Campaign Chronicles

7th Day of Hiddumont, 348 AC The night passes quietly in peaceful comfort. The next morning in the Tower of Wayerth is quiet and a sense of tension hangs in the air. None of the other Aspirants are anywhere to be found, perhaps having already started their tests. As the long, isolated hours pass, the sun rises and falls. Shadow takes a walk around the empty moonlit courtyard. Fittingly enough, as he declared for the Order of Red Robes, the red moon Nuitari is full high above, bathing the world in crimson light. Coming back from the walk, he glances into the grand hall where the leaders of the Conclave gather. The Hall of Mages is an immense obsidian chamber with a 60' ceiling. Twenty chairs sit in shadows, while one central chair gives off a cold, white glow - the hall's only light source. All twenty-one chairs face the north wall. The longer he looks into the room, the larger it seems. Having spent his formative years leaving in the vast cavern that houses the drow city of ...

09 Hiddumont 348 AC (1351 DR) Arthur stands and makes his way to lady Agnes "I am sorry, Lady Agnes but it seems this did not work for us as well as I had hoped. I apologize for bringing you all the way out here for nothing." The elfin woman smiles, "It wasn't for nothing, Sir Knight, I just watched a seed grow to a full-sized tree in a matter of moments. I remain certain that you will be reunited with your god in due time. We just have to keep our faith." Cedron remains uncharacteristically quiet, his mind working through the possibilities and consequences of the lack of contact with Malazzarr.  Knives and Grotto roam around town looking for his companions. They ask those he passes if they know their whereabouts. Most of the elves shoot the dwarf cold looks of disgust. Some even go so far as to voice their distain that a dwarf walk among them. With the All-Speak ability granted to him by Lord Odin, Grotto insults them right back in perfect diction of their na...

As Dungeon Masters, we want our players to feel like the world their characters operate comes across as "lived in", like they are part of something larger than just the campaign they are participating in. This can be accomplished via "tavern talk" where they hear about the exploits of various NPCs in your setting or in a modern setting by what they see or hear on television or the radio. Commercials and news stories that are playing in the background can add depth to a world and even provide an opportunity to drop in little Easter Eggs , referencing bits of pop culture pulled from a variety of sources. On Earth-218 , these ads and stories could include: • This evening's news is brought to you by our sponsor, U2 Moving Crew, We Move in Mysterious Ways. • This evening's news is brought to you by our sponsor, Chonky 's, Home of the Big Chungus! If you're hungry, Chonky's has what you need! • We will return to the "New Adventures of Mermaid Ma...

I thought I would share a couple of ideas that I have been bouncing around for awhile. I don't think there is enough "meat" on any of these to justify an entire post so just sort of tossing them together to get them off my chest. All three of these fit best in a more modern setting or adventure.  Vampire Sleeping Bag • has pouches of grave dirt sewn into the lining for sleeping "on native soil" during the day - - - - - - - - - - Vespa 150 TAP The so-called "Bazooka Scooter" was a French light mobile artillery platform designed to be parachuted behind enemy lines. It would then be used to seek out and destroy tanks. The M20 Recoilless Rifle it was armed with was meant to be deployed on a World War I-era tripod although it could, theoretically at least, be used while mounted in its carry position on the scooter. It would be deployed in pairs and saw service in Algeria and Indochina (i.e., Korea and Vietnam). Crew:  1       Passengers:  1    ...

The Republic of Saradia Splits from Saudi Arabia (1935 Gregorian calendar) 06 Aug 1290 On Earth -218, General Hassan ibn Chohallah seizes control of the eastern third of Saudi Arabia and secedes from the rest of the kingdom following the discovery of vast untapped oil reserves. He names his new country the Republic of Saradia. Well placed bribes and other "gifts" made to neighboring powers lead to support on the international stage. Progressive policies of religious and gender-based equality, as well as deals made with both Germany and Tokyo create an influx of military advances in the years leading up to World War II. Despite being relatively small, Saradia soon boasts the most technologically superior army and air force in the Mideast. It's current ruler (2012) is King Mohammed ibn Abdullah ibn Ali. He is also the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of Saradia's military forces. While relatively small, the Army amd Air Force boast advanced technology. The natio...

I am a Year-Round Shorts Guy. I hate wearing pants. When the mercury in the thermometer starts to travel upwards of 50°F, I start to sweat. If I am not working or attending a more "formal" event like a wedding, I will be in shorts. But this week, the low temperatures were between -25° and -29°F and that was beyond my ability to tolerate for more than just a few minutes at a time. I walked to the gas station across the street last night and there was an older gentleman who saw me and asked specifically if I always wear shorts and I told him pretty much what I just told you. He simply smiled and nodded in seeming agreement, paid for his purchase and left. That got me to thinking and that thinking led to this. "It's not the cold, it's the wind/damp." - common quote from a Year-Round Shorts Guy  Year-Round Shorts Guy is an Acquired Template that can be added to any Humanoid, referred to hereafter as the base creature. The base creature is unchanged but gains th...

09 Hiddumont 348 AC (1351 DR) Knives decides hunting Goblins is a job for tomorrow. Knives glances around the tavern to see if there are any attractive ladies without the burden of male companions. He tries to strike up a conversation with a few different women but each time, he is met with polite indifference. One of the women snootily tells the thief-acrobat that she wouldn't sully herself to lay with a human before taking her drink and walking away. Upon hearing there are goblins near and causing trouble, Grotto becomes very agitated. "They must all die and suffer. We must exterminate this vermin. Hanseath will be overjoyed that I spill the blood of these animals. Let us hunt these Goblins!" Grotto says to Knives. The scarred dwarf leaves the tavern to seek out his companions to tell them what he has learned. Kysek and Onforithalas attend the Planting. After the planting, he asks, “A dragon war? This cannot be a small thing? But I am sure there must be smaller thing...

I have been seeing a lot of Cookie Monster the Barbarian memes in my Facebook feed over the last week or so. This gave me the idea to stat out the character.  This turned out to be a far more complicated build than I anticipated, I ended up modifying and combining two different versions of the Muppet race, researching Cookie Monster, and because the only spellcasting Muppet I can think of is the Amazing Mumford , changing the Bard class for a Non-spellcasting version. Sidney "Cookie" Monster (a.k.a. Alistair Cookie) : male Muppet Barbarian 3/Bard variant 2 CR: 5     Small Humanoid (Muppet) HD: 3d12+6 plus 2d6+4 (40 Hp) Init: +1     Spd: 40'     AC: 16 (Scale Mail, Light Wooden Shield, +1 Dex), t: 11, ff: 16 (never flat-footed); (-5 ACP, 30% ASF) Attacks*: (BAB +4/Grap +6) ; +7 Greataxe: 1d10+3 (20/×3, used two-handed) or +6 Bite: 1d4 nonlethal      * additional +2 hit/damage during Rage SA...

09 Hiddumont 348 AC Knives and Grotto head to the tavern. They try a couple different places but finally find one that doesn't seem to mind catering to non-elves. It is near one of the city gates and seems to be mostly patronized by traders and caravaneers. Knives drinks, but cautiously enough to keep his wits about him. Grotto does the same. They both make small talk with other patrons but Knives tries to lead the conversation towards local troubles. It takes some time but it is eventually revealed, if the rumors are true, that hill giants and hobgoblins have been spotted in the northern reaches of the forest while goblins and ogres have been seen to the west. King Lorac's officers continue to claim that there is nothing to worry about, although patrols in both directions seem to be increasing.  Kysek concludes with Cedron and Arthur, “Do as you will; but take great care and give it much thought. I need to get everyone together right now. I believe I may have found our purpose...