Monday, April 20, 2015

Campaign Journal 9 - Into the East Basements

Further Explorations of Castle Langborne's Dungeons

We last left our heroes standing around a flight of old stone stairs in a ruined building in the old Onorian town of Maransa. The steps lead down into the darkness, and Niam the rogue has discovered that there is a cobweb choked chamber at the bottom of the stairs.

The characters slowly worked their way through a series of decrepit old chambers with dirty floors, crumbling wall sections, and lots of rodent tracks of various sizes. There were many visible tunnels bored into the exposed dirt areas behind the crumbling walls. The dwarves' stonecunning made them nervous in this part of the dungeon.
Part of Castle Langborne's  East Basements

The party slowly worked their way northwards (left to right in the picture), being very methodical and cautious. In an early chamber, there was a heavy wooden door barred from the inside. The characters avoided this door, fearing what might be behind it, and continued northwards.

In the first of a series of very good Perception rolls, a secret door was found behind some water barrels that were obviously recently used. This led to a series of hidden old storage chambers. As the party advanced, they were set on by a dozen or so giant rats, which were disposed of without too much difficulty. In the last of these 3 storage chambers, a pallet of crude furs and bedding was found, along with a small amount of treasure. The owner of this was nowhere to be seen.

Doubling back, the party then found another secret door that led into a hallway which soon came to a partially opened door. The door was covered with a very thin sheet of hammered brass, and was covered in runes and sigils. The hallway immediately beyond the door descended down a steep flight of stairs that disappeared from view. Forty feet down, the stairs ended in a chamber with a number of doors leading from it. A double door to the north had a barely noticeable chalk symbol in Thieve's Cant that meant "Danger - Traps".

The party went through the door and quickly determined that they were in a labyrinth full of traps of all kinds. Over the course of the next couple hours of game time, the party used Duncan's Unseen Servant to lead them slowly through the labyrinth. They found nothing, but due to their cautiousness took minimal damage.

Returning to the chamber outside the labyrinth, the party moved west (up in the picture). The next chamber had a high ceiling obscured by a multitude of large spider webs. A pair of giant spiders were noticed high in the webbing, and a brief fight ensued. The party was able to dispose of the spiders fairly quickly, but not without taking some damage in the process.

At this point it was determined to be late in the day (in game time and real time), and the party decided to bed down for the night in a lockable chamber with one known entrance.

Next - The party will sleep for the night and see what the morning brings.

GM Commentary - Dungeon crawling went very slowly. This was due to a few things. Of the four players present tonight, only one was from our very experienced bunch. The other three were our newbies, and were still getting used to things. This made them cautious. The desire to be thorough and make sure nothing was being missed (secret doors etc) provided the benefit of successfully finding everything there was to find, but had the side effect of making things go slowly as well.

The main challenge coming out of this for me as a GM is to give some thought to how I can make sure that dungeon crawling moves at a pace such that we can cover enough ground (and therefore see enough stuff) to keep things interesting. I have some thoughts on this that I will post separately. This is an important topic, as having dungeon crawl sessions get tedious and boring would have a seriously negative effect on the campaign.

Hacking 5e D&D

Per my prior post, I am not completely thrilled with the way experience is awarded in 5th edition D&D, and the way that the narrow focus awarding of experience dictates gameplay (intentionally or not). This begs the question of what else I am not completely thrilled with. Which in turn leads to the inevitable: If I was to re-do ("hack") certain parts of D&D, which parts might that be?

Experience points, to be sure. Backgrounds, maybe. Skills, yes. Combat proficiencies, yes.

Backgrounds. So what's wrong with backgrounds? Nothing, fundamentally, but they seem to exist only for the purpose of bestowing a few additional skills at the point of character creation. We used them, and took the resulting skills and languages, but that seems to be about as far as the use of them went. Some of the backgrounds seem odd in all but a few narrowly interpreted uses. This might be more of a result of the fact that we haven't fully immersed ourselves in the roleplaying aspects of the game, but backgrounds seem artificial to me. All things considered though, this is more of a minor quibble compared to some of my other issues.

Skills. The problem? Too many characters are too good at too many things right from the start of the game. I'm more of the view that "adventuring type" skills should be earned through the experience of gameplay (i.e adventuring) and not in effect be bestowed at birth. This is compounded by the omnipresent "proficiency bonus" which is used for a multitude of purposes in the game. As it stands now, most characters will have a plethora of bonuses based on their 6 ability scores, plus more proficiencies from their race choice, and more proficiencies from their background choice. This is way too many starting skills that were never earned.

Combat proficiencies. Non-fighter types are simply too good at fighting. Spell casters are clearly overpowered compared to melee types at higher levels (as they always have been). The flip side of this should be that hand to hand combat should be the one place where fighter types outshine their spellcasting brethren. This doesn't necessarily happen. In our specific case, we have a very high Dexterity wizard and a very high Dexterity rogue who are just as good at hitting and dealing damage (if not better in some cases) than our fighter types. Granted, they have much lower armor classes and are thus easier to hit and damage, but still...

What to do about these, if anything? I'm not sure. Some of these are fundamental to the design of 5e D&D, and the unintended domino effect of messing around with them could break our game. But it is fun to think about.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Game Theory - Experience

There is a popular saying that goes "if the only tool you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail".

I am realizing that this is true of Dungeons & Dragons with regards to combat, experience, and the resulting affect on gameplay.

Apparently, I am not the only one. I was startled to see a new series of YouTube posts by a couple of my favorite role playing streamers discussing this very issue as it related to their desire to "hack" 5th edition D&D to better suit an online campaign that one of the them was running (Steven Lumpkin and Adam Koebel, Hack Attack, and the Rollplay West Marches series). I watched the episodes they had posted so far, and when they got to the part about experience and exactly this issue, I think I actually pointed at my computer screen and said "Yes, that's exactly it!"

I would summarize my feelings on the topic, synthesized with theirs, as follows...

The Reality - Looking at 5th edition D&D (and most editions of D&D for that matter), what stands out is this... Players want their characters to advance and increase in power, skills and abilities (duh...). The way to do this is to gain experience. The only way to gain experience (straight-up by the book) is to kill stuff - anything and everything that you can, as often as you can, whether it makes any sense in the context of the game or not.

This contrasts with:

The Goal - (in other words, what do I want the game to be like...) Players explore the world, have adventures, interact with the people that they meet and the locations that they visit, and become a part of the world. Exploration and discovery being the key. To boldly go where they have not gone before (or something like that). The goal is not "find the next thing to kill" (although there is a time and place for that).

The Disconnect - Many (if not most) activities related to The Goal don't include killing everything in sight, and thus do not contribute to the players' desire to gain experience and advance in all of the related tangible ways.

A Possible Solution - Award experience for activities that contribute to The Goal, regardless of whether they involve killing stuff or not.

This would mean providing experience for things such as:
  • Filling in blank spaces on their map.
  • Visiting places that they have never been before.
  • Discovering new places and new things.
  • Making friends and influencing people.
  • Figuring things out.
  • Surviving in the wilderness.
  • Collecting new information.
  • Encountering a new monster or creature for the first time (or finding out something new about a type of creature).

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good combat encounter as much as the next person. And they have their place. But combat encounters shouldn't be the only thing the players are seeking out.

As an aside, there was an edition of D&D back in the dim recesses of time that awarded experience for treasure (1 GP = 1 experience point). If you ask me, that's the dumbest idea ever. But I digress.

The more I think about this, the more I like the idea, and will start moving our campaign in this direction. This will require some explanation to the players, but I don't see an issue in that regard. We'll see how it goes. Once I figure out how...

Monday, April 13, 2015

Barak Brannar, The Under-City of Aravesk

Aravesk area (maps in Hexographer)
There are three legendary and deadly dungeon complexes in the Northlands - Smokehole Caverns in the Tellarn Mountains west of Mercia (detailed previously), the Demon Pits of Rakluar within the fallen realm of Ithilkar (west of Onoria), and Barak Brannar, the fallen dwarf realm known to men and elves as the great Under-City of Aravesk.

Aravesk's precise location is of course no longer common knowledge, but it is said to be in the southern Craghorn Peaks on the northeastern border of old Onoria, north of a body of water called Icemelt Lake.  A number of roads, many of them dwarven-built, traverse the area, and remain in good repair to this day due to the skill of their construction. Following these dwarven roads north into the mountains will lead to the Under-City. Seasoned adventurers will say that, much like Smokehole, the trick isn't in finding Aravesk, it's staying alive once you have found it.

In the olden days of the Elder realms, Barak Brannar was by far the greatest dwarven kingdom in the Northlands, rivaling even that of Trandahar in the west or Marble Halls in the far south. It's wealth was derived from the rich mines of many types that honeycombed the Craghorn Peaks, and in the skill of its craftsmen. Barak Brannar was a friend and ally to both Onoria to its south and Tirask to its east, and even maintained good relations with the elves of Myrveen.

Five centuries ago, when the strength of the realm was waning from the generations of incessant wars, Barak Brannar was laid siege by what is claimed to be the greatest orc horde the Northlands has ever seen. Repeated assaults failed to carry the external defenses, but another goblinoid horde welling up from the Underdark overwhelmed the internal defenses of the Under-City, and thus the bitterest chapter yet was written into the book of the lamentations of the dwarves of the North.

With the fall of Barak Brannar, the noble clans of the dwarves of the Northlands were shattered. Some were exterminated entirely, others fled into the wilds, and some may exist to this day hidden in the deep vales of the northern mountains. Yet others had survivors scattered southward, where they either settled in the towns of men, or were assimilated into other smaller dwarfholds.

It is a badge of honor among dwarven clans to be able to trace their lineage back to Barak Brannar, and among those dwarves there is often lasting ill-will toward the other major dwarfholds, with the feeling being that the other dwarven kingdoms didn't do enough to help their brethren.

One of the most persistent, if somewhat wistful, topics of fireside conversation among dwarves (especially the elders) is that of re-conquering and re-settling the old dwarfholds. The jewel in that crown would of course be Barak Brannar.

Dwarves have very long memories indeed.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

The Dawnstone

Located somewhere on the central Onorian Plains south of the Shield Wall is one of the more spectacular and well-preserved sites of the Ancients. As is often the case, this site takes the form of a circle of standing stones, although this site is said to be larger and more complicated than most of the simpler stone circles seen elsewhere.

The site also has a unique feature which has given the site its name - the Dawnstone.

In the middle of the central ring of stones, on a small hillock, is a large table-like rock (or altar-like rock as some say). This central stone is of a different type of rock than is found locally, and is a semi-translucent white in color. It radiates a powerful elemental magic.

Each day at sunrise, for a period of about 15 minutes, the Dawnstone glows with a red light coming from deep within the stone. What this does or means, none can (or will) say...

Thursday, April 9, 2015

News and Rumors - Late April NR707

The following news and rumors have come to the characters' attention during their recent stay in Linden.
  • World - Tense relations between the Kingdoms of Mercia and Romney have devolved into open raids and skirmishing along their borders. People fear a war.
  • World - The early spring caravans have more activity from the west out of Mirraddi than is usual. Mirraddians speak Westreth as their primary tongue and are known for all sorts of intricately braided hair and beards as well as elaborate tattoos. Many consider them barbarians, but that may be an unfair generalization.
  • World - Word out of the south is that the Chinderoth people are rebelling against Florian rule. The Chinderoth are nomadic tribes that roam the vast plains that extend into northwest Floria. The overlapping area of Chinderoth lands claimed to be within Florian borders is the area of contention.
  • World - There is increased pirate activity out of the Oranthian Isles (off the coasts of Romney, Mercia and Alsberg).
  • Shearingvale (heard) - The problem of disappearing sheep and goats has stopped.
  • Shearingvale (witnessed) - Narsan of Ilaresh (Red Moon Traders) and an out of town trader came to blows in the Rusty Nail tavern.
  • Shearingvale (heard) - Mack, one of Narsan's lackeys, was caught sabotaging a rival's wagons, and is serving time in Linden's jail. Narsan denies any involvement, but has paid restitution.
  • Shearingvale (heard) - A band of 35-40 dwarves from the Umbral mountains (SW) passed through Linden and Olmsby on the way north to seek out fallen dwarf realms. They were heavily armed and armored and had a large pack train of mules and ponies. They were led by a dwarven elder named Turgel of the Peakdelver clan.
  • Shearingvale (heard) - There is unusually frequent ogre activity in the eastern Silver Hills and even encroaching into the Vale. There is word that Rolan of Wegely, Sentinel ranger, slayed two west of Draharr just a few days ago.
  • Shearingvale (heard) - A company of adventurers came to Linden looking for information on old Onorian sites. After spending a day or two in town they left heading south toward Bornil and the Greenreach Woods.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Campaign Journal 8 - Back to Castle Langborne

We last left our heroes back in the town of Linden, training and meditating to assimilate their new learnings and knowledge (i.e., leveling up)...

Over the course of a week in town (April 16-21 NR 707), Malachy spent a good amount of time wandering the farmland surrounding Linden, meditating on the strange feelings he was having. Dreams and visions led him to fashion a bear totem, which will allow him to channel the strength of a bear. Niam (the Rogue) snuck off and was gone for most of the week. We are not quite sure where he went. Duncan the wizard, who had teleported away with Alissara (the elven wizard from Fulcher's Band) returned to Linden. When asked where he had been, he told a tale of having been in a magical school where he was tutored by a number of different mages. He was not told of the location of where he had been, and after having passed his tests at the end of his training, returned to Fulcher's Hold with Alissara. Melior (the NPC druid), Badric (the dwarven cleric) and Mordecai (the NPC fighter) spent the time repairing equipment, valuing the group's accumulated treasure, buying supplies, and investigating the area. Days and hours spent wandering the Shearingvale served to fill in their map of the settled area (which is now complete - see below).
The Shearingvale (maps in Hexographer - 1 mile hexes)

When finished their training, the party elected to remain one last night in Linden before beginning the journey back to Castle Langborne the next morning. As they were heading to the Linden Inn for dinner, they were intercepted by Rolan of Wegley, the Sentinel Ranger that they had met briefly in Shimmermere. Rolan extended an invitation to dinner and drinks at the villa of a local noble, Cyric Graymantle. He advised that they would be wise to accept, as Cyric was one of the main behind-the-scenes political powers in the Shearingvale.

Arriving at Cyric's villa outside of town, the party was invited in to what would be, by the standards of a frontier town, a fairly opulent dining room and study, and was provided with an assortment of delicacies, drinks and dinner. In addition to Rolan, the party was introduced to Martek of Olmsby (an older man, Olmsby's representative to the Vale Council), Constable Terrill of Linden, and Cyric Graymantle himself. The gist of the dinner conversation seemed to be Cyric expressing concern over the long term intentions of Fulcher and his band, and not-so-subtly asking the party to spy on Fulcher for him.

After a cordial dinner, Rolan walked back to Linden with the party. He advised that whatever course of action they chose, they should be careful not to attract the ire of Cyric, as he was very influential in town (and had the constable in his pocket). Rolan was also able to tell the party of his own adventures in the area, which for the most part consisted of wandering the Silver Hills and keeping an eye on the increasing ogre threat. He was able to tell them the following: Ogres are typically encountered singly or in small family units, but the ogres in the western Silver Hills had entire villages, and numbered in the hundreds in total. He believed that they were being encountered more in the eastern end of the hills due to the fact that the town of Turil (located south of the central Silver Hills) was actively hiring mercenaries to deal with the ogres, thus forcing them east into new hunting grounds.
Turil, Linden and environs (maps in Hexographer - 6 mile hexes)

Monday April 22, NR 707, the party leaves Linden for Castle Langborne. Rather than retrace their previous route through Shimmermere and the eastern Silver Hills, they elect to head due north, traveling through the gap between the Silver Hills and Shadowveil Forest (and expanding their knowledge of the area). The first night they camp in the open plains east of the Hills.

Tuesday April 23, the party continues north/northwest between the hills and a marshy lake to the east, following the traces of an old Onorian road, nearing the cluster of hills that contains Castle Langborne. The party is setting up camp when Mordecai notices three ogres sneaking up along the edge of a wooded patch. The ensuing fight is quick but tough. Mordecai, Malachy and Badric form the front line, while Duncan casts very effective spells from behind their protection (Witch Bolt specifically). Niam (the rogue) gets into a bit of trouble after having engaged the rearmost ogre in a sneak attack from behind, but is aided by Melior the druid, who shape shifts into a great black bear and takes down the ogre. The remainder of the night is uneventful.
Olmsby to Castle Langborne (in Hexographer - 1 mile hexes)

Wednesday April 24, the party arrives back at Castle Langborne, entering the valley (again) from the east. Spread out before them in the shallow bowl of the valley, they can see the ruins of the old Onorian town of Maransa. To the northwest, the imposing edifice that is Castle Langborne clings to the side of a large hill. The old town is marked by the remnants of old stone walls and foundations. At the far western edge of town there are a number of intact buildings. To the southwest are the ruins of a squat pyramidal shaped structure. Other landmarks of potential interest, their exact nature unknown, dot the old town.

After a brief discussion, the party decides that Mordecai, Badric and Melior will search some of the near (eastern) ruins as Duncan, Malachy and Niam head for the pyramid structure (guessing it to be the temple that Eustace the Sage told them about). In the very first building ruin, out of hundreds available to search (!!!!!!), Mordecai found an old crumbling stone stairway leading down into the darkness. The other party members were called back to discuss what to do next.
Ruins of the Onorian town of Maransa

Next time...Down the stairs or not yet?

The Sage's Commentary - This was an interesting session [3/29/15]. We have had a lot of trouble getting a quorum of players, which is why the sessions have been (distressingly) far apart. Not anybody's fault of course, but schedules are what they are, and it has been tough. In the interests of expanding our player base, and therefore hopefully making it easier to get games together in the future, we had two new players for this session, to complement two of our four Old Guard. Actually, three new players, if you count that "one" of our new players was actually a father/daughter team playing one of our NPCs.

Things went well. One of our new players had played last in 7th grade (according to his wife), but seemed to enjoy it and have a good time. Our father/daughter combo also had a great time, and seem eager to play again. I knew the daughter would like it, but to my pleasant surprise, her dad did too. This bodes well for the future, and didn't seem to phase our Old Guard at all. Excellent.