Game Files

A lot has happened in that campaign since the last update. It turns out my character is the son of a poweful devil of some sort. For some reason my blood hasn't shown itself, maybe because the weird world we are in is cut off from the planes (mostly). That's OK though, the other player's character is the offspring of a Valkyrie and a Storm Giant. So, we are best friends destined to one day be at eachothers throats, although both of us deny that would ever happen.

My character is level 14, and his is 16 due to a lucky draw from a deck of many things. We are also part of, and have been collecting the other members of this weird zodiac type group of scions.

As much as I complain about the annoyance that is this world, the game itself hasn't been bad at all. There have been some powerful themes, and overall it's been fun. The GM is a bit inexperienced, and he tends to like powerful and original monsters, as well as worlds. The problem isn't the weirdness, I rather like the creativity and originality. The problem is that he never considers balance.

None of us play rogues when he GM's, because we rarely fight anything that can be backstabbed or even crit for that matter. My character is the Scion of the Snake God, so I get a poisonous touch, & bane:Vermin. I went 4 levels before fighting something my poison can hurt, I have yet to use my bane:vermin. After complaining, my poison is now magical and can effect most things, but it still only works about half the time since constructs and undead are still immune. The primary combat abiltiy of the other player (yeah, only 3 of us right now) is to grow. At first there were lots of outdoor combats, but more and more we are finding ourselves in cramped areas where he has no chance to grow. I know, what's the big deal, but his primary thing is growing 4 size categories, and all that entails, including his weapons (monkey gripped 2H swords), so it is a huge difference. Then there are the encounters, either they are no challenge at all, or they are way more than our group can handle. It's often more luck (or GM intervention) that we survive than anything else, the GM intervention being that the NPC's actually do something useful. We have a lot of NPC's, they get experience, but only do something if we are going to die otherwise.

Well, enough complaining. The truth is that most of my complaints are just a result of his inexperience. He'll get better with some time and experience. Like I said before, there are some suprisingly strong and classic themes and creativity. Now, if he'd just get back to planning, so we could continue.

We've been playing a new game for a bit now, currently we are all Level 7. It's still 3.5, not 4th edition. As much as I think 4th edition is a video game on paper, I still want to give it a change, afterall, I didn't like 3rd at first either.

Anyway, It's a messed up world with no gods, Priests, Paladins, true Wizards or Metal. Ugh. I'm playing a Monk so I'm virtually uneffected. :)

This campaign seems to have the PC's as the saviors of the world seeking to bring back the old gods. I swear though, the GM has never played Darksun, and for the first couple sessions I was calling it "Darksun: The early years", It's one messed up campaign setting.

Our brave adventurers Have made it to the foothills that lead to the temple of Rilni. They couldn't find a guide at the small mining camp, but were told they should be able to find them in the mountains, or be found by them. There is also concern over the possibility of Bandits in the Hills preying on travellors seeking to say their vows.

As they traveled higher into the mountains, they were beset by a man with a crossbow, and asked their Business. The priest drew his Bow, and was immediately quarreled. Adan thought to charge at that moment, not noticing the shaft came from the side, and the man questioning them still had a loaded crossbow. The last thing Adan remembered was feeling a sharp pain in his chest.

They all would have surely perished had the priest not surrendered. Using his Scion Healing ability, the priest was able to bring back to health all the injured, and stabilize Adan. Adan was still badly hurt, and unconscious.

As it turns out, these are mountain folks that took the heavily armed and armored band for bandits. They realized their mistake after they were able to take a closer look at their tabards, but by then the Priest was drawing a Bow, and Adan was calling a charcge, so they did the only thing possible, defended themselves.

The wife of one of the locales is an accomplished healer, so they brought adan to her. She did what she could, and Adan was out of the woods, so to speak. However, it would take some time for him to heal on his own, the quarrel was dangerously close to his heart.

After an evening of local game, drink and talking, the priest had learned some, and slept well for the first time in quite a while.

The next morning, before the others awoke, the priest once again used his healing ability, completely healing Adan's wound. They set out with their new guides a few hours later.

The trek up the mountain was arduous, but they had a guide for each of them, so the task was simple enough. They rarely met anything more dangerous than a Buck or the occasional bear on the entire journey. They had fresh game nearly every night, and sheltered in provisioned caves every night. These Locales were well prepared,a nd had probably made this trek a 1000 times.

On the third day, as the band crested a hill they were attacked by a Hippogriff. They were able to fell the beast, but several of them were injured. Even with the Scions healing powers they one of the guides was left severely injured. Two of the other guides made a stretcher and started back. They said it was too dangerous ahead to bring an injured man, it was safer to go back.

The party being down to 3 guides was not a good omen, but the others felt they would be safe enough, it was only a day or so more.

No sooner had they set off again than they were beset on by a Gnoll warband. Through luck, intelligence and one of Adan's Scion powers they were able to defeat the gnolls with few injuries among them. These gnolls were flush with goods and treasure, and well equipped, they must've been fresh from a raid.

Within a few hours of fighting the Gnolls they came to a well marked Path, the guides said they were not allowed to travel any further. The Temple was at the top of the path. Even their Guards could not go. The way was warded. Somehow the halfling was able to pass the barrier, when only those with magical power were supposed to be able to pass.

OK, so things are starting to move along. We have 3 players. The same two as before, and Nemo finally showed and made a Halfling that will be running "Points East Trading" the Guild influence of Elinie.

Having everyone more or less based in the same country gives them all common interests in helping eachother. I think this will be a good experience for everyone. Now, if I could only get them to pay attention to the Domain level of Play.

So, for anybody wondering whats been up, for the last couple months we've been running a Birthright campaign. The action centers around Elinie, one character playing the regents son, and another the protege' of the regent of Life and Protection of Avanlae.

No one wanted to dive straight in to being a regent (cowards), so instead they were given 1 province which they were lords of, and vassals to their respective ruler. This allowed them some leeway to adventure more, and at the same time let them ease into rulership.

The first bit of traveling they are doing is to find a gift lost in an attacked caravan. The gift was from the local Guilder to a fellow Guiolder in another region for being allowed to open a trade route, more importantly though, it was a lost family heirloom of the regent that governed the state to which they were trying to set up trade. Our players felt it would be good to earn some influence with the guilder that runs all the trade in their home country, so they accepted the mission.

It was a long and hard trip, they made friends, enemies, and in the end they successfully recovered the gift. Unfortunately, they never made it home, and died trying.

Well, one of our old group mates decided to rejoin the fold, so he will get to start in a fresh game, and we are moving the campaign to 3.5 ed. I discovered the BRCS (Birth Right Campaign Setting) Official 3 ed website while looking for more source materials for the 2E game. I really like the conversion. They stayed very close to the original setting, while giving everything more of a 3ed feel.

If you are interested in the Birth Right setting, check them out.
Official BRCS website! (click)