The Chrysalis Campaign

I had a lot of fun playing the main encounter with you guys. Three weeks off coupled with a lot of listening to 4e campaigns via podcast left me a little disoriented in regards to mechanics but you guys did a great job.

Ok, so the session begins with Oban cautiously opening the creaky hatch to the roof to discover a small balding man huddled over some bone piles deep in concentration. He doesn’t notice Oban nor does he notice Kefra and Zarain sneak up through the hatch to position themselves on the tower roof.

The spell complete, the bone piles rise to form skeletons. The man’s head also rises and he recognizes Oban. He tries to convince the others to help bind Oban but Kefra replies with a charge and bravely (?) faces the three skeletons. Zarain charges left and immediately obliterates one minion. Beryn warns the group that he has successfully woken up ALL the skeletons in the tower and that they are coming for them. Oban charges around Zarain and the fallen skeleton to go for Beryn, for that is the man – a little man of little repute that acted as secretary / administrator in Harrowport.

Kefra falls but is revived by Oban after Beryn is knocked unconscious and the final skeleton is laid low.

While Zarain and Oban stay with Beryn, Kefra explores below and discovers Beryn spoke truly – evidence of bone piles along the various floors show they were on their way up. She also discovers the shard in the basement.

Finally, Ardan rejoins the group having injured himself in a reckless (but successful!) attempt to distract the skeletons back when the group was trying to get in.

When Kefra reveals the shard to the group a burst of magical energy emits from the shard and the party’s hit points are restored (equivalent to a long rest) and they get to level up! Now our newly minted level 2 players are on top of the tower with an unconscious Beryn, a limping but otherwise ok Ardan and the entire plains in their view as the skies darken for night.

Well this was a long time coming…

Our adventurers travel out to the Monument Tower with Ardan, trusting to Oban’s general sense of its whereabouts. They find the tower without any problems, however the entrance is crawling with skeletons. How to get in? One of the team suggests a diversion which Ardan seizes on and takes off creating a hullabaloo.

The ploy works! With the skeletons’ attentions diverted, the trio sneak past and towards the entrance. They are discovered but get in and close the gate without too much trouble. Three zombies shuffle over to say hello but are quickly dispatched and tossed down into the basement level in the name of research.

Moving up the floors they find a portion of a letter in a makeshift study. It reads:

“…the ghoul remains harmless (to me), content to just be near the shard. As long as he has bones to gnaw (and I have my potions)… It’s even been amenable to simple commands and shows some rudimentary cleverness. A much different animal than the zombies and certainly the skeletons.

            I shall bring him to you soon. I am learning much of this strange creature. How many lurk in the shadow of the mountain and what purposes could be gained I am eager to learn…”

They also find loot and seem to have no compulsion taking what is apparently someone’s life savings.

Another level is a makeshift bedroom. No one’s around but someone has set up shop in here…

On the penultimate floor they encounter a ghoul but again dispatch it without any trouble at all (the ghoul’s one chance at attacking and it was a critical miss!). It was carrying a few glittery gems.

At each level Kefra led the group sneaking up the stairs and giving the all clear. She is also careful to look out of the windows to try and Ardan. He does not seem to be visible from the windows.

Our heroes are left to open the hatch to the roof of the tower. Will they get a good view? Will they finally see Ardan out there?

(See what I did there? “Precap”?)

Kefra’s to-do list:

• Check out the roof. Maybe the shard mentioned in the note is up there? Good thing I’m not afraid of heights. I’ve spent a lot of times on rooftops.
• Search the third and fourth floor rooms for shinies.
• Explore the basement.
• Shoot skeletons from the windows.
• Feed Cinder.

 

Zarain is leading Oban and Kefra west-northwest across the plain to her village.  Within 100 yards of the forest edge, however, they are attacked by three skeletons, which they are able to defeat handily.  More skeletons appear but fortunately so do the barbarian tribesman who had seen the conflict and raised the alarm to recruit some fighters.  This afforded Zarain to leave combat and bring aid to her sister, Sariah, whose illness had worsened in Zarain’s absence.

The trio reach the village and Oban is able to cure Sariah.  They meet Maria – a druidic priestess and spiritual leader of the tribe.  After introductions are made, however, the fighters return having fended off the small skeleton band.  But not without casualties of their own:  Kallerd, a tribesman, was killed and is carried back to the village.  Maria excuses herself to make funeral preparations.

There is a mixture of sorrow and joy at the fire that evening.  Sorrow at the loss of Kallerd, joy at the return of Sariah, and a comraderie and bravado relating stories of defeating undead skeletons.  While most of the tribesmen are content to win battles against any kind of antagonist (and talk about their feats), the adventurers turn aside to discuss privately.  These skeletons had to come from somewhere.  And for some reason.  Oban knows of the Monument Tower south of here that housed the bodies from a great battle long ago.  Could that be the source? Also discussed is the nature of Sariah’s disease.  You are unable to perceive what it could be but according to Zarain it happened during a hunting trip in the forest.  Perhaps when she is well rested she will be able to speak of it.

Their discussion is interrupted by the start of Kallerd’s ceremony.  Maria leads and speaks specifically of Kallerd’s heroism and generally of nature, balance, and the inherent wrongness of the undead.  She also mentions the restoration of Sariah and our three adventurers get a cheer.

Immediately following the ceremony, our adventurers decide to speak with Maria privately.  She too is troubled at what could cause such a thing as undead skeletons and she too knows the importance of understanding what is going on.  She has been sensing a change, or unbalancing, in nature – particularly in the magic interwoven in nature.  She (very awkwardly) likens it roiling bubbles just beginning to disturb the tranquil surface of a once calm lake. Could the undead be part of this? She tasks the adventurers to leave at first light with Ardan, a barbarian fighter

Kefra has made a life for herself amongst the outer ruins of Harrowport. Urchins come and go and she helps what youth she can but otherwise lives a solitary life, trying to get by best she can. Zarain has set off from her barbarian tribe in the forests and mountains of Dragon’s Eye to try and find a cure for her sister’s disease. Oban Crowe, a paladin, has been betrayed by the new lord of Harrowport – Varis, a selfish, power-hungry man who has taken over rule from his recently deceased father Lord Mark.

Kefra meets Zarain at the edge of the city and is motivated to help this powerful pointy-eared creature. She knows of the paladin Oban due to his generous work with the people in the ruins and outer farmlands, trying to be a bridge between disparate peoples. As she approaches the temple/hostel that Oban maintains and runs, she sees him being carried off in manacles by Varis’s men – hired thugs more than professional soldiers.

Applying her roguish skills she manages to free Oban undetected and Oban agrees to see what he can do for Zarain’s sister in his appreciation. Oban also has a reason to leave the city – Lord Mark’s trusted General So disappeared from the city with her most trusted soldiers shortly after Varis took control. Oban is in possession of a letter in So’s hand urging him to come to Laketown to find her “when the time is right”.

So… our adventurers begin their story fleeing Oban’s captors across the plain and together approaching the barbarian village in the forest in the hopes to cure Zarain’s sister.

Just for fun, I ran an encounter with my Kefra character versus two goblins. They have +4 to hit and do 1d6+2 damage with a scimitar.

The goblins won initiative.

The first goblin hit (15+4=19 vs my AC14) and did 6 (4+2) points of  damage.

The second goblin hit (12+4=16) and did 4 (2+2) points of damage.

I went unconscious. I gave a 50-50 chance of them killing me or wandering away. They finished me off while looting my body. RIP Kefra.

Here is an outline recording all the information onto your character sheet as you create your character.

This method has you go through each of the sections of the handbook (Race, Class, Background) and guides you where to put what.

It turned out to be pretty long so maybe it isn’t that helpful. I wonder if it would be more helpful to number all the spaces on the character sheet and the then list where each should come from. (For example, in the Features and Traits box, list all the traits from your races, the features from your class, and the features from your background.) If I write that up, that will be Method 2.

Suggested Videos

• DawnforgedCast:
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFkdHn1d3Ow&index=6&list=PLTgwt_ewEFeNAXODD1IMU8fwTyFvmqIUk (alone)
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCwm4DAW_G4&index=23&list=PLTgwt_ewEFeNAXODD1IMU8fwTyFvmqIUk (with Rachel)
• WASD20
  • https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq8DIL0O-i-mbojnENKP0lg9vPKvZwHMZ (list)

1. Initial Character Creation

Pick a race, class, and ability scores. There’s no one order for doing that; they sort of all get picked together.

• Option 1: Roll ability scores in order (STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA) and pick race and class from that.
• Option 2: Pick a class and roll ability scores and arrange them to suit the class. Also pick a race.
• Option 3: For an alternative, you can just roll for everything (race, class, and background). See the 5E Random Character Generation-2 from A Fistful of Dice.
• Factor in the racial ability score additions (e.g., humans get +1 to each ability).
• PHBp45 has a table of the classes.

2. Document Your Ability Scores.

• Record the ability score, including the racial ability score additions.
• Record the ability modifier [PHBp13] (e.g., STR 13 is +1).
• Record initiative modifier which is your DEX modifier (in the Initiative box [PHBp177,189]. This gets added to initiative rolls.

3. Document Your Race

• Record your race and its page in the Players Handbook (e.g., Human [PHBp29]).
  • You should have already applied the ability score additions to your ability scores (e.g., Humans get +1 to all abilities). FWIW, I track my original roll plus the addition, although there’s no good reason to do that.
• Record your speed (in the Speed box).
• Record your languages (in the Other Proficiencies and Languages box).
• Record racial traits (in the Features and Traits box) (e.g., Dragonborn breath weapon and damage resistance).
• If your race has subraces, select a subrace and record its ability score additions and traits.
• (Optional) On the alternate sheet: record age, height, weight, eyes, skin, hair

4. Document Your Class

• Record your class and its page in the Players Handbook (e.g., Ranger [PHBp89]).
• Record your Hit Point Maximum (don’t forget the constitution bonus) and Hit Dice (e.g., 1d10) in those boxes.
  • If you multiclass, you might have 3d10 and 2d6 hit dice, if you have 3 Fighter levels and 2 Wizard levels.
• Record your class’s proficiency bonus from the class level table (record this in the Proficiency Bonus box).
• Record your proficiencies in:
  • Armor (in the Other Proficiencies and Languages box)
  • Weapons (in the Other Proficiencies and Languages box)
  • Tools (in the Other Proficiencies and Languages box)
  • Saving Throws (in the Saving Throws box)
    • fill in the circle for the proficient saving throws
    • record the modifier for each saving throw (for proficient saving throws it is the ability modifier plus the proficiency modifier, for the other saving throws it is just the ability modifier)
  • Skills (in the Skills box)
    • fill in the circle for the proficient ones
    • record the modifier for each skill (for proficient skills it is the ability modifier plus the proficiency modifier, for the other skills it is just the ability modifier)
• Record your equipment (in the Equipment box).
  • Record your weapons here with their attributes (melee, range, thrown, ammunition, loading, finesse, etc). The attack modifier and damage will be recorded next.
  • If appropriate, pick a pack from PHBp151.
• Record your weapon attacks in the Attacks and Spellcasting box.
  • weapon
  • attack bonus (usually STR or DEX plus proficiency)
  • damage (weapon damage plus STR/DEX bonus) and damage type (P:piercing, S:slashing, B:bludgeoning)
• Record your armor class (in the Armor Class box) based on your armor type (PHBp145), your DEX modifier (based on table PHBp145), and sheild. TODO: not sure the best way to record AC with and without shield…
  • note DA next to Stealth skill if your armor gives you disadvantage on stealth
• Record your features (in the Features and Traits box) (e.g., Ranger gets “Favored Enemy” and “Natural Explorer”)
• Record any options and their features (although they mostly come into play in later levels): barbarian path, fighting style, archtype, etc.

5 Pick and Record Background [PHBp122]

• Record your character name (in the Character Name box)
  • (Optional) On the alternate sheet: The Character Details section of the Personality and Background chapter gives an additional opportunity to record things like sex, height and weight, age, hair/eye/skin color (unusual/memorable scar, limp, tattoo, etc.)
• Record your alignment (in the Alignment box). You can wait and develop you alignment as you play, if you don’t want to choose one to start. Also, your alignment can shift as you get to know your character.
• Read through the backgrounds [PHBp127] and select one that appeals to you (Acolyte, Charlatan, Criminal, Entertainer, etc).
• Record your background (in the Background box):
• Record the background’s skill proficiencies (in the Skills box)
• Record the background’s tool proficiencies (in the Other Proficiencies and Languages box)
• Record the background’s languages (in the Other Proficiencies and Languages box)
• Record the background’s equipment (in the Equipment box)
• Record the background’s features (in the Features and Traits box)
• Select and record the Personality Traits (2 of them), Ideals, Bonds, Flaws in the corresponding boxes.

Other

• Record your passive wisdom, 10 plus Perception Skill modifier (in the Passive Wisdom (Perception) box) [PHBp175]

 

Happy New Year!

So my schedule’s actually pretty tight.  Things open up after 8 generally but that’s 11pm of you – no good.  Tuesdays look the best right now.

Mondays Elliot has swimming at 7 so that’s out.

Tuesdays are open

Wednesdays is volleyball.  Games are at 7, 8 or 9 so that could work on weeks when I have a later game but is not ideal.

Thursdays is soup kitchen so that’s out

Friday is open (unless there’s a party, OSU function or we are driving out to the coast.

Saturday and Sunday are always up in the air but can also work if Tuesdays do not.

 

Jeremy here.  I’m playing around with the site so it may change bit by bit.  First, I’ve started to add a menu to link to some things such as a campaign intro and soon-to-be-published character guide.

Maybe these would do fine as a post but whatever, we’re winging this thing!

I got some new dice because I’m too lazy to find my old ones! This pack only has one d6 in it so I’m going to have to do a lot of rolling when making a new character (rolling four d6 for each of six abilities). 🙂