Curse of Strahd - Fate?

 

Look at the post number?

Coincidence or not? The post I make where we lose a character is post 666 on by blog...

29 June 2022

Curse of Strahd - S5E3 - At what cost victory?

  

Having encountered snakes, a small coven of witches and waded through chest deep swamp water, our heroes located the hut of Baba Lysaga, dark witch of the swamp. Hiding in the undergrowth perhaps a hundred feet away, they made a plan to overwhelm her with fireballs blasted into the hut. It was a fine plan, but Kel insisted that they abandon it when he saw her comforting a child in there. A more complex plan of the sorcerer stepping through a door between dimensions into the hut and grabbing the child, while the others rescued the caged ravens (suspected as being allies of their friends the Martikovs), and then doing the fireball thing was formed. Whatever could go wrong?

Our dramatis personae:

Ser Adon de Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Paladin, from a knightly background, with two human retainers and a priest), played by Paul (dr_mitch). Lawful Good. Married to Ser Alys.

Kelwarin (Kel) (a half-elf Sorceror flush with the powers of wild magic, an outlander), played by Graham (First Age). Chaotic Good.

Gaddock Teeg (a halfling wizard and former prizefighter), played by Alex (Doggetay), Neutral Good

Ser Alys de Adon-Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Fighter with a soldier background, currently the leader of the town militia of Daggerford), played by Tom (Guvnor). Lawful Neutral. Imagine a slightly greener take on Grace Jones... Married to Ser Adon. 

also featuring: 

Ireena Kolyana (a human warrior, daughter of the Burgomaster of Barovia, Twice-Bitten reincarnation of Strahd's unrequited love, Tatyana) - upgraded as a sidekick.

with : 

Alexei the Vistana (a young human expert, sent to pay off his debt to the party by his Vistani elders after they rescued Arabelle from certain death when Alexei lost her in town. A late teenager who is so taken by Ireena and the excitement of the adventure that he's forgotten he planned to be sulky and surly for his 13 moon exile) - upgraded as a sidekick.

All characters have recently levelled up to 7th level, including the sidekicks. 

10th December, 11 days to the Solstice.

The body wrapped lovingly in the taupaulin let out a low moan and stopped struggling as Ser Adon's blade, Deva's Redemption, ignited with holy fire and pushed through cloth and flesh, burning away the undeath that the witch had tainted poor Alexei with when she responded to his brave archery with a wave of necrotic energy[1]. Not for him resurrection through the powers of the Morninglord vested in the Abbot of Krezk, but hopeful rest of a kind. Gently, laying down the corpse of his friend on a tussock only a little over the surface of the water, Adon whispered a prayer for the teenager's soul. 

Why was it always the youngsters? Instead of having a heroic tale to tell of slaying Baba Lysaga, a cruel witch who had haunted Barovian dreams for centuries, he lay there lifeless, when half an hour before he'd been grinning and cracking jokes, never letting the fact that his people had exiled him to travel with the party get him down. 

Twenty minutes before, Kelwarin had drawn upon his sorcery, creating a doorway through space to the interior of the hut, and it almost immediately went wrong.

The child was an illusion, something that the witch used as a comfort, making the entry into danger futile. 

Pinned to the ceiling with twisted dark iron hooked rods was a once beautiful and naked woman. The scars told their own story; she was being drained of her blood by the witch, into the bathtub below. Somehow, she was still alive. 

Both Alexei and Ser Alys tried climbing up the hut onto the arms that the ravens hung from. Alexei tumbled as the hut lurched, Ser Alys almost fell, but managed to release the ravens crying "Fly my beauties, fly".

Baba Lysaga tried to dominate Kelwarin's will as she summoned a crown of iron onto his head, but somehow he resisted, and then stepped back out of the hut. Ser Alys was spotted by Baba Lysaga, who  cackled, and she shot a wave of darkly necrotic energy at her. Somehow, it mostly washed over Alys.

Gaddock and Kelwarin responded with fireballs that only served to wake up the hut. After they hit, the witch turned herself into a swarm of flies, merging with other swarming insects, circling the skull embedded in the swamp beside the hut, then reforming in her natural form sitting in it. She cackled and it rose into the air. 

Gaddock hit the hut with another fireball, but then was struck by one of it's tree-like legs, knocking him head first into the water, out of the combat. [2]

Ser Adon misty stepped into the hut, Materialising, he checked the room and decided to try and break through the floor rather than rescue the woman; he noticed a glow there, not unlike the glow on the gemstone at the Wizard of Wines vineyard. He suspected it was either one of the missing gems or the heart of the hut. Breaking through the floorboard, he strained, trying to get hold of whatever it was. The opening tried to close like mouth, but finally, somehow he reached the gemstone and desperately pulled it clear. The floor lurched and the hut became motionless.

Outside, the witch laughed into the wind, trying to turn Ser Alys into a goat. Somehow, once again she resisted. Meanwhile, strange scarecrow creatures appeared and started to attack the rest of the party. The battle became more desperate.

Baba Lysaga swirled around on the unturned dragon skull, swinging down at Kelwarin and Ireena, who combined firing firebolts and arrows at her. The witch dropped low, hurtling towards them, spray flying up, only for Ser Alys to leap aboard and finish her with a mighty blow. She crashed into the swamp, finished by the brave orc warrior just before she blighted the lives of the young couple who had become increasingly attracted.

Stillness fell upon the field of battle. The witch was dead. Argynvost's skull was theirs. The gemstone stolen more than a decade ago from the vineyard was recovered. But Alexei was gone, forever. Killed in a mercy killing.

They freed the woman from the hut ruins; she screamed in pain as they pulled the hooks out one-by-one, blacking out, near death. But her powers of healing were supernatural. She soon healed over, but was weakened. She introduced herself as Laura Stoneheart. A hunter. Talking to her, Gaddock soon realised that she reminded him of Jeny. He mentioned her, and Laura looked sharply at him, and asked to be taken to her sister. 

One of the ravens they released transformed into an attractive woman, who introduced herself as Muriel Vinshaw, a friend of the Martikovs. She'd been trapped by Baba Lysaga who'd put her in a cage while she caught enough black birds (ravens) to make into a pie.

They found a small chest full of loot in the hut, which they recovered [3]. They then improvised a sled from wood to pull the bodies and skull and headed back out of Berez to Vallaki to recover, publicly burn the witch to show the threat was gone and reintroduce Laura to Jeny.

GM Notes:

[1] Finger of Death spell, which instantly killed Alexei and did enough necrotic damage to bring him back subsequently as a zombie.

[2] Gaddock took enough damage to be out of action and making death saves

[3] The loot. 

• 1,300 gp
• Five 500 gp gemstones
• A vial containing oil of sharpness
• Two spell scrolls (mass cure wounds and revivify)
• A pouch containing ten +1 sling bullets
• A set of pipes of haunting
• A stone of good luck (luckstone)

A brutal fight. Had Ser Alys not killed Baba Lysaga, both Ireena and Kel would have been on death saves. Gaddock had failed twice when Ser Adon laid hands on him to save him. The terrain, the danger from the spells and the danger from the hut itself put the party on the back foot. A well deserved chance to level up, but the first true character loss in the game when Ser Adon felt obliged to slay what Alexei had become.

Vallaki brings the following:

• A public burning of the body of Baba Lysaga
• The return of Alexei to his family for funeral rites
• The reuniting of Jeny and Laura, who the party are convinced are the embodiment of the Fanes
• The opportunity to return and lay Argynvost to rest in the tower of Argynvostholt as they promised his spirit
• The chance to check in on Lady Wachter and her husband, now he is resurrected.
• The chance to return the gemstone to the Martikovs, perhaps to Urwin and Danika who left the family home when he was accused of failing in his duty to protect it

Oh, and the chance to level up to Level 8 having killed one of the major threats in the campaign.

27 June 2022

First Impressions - Into the Odd Remastered

Into the Odd Remastered - Orange and Blue, will I love you?

Some time ago, back in the depths of the first lockdown, I wrote a review of "Electric Bastionland" Where I referenced its predecessor "Into the Odd". At the time, I only had a PDF copy on my computer; it was a very lightweight system that distilled the setting and feel into the character generation and a few short references. There was a huge amount of space for imagination and development of the setting for both the GM and the players.

Recently, Chris McDowall teamed up with Fria Ligan to kickstart and produce a remastered edition of Into the Odd, with production values much more like "Electric Bastionland", combined with lots of lovely artwork. Looking at the book in front of me, they've definitely succeeded at that goal.

The book is a digest sized 144-page hardcover, strikingly orange and blue in tone, with a surreal picture of some explorers heading down into lush organic depths underground. The book is packed full of gorgeous artwork and beautifully laid out. I didn't see any typos, so it's fair to say that the remastered version is a quality artefact. It's set off with a ribbon bookmark, keyed to the pink organic elements on the cover.

The game engine is very similar to that in Electric Bastionland. Characters have three abilities - Strength, Dexterity and Willpower- rolled on 3D6 in order. They start with D6 hit protection. Equipment is determined by cross referencing your hit protection with your highest ability score. You'll likely have an item of Arcana; a weird/forgotten science or magic device.

The main game mechanic is the save - a D20 roll equal to or under an ability score to succeed. A '1' is always a success and a '20' is always a failure. There are no "to hit" rolls. Each turn of combat you simply roll damage. If your hit protection drops to zero, you take damage directly off your strength. You'll also need to make a save to avoid critical damage which would put you out of combat and at risk of death. If any ability score hits zero, your character is dead. A short rest restores all hit protection, and a full rest (a week) restores all ability scores.

There's a section giving example Arcana, ranging from the more mundane to dangerous legendary powers. There are some fascinating ideas included which could definitely add curve balls to any game session.

The example of play is good; it showcases the weirdness of the Underground and explains the mechanics well.

Levelling is handled on a milestone basis- you both need to survive adventures and start to develop apprentices. Each level adds a further D6 hit protection and gives a chance to improve ability scores. There's also guidance on establishing military detachments (your own military force) or enterprises (businesses). It's fair to say that enterprises are very risky, with a risk of collapse if debts accrue (very much a theme of Electric Bastionland where every group starts with a debt) wiping out the entire investment.

The GM's section is light, but pretty comprehensive, especially when you consider that it's not the kind of game that's likely to be someone's first RPG. Of particular note are the three short pages that give a taste of the Odd World, from the City of Bastion, to the Underground, and then into the Deep Country and beyond. These short paragraphs give a hint to the imagination, a flavor of the world but nothing more.

Welcome to the Iron Coral

There's a decent introductory mini-campaign called "The Iron Coral". A strange formation has risen from the waves, and the brave - or perhaps foolhardy - explorers have travelled from Bastion to examine it. There are three levels of weirdness to explore, each with 20 locations. Inland, from the beach, is the Fallen Marsh, 25 hexes of encounters, with rumours, and four more mini locations. Finally, there are a further five pages of details of the nearby pot of Hopesend, one of the northernmost places before the Polar Ocean. Two of those pages detail ships that have arrived from Bastion, each with quirks or potential scenario hooks.

The final section is the Oddpendium which is a collection of random tables for inspiration. For example, council decisions and the citizen's reactions to them. Names, streets, astral cults, weird monsters, arcanum, and more. Useful nuggets to give a GM a seed to grow and develop. There's also some alternative starting packages for mutants from the Underground, simple folk from the Deep Country and even Unhumans from the lost city of Starfall. There's an alternative set of standard starting packages too. The book ends with a short index.

Into the Odd Remastered is a quality product. Despite the art punk sensibilities, it contains a very playable game packed with inspiration and ideas. The new mini-campaign is interesting and easy to pick up, and it's a game and engine that I'd recommend. Finally, it's presented in a manner to be compared with games like Mausritter and Silent Titans which have built on its legacy. Most definitely recommended.

26 June 2022

First Impressions - Grizzled Adventurers

Grizzled Adventurers, the latest game from Flatland Games

You don't need this book but I'm really glad that it exists!

"Grizzled Adventurers" is the latest release from Flatland Games, the publishers of "Beyond the Wall" and "Through Sunken Lands". I've previously reviewed the latter on the blog, and also covered it in the after action report from Furnace 2021. You may recall that I liked it.

Grizzled Adventurers takes the playbook based character and scenario framework approach used in their previous releases and applies it to dungeoneering, providing a 'pick up and play" route to mid-level adventuring. You have a mix of hardened veterans out for loot. It's perfect for a one-shot. 

Physically, the book is the same format (8×11) used in their other releases, with similar trade dress and layout. It has 90 pages of content, with a further two pages for the OGL and an advert for their other lines.

Mechanically, the game engine is the same as that used in Beyond the Wall and Through Sunken Lands. I've covered that in detail before, so let it suffice to say that it's an OSE-style light D&D, with ascending Armour Class and a variant spell system with cantrips, spells and rituals. It's also got an interesting stance option for combat that reminds me of "The One Ring".

Characters are created at the table, with players building ties together. Lingering scars from past adventures are revealed (they are 'grizzled adventurers', after all), along with the fears that they carry from previous narrow escapes. Finally, each character has a link to another player, a rivalry which means that they want to show off. The final characters will be warriors, rogues or mages, in a range between third and fifth level. Strong enough to be brave, but weak enough not to be foolhardy.

The adventure itself will kick off as they reach a location where they believe they will find the MacGuffin, an item which has led them on this adventure. The location may be a dungeon, but whatever and wherever it is; it will be dangerous.

The GM will have generated the MacGuffin from the treasure tables while the characters are being created. They then pick a map from the selection in the book (all of which are Dyson Logos ones) or from another source and locate the MacGuffin on it. The dungeon is populated using one or two sets of monsters, thematically linked together in a group, and the finishing touches are added using the traps and special features table. That's it, done.

Yes, you could to this yourself using OSE, D&D 5e or another game but it's quick, effective and sitting here ready for you. The final stage of preparation is to describe the MacGuffin to the players and ask any mages if they want to cast any rituals before they enter. Once this is done, you're underway, entering the dungeon for a final score.

That's it. Simple preparation for an evening of fun. it's a very slick ruleset and reference to bring a game to the table that's just a bit of fun. Perfect for an evening when some players can't make it or at a convention.

You probably don't need this, as you likely have all the tools to do it yourself, but I recommend that you get it. it's a lovely package that will get you to the table with a set of adventurers with a shared history and a coherent scenario with a minimum of effort. Perfect for a busy GM.

Recommended

25 June 2022

 

Blue Planet - Sweet Harmony

 

I'm running the new edition of the excellent Blue Planet roleplaying game at North Star next weekend, twice. One game is a re-run of the QuickStart adventure which I last encountered as a playtest scenario back in 2019. The other is a sequel to that adventure set perhaps six months later. I'm looking forward to it, and the game system is locked into my head, unlike Star Trek Adventures, where I'm finding the usual slippery effect that I get from Modiphius' 2d20 engine. It's coming, but slowly.

Anyway, I produced a quick crib sheet of the rules for playtest, which I shared with Jeff Barber (the author). He later told me that they'd been updated post playtest, and the difference would be in the QuickStart. I decided to update the crib sheet so started to read the final document properly for the first time (I got a lovely spiral bound colour print version from Doxdirect as the core rules won't be out for some time yet). The rules changes weren't significant, but they did make complete sense.

In preparing for the scenario (which has morphed from 'Red Sky Charters 2' to 'Time to Pay the Piper') I started to get confused. I ordered a lovely print of the new map on PVC to go on the table, but then realised that there was something different. The names had changed.

Blue Planet's native culture in the first and second editions was described as Rastafarian. The biggest independent island was New Jamaica. The biggest town Kingston. Another Marley. The political and independence movement was the New Rastafarian Movement. This is exactly the same in the playtest draft.

But the NRM is no more. Let's welcome the NGC; the New Gaia Collective. Kingston becomes Harmony. Marley become Freeport. New Jamaica becomes New Corazon. All the Rastafarian references are gone. Erased.

I suspect that someone has had a sensitivity read done and decided that it may cause offence. I've no issues with this, as it always seemed to be a little cliched and a bit force fitted to the setting. That said, just like having watched Blade Runner with the voiceover first, the vibe is never going to fully go away in the same way I always hear the dialogue in my head.

The issue I have for next weekend is that I have some handouts with 'Kingston' and 'New Jamaica', and others with 'Harmony' and 'New Corazon', and not a lot of time to fix them. That's what happens when you draw on the previous edition. However, nothing major.

Looking forward to running this.

20 June 2022

Roll20 AV - much improved

Full AV on Roll20

 The last three sessions of Curse of Strahd we've opted to go full AV on the platform. Previously, we were using Discord because of past experience. I decided to try again as it was probably 18 months since the last time that I did this. 

It had been awful previously; we'd ended up using Discord for audio and video, but about 12 months ago we started using the video element on Roll20 as one of the players wanted to see everyone else. It wasn't bad; sometimes you'd drop out, but a reload in the preferences would fix it. I'd noticed that we were having to do that less and less, so decided to experiment with the full experience.

It's been really stable and works well. I had it going fine over Edge as well. We're going to stick with it for now, and cut back if it deteriorates. 

It's fair to say Roll20 has seen a lot of changes in the last year, and this looks like they're on the way to properly address one of their weaker points. Good stuff.

19 June 2022

Game update for May 2022

 

A quiet month with sessions having to be cancelled for work and holidays amongst different players. One of the D&D5e sessions failed because the hotel's WiFi was unusable.

As an aside, we're now three sessions into using Roll20 for full AV (rather than Discord for audio) and it seems to be much more stable than previous experience. We will retain Discord as a back up route.

2 June 2022

Curse of Strahd - S5E2 - Into the swamp

  

Following extensive preparations, our heroes are about to enter the swampland around the ruins of Berez, with the aim of stealing the skull of Argynvost back and laying it to rest. They also hope to survive Baba Lysaga, perhaps even to kill her. And they there's the small matter of the fertility gem that the swamp witch stole from the Wizard of Wines vineyard.

Our dramatis personae:

Ser Adon de Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Paladin, from a knightly background, with two human retainers and a priest), played by Paul (dr_mitch). Lawful Good. Married to Ser Alys.

Kelwarin (Kel) (a half-elf Sorceror flush with the powers of wild magic, an outlander), played by Graham (First Age). Chaotic Good.

Gaddock Teeg (a halfling wizard and former prizefighter), played by Alex (Doggetay), Neutral Good

Ser Alys de Adon-Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Fighter with a soldier background, currently the leader of the town militia of Daggerford), played by Tom (Guvnor). Lawful Neutral. Imagine a slightly greener take on Grace Jones... Married to Ser Adon. 

also featuring: 

Ireena Kolyana (a human warrior, daughter of the Burgomaster of Barovia, Twice-Bitten reincarnation of Strahd's unrequited love, Tatyana) - upgraded as a sidekick.

with : 

Alexei the Vistana (a young human expert, sent to pay off his debt to the party by his Vistani elders after they rescued Arabelle from certain death when Alexei lost her in town. A late teenager who is so taken by Ireena and the excitement of the adventure that he's forgotten he planned to be sulky and surly for his 13 moon exile) - upgraded as a sidekick.

All characters have just levelled up to 7th level, including the sidekicks. 

10th December, 11 days to the Solstice.

We begin mid-morning, as our heroes face a fork in the old road that they've been following south along the west bank of the Luna River. Old Berez was set on a bend in the river, and the area is damp and naturally flooded. Looking out, Kelwarin pointed out that the land forms a natural bowl shape here; once the flood waters topped the rise near the river, the area was never going to drain easily, especially when nature was being bent to the will of a dark lord. There are two groups of ruined buildings showing out of the mist, one along the west fork, the other to the south. On the far bank, rising out of the mists, was a stone circle.

Our heroes decide to go west. They're hoping to sneak up on the swamp witch, but it quickly becomes obvious that the conditions are going to be difficult. The mire is deepening, mostly water, but dirty and with a sucking mud below it. Ser Adon takes the lead, probing the ground ahead with Gaddock's quarterstaff. It soon becomes apparent that the water is going to be a challenge; although the old road is underneath, it's treacherous with the mud that has built up, and it stinks. Gaddock agrees without arguing when Adon suggests that he climbs onto his shoulders. A good decision, because the cold, filthy water is soon up to the group's chests. 

Looking ahead, Adon notices two large ripples in the water heading towards the party. He called out to the others, and started to hand the halfling over to Alexei so he could fight. Ser Alys made her way through to the front, slipping and sliding. Suddenly, two large snakes rose out of the water, splitting for Alys and Adon. Ireena let loose volleys of arrows, the warriors laid about them with blades, and Kelwarin realised that fire bolts struggled to hit targets mostly in water. Two more snakes reared from the back of the group, with Ireena slaying one with her rapier, and then Gaddock using magic missile to great effect, the whistle and pops echoing across the water. Alys was bitten, and nauseous, but Adon laid on hands to heal her.

As they approached the ruin, the water fell away and they started to notice the cold of the winter's day. Ireena was worse; during that final part of the battle she'd been completely covered by water from the giant snake's thrashing and her clothes - while perfect for snow and layered for warmth - retained water far too easily. She was shivering constantly and Kelwarin was trying his best to warm her up. They headed towards the ruined cottages, hoping to make a small fire and rest for something to eat.

Unfortunately, as they entered the ruins, they noticed movement. Half the group hunkered down by a pile of rubble, while the others rushed across to the cover of the edge of a building. Gaddock decided to create an arcane eye to scout the area out, muttering the low chanting to cut the spell. Alexei was startled to see a  middle-aged woman come around the corner, as she had heard the noise of the spell being cast. She asked him what a young Vistani like him was doing here, was he lost? She obviously hadn't seen the others. Encouraging him around the corner, she muttered something under her breath, and for a moment Alexei felt really tired, but it washed over him. 'Witch' he called out, and Ser Adon stepped around the corner and cleaved her in twain with his longsword, which burned briefing with holy light which washed over the runs. For a moment, the oppressiveness of the swamp was driven back, but then it faded.

Swiftly, Gaddock used the arcane eye to establish that there were three more women in the other buildings, ranging from youths to middle age. Two of them were preparing something in a cauldron over a small fire.

A voice called out, "Audrey, are you all right? It's almost lunch-time, come back over here." Kelwarin unwisely decided to try and do an impression of the woman's voice, which didn't work well. It went quiet, and then the voices were closer, three of them. But no-one could see them. Gaddock suspected the they had become invisible; Kelwarin suddenly was consumed with laughter, collapsing down to floor, unable to stop cackling. Gaddock instantly realised that someone had used one of his favourite tricks against them. Adon felt the urge to join in the laughter, but resisted. A green ray reached out at Kel, but he resisted and no longer saw the humour in the situation, throwing off the urge to cackle. He threw a fireball out towards where the ray had come from, followed by screams and a horrible smell of burning flesh as two women collapsed to the floor burning. The final woman was caught with strikes from more magic missiles, Alexei's crossbow and finished off by Ser Alys' battleaxe.

Adon decided to check out the ruins to try and ascertain that the women were in fact evil. The answers were ambiguous. The cauldron had a thin goat broth cooking in it, and it seemed like the four of them were scratching a living there. A well-tended child's grave was in what used to be a garden. The paladin concluded that the women were probably outcasts from Barovia, Kresk and Vallaki who had come to some kind of accommodation with Baba Lysaga to live there. It wasn't clear whether they were wise-women or witches, but in his view they'd definitely come to an arrangment with the evil swamp witch.

Meanwhile, Gaddock scouted out the rest of the village with his arcane eye, discovering a ruined church, complete with abandoned graveyard and monument to a woman just outside. There was also a ruined mansion house with a pen full of goats. The fence had human skulls on it. And then, right in the middle of what would have been the green space in the centre, he saw it; a dark hut on legs, with a baleful light coming through the door and window. Scouting closer, the eye showed two cages of ravens trapped and hanging from the side of the building. Looking in through the window, he saw a bath full of blood, more of which dripped from the ceiling. And then he saw her; Baba Lysaga, the swamp mother herself. She was feeding a baby with a mix of blood and milk, looking almost tender, but very alert. They also saw the dragon skull they wanted, just outside the door by the legs of the hut.

Back in the ruins, a debate sprung up; initially they'd planned to cast multiple fireballs into the hut, but Kelwarin was opposed to this as it would kill the child. Gaddock was more morally flexible on this. A desperate plan was formed to dimension door Kel in and snatch the child...

GM Notes: Berez definitely has a different feel to the rest of the land of Barovia. This was helped as I'd found some decent battle maps and pictures via the Curse of Strahd reddit. My take on the location is leaning more towards the MandyMod interpretation; the Barovian Witches become more meaningful as outcasts drawn to worship of Mother Night and the protection of Baba Lysaga. Many of them had fled from untenable circumstances at home, but they'd chosen to ally with the swamp witch.

The snake fight was interesting, as the party had to find the way to avoid Gaddock drowning. It's effects linger on as Ireena failed her CON save and now has a level of fatigue.

It was nice to see caution being used; rushing in here could well be fatal. We stopped the game earlier than usual because the next step was a battle. It was a fun session, with the only downside being Tom not being there as he has theatre rehearsals for the next two weeks. We've agreed that we will press on if we have three players, but not if two are missing. 

2 June 2022

Curse of Strahd - S5E1 - A nice slice of cake

   

We start a new season following the party's visit to Castle Ravenloft to get the measure of Count Strahd. They have decided that they need to recover the skull of Argynvost the Dragon from the ruins of Berez and also deal with the threat of Baba Lysaga. They also hope to somehow free the Swamp Fane from Strahd's control, although they realise they may need the forbidden knowledge of the Amber Temple to do so. Fortunately, they plan to visit the temple next, perhaps discovering the fate of their companion Roscoe Tosscobble.

Our dramatis personae:

Ser Adon de Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Paladin, from a knightly background, with two human retainers and a priest), played by Paul (dr_mitch). Lawful Good. Married to Ser Alys.

Kelwarin (Kel) (a half-elf Sorceror flush with the powers of wild magic, an outlander), played by Graham (First Age). Chaotic Good.

Gaddock Teeg (a halfling wizard and former prizefighter), played by Alex (Doggetay), Neutral Good

Ser Alys de Adon-Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Fighter with a soldier background, currently the leader of the town militia of Daggerford), played by Tom (Guvnor). Lawful Neutral. Imagine a slightly greener take on Grace Jones... Married to Ser Adon. 

also featuring: 

Ireena Kolyana (a human warrior, daughter of the Burgomaster of Barovia, Twice-Bitten reincarnation of Strahd's unrequited love, Tatyana) - upgraded as a sidekick.

with : 

Alexei the Vistana (a young human expert, sent to pay off his debt to the party by his Vistani elders after they rescued Arabelle from certain death when Alexei lost her in town. A late teenager who is so taken by Ireena and the excitement of the adventure that he's forgotten he planned to be sulky and surly for his 13 moon exile) - upgraded as a sidekick.

All characters have just levelled up to 7th level, including the sidekicks. 

8th December, 13 days to the Solstice.

After the late night at the Castle, the party enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, only for Ser Alys to realise that there was noise outside. Looking out, she realised that a crowd had gathered, some armed with pitchforks and looking deeply suspicious. Munin, the head guard, told her that they wanted to see Ser Alys and Ser Adon as they were concerned that they had struck a deal with the Devil Strahd. The headed outside.

The mood of the crowd was uncertain, but it was clear that they could be swayed either way. Ser Adon began, explaining that they'd been to the Castle to understand what Strahd wanted and to see how they could ensure the independence of Vallaki. After a few moments, he handed over to Kelwarin, who smoothly emphasised Adon's honest truth with a well-told tale linking in Barovian lore and the fact that safety was a thing of the future, not the past. Between them, the crowd started to settle, but were then unnerved when Ser Alys ordered the town guard to present arms to parade. She'd hoped to show the burghers of the town that they were protected, but it just looked like a crass display of force. Fortunately for her, Gaddock was circulating through the town, charming people with his wit and humour and liberally but wistfully passing out the second and third breakfasts he'd prepared for their trip. Calmed, the crowd dispersed, fed and persuaded that they were safe and hadn't been sold out.

After breakfast, the party decided to split up [always a GM favourite] because they were conscious that the solstice was only 13 days off and the tithe would become due, especially as the three alternative missions that Strahd had offered didn't seem viable (effectively hunting themselves down, capturing a Vistani killer called Van Richten, or handing Ireena over to Strahd).

Ser Alys and Kelwarin were to head to see the Vistani, perhaps even Madame Eva to try and find out where King Barov and Strahd's brother Sergei were buried. Gaddock would talk to Jeny Greenteeth to try and find out what Berez was like and gain intelligence on Baba Yaga. Ser Adon would see Lady Wachter and offer the opportunity to resurrect her son, Kurt, with the Abbot in Kresk. They'd regroup in two days time.

Gaddock headed to Jeny's shop. The older woman looked delighted to see him, throwing him a warm and lavious smile. She offered him cake and tea, which he gladly accepted. She closed the shop and took him to the back parlour. Over fine cake and hot sugared tea, Jeny shared what she knew about Baba Lysaga and Old Berez. She looked concerned about the plans to deal with Baba Lysaga, saying that the witch had taken one of her childhood friends, Laura, who had tried to oppose her. They talked and flirted, and flirted and talked. Gaddock was convinced that Jeny was sub-consciously holding something back, but couldn't work out what it was. They circled each other in conversation, and eventually it seemed the most natural thing in the world for Gaddock to spend the rest of the two days with Jeny.

Ser Alys and Kel decided to visit the Martikovs before they went out to the Vistani encampment to see Luvash and Arigal. Ser Alys talked to Danika, who was pretty certain that Strahd's Father and Mother were buried in the crypts under Castle Ravenloft, but she wasn't sure about his brother Sergei. When asked about Baba Lysaga, she told them to avoid her because she captures and tortures ravens for fun. While they talked, Kel had a glass of wine and noted that Ez, the woman they'd rescued, was in deep conversation with Rictavio. Perhaps their paths would cross again in the future.

Collecting Alexei, they started out of town to seek the advice of the Vistani. Alexei had been strangle reticent about visiting; they discovered why when they got to the encampment and he was refused entry until he'd served his exile for loosing Arabelle when he was meant to be looking after her. They left him by the gate guards looking forlorn in the rain.

Luvash and Arigal seemed pleased to see the pair of them, and opened the drinks. Ser Alys explained the information that she sought, and offered to engage in a race or sporting activity for the chance to get the introduction to Madame Eva. Luvash suggested cards, and they ended up settling on a boxing match. Ser Alys started to limber up, remembering the moves that Marcus of Queensbury had taught her. Soon, the Vistani champion arrived, hooded. As the fight started (to the knock out), the champion's hood was removed, revealing a scared looking Alexei. Ser Alys swung, but Alexei dodged the blow. Alexei tried the same move again, but ended up planted on the floor, caught unexpected and knocked out. Luvash and Arigal burst out laughing; this seemed like just deserts to Alexei trying to break his exile. Expecting a letter, or a token, to convince Madame Eva, Alys was surprised to be led out of the tent to a caravan by Arabelle, who had dressed in a very gothic looking dress, accentuating her pale skin and dark hair. She sat Ser Alys at a table and drew their hands together with a shiver of electricity. Using the crystal ball in the centre, Ser Alys felt Arabelle take hold of her fingers, pressing them against the cold glass surface. Almost immediately, she felt as if her consciousness slipped out of the room, up into the sky and then across the land of Barovia. At the Tser Falls, it fell down again, into a chimney and then into a body. Madame Eva replacing Arabelle in her vision. 

The conversation began; Madame Eva re-explained where the King, Queen and Strahd's Brother Sergei were buried; in the crypt of Castle Ravenloft. Her previous prophecy had covered this, but it may not have been apparent to a non-native of Barovia. In discussion about Baba Yaga, it was revealed that she had been around in Strahd's youth and she seemed to consider that she was his mother in some way. They speculated that she could have been his wet-nurse. All to soon, the session was over, and Ser Alys found herself back in the tent with a tired looking Arabelle. She headed back to her colleague, finding Kel in conversation with one of the Dusk Elves who was explaining the tragedy of their race when Rahadin and Strahd turned on them and killed all the women and children. 

Meanwhile, Ser Adon went to see Lady Fiona. He gentle pitched the opportunity to resurrect her son, explaining about the fallen angel who they'd brought hope back to. He explained that this wasn't unlike, but true redemption. He could see a calculation crossing her eyes when she learned of this. She swore him to secrecy, and showed him something she hadn't revealed to anyone else; her husband Nikolai's body lying on the marital bed, perfectly preserved by her magic since he was slain by foul means by Baron Vargas. She told Ser Adon that she would support them against Strahd provided they didn't risk the town if he'd bring back Nikolai as well. Ser Adon agreed, and soon after they headed out of town.

Meeting the Abbot, their hopes were initially dashed when he said he could only bring one person back that day. He questioned the darkness on Lady Wachter's soul; she committed to changes and Ser Adon gave an impassioned speech about the need for redemption just like that offered to the celestial. Somehow, he persuaded the fallen angel, and he raised her son, and at sunrise the next day he also brought her husband back. Lady Wachter was happy and uncharacteristically quiet on the return journey.

They all rendezvoused back at the Burgomaster's Mansion on the afternoon of 9th December. Gaddock had a packed lunch from Jeny, enchanted to bring healing if needed. He also had a spring in his step. They plan to set out to Berez the next day, with only eleven days remaining to the Tithe. 

GM Notes:

Illness thwarted us a fortnight ago, and poor data connections last week, but we're back in what will probably be the penultimate season. We experimented tonight and used full AV in Roll20 and it managed fine; some glitches but more from people's connections rather than the platform. 

Several skill challenges in a very talky and investigative session. The party are being cautious, which is a good thing. They noted several useful items of information on Baba Lysaga, but no silver bullet to deal with her definitively. 

As a session, this didn't go quite the way that I expected, but that was fine. I'd expected them to have a short period at Vallaki and then dive into Berez, but the party decided that research was a good route forward (which I endorse, much better than the rushing in that's been their hallmark before). I'd plans to retcon research with some flashbacks but never had to use them. It's the first time that the party has split into different routes quite a much, something that would be inherently dangerous in some parts of Barovia.

That said, they are ignoring the potential to draw on the support of some supporting NPCs who will be useful if and when they go against the Count.

25 May 2022