Café de Nuit

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote:

Joël of the FoS wrote:The ones the PCs did meet are druid wwolves scouts.

Huh... I figured since they didn't change to human form to speak to a human that they were just very intelligent wolves. Are they so feral that they refuse to take human form?

Extremely, indeed. But also they know the PCs are somehow on their side in this (they want to recover something that was stolen, and know the PCs are after them too). That is, if the PCs find themselves in Verbrek, time of the hunt, that would be another story.

to GE, Russia, 1920! The russian civil war is on, and the spirit of Tar-Baphon is now into ... the evil monk Rasputin! So it will be a "Rasputin, die! die! die!" again. That will be inspired by PF # 71.

Wow, that's a weird twist. Was not aware of that adventure.... definitely a weird premise. Is it good?

I'm mixing Carrion Crown and something else. IMC, the lich tyrant Tar-Baphont was destroyed a while ago. But his powerful spirit lived, and was banished elsewhere than RL, through a gate. That is how they succeeded in banishing this powerful NPC, by throwing him elsewhere they thought was very far.

But the spirit then went to GE and invaded Rasputin's evil mind. He was so bad, that eventually he got his own domain (and was back into RL). The domain is based on GE 1920 (isolated island in the mist).

The WW, learning that, tries to open a gate to that domain, to bring back Tar-Baphon to the core (with the help of a small fiend's wrinkle (borrowed twist)) and restore him to full power.

That is where the PCs will go, through the gate, running after a WW NPC. There they meet Rasputin and they have to destroy him again. Tar-Baphon isn't of course as powerful in this corporeal guise.

Is it good? It is strange and the idea is to do something completely different. I love russian history, and I will add a few twist (Anastasia, Lenin, Stalin, the royal family and all).

I haven't really worked on this. But that's the basic plan that will only start in 3-4 games. One thing will be to get the encounters less powerful, as the module is 10+ levels, and my PCs are around 7.

That could change as I heard good things (Mortavius, Ryan) from CC's Wake of the Watchers, that I originally discarded this adventure as too strange (I kept from it an assassin and a NPC they haven't met yet). Have to read this again.

Sessions 61, 62, 63 and 64 of my campaign are now online.

You can download it and read it here: http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/TheV ... _55-64.pdf

61 - end of the battle with the second Whispering Way witch, in Sante-Lyrimin Abbey. Petrak is charmed by one of the Dublesse sisters.

62 - the heroes finish exploring the Abbey an find more clues for their next action. Battle with a wizard zombie lord. They also send their activity report to Ivana Boritsi!

63 - they save a vistani young girl from a Falkovnian brothel! Later, they meet Mme Eva for a talk. They then go to Hunadora to find the Whispering Way has invaded the infamous basement level (Medraut's lab)!

64 - They resume their exploration of the basement, fall into traps, battle creepy monsters and also learn things.

Comments welcomed!

Veranda and main page updated. can't wait to read it!

Thanks Ron!

All caught up!

Hah! The internet is wonderful thing, isn't it? Imagine trying to find out how quickly bones burned in the old days! The librarian would call the police..

Hmmm.. your pinterest link doesn't seem to work...

Nooooo! not the dog!

Ooh... is the cloak a cloaker? (EDIT later: OK, I guess not, but I should use one of those sometime. How did the cloak attack?)

"Petrak casts divine flavor" yum! Sounds delicious. "divine favor" perhaps?

Very deadly battle with the vampire witch. Nice choice of spells. VERY cool scene with staking her while keeping Petrak out of the room!

(Some more minor spelling issues: "restauration", "duste," "stonekin," "sithing".) PS - if you want me to do a full proofread, send me the editable original document, I'd be happy to do it.)

Wow... disturbing Falkovnian Armorer guy is disturbing. I don't blame the PCs for wanting to take him out.

Poor Varadan, almost dying two days in row!

OK, disturbing brothel is even more disturbing than expected... well done? I guess? <shudder> Surprised they left with just Gitana. I was expecting a mass prisoner breakout!

I love how Madame Eva is always "expecting" their questions.

Where's that Hunadora map from? (not really Hunadora I know, but I think I recognize it)

Message attached to a turtle!?!?! I guess they are in no hurry for him to get it.

Wow, that sudden unexpected death with the web is terrifying. If I wasn't so stingy with resurrection, I'd try to use that. Maybe on an NPC....

Nice job on Medraut's lab. Even abandoned, it was scary, and gave a real sense of his character.

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote:All caught up!

Thanks for the feedback, always appreciated I know the players like the game, but if I can inspire other people as well, for their own game, that's a bonus!

Hah! The internet is wonderful thing, isn't it? Imagine trying to find out how quickly bones burned in the old days! The librarian would call the police..

ah ah ah, Indeed

They were pushing me to get the bones burned "very quickly", but they saw I did a google search, so they took my estimated time. Great, since I had other ideas for the basement encounters soon to happen.

Hmmm.. your pinterest link doesn't seem to work...

Mine works. OK, I'll check what happens when it gets PFied

Nooooo! not the dog!

Yep, the second time is familiar is dead from area spell. But you have to expect it, since he has no way to boost this dog.

Ooh... is the cloak a cloaker? (EDIT later: OK, I guess not, but I should use one of those sometime. How did the cloak attack?)

It's a witch's object, quite cool, called Witching Gown, from Pathfinder' # 47 (Ashes at Dawn, Carrion Crown*).

*Did I ever say CC was good?

Allow me to quote a small part:

Witching Gown
Aura moderate abjuration; CL 7th Slot body; Price 35,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description: Spun from combed cotton, this simple, unassuming gown bears a strong aura of witchcraft. These magical garments are highly sought after by witches, for though anyone may wear a witching gown, only a witch may realize its full potential. A witching gown grants its wearer a (...). In addition, a witch may change the appearance and style of the gown to match her whims (...). Lastly, a witch may cast a single touch range spell of 4th level or lower into the gown. Thereafter, the gown holds the magic for up to 24 hours, functioning as a spite spell against the next foe to strike the witch with a successful melee attack or combat maneuver. (..)

It gives you a sense of what I do with Pathfinder's: I cut them into pieces to put them in my campaign. An excellent source of inspiration for someone who isn't using straight modules (most of the time).

"Petrak casts divine flavor" yum! Sounds delicious. "divine favor" perhaps?

Yes, yes!

Very deadly battle with the vampire witch. Nice choice of spells. VERY cool scene with staking her while keeping Petrak out of the room!

That was a battle where the odds were against them, but luck made them the winners. A high moment of the current group of sessions.

(Some more minor spelling issues: "restauration", "duste," "stonekin," "sithing".) PS - if you want me to do a full proofread, send me the editable original document, I'd be happy to do it.)

Ooops, OK

Wow... disturbing Falkovnian Armorer guy is disturbing. I don't blame the PCs for wanting to take him out.

Yes, that guy was a lot of fun to play, and a pain in the patokus for the PCs. They hated him so much I had to bring him back for the next game (the brothel).

OK, disturbing brothel is even more disturbing than expected... well done? I guess? <shudder> Surprised they left with just Gitana. I was expecting a mass prisoner breakout!

In fact, when they first met him, they expected Helmut to be the next victim of the Midnight Slasher. Instead, as during the previous session they hated him that much, I had fun to bring him back soon, so the inserted brothel side quest.

But indeed, I think they will be back for more evasions

I love how Madame Eva is always "expecting" their questions.

Where's that Hunadora map from? (not really Hunadora I know, but I think I recognize it)

One of WotC's free maps, that kottakinge used for basement. I tweaked it for my own story (adding the racetrack pattern). The overground map is also a map I borrowed from WotC's free maps.

Message attached to a turtle!?!?! I guess they are in no hurry for him to get it.

lol, I don't know, that is what the druid first thought of. I guess he wanted something that wasn't moving fast, so Varadan could get it easily and snap the message, or something that would not wander very far if Varadan was going back to where he started.

Wow, that sudden unexpected death with the web is terrifying. If I wasn't so stingy with resurrection, I'd try to use that. Maybe on an NPC....

Indeed, so they had to use the artifact on Petrak and not on Varadan's lycanthropy...

But a good idea to kill NPCs, à la Star Trek, it give a send of danger if the players fool around

Nice job on Medraut's lab. Even abandoned, it was scary, and gave a real sense of his character.

Julien aka kottakinge started good then he sent that to me (something he used in his game), but I think I made it very very creepy and dangerous, with the added labyrinths and all. The Headhunter were Julien's idea, by the way.

Joël

Wow...just started reading it. Its some awesome work!
By the way, i was looking for your "USS 2003: “Notes on the 'making of’ a campaign.”, but seems the link is broken

TheSalemlord wrote:Wow...just started reading it. Its some awesome work!
By the way, i was looking for your "USS 2003: “Notes on the 'making of’ a campaign.”, but seems the link is broken

Which link is broken? The USS 2003 is on our library, here:
http://fraternityofshadows.com/Library.html
and both links (word/pdf) seem to work for me. Joel's article is on page 26.

Oh..the link in the pdf document send me to another page with "stuff" like buy the domain and all that

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote:

TheSalemlord wrote:Wow...just started reading it. Its some awesome work!
By the way, i was looking for your "USS 2003: “Notes on the 'making of’ a campaign.”, but seems the link is broken

Which link is broken? The USS 2003 is on our library, here:
http://fraternityofshadows.com/Library.html
and both links (word/pdf) seem to work for me. Joel's article is on page 26.

Got it!, Thank You!

i see. which .pdf is that link in?

Oh, inside the Joël's campaign Journal_01-14 pdf document Page 2.
the link points to http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/Library.htm
I've just noticed the lack of the "L" at the end.

Thanks, SalemLord. Don't forget to comment if you have any!

OK, I'll correct the link in the PDF in the next session update

Just finished the first part "1-8"

Loved the intro, Bakhna Raknas!, Omg, I've never had a good idea to use those little monsters and create mayhem as you did! I also liked the way the Carnival gets into the equation.
I'm impressed by the development of events in the Evil Eye, especially in the Dog Fights and the way you introduced famous NPC's to the players.

Nice job! gotta keep reading!

A good read.

Interesting about outlawing Fireball. I never thought of it until you mentioned it, but I tended to steer players away from invokers to less flashy mages like diviners and enchanters.

Great pictures of the witches. Very creepy.

And the Falkovnian smith too. Having just finished reading Death Unchained, which had Falkovnian soldiers who appeared to have failed power checks, made me wonder if the characters return for him, will he have a surprise ability or two by then.