C. Chapman
Mongoose
Hey all,
Thought I'd give a quick intro. and also let you know about the Lone Wolf campaign I've just started to run for some of the kids at the school I teach in.
I'm Colin Chapman, Primary School Teacher, Husband, and RPG Freelancer (you can see some of my credits in my sig), and I've been gaming for 21 years, old git that I am. :wink:
Like the majority of people here I imagine, I picked up the LWRPG due to the fact that I played a number of Joe Dever's gamebooks back in the day. I was wary of the fact that it was OGL, because I generally don't find the d20 System to my liking, preferring simpler, liter, less tactical systems. Fortunately, LW seems to have stripped many of the elements I didn't like, and there's little left I need to ignore. Yes, I know I've written d20 System publications, but that doesn't mean I have to like the system, damn it!
I have successfully run an after-school RPG Club at my school once a week for the past few years, and have just this week started a LW campaign for the Year 6 kids in the group (Abigail, Charlotte, Chloe, Katy, Ewen, Noel, and Sam). They have selected to play, in order, Kai Lord, Kai Lord, Magician of Dessi, Herbalish, Brother of the Crystal Star, Gunner of Bor, and Sommerlund Knight. All of the children are 10-11 years of age.
The campaign is being loosely based on the superlative "The Enemy Within" campaign for WFRP, or rather, it is based on my hazy recollections of that campaign from many years back when I ran it.
The basic premise is that a number of wealthy merchants, nobles, and at least one magician, are all members of a cult devoted to Vurnos. The valiant hero(ines) accidentally stumble across part of the plot, and the investigation, action, intrigue, and conflict snowball from there.
I ran the first session yesterday. The characters, attending a Summer Fayre in Anskaven, were idly watching a crowd for pickpockets when a mangy goat-headed beastman escaped from the travelling freakshow through a rusty grate and into the town's sewers. Realising the potential threat a beastman loose in the sewers presented, our heroes gave chase.
What followed was a slow buildup of suspense, plenty of description from me, and the characters huddled about the solitary light source that Ewen's character provided. As they carefully, slowly, made their way through the slick, damp confines of the sewer tunnels, with my hinting at strange faint noises, ripples in the dark waters, etc. Katy complained she'd have no nails left she was that nervous... I then scared them all out of their skins by suddenly giving a blood-curdling goatish yell as they were deciding which tunnel system to take. The kids all leapt in their seats. :lol:
Fearful now, they followed the tunnel from which the horrible cry had emanated, standing aghast when they saw ahead, barely lit by their light, the furred hand of the beastman resting on the floor, protruding from a darkened recess, darker liquid welling around it. The kids had their characters fan out, weapons at the ready, while Charlotee's Kai Lord (by far the stealthiest character in the bunch, as well as the best archer), slunk low into the shadows away from the light, bow in hand, scouting ahead to see if the beastman was injured, dead, or simply lying in ambush. The beastman was dead, its face frozen in horror.
The group cautiously approached the body, Katy's character the only one willing to turn the still-warm body over and try to ascertain what had caused the creature's death, finding their only two small puncture wounds, discoloured as if by poison or acid (the bite of a very important critter the characters will soon encounter). However, of greater interest was the battered oak door within the recess, a door leading into the small shrine of the local cultists, albeit one inhabited at present. There, I made them more apprehensive by taking Chloe aside and describing how her character didn't like the "feel" of the place, how it felt like "evil magic." When she revealed this to the others, they were appropriately fearful. Yes, I know there's nothing in the rules that says anything about her detecting such stuff yet, but what the hell, it works, and I never need mention it again unless I want to, so sue me.
After carefully searching the shrine, they uncovered a letter with dire implications (I actually made one as a prop, printed on rough parchment paper in a calligraphic font, and enhanced it with a few droplets of red ink for that blood splatter effect). The note read:
Dearest Cousin,
I pray that all goes well with you as our plan approaches its completion? Soon, Vurnos willing, we will reap the benefits of our labours, bringing the glory of pestilence to the simpering fools of Sommerlund. The druid has been more than willing to lend his expertise, and the vessels are now ready; be ready to receive them at the docks near your warehouse on the night of the Summer Fayre; I am confident you have the appropriate diversion ready.
Of course, I am sure you understand the necessity of eliminating the acolytes of the cult once their usefulness has expired. We cannot afford to leave any witnesses, however fervent their worship of our Pustulent Lord might be.
Kindest regards,
Augustin
Ezog Ash Zutag!
Yep, I used the Giak language stuff in the Magnamund Companion to add that last little flourish (which means "Sickness and Pain!" for those of you not fluent in Giak).
And so the scene is set, ready for the next session.
cheers!
Colin
Thought I'd give a quick intro. and also let you know about the Lone Wolf campaign I've just started to run for some of the kids at the school I teach in.
I'm Colin Chapman, Primary School Teacher, Husband, and RPG Freelancer (you can see some of my credits in my sig), and I've been gaming for 21 years, old git that I am. :wink:
Like the majority of people here I imagine, I picked up the LWRPG due to the fact that I played a number of Joe Dever's gamebooks back in the day. I was wary of the fact that it was OGL, because I generally don't find the d20 System to my liking, preferring simpler, liter, less tactical systems. Fortunately, LW seems to have stripped many of the elements I didn't like, and there's little left I need to ignore. Yes, I know I've written d20 System publications, but that doesn't mean I have to like the system, damn it!
I have successfully run an after-school RPG Club at my school once a week for the past few years, and have just this week started a LW campaign for the Year 6 kids in the group (Abigail, Charlotte, Chloe, Katy, Ewen, Noel, and Sam). They have selected to play, in order, Kai Lord, Kai Lord, Magician of Dessi, Herbalish, Brother of the Crystal Star, Gunner of Bor, and Sommerlund Knight. All of the children are 10-11 years of age.
The campaign is being loosely based on the superlative "The Enemy Within" campaign for WFRP, or rather, it is based on my hazy recollections of that campaign from many years back when I ran it.
The basic premise is that a number of wealthy merchants, nobles, and at least one magician, are all members of a cult devoted to Vurnos. The valiant hero(ines) accidentally stumble across part of the plot, and the investigation, action, intrigue, and conflict snowball from there.
I ran the first session yesterday. The characters, attending a Summer Fayre in Anskaven, were idly watching a crowd for pickpockets when a mangy goat-headed beastman escaped from the travelling freakshow through a rusty grate and into the town's sewers. Realising the potential threat a beastman loose in the sewers presented, our heroes gave chase.
What followed was a slow buildup of suspense, plenty of description from me, and the characters huddled about the solitary light source that Ewen's character provided. As they carefully, slowly, made their way through the slick, damp confines of the sewer tunnels, with my hinting at strange faint noises, ripples in the dark waters, etc. Katy complained she'd have no nails left she was that nervous... I then scared them all out of their skins by suddenly giving a blood-curdling goatish yell as they were deciding which tunnel system to take. The kids all leapt in their seats. :lol:
Fearful now, they followed the tunnel from which the horrible cry had emanated, standing aghast when they saw ahead, barely lit by their light, the furred hand of the beastman resting on the floor, protruding from a darkened recess, darker liquid welling around it. The kids had their characters fan out, weapons at the ready, while Charlotee's Kai Lord (by far the stealthiest character in the bunch, as well as the best archer), slunk low into the shadows away from the light, bow in hand, scouting ahead to see if the beastman was injured, dead, or simply lying in ambush. The beastman was dead, its face frozen in horror.
The group cautiously approached the body, Katy's character the only one willing to turn the still-warm body over and try to ascertain what had caused the creature's death, finding their only two small puncture wounds, discoloured as if by poison or acid (the bite of a very important critter the characters will soon encounter). However, of greater interest was the battered oak door within the recess, a door leading into the small shrine of the local cultists, albeit one inhabited at present. There, I made them more apprehensive by taking Chloe aside and describing how her character didn't like the "feel" of the place, how it felt like "evil magic." When she revealed this to the others, they were appropriately fearful. Yes, I know there's nothing in the rules that says anything about her detecting such stuff yet, but what the hell, it works, and I never need mention it again unless I want to, so sue me.
After carefully searching the shrine, they uncovered a letter with dire implications (I actually made one as a prop, printed on rough parchment paper in a calligraphic font, and enhanced it with a few droplets of red ink for that blood splatter effect). The note read:
Dearest Cousin,
I pray that all goes well with you as our plan approaches its completion? Soon, Vurnos willing, we will reap the benefits of our labours, bringing the glory of pestilence to the simpering fools of Sommerlund. The druid has been more than willing to lend his expertise, and the vessels are now ready; be ready to receive them at the docks near your warehouse on the night of the Summer Fayre; I am confident you have the appropriate diversion ready.
Of course, I am sure you understand the necessity of eliminating the acolytes of the cult once their usefulness has expired. We cannot afford to leave any witnesses, however fervent their worship of our Pustulent Lord might be.
Kindest regards,
Augustin
Ezog Ash Zutag!
Yep, I used the Giak language stuff in the Magnamund Companion to add that last little flourish (which means "Sickness and Pain!" for those of you not fluent in Giak).
And so the scene is set, ready for the next session.
cheers!
Colin
