Long ago the Tla'mxi lived in the eastern mountains, far from their current home in the northern forests of Salnar. Then came the Trolls. The tales they tell of their origins are varied, but the most common holds that a group on the Wolf-Running found a mage attempting to maintain control over a summoned creature (whether it was an elemental, or some strange denizen of another plane is unclear). Whatever it was, he was proving unable to master it. Rather than make an attempt to dispel the being, the mage drained the intelligence, as well as much of the life from the band and their companions [Note: Companions here means wolves, and is being used in a very Valdemaran sense.] . When he focused this new power upon the creature, it melded with it, creating the first Troll. After killing the wizard, it infused a small amount of itself into the Wolf-Runners, who were, in effect, the perfect templates. Each of these became a weaker, but still dangerous beast, similar in form to the original.
[I'll post a statblock here if/when I get around to it]
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
West Marches - NPC: Gorbalek Lipadip
I'm holding off on posting the results of the How Do I Kill It And Why Does It Work, until some more people have had a chance to post their theories, but I think Ashton's will probably win.
Anyway, this is about some guy named Gorbalek Lipadip as you know, so I should probably get on with it :).
Well, I wanted to get the players to the Octagon Dungeon early on. Still though, how to do it? Then I started thinking about the fact that there's a gnome I rolled up sitting on his butt on the first level of the place.It seems a bit railroad-y but I think I'm going to have his 'grieving wife' have a "Help Wanted" ad in Accorles (Ack-ore-lays) Landing (the local bar, influenced by Icarus Descending from Shadowrun.)
IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!! IF YOU WISH TO GET THE STORY AS THE PLAYERS EXPLORE IT STOP READING NOW!!!!
She provides a way to contact her, as well as a generous reward. I figure that 100 gold is pretty fair, considering that A. They have to fight some pretty rough stuff to get to him, and B. They get no other loot from the first level, other than the few coins and such the toughest encounter has.
If they go meet her, rather than simply saying "Well, then let's go to this old ruin, and see what we find.", which they probably will, as they're highly experienced players, she will be, for all intents and purposes, his grieving wife, who thinks he's probably dead, as she posted this about a week ago, three day after he was supposed to be back. She's not actually his grieving wife, but more on that later.
When they go down into the dungeon to try and find him, they will - he's on the first floor trapped by... Let's see... 9 - 1d6 Orcs. Those Orc aren't actually gone, they're simply wandering about, but close enough. Anyway, as you can probably tell, the Gnomish woman above, isn't actually his wife. She's been charmed by a servant of the vampire residing on level three. The reason Gorbalek was down there in the first place was that he was helping the thing grow a new body after the last group of adventurers cut its head off. (Thanks Ashton!). Of course the party won't find this out until they make it past the ogre on level two, plus whatever foul creatures reside down there with the vampire... Duh. I forgot that one of the main tenets of the West Marches campaign is that they start with a partially filled in map. Just labeling it "Strange ruins" should do.
Anyway, this is about some guy named Gorbalek Lipadip as you know, so I should probably get on with it :).
Well, I wanted to get the players to the Octagon Dungeon early on. Still though, how to do it? Then I started thinking about the fact that there's a gnome I rolled up sitting on his butt on the first level of the place.
IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!! IF YOU WISH TO GET THE STORY AS THE PLAYERS EXPLORE IT STOP READING NOW!!!!
She provides a way to contact her, as well as a generous reward. I figure that 100 gold is pretty fair, considering that A. They have to fight some pretty rough stuff to get to him, and B. They get no other loot from the first level, other than the few coins and such the toughest encounter has.
If they go meet her, rather than simply saying "Well, then let's go to this old ruin, and see what we find.", which they probably will, as they're highly experienced players, she will be, for all intents and purposes, his grieving wife, who thinks he's probably dead, as she posted this about a week ago, three day after he was supposed to be back. She's not actually his grieving wife, but more on that later.
When they go down into the dungeon to try and find him, they will - he's on the first floor trapped by... Let's see... 9 - 1d6 Orcs. Those Orc aren't actually gone, they're simply wandering about, but close enough. Anyway, as you can probably tell, the Gnomish woman above, isn't actually his wife. She's been charmed by a servant of the vampire residing on level three. The reason Gorbalek was down there in the first place was that he was helping the thing grow a new body after the last group of adventurers cut its head off. (Thanks Ashton!). Of course the party won't find this out until they make it past the ogre on level two, plus whatever foul creatures reside down there with the vampire...
Monday, January 3, 2011
Vampiric Musings, Or How Do I Kill It, And Why Does it Work?
I've been thinking about the standard ways to kill a vampire. I've got a few questions:
Stake to the heart:
1. How much of the heart has to be pierced? Is it a square hit to the center, or will a slight contact that's completely surrounded by heart tissue do?
2. How much of the stake has to be wood? Is it the entire thing, or will a metal tipped one, such as an arrow do? Does a completely metal-shod wooden stake count?
3.Why does it work at all?
Burning:
1. How do you get them to catch fire? Does it count if they simply grab something hot?
2. How much of a vampire must be burned? For example, if you burn a vampire's hand off will it heal?
3. Does sudden, non-prolonged, contact with flame such as that from an explosion kill a vampire if none of the other conditions are met? If so, why?
Sunlight:
1. Why? Just, why?
Also, this will be part of a series of posts titled "How Do I Kill It And Why Does It Work?". This won't cover everything, only those with some special methods of killing them, instead of, or in addition to, the standard means. Each post will be two parts: In the first I ask questions, about things I don't get about the ways you can kill something, and in the second, I post the best responses to those questions with the author's name/identifier being listed. Suggestions for what I should do next, if they include a list of weaknesses, are welcome.
Stake to the heart:
1. How much of the heart has to be pierced? Is it a square hit to the center, or will a slight contact that's completely surrounded by heart tissue do?
2. How much of the stake has to be wood? Is it the entire thing, or will a metal tipped one, such as an arrow do? Does a completely metal-shod wooden stake count?
3.Why does it work at all?
Burning:
1. How do you get them to catch fire? Does it count if they simply grab something hot?
2. How much of a vampire must be burned? For example, if you burn a vampire's hand off will it heal?
3. Does sudden, non-prolonged, contact with flame such as that from an explosion kill a vampire if none of the other conditions are met? If so, why?
Sunlight:
1. Why? Just, why?
Also, this will be part of a series of posts titled "How Do I Kill It And Why Does It Work?". This won't cover everything, only those with some special methods of killing them, instead of, or in addition to, the standard means. Each post will be two parts: In the first I ask questions, about things I don't get about the ways you can kill something, and in the second, I post the best responses to those questions with the author's name/identifier being listed. Suggestions for what I should do next, if they include a list of weaknesses, are welcome.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Urban Development
I've finished off the house I designed. It's pretty interesting, but I'm not sure how to describe it. I'll think about it while the glue sets.
Happy New Year!
As I said happy new year. Good luck, and may you dice roll high (this in response to the interisting tradition one redditor has of rolling a d20 on New Year's to see what the coming year will be like. And of course the fact that this is a gameblog. Anyway, I rolled a 19. Anyone else?)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
House Planning
Well, today I took my first step into actually planning a house. More details when it's done.
Building A House
This post, on Geektactica inspired me to build a house of the same dimensions. I don't wargame or do anything else that needs it, but why not. I had some cardboard, a pair of kitchen shears, and a tape measure handy, plus it's fun. Sorry to those that would like to see my efforts, but I don't have a camera. Plus, it's not done yet, and I don't know exactly what all the measurements are for some of the pieces.
Edit: Actually it's the lean-to. No door yet, it's not glued together, and I haven't even decided what color to paint it, but it's still a pretty cool accomplishment to have completed my first building.
Edit 2: I've finished off the house, and attached the lean-to. It's currently in use as an attached outhouse. Everything is still unpainted, and it's held together using packing tape, but it works.
Edit: Actually it's the lean-to. No door yet, it's not glued together, and I haven't even decided what color to paint it, but it's still a pretty cool accomplishment to have completed my first building.
Edit 2: I've finished off the house, and attached the lean-to. It's currently in use as an attached outhouse. Everything is still unpainted, and it's held together using packing tape, but it works.
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