Final session

Hey all, tomorrow will be our last day with the troll haunt campaign, everyone should be level 13 now. I hope you all can make it, normal time, my place.

Greetings Friends, I was wondering if we could perhaps play Earlier this Thursday, I would like to Stop around the time we normally start. It is my Brothers Birthday and I have family obligations. If this is not possible then very well I do not mind if you all play without me

POV Session Report 07/16/09

Apparently this Skalmad thing is more resiliant than I thought and worse, it's not even trapped in the Feywild; he has some kind of magic flying chair that takes him between there in the world, so unfortunately I can't count on him leaving Moonstair alone.

We're going in. We're following him. Before we do, I'm going to find out just how we're supposed to kill the troll without having just come back again.

Ugh. I acquired an Airship during my vacation and pretty much everyone but V has been a turned into Bahamut over it. The same *people* that gleefully rip trolls to pieces and then carefully split the spoils afterward got their panties in a bunch over the protestations of a few drow. Drow! The same drow who all worship Lolth, the Queen of Spiders. The same drow who consort with demons (bad ones, not like me). The same drow who would just as soon kill them all as look at them. Morons.

The Diddliyo -- Updated

So here is the what's what,

No game tomorrow. Friday afternoon I am going to go see about renting a cabin out in Prince William Forest Park. It's a first come first serve thing but I am going right at 3:00 when you can start renting them. If I can get a six man cabin then we are going to meet up at the cabin around 10:00 pm play till 1:00 or 2:00 or whenever. Then anyone who wants to can sleep in the cabin for the night. If you are brave enough? If you need to leave though feel free to do so whenever.

The cost to rent the cabin for a night is 40 bucks, I am going to cover this but anyone that is willing to contribute 5-8 bucks would be welcome to do so. Also the cabins are list by a lone electric light. Its pretty bright I would rather light it with spookier lighting. However, fire is not allowed in the park. So if anyone has some electric lanterns and other camping equipment please bring it.

Finally, If you plan on spending the night in the park a sleeping bag and pillow or a couple of blankets would be a good idea. As would some bottles of water or soda.

If for some reason I can't get the cabin we are still going to play Dread at 10:00, but we will just meet up at my house as normal and play in the basement. I will post on the blog and call everyone on Friday as soon as I know which is which.

You don't need to bring anything to prepare for Dread. It is diceless and paperless, I will have everything you need on site. If you have any questions feel free to hit me up.

The State of the Game 7/6/09

***Updated***

Hello all,

I don't know for sure if Tom will be back for this weeks game but I am going to plan like he is. I have discovered an incredibly fun role playing game called Dread which I am learning the rules to. I want you all to come prepared for D&D like normal, most of you are I believe level 13 save for Mike and Chris. However, we may end up playing Dread. This mostly depends on if I feel i can run dread or not. So show up for D&D but be prepared to play dread. You need know nothing to play Dread other then that it is a game of Terror and nothing more.

See you all Thursday evening,

** Note ** If we play Dread we might not get started till the sun goes down, for effect. Also, if we continue to play Dread we might want to find a creepier place to play then my basement. We can talk Thursday.

***Update*** It was brought to my attention that it is in fact Mike and James who are still level 12 not Chris. So James make a level 12. That is all

Gaming tomorrow

As blog followers will be aware, Lord Obsidian is aft for the rest of the week. As such I am making tomorrow and open gaming session. No D&D, lots of gaming, come on down whenever you want I will be here all day. I have tons of new games from origins including the race for the galaxy and dominion expansions.

Non-session POV update: Lord Obsidian is on vacation!

To celebrate my heroic defense of Moonstair, I've decided to spend a week in the tropics. I've given Speedy, my hunchbacked manservant, the keys to the Den. My every second thought is of how glad I am to not have to deal with any more trolls ever again. V's birthday is today. Happy birthday V!

POV Session Report Thread: 06/18/09

Ah, what a glorious day! It was like the stories my grandfather told me by the fire about the last stand of Bael Turath, before the dragonborn swept over our beautiful civilization like so much base earth shrouding incriminating but classy evidence.

Except this time we won!

I was so happy I gave V some money to buy more flame arrows. Couldn't guess why he'd need them. Skalmad is trapped in the Feywild, his army is routed, and the Den of Delight and Disaster is filled to capacity with raucous militia. All's right in the world. Yes. There's nothing left to go wrong, and I am 100 percent certain of it, just as I am certain that my soul is safe.

David

Hey David I sent you an E-mail that has my new character on it. The one for todays game, would you please print it for me and bring it to the session seems BOTH my printers are down.

Tony/Mike W...

Could you talk to Cheryl and retrieve the adventure and the folder I lent her back at D&D Game Day? I don't care so much about the adventure, but that folder was super sweet and I like it returned, if possible.

Chris...

Could you not play a warlock next week? I don't want to fight you over Curse targets. Thanks.

UPDATE: I don't know if this sways you, but I looked up the hybrid article and it says you can only apply hunter's quarry, sneak attack, or curse damage when using a power associated with the appropriate class. For example, you would be able to use hunter's quarry with split the tree or twin strike, but not with eldritch blast or curse of the dark dream.

POV Session Report, Log 4

--Vanèäron--

Archer's Log
Trollhaunt Warrens, continuing

Still stuck in this hole. These caves make Lord Obsidian's tavern seem like a garden paradise. At least the scenery is better there.

We finished with Gloomfang and lived to tell about it, no thanks to me. Diplomacy is not my strong suit. I like to announce my presence with arrows, not "hellos". Anyway, we managed to not get eaten (a plus), and even got some information (also a plus). We did not get a firm agreement to help us, nor did we get an agreement from her to stay on the sidelines (both minuses). All in all, we came out about even.

Upon departing from Gloomfang's den, our options narrowed considerably when a couple of the tunnels collapsed in front of us. Thankfully, we still had the main pathway open to us and so we pressed onward in to the next cavern. Which wasn't really a cavern at all. Actually, it was the pit of a giant sinkhole, roof missing...probably the Dragon's preferred method of egress now that I think of it. 60 feet straight up, impossible to see unless you are in it or next to it.

We encountered some more trolls in this pit, and some creature which were new to me. (Nothix?) Serious damage dealers, not very robust. It took us a while to figure this out though and most of the party took hits. This was not our best encounter strategy-wise. The good news was that everybody survived. The bad news is that I am starting to run low on supplies. I have plenty of regular arrows (over 60 still), but my Flameburst arrows were almost depleted by the end of the fight. We finally dispatched the last of this group, and discovered some humans and halflings locked in a stone room. They were malnourished but otherwise OK, and gave us a little more information on what Skalmad was planning. Whlie Obsidian fed them some of his apples, we took a brief rest and listened to their tales of torture and abuse at the hands of the Trolls. Even with all of his diplomatic prowess, Lord Obsidian himself couldn't get them to stay and help us fight.

Perhaps it was just as well. We might have had to split some of the treasure with them if they had stayed. Yes, we found some treasure. It was poorly hidden in a cave that was accessible only through a water door. Our Dragonborn doesn't swim...we found out. The treasure is Gloomfang's I am sure. We will probably have to answer for the taking, but my arrows fly straighter when there is weight in my pockets.

With our pockets jangling lightly and our burden a little heavier, we rounded the corner and came face to face with the Troll king himself, Skalmad. His amber cat-eye making him all the more grotesque. Having learned our lesson earlier about the Nothix, Obsidian and I targeted the two we could see from the outset, killing them both with our combined attacks. Having them out of the way allowed us to make fairly quick work of Skalmad and his associates...this time. Oh-and Obsidian owes me an Ale or two... He should probably buy me a few more Flameburst arrows also.

He should really keep moving when faced with that many trolls... :)

Anyway, with Skalmad down, we found out that his eye causes him to reincarnate in the Feywild, so I am sure we will be seeing him again. The bad news, however, was that he has already set his forces out to attack Moonstair. Let's hope that the town can rally.

We set out a rotating watch and rested overnight, while Obsidian did some magical, mystical, poofy thing and high-tailed it back to town to save his immortal soul, or something like that. Appearing in his place the next morning was the darndest looking creature I have seen in a while, speaking some unintelligible language punctuated by grunts and gurgles most of the time.

At least he can fight...

We found the foundry and dispatched the beasts guarding it. but it doesn't look like we will make it back to town in time to be much help. I hope that the militia has been training. They will need the practice if they are to survive. I really want to collect on that ale from Obsidian. It isn't often that he offers to buy.

"V"

The state of the game 6/9/09

Hi all,

So last Saturday's game got off to a great start but was something of a drag as things prodded on. It definitely made me remember why I had dungeon crawls. I think we are going to try some different things to make the campaign work a bit better. I will explain more tomorrow at our next session but one thing you all can do to help the pace of the game is to work on thinking of your character's action prior to your turn. This is one thing we can all do to speed up the game. Again, I really appreciated everyone that posted to the blog their entries. I will see you all tomorrow.

Good Gaming,

The Deë Emm

POV Session Report 06/06/09

--Lord Obsidian--

Our first day in Skalmad's fortress was not encouraging. The Trollhaunt goes on forever and it seems that the Troll King's forces are similarly endless. While I had absolutely no trouble dispatching the tiny fools, grinding through Trolls takes time that Moonstair doesn't have.

It would be easier if more members of the party knew how to avoid a fight. What fools these mortals be! They all be timeless poets if their proficiency at words equaled the tiniest part of their enthusiasm for bashing skulls. Sadly, if our group knows little of sneaking around, they know even less about diplomacy. As our expedition grinds to a halt, my hopes grow dim for saving the town.

We met a Dragon. Gloomfang, an adult Black last sighted more than a decade ago. I tried to bring her over to the side of the just, but failed. Despite this, we extracted several bits of useful information from our scaly friend. We learned more about this Skalmad character and his magic eye. Apparently if I kill him he gets a free trip to the Feywild and rises from the dead. Not impressive. After all, it doesn't make him any harder to kill, and he can hardly destroy Moonstair from the Feywild. I think this is a perfect example of how wizards and their ridiculous magics are no match for the thoughtfully applied hellfire and darkness of Lord Obsidian.

The State of the game 6/4/09

First I would like to say well done to everyone who posted diary entries/campaign follow up reports. They were all exceptional. Thank you! Now for some business

This is just a quick reminder to everyone. Our game continues, come hell or high water, Saturday at 1:00 pm, at my place. Also, keep in mind that your characters have leveled and I would prefer you do any of your leveling and item purchasing at home, and if anything significant changed about your character, please post such information on the blog under the comments of this entry.

Finally, at the event on Saturday I want to make everyone contributors to the blog so you can all post your own entries. Don't let me forget

POV Session Report 05/28/09

edited to reflect content

Obsidian--Entry 1

My soul is in dire peril.

Returning from a Food Services Trade Fair, I was beset by a group of trolls, who evidently comprised the smallest part of an army bent on destroying Moonstair. If it were any other town, I'd trick some Dragonborn townie into buying the Den and hop on a fast boat heading toward a small island with sandy beaches and an untapped market of professional 30-somethings seeking a place of relaxation and amusement, but the situation is what it is and I can't leave.

The town is in bad shape. Our only ally is 4 days away (must find out if this is within 100 miles--can dispatch imp if close enough) and Moonstair has no military to speak of, as it has solved past problems through mercenaries and adventurers. Well, the most talented adventurers are now dead, we are told, and the most talented mercenaries have quite sanely fled the town.

That leaves us. I'm so fucked.

On the upside, I may be able to convince the town the Lake of Fire Ale is a natural troll repellent, owing to its highly flammable content and unique mix of infernal spices (mmmm, cloves the damned). I may be able to land to generous government contract to produce this *troll repellent* at tremendous cost to the taxpayer and use the infrastructure created by mass production to franchise my restaurant's products. Life may be worth living after all.


OOC: I had a blast, James. I hope we get to complete this adventure before I leave in August.

OOC--Our party so far... (some metagaming)

The basics: We have a Leader (Chris's Warlord), a Defender (Frosh's Swordmage), and 2 Strikers (My Warlock and James's sorcerer). Without knowing the nitty-gritty about builds, there's only so much tactical speculation that can be done, but so far, so good. This leaves our remaining partner(s) in a good position to play whatever they like.

Ability Scores: I'm a CON/int build character, and I deduce that Chris's warlord is a STR/int character. James is definitely a CHA/str build. As for Frosh, my guess is Assault Swordmage, which is a INT/str build, although this is based entirely off my impression that Frosh is metal and likes to play butt-kickers, and not based off any evidence whatsoever.

The implications of this party build puts us at a advantage at social skills, as pretty much everyone mentioned being a good talker, more or less, and at a disadvantage for physical ones, as nobody even bothered to mention the physicality of their character at all. Frosh would have been the exception, but for the fact that Swordmages have a decidedly mediocre skill selection when it comes to Physical skills.

Another implication is that this build likely has relatively low defense scores, as only one character (The Warlord) has access to heavy armor out of the box and INT/DEX is the primary score of only one character (The aforementioned Mikal, Frosh's Swordmage). Since we're fighting trolls and orcs, traditionally enemies that attack AC, they will likely hit more often than they otherwise would. This is further complicated by the fact that we've all selected classes that give bonuses to Will, yet we've mostly selected builds (by my speculation, at least) that don't utilize this bonus to generate a competitive WILL defense.

The exception to this would be Khar'Dan, who should have a good WILL and also a good AC and FORT. Being a Sorcerer, though, with low HP, this will only go so far. On the other hand, if I'm wrong and Frosh is playing a defensive character (although I doubt it) he could generate an AC of 29 or higher, assuming +3 warding, +5 armor, +6 ability score, and +5 level bonus. That might happen. I doubt it.

Finally, despite low defense skills and a lack of physicality, our party is more suited to melee than it initially appears. Infernalocks and Dragon Sorcerers do okay taking hits because of, respectively, lots of Temp HP granted by Warlock powers and good defenses and a variety of close blast powers. An INT Warlord, as recent experience shows, is a good friend to any defender, and time will tell with the rest of the party.

Another update

I thought I would post to let everyone know that James has posted his character introduction also. Leaving just david and Frosh

A quick point

Though I would point out that both Tom and Chris have posted their character backgrounds under the comments to the original post about character backgrounds. Anyone else who needs to post should do the same. thx k bye

Welcome to Moonstair

The town of Moonstair is built among the ruins of the troll kingdom of Vardar. It is a trade outpost that lies along a major trade route. Situated at the confluence of two rivers the town accessible only by ferry. Moonstair, in addition to being an important trade stop, is home to the Moon Door and legendary gateway to the fey wild castle city of Celduilon. This combined with the wealth that has come to the town through trade and exploration of the ruins of the ancient troll kingdom to Moonstair's east have brought great riches to the town.

Despite the wealth of the town the population numbers only around 1,000 permanent residence, though this number fluctuates greatly as trade caravans move through the town. Moonstair is governed by a half-elf mayor named Kelana Dhoram. She has become successful mostly because of her excellent mercantile leadership. She lives along with the town's watch in Moonstair keep which was built on the stone ruins of the former troll capital.

Though the troll ruins to the east are populated with all kinds of monsters they have never posed much of a threat to Moonstair. Between the Old Troll Wall which surrounds the city as well as more recent built fortifications and adventurers constantly coming to Moonstair to search the ruins for treasure, there is always enough to keep the wilderness at bay.

The module just arrived in the mail today. I am looking through it now and I will post soon with all the complete details about when the game will happen. I am a little sad that no one has posted their character backgrounds yet.

The Adventure Begins

Here is the low down fellow adventurers. Of course I use the term fellow losely as it is obvious that I, DeeEmm, are far more important then any of you, but I digress. We will be running the 4th edition D&D published module known as "King of the Trollhaunt Warrens" a Paragon level adventure for level 11 characters. Your first quest then is to create level 11 characters for D&D 4th edtion and post your introduction here on the blog. This is a optional quest worth 3,000 xp.

More details will follow with date and time of the first event. Good Journey Adventurers.