Anyone really started playing yet?

[Anonymous]

The purpose of this topic is just for some idea's, and feedback, from players and gm's. How have your adventures gone so far? What has been the popular char choices? What about party composition? What kind of adventures are you running/plan to run? Average party level?

As far as adventures go, I am preparing to run my groups through a nasty political plot that will start out hum drum slow with lots of roleplaying in the beginning, [char level 6-8 (not sure yet)], and expand into a nasty game of hunt-and-destroy and paranoia through a palace.

I so far am planning to have a heleghast be an advisor to a king, which my players will be called to work for, and send them on a useless quest; only to have them take the blame for the kings murder (killing the king by taking on a pc's shape) and have them thrown into jail (seperate cells) when they return!

Then the pc's have to bust out somehow (sans most of their equipment, poor players) and figure out how to get past the palace guards to have their revenge on the frail looking advisor. Some of the players (preferably ones without sense evil/prophecy/sixth sense) will be decieved by the heleghast looking like one of their fellow pc's. Ofcourse, when the heleghast reveals itslef, and starts hunting the pc's is when the fun truly starts.

I plan to have the pc's wander the palace corridors individually, be decieved repeatedly by the helghast when it shifts into other pc chars, fight/sneak past/enchant/fool the guards.

Ofcourse, things can go in any direction, but right now an epic confrontation for the adventures end would be the rest of the pc's fighting the guards/themselves (each thinking they had been betrayed by the other, or thinking one of them would be the heleghast), while the player of the dessi would be going up against the real thing in the throne room, in a staff vs staff magikal combat. Good stuff.

While a ghast wont really last long against a level 8 dessi, even if he is alone, the pc will hopefully be tired after having clawed his way through a multitude of guards, not to mention other pc's trying to do him/eachother in! While I have been toying with giving the ghast levels in warrior, and maybe adept with one brotherhood spell, I really don't want to at this point.

As an aftermath, a level up for each player (those that survive), and then see how it goes from there. I am going to wait and see how the pc's roleplay throughout the adventure effects the end; if they made some comrades of npc's through good roleplay, their innocence might be believed. Otherwise...they will have to run at the end, with barrack full of guards behind them. Thus, the next adventure might be either one where the pc's have to elude their quarry, or one where they try to determine who sent the heleghast, and if there are any others.

Now to figure out idea's for making sure an ill timed use of sense evil, sixth sense, or prophecy elder art by players doesn't reveal the helghast... :shock: (damn antsy players )

 

[Ordovician]

Give the Helghast a Tinfoil Hat.

 

[adgramaine]

My group starts play this Wendsday. I'm starting them off at 3rd level - characters at this level have a bit more survivability: a Dessi Mage, Brotherhood Mage, and a Kai Lord for the core group so far.

Basically, I'm setting the stage to be 3 years before the Massacre of the Kai, and the players are going to have front row tickets either to the destruction of the salvation of the Kai, depending on how they play it out. We'll have to see 4 days from now....

 

[Madbiologist]

I managed to run a session, though it was a one on one, the player is good but very reactive. My other friend was busy and is mildly interested only, but it would be nice fi I had another more proactive player to season the mix.

The PC is playing Kai Lord, the story I am running is rather simple and hidden. The Hidden plot is that Sommerswerd is missing from its rightful place. Obviously this is kept a secret but its slowly slipping out. The Brotherhood has tasked it upon themselves to find it and return to its safekeeping before it gets too public. What bothers them and the Kai is why hasn't the Darklords acted yet, after all their minions know it too.

The main obvious plot is the Kai Lords are investigating into strange reports in the Southern continent coming from Shadaki.

I haven't managed to read book 4 of the GS series, and I barely remember the motives behind Shasarak, it would be nice if someone can give me more info on him (besides that he is a renagade Shianti, I know that ).

 

[Anonymous]

Hey thats great madbio. One on one adventures are really great for lone wolf. Although I personally prefer playing in a party, a ono on one can be fun when the player and gm are loking for a fast paced game with a tight plot. What level did you start out your player as? 4 (like the lw and gs series?) Oh and for info on shasrak, read the shadaki empire section blurb in the gazateer.

adgramaine; sounds like mucho fun. Drop a line and let is know how your first session went. I for one am really looking forward to my own sesssions. I can imagine the dessi and crystal mage will be at each others throats, with the kai acting as intemediary.

orod? Ah, I wish it was simple as that.

 

[Anonymous]

Whoops, by orod I meant ordovician

 

[Madbiologist]

I finished reading all the entries for Southern Magnamund, the info in it will be very useful in my game.

The PC started level 3, but I will give him the level 4 quickly. After that I expect to have a much smoother pogression. To encourage more interaction from his part I have him teamed up with another Kai Lord, but I made the NPC very silent and methodical. So it gives him someone to "depend on" and gives me someone to nudge him with. But his personality allows and encourages the PC to do all the big decisions and to do all the important intractions with the other NPC. The NPC is just there so he doesn't get to lost.

Though I would still prefer if my other friend joins in, I like duet games, plus he could stimulate the adventure more. So far we played one session. I am also curious who else has started to play or run a LW campaign.

 

[adgramaine]

Yeah, so we didn't start playing today, because the group wants another player, so we'll be starting next week.
:roll:
Yet again, I must excersise patience. First, it takes me forever to get the book NOW I forsee me taking forever to get this game started....

hopefully, I'll be wrong, and I'll have some adventurous notes to post a week from today...

 

[Arandur]

Firstly I would like to say it is killing me not being a player in this campaign but running it is better than no Lone Wolf RPG game at all


Well my players have all made their characters in readiness for this weekends (Sunday) game and we have the following all of whom are first level:

A Kai Lord (male), a Magician of the Crystal Star; from the Guild of Toran (female), a Sommerlending Knight of the Realm (male) & a Gunner of Bor; an orphan human child raised by Dwarves–yeah its clichéd but far too much fun for an evil GM (female).

As I stated earlier in another thread we are running through the LW gamebooks with my party pretty much replacing Lone Wolf (which is great since I am the only one who really remembers the details of the Books). And with the choices my players made it is quite easy to follow the books. I have actually had a few one on one character generation sessions to flesh out the characters.

I plan on beginning the game but a few scant hours before the Kai Massacre. The Kai Lord is obviously at the Monastery because he is Kai. The Magess is at the Feast of Fehmarn delivering a message from the Guildmaster of Toran which bears good tidings to the Kai Grandmaster on this most auspicious of days for the Kai. The Sommerlending Knight is present at the Feast to represent his father, who was one of the Sommerlund Nobles graced with the luck to train under the Kai and has sent his eldest son to honour the Kai for their teachings. And lastly the Gunner of Bor was found by the Kai half-dead a mere few miles from the Monastery and left for dead (but there are more sinister motives for this mercenary woman as she was working for Vonotar and then for a disguised Helghast,, after being told that the brotherhood coveted the Lore of the Kai –which she didn’t quite believe but ignored for the coin anyway).

All of the characters will by some degree of Fate manage to survive the attack (whether alone or together shall be seen during the game) but shall definitely come across each other after the attack. It will of course be imperative to the Sommerlending to reach Holmgard and warn King Ulnar IV (as in the books) and the mercenary gunner will be looking for some kind of payback and a form of redemption (this has been discussed with the player beforehand as they have the best recollection about the books).

Hope it all goes well…

Arandur

 

[Ordovician]

an orphan human child raised by Dwarves–yeah its clichéd but far too much fun for an evil GM (female).

Is her name Carrot and did she spend her childhood believing she was merely a tall dwarf?

 

[Arandur]

*laughs* Actually not at all! And in the end that player (as players do decided to change their mind the night before the game started and instead played a Magician of Dessi!). Pain in the ass!

We played the first session which as I said above begins at the Feast of Fehmarn at the Kai Monastery on that fateful day of the Kai massacre. My characters all met each other and were readying themselves with the feast or indulging in some of the esoteric study in the Library of the Monastery (as the Magician of Dessi was in correspondence with the 'librarian' of the Kai Lords and had come to view a particular prophecy that was only recorded in a fragment in the Dessi records that spoke of a great black host sweeping across the North).

The session ran quite well, the system works fine though I must admit I have incorporated the damage system from OGL ancients and the idea of Fate Points and corruption from Conan into my Lone Wolf campaign (the left for dead option worked really well in this situation). I love the streamlined skills list to it works well to capture a more 'Magnamund' feel.

The point that I wanted to make was I recall someone mentioning how the Dessi Mage was inferior to the Brotherhood Mage. I guess that may be possible at later levels and when my characters reach those heights I can make a judgment call then but at low levels (my PCs are first on the verge of second) the Dessi has the clear advantage.

It all comes down to Endurance and that Brotherhood Mages need to spend endurance for some of the more powerful effects of their spell while a dessi Magician begins the game with at least double if not triple the amount of spendable points in Willpower. At lower levels, both classes have very few endurance points so spending them to exert magical abilities is a definite risk. One that would have killed my Brotherhood Player if he did not have Fate Points.

But apart from this point the game ran well and the system is really fun. The only point I think I would like to make is that a greater selection of classes is needed, while the original classes are fun, the 'race and profession' combination is kind of limiting, but that is something I think will disappear with time and supplements.

Looking forward to the second session in where my players will try to make it to Holmgard to warn King Ulnar IV about the impending Darklord invasion and will meet the dying Banedon (Yes dying! I have a brotherhood Magician as a PC who will be replacing the Banedon in my campaign) who will impart the news of the traitor Vonotar.

Arandur

 

[Eternalknight]

We start playing this Sunday. The party consists of two Kai Lords, a Dwarven Gunner, A brotherhood mage and a Telchos Warrior. I plan on having each of them start in their respective homelands and meet up in Casiorn, where they will help a merchant protect his caravan on the road to Quarlen. Once in Quarlen, they will hear a rumour that the healing fountain of Castle Tuanor (see book 6) is actually because one of the Lorestones is situated there. Thus begins their adventure.

They will all be starting at 1st level. While I agree that the seven class choices is limiting, I had an idea. Do you think it would be unbalanced to allow players to take the NPC classes, but allow them to choose feats as well?

 

[Wordmaker]

I'm planning on starting a campaign once my current Star Wars campaign draws to a close. Because of the flexibility of the Kai Lord class, I'm planning a primarily Kai Lord group. If other classes can be given justification to work with the Kai Order regularly, then I'll allow them.

The game will be for 3-4 players, and each player will get "prologue" sessions of their characters as children arriving at the monastery, and there'll be a session of "childhood experiences" to establish NPCs and get the PCs to know each other before I fast forward to their early adulthood and Level 1. Beyond that, I'm not sure how it's going to go. I'm imagining a cross between Harry Potter and the Jedi Academy computer game.

 

[SableWyvern]

Wordmaker, once your campaign is up and going, I'd be interested to hear how four Kai worth of Mindblast affects combat.

 

[Wordmaker]

Now that you mention it, so would I! :shock:

 

[Madbiologist]

I did the Scene with Grey Star, I can go into deeper details but in short summary:

The Kai Lord threatened Tanith 3 times, and suspects that Grey Star will become Evil (I had him use Evocation to escape the Prison, the Forbidden Tome really upset the Kai Lord). They separated shortly after the initial camp after escaping from Suhn, and the Kai Lord was close to accusing Grey Star of falling to Darklord temptation. I should have never told the player about Right-Handed magic, he now thinks Grey Star dabbles in it, because well, Evocation has to be evil .

Only Shan Li did they like... in a way I am pleased, I did not want the players to follow him into the Azanam Jungle. The PC are going towards Karnali now, hiding from the Shadakine troops. Though I am intending another chance encounter with Grey Star (possibly in Karnali, after all they are goin gthere by foot stealthfully, so they should arrive there about the same time as Grey Star).

[Edit - Fixed up a few grammer and spelling mistakes, plus elaborated a bit on the end.]

 

[adgramaine]

ABSOLUTLEY PRICELESS!!!!

I'd love to know how antagonistic the Kai got with Grey Star, but a beligerant Kai is so fitting in that scene, imagining it made my head swim with laughter!

Ah.... if only I could get my own game started... it didn't happen AGAIN this week. Oh well, maybe next week, hopefully.... I hope.... :roll:

 

[Paido]

Very cool! ... Damn, I wish I could have been a Noodnic to be able to secretly spy on that game session!

... Cool, just cool. I'll definitely keep that scene in mind when I start the Grey Star books the next time. :wink:


Paido


BTW, I for one would like to hear deeper details! Don't know about the others, but I definitely would!

 

[Madbiologist]

Alrighty, I will post up more details tonight when I get home, I was given the chance to run a second session today. We will see what will happen. I am getting a new player today aswell

Edit - Well we did not play more today. we just hung out and watched movies. But when I get time I will post more details on what has happened already.

 

[Eternalknight]

We played our first session tonight. 2 Kai Lords, a Dwarven Gunner, A Telchos Warrior and A Brotherhood mage.

I had everyone start in their homeland and begin from there. The Telchos Warrior was kidnapped on the edge of the desert by slavers and sold to people in Vassagonia. She escaped, helped by one of the Redeemers, who took her with him to Casiorn where she hired on with a merchant as a guard in order to earn some money.

The dwarf left Bor to do some mercenary work in the Stornlands. He did a few months work until the group he was working with were hired to kidnap a local Lord's daughter - he refused and left. Hearing of some raids on merchant caravans out of Casiorn he decided to head there.

The two Kai were sent out by their Masters into the world to further their training. They were sent to Holmgard to speak to the captain of the Border Rangers, one Captain D'val (the father of Remir D'Val :wink: ). They were to guard a shipment of supplies south to Ruanon, which they did after fighting of a Szall raid. While their they met with the Brothehood mage who enlisted their aid for a task in Casiorn, investigating a merchant (the same one who the Telchos hired on with) as a possible rogue Brotherhood member. They hired on with him in Casiorn.

On the road between there and Quarlen they were attacked by raiders. The Dwarf, on the road ahead, saw this and joined in to aid them. After fighting them off the merchant hired him on and off they went to Quarlen, where the merchant paid them and told them if they needed any more work to join him in Varetta in nine days.

While in Quarlen they heard a rumour about the healing waters of Castle Tuanor, saying it was because a Lorestone was buried with Prince Lyden in the ruined castle's crypt. The session ended with them just entering the crypt.

None of my players knew anything of the world before today. By the end of the session one of the Kai was talking about finding a library in Varetta to seek out some of the history of the world, while the Telchos wanted know more about the different cultures. The two Kai (one with Healing, one with Mindblast) worked well together, respecting their four vows which I made them take. All in all, a successful session, with only one of the five players making no coment about it after the game (the rest enjoyed it).