Campaign Notes #3

With my goal of a fully resolved campaign upon the party’s attainment of level 12, we have rounded the bend and we are in the home stretch.  Everyone is now 8th level, and our next session is the last one shot for the rest of the campaign.  Each session afterward will be one part of a two-parter.  The goal is to tie up some of the character stories as we work our way into the finale.  That means 7 more sessions total.

We have experienced two character deaths in the campaign, one of which has added more lore to the story, and one of which has led to an infusion of new material into the campaign, as noted below.  All told, I think the encounters throughout the campaign have been challenging without being overwhelming.

The new material comes with Andercles’ introduction of Professor Malort.  As the first truly dedicated arcanist in the campaign (Foose’s sorcerer wasn’t around long enough to count), I was able to introduce the Knowledge (Occult) skill.  I never had the chance to work with Foose on that concept and his character before he deployed overseas.  I understand he will be back at the end of January, though, so we will see whether he wants to start over or not with a new PC.

Without an occult scholar and researcher, Brother Markus had to fill in instead.  It worked okay (and I enjoyed writing the story parts), but it isn’t the same as the campaign buy in when one of the characters is making the discoveries instead of one of the NPCs.  In any case, the description for the Knowledge (Occult) skill is included below.  Anyone can put ranks into the skill now.  Also, it is relevant again how teleportation works in Primordia.  Please read the house rule provided below for details.

I also never imagined we would come back to Hannsport so soon.  I assumed going in that the goals of various members of the party would have quickly led the campaign toward the capitol, Yorvik, and all the sights and intrigues of the big city!  But the characters’ background (Erick’s blood ties to the region) and choices (the paladin swearing allegiance to Dame Abbey, Scotty’s desire to start a church) got things pointed back to Hannsport sooner than I thought (because of course Hannsport is where the finale is/was going to be!)  So even though we got as far as Logash, the party did not go down river to Yorvik, and I do not expect there to be any reason to go there for the rest of the campaign.

And, at long last (for me anyway), I have just now introduced the NPC bard named Josie Nightingale.  If anyone recalls, I had posted a Rogues Gallery entry for her on Infrno for Dark Tides 1.0.  That campaign ended before she could be formally introduced into the mix.  In this 2.0 campaign, a combination of the gypsies and Brother Markus (once again!) filled the role I originally saw for her.  She still has an important part to play, however, as you will see by the end.

There is also lots of material for game mechanics that we did not end up needing.  I have other locations yet to come in this campaign, and other locations we do not expect to visit this time around.  If the party would have led the campaign to be more focused out of Dark Oaks (rather than as just an early pit stop), cool!  If the party led us into the wild lands north of Viborg, cool!  I have stuff for everything!

Having said as much, the party has met the NPCs of note in Logash, and of course in Hannsport.  They’ve briefly encountered the people of Dark Oaks and Hillsreach, although they certainly know Dame Abbey very well.  They will also soon find themselves in Gorum’s Vale, where they will get to know Sir Ulysses Marigan and his household a bit more.  That’s a clean sweep of the settlements within Davin Kell’s domain.

As for Kell himself, well, his role in the campaign remains a bit mysterious, although as we move along, we should expect to see him start to become a bit more involved after a 25 year, melancholic withdrawal.  But we shall see!


DARK TIDES HOUSE RULES UPDATE

KNOWLEDGE (Int; Trained Only)
You are educated in a field of study and can answer both simple and complex questions.  Like the Craft, Perform and Profession skills, Knowledge actually encompasses a number of different specialties.  Listed below is a typical field of study.
• Occult (possession and haunting, psychic mysteries and traditions, ley lines, occult rituals and symbols, aberrations)

CONJURATION
Each conjuration spell belongs to one of five subschools. Conjurations transport creatures from another plane of existence to your plane (calling); create objects or effects on the spot (creation); heal (healing); bring manifestations of objects, creatures, or forms of energy to you (summoning); or transport creatures or objects over great distances (teleportation).

Teleportation: A teleportation spell transports one or more creatures or objects a great distance. The most powerful of these spells can cross planar boundaries. Unlike summoning spells, the transportation is (unless otherwise noted) one-way and not dispellable. Teleportation is instantaneous travel through the Astral Plane. Anything that blocks astral travel also blocks teleportation.

In Primordia the path through the Astral Plane passes dangerously close to Outer Realms whose names mortals dare not speak.  As a result, powerful Teleportation magic (spells of 5th level or higher, or spell-like abilities of comparable effect) requires lengthy rituals that both focus the caster's concentration and draw up powerful psychic defenses.  Such rituals can take an hour or more to perform, require significant resources, and are still not guaranteed of success.

Traveling so close to alien planes far removed from your home plane creates a risk that you will incur a decrease in Intelligence and Charisma due to your brain being overwhelmed.  You must succeed on an Intelligence check against DC16 to avoid a decrease in Intelligence and Charisma. If the check fails, your Intelligence and Charisma scores each fall to 8 for 5 weeks, and you become unable to cast arcane spells. No magic short of a wish is known to overcome such a blight.  You cannot take 10 on this check. If you lose Intelligence and Charisma, the effect strikes as soon as the spell is completed.

The success of casting Teleportation in Primordia cannot exceed the threshold of "seen casually," i.e. the chance of success can never be greater than: On target 01-88%, Off target 89-94%, Similar area 95-98%, Mishap 99-100%.

Peace Dividends

Josie Nightingale

Josie Nightingale hummed a little tune to herself as she leisurely made her way down the well trod game trail.  It was a grim and haunting saga, just as so many of the northmen’s always seemed to be, and it had been stuck in her head ever since she had crossed back into the kingdom of Viborg.

She had been gone nearly two years amongst the peoples of the far north, and she had learned many new songs and tales that she could in turn share with the folk of the south.  The primal music of the viking peoples, in particular were always in demand in the fashionable salons of Yorvik.  But in Hannsport and Logash?  Well, . . . not so much.  There they liked to hear the light and airy ballads of the elves.  And she had collected a few of those while she was up there, as well.

That’s what she did, after all.  She had been known as the Wandering Skald of Viborg for more years now than she could remember.  It was a moniker she had neither asked for, nor grown accustomed to.  Ever since she was a wee lass, she had loved to sing and dance and listen to the tales and rumors that people always shared amongst themselves when they gathered together.  Once she was full grown, she had taken to wandering about the north in search of all of those things that she loved, with a lute in one hand and a rapier in the other.

Her travels had taken her from the parlors of Yorvik to the long houses of the northmen and everywhere in between.  And every once in a while, her path led through the little fishing village called Hannsport.

The last time she had passed through was nearly two years ago, not long after the Battle of Darmody Meadows . . .

The village had been half razed during the orc attack.  As Davin Kell’s small force met the remnant of the orc horde in the open glades outside the village, a detachment of the invaders had swung around the site of the main battle and assaulted the village, intent on burning and destroying everything they could.  The defenders had been prepared, though.  The orcs had run straight into makeshift fortifications and a desperate foe.  The fighting had been hard, but the people of the village had ultimately prevailed, despite the destruction.

Things had changed quite a bit since then, though.  The damage that had been done had not only been repaired, but the town had expanded almost three times in size.

Even so, she was amazed at the sight that greeted her as she crossed out of the woods and into the northern edge of the village. An elven tree tower!

It must have been fifty feet tall, at least!

She was now certain her visit was worth the trouble. Elves! In Hannsport!  She had heard nothing of this from any of the clans she had visited!  She couldn’t wait to see Markus!  She wondered if he knew the residents of the tower, or if he could introduce her to them.

Seeing what Markus had been up to had been the primary purpose of her trip.  She had initially thought to head down the River Isunda to Yorvik before it froze over for the winter.  But while passing through Logash she had heard from Naissa Mirian that her old friend, Brother Markus, had partnered up with Magda Vyrlich to establish an academy on the premises of the village’s old church grounds.

Naissa had also told her how Dame Astrid had fallen in battle with dark forces, and that Abbey March had inherited her mother’s estate, only to in turn be betrayed by her aunt Jhessa.  It was a sad tale, and Josie had stopped in Hillsreach to pay her respects before moving on.

Making her way in a casual loop through the village, she came upon two of the places she’d heard travelers speak of on her way in.

The fortified structures stood opposite each other on either side of the Hawthorn grove that had once been both literally and figuratively at the heart of town.  She noted their imposing names-The Chapel of St Cambrace the Redeemer;  The Great Hall of the Untainted.  Josie watched as tabarded acolytes came and went from each of the formidable strongholds, largely ignoring the devoted of the other faith.  She smiled to herself as she walked past toward the stand of hawthorn trees.

She stepped into the heart of the grove and lingered awhile, running her hands over the familiar limbs of each of the sea-weathered trees.  The lady of the village had tended the place when she was alive.  Even though their lady had been gone for a very long time now, it appeared that the villagers still lovingly maintained the park in her memory.  Josie whispered a brief prayer to the spirit of the grove, and then at last headed out for the Academy of the Whispering Wind.

She couldn’t wait to discuss all of the things she had seen with Markus, and she suddenly realized that she might have reason to spend the winter in the interesting little village.