartan, Tower of the Arcane, particularly the following bit:

“An ironbound glyphed door on the first floor stands in front of a stairwell leading deep into the ground below where numerous laboratories and vaults of the dark wizards remain largely untouched.”

With the the side view map (see extract of that below).

It’s the laboratories and vaults. Unless I treat the hanging cages and the area below it as the laboratories and vaults, then I don’t see where they are. I think I need to sleep on this a bit more.

I’m still waiting on updated character sheets to transfer across for my notes.

In the meantime I’ve got some magic items to create!

D&D Grp 2 Session 10 Planning #2

D&D, D&D Grp2, RPG, session planning

With session 10 scheduled to take place next Sunday just before I go and visit Nathan. It’s time to continue thinking and planning for the session.

Which means a little house keeping first with a new look!

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.

Wizkids have started a range of 2D minis made from acrylic (or some kind of plastic) which are very reasonably priced. The D&D Idols of the Realms: Essentials 2D Miniatures – Player Character Pack just dropped through the letterbox.

Inside this thin packet (you should see the ridiculous oversized box it came in) you get the following 2D minis:

  • Male Human Fighter
  • Female Human Rogue
  • Male Human Wizard (Archmage)
  • Female Human Cleric
  • Male Human Bard
  • Male Dwarf Fighter
  • Female Dwarf Wizard
  • Female Dwarf Cleric
  • Female Elf Fighter
  • Male Elf Rogue
  • Male Elf Wizard
  • Male Elf Cleric
  • Female Elf Bard
  • Female Halfling Fighter
  • Male Halfling Rogue
  • Riding Horses
  • Skeletal Horse

The plan is to use these for sessions (naturally). Initially as NPCs but also when/if I run starter sessions for the players to use.

There is a sidekick pack as well that would be great to use as either NPCs or representing characters also.

The nice thing about these 2D minis is the portability, cost per figure, make these very attractive. They also look cool on the table. Sadly the drawback is if you want multiple of a particular figure you are screwed if all that is included is a single figure or just two. So it could get expensive buying multiple packs to get the number required.

I’m particularly after the D&D Idols of the Realms: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle 2D set. Which naturally goes with the new D&D Starter set Dragons of Stormwreck Isle. Why Wizkids and WotC didn’t do a deal to include these in the Starter Set I don’t know. Instead I’m having to wait for this set to arrive in the UK months after the starter set has hit the shelves.

I’ve also decided I needed to have better player notes for prepping and during a session. So I’ve asked for up to date copies of the character sheets.

For recording the character stats to use during a session I’m using the Arcane Library character cards which I will print out and slip into a Mayday Premium card sleeve or laminate. Not fully decided which way I’m going on that front.

As you can see I’ve scribbled a little extra info on the card to do with hit die and hit points, and their background.

I had been using index cards initially for this but I think these will be more useful, and easier to refer to during a session.

I’m not going to move away from index cards completely. I think index cards will be ideal for recording the characters background, and referring to during session prep.

Right that’s enough for this post. I’m sure there will be another before we gather round the table for the next instalment.

Hulk Smash

apps, iOS, life, the universe, and everything, star realms

It’s been a while since I’ve racked up some massive damage to defeat an opponent in Star Realms.

So when I finally achieved a big hit that won me the game.

Well it had to be shared with the world via social media.

This is not the time or place to debate the eternal Star Realms issue of whether it’s morally right to over kill an opponent. And let’s just enjoy the delivery of lots of damage.

Really peeved I missed out on gaming this week due to the cold I had on my days off.

But the good news is I’m nearly over it, and I didn’t pass it on to mum.

Videos are starting to appear on YouTube for the second Dune Imperium expansion Immortality.

It looks interesting. But I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it.

Obviously I’m going to get it.

But will it be a must include when playing expansion? Which I think the previous one was.

I can see the playtime going up, especially the analysis paralysis side with players.

We’ll find out once I get my grubby mitts on the new expansion and get it to the table with some willing participants.

And that game (whenever it is) will be using the newly laminated leader mats. Yes they were probably the first thing I laminated with my new laminator.

I hated how flimsy those leader mats were. But Direwolf aren’t the only publishers guilty of scrimping in this area. Now the issue is “solved”.

But that’s enough of my ramblings I’ll see you in the next post.

D&D Grp 2 Session 10 Planning #1

D&D, D&D Grp2, RPG, session planning

My days off this week and I was ill with a cold. So instead of recharging my batteries and even gaming on one of them I was instead suffering, drinking hot lemon, and quaffing orange juice.

But enough of the life stuff what you are really here for is my session prep notes. Which means I need to copy and paste the usual non-effective disclaimer/spoiler alert stuff first.

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.

With Adele having done some research she will be all about stopping the return of the demon prince Ibraxus from the realm of Choul.

In the Sly Flourish City of Arches document (available to Patreons only) a lot of the notes I need for this are on page 32. They are part of another adventure idea. But the Choul stuff is perfect for my needs. They give a nice broad strokes over view which will see the party going through one of the arches to Choul.

I’d forgotten I had the Dungeon Tiles Reincarnated which will make providing a battle map for each of the floors of Kartan, Tower of the Arcane easier if needed.

I had looked at the battle maps but not found anything suitable I can use.

Naturally the party will be required to go “Down, down, deeper and down” into the depths of the City of Arches. It sounds very dungeon delving. But I don’t think it is in this case.

I’ve been doing an initial scan of the Monte Cook NPC cards for suitable cards to use as wizard NPCs for when/if the party visit Kartan, Tower of the Arcane.

I have updated (again) my checks sheet. The sheet I clip to my DM screen.

Current State of Roll/Flip and Writes in my Collection

Roll/Flip and Write, Welcome to the Moon Campaign

We all know how I feel about roll/flip and writes.

But when I look at my collection and the games I have in that genre. It just amazes me how that genre has grown over the years since I first played Qwixx.

The level of complexity that the genre covers is pretty broad. My early forays into the genre after Qwixx the most complicated it got was Rolling America. Then things got a bit more complicated and combo like with That’s Pretty Clever.

Since then that complexity has jumped considerably with the addition of board game like elements such as rondels, and modular boards. Which when added to players also using multiple player sheets the complexity of some can be very daunting when first seen (I’m looking at you Three Sisters and Twilight Inscription).

We even see very limited player interaction with one or two of them.

The latest addition Welcome to the Moon has an eight game campaign! The current plan I have for the game is to play a taster game of the first adventure with other fans of the genre at Fenland Gamers. Then see if there is any interest in playing the campaign.

Some of my additions in the last year or so have fast become my favourite games in the genre (starred games). Each offers something unique from the others. I can’t wait to play any of them again as they are such fun.

There are still three games I need to get to the table (question mark) and one that I’ll pass on (red X) as it really didn’t gel with me.

There is one more to add to the collection, the follow up to Three Sisters, and third game in a trilogy (first being Fleet the Dice Game), Motor City.

This won’t be arriving until late December if I’m lucky, but more likely January. There was a printing issue with one of the dice that meant a delay as it was reprinted.

When Motor City arrives Three Sisters grows by a third pad! As part of the Kickstarter they added a rock garden pad. It’s going to be interesting to see if it’s a step too far, or if it takes the game to an even higher level.

Looking for the cake aka still alive!

still alive

It’s been a couple of days since the last post. So thought I’d write one of these still alive posts letting you know what’s going.

The D&D session 9 post mortem will be up in the next day or two. I’m just gathering my thoughts about it at the moment.

There are plans in place for me to visit Nathan in a couple of weeks time. I have a weeks holiday. Which is the first holiday since March. Which means I now have a week off each month for the next five months.

Nathan’s birthday was mid week. And he’ll be getting his birthday present when I visit him. Oh forgot to tell you what the present is. I got him a copy of Alien Fate of the Nostromo. It’s a game he nearly bought on his holiday in America, and regretted on his return that he hadn’t. So that made the decision what to buy him easy.

I finally got a laminator. Which means my planned project of laminating the player sheets in the roll and writes I own will actually start. But I also plan to use it for D&D stuff.

Which reminds me the flip and write Welcome to the Moon has joined my collection. Excited to get this to the table and try the eight map campaign.

That’s about it for now laters.

Grp2: When last we left our heroes… #9

D&D, D&D Grp2, post mortem, RPG

Exploring the chamber they were in the party noticed some murals depicting sacrifices and statues coming to life.

Further exploration of the chamber revealed a pool with a satchel in it. Upon trying to retrieve it the pool of water came to life.

The living water was in fact a water genasi called Samson, who seemed confused about where they were, or how they got there.

Further exploration of the caves lead the party to a chamber with two large pools of water.

After fighting some glowing fungi that temporarily blinded the party by emitting a bright flash of light, they came across a scene in the connecting chamber reminiscent of the cave art they discovered earlier.

The party seeing the living statue decided retreating was the better course of action to take.

The party was left making their way back to Adele’s.

Post Mortem

SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following part of the post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign. You may want to avoid this part of the post and join me in a future one.

Work shifts meant that our D&D session was bought forward a day to the Friday.

I was still at work, but it was an early shift. So I’d been up since 4am. Tired? You bet.

We were unable to use the normal setup of two tables at our regular hosts. Which meant table space was a premium this evening. None of us had as much space as we’d have liked.

Tonight we added a sixth player to the group Jamie, who is playing a druid (?) water genasi called Samson.

I think the introduction of the new character went fairly well.

Having six in the group should mean having enough at a session to go ahead even if one or two can’t make it.

My Session Notes, & behind the screen

The encounter with the Strobing Fungus was surprisingly challenging for the party. I think being temporarily blinded didn’t help. Or the relative high hit points that the fungi had.

I’m glad the party took the opportunity I gave them to retreat instead of engaging with the Bloodstone Sentinel. With two cult fanatics and Shigmaa behind it ready to join in the attack. This would have been a tpk level encounter. I’m sure more than one of the party would have died if it had gone ahead.

The monsters the group are encountering I’m deliberately not naming as I want them to come up with their own names for them. Unless there is a good chance they would know about the creature then I’m happy to name the creature.

There wasn’t much chance to drop more than one of the secrets and clues. However there was the opportunity to at least forewarn what was ahead.

Luckily I think some of them can be used in the next session.

Which means we have a main story arc in progress potentially that is all about stopping the return of the demon prince Ibraxus from the realm of Choul. This will mean possibly a heist being done on Kartan, Tower of the Arcane and going deep under the city making their way to the second of the two lowest arches in the City of Arches, the Gateway to Choul.

In the meantime we have the Esme rival to Adele plot line to develop, plus the bounty hunter one.

Plus this ticking time bomb…

I don’t roll for initiative I shuffle up a “deck” of initiative cards and hand them out. Copying the initiative system used in such systems as the mutant year zero engine and Alien RPG.

I find it speeds up combat a little. It does have some advantages over rolling for initiative.

There was a comment made that they didn’t like this way of handling the initiative.

I need to think about this. I’ll probably switch to rolling for initiative with my monster initiative pre-rolled. A small speed up on my side.

As a whole this wasn’t a session that I got much from. It felt a bit flat. Maybe that was because I was tired.

Now to plan session 10.

Gloomy outlook for Rhino

Game day, LCG, Marvel Champions

Usually a mid week day off means no gaming. It’s rare others are free. Luckily the planets align from time to time that I’m able to do some gaming with Diego.

This morning was one such cosmic event.

Our mornings gaming started off with the latest addition to the collection, Marvel Champions.

Having learnt my lesson from that ass whooping from Ultron on Sunday.

It was time to take on an “easier” villain from the core set.

It was time to face Rhino.

Iron Man was benched, and replaced by She Hulk as a playable character. Mainly because Iron Man (although popular) is a slow build character. He starts off weak and builds up.

Swapping between the two is quick and easy (both decks have the same basic and aggression cards). So if Diego had really wanted to play Iron Man then he could have.

So after Diego had chosen who he wanted to play, I chose a hero that had one of the other aspects. It was hard not to play Doctor Strange (I love the comic book). But I resisted and chose another favourite.

We were using the default, out of the box decks for our heroes, and also the suggested setup for the villain.

I think Thor would be a good match up against Ultron because of his once per phase ability that triggers against minions.

Yes there were a couple of misplays by Diego and myself. But that didn’t get in the way of enjoying ourselves.

I enjoyed playing Cap. He certainly is able to mitigate a fair bit of damage either with his shield boosting his defence or with one or two other cards. Plus he can hit hard, and I like the allies he has in the deck. But you need cards in hand to power his hero ability or for Wonder Man to swing in.

Rhino was much, much easier than Ultron.

I think that our victory was made easier by having characters that matched up well against Rhino. Not sure it would have been as easy with say a character that is slow to build up.

I’m definitely going to go this route of starting off with Rhino when I visit Nathan. Then if he likes the game see if he wants to do either of the campaigns that I have.

Next to the table was Gloomier: A Night At Hemlock Hall. This is the latest addition to the Gloom family.

There is only one family (the Hemlocks) in this version of Gloom. So you are choosing four family members per player from a common pool. The remaining cards (if not a five player game) are then flipped and used to add unwelcome guests and/or stories to the game.

Otherwise this plays just like Gloom.

I’m not entirely sure I should have been the first player. Had I really had the worst day so far out of the two of us?

Sadly my day did get worse because Diego won.

Our final game of the morning was a quick game of Smitten

And what a final game.

We won!

At my fifth attempt and Diego’s first we built both pictures.

I had a great morning playing games with Diego. And a big thanks to him for being an amazing host.

Marvel Champions Coverage

LCG, Marvel Champions

In the last week since getting my grubby mitts on Marvel Champions I’ve started consuming media about the game.

Which got me thinking how best should I cover the game on this here ol’ blog of mine.

A lot of the YouTube stuff is reviews (especially from a solo players pov) with some game play. We all know I don’t review.

I like continuing the trend of other games I play of visually showing factions/characters for each player.

So I came up with the following as an example based on Sundays game I played with Jeff. I think I upped my game on this one visually and got a little comic book vibe to it.

It’s going to be a while before I even think of doing any deck building for the game.

I definitely don’t play solo. All my game play will be casual multiplayer with others.

So what can I add to this space that isn’t being done better elsewhere?

Do I stick to just a general game overview as when I play it?

What do folks want to see?