Ran my first Conan game last night, which went rather well. My intention is to mix home-grown adventures with pre-written scenarios. I'm planning to run the adventure from the Messantia boxed set, but first I wanted to introduce my own major villain...
The PCs are all 2nd level; Tiberias, a Bossonian Soldier, Vanko, a Zamoran Thief, and Thuul, a Hyperboarean Scholar specialising in Summoning and Hypnotism. (There's a fourth character to be introduced, but the player couldn't make it).
The PCs arrived in the city of Messantia, having met each other on the journey to the city as part of a caravan, where they bonded by fighting off bandit attacks. The were all looking for their old friend Argentio (from the Messantia scenario), who they believed to live in a mansion on the clifftops of the city.
They wandered through Messantia, looking at the sights, (Vanko did a bit of pick-pocketing as they went) then arrived at the mansion in question. As Tiberias was about to knock on the door, it burst open and a young woman ran out, with three guards behind her shouting "Stop thief!"
Tiberias was knocked over by the woman, who landed on top of him. There was a bit of a tussle, the woman escaped, Vakno "attempted" to grab her, but really stole her purse, she got a little way, but the guards were on her, and knocked her to the ground and started kicking her. Tiberias waded in and started shoving them aside to protect her, then grabbed her to stop her escaping.
Then a little old Khitan man appeared on the doorstep, and told the guards to stop. They did. Tiberias searched her and found nothing. The old man introduced himself as Master Li; the guards said they should take her to the city watch, but she escaped and ran off. During this conversation, Thuul realised that Master Li was actually a powerful sorcerer.
Master Li explained that Argentio no longer lived there; he'd fallen on hard times and gone to live in the slums of the River Prefect. The PCs thanked him and left. They found a pub and had a drink and managed to find out where Argentio lived.
In a small, dingy house, enlivened with colourful window-boxes, they found Dolcetia, Argentio's wife, and his three children. Argentio, it seemed was in hiding, but she'd heard of the PCs, and invited them to stay for the night. She sent her eldest son off with a message for Argentio, telling him that the PCs were here.
The PCs were getting ready for bed, when Tiberias discovered a ring, hidden in his clothing; it was a gold signet ring, with a coiled dragon symbol on it. Thuul immediately recognised it as rare and magical, and wanted it. Tiberias said they should return it to Master Li, so he and Thuul set off for the Khitan's residence, in the middle of the night.
Thuul wanted to persuade Tiberias that they (or rather he) should keep the ring, so he deliberately led him astray down a dark alley. But out of the darkness came a huge man-ape, who attacked Tiberias, looking for the ring. It knocked Tiberias over, and injured him, but Thuul managed to distract it, and got out his magical quartz crystal in an attempt to use his Hypnotism spell on it.
Meanwhile, back at the house Vanko was disturbed by the sound of someone sneaking in at the window. He waited at the side of the window, and managed to surprise the woman who they'd met earlier escaping from the house. She'd been looking for the ring, which she'd hidden on Argentio. When she heard they'd gone to take it back, she was horrified, telling Vanko that Master Li was an evil sorcerer. She went rushing off to look for Tiberias and Thuul.
Meanwhile, in the dark alley, the Man-Ape knocked the crystal out of Thuul's hand, and started strangling Tiberias. Thuul rushed off up the alley to get his crystal back. Tiberias, still on his back, drew his sword and poniard, and managed to get a couple of blows in on the man-ape, but it wounded him badly, until he was reeling from the damage. The creature tore his hose and got the ring from his secret pocket.
Then, while Thuul was attempting to distract it again, the man-ape changed into Master Li, and disappeared into a purple cloud of smoke, veined with gold, which rolled off up the street and out of sight. Tiberias was *very* cross.
Thuul did some first aid, and they staggered back to the house, where Vanko was sleeping soundly. Tiberias wanted to go straight to Master Li's house and get revenge, but was persuaded that he was too injured, and a night's rest would be in order.
In the morning Dolcetia gave the PCs breakfast, and said that she'd had a message saying Argentio would meet them in the local public baths at noon. Thuul and Tiberias stayed at home so that some more first aid could be done, and Vanko went out "shopping".
He was actually pick-pocketing, and he was successful twice, but on his third attempt, while trying to rob a rich merchant called Publio, he was caught, and Publio screamed for the watch. They arrived and took him away to throw him in a cell. Vanko claimed to be working for Master Li, in the hope that mentioning a rich patron would get him off the hook, but the watch just said they'd send a message do Master Li to tell him Vanko was here.
And that's where the evening ended. Vanko is in prison waiting for Master Li to get him out (or something), Tiberias has sworn revenge upon Master Li, and Thuul wants to get his hands on Li's rare magic ring. Plus, they're supposed to be meeting Argentio in a few hours.
A good start to the campaign, I think!
The PCs are all 2nd level; Tiberias, a Bossonian Soldier, Vanko, a Zamoran Thief, and Thuul, a Hyperboarean Scholar specialising in Summoning and Hypnotism. (There's a fourth character to be introduced, but the player couldn't make it).
The PCs arrived in the city of Messantia, having met each other on the journey to the city as part of a caravan, where they bonded by fighting off bandit attacks. The were all looking for their old friend Argentio (from the Messantia scenario), who they believed to live in a mansion on the clifftops of the city.
They wandered through Messantia, looking at the sights, (Vanko did a bit of pick-pocketing as they went) then arrived at the mansion in question. As Tiberias was about to knock on the door, it burst open and a young woman ran out, with three guards behind her shouting "Stop thief!"
Tiberias was knocked over by the woman, who landed on top of him. There was a bit of a tussle, the woman escaped, Vakno "attempted" to grab her, but really stole her purse, she got a little way, but the guards were on her, and knocked her to the ground and started kicking her. Tiberias waded in and started shoving them aside to protect her, then grabbed her to stop her escaping.
Then a little old Khitan man appeared on the doorstep, and told the guards to stop. They did. Tiberias searched her and found nothing. The old man introduced himself as Master Li; the guards said they should take her to the city watch, but she escaped and ran off. During this conversation, Thuul realised that Master Li was actually a powerful sorcerer.
Master Li explained that Argentio no longer lived there; he'd fallen on hard times and gone to live in the slums of the River Prefect. The PCs thanked him and left. They found a pub and had a drink and managed to find out where Argentio lived.
In a small, dingy house, enlivened with colourful window-boxes, they found Dolcetia, Argentio's wife, and his three children. Argentio, it seemed was in hiding, but she'd heard of the PCs, and invited them to stay for the night. She sent her eldest son off with a message for Argentio, telling him that the PCs were here.
The PCs were getting ready for bed, when Tiberias discovered a ring, hidden in his clothing; it was a gold signet ring, with a coiled dragon symbol on it. Thuul immediately recognised it as rare and magical, and wanted it. Tiberias said they should return it to Master Li, so he and Thuul set off for the Khitan's residence, in the middle of the night.
Thuul wanted to persuade Tiberias that they (or rather he) should keep the ring, so he deliberately led him astray down a dark alley. But out of the darkness came a huge man-ape, who attacked Tiberias, looking for the ring. It knocked Tiberias over, and injured him, but Thuul managed to distract it, and got out his magical quartz crystal in an attempt to use his Hypnotism spell on it.
Meanwhile, back at the house Vanko was disturbed by the sound of someone sneaking in at the window. He waited at the side of the window, and managed to surprise the woman who they'd met earlier escaping from the house. She'd been looking for the ring, which she'd hidden on Argentio. When she heard they'd gone to take it back, she was horrified, telling Vanko that Master Li was an evil sorcerer. She went rushing off to look for Tiberias and Thuul.
Meanwhile, in the dark alley, the Man-Ape knocked the crystal out of Thuul's hand, and started strangling Tiberias. Thuul rushed off up the alley to get his crystal back. Tiberias, still on his back, drew his sword and poniard, and managed to get a couple of blows in on the man-ape, but it wounded him badly, until he was reeling from the damage. The creature tore his hose and got the ring from his secret pocket.
Then, while Thuul was attempting to distract it again, the man-ape changed into Master Li, and disappeared into a purple cloud of smoke, veined with gold, which rolled off up the street and out of sight. Tiberias was *very* cross.
Thuul did some first aid, and they staggered back to the house, where Vanko was sleeping soundly. Tiberias wanted to go straight to Master Li's house and get revenge, but was persuaded that he was too injured, and a night's rest would be in order.
In the morning Dolcetia gave the PCs breakfast, and said that she'd had a message saying Argentio would meet them in the local public baths at noon. Thuul and Tiberias stayed at home so that some more first aid could be done, and Vanko went out "shopping".
He was actually pick-pocketing, and he was successful twice, but on his third attempt, while trying to rob a rich merchant called Publio, he was caught, and Publio screamed for the watch. They arrived and took him away to throw him in a cell. Vanko claimed to be working for Master Li, in the hope that mentioning a rich patron would get him off the hook, but the watch just said they'd send a message do Master Li to tell him Vanko was here.
And that's where the evening ended. Vanko is in prison waiting for Master Li to get him out (or something), Tiberias has sworn revenge upon Master Li, and Thuul wants to get his hands on Li's rare magic ring. Plus, they're supposed to be meeting Argentio in a few hours.
A good start to the campaign, I think!
