And so it begins...

[Supplement Four]

Today, we met for game session one of our Conan campaign.

I have limited the group to three players at this point (and I may have as many as four other players, for a total of seven, join us later). I wanted to keep the group small as we launched into this new and complicated game.

We met for six and and a half hours, from 11:00 am to 5:30 pm. Five freakin' hours were spent in character generation. I'm telling ya, d20 is a complicated game! Two of my players are long time members of my "greater group". We've been playing together for 20+ years. They're both seasoned role players, but like me, haven't played a d20 based game since before 3.0 came out.

I had a lot to teach them.

My third player is brand new to role playing. Well, that's not quite true. He played back when he was in high school.

The scenario is my version of The Black Stones of Kovag-Re, set to begin in Arenjun.

I ruled that all PCs must be Zamorians, and the players could choose from four character classes: Commoner, Borderer, Soldier, or Thief.

We used the interesting character background and mental/physical makeup sections of the Players Guide to help flesh out the characters. And, this turned into some neat stuff (one item was actually used in today's game--I'll tell you about that later)

One character ended up having a pretty rough background. He, himself, was subject to abuse, and one of his older sisters was sacrificed to a demon when she was an infant!





For character generation, I gave my players three options to choose from. First, they could throw using the first official method from the 2E rule book (that is to say, roll 4D6, drop lowest, and you get what you roll because there is no arrangement to taste).

Second, they could use Conan 321, where 4D6, drop lowest, is rolled for each stat. Prior to the roll, the player choses to divide the six stats into three groups, one group with 3 stats in it, the second with 2 stats in it, and the third with the remaining stat in it. Then, after rolling, they can arrange to taste within the groups they chose.

The third method was for gamblers. 4D6, drop lowest, is rolled for each stat, as described in the first choice above. Then 1d7 -1 is thrown, resulting in 0-6 stats cited as non-adjustible totals (you get what you throw).

All three of my players chose Conan 321 as their method for chargen.



Daggeri
16 years old.
Zamorian 1st Thief

STR 7
DEX 14
CON 13
INT 15
WIS 12
CHA 11



Ruslan
18 years old.
Zamorian 1st Thief

STR 7
DEX 15
CON 8
INT 13
WIS 12
CHA 15



Severyn
18 years old.
Zamorian 1st Soldier

STR 14
DEX 8
CON 14
INT 13
WIS 11
CHA 13



Daggeri's parents ran an herbal shop in Arenjun, until, six months ago, there was a dispute and both parents were sold into slavery (in the Zamorian way). Obviously, the last half a year has been hard on 16 year old Daggeri and his brothers.

Daggeri's been running the Maul with an older kid, 18 year old Ruslan.

Neither know the third character, Severyn, who has just joined the City Watch (he enlisted and was not conscripted).

 

[Supplement Four]

We only had about an hour and a half to play (chargen taking up most of the day), but that little time we played was a blast.

I told the group that I would make calls from my gut, if I wasn't sure about something, to keep the game moving. I told them to expect changes in the way things are done as I read up on the rules and specific circumstances in between games.

This formula worked like a charm. I'd spent the last 3 weeks studying the game, so I am fairly competent with the basics. But, as a situation came up that I wasn't sure about, I just rolled some quick dice and kept the game moving.

I've got to say that this was one of the most fast-paced first-time sessions with a new rules set that I've ever played. It ran smooth as a babe's behind.

If you've read the "mature" thread, then you know what I had planned for the opening scene. The Governor of Arenjun was married the day before the game starts. The entire city closed down in respect, and the saloons were packed with wall-to-wall revelers until the next morn.

Severyn, the character in the City Watch, was sent to Malvolio's tavern to keep the peace. He was the lone watch in that particular tavern the night through.

The place was wall-to-wall crowded. Surprisingly, there were no serious brawls, but there were drunks a-plenty. The smell of vomit mixed with sweat and the sickly-sweet cheap perfum of Malvolio's whores who worked the room.

One whore rolled on her back across the wooden table in front of Severyn. He could see how glazed her eyes had become as it had become extremely late, and the girl had drank her fair share.

A big ox of a man poured from his flagon into her mouth as she tilted her head back. His other hand rolled a silver across her bare mid-drift. Severyn, of the City Watch, took a long pull on his own flagon as his eyes crawled up the girl's silk-wrapped legs. Her sweat had soaked the material so that it layed to the side, revealing to Severyn the sight at the top of her legs that most other men pay to see.

Never taking his eyes off the view, the City Watchman raised his flagon in a toast. He was a drunk as those he was watching.

Smoke crept in from the opium smokers in the corner.

A man to Severyn's right convulsed on his knees in a dry heave, his lips whispering somethign about spiders.

And by the time Severyn's head swung to his left, another man had mounted the whore, there on the table in front of the entire tavern. Two more men began to "help".

As the small orgy took place right in front of his eyes, the man from the City Watch slammed his jack down on the table demanding a free refill.

This was Arenjun, the City of Theives. Holiday or no, it was best to take care of the Watch in order to keep trouble to a minimum.





So, that, is basically how I opened the game. By circumstance, the three characters happened to be in the same place at the same time. Severyn, the Cith Watchman, and the two would-be thieves, Daggeri and Ruslan.

It was Ruslan, by-the-way, that first mounted the whore.

Dawn eventually broke through the few widow cracks at Malvolio's tavern to find Severyn, Daggeri, and Ruslan, among more than a dozen others, passed out, sleeping off the big celebration of the night before.

A bucket of water was poured in the sleeping Watchman, and he awoke with a start. The splashed carried over to wake up two others--Daggeri and Ruslan.

Standing before the table was the Watch Sergeant, looking none to chipper himself as he used his bill as a walking stick on which to lean. Through fatigued eyes, he observed the three characters. It seems that Severyn was not the only City Watchman to have partaken in last night's activities.

"Severyn," the Watch Sergeant said, "C'mon. The Gov'nor needs to see you."

As the Watch Sergeant turned, he half turned back towards the two next to Severyn, but addressing the Watchman direclty again, "Oh, and bring your two friends with you."



Now, this is a pretty simple set-up for the adventure. But, it took us more than an hour to play.

Why so? You might ask?

It's because my players are role players.

You see, I had told them, as we were generating characters, about Arenjun's policy of conscripting troops when the City Watch needed replacements. Ruslyn is a thief, and as such, he refused to be caught and forced to walk in the boots of a City Watchman. His first instinct is to flee.

And, that's exactly what he did.

"I'm not joinin' no City Watch!" is what he said, under his breath, before he bolted from his bench, clamored over the table behind him, then stepped on a sleeping drunk, running as fast as he can for Malvolio's back door.

You never know what players are going to do. You can't plan for this. But, when it happens, and it's fun, it's golden.

All we did our first session was play out Ruslyn's run for the tavern's back door.

As the Watch Sergeant motioned for his assisstant run after Ruslyn, Daggeri, still seated, swept his Poinard from his scabbard and stuck it in Severyn's crotch. "Sit down," he whispered to the Watchman.

It was kinda funny to see the face fo the player playing Severyn when the other player has his charcter turn on him. Remember, Severyn is being played by the player new to role playing.

The Watch Sergeant couldn't see Daggeri's poinard as the thief held it underneath the table (the Watch Sergeant on the other side).

Ruslyn and the other Watchman were neck-deep-involved in a chase, jumping over benches, running atop tables, and pushing aside dozing drungs.

Ruslyn slipped and fell in some vomit, though, allowing the Watchman to get right on top of him.

Now...remember earlier when I said we had used something Ruslyn's background? One of Ruslyn's life events (from the 2E Players Manual) indicated that Ruslyn had a contact inside the law...inside law enforcement...inside Arenjun's City Watch.

I had forgotten about it. The player reminded me. So, I threw 2D6, stating that is doubles popped up on the throw, that this Watchman was Ruslyn's actual contact.

I threw 4-4, for the hard eight.

The player smiled.

I adjusted my play with the Watchman.

We decided that the Watchman was the one Ruslyn bribed when he would exit the city at night. You see, Arenjun's gates close at sundown.



To make this long re-cap of our first session a bit shorter, we played out the end of the chase until the Watchman convinces Ruslyn to hold his run.

Daggeri removed his poinard from Severyn's crotch (PC on PC, here) with the Watch Sergeant none the wiser.

Severyn moved to block Ruslyn's exit, and the Watch Sergeant laughed, partly because of the situation and partly because of his hangover.

We left the game with the cliff hanger (I like to end on cliff hangers, if possible) of the Watchman--Ruslyan's contact--whispering with the Watch Sergeant, trying to keep his superior from slapping Ruslyn in irons (for running...this is Zamora!)

Next time, we'll find out.

On the one hand, not a lot happened our first session (as chargen took up most of our time), but on the other, it's a reminder of how something simple, like a hang-over influenced dawn run from the City Watch across the tables of a tavern can be as entertaining as fighting an entire battle.

I was very pleased with our first game. And, I'm looking forward to session 2 (which will hopefully be next week!).

 

[flatscan]

Cool man, sounds like you had fun. You've invested a lot of time and thought in your game (a LOT of the landing page topics on this board are started by you :wink: ) and you may want to consider making a campaign blog or wiki (or both) to keep players straight with NPCs, locations, encounters, events, etc. It's also a great way to keep a record of all the events and experiences your PCs (and you as GM) have had.

My personal favorite source is Obsidian Portal. They have a cool setup with lots of great features built in like Adventure Logs (that you and your PCs can Comment on), Wiki, NPC Tracker, and Maps. Click the link in my signature if interested in seeing what can be done with it, and good gaming!

 

[Supplement Four]

Cool man, sounds like you had fun.

Yeah, it was very fun. I like how a little thing in the game, like a City Watchman sent to fetch one of his guards, turns into something else.

I had no way to plan for that. I figured I'd just have the Watch Sergeant fetch the PC Watchman and the two thieves and be on to meeting the governor just like that.

I had no idea that one of the players would read it as an abitrary conscription (which I had told them happens, from time to time, in Arenjun). It was like an illegal alien running from the border partrol.

It really turned into a fun encounter as we played through the actions everyone took, jumping over stool and drunks, sliding across tables, desperately trying to scoot out the back door.

When I don't know something in the game and have no feeling for its direction, I typically just let the dice decide. When Ruslan started to run for the backdoor, I roll a higher die to even see if there wad a backdoor.

Then, I gave the player a 1d6 throw to see how many running round it would take him to clear the door into the alley outside. He rolled a "6".

It could just as easily been a "1", in which case, Ruslan would have made it out the back door, disappearing into the Maul, and my entire opening would have to be altared.

It might not seem like it, but it was pretty exciting running that chase and watching what his partner, Daggeri, was going to do.

I started the thread because I've been post a lot lately, and I thought some might enjoy reading about the fruit of my recent postings.

I thought it came of with a very "Conan-esque" feel.

 

[flatscan]

I started the thread because I've been post a lot lately, and I thought some might enjoy reading about the fruit of my recent postings.

It was a fun read. Would be interesting to read how your players viewed the encounters.

 

[Style]

Five freakin' hours were spent in character generation.

:shock: That is harsh. Now imagine your first encounter ended in a tpk. :lol: I've seen that happen.

I remember creating a 17th level PC and 15th level cohort (via leadership) for a 3.5 D&D Epic Core game. All we did was create characters the first sessions. I actually created both in about 2 hours (thank you hero forge), but spending 500k gold when every (non-artifact) magic item was available, along with selecting spells when every spell is available, took me several more hours spread out over the rest of the week, between sessions.

At any rate, some of the best threads on this site are campaign reports, so keep them coming.

 

[Supplement Four]

:shock: That is harsh. Now imagine your first encounter ended in a tpk. :lol: I've seen that happen.

Yep, definitely possible.

When I went one-on-one with a player to create his character, it took 3 hours. Doing the two other players together yesterday, took 5.

And, I used equipment packages. The time was spent picking skills and feats mostly (and discussing d20 mechanics).



So, I've got two young Arenjun thugs and a member of the City Watch. We'll see how it goes...

 

[Hervé]

Sup4 wrote:

Five freakin' hours were spent in character generation. I'm telling ya, d20 is a complicated game!

Now, we're talking the same language! Wait only till you build up some high level multiclassed villains, it'll get worse!

Your campaign starter is really promising! :wink:

 

[Supplement Four]

STORY POST 1







BOOK ONE - PROLOGUE



Players

Severyn, 1st level Zamorian Soldier. Making the awkward transition from childhood to adulthood, and as such, joined the City Watch half a season past. Strives to appear confident but is inwardly terrified that someone will see through his facade. Arrogant. Has just seen his 18th winter.



Ruslan, 1st level Zamorian Thief. A victim of Arenjun (one of a multitude). Many nights, he screams himself awake with nightmares of the day his infant sister was sacrificed to a demonic god. He's taken to the street, learning Zamora's most famous trade, not yet half a turn of the sun. He's brash. Bold. And just might be a little ill in his head. Yet, a natural leader. He is the oldest of the trio, just months older than Severyn.



Daggeri, 1st level Zamorian Thief. The last year began with 15 year old Daggeri learning the family trade in one of Arenjun's few herbal shoppes. But, the last year also brought a dispute between Daggeri's parents and a customer that ended with the two family elders being sold into slavery, even at their ages. It's a time-honored tradition in Zamora, and it left Daggeri alone with his two brothers to find food where they could. Now having seen his 16th winter, Daggeri has found a running partner in Ruslan, and the two scamps hit the streets of the City of Thieves, ensuring that Arenjun's nickname is well earned. Daggeri, although the youngest of the group, is also the most well adjusted. He's quiet and can be timid, but he's also learning that a roar followed by a bite can sometimes be heard more clearly than the methods he's used to using.








Prologue:

The governor of Arenjun took a bride yesterday. The entire city shut down in celebration. Every tavern and city park (and even some alleyways) saw revelers, most too drunk to stand before sun down.

On such rare occasions as this, the more seasoned Watch are wary of the Maul, and it is Severyn, one of the newest Watchmen, that is sent to Malvolio's tavern.

As if the Fates had whispered, both Ruslan and Daggeri found themselves drinking more than their fill in the very same establishment, located deep in the twists and turns of Arenjun's thieves district. To young and unseasoned in their trade to take advantage of the opportunities this special day had brought upon the Maul, the two thieves spent what little coin they had on watered ale and sizzling potatoes proffered by Malvolio's whores.

Neither of the two remember completely the later hours of the evening, but like vignettes, they grasp at images of a whore plying her trade on one of the tables, in front of all to see...at the memory of a man regurgitating his dinner then passing out in the slop he had made in front of himself...at the smell of the opium being smoked in the corner.

Through all of this, Severyn raised his flagon in a cheer, drink after drink, as the ale was free to City Watchmen as was the custom (and, in fact, governor order, to help pay the Watchmen for their extra duty).



= = = =



The bright light of dawn broke through several cracks in Malvolio's shutters, but none of the beams of the new day woke the passed out remains from the night's business afore. A dozen or more wretches lay sprawled among the benches and the floor like detritus waiting to be swept out with the sewage.

Water from a bucket brings Severyn alive instantly to see the Watch Sargent, Saeron, leaning on his bill, and his fellow Watchman, Griet, holding a bucket and a large smile.

Victims of the splash, both Ruslan and Daggeri break from their comas as well.

"Severyn," says the Watch Sargent, through mumbled lips and almost closed eyes, "The gov'nor has need of you. Report, lad, at once."

It is obvious that Saeron has had a similar experience to Severyn's during last night's posting. The Watch Sargent, guarding his eyes from the few beams of light breaking in on the tavern, begins to slowly trod his way back out the way he had come. Griet waited for Severyn to catch his senses and do as he was told. Almost as an after thought, The Watch Sargent addressed Griet and motioned to the two scamps stirring from their own slumber close to the young Watchman. "And, those two...bring them too."

"What! I'll not be conscripted into the guard!" Rusland was awake, and like a rat fleeing a fire, he jumped up and over the table behind him, pushing past inert bodies, making as straight a line as he could for the tavern's back entrance.

Griet dropped his bill and ran after him.

The noise finally forcing him completely awake, Severyn stood up from his bench. And, Daggeri slipped his poniard from its scabbard in a cat like motion, placing its tip to press into Severyn's groin, just under his manhood.

"Sit down," whispered the thief to the soldier, all the while keeping his head down as if he was sick and the sight of his weapon arm blocked by the table where he sat.

Severyn promptly sat down, without uttering a word.

The Watch Sargent turned, in amusement, to watch the commotion of Griet jumping after the the thief as Ruslan made for the other door.

With a great heft of his bill, Saeron axed his bill into the table's top, sinking the blade the width of two thumbs. Daggeri looked up in response, only to see the Watch Sargent nod his head at the action and smile...then frown as the pounding in his head was aggravated.

Ruslan slipped in vomit. He went down on his knees. Griet skidded to a halt above him, grabbing the man by his doublet. Ruslan shoved his elbow into the Watchman's chest, throwing him back far enough for Ruslan to continue his run.

"Ruslan! Wait. It's me, Griet! You know, Griet!"

The thief skidded to a halt and spun on his heel. His chest was heaving. Adrenaline made him alive. And, he recognized the Watchman--Griet, the man he paid when he meant to leave the city after gate close at sun down.

"Rus...it's a job. You could make some coin."

Although he didn't say anything, Ruslan nodded his head in agreement, looked at the Watch Sargent, then nodded a second time, Griet to Saeron.

The Watchman understood. He held up his hands. "I'll take care of it. You stay right there."

As Griet walked back to the Sargent, Daggeri replaced the poniard in its scabbard on the thief's belt. No one knew of the motion except for the thief and Severyn.

The 18 year old Watchman had froze at the mercy of the thief next to him. Once the blade was clear, he simply got up and walked calmly, past Ruslan, to the tavern's rear entrance, in case Ruslan decided to pull the rabbit again.

Silently, he thanked Bel that Daggeri hadn't spilled his blood (especially that blood). It was the first time that Severyn, the young City Watchman, had a blade pulled on him. He was rattled, but by Bel's broken heart, he didn't want anyone in the room to realize how scared he was.

Ruslan watched Griet approach the Watch Sargent, who looked none-to-happy. He couldn't hear the conversation, except when Saeron raised his voice, "I don't care how much money you make off of him, I want him...well, if he tries that shite again, it will be your arse that burns along with his..."

And, the Watch Sargent opened the tavern's main entrance, moving out into the blinding light.

Griet looked at the fellows standing in the tavern (for no other stirred, awake or not), "OK, let's go. It's off to Fort Doom, then."

Fort Doom. The governor's keep. The military sanctum of Arenjun.

The two words echoed in each of their minds as they followed the two Watchmen out of the tavern.







Under the acorn shell...

• * The characters meet each other. The two thieves know naught of the Watchman Severyn, but a night is spent in celebration among the three of them.
  
  * And all three are summoned before the Lord High Governor, Oleksa of Arunjun. Rudely awakened the next morn, two men of the City Watch arrive to escort Severyn to the governor's keep. Almost as an after thought, the young thieves Ruslan and Daggeri are beckoned to accompany Severyn to Fort Doom.

 

[Supplement Four]

House Rules added to the Campaign



ACTIVE DEFENSE: The defense ratings in Conan are static numbers. They're akin to Taking 10. This rule simply removes the static nature of defense, replacing it with a roll. So, for example a character with a Dodge 13 would roll d20 + 3 after being attacked to determine his total Dodge. Simple as that.

Rolling a natural 1 on either the attack roll or defense roll provokes an Attack of Opportunity from the character's opponent.

Rolling a natural 20 on the defense roll allows the defender to make an Attack of Opportunity on the attacker. (A critical threat result occurs when the attacker rolls a natural 20.)

Always resolve the attacker before the defender.







KNOWLEDGE (READ/WRITE) can be taken like any other skill. The character can use this skill for any reading or writing checks associated with the languages the character speaks. Other languages can be attempted at an appropriate penalty to the check.

Nobles and Scholars are given two free ranks in this skill at the GM's discretion.

Note that, as all Knowledge skills are classified as "trained only", a character can still make a read/write check, but all die totals of 10+ are considered as 10 per the trained skill rules. So, even if a character is illiterate, he still has a chance of understanding and writing a smattering of simple sentences and words.







FATE POINT OPTION: SECOND WIND: A PC can use a Fate Point to gain immediate hit points. This I call the Second Wind option. Spending a Fate Point nets the character a number of hit point equal to one day's rest, that is: 3 + 1 per level + CON modifier, to a minimum of 1.

The character must have at least 1 HP in order to use the Second Wind option.



MASTERWORK HEALER'S KIT: This can be used to gain the healer +2 on the Heal check and +2 recovery hit points when the check is successful.

So, after a fight, the Heal skill can be used for Short Term Care. This requires a DC 15 Heal check, but if successful, returns a number of hit points equal to the injured character's level + his CON modifier, to a minimum of 1. Using a master Healer's Kit on this check will boost recovered hit point by 2.

Masterwork Healer's Kits are expensive (150 sp) and using the kit to gain the +2 hit point bonus costs 2 uses per attempt (a kit with 10 uses will only be useful for 5 recovery attempts).



HEALING HANDS: This new feat as been added to the game. The feat's prerequisite is at least one rank in the Heal skill. The feat, Healing Hands, allows the healer to make educated guesses about treatment options, attempting different healing techniques that may or may not be successful.

In order to use the feat, the healer takes a negative modifer on his Heal check, but if successful, he provides bonus recovery hit points equal to the modifier. The modifier cannot be larger than the number of ranks the healer has in the Heal skill (mechanics are similar to the Power Attack feat).



HEALING EXAMPLES...

A 3rd level Soldier character has a +2 CON bonus and 25 hit points.

Second Wind: As long as the character has 1 hit point, he can use a Fate Point to return 8 hit points. He cannot use this method to boost his hit point total above 25.

Short Term Care: As per normal game rules, a wounded character can be attended by a healer once after each combat. This is a DC 15 Heal check by another character with the Heal skill. Success brings the Soldier 5 hit points.

Masterwork Healer's Kit: If a masterwork Healer's Kit is used with the Short Term Care option above, the healer gets a +2 bonus on the Heal check, and if successful, the Soldier recovers 7 hit points.

Healing Hands: Use of this feat depends on the number of ranks the healer has in his Heal skill. A healer with two ranks in his Heal skill would have two options of using this feat.

If providing Short Term Care, the healer can take a -1 penalty on his Heal check, but if successful, he would return to the Soldier 6 hit points.

Or, the healer can take a -2 penalty on his Heal check, providing the Soldier with 7 hit points if successful.

Using a masterwork Healer's Kit would improve these recovery options to 8 and 9 hit points respectively.

Once the healer put more ranks in the Heal skill, more options on using the Healing Hands feat would be available to him.