Presenting Your Gaming Tables...

[Clovis]

Ah, thanks for noting that -- I just reread the section on the Temple and saw where I made the mistake in thinking there were multiple hierophants. I'll take all of that information into account when coming up with plots involving this PC.

You're welcome! It's not that a big change anyway; you essentially just have to change the name.

Yeah, I was pretty surprised after he counted up his Trauma points, too. He was going to take another Trauma disadvantage to put his PC into a state of Syndrome, but chose not to so his character wouldn't be a complete detriment to the party right off the bat.

Well, even if he hasn't reached the Syndrome stage for now, he's bound to do so pretty soon, considering it will happen with the first Mental Resistance roll he'll fail! And considering Permanent Trauma points are very hard to erase (particularly if the patient is paranoid!), the group had better get ready to put up with his suspicions!

Thanks! I'm starting them off with the three Omens adventures and keeping the location the same (Melwan's Vale), but various clues and character motivations are very likely to bring the characters back to Reizh right after that. It seems, based on the players' choice of characters, that the group is most interested in Reizh, but my goal is to sprinkle in enough hooks to give them a justification to go wherever interests them the most.

Swell! I very often have a hard time keeping a balance between what I had planned to do and what the Players are going to want to do. I hope you'll prove more skillful in that regard than me!

Anyway, looking forward to hearing of this all!

[Dragoslav]

Swell! I very often have a hard time keeping a balance between what I had planned to do and what the Players are going to want to do. I hope you'll prove more skillful in that regard than me!

Anyway, looking forward to hearing of this all!

I wouldn't count on it. As they always say, "No plan ever survives first contact with the players."

I'll definitely post a report of our experiences with Loch Varn and the others in the coming weeks.

[Dragoslav]

Another oddity about my gaming group... During the character creation session, they all said that they want to be able to avoid combat in most situations by using their other skills. However, none of them have any more than one point in the Relation Domain, and the closest anyone had to combat-subverting skills was the Stealth Domain. So, unless my players just want to "Science" everything to death, I don't know how they expect to get around combat.

[Clovis]

Sounds like your Players won't know what will hit them! Ah, well, I may be a bit harsh, but whatever the composition of the group, and whatever the location of the game, there will always be danger for the PCs! And even Characters with 10 in Diplomacy, Charm, or Persuasion will not necessarily always be able to talk their way out of trouble! After all, what are you supposed to say to an Osag warrior, a starving bandit, or a ruthless mercenary running at you weapon in hand? And I'm not talking about Feondas...

Lesson is: in Esteren, no one is safe!

[Dragoslav]

After doing some more thinking about it, I think I'm going to leave the swamp creatures' stats as normal and let the chips fall where they may; but if it looks like the party is going to get wiped out, I'm going to have Verzal summon the two giant centipedes to help out (and if anyone asks why he didn't summon them before, he'll say that he wasn't sure he could keep them under control and not just kill everyone). Then, if anyone's dying, Deorn will agree to resuscitate them.

Additionally, if anyone tries to do it during the battle, I'll let the players try to convince Deorn to give up, especially by using guilt to make him realize that he's betrayed the Demorthen code. The DT will be rather high until people start dying and he realizes that he is going to have more blood on his hands.

This way, it gives the players the opportunity to be heroic and achieve victory all on their own, but if they fail then they're not guaranteed to lose their PCs that they just created. Since Loch Varn is going to be their introductory adventure, I want them to get a taste of the brutal world that their characters inhabit, but give them a little bit of "plot immunity" for the time being.

I know that at least two of the players in the group hate losing their characters, so I think this kind of approach will work best for what our group wants to get out of th game.

We'll probably play Loch Varn next week, so I'll report back on it then. I can't wait!

[Clovis]

After doing some more thinking about it, I think I'm going to leave the swamp creatures' stats as normal and let the chips fall where they may; but if it looks like the party is going to get wiped out, I'm going to have Verzal summon the two giant centipedes to help out (and if anyone asks why he didn't summon them before, he'll say that he wasn't sure he could keep them under control and not just kill everyone). Then, if anyone's dying, Deorn will agree to resuscitate them.

The first part can make sense, and could indeed be a good way to bring some balance back to the battle. However, as for Deorn resuscitating someone... maybe it's just that I'm not sure about the meaning of the word (does it mean "to resurrect", or simply "to heal"?), but at any rate, do keep in mind that calling someone back from the dead is something completely alien to the philosophy (and abilities) of the Demorthèn!

Additionally, if anyone tries to do it during the battle, I'll let the players try to convince Deorn to give up, especially by using guilt to make him realize that he's betrayed the Demorthen code. The DT will be rather high until people start dying and he realizes that he is going to have more blood on his hands.

A good idea in order to bring some diplomacy into the confrontation.

This way, it gives the players the opportunity to be heroic and achieve victory all on their own, but if they fail then they're not guaranteed to lose their PCs that they just created. Since Loch Varn is going to be their introductory adventure, I want them to get a taste of the brutal world that their characters inhabit, but give them a little bit of "plot immunity" for the time being.

What you can do is something I have thought about for some time, although I have never had the opportunity to put it into effect so far because my Players are wusses and avoid fights. If a PC reaches Agony and is about to die, you can rule that she is going to survive, but she is going to keep some trauma from her near-death experience. Maybe she will suffer a few Permanent Trauma points, or maybe a blow to the head will have consequences on her memory, resulting in memory losses. Of course, it can also be a loss in Stamina, a hideous scar on her face, loss of dexterity in one hand, etc.

This way, you can be flexible with your Players, but still have something up your sleeve to show them that you cannot walk away from death that easily!

We'll probably play Loch Varn next week, so I'll report back on it then. I can't wait!

I'll make sure to read about it then!

[Dragoslav]

The first part can make sense, and could indeed be a good way to bring some balance back to the battle. However, as for Deorn resuscitating someone... maybe it's just that I'm not sure about the meaning of the word (does it mean "to resurrect", or simply "to heal"?), but at any rate, do keep in mind that calling someone back from the dead is something completely alien to the philosophy (and abilities) of the Demorthèn!

"Resuscitate" can just mean to bring someone back from unconsciousness or near death. For example, the method you use to help people who have almost drowned is commonly called "mouth-to-mouth resuscitation" and the technical name is "cardiopulmonary resuscitation" (CPR).

Incidentally, another option I thought of if a PC was dead (completely dead) was to have Verzal bring them back from the beyond, but there would be some sort of catch.

What you can do is something I have thought about for some time, although I have never had the opportunity to put it into effect so far because my Players are wusses and avoid fights. If a PC reaches Agony and is about to die, you can rule that she is going to survive, but she is going to keep some trauma from her near-death experience. Maybe she will suffer a few Permanent Trauma points, or maybe a blow to the head will have consequences on her memory, resulting in memory losses. Of course, it can also be a loss in Stamina, a hideous scar on her face, loss of dexterity in one hand, etc.

This way, you can be flexible with your Players, but still have something up your sleeve to show them that you cannot walk away from death that easily!

Good ideas, as always, and they sound like things I would use in my campaign in the unfortunate event of a PC's random death.

[Clovis]

"Resuscitate" can just mean to bring someone back from unconsciousness or near death. For example, the method you use to help people who have almost drowned is commonly called "mouth-to-mouth resuscitation" and the technical name is "cardiopulmonary resuscitation" (CPR).

Ok, I was pretty sure that was what you meant, but I still wanted to mention it, just to be on the safe side.

By the way, is the term "resuscitate" actually synonymous with "resurrect", or is there really no ambiguity between the two?

Incidentally, another option I thought of if a PC was dead (completely dead) was to have Verzal bring them back from the beyond, but there would be some sort of catch.

That could be an idea! I'm always interested to see GMs going a bit off-system to spruce things up with unexpected and radical twists.

[Valenae]

I glad to tell you that I finish two of my homemade campaigns.

First campaign "On Fringe" take place in Reizhit city of Farl. I made good-looking map and description of city for it.
Storyline of campaign was about mystical "Brotherhood" that wants to destroy magientists in Farl. They use bizarre even paranormal devices to instil terror and panic.
Actually it was mystic and detective campaign and players find full truth about Brotherhood just in last two sessions. For my honor they find it by themselves using just subdue hints that was spread along all they way.
Each session was little occult case that PC try to investigate. Most close inspirations is "X-Files".
Campaign was 11 sessions long and also had two interludes that at no way relate to main story: exploration in osag ruin and one-shot scenario "Woman in Black" (based on movie).
We was successfully finished campaign but maybe some time I will run second part of it.
Players roles was: occult detective, town merchant (she was granddaughter of founder of Brotherhood) and investigator.

Second campaign "Caydale" take place in Gwidre near Gorm Calad.
It was about noble cleric who takes his legacy and become lord of small domain. His evil sister Lady Mae conspire against him. He restore old monastery as his castle and base of operation and named it Caydale.
Campaign was 7 sessions long and was based on Arthurian myths. In middle of it there was growing conflict of PCs (that was allies on start).
The main protagonists was lord of domain (former cleric) and his bard (young tarish girl). There was several other PC but they take part in just 2-3 sessions.
"Caydale" ends with dead of cleric from mercenary hand - bard was win this confrontation.
It was example of good PC conflict and roleplay.

Now we play my next campaign.
I name it "Sage of Flame and Frost". It takes place in Deas and based on Celtic myths.

[iznurda]

All of that sounds great ! It will be very usefull for the community if you can share some of your notes.

iz