Joël's campaign (now: Har'Akir desert arc!)

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Here we go with part 11

In it, you'll read about the end of Evil Eye and the lifting of Leyla's curse on the PCs, as well as the PC named Petrak converted giogoto by Raul.

It continues with the PC reading the infamous "Von Zarovich Legacy" (handwritten by Talena Von Zarovich, but annotated by Gabrielle) ... see appendix of session 11. It's in French, but with the DM's notes you should be able to guess what it is about.

Then it is full moon ... a bad day for afflicted werewolves

... and then bad dreams starts ...

Comments are welcome, of course!

Joël

And once again, no apologies for British spelling.

[Joël of the FoS]

Yes, I forgot: thanks Drinnik for editing the text and to ScS for putting ut online

And once again, no apologies for British spelling.

*lol* OK. Did you like the session ?

Joël

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Yes, I forgot: thanks Drinnik for editing the text and to ScS for putting ut online

And once again, no apologies for British spelling.

*lol* OK. Did you like the session ?

Joël

Yes. But I'm a little drunk, so don't ask me to remember anything now.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Wow! I love that "book" by Talena. That's the sort of thing I always have troulb ecoming up with. (You find a book called ___. OK, I read it, what's it say? umm.... er...... I'll get back to you.) I love the idea of a hard-line Gundarakite finding out he's a Von Zarovich. Can't wait to see how that plahys out.

Nice tying up of loose ends. I think I missed something, though. Do the PC's know of a way to cure their werewolves? In the module, the vistani offer a cure. do you have something else in mind?

[Joël of the FoS]

Wow! I love that "book" by Talena. That's the sort of thing I always have troulb ecoming up with. (You find a book called ___. OK, I read it, what's it say? umm.... er...... I'll get back to you.) I love the idea of a hard-line Gundarakite finding out he's a Von Zarovich. Can't wait to see how that plays out.

Thanks for the comments! Varadan is really a cursed one (really wrong idea of ancestry, lycanthropy)

Well the book is another hint I gave them, among many future possibilities for adventure. I don't know how much time it will take them to get hooked to this hint Now, I have one PC (MacRazbunare) who identified this list as people to assassinate (yeah, right!). The one PC mentioned in Talena's book hasn't read it yet. And it should make fun roleplay between MacRazbunare and Varadan when they find the truth...

Perhaps it will be easier for them when Tatyana, err... Tara, will get really uncomfortable with Varadan after future nightmares.

Nice tying up of loose ends. I think I missed something, though. Do the PC's know of a way to cure their werewolves? In the module, the vistani offer a cure. do you have something else in mind?

No, I just had Madame Eva gave them a few potions to relieve the effects of lycanthropy temporarilly. In another session, Tara gave them the "recipe" to get cured and they know it involves killing Nathan (Timothy, not the ex FoS). I like this idea of carrying Nathan as nemesis for a long time

Also, if they are careful, it won't disturb them too much if they play it safe (as in the first month of the symptoms, where they get the two afflicted PC in a vault).

Joël

[CorvusCornix]

Hey Joël!
Wow, you've been very diligent with your journal, it took me quite some time to read it all the way through. But it was well worth every minute . Your's was the first campaign journal I've ever read, so I can't compare it to anything, but I really loved it, especially the way you intertwined all the threads! Also, I "abused" it as a guideline to which other Ravenloft material I should take a good look at . Out of curiosity, how do you handle experience points? Do you award them after each encounter or at the end of a session? And how many levels have your players gained over the course of your campaign, so far? I'm very interested to see how your campaign continues, your journal gave me quite some ideas...
Felix

[Joël of the FoS]

Hey Felix, thanks for the good comments

Yes, I know it's already quite long - about 80+ pages now, with session 12 to be put online within a few weeks (Ashington Manor part 1). I use it as the perfect DM reminder, with an index of the NPC I used. Before a game, I reread the last 2 or 3 sessions.

I also sent it to my players (with DM's note removed, of course!).

> especially the way you intertwined all the threads!

I tried hard to mix many fun things at once, to avoid any linear plot. This way, even if you have to railroad a little, it doesn't appear like that as many things happens in the same period of time.

> Out of curiosity, how do you handle experience points? Do you award them after each encounter or at the end of a session?

At each encounter and when a specific goal is done with success (ex: Maloccio's bonding to Invidia).

> And how many levels have your players gained over the course of your campaign, so far?

None yet, but some are now close to making it. In gametime, all this campaign happens in less then a month

Joël

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

WOW! What level did you start at? These can't be 1st level characters can they?

[Joël of the FoS]

Most are multi classed, for a total of 5 classes. Ex: Drd 3 / Wz 2, etc.

I gave them the choice - 4th level or multi class 2/3. They all choose multiclass.

How do you guys handle getting up a level for casters in Ravenloft?

Joël

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Most are multi classed, for a total of 5 classes. Ex: Drd 3 / Wz 2, etc.

I gave them the choice - 4th level or multi class 2/3. They all choose multiclass.

How do you guys handle getting up a level for casters in Ravenloft?

Joël

For wizards, I'm only going to let them get spells when they level-up if they can extrapolate them from spells they already know. So if a mage has Burning Hands, he can extrapolate from that to get a 2nd level firebased spell, then from that to get Fireball at 3rd, for example.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I get final veto power on spells chosen, but I don't usually say no. My one wizard gets penalized enough in my campaign by rarely finding spellbooks, and having to save up money for spell ink, if it can even be found.

[Joël of the FoS]

OK, I see. But how do you have them find spells? Is it assumed that thay have access to it, or do you make them research these spells?

---

And session 12 is online, thanks ScS! And thanks Jennifer for scrubbing my English mistakes

Tara's nightmare continues (the PC guess a few things about her) and the Ashington Manor mini adventure was inserted along the travel to Levkarest. Here's part one of Steve Miller's adventure.

Joël

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I don't make them follow the process of researching as though it were a new spell. I assume that their normal experimentation is enough to come up wiht a few spells per level. Anything beyond what the rules say they get upon levelling would require research. It does seem a bit arbitrary, but not allowing the Wizard such a big class feature seems to cripple them unnecessarily to me. It also limits role-playing a bit, if every spell they learn has to be chosen by the DM, they don't get to put their character's personality into their spell selection.

Looking forward to reading this next session when I have time...

[Joël of the FoS]

I don't make them follow the process of researching as though it were a new spell. I assume that their normal experimentation is enough to come up wiht a few spells per level. Anything beyond what the rules say they get upon levelling would require research. It does seem a bit arbitrary, but not allowing the Wizard such a big class feature seems to cripple them unnecessarily to me. It also limits role-playing a bit, if every spell they learn has to be chosen by the DM, they don't get to put their character's personality into their spell selection.

OK, that is also the way I see it, i.e. access to a few "free" spells when they get a level, but for more, they have to search for it.

Looking forward to reading this next session when I have time...

Sure, let me know of any comment / question!

Joël

[Jennifer]

Hi joel,
Thank you, it is no trouble at all to check your sessions. I like reading them and I think this is a very interesting campaign.

In my campaign i mix a bit with adding new spells to the spellbook of the wizard. Currently I have one, (darien having been removed from the campaign), and once he went back to his former master to research more spells and once I just gave him some new spells when he went up a level. Since I feel I am cruel enough with forcing my players to traipse around Ravenloft, I on occassion feel the urge to be merciful and just give them spells.

Jennifer