tales from Moribund and Ur « Thread Started on Apr 7, 2011, 2:44am »
I didn't know what other board to put this on.... this one I suppose makes the most sense in my current state of mind ( now where did I misplace those hazia flowers?).
I suppose I will get right to the point. I run a TnT game. With my two children (son 12... daughter 10). It began last summer with me introducing them to the game with an "invade the cave hideout of the Cavity Creeps goblin tribe, who are stealing the village of Moribund's dogs and consuming them as a delicacy" scenario
I introduced only one NPC for the game.... a young elf girl ( 115yrs) named "Muralie" (altogether not unlike hermione granger in personality,) she attends the "Moribund School of Magic" by day and hurries home to her domineering father and mother at night She was introduced as best friend ( long term) to Jaxxon, my sons character.
Jaxxon, training by day as a warrior, as his dream forever is to be a great champion, notices his dog "Bones" run away one evening.... and before dinner no less, which had never happened before. Given that there were already rumors of a great number of household curs which had reverently gone missing, ( and thus made sleeping in the village a quieter thing)... Jaxxon decided to follow old Bonsie on a merry chase through the woods.
He was shocked, to be sure, to discover old Bonsie herded like a sheep into a corral and netted up with several other whining village mutts.
a sign nearby read "Cavity Creeps Hideout! Keep Out!"
for once keeping his head about him Jaxxon decided to go fetch Muralie before continuing further.
At the close of the first session ( which included only my son), Muralie and jaxxon.. on the forested trail toward the hideout, had talked their way out of a confrontation with an aging and nearly infirm manticore; "Grimmuligan", previously in a shaky alliance with the Cavity Creeps( by promising an unspecified amount of gold and some goblins to eat)..... night fell.
Muralie had to go home before her father wondered where she was.
thus ended the first session.
session #2 ( in which my daughter joins the game) My daughter is playing Ella Noir a young half elf with an acrobatics talent ( she works in a traveling circus AND has a pet elephant named ( wait for it) "Ellie")
ella also wields an elven version of a demi-lune... double sided and with the convex edges curving outward rather than inward. Since she qualified for for a standard demi lune , I decide to treat the weapon as standard in terms of damage and adds. It is however, much smaller with less reach, and lighter.
Muralie and Jaxxon, trying to decide what to do about the "Cavity Creeps" decide to take in the Circus while they think things through.
"The Circus of the Mystic Family Noir" in only in town for another day after all.
While at the circus, they meet young Ella Noir, who clearly thinks she is better than boys at all kinds of stuff. Jaxxon wants to leave her behind, but Muralie convinces him that having a girl elf acrobat with an elephant for a pet might not be a bad idea. Jaxxon, ever responsive to the persuasion of his friend, relents, and Ella, whose mother's dog "bottle rocket" is actually on the lam as well, joins up with the two for the return trip to the hideout. Some discussion as to whether the dogs were still alive, added suspense to the trip in which "Ellie" forged a new path through the forest, thus enabling the group to avoid the trail near which the manticore "grimuligan" lurked.
They arrived back at the Cavity Creeps hideout as the sun set, and where torch's were being lit by two shifty eyed ,jaundiced skinned goblins. Upon observation the goblins were painted with warpaint, and adorned with crow feathers painted in fluorescent colors. Underpants prolly made of possum fur..... these were some real primitive dingbats.
But DANG! if they didn't know how to fire a shortbow! CLANG! goes a flinty arrow off of Jaxxon's armor... a wound that might have hurt Murlalie or Ella tho.
Ellie the elephant staying behind in the trees, as Ella didn't want her hurt ( and much to the chagrin of Jaxxon who felt sure having an elephant might be "pretty useful".
Jaxxon decided a full frontal assault might be best and he manages to cover the small clearing to the entrance of the cave before the greasy little goblins can reload their bows ( Jaxxon passes first level dex save... goblins fail first level dex save) Jaxxon has injured one of the goblins enough to keep him from ringing a cowbell hung outside.
Ella.... emboldened, charges in as well, rolling very high on her four dice weapon.... and kills a Goblin with a single blow. Having drawn a rusty ( and not so trusty) shortsword the second goblin goes toe to toe with Jaxxon. The tangle is closer than one might have imagined... with Jaxxon again drawing blood, but not enough to put down his foe.
On the next round however Ella again roles huge on her four dice and combined with Jaxxon's moderate roll with a longsword, they manage to, well, slice that little gremlin into steaks.
Jaxxon is disgusted. Decides he wants a demi-lune.
He needs gold, and a bit more agility a voice from on high gently reminds him.
Muralie strolls up, wooden wand in hand, but smart enough to know to save that "take that you fiend" for a moment that was truly dire. She had more intuition that such a moment might soon arrive.
The three moved cautiously into the tunnel mouth, the vegetation growing over which gave it an almost elemental face like quality.
deep within more torch's burned.
The earthen smelling tunnel opened into a large natural cavern,.... maybe as big as a circus tent, it was bisected by a crevace...maybe ten feet across which was itself bridged with a well maintained wooden bridge. Two more goblin guards where stationed on the other side of this gash... these two better equipped... even wearing steal helmets making them look comically more menacing, than they naturally might.
Muralie cast "Hush Puppy" a spell she learned in sonnambulent magic class just last week ( a houseruled spell enabling a ten foot circle of silence around her for 1d6 minutes ) ( she rolls a three) This enables the three to move right onto the bridge before they are noticed. Having the element of surprise i give them an action before the goblins fire crossbows.
Ella and Jaxxon again rush forward across the bridge to combat their foes. Ella takes the one on the left and again with some high rolls takes out one of even the slightly stronger goblins. Jaxxon draws blood again as well but does not slay his foe in time to keep the goblin from throwing a nearby switch. Pins in the center of the bridge are pulled and the bridge collapses downward with a clang at the midway point.
Muralie who had held back a few feet loses footing when the bridge gave way. A second level save would have gotten her to safety on the far side.... passing only a first level through however she end up hanging by her fingers on the far side. The pit is only ten feet deep but full of refuse... and smelly indeed, not to mention that something down there is moving.
Deciding for the moment that altruism is the better part of valor, Jaxxon decides to jump the ten foot pit and help his friend. But in scale mail its gonna take a second level save.
Jaxxon falls head long into the pit.
Ella slays the next goblin.
Jaxxon is set upon by three giant rats who call the trash pit their territory. He slays one with his sword as the melee ensues. Their slavering diseased mouths making him glad for his armor.
making a 1st level strength save, muralie pulls herself up.
"Throw some rope!!!" Jaxxon shouts in aggravation "you have it!!" Muralie reminds him "Ugh!!!" a frustrated Jaxxon grunts. He throws up the rope from his pack having to sacrifice his attack for the moment. The rats still fail to get past his armor bonus... barely
( spite damage would not be introduced until the third game... but had it been in effect Jaxxon would have had to make a second level con save to avoid certain fevers and chills)
Muralie secures the rope against a bridge post and Jaxxon, after finishing off two more rats climbs out ( first level strength save)
Ella, on the other side, throws the switch again. this sets into motion some chains and pulleys which pull the bridge back into place.
The three move deeper. They explore a twisting side passage to the right, which leads to a phosphorescent stone pool of greenish sludge. This is apparently where the goblins dispose of rubbish, as even now heaps of trash in the slime are dissloving... leaving an acidic smell in the air. Jaxxon wants some of this stuff but they need a jar.
IRL bedtime approached ( sessions with my kids at this time lasted approx. 1 hour)
Muralie and Ella both needed to let their parents know where they were..... or at least lie about it. Jaxxon, left as an infant, was an orphan.... though father Tilldale back at the "Moribund Chapel of Io the Prophet" might be worried about him as well.
they decided to retreat for the night.... Jaxxon wanting a jar from the kitchensand both girls worried their parents would catch them out past midnight
the goblins were probably gonna be plenty angry about this when they returned.
Joined: Jun 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 110 Location: Indianapolis Karma: 3
Re: Getting all TnT with Generation Zed « Reply #1 on Apr 7, 2011, 6:43am »
Exellant, Your a cool Mom have an exalt! When I was growing up I introduced my family to the game, I ran sessions for my Dad and younger brother, some very good times... no really It' sounds wonderful.
by the way you should stick your head in over at Trollhalla and say howdy...Ken's been looking for you.
When I was growing up I introduced my family to the game, I ran sessions for my Dad and younger brother, some very good times...
Lucky. When I was growing up I was busy finding new places to hide my D&D stuff and learning new and better ways to more perfectly forge my friends' names to put them inside the covers of the books for better 'deniability" (if they were found, without question they'd be thrown away...better chance of survival if they "belonged to someone else", ya see). Heck, my parents even threw away lots of my Dragon Magazines...even my D&D action figures. Yes. Yes, really.
Re: Getting all TnT with Generation Zed « Reply #5 on Apr 7, 2011, 8:42am »
Thank you my friends. If it pleases you I shall continue to let you know how that series of games ended, and what my plans are for this summer....my children are now a year older.... my son a teenager, and my daughter able to make good decisions even when making complex calculations.... the games will deal with slightly more mature themes this summer ( and will swich to 7.5 edition as my son recieved the box set for Christmas.... I will mix that in with the 5e style I have been playing since the early 90's)
But back to the original game.
the following evening ( TnT came to replace the "bedtime story" in my home last summer)
The gang of three friends headed back to the goblin caves, (deciding this time to leave the elephant, Ellie behind at the circus.... which due to positive ticket sales had decided to extend it's dates in Moribund.). They did follow the trail she had bulldozed freshly the night before. From the nearby underbrush they spied out the mouth of the cave. One of the goblin bodies had been dragged into the forest...... manticore tracks nearby left an indication as to just who might have done it.
the other body was gone.
the three decided to look around a bit more and discoved that the crevase created a second entrance to the cavern. I decided not to confront them with more rats.. Trudging through the garbage and offal was smelly, almost wretch inducing business. they scowled at me, but having forgotten their rope the night before they were able to scale onto the bridge without problem.... this time ungaurded.
They went back to the sludge pool and Jaxxon collected a jar of the glowing green sludge.
then, they quietly pushed through the dirty bear fur curtain that was at the far end of the cavern, It opened into a curving natural passageway... sloping upward with gentle limestone formations as it progressed. Then it opened into another open area, smaller than the first but more well lit.
a naturally formed limestone stair at the far end of this chamber ended at the mouth of another room where activity could be heard. another passage, bathed in a most vacous darkness continued onward. Ella, and Jaxxon decided to quietly investigate the room at the top of the stairs. I allowed them to hear the voice from within before actually getting to the doorway itself.
"Geeyit outter tha way yew useliss simperrin fool, just cuz its yer brudder don't mean we can waste ther meat."
They reach the doorway and spot "Momma".... almost as big as an ogre and maybe fatter..... she has a giant rusty meat clever in her hand and one of the dumber, smaller goblins from last nights cave intrance held upside down by his feet. Cowering at her feet is a very small goblin... a young'un.
At this point both ella and jaxxon fail a luck roll to avoid being spotted in the doorway (first level)
"YEW! You the un's what kilt mah boyz.... who never hurt nobody ever and aint done nuthin ta yew! But i'll show yew a thingger tew!" Muralie points out that a vine cage in one corner of the kitchen( for that is what this room is) holds numerous barking dogs.
Mamma charges, knocking over the heavy butcher block table, covered in plenty of evidence that she and her boys are no angels. The huge meat clever in her hand is plenty menacing. Ella goes to free the dogs from the cage... leaving Jaxxon incredulous at what she finds important in that moment.
Momma charges forward, meat cleaver held high and she and Jaxxon meet in full melee. Momma is no pushover. Her meatclever finds a hole in Jaxxons protection and takes 6 points from his CON, almost halving it. He is furious with Ella. Muralie hits Momma full in the face with "take that you fiend" .
"GAH!" Momma's face is seared. and she's hurt. but also mad. She charges again. Muralie, sensing she might be the difference between failure to stay alive and a successful outcome, draws a dagger and joins the combat total..... its enough to take two more hits from "Mommas "Con.
The next round begins. Ella has still not opened the cage. She ignores Jaxxons aggravated cries to her. Muralie and Jaxxon roll again alone, but now Momma is headed into a death spiral.
Ella frees the dogs and then decides to help with Momma. Two rounds later Momma is dead. Jaxxon goes into a tirade against his sister (whoops! i mean against Ella.... the half elf) She ignores him and states the dogs needed to be let out.
One simpering goblin hudles in the corner. Muralie, it turns out has learned basic goblin in her AP courses, and translates for Jaxxon. Jaxxon offers the goblin all of the rest of his starting gold.... if the goblin will join their side as a friend.
And there, at that moment gamewise... the first henchman ever in this campaign was hired. I didn't require a CHAR roll. If your choices were get killed by staying with your stinky brothers or woking for the guy who gives you money and spares your life.... you would choose the latter.
Out of game I am taught a lesson about the sense of fairness and mercy that lies in my son.... I am surprised by this turn of events... and pleased.
Joined: Apr 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 1,202 Location: Land of Confusion Karma: 106
Re: Getting all TnT with Generation Zed « Reply #7 on Apr 7, 2011, 7:59pm »
Devadasi, that sounds like a great adventure, well in keeping with the birth of tomorrow's heroes. Here's hoping for many more enjoyable (k)nights around the table.
Re: Getting all TnT with Generation Zed « Reply #8 on Apr 7, 2011, 10:39pm »
"So was that the boss of this level?" my son asked. i smiled to myself at the way he mentally frames his first tabletop roleplaying game in accordance with what he knows of videogames.
"Well, she was pretty tough.... But this kitchen doesn't seem to explain how this gang was able to control all of those dogs.... and get them to run away from home."
Jaxxon decides speaking with the new henchman might provide more information. "Are there any other bosses on this level?" he asks. Muralie translates.
"Well we all have to obey Mamma. But Uncle Festus is the one who thinks up all the plans. He knows alchemy. AND he's been to the Deep Caves. He says if we switch from stealin dogs ta stealing children we can corner the topsider slave market in this area. ...... "That's REAL gold!" he says....... Even knows a dealer downside. Even Momma doesn't yell at Festus... nor poke him with pins."
the gremlin twittles his thumbs and looks at his new master..... admiringly.
"Where is he?"
the goblin who says his name is "Gumby" leads the way back down the staircase outside the kitchen and into the dark passage beyond the earthen cavern. In the close quartered earthen tunnel, the stench is horrendous.
"like whaddaya mean?" my son asks.
"it smells like a gas station toilet... without the chemical cherry scent." I say
he gets it. they move on, Ella in the rear holding her nose.
The sound of multiple snoring creatures soon becomes apparent.
"Thats where we boys sleep." Gumby indicates at the natural low cielinged earthen chamber. adding, "We sleeps in the daytime. and fights all night"
"Yeah. Where is Festus?"
Gumby leads them onward.
The passage to Festus' chamber is blocked by a thorny wicker gate. "Keep Out" is scrawled on a board in charcoal.... in the same hand as the sign outside the cave warning visitors off.
My son looks serious at me.
"When you die in this game, is the character really dead?" "Yes." "then what?" "you make a new character." "Hannah don't do anything stupid." my son says to his sister "talk to Ella.... not to Hannah, Jaxxon." I remind him.
"Ella you have to help me or we are probably gonna die." Jaxxon says to Ella matter of factly.
"KIT! I'm helping!" "Talk to Jaxxon, not to Kit Ella." "I'm helping." "So what now?" I ask.
"I open the gate." Jaxxon states.
"the lock is simple, but you still need a key."
"Does Gumby know where the key is?" "Festus keeps it" Gumby replies.
"the door is thorns?" "yes... and spines.... and very pokey indeed" "I go back to the kitchen and get the big meat cleaver."
"okay" "do I have it?" "yes" "I chop the door down with the meat cleaver."
I allow him three dice and all his ads.
In one blow the spiney gate is rended to fragments.
Re: Getting all TnT with Generation Zed « Reply #10 on Apr 8, 2011, 3:38am »
Festus, a goblin with spiderwebs tattoed all over his body, is not expecting visitors.
He is seated, howering over a mossy wooden table, greasy and charred with the results of chemistry experiments. It is also covered with mason jars, bowls and small caudrons holding foul looking mixtures... He wears circular dark glasses and a high stovepipe hat, bent at an angel about three quarters of the way to its top.
He wears a navy coat, with brass buttons, clearly stolen from a sailor.
"How daaaare you?" Festus gurgles, profoundly angry his work has been disturbed. He throws a beaker of acid at them.
Festus makes a second level save on dex to hit Jaxxon with the beaker. He makes it.
I take up a d6. I am aware that Jaxxon's current con is a 7. "Can I jump out of the way?" my son asks..... clearly thinking about the same thing I am.
"Make a first level dex roll"
He rolls a two and looks totally bummed.... like h'es about to die an ignoble death.
"doubles add and roll over." I remind him. "OH!" his excitement.... and relief are quite palpable.
the 5 and the 6 that followed bring as much joy as any "20" that was ever rolled in that other game.
"the beaker breaks on the wall behind you, smashing to pieces.... only a small splash get on you... causing one point of CON damage.
Festus opens a drawer in his moldy desk and pulls what looks like a coil of metal cable..... a steel lash! and then with the push of a button it became electrified. Festus' face and body also begin to change.... becoming rat like.... and he grows fur and a long pink tail..... what infernal magic is this?.
No time to find out.
the lash, "Dantez Maebroh" is magical. It always stikes first in a round( like a spell) ( to one who develops a "talent" for whip use)...
Festus does not get this advantage this time.... as changing to his wererat form.
Muralie, realizing the direness of this situation fires another "take that you fiend" .. after which she crumples to her knees unable to move further.
"WHATS WRONG WITH HER??" my son asks quite concerned. "using all her best magic has left her drained of energy" "G'ah! is the guy hurt?"
"Yeah. but he jumps into the air, glasses flying off his face, and attacks you and Ella with the lash.
when in "taze" mode, this lash does 2 dice +10 damage. Festus' personal adds in rat form were 20 but are now 16 due to the TTYF.
Festus' total is thirty. Ella and Jaxon total 35.
Festus spits out a tooth. Makes a dash for the potion stash.
"Can I grab the whip from him?" Jaxxon asks. Man, he is really down on that longsword..... has had enough of Ella's potent damage rolls with the demi- lune.
"If HE makes the higher luck roll, he drinks a potion from his table. If YOU make the higher luck roll you distract him and grab the whip while he's preoccupied with the beakers."
Suspense. One of the dice bounces under the table. Both children dive for it. "a one." my son mutters. His other die holds a four. "off the table rolls over." i say.
his roll over must have come out four or five ( can't remember exactly) because he got control of the whip.
Festus, quite agile in his rat state, springs to a nearby shelf and grabs another beaker of acid. Again he throws and scores a hit. I rule this one hits ella ( because I want her uncomfortable)
a single d6 pulls 3 from her CON leaving her with only 5. Now she finds her inner fire.
"I throw my demi-lune at him"
"you know Ella, you are quite the acrobat.... why dont you cartwheel over there.... so that you can keep your weapon with you.... after all, you aren't wearing armor either."
"okay."
a first level dex check bridges the distance before festus can grab more stuff.
Jaxxon attacks joyously with his new weapon... clearly way cooler than any longsword. Ella goes in with her demi lune.
Jaxxon tosses high and does significant damage with the whip... but both appear crestfallen and genuinely frightened when Ella's demi lune wounds just seem to clear up right away.... doing no damage!!
Festus wins the round even though his current weapon is a big dragonbone off of one of his shelves. Jaxxons armor isn't penetrated....Ella takes two more CON. but Festus eyes Jaxxons discarded longsword and reaches for it.
"Ella looks for acid."
"make a 1st level luck save"
(fails) "its all gone.'
"OH! " a lightbulb has gone off in Jaxxons head.
"I smash the green stuff on him" "How?" "I throw the jar and break it"
the throw is successful. Festus is doused in green sludge and begins screaming "gettitoff!gittitoff!"
"Ella help me turn this table over on him." the two turn the table over on Festus... pinning him.
festus tries but fails to throw them off.
for three consecutive rounds......
before becoming sludge himself.
Searching the room they find potions that look like they have dog hair in them, a journal with ink and a feathered quill... lots of foul herbal and alchemical mixtures, a giants skull, an iron pendent of a rats head, and inside a cabinet:
a fairy named "Speedy". Speedy dresses alot like Tarzan in summer.... likes to use sand and knitting needles as weapons.... and can fly. They let him out of the cage. meaning he narrowly escaped becoming alchemical components
He hits it off well with Ella right away.
Jaxxon strokes his new steel lash affectionately and ignores Ella and the fairy.
I remind them that Muralie is passed out, and while Jaxxon and Ella can get away with being out a little later.... the same can't be said for Muralie.
Jaxxon leaves her sleeping on the cot in the courtyard of her home..... then tells his goblin to hide in the woods... though he does bring it a piece of cheese.
Stalwart of the Trollbridge; First to reach level 7
Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,036 Karma: 91
Re: Getting all TnT with Generation Zed « Reply #11 on Apr 8, 2011, 8:30pm »
I keep coming back to this thread and getting excited when I see a new installment of the game!
By the way, devadasi, while there's no problem with this thread being where it is, it would probably be more appropriately placed on the Stories, Solos, and Campaign Journals board. If it's OK with you, shall I see about getting it moved?
Re: Getting all TnT with Generation Zed « Reply #13 on Apr 9, 2011, 1:30am »
The notes and components, gathered at Muralie's request prior to leaving the cavity in which these creeps lived, were taken with her to school the following day.
Though it seems some stir was created when one of the vials turned out to be a virulent poison, the other bottles were broken down into their alchemical comonents and dweomers identified.... revealing a drikable concoction that Festus' notes refered to as "Alpha Male" but which Muralie, along with her classmates decided to rename "man's best friend". She felt certain this was going to result in an "A" for the class.
"If you howl like a dog, any and ALL canines in the area will come to your call and see you temporarily as "master". " she glowed "Its really quite a clever brewing." ( the number of dogs can be determined with a luck roll or some such. it takes 1d6 mins for a cur or hound to arrive.... you must activily howl until at least one hound has arrived..... hopefully making for some funny game moments.
In addition she found evidence in the notes that Festus may ALREADY have been slave trafficking, as the garden gnome, who tended to Moribund's meagre landscaping needs,whom had not come to work in days.... was drawn, in a deft, almost sensitive hand in the margins of festus notes.
the three decided to to head back to the cave..... and find out if there was something they missed.
Re: Getting all TnT with Generation Zed « Reply #14 on Apr 9, 2011, 11:23pm »
as it turns out, what they had missed was a hidden door. They were able to find it at leisure this time, as all of "Momma's boys" had scattered to the four winds.
another low ceilinged earthen tunnel.... roots hangine through from the tress abovegrounds..... and clearly also used by festus as a good place to properly cure his herbs with mildew.
Oh, and a rusty iron grate on the floor... about the size of a coffee table in the homes of those nobility types. Its locked..... but with one of those cheap locks.... seen in numerous spots of the "Cavity" already.
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no really It' sounds wonderful.![[avatar]](http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k58/machfront1/MeGlowFB2_TB.jpg "[avatar]")
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Sounds like fun!
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