Blood and Anger : Houses of the Blooded

8/17/2012
Blood and Anger
Houses of the Blooded

Although my Friday started with some panic (family-related but thankfully not as bad as I feared), things were on an upswing for the rest of the day.  The highlight, however, was when a good friend of mine named Arvie wanted a game for his birthday and of course who am I not to grant such a geeky desire.

So yeah, we were throwing ideas on what to play (originally, two other friends were to join but one got sick and the other had to bow to his wife's preference for him to stay home), and when I told him about John Wick's Houses of the Blooded game, he just absolutely fell in love with the idea.

So we went for it.

Arvie played Adam Saxony, House of the Bear.  His mother was Miera Saxony, Marquis of Ivar, House of the Bear.  His father, Guise Verr, a Baron of the Fox was an absent parent and barely was there to guide him in his life.  He was the eldest child of two children, and his sister Luna was barely five years old.

Adam was married to Asela of the House of the Serpent and the two had two wonderful children.  Twins, to be precise.  Helen, the daughter who was older by a few minutes, and Adrian.

Adam was known to be Academy Educated and Honest to a Fault.  He left each night to sneak into the domains of other Ven, and helped wives that were being abused whenever he could.  The game opened with Adam sneaking into the Castle of Count Kether Zsanosz Yvarai, House of the Fox.  He had been abusive in his relations with the Lady No.   And while she had many times whispered to him of her anguish, she never seemed to be willing to leave him.  That night, Adam made his escape in the darkness of the missing moon, and believed he escaped without being seen.

Later in the evening, Adam and Asela would find themselves uncovering an Assassin in their very own bedchambers.  When questioned, the Assassin admits he was sent by the Count Kether.  The husband and wife begin sharing thoughts on how they will plan their revenge.

Morning comes and Asela discusses the preparations for the Party they are hosting in the evening.  Helen and Adrian are celebrating their birthday and Asela is concerned of the many guests will be present.  "I made sure to invite Count Kether," Asela admits, "So his death must be clearly revenge.  Or a blessing of the Suaven.  An accident would not be permissible.  You are of the House of the Bear.  Your house must be seen as strong as you are."  Adam merely smiles.  His weakness, sadly, was Strength.  And it was a weakness his mother always reminded him he had.

To their surprise, however, the Count had come to the castle early.  While Asela focused on the prepartions, Adam headed downstairs to meet with him.  He first receives a package the Count had sent in advance and carefully studies it for any traces of deceit.  True enough, he finds a weak poison hidden in its wrappings.  One far too faint to hurt the Ven. But a poison nonetheless.  A card inside the wrapping shows the unique brand of Count Kether as well, confirming the present was sent by him.

"I come as requested by my acquaintance, the Lady No.  She insisted I deliver the package in advance.  Her desires are mine to fulfill," the Count admitted.  Adam was aware that Count Kether's honesty was legendary  and found himself uncertain what to do.  Deep down, he believed the Count had sent the assassin.  But this admission he shared suggested it was Lady No who sought to poison his Staff!

As the two discuss a possible cooperation between them, poisonous darts strike them in their necks.  An assassin flees as the two identify the poison that was used.  A variant of the five deadly poisons, this one was far slow acting, but nonetheless fatal.  Having no apothecary, Adam realized he had to trust Count Kether, who offered to produce an antidote in his Province.  The two hurried off to the Village Marksmoon where Adam's Caravan, The Vonn Passage, was waiting.

Finding the path clear of encounters, the two reached the Village and took the Caravan to the neighboring Province.  But the route was blocked by a massive Ork.  Adam remembered this Ork to have been defeated numerous times by his mother, and believed his resemblance of her would be enough to force it to flee.  The Ork did withdraw, but not before launching a massive rock at Adam, which pounded painfully into his face.

Arriving at Kether's Swamp, the Silent Bog, the two felt the poison's wicked sting grow stronger.  The poison first dulled the tongue, stripping the Ven of speech.  Then it grew heavy, slowing their movements the way Ikhalu's Milk would.  Soon, Adam knew, it would dance like Arsenic upon the inner organs, melting them as they brought death.  Count Kether fell to the ground, unable to move forward.  And Adam, hoping to direct the Witch of the Bog in time, rushed as quickly as his lumbering form could, to the Apothecary.  He found there waiting the Lady No.

Lady No first mistook Adam to be Adam's wife Asela, whom she knew to be a Serpent deeply obsessed with Sorcery.  Demanding proof of his identity, the Lady No hoisted a boiling cauldron towards the silenced Baron.  But Adam's Devotion to the Green Lady was strong, and her Circle of Protection parried the blow.  Seeing the Bear Blessing as proof, Lady No begged for forgiveness and in her passion admitted her crime.  She had been pretending to have been abused by Count Kether, hoping to convince Adam to kill him.  She had also sent the assassins to Vonn Castle twice, commanding them to kill Asela and Adam's children.  She did not realize the assassins themselves fell in vrente with her, and attempted to kill instead the men that she was associated with.

Aware now that Lady No was indeed the cruel author of the unfolding drama, Adam struggled to find a chance to bring his sword to her.  But he was far too weakened by the poison to do so.  When Lady No dragged back Count Kether's limp form to the hut, Adam found himself being asked to prove his love to her by killing him.  The Game of Romance began and both exchanged challenges to prove their love.  Adam knew he had to become Predator to win this dance.  He held the Bloodsword of the Count Kether in his hands, and slipped a sleeping draught into the wine that Lady No had offered.  "Let us drink first, to celebrate, then slay this man that stands in our way."

Lady No however was deft in the games of vrente.  She insisted the Count must be killed first.  And while she leaned over the limp Fox and mused on how her life was to be far more wonderful in the future, Adam considered striking her from behind.

The poison reached its peak.  Adam fell, dying, as his organs began to dissolve.  But rather than pain, he found himself seeing a vision.  A serpent emerged and slid around him, wrapping him in a crushing embrace.  He popped open like a watermelon seed and a fresh new him slid out.  The serpent ate the remains of his poisoned flesh and faded away.  Adam sat up, realizing the poison had some how been defeated, and slammed the pommel of the Bloodsword onto Lady No's unprotected back.  With the threat defeated, he called for the Witch to brew the antidote he knew of, but alas it came too late.  Count Kether was dying.  And with his final breath, the Count willed his tongue to move and told the Baron, "Yours" as he pushed his signet ring into the Baron's hands.

*

The Marquis, Adam's mother, arrived soon after with those dressed in Black.  He explained what he knew of the events, and the Marquis inquired with her seneschal (a pale man whose disturbing grin never seemed to end) and the seneschal confirmed his tal to be true.  "But I have still lost a Baroness in my Domain," the Marquis inquired, "If the Lady No remains alive, then who had died other than the dear Count Kether?"

Fear gripped Adam's heart and the two hurried back to Castle Vonn.  There, they found their fears mistaken:  Asela was alive and well, and she was not the Baronness whom the Marquis had sensed to have perished.  Adam spoke with her and she, between heartbreaking sobs, asked Adam, "Were you poisoned?  Was poison in your tale?"  When Adam admitted it was, Asela grew violent.  She screeched.  She wailed.  "It all comes to close.  It all now makes sense.  Poison... the Poison!  And we never knew she was that gifted.  We never realized my Blood was stronger in her veins than yours!"

Another cry in the Castle.  Adam heard his mother wail in agonzy.  Rushing to the sound, Adam found her in the Party grounds.  All the servants pulled away in fear.  Adam found his mother pointing at the stage, where Adrian could be seen standing without any readable expression in his face.  Adam's fears grew into true horror with each step towards his son.  Beside Adrian, his twin sister Helen lay dead upon the floor.  She had surrounded herself with a circle of blood.  Markings of Sorcery were laid on the circle's directional points.  It was Helen, sweet young Helen, who had sensed her father's fate.  And it was Helen, sweet young child, who had cast a Sorcery to take into herself the darkness that was to consume Adam's life.

*

The Jury was called to share their decision.  Lady No's connections to the Senate were known to be strong. But the proof of her actions were, in Adam's eyes, undeniable.  Four had been chosen to determine her guilt.  The first two stood and declared her guilty.  Two that believed Lady No was to wear the black.  One declared the proof insufficient, and reminded others that a tied vote would require Lady No to be determined innocent, unless Revenge was sought.

The fourth stood.  He opened his mouth to speak.

And the credits rolled.

*

While I did shift around many of the settings predetermined rules (such as those on Poisons, and the use of the Caravan to travel through the Provinces), the changes seemed apt to maintain the drama of the game.  Since Arvie had never read the Houses of the Blooded book before, I felt the changes were acceptable since they remained easy for him to grasp.  Enjoying a session, especially when it is a one-shot game, takes precedence over accuracy of the system after all.

The game was extremely heavy, and Arvie even messaged me the next day:
Oh God Tobie Abad. That Game was so intensely painful even in an imaginary level... But thank you very very much for exerting so much passion and enthusiasm in the game for me. I appreciate it so much! :)

Houses of the Blooded.
An absolutely vicious game I highly recommend to anyone who wants to try something deadly.
Passionate.  And Ven.

Running a Ghibli-Inspired Game

Running a Ghibli-Inspired Game
by Tobie Abad
August 2012

So you love Ghibli movies and you want to try running a game inspired by Studio Ghibli?  Here are some ways you can give your game, whatever game system you are using, a Ghibli touch.



1) Strong or Brave or Determined or Independent Women
Whether it be from Nausicaa, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro or Princess Mononoke... or Arrietty.. or Kiki's Delivery Service... or.. well you get the idea.  While there are films where women take a back seat (such as Porco Rosso) even those films still have strong women as side characters. So be sure to have at least one very notable woman in the story, whether a non-playing character or not.  Be warned, though, if the strong woman is a player, Ghibli logic dictates that the player have either a vital moment where her decision saves the main focus of the game (the world, the city, etc) or her faith or wisdom solves a once unsolvable riddle.

2) Cute sidekick
For some, this can be an animal that displays an unexpected level of intelligence (Jiji in Kiki's Delivery Service) or supportive and touchingly sensitive even if it is still of baser animal instincts (Teto in Nausicaa).  If none of the player go for a sidekick, you can always throw this role in as either a sibling (Graveyard of the Fireflies or My Neighbor Totoro) or as a comic relief extra related to a non-playing character (The giant baby in Spirited Away, or the white tiny Totoro in My Neighbor Totoro).    As the Totoro movie shows, however, there's no harm in having more than one.  In fact, the more the merrier!

3) Technology, Magic, and Nature should be and evident presence in the game
While there is no need for them to always be against each other as they were presented in Nausicaa or Princess Mononoke, the contrast between them should always be clear.  Rare would technology be mistaken as magic.  Rarer would there be any claims that magic is just some kind of super-science.

Oh and always consider that Magic or Nature should have either a deific manifestation (Spirited Away truly goes wild with this idea).

4) Transformation should always be present
Whether it be through magic, such as in Howl's Moving Castle, through a secret innate ability like in Pom Poko, or as a curse never clearly defined in Porco Rosso, the idea that certain characters have been changed or remain changed in a certain way is a factor to always be hinted if not made clearly present in the game.

And if possible, the player characters should either be the one to uncover this transformation, or resolve it through their actions.

5) Flying is Wonderful
Always be sure to let the players enjoy the freedom and fluidity of flight.
The more often the better.

6) Villains are Grey. Not Black.   (If there is one at all.)
The villains are never truly evil.  Most would either be misunderstood, vengeful, or usually sad and lonely and doing only what they believe they must.

7) Emotions are always Important.
Never skimp on emotional moments.  Whether it is to contemplate on the loss of a loved one, the need to face fear, or the act of experiencing love, Ghibli movies always have a moment to explore the importance of emotions.  In many cases, the act of embracing these emotions should bring greater strength or understanding.

8) Gentle Giants
Many things that are huge and frightening should eventually be discovered to be kind and friendly if given the chance.  Whether they be mistaken as enemies as first like in Spirited Away or Laputa, or as a terrible force that cannot be controlled such as in Nausicaa, these gentle giants show a kinder side if given a chance.  Or once tears fall.

9) Death is real.
Whether the death is final, such as in Graveyard of the Fireflies or temporary, such as in Nausicaa, death should be a present and true threat for others to fear.

10) A sense of Wonder should always be present.
No matter how dark things get, or how dangerous a place is, there should always be a sense of wonder present.   Humor can always be a method this is injected into a scene.  Or the setting itself can bring it about, so be sure to craft wonderful images when you describe a new scene.

*Images from http://ghibli-gifs.tumblr.com/

The Epic : Exalted e02

08/11/2012
The Epic
Exalted

The second session of the game opens with Maseta Amarilis (played by Mahar) finding a tomb in the desert that contains an artifact that once belonged to her.  The 60 yard long corridor was flanked by numerous stone guardians.  At the corridor's terminus is a glass case containing a gleaming pair of Orichalcum hatchets known as : Lightning Torment Hatchets. Throwing a dagger, with hopes of making a line to cross without touching the ground, the guardians move and slice the blade into shattered pieces.  Realizing she would have to try something more dangerous, the former assassin runs the gauntlet, leaping into the shadow of each guardian and utilizing her Perfect Defense Dodge charm to evade each time her leaps launched her headlong into trouble.  At the end of the corridor, she found herself facing an Essence construct of her former self who reveals to her the name her Solar essence once held in the First Age, M'randa, as well as one additional fact:  She had killed her First Age husband.

Enos Ragara (played by Urim) on the other hand finds himself lost in a dream where he witnesses a falling star crash just meters from where he stands.  A starmetal box gleams in the crater and a strange spider-like thing addresses him using fragments of his memories to forge words to ask for his identity.  The name comes to him without thinking: Dominus.  The box unfurls into a cloth which the spider drags with it as it launches itself back to the heavens.  Enos finds on the floor a majestic Orichalcum crown.  Wearing it, he feels the immense power behind the artifact as well as the three hearthstones still attached to it.  He muses on the words of the spider:  Delivery successful.  Promise delivered.  End transaction.  And wakes up to find himself back in camp with the crown still on his head.

It has been a few days since their frightening self-discovery (the last game) and Maseta, her husband Dargo, her stylist Hugo Voss, and Enos Ragara have opted to camp out in the desert to collect their thoughts on the fact they were now these so-called Anathema.   In the years that followed the return of the Scarlet Empress, the Wyld Hunt had been injected with a fresh new surge of inspiration and resources in their work.  At the cost of many of the Realm's known heroes, it was believed that all the Anathema in Creation had been wiped out.  The frightening shape changing mutants of the Wyld were destroyed.  The dark bloody infernal things of the Underworld and the other world were purified and buried.  The mechanical monstrosities from the floating city were disassembled.  And the golden deceivers of the demonic horde were hunted down, chased to the ground, and slain.  Creation, for the longest time, had become a peaceful and relatively safe haven for mortals and Dynasts alike.

But now, the four struggled with awakening memories of their First Age lives, of the truths whispered by the Unconquered Sun, and of the fact that even now as these diabolical Anathema, they all still felt like themselves.  Only more powerful.  Only more skilled and dangerous.

Enos wakes to see Maseta staring at him, pondering on where the naked old sheriff had found the gaudy crown on his head.  Dargo woke to see the two, feeling pangs of jealousy to see his wife standing beside a naked man.  But all three quickly realized Hugo was missing, and with Enos' keen sight, the group realized the young Stylist was far away in the desert and in danger.  Leaping onto horses (Maseta rode with her husband, having no skill with riding any steed), the three bounded to see what their friend had gotten himself into.

The young man was at the entrance of another tomb in the desert, and his hands were seemingly focused on some kind of motions that suggested the use of Sorcery.  Closing in on him were two massive armored forms:  Warstriders.  And both bore the crest of the Wyld hunt.  The first was of red jade, and flame danced around its fortified frame.  The second, still airborne, was blue, and held a massive jade spear.   And above both floated a massive airship of House Mnemon.

Quickly, Enos fired his flame piece with his Righteous Devil Style empowering the assault.  Maseta, on the other hand, was thrown by Dargo towards the airship in a bid to delay further reinforcements.  The red Warstrider closed in to attack, taking minimal damage from Enos' initial attack.  Unfortunately, Enos took the Daiklave to the chest and fell down after his failed attempt to dodge the swing.  Bleeding profusely, the Solar of the Dawn caste reconsidered his approach.  Maseta pulled herself closer, but allowed her hatchets to remain extended, spinning like a ball of blades towards the airship.  Tearing through the tarpaulin balloon that kept the ship aloft, she maneuvered her fall to land onto the deck of the ship.  Dargo caught the red Warstrider's attack, and with a strength he never knew he had, ripped the arm and weapon away from the Dragonblooded warrior whose name, it was revealed was Cynis Avaku.  The blue Warstrider closed in on Maseta and unleashed an incredible sonic attack which Maseta thankfully escaped from.  It became clear that in the blue Warstrider was the last remaining Immaculate Monk, Pheleps Deled.

And on the airship, stepping out to face Maseta, was Menmon herself.  In her hands, a chain swung which suspended a crucible that released a green mist.

Enos rose, ignoring his injury, and called out to all present.  Unveiling his Anima Banner, that of a massive golden horse rearing at the gathered, Enos demanded that all leave or face their deaths at his hands.  With the Crown of Thunders empowering his words and his Caste Power further increasing its potency, the Dragonblooded all began to feel the fear that would overtake their sensibilities.  Even Cynis Avaku failed against the fear and began to retreat.  Pheleps Deled, however, resisted and prepared another assault upon the still casting Hugo.

Mnemon smirked upon seeing Maseta and allowed the Crucible to drop onto the deck of the ship.  Maseta, knowing Sorcery is always trouble, kicked a body off the ship to use as a landing platform and escape.  Hugo's protective shield shatters upon Deled's assault, and the combined efforts of Enos and Dargo thankfully distract the Dynast long enough for Hugo's Sorcery to succeed.  From the ground, a golden barge erupts and begins to rise.   At the same time, from the green clouds on the Mnemon airship, a massive tower also erupts and upon it, a titanic Demon from Malfeas itself.

As Dargo continues to rip Deled's armor to pieces, Enos decides it would be best to take a strategic retreat. Maseta wisely uses her Hatchets to pull Dargo back to the vessel, but not before Deled strikes Dargo and paralyzes him into a useless state.  While the odds seemed stacked still on Mnemon's favor, to the incomplete Circle's surprise, she instead calls Deled to pull back, holds her Demon from attacking and throws Enos a scroll case with information on various weapon caches of House Mnemon.  The group flies off further into the desert thankful their lives remain intact.

Days pass and the group considered where to hide.  Hugo suggests at first hiding in the last place the enemy would look (the Blessed Isle) but his suggestion is quickly shot down.  The group decides Nexus would help, and Maseta's connection to the Guild can be used to further their plans.  But when the group discusses how Dargo and Maseta's Daughter remains in Chairoscuro and might be taken hostage to lure them back, the group opts to head there immediately to try to steal her away.

Their plan is sound.  Dargo and Maseta enter the city, with Maseta in disguise.  The two planned to get to their daughter and escape with her back to the ship.  But none of them anticipated that a huge party was being held in their home, and their daughter was auctioning all their belongings away.  With Dargo opting to stay hidden in the alleyways, fearing being recognized, Maseta attends the event after filching another guest's invitation.  Inside, she finds her daughter proudly speaking of her father, and all their belongings being sold for charity.  To Maseta's horror, her daughter Raya turns out to be under the guardianship of "Uncle" Orus, the Guildmaster leader Maseta used to work for.  Eventually convincing both under the guise of being another far-forgotten relative, to meet with her in private, Maseta was on the verge of  revealing her true nature when Orus grabs hold of the Solar and pulls them both out of the scene.  Raya blinks and convinces herself she must have dozed off, having no recollection of the meeting having taken place.

Enos remains bothered of the vision his Scrying Stone shows him, and goes to a nearby pub to try to forget about things.  But soon, he hears sirens of alarm (or declaration?) and runs outside to see the night sky illuminated by what seems to be a fleet of airships.  He realizes the others may be in danger and decides to rush there to see how he can help.

The fleet turns out to be the Scarlet Empress.  And she has come to collect her newly adopted daughter: Raya.

In the garden, Maseta and Orus exchange harsh words.  Orus admits he set things in motion, bringing the four to a fated moment when they would meet.  But when Maseta demands explanations, Orus refuses to answer, admitting he can only help them so much.  And that their destiny lies in finding the fifth Solar. There are only five Solar Essences left in Creation.  And only when all five are united can things become better.

Maseta demands a name, but Orus explains either they find that out on their own and still have his help when he can, or he tells her the answer and can no longer assist in any way.  Orus insists Raya will be safest with the Empress.  She demands and answer and he gives it:  The Final Solar is the Scarlet Empress.  And upon uttering those words, Orus is assailed by spider spirits that emerge out of nowhere, and devour him away.  So utterly destroyed is he that Maseta soon finds herself wondering why she is crying for someone she cannot remember.

She escapes the house, even with the Dragon-blooded all present.  Enos ignites a massive fire to distract the Dragon-blooded, and Maseta launches her Hatchet away to divert all Essence-seeking Dynasts to a wrong path.  And as they all regroup in the ship, the couple wonders if Raya is truly safer where they left her, and what to do now given their paths will require them to face with the greatest Dragon-blooded of them all.

*

Yep, told you this will be epic.
And yes, I know canonically, there are many contradictions in this tale with the system, but hey, fun goes before system as far as I am concerned.  With this session, the players now have a greater understanding of the immensity of the story and access to any Artifacts they may need.  The players received additional experience points and free dots of permanent Essence to reflect their concentrated Solar Essences.

Orus clearly was Sidereal. And while the Scarlet Empress may be the final threat they have to face, the players are now considering what role Mnemon may play to help or hinder them as the game progresses.  They do raid the weapon caches, and find no ambush party or traps waiting for them, much to their surprise. The group easily muses that Mnemon might be making another gambit for the throne, and is hoping to use them as the weapon to defeat the Scarlet Empress.

Oh, Dargo and Maseta had some nice fun moments talking about their past lives, and Maseta admitted she supposedly killed her First Age husband - a fact they misunderstood to mean she killed Dargo in the past.  It was later revealed in game that Dargo's First Age name was Daisen, which confused Maseta.  Because Maseta's First Age husband was named Swan.

Enos and Hugo were discussing how Hugo was effeminate because he had grown used to acting that way.  He is obsessed with women and as it turns out, used to just act gay to be able to fondle them and not get smacked in the face.  During their discussion, he admits his First Age name to be Swan and immediately angrily chides, "What kind of man would ever embrace something so girly and frilly as a... oh wait..."  The irony wasn't lost to them.

Lastly, Enos' vision showed many things, but admittedly, I can't quite recall what parts of my plot I revealed and what I haven't.  So rather than risk posting stuff that I didn't actually give the players yet, I'll have to remain mum on that for now.

So, till the next Epic episode!

The Krume Story : Vampire the Dark Ages + Mage the Sorcerer's Crusade

07/10/2012
The Krume Story
Vampire: The Dark Ages
Mage: The Sorcerer's Crusade

Antonin Krum was born a noble in 1305.  First born son of Marcelus Krum.  Very gifted at an early age.  A fast learned.  And for things he could not learn, he would talk his way around.  Charismatic and well-trained.    He was taught he has a right to rule, even before his Embrace.

He was eventually Embraced into the Tzimisce Clan by a Cainite called Gaius, who happened to be his Uncle.  This was on the year 1335.  They openly took over domains and expanded their influence.   The game begins in 1452.   Michael, the Patriarch, who watches over Constantinople calls all the Cainites of the city for a meeting.  There, he merely tells them telepathically to prepare for sleep.  The Cainites depart and Antonin joins his sire in the underground tomb to sleep as the Methuselah commanded, fearing the coming siege of the city.

When he wakes, however, he finds himself bathed in sunlight.  Rising from the silken sheets, Antonin discovers impossible things:  He is mortal, standing in the sunlight, and in some bed room.  Everything he knows of his city has changed.  The world has become a familiar yet different place.  Eventually a servant tells him it is 1916 and Antonin struggles to comprehend how this has happened.  He tries to wake from Torpor but nothing happens.  And when he punches the wall in frustration, he feels the pain and hurt of an injured mortal body.  The vitae is no longer there to heal.  The people refer to him as Master Krume and one young lady welcomes him warmly, answering his questions about the city outside his window.  He struggles to comprehend how it could be that many years since his sleep, and how his body could be mortal.  He asks for them all to give him space to think and locks himself inside the room.

Adding to the strangeness is a red-skinned spirit that he keeps seeing in the room, intangibly watching him.  The spirit turns out to be a daemon, and Krume senses somehow that the spirit is a reflection or representation of himself.  When the dowager countess of the house demands to see him, she chides him for his lack of proper manners and states, "I would have expected a better display of educated presentation from one of the Cosian Circle."

Krume eventually determines that this is either a fevered dream in torpor, a gift of Michael the Patriarch to those who serve under him, or him somehow possessing someone else's body far later in the years to come.

The young daughter returns and insists his "strange actions" are because she insisted that they last night try the absinthe that Master Krume had brought with him from Switzerland.   He hears a strange noise and outside sees a horseless carriage moving down the road.  Krume falls down, confused and lost and wondering what has happened to him.

* 

The game was meant to be a one-shot game, but admittedly I'm finding myself excited to explore this story more.  A pity Urim, the player in the game, had a sudden bout of asthma to deal with.  Price to pay given the cold stormy weather and having a dog in the house I guess.  My intermittent smoking for certain made things worse.  So sadly, we had to cut the game short, rush off to a nearby 24-hour Mercury Drugstore to get him what he needed.

But I guess yeah, that's the kind of game I end up throwing a player when I'm inspired by Vampire, Mage: the Sorcerer's Crusade, Downton Abbey and shows like Awake and Life on Mars.    Too bad the game was cut short.  But who knows, maybe I can throw this kind of twist again in a future session: One shot or not.

The Epic : Exalted e01

08/06/2012
The Epic
Exalted

Gaming remains one of my deepest and strongest passions.

Thankfully, tonight, I was able to run another game.  While the weather conditions were less than ideal, and it did require me to trek all the way to Katipunan, it was great being able to co-write another story with friends and add a bit of interactive drama and action without the worries of someone getting hurt. :-)

Urim and Mahar were my players and we had a session of Exalted: An Epic.  In this story, Urim plays Enos Ragara, a frontier sheriff who struggles to find a solution to their town suffering from an intense drought.  His family, an offshot of the Ragara Dragonblood line, moved to the frontier in a bid to escape the bigotry and cruelty they felt the Dynasty maintained.  But when the town shaman is found dead with one of his son's holding the murder weapon, the investigation leads to Urim learning that his son and wife have long been keeping a dark secret from him.  And that he himself may be one of the so-called Anathema as well.

Mahar, in this story, plays Maseta Amarilis, a former assassin of the Guild who had retired in hopes of finding a more fulfilling life.  But being married and with a child did not seem enough, so when the Guild Master asked her for one more mission, she felt more than ready to dive back in.  Infiltrating the tomb beneath the house of an old friend, Mahar learned of her Anathema nature and successfully steals an old brass timepiece which gives her a glimpse of the future.  A future where an old frontier sheriff dies from the maw of a massive tyrant lizard.

Mahar and her husband and stylist travel to the frontier and successfully stop the Tyrant Lizard from killing Urim.  But in the act, two more Anathema inadvertently reveal their natures.  Mahar's husband, and her stylist, also happen to be Solar Exalted just like them.  And while the four muse on where the fifth one could be, (as the stylist exclaimed, "There were always five weren't there?") none are aware that the Scarlet Empress, who had come back and retaken her throne, had detected their presence through the Realm's Defense Grid, and had called for her Valkyries to bring the Solars down.

The game is set in a time when the Scarlet Dynasty had recovered, the Empress had returned, and the Wyld Hunt had successfully destroyed practically all of the Anathema in the World.  And using the Eye of Authocton, any new resurrections were detected and immediately destroyed.

Welcome to Exalted: The Epic.

*

This game was really a stress-release game for me.  In as much as an epic tale is in the works, I didn't bother to push for heavy drama like I normally do in my games.  Instead, this game flowed more like an episode of Naruto or Berserk with lots of innuendos, crazy antics and modern touches to give the medieval a twist.    Inspirations for the game ranged from shows like Alias to references from Cowboys and Aliens.

The Husband of Maseta was pretty much your perfect guy.  Handsome, big bodies and shy towards women.  Always good natured and very helpful, to the point of looking lost and bewildered when insulted.  An epitome of the Dawn Caste, Dargo Mag is a man of incredible strength and unbelievable power.  At one point, he hoists up a boulder clearly five times his height over his shoulder to clobber a tyrant lizard that was trying to climb out of a fissure in the earth.

The Sylist of Maseta was this squeaky little effeminate man named Hugo Voss, who claims his parents named him out of a joke.  He is a visionary, having invented Stiletto heels and a corset for Maseta to show of and at one point even suggests to Maseta (prior to realizing she was also, like him, an Exalted) to show of a new fashion look inspired by the Anathema given that they were all wiped out by the Scarlet Dynasty.

I anticipate the game will have five episodes at the most.  Unlike most of my games, here, episodes will not directly connect to the last one.  Instead there will always be an amount of downtime between game sessions to help further the explanation for experience adjustments.  This first game session had the players Exalting for the first time, so they barely had a clear understanding of what charms or caste they have.  Game session two will definitely move things forward with them having better understanding of their power levels.

One this is for certain, a showdown with the Scarlet Empress is most likely the way this game will end... unless there's someone else really behind the scenes moving things around.

Gifts of the God Mages, Discontinued.

Sadly, due to the workload and the stresses of real-life, the Gift of the God Mages campaign has to be cancelled.  Just too many things to juggle today to continue it, especially if one considers how complicated a mess Pathfinder (and practically any d20 system) is to keep track of.  Too many tables, charts, maps and stuff to look out for.

Time to head back to other systems.
Still, it was fun, Pathfinder, while it lasted.

But the experience definitely reminded me how much I love the White Wolf Gaming Studios' Storyteller System, and John Wick's approach to games more.

Thanks for the fun!

Cruel Cruel World : cWOD

07/20/2012
Cruel Cruel World
cWOD

Had a super short session with some friends using the infamous Black Dog Productions book, Freak Legion: A Player's Guide to the Fomori.  The book was released as a supplement for White Wolf Gaming Studios' tremendously popular game, Werewolf: The Apocalypse.  Why is it a Black Dog Productions book?  Because Black Dog is the line they used to release many of their more mature lines.  Think of how dark and frightening White Wolf games are as a norm.  Can you imagine what kind of content it would need to have a "For Adults Only" tag?

Anyway, it was going to be a very quick session, with JP, Tofie and Ryan playing.  Ryan went for a wall flowering kind of guy who happened to be a Federal Agent.  Tofie was a Crime Investigations Forensic expert who knew Ryan back from the academy.  JP opted for a high society hooker.  And yes, he decided to have fun by being a female character.

All three of them were on a bus headed home when the bus met an accident that was to change their lives forever.  A truck owned by a company called Pentex slammed into the bus and all of them were hurriedly gathered and taken away.  Very quickly, the three began to experience things shifting or changing within them.  All felt themselves changing in various ways.  And what first seemed like the emergence of super powers very quickly became something much more horrible as they realized what taints they were to carry with them as a price.  Worms.  Vomit.  Claws.  Blood.  Oh yes.

Here's one bitter gross example:  Ryan, after finding love and making love at last, kills his partner as his sexual member engorges to almost nineteen inches long, and rips her apart from within.  And yes, that is a power in the book called Savage Genitalia.

One thing is for certain, this taste of the World of Darkness was one which the players were going to have to remember each time they ask me to run them, "Something gross and gory!"

*

Admittedly, my recap of the game is spotty.  Having barely slept the previous night, I was literally falling asleep at times.  Ironically, it made certain scenes work, however since one of the players had a form of psychic hunger, which had any NPCs he was talking to slip into a coma.   Or at least, nearly into one.

But yeah, this could have been a better game.  Given how it ran for only an hour, I really just needed to get a dose of gaming into me.  It has been weeks since my last one and trust me when I say, I am feeling very very hungry for more.

Oh wait, was that a Bane spirit talking?
Pentex... Oh you....

Gifts of the God Mages : Pathfinder e08

Gifts of the God Mages

May 2012 - ongoing
June 13th Game Session

Pathfinder

Episode Eight: The Bard's Keep - Part One

On the eight game session of the Indigo-Entertainment Pathfinder chronicle, I decided to throw a published adventure at them.  Waaaaay back when I was still playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (not d20 or 4th edition) I had a copy of the 29th issue of Dungeon Magazine, which had a remarkable adventure in it:  Ex Libris by Randy Maxwell.  The Dungeon was a beautiful creation that had the complexities of movies like Cube, and the remarkable allure of mystery which I loved.  I decided very early on to use the dungeon with much adjustment and changes to suit my game.  The end result was an adventure which would turn out to be the first "multi-part" game which would require more than a single session to resolve.

In this game session, the following players were present:
Ramza, CG, Fighter-Wizard
Caishn, CN, Rogue
Jazintho, CN, Wizard
Rondo, CG, Sorcerer



Ironically, that meant all the players had names which started with the letter J.

Given the events of the last session, with Jazintho's treachery revealed to all (his being possessed by the Demon Child was a high plot point, as was his exorcism of its influence), I spent some time before the game started asking him what his direction was to take.  After all, if he wanted the group to trust him, he had to give a good reason for them to do so.

The gist was this:  Jazintho claimed to have been overwhelmed by the demon, and attempts to sense his alignment proved that he had not turned towards evil.  Eventually, the group, while not unanimous, decided to give him a second chance.  The group descended into the ancient ruin called Bard's Keep in hopes of find an artifact book which according to Omen, "You will know you have it once it is in your possession."  The group entered the keep, noticing quickly that the ruin unlike others had been raided by others before, if not quite recently.  Little did they know the trials they were to face.

While Bard's Keep was not filled with traps like it was the previous adventure, the place was strange in how the rooms next door seemed to change on their own.  Suspecting some kind of clockwork dungeon, the group faced off with two of the place's guardians, with much difficulty, realizing the place was definitely a challenge which may require their full cooperation to overcome.

The rooms were moving.  That much was clear.  But what system existed in their movement, and what clues the previous attempts others made to conquer the place left behind were but the ingredients to a whole new adventure.  After finding a few metal plates which had dwarven runes on them (each plate corresponding to a letter) and facing off with two of the place's guardians (deadly things which were vicious in combat and deadly with their fiery breath weapon), the group realized to take a strategic retreat was a wiser course of action.  It became quickly apparent, however, that they would have to return to rescue the other group which had gone in with hopes of finding them.  What this will result with in the end was something to be discovered in a later game session.

*

Definitely though, the players found the dungeon to be an awesome, if not challenging experience.  Faced with a place which seemed to naturally move on its own, there was no doubt that the group would have to find some way to work with that complication to succeed in this quest.   With the looming threat that now PC death will be respected, all carried with them the worry that the game session they played could be their final one.

One thing was certain, however:  The fun only multiplied even more.

And while this game chronicle was probably to end on the 12th episode, there was no denying that all who played the Gifts of the God Mages game were definitely enjoying the ride.

Gifts of the God Mages : Pathfinder e07

Gifts of the God Mages

May 2012 - ongoing
June 13th Game Session

Pathfinder

Episode Seven: A Trap Within a Trap

On the seventh game session of the Indigo-Entertainment Pathfinder chronicle, the stories were now taking a new direction.  Given the size of the group, and the growing story line, I had decided to approach the games in this manner:

Opening Scene
Game Proper
Closing Scene

This way, every single game will feel like a self-contained episode of a show, will contribute to the growing metaplot, and yet have enough time for the fight sequences.  Given the time allotment to each session (around two to three hours only) for a five to seven player game, I had to sacrifice my usual storytelling style and instead make the battle/dungeon crawl more prominent.  But no way am I turning this into just a roll-fest.  After the tragic first game I ever had, I made a promise that all Tobie games will always have a story to remember.  I was not about to back out of that promise just because I was running Pathfinder.

In this game session, the following players were present:
Ramza, CG, Fighter-Wizard
Caishn, CN, Rogue
Jazintho, CN, Wizard
Galvindir, LG, Cleric
Baus, true Neutral, Barbarian-Wizard
The game opens a meeting occurring in some dark room where the candles are lit low and the lanterns are hooded.  A grand circular table receives a number of guests, mostly men, some women, and a few of them are in robes.  The topic:  the assaults being conducted upon various cities through out the Realms.  It soon becomes apparent that the Lord of Doranth, the Lords of Waterdeep, and the Elven Queen of Moonshae Islands are among those in the secret meeting.  Most voice anger towards the unprovoked attacks upon their territories.  The Elven Queen unsympathetically states her domain remains unblemished and labels the issue "a Human problem," a statement which raises more ire from the others present.  Eventually, a voice suggests that perhaps it would be time to protect one's domain with powerful magical means.  The Marduk of Al Qadim heckles the suggestion as he reminds them of the magical chaos that makes even the power of the City of Haluraa unstable.  The robed figure, King Zalathorm's vassal,  Azoth Fereas reminds them there are powers that the magical chaos is unable to rattle:  "Artifacts," he mutters with a smile, "And I believe we of Halruaa know of a man who can provide us the defenses we require."

The game then jumps forward to the Realms Master.  The ship is spinning in a whirlwind, as it remains anchored to a whirlpool in some desolate sea.  Omen calls out to Ishi and Jasmine, who use their mobility to try and secure more of the fluttering sails to the battered masts.  Ramza, the new captain, struggles to come to a decision whether they should wait for the party below to reemerge with the artifact, or leave and return when the weather is calmer. "This is not a natural storm," Omen intones, "I sense the magical quality of the destination below may be behind the assault we are taking."   Ramza reluctantly commands for the ship to be taken out of the whirlwind.  A full mile away from the site.  But just before he has it carried out, Minder throws him a subtle suggestion:  "An opportunity does exist to focus on what you are experienced with, and to pass the reins of command to someone else.. a First Mate perhaps?"  Ramza agrees and asks Foxilon Cardluck to take charge, just before he leaps down to scale the chain of the anchor to join the adventurers below.

The Realms Master uses the Astrolabe to move its location.  The results surprise Ramza.  The ship is literally there one second, then gone the next, and Ramza crashes into the waters with a cleanly severed chain in his hands.  He swims to the entrance of the tomb, a small patch of land in the center of the whirlpool and slides inside to find the others.

Earlier, the group split into two groups as they found the entrance leading to a junction of four chambers.  Jazintho wastes no time and hurries down the eastern corridor, not caring that the "wizard" Baus followed him.  On the western corridor, Alcarin and Galvindir take charge.

Jazintho and Baus trade barbs frequently, with the Half-elven wizard clearly showing his disdain for the Half-Orc barbarian-wizard.  The two are so focused on their insults that neither notice they walk straight into a pit trap! Falling painfully twenty feet, the two gather their wits and consider a way out.  But as Baus tries (and fails) to climb the steep surface, Jazintho whispers to the Demon Child if it can provide a means out.  The Demon Child teases it may if Jazintho tastes Orcish blood.  Jazintho mistakes this as a command to kill Baus.  And in hopes of giving him an edge against the more trained fighter, Bestows a Curse upon him as Baus attempts to scale the wall.  But Baus had earlier Detected Magic and sensed a powerful source below.  Botching his Spellcraft check, he mistakes the great power to be an Infernal Necromantic source.  This misunderstanding does not make it easier for Jazintho, whose specialty school has always been Necromancy.  The Barbarian strikes at Jazintho, disrupting his attempt to throw a Phantasmal Killer at the other.  As the two consider their next moves, they hear the voice of their captain Ramza above them as the captain had opted to check the eastern corridor.

Alcarin and Galvindir walk the western corridor with some level of care, but the two are busy sharing talk of the gods they serve.  Alcarin is surprised to learn from Galvindir that he was visited by Pallas herself, but before they could get into further details, both fall prey to another trap:  A Falling Block Trap!  Both are smacked painfully by the stone blocks and quickly utilize their healing abilities to recover their strength.  The corridor ends in a large chamber with a door at the end of a second narrow corridor.  But this time more wary, both see the many holes that dot the walls of the corridor and sense another trap (if not more) waiting for them.  Galvindir summons his signature Pony once again, but refuses to have it go ahead as a test dummy.  Alcarin, eager to move forward, runs ahead.  Galvindir follows with the Pony behind him, not wanting to separate the group.  The first row triggers sand that begins to fill the chamber.   The second triggers a barrage of Javelins that fly from the holes.  When they reach the second corridor, however, Alcarin alone notices the magical sigil that glows before an Electricity Arc Trap is unleashed.  The dwarf escapes it, but in his attempt to pull Galvindir down with him, instead throws Galvindir into the electric arc's path.  The Cleric is painfully electrocuted, and his contact with the Dwarven Paladin means he too takes some of the pain.

Ramza casts Enlarge on the Half-Orc to assist in their escape of the pit.  Jazintho uses the now Large Baus to clamber out of the pit and continue down the corridor.  Jazintho triggers a magical sigil on the ground and is Teleported away.  The two others are oblivious to this event.  Ramza, however, tells Baus it may be best to follow the others, and as the two reach the main junction at the entrance, Baus admits he called his Rage during his square-off with the Half Elf and needed some time to rest.  Ramza leaves him alone and hurries down the western corridor, dodging another Falling Block trap, and reaching the main chamber to see the others in the other side of a chamber that was waist deep in sand.  Alcarin bashes at the walls and finds a hollow where the corpse of another dwarf with a hammer lay.  He convinces the others to follow him (instead of simply traverse the sand and head back) and continues to batter a path through the walls themselves.  He strikes another hollow, and before any of them could react, they are falling into the darkness.

Baus notices some writings at the ceiling of the entrance and is frustrated to realize they are in a language he does not know.  Ishi Barasume arrives, asking him how the others are.  She tells him Omen had made a mistake (actually he had lied) and tells him the tomb is not a tomb at all.  It is a tower.  And it wasn't owned by a former Elven wizard.  It was owned by an Elven Inquisitor.  It was a place where evil was exorcised!

Jazintho finds himself in a domed chamber, and the relief statues of elves and gods come alive, asking him if he is ready.  If he is willing.  And if they should begin.  Jazintho says yes, even if he is uncertain what this will entail.  From the domed roof, a crack shatters, and his three friends drop into the location to join him.  As the three recover from the fall, Jazintho sees every statue raise their heads in their direction and bathe them in white burning light.  The exorcism begins and Jazintho finds the the Demon Child suddenly expelled as a dark shadow that clings to his leg.  It tempts him with power! With magic! But when it sees that others are witness to its presence, it demands to Jazintho that it needs a host body.    As if in response, Galvindir is suddenly flanked by a horned man and a woman with a lance.  Alcarin, on the other hand, is surrounded by a Protection from Evil.  Ramza, it seems, is the sole option.  As Jazintho begins casting Lightning bolt to strike him, Ramza retaliates with a Blindness spell! The Lightning bolt strikes first, however, and Ramza is brought to his knees.  Alcarin interposes himself between them, and Lays his Hands on Ramza to help him recover from the pain.  Galvindir takes this opportunity to speak to Jazintho and try to convince him to free himself from the demon.  "True power is earned.  Not given.  You are better than this!"

When the Cleric sees Jazintho is too far or emotional to reach, he asks Pallas for help.  She tells him, "I can help you, but remember what I told you.  You have sworn to protect my Chosen.  Then know this, he is my Chosen."  Galvindir sees to his surprise that Pallas was referring to Jazintho, not to Alcarin as he originally thought.  "In his destiny lies the destruction of the world, as well as its Salvation.  And only you can help him reach the proper choice."

The Demon Child screams again, but this time Pallas' light is far too great.  The Demon dissipates and is no more.

Minutes later, back on the Realms Master, Omen admits he had inspected the vault and noticed a number of artifacts missing.  He suspected one of the group was possessed by the Demon Child and had lied to the captain to bring them here to vanquish the demon.  Ramza finds the artifact of the Tower, however, but Omen tells him it is not for his eyes to see.  The group lock up Jazintho for the nonce in a room, to consider what is to be done to the elf.

None of them notice, however, Jasmine talking to Ramza, and suggesting to him that they stick together.  She asks him again if he is a wizard and he admits he is excited to learn new power.  Jasmine, of course, can only smile.

Gifts of the God Mages - Pathfinder e06

Gifts of the God Mages

May 2012 - ongoing
June 10th Game Session

Pathfinder

Episode Six: Three Years Later

On the sixth game session of the Indigo-Entertainment Pathfinder chronicle, it was time to bring the game to a new level of danger.  The players were much more accustomed to their classes and many were already targeting their preferred Prestige Classes.   This meant they could now be held accountable for any mistakes, wrong judgement, and vulnerabilities they fail to compensate for.  Starting with this game session, I warned them that the "nice" DM has ended, and now, dead PCs will not be "saved."

To give the players some more "fuel" to survive, I set the game three years later, and allowed them to have two levels free, as well as 15,000 gold to spend.  (Players who were not present in this session were to have two levels free, but only 10,000 gold to spend.)

In this game session, the following players were present:
Rondo, CG, Sorcerer
Ramza, CG, Fighter-Wizard
Caishn, CN, Rogue
Jazintho, CN, Wizard
Galvindir, LG, Cleric

The game opens with the players being told that Three Years Ago, the Realms Master was destroyed.  The fire that rained down on Doranth was a vicious one and the city took a major blow.  During the session, details would soon be shared leading to this sad picture:  While Dwalimer Omen and Elminster were with the two others in the tavern, a sudden magical storm of flames erupted and ignited most of the city.  The Realms Master was not spared from the burning rage.  While Alcarin and the others sought to help those they could, Minder and Vartan Hai Sylvar were both struct by the flames and were trapped by the sinking ship.  Using his last breath, Vartan cast a spell for Minder to be transformed into a flying form, and Minder sadly failed to react soon enough to save the Elf in return.  Elminster died in the flames.  Omen vanished.   Ishi, Foxilon and the rest arrive to see the horrible carnage, and while most of the crew depart to find new lives now that the questing ship they gathered in was gone, Alcarin and the original crew salvaged what they can from the ruins of the Realms Master.  They learned the pocket dimension was intact and could be carried with them, as was the powerful artifact that served as the ship's engine: the Astrolabe.

Ishi, Minder (in her dragon-like form) and the late Vartan Hai Sylvar

And so, three years later... Galvindir was meditating at a small shrine deep in the woods.  During his prayers, the maiden in white armor appears to him and petitions for his help.  As he considers doing so, Erastil himself has his avatar appear before Galvindir and accuses the woman of attempting to steal his loyal priest.  She introduces herself as Pallas, and tells Erastil in exchange, she will extract a vow from her "chosen Paladin" to watch over the Cleric.  The two gods seal the pact, and Galvindir is told to head for the City of Waterdeep as his first task.  She warns him of a coming war and tells him there will be a great responsibility in his hands which may turn the tide of the war.  When asked what threat is coming to affect the Realms, Pallas intones darkly, "The God Mages are coming."

Rondo spent the last three years searching for more of his Bloodline.  The Stormborne seemed harder and rarer than most lines.  Going as far as the lands of Al Qadim, Rondo learned that there the Stormborne were known as Children of the Djinn, and their lineage was hailed as powerful and deadly.  Rondo was given the offer to remain, but reminded that one chooses what one will call one's family.  And from that, Rondo realized he wished to find the crew once more.   His journey would eventually lead him to the port of Waterdeep.

Ramza struggles to find a mentor for his Archery skills and eventually visits the City of Halrua in hopes of gaining magical training.  There, he discovers that Dwalimer Omen (whose name he drops in hopes of getting a foot in) is known as a thief and is wanted by the city itself.  But when another strange moment of magical chaos strikes the city, Ramza escapes and opts to return to Doranth.  There, he chances upon a drunken Dwalimer Omen, who has no recollection of how he survived the fire.  Months pass and he helps Omen regain focus and determination.  The two eventually receive an invitation to head to Waterdeep upon hearing word that the Realms Master is supposedly docked there.

Caishn lives a life of bliss with his "wife" Nuala in a small house in the woods.  But events turn a strange direction when Nuala seemingly has moments where she uses magic without thinking, or acts differently from usual.  At one point, he finds she has a new ring that she loves: A Ring of Telekinesis.  Confused by her moments, Caishn however is quickly distracted when the urge for adventure returns.  With Nuala excited to join him, the two decided to head for the City of Waterdeep where adventurers tend to find good beginnings.

And finally Jazintho's tale uncovers a dangerous twist.  The Wizard HAD succeeded in opening the vault but had only time to steal two artifacts:  A polyhedral bone and a deck of cards.  Both had unexpected and unpredictable magical effects when used (with at one point the bone die struck Jazintho to death, but an earlier roll actually allowed him to be resurrected instantly.)  To the surprise of the other players, Jazintho seemed to be friends with Jasmine (whom they all remember him striking down with his Lightning spell) and the two opted to head for Waterdeep, also after receiving word of the Realms Master being active there.

The group's reunion at Waterdeep is short-lived however.  Literally seconds after they find each other by the port, a magical chaotic event once again happens.  Skeletons rise from the ground, led by a Skeleton Champion that sat upon a steed of bone.  The group dispatch of the undead quickly, using their best skills, spells and weapons at their disposal.  But the skeletons, it would so happen, were just the start of their troubles.  With a deafening cry, a massive skeletal Tyrannosaurus Rex stomps into the scene and only with their combined efforts and Dwalimer Omen's Incendiary Cloud do they succeed in bringing it down.    I fail to remember whose sharp eyes catch a robed figure with a skull mask seemingly the master of the undead assault, who vanishes in a gateway when its undead army begin to fall against the city's defenses.

Port side, Nuala (who was inadvertently thrown into waters) gets rescued by the combined efforts of Galvindir, Rondo, Ramza and Caishn.  They find the Realms Master crew at the port, who all seemed surprised to see their old friends.  The new ship is bigger, with four masts of sails, three lower decks, and better weapons.  Most are surprised to see the new appearance of Minder, who seems quiet given her guilt over Vartan Hai Sylvar's death.  The crew are doubly surprised to learn Dwalimer Omen is alive and excitedly welcome the chance to serve under him again.  But Dwalimer Omen does not forget a debt, and he announces Ramza as the new Captain of the ship.

The group, however, fails to notice Jazintho and Jasmine plotting at the wayside.  Jasmine, as it turns out, is Surea in disguise and the drow has noticed an ebbing in her power.  Even her Ring of Telekinesis seems to malfunction at times.  The two realize the Realms Master and all its artifacts can be theirs if they find a way to get rid of Dwalimer Omen.  "Jasmine" tells Jazintho she will handle killing the Wizard, after all such an act requires a woman's touch.  Jazintho will handle gaining the support of the crew to make one of them the new Captain when the chance comes.

A darker turn for the game, indeed.  And definitely an exciting direction the game is headed.

Gifts of the God Mages - Pathfinder e05

Gifts of the God Mages

May 2012 - ongoing
June 8th Game Session

Pathfinder

Episode Five: The Tomb of the Gnome Tinkerer

On the fifth game session of the Indigo-Entertainment Pathfinder chronicle, my total number of players has reached ten.   I have to admit, it has been a while since I've had a group this big, so a part of me was feeling a bit apprehensive about being able to give a game that will still be entertaining for all.  While most Dungeon Masters approach Pathfinder (and D&D games) as tactical battle fests, I find it hard to focus on just the battle and love injecting story arcs into the game.  This, however, meant working out story lines that intersect with many characters, allowing for a greater participation from those involved.   Many during this session earned enough experience points to finally hit fifth level, which meant many taking the first step towards their preferred Prestige Classes.  Multi-classing was definitely the option some had embraced.

In this game session, the following players were present:
Rondo, CG, Sorcerer
Ramza, CG, Fighter-Wizard
Baus, true Neutral, Barbarian-Wizard
Caishn, CN, Rogue
Lyus, NG, Druid
Kalder, CN, Rogue
Jazintho, CN, Wizard
Galvindir, LG, Cleric

The game opens with the group learning the party is split in different areas.  One group was already off in another quest, still trapped in the Tomb of the Gnome Tinkerer.  As it turns out, Ishi, Vartan and Foxilon were returning from the Tomb to recoup some strength and bring Vartan back for recovery.  But both were determined to return to help Rondo, Ramza and the new crew member Baus.  Baus is a Half-Orc Barbarian who was smarter than most in his community.  His dreams of someday becoming a true Wizard has become his driving goal in adventuring.

Elsewhere in Doranth, Kalder and Galvindir were speaking with the Erastil priest about the God Mages.  Galvindir inspected the authenticity of the ancient tome that supposedly showed how Nuala resembled the supposed God Mage of old.  Yenrry (NPC) continued to remain fascinated with his strange regenerating hands.  Kalder found himself being asked by the priest if he was willing to do what it takes to save the world, namely kill Naula before she regains her power.  When he agreed, the priest blessed him with some Divine spell, promising when that day came, he would strike true.

Elminster and Omen were both terribly injured by the attack in the tavern.  Alcarin (NPC) opted to stay and do what he could to help.  Lyus in a daze, went back to the Realms Master, uncertain how to tell them that the greatest Magus in the Realm, Elminster was on the very verge of death.

Back on the ship, Jazintho slowly was made aware that his assault by the Drow wizard Surea was merely an Illusion.  She teased him about the power of magic and admitted to him she too had a Demon Child within her.  "They start with knowledge, then tempt you with secrets, and eventually... things beyond anything you expect."  He tries to pry more secrets from her but she remains mum, asking him however if he would be interested in working with her.  "I only have to settle a score with Omen.  Omen has shied away from his responsibility in raising our child."    With the key Jazintho was given by Ishi, the wizard quickly considered looking for what it unlocked.  He eventually finds it opens not Omen's chambers or the artifact room, but a room that has been locked up.  Inside, melted armor, a destroyed shield, and a distorted holy symbol were found.  Jazintho realizes it was the room of the former Paladin who had died, one who supposedly Ishi and Jasmine had loved.

Just off the ship, Ciashn arrives with Nuala and both are confronted by a suspicious Ishi Barasume.  Ishi did not meet the two earlier in the day and was wary of letting them onboard the vessel.  Eventually, the oriental... warrior... allowed them onboard and called out asking who will join the mission to finish the quest and get the others out.  Jazintho opted again to stay, hoping for another chance at seeing the artifacts.  Kalder and Galvindir arrived back in time at the port to see the leaving boat.  They joined the others on the trip to the Tomb.

In the Tomb, Ramza, Rondo and Baus dealt with four Ogres.  The giants were terribly strong, with their massive reach and frightening strength.  Baus disabled one with a well-timed surge of Rage, but fell down exhausted in the struggle.  Rondo was able to fell another one, with a hidden strike of Shocking Grasp, followed by a flurry of Magic Missles from above.  Ramza knocked one out with a Sleep arrow, then engaged with another with his sword.  The last Ogre, however, was vicious and nearly overwhelmed Ramza's skills.  Rondo had to support the battle with an empowered blow of his spear.

In the upper levels, the group had to navigate four floors of traps, monsters and lures.  From a series of deadly traps which Caishn had to disable one at a time (with the third requiring help from Kalder), to a room filled with gold and platinum coins, that turned out to be a massive breeding pit for metallic crabs and their gigantic brethren.  Once again, Galvindir's pony came to the rescue, but sadly the pony's strikes were barely able to penetrate the crab's armored shells.  Kalder and Caishn brought low a few with well-timed sneak attacks.  Galvindir's bow amputated a few crab arms with well-timed strikes.  Lyus found himself grappled by one grab, and eventually had to spring free with the help of his wolf.  Caishn at one point asked Ishi, "You guys have been here before.  Why not just show us the way down?"  Ishi replied, "Perhaps I wanted to see if you were all worth being part of the crew."

Down below, Ramza and Rondo eventually find a strange room.  With the bottom filled with water, strange criss-cross marks dominated the chamber, and the floor was broken down to narrow arcing pathways.  Rondo took to the air to study if the patterns made sense from above.  Ramza dove down to check what was the source of the green-bluish lights that flickered below.  Deep beneath the waters, Ramza felt a strong current that buffeted him backwards.  Rondo could not get what significance the patterns shared, and it was only with the arrival of Galvindir and Lyus that things would come into focus.  Lyus assumed his Wildshape and became a shark, diving into the waters to investigate.   Below, he found a strange bottle like thing that was the source of the current.  Knocking it free from the ground, hoping to study it, the object shot out like a propelled missile and ricocheted against the walls, ceiling and anything in its path.  The arcs now made sense as the object zipped past many of them, until a perfectly-timed catch stopped the object's deadly launch.  Rondo grabbed it tight and as he slowed his flight, he stoppered the object closed.  It was a Decanter of Endless Water.

Beneath the waters that were now calm, Lyus found the remains of a long dead gnome and his spectacles.  Since the spectacles were the artifact they were to collect, Lyus gathered it up with his teeth and swam back towards the surface.  It was another successful quest, and the group congratulated themselves for a job well done.  Caishn, Foxilon and Kalder freak out when they discover that all the "coins" they gathered turned out to be tiny metallic crabs!   None of them knew, however, what was happening back at the Realms Master.

Jazintho found himself an audience to a disembodied Dwalimer Omen.  The poor wizard continued to be in so much pain that he decided to leave his body Astrally for the moment.  Asking about how things were, Jazintho merely played it cool and told him of the ongoing mission.  Chancing it, Jazintho inquired about the artifact room and Omen joked about keeping the key where no one would expect to find it: Tied to the ship's Anchor.  Heading there, Jazintho finds Jasmine sitting on the anchor, and admitting to him that she's been watching him.  She learned a "thing or two" from Priam Agrivar, the late Paladin, among which was the ability to Detect Evil.  As she questioned Jazintho's motives, the Wizard took no chances and immediately threw a Silent Lightning Bolt at her.  Jasmine fells into the waters as she screamed in pain.  Before the key fell in as well, he reached out with Mage Hand only to find the key flying away from him and into another's hands.  "Ring of Telekinesis beats Mage Hand any day," Surea mused, as she levitated from the port side, and made a deal with Jazintho to share the hoard.  Jazintho agreed.

Galvindir felt a bad feeling once again, and for a brief moment saw the image of a maiden in white armor wielding a lance once again.   Who she is seemed to be a secret to be revealed in another time.

The answers will follow, in the next episode of The Gifts of the God Mages.

More Scenes to Throw at your Players - Houses of the Blooded

Here are a few more scenes/scenarios to throw at your players for your Houses of the Blooded games.  While these can also be adapted to work with many other game systems, I felt Houses of the Blooded was the best system to relate to these because of the way the system celebrates player interaction more than tactics or other gaming themes.

And yes, do check out the influential movies or sources to enrich your ideas on how to approach these scenes!

A brother (or Friend) lost his wife, and has taken Revenge a tad too far.  Rather than petition to the Senate, he has begun killing all the vassals, lords and ladies of a rival Baron over the course of a few Seasons.  Thankfully, his acts of vengeance have yet to be noticed by the Senate.  Will you help him hide it?  Try to convince him to stop?  Or bring it to the Senate to be dealt with properly?
Inspirational source:  Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street

You have decided to investigate on those who worship Fashuva, hoping to learn more about them and how to detect their influence in your Domain.  But the man you've come to learn from might just be a servant himself!
Inspirational source: The Rite

Your favorite Vassal has been spirited away by another Ven.  You've heard rumors that she now toils under her domain as a slave and while most veth are meaningless, you cannot help but want to find a way to steal her back.  How do you?
Inspirational source:  Spirited Away

You awaken to find yourself in a different room, in a different Region, served by Vassals you do not recognize. They, however, recognize you.  Soon you realize why:  a rival Baron somehow has switched places with you.  He is in your body, and you are in his.  What his plans are and what can you do to get your body back?
Inspirational source:  The Change-Up

Similar to the one above, but you've switched bodies with the most disappointing child you have.  And yes, that child is starting to relish being in control.
Inspirational source: Freaky Friday

A vicious group of Foxes has taken it upon themselves to always malign, insult, and embarrass you during Parties.  You are tempted to call for Insult, but you're not sure if that is better than winning them over and getting them to side with you instead.
Inspirational source: Mean Girls

In this world where words can be louder than actions, you embark on using the rumors and whispers others share to further your advancement among the Ven.  But what if you bite more than you can chew?
Inspirational source: Easy A

You and your husband hope to gain more respect from other Ven during Parties and other events.  But they all seem aloof, if not condescending of you two.  You find a mentor who is well respected and in some ways even feared and offer to be her Vassal to learn from her.   But will you learn to become like her?  Or learn to see how you have always been better than her?
Inspirational source:  The Devil Wears Prada