There are few things in the life of a brand new GM that can rattle the nerves as much as Combat.
Why?
Well, perhaps, because it is one of the few times in the game that they must apply so many rules at one time. Additionally, since most RPGs are, lets be honest, based around combat, it is also when some of the most critical and complicated rules can come into play.
My suggestions? Well… I have a few:
Understand That You’re Not Going To Be Perfect.
As a matter of fact, until you get the hang of it, you’re probably going to miss some rules here or there.
If your players pick up on it, admit you missed it, correct yourself, and move on. If they didn’t, and they still seem to be having fun, let it go and make sure to cover it in the next session.
With various desires to return to Telse, as well as a discovery that the people of Qin may have a couple Scholars hiding in their midst, the group flies the working airxip from the Temple of Wisdom over the Western Wildes. The crew is a mix of goblins, rescued pirates and player characters. Together, they will head towards the mountains just to the east of Telse.
Session Notes: Mansaray, Samul, Doceo, Aamar were present as active PCs.
Mo, Behn, Saffron and Ixnyx travel via the airxip, but are crew, not PCs. The remaining characters are in Sheljar. Ajhenas and Kuda are on the Tower Island creating a military, while Telley is on the settled island with the Temple of Wisdom (where the goblins hid) helping the people make a life there. Braaz, and Els are working on restoring the two homes on the south end of the Island Inn.
Shonie is retired and remains in Telse. She features in this story as an NPC, barely.
The session began with a sharing of information.There is great concern for Telse. Firbas, the ale drake, let’s them all know that the Proctors declared war on the Scholars that remain, as well as any caster that has escaped the normal bonds placed on Kin. Aamar and Saffron are targets due to their Lorebooks. Behn is a target as well. Combating the Proctors with their fleet of dragons is not yet practical.
But the present PCs learn that the Scholars are a mixed group of potential allies, definite enemies and aloof erudite knowledge seekers. Those that cannot be convinced to side against the Proctors have Lorebooks or similar devices. Those can help in a battle of mighty magic backed by dragons against the scrappy Kin, who are defined by their beloved companions.
Qin seems to have one or two of those Scholars. Parun, or his boss, is probably one as well. There is also Chorl, who they will need to finish off at some point. But for now, south to Telse and eventually Qin is their direction.
The group gets a few volunteers from their rescued allies and borrows the working airxip, a small two-master with one heat room, and two huge props to help it travel. They head out.
Just a day into their journey they notice a camp with a central holding facility, four tents and a few dozen dogs. This is in the territory where they know that Parun’s Azsel forces roam.
They will attempt to rescue the captives, and if Parun is present end his service to Azsel.
It is a harsh battle. There is a warlord, mage, two archers and two scouts in opposition. Plus, as Azsel-ites most have dogs that come in a latter wave. That wave is almost entirely wiped out by a single fireball from Doceo.
Mansaray versus the warlord is almost like a kaiju battle. The two trade blow and blow and blow as the fight rages around them. Samul focuses on the archers. Doceo tries to end the threat from the scouts. Aamar and the mage trade spells and blows.
The victory leaves them bloodied, wounded, drawn down and exhausted. Unfortunately, Parun is not at this camp. His raiders are working the West unhindered. The group attempts to convince those rescued to head to Sheljar for safety.
After another couple days of travel they arrive above Upper Telse. The xip settles into a mountain valley. Doceo visits Shonie to collect the rest of his cash from the merchant-seeker. There they find out that the Everflow isn’t flowing.
Aamar attempts to visit Sealm, the wizened leaders of the Faithful. Sealm has passed away. His grand-nephew Nils is not around Upper Telse. Sealm’s passing happened on the same day that the Everflow stopped.
Bishop Ollium and the rest of Quar’s church have some Everflow bottled and saved, but they will run out. The two rivers will stop flowing shortly after the locks on the pool let out their remaining water. The economy of Telse, Ooshar, Mira, Qin and others count on that river traffic and/or the magical, healing waters of the Everflow.
And there are dragons seeking to destroy the city.
Over these two sessions the goal was to gain a few clues to the larger arcs around the Scholars and Proctors, while also exploring the place that the group now calls home. Those in the second session also got to used “downtime” of a couple weeks with some player agency.
Session Notes: This took place over two sessions. Doceo, Saffron, Samul, and Behn were in the first session.
Aamar joins them for the second one. The remaining characters are in Sheljar with Ajhenas on the Tower Island, while Telley is on the settled island with the Temple of Wisdom (where the goblins hid) helping the people make a life there. Maurice, Mansaray, Els and Kuda are working on restoring the two homes on the south end of the Island Inn. Ixnyx cannot shed Brazz as she established a taut-line message system between the three occupied islands.
Shonie is retired and remains in Telse.
Halfing Slums of Sheljar
Behn, Doceo, and Saffron took one of the mulgoblins that committed to their aspirations and the rowboat down to the isle south of the broken bridge. Here they encounter two occupied buildings. One is a small alehouse with a covered dock area, but there are huge reptilian creatures on those docks. The group ignores them and circles the full isle. There’s a field, and a platform, and abandoned hovels.
Except for one home, with its low roof, unwelcoming for the humans, and the poor mulgob NPC, the hearth has a fire and creepy laughter. It turns out to be from a goblin, who has made this place her home. She never stops laughing, and in fact, cripples their NPC with Hideous Laughter. Her continuing attempt to charm others results in a small conflict.
When the group manages to defeat the little one, which takes a bit as she heals herself rather than taking some damage, a small pastel mote flies into the mulgob. That mul then behaves exactly as the little gobkon, but with big fists too. They dispel the magic infecting the mul and then cast Gust of Wind to blow the mote into the sky. There is a nilbog somewhere else in Sheljar now. A problem that could turn up later.
Downtime
With drop in sessions that rarely require the same PCs two times in a row players can collect downtime between sessions. I opened up our final session of 2016 by asking those present how they used the days or weeks that passed. This will now be an off-table discussion, but will be carried forward.
Aamar – The Cleric of Quar has a month of time. This is split between two activities. The first is the granting the blessings of Quar to the lands that will now be farms. These actions mean that when winter comes to the bog-city the few dozen living there will not have to trade for food. He also took an overland trip to the Glass Tower (we will play this as a 1on1 session or through chat).
Behn – He chose to explore a few of the unexplored islands and “kill another one of those creepy ground beasts.” Asked who joins him in slaying the tunneling nightmare he answers. A few players get 1,000 xp for off-camera action.
Doceo – Unloads his cart, and starts making plans for future trade routes. He also works the various crowds and factions to learn what exactly he’s now involved with and how this can help him in the future.
Saffron – The Bard sends a message to her childhood mentor Teegan. There she discovers that Teegan’s brother Rohan is almost certainly The Necromancer, a scholar that Saffron helped kill. Saffron is also worried about how she’s become a killer.
Samul – He needs a boat in order to some day rescue or purchase the freedom of his beloved – Fairuza. So, despite not educated in shipbuilding or piloting he collects a few hulls, about a dozen sails and other supplies. From all of that he gets one barely-able-to-sail seafaring sloop (crew 3, holds 7 others, 1 small covered area, no cabin, moves 20′ under normal conditions).
Gathered and recapping their various activities the group is at the Sheljar Inn (Samul’s palace, just ask him). There, as they chat the clang of Ixnyx taut-line system interrupts. It is the line from the Tower Island where Ajhenas is working with a few muls, a hob, sometimes Kuda, towards building a working defense. The highest tower has noticed ships in Sheljar Bay between the Statue and the shore. In the past the trade ships stay well on the outside of the Statue, with Sheljar still being presumed haunted by the rest of the Western Wildes.
There are two galleons and three ketches. Two of the ketches are firing Firebolts on another ketch. Samul mobilizes his navy. It’s a single sloop. He asks a couple mulgobs to man the sails and Aamar, Behn, Doceo and Saffron join the excursion.
The sloop rushes out past the two galleons, getting close enough that Doceo welcomes them to the protected waters of New Sheljar using Message. The galleons ask for help, their escort is under fire. Their flags declare that they are from the trading family of Qin. The Qin to Mira route was once prosperous, but is now risky. The galleons call the opposition pirates.
Taking one of the pirate ships by surprise, appearing from behind the galleons the sloop has the wind at its back. Saffron casts Walk On Water for the crew of the sloop. Aamar is at the rudder with Saffron besides him. Samul rides the bow while Doceo and Behn are in the center ready to fire on the enemy.
It is a complex fight. Samul, nominally the captain, he thinks, leaps from the ship and sprints across the low waves. Behn and Doceo throw Fireballs at it. Aamar prevents the other two vessels from sinking, though they still burn, by casting Plant Growth on the kelp and seaweed. Later, Doceo leaps from the stern, walking on water as his own vessel provides cover from the attacker.
But the vessel which our Lorebook Hunters are fighting is well armed, and protected by casters. One of those spellmen keeps throws a Fireball at them. Later it casts an Ice Storm. She is not dedicated to an element, just the death of those on the sloop. (Spoiler: it doesn’t work).
That ketch also bombards the sloop with its catapult. And there is a dazzling display of lights that charms half the crew (Hypnotic Pattern). It’s two Archers (Volo’s Guide) also provide additional, deadly, long range support.
Behn goes unconscious shortly after throwing a Fireball back at the damaging caster. A sorcerer should not take two arrows, a fireball and an ice storm. Saffron eventually heals him.
Remember when Samul ran across the waves? Enraged and Frenzied he enters the opposing boats with his chain whipping through the pathetic crew quickly and easily. Even the Archers and mages have little defense, especially when they are bothered from afar by Saffron and Aamar.
Eventually our heroes, though they be a bit grey, take the ship with two of the pirates promising loyalty rather than dying. Doceo searched the captain’s quarters and discovers that they are part of Willan’s group of bandits, thieves and pirates.
Six of the two entrapped and burning vessels are saved as well. The group captures a larger ship, armaments and maybe can take the two ketches trapped in kelp and get something savable from their burning hulks.
The two galleons have sailed off to safety over the horizon. Maybe they’ve made it clear that the inner passage is no longer haunted, certainly protected and now safer than the open seas.
Maybe they’ve also let Willan know that two of his pirate ships are gone.
In this session our heroes discover that Chorl did not die in Cortez’ volcano blast. Instead he’s captured other Lorebook Hunters and is also turning people into monstrous combinations of human and animal. Prior to Chorl’s dark arts centaurs, minotaurs, satyrs, aarakocra, and various werebeasts did not exist. Now they do, and they will plague the Western Wildes. They are accompanied by owlbears, cockatrices, perytons, and who knows what else wanders the world now.
Session Notes: This took place over two sessions. Doceo, Mansaray, Saffron, and Samul are the participants. Most of the remaining characters remain at the Island Inn, or as Samul calls it “His Palace.”
Shonie is still retired and in Telse.
Brazz, Els and Kuda are rescued from the evils of Chorl.
After a few words the escapee from Azsel asks to see his falcon, who has shadowed Aamar. Mansaray explains that he’s been to the Cliffs of Gallinor and back to the Glass Tower. In both locations dragons fly, ridden by fey creatures of myth. Saffron gasps in fear. When he headed north to avoid the fiery breath and piercing eyes he discovered that Chorl still lives. The wizard controls fierce army, and holds three Lorebook Hunters captive, under torture. They are likely the group that Mayor Kellamon sent north when he hired The Five.
Doceo, Samul and Saffron volunteer to join him in rescuing these souls from Chorl’s grasp.
If the group is successful all PCs but Shonie will be united at Sheljar. If they fail, there will be new characters created.
Bridge to Chorl’s Camp
Leaving Sheljar’s formerly rich neighborhood the group heads out over a narrow stone bridge from the height of the far northwest island to the mainland. Crossing this bridge they are set upon by several cockatrices and an odd minotaur-like creature with horns coming from its knees. Saffron casts stink cloud and Doceo blasts a fireball. Combined those do quick work of the petrifying bird-lizard creatures. Mansaray and Samul finish off the deyong quickly.
After a few more miles they are in the forest edge near Chorl’s camp. A mix of giant eagles and aarocrocka attack. It takes a bit for the missile weapons and spells to prevent those allies of Chorl from warning the camp, but they are finished quickly. A magic user that rode one of the eagles causes a bit of trouble, but not much.
The group is slightly weakened, and their goal is nearby.
Raiding Camp
The heroes see an access point to the camp along the ridge to the north. Mansaray knows that it rapidly descends to the sea, and there may be an escape route along the shore of Gilkey Bay back into the bog-city of Sheljar. There is one tent between them and a forge-cottage.
Saffron, the normally non-violent bard, sneaks into a tent along the northern ridge. Inside is a a sleeping bear-man. She stabs it through the heart. Thankfully the group fits in the tent. They see they can into the forge and hide, looking for a better opportunity to attack or to sneak into camp, rescue the prisoners and flee.
Again the bard has to lead the way. She’s small enough to crawl through a window. Daylight is still an hour or two away.
Mansaray and Samul come in the door while the rat-man is dealing with Doceo and Saffron. The giant rat and wererat are dead, quietly and quickly.
But, Chorl, in his shimmering green-gold robe, heads to the camp’s main fire. He asks a minotaur named Dustin to check on Yacoob at the forge. A new supply of arms is necessary for the war.
Doceo sends his dogs out to distract the minotaur. The rest come up with a plan. Mansaray and Doceo will create a distraction by burning down the main building. Saffron, Samul and Boo will rescue the captives. Then they will all run.
Saffron keeps watch on the fire-pit where Chorl is speechifying to most of the followers he has present.
Chorl’s speech
Saffron overhears Chorl tell his gathered fiends the following.
Rohan’s Book of the Dead has disappeared. Cortez’ Tome of Enlightenment is still within Sheljar. We must capture both in order to take the Glass Tower from the Proctors of Grace. Our forces in Crinth will return. The River Tribes fell to Azsel and Briarwall will likely be next. Azsel control the entire north. We of Ritual and Blood must Awaken the Everflow or Kin will fall to slavery and ignorance.
He mentions a few other Scholars that have ignored his appeal, instead trusting in Cortez and the Scholars’ Oath of Kinship- the Comedienne, the Composer. He awaits word from the Aegis Guard, Cannon of Qin and Eldritch Knight. The Trickster refuse to join him as he focuses on profit.
Menagerie Barn
Just outside the barn is a man and horse. The man is wearing the tunic of a Shield of Kirtin. Both man and horse have suffered. Samul and Boo free them from their bonds, telling them to hide behind the barn. Saffron hides behind the corner. Inside the barn they see a centaur, a panther with human, a minotaur, an aarocrocka, another aarocrocka, a goliath with a chicken and a werebear. They are guarded by an aarocrocka and a centaur.
Saffron, Samul and Boo take out the guards.
At the same time Doceo and Mansaray set fire to the main house. At one point Mansaray tackles Chorl and throws him in the fire. Doceo pelts him with sling bullets. Eventually Saffron casts dissonant whispers, which forces Chorl to flee north and east, towards the large statue in Sheljar Bay.
Samul, Mansaray, Doceo finish off Dustin, the blond minotaur, when he returns as the rest of Chorl’s creatures flee. A werebear that Boo released is angry, but is also scared away as Boo hides in the safety of the forge-cottage. The other occupants of the barn are left tied up after the werebear shows that not all are friendly.
Boo and Saffron also released Brazz, his chicken and Els and her panther. They hid with Kuda and only rejoined the rest when it was clearly safe. They have horror stories to tell
Searching the Forge
After the various centaur-like creatures fled south and the bird-like peoples flew out northwest the group is alone in the camp, with maybe an hour before a metals delivery is to come. That delivery is from a mine to the north and west.
They search the forge finding a letter in Crinthian, the chest for a suit of plate armor, a few blades, javelins and arrows. There’s a smattering of gold and silver about the area as well.
All seven and their companions return to Sheljar. They have news of the extent of the Scholars influence and control throughout the Kin and the Land of the Everflow.
With a dozen or so PCs at the island inn and more than a dozen rescued civilians the island is crowded. They need to find arable land within the city, as well as ruins that can be quickly rebuilt by the caravansary families. These two session start as a tale of exploration, include some violence, and then ends with a meeting between the rebels from the Expeditionary Fleet and our heroes.
Session Notes: This took place over two sessions. In the first one Behn, Ixynx, Saffron, and Samul investigated the Tower Island and a Temple of Torq.
In the second one Ajhenas, Behn, and Doceo traveled to meet the goblin rebels. Most of the remaining characters remain at the Island Inn, or as Samul calls it “His Palace.”
Shonie is still retired and in Telse.
Brazz, Els and Kuda remain MIA, though in the next sessions they reappear.
Tower Island
Moving through the islands in the bog city the group of Behn, Ixynx, Saffron, and Samul travel via their row boat. Their original plan is to head towards a flame they see at night. Seeing two giant crocodiles trailing them they pull ashore on an island with three towers, it looks to be the urban military headquarters of the Empire of Sheljar.
Among the towers they saw that various gobkon had been there recently, likely hob and mul – the muscle. They also learned that a Kon were likely based one more island over a long bridge with a high arc. They clear the rest of the towers, three of them. There is a barn, an arena, and an armory-forge.
Then they decide to cross the bridge. It is daylight, a mix of hobgoblins and mulgoblins (bugbears) crest the arc. Five faces trudging towards their outpost in one of the towers.
Behn whips out a fireball. Five Kon are blasted overboard, mere bones and ash. There’s a large hole in the bridge now too.
The party then makes its way to the island.
Torq’s Temple
Telling this tale nearly six weeks later isn’t fair to the group. This was entirely roleplayed, no combat at all. I think there were only a couple d20s rolled, one of them was a nat 20, which was played as a critical success. The group will probably fact check me, but this is how I remember it.
Entering Torq’s Temple the group see one of the largest airxips from the expedition. There is smaller ship as well. The bay that holds the airxips is a natural cave that provides protection for ships and is finished in the back. Just one guard is at the stairs that descend from the island down to the shore.
Quick thinking the group, probably Samul, intimidates the hobgoblin. The pit-fighter is a massive human, prone to threats. This hobgob is scared, knowing that several of his friends in rebellion have disappeared to tunneling nightmares, the undead and magic. Magic scares him.
Samul and the rest convince this hob to lead them to a leader. Several other hobs and a mul or two join in escort, but are unwilling to have their companion killed just to battle these four.
Ixnyx recognizes the first mate of the larger ship. This must be the leader of this rebellion. Together Behn, Ixynx, Saffron, and Samul convince that they come hoping to restore Sheljar as vibrant city, but now as one that recognizes that all genders, races are free to be what they desire. They also mention that they killed the Necromancer.
Ooooohs and aaaaaahs echo through the dungeon halls.
Ixnyx asks about the Captain. The first mate mentions that the captain is safe, but not longer in charge. Ixnyx, knows of this captain and asks to meet her.
The group is taken to an office, probably where the old vicar of Torq ran his temple from. There they meet the captain, who though under guard, is well off. The captain acts as if she still rules this ship’s crew. The first mate acts as if he is in charge.
Each agrees that they will meet with more of those that control Sheljar, that’s how Samul’s group presents it, in the next day during mid morning. The group of Lorebook Hunters return to their sanctuary.
A Tunneling Nightmare among Towers
Ajhenas, Behn, and Doceo travel to the tower island to prevent an ambush. While setting camp in the northern tower they are ambushed by a tunneling nightmare. Ajhenas and Behn are on top of the tower. Doceo is on level ground with Vondal and Delg, his loyal mastiffs.
When the noxious cloud of the tunneling nightmare issues warning the group is immediately weakened. Ajhenas throws a rope over the backside of the tower so that Doceo can escape, but the two dogs are left on the ground level. The smaller burrowing tentacles bursts through the ground, slaps Vondal to the turf and a few seconds later flips him towards the gaping maw. A more massive tentacle bludgeons Vondal, smashing the poor mastiff’s face. Delg, immediately leaps forth and drags Vondal back to the safety of Aamar at the inn. With mere seconds to spare Aamar casts revivify saving poor Vondal. Vondal will always show the wound from that massive tentacle.
While the dogs attempt to stay away from the various tentacles Behn and Ajehenas are fighting from the top of the tower. Behn is blasting it with fireball while Ajehenas uses his bow. Behn is a bit less mobile than the Kirtin-born human. He takes a few blasts from the bone vomit (the tunneling nightmare exhales shards of bone as a breath weapon).
When all three men are blasting the nightmare it is slamming the walls of the tower, trying to knock it to the ground. Its last blow weakens the tower, but that is the final effort from the tunneling nightmare.
The men survive, but Vondal, Delg and Doceo are scarred. Doceo does manage to discover how Behn throws balls of fire.
Peace in Sheljar
Most of the rest of the PCs come to the tower island for the meeting (they are present in story, but not played) and the final negotiations for peace are made. Impressed by the carcass of the tunneling nightmare, and knowing that this group has magic the goblins decide to join forces in Sheljar.
Ajhenas, Behn and Doceo ride on the smaller airxip back to the inn. Behn and Doceo tell the Kon to not slow down as they pick up Ajhenas from the top of the tower. His leap to from the tower to the airxip barely succeeds. A few of the Kon are impressed. Others get a chuckle at the near failure.
Two mulgobs decided to stay on the island with the inn, as two of the caravansary families traveled to the island with the Temple to settle that land. The remaining family is working the orchard and field south of the inn. The captain and first mate both return to the temple, both still thinking that they rule that island. Both are wrong.
A few islands are safe. At least two tunneling nightmares are destroyed. Up to a dozen may still exist.
Understand That You’re Not Going To Be Perfect.
