GameBlog - Tomb Of The Iron God

When we last left off, the group had discovered the location of the kobolds' lair and were still deciding what to do next.

It seemed that Drake and Amaryxes both agreed it was a good idea to wait a bit, watch to see if the kobolds sent patrols out, and make plans based on what they could learn. Dukkor, it seems, would prefer to go right in and get down to business. Gwynned (Yes, the Mage is back) decides that his best personal plan is to have a glass of wine because...

"There are things I shouldn't do without the excuse of being drunk."

Turleus and the others begin moving supplies to a more discreet vantage point, and are scarcely settled in when the kobolds appear. There's thirteen, and two dogs. The kobolds are equipped (so it would appear) for hunting, and somehow totally missed the party's encampment just to the south of the cave mouth.

Well..no sooner do the kobolds leave the vicinity of the cave than Drake heads right on in, motioning for the others to follow. Turleus and Big Bart go right in after him. Amaryxes is left to wonder just what happened to the watch-and-wait plan and is adamant that he's staying put. Dukkor appears to feel the same way, but with the group's best interest in mind, he trots ahead to let those who went ahead that there were others who did not share their reckless enthusiasm.

So, who's plan will prevail? Will Drake and company turn back, or will Amaryxes and Dukkor join them?

Will the cave be easier to take with less defending it, or is there a surprise waiting for our party of adventurers?

And how is it that a party of kobold hunters with dogs cannot find a large pack of hygenically-disadvantaged dungeoneers?

Updates weekly (at the very least)... same orc-time, same orc-channel.

...hmm.... has a nice familiar ring to it, don't it.

I wonder if I need an orc-phone, an orc-pole, and an orcmobile?

GameBlog - Tomb of the Iron God

When we last left off, the group had made camp in a small patch of trees near a stream. As it turned out, the fishing was quite good that evening. Eight in all,..and I'm sure they were all hungry after the day's encounter with wolves.

It would seem that the mosquitoes were hungry too, and have a preference for sleeping elves.

As Day 2 began, Big Bart prayed for his spells. Meanwhile Turleus collected up his wolf pelts and took up his bow to scout ahead as the group began the trail up into the rocky hills. Luckily the day's travel was completely uneventful.

And yes.. we can has map!



Actually my map does not do the view justice. The actual mountains look considerably less dorky, but y'all bear with me. I'm still a cartography-nOObie.

So, after a lousy night's sleep at the first camp, Drake sought out a less rocky place to lay his head and commenced to enjoying his pipe. Turleus set up the wolf pelts to dry some more overnight, and Dukkor took first watch.

And again, the night passed without event.

(The DM seems to have misplaced his stable of random wandering outdoor adventure creatures and things-that-go-bump-in-the-night and kill poor 1st level elf girls and their hirelings)

But the good news is that everybody healed a point of damage for getting a good night's rest...and Ibhram's map showed the cave can be reached by day's end...and this is good..because had begun to rain.

Turleus loaded up his pelts and got ready to set out with bow and pole again. Meanwhile Amarixes wisely suggested that the group decide how best to approach the kobold lair. Gwynned the Mage, it would appear, prefers to execute the plans before they can be laid, hatched and grow up to become strategies.

(And it seems somebody hit the [FF>>] button and suddenly, there's the cave.

And Gwynned has just found some little paw prints.

Could it be.... I dunno... kobold paws?

{cue ominous music}

Will the group go right in before the kobolds find out they have arrived..or will they find a place to camp one more night so they heal up and prepare to assault the caverns in the morning? What sort of plan might they come up with, and will that crazy elf berserker remember to forget the plan later?

Watch, wait, and we all shall see!

GameBlog - Tomb of the Iron God, continued

I'm sorry for the belated gameblog update. Time got away from me this week.

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When I last left off, our brave adventurers were hiking east toward the mountains, unsuspecting of what awaited them. Turleus, who chose to scout a bit ahead of the group, is the first to be attacked by the wolves. One sprang upon him, and four others charged the rest of the group. Fortunately for Turleus, he was able to fend off his attacker for a short while.

Oghram and Ibhram each shoot, both hitting their targets. Meanwhile Drake and Dukkor move to protect Ameryxes, Bart and Valley. Dukkor with one swing was able to finish off the wolf wounded by Oghram. Bart also took a swing, but missed. Both he and Drake were bitten badly in the initial attack.

Amaryxes stepped up with his staff and landed a wallup on the head of the wolf that was trying to eat poor Big Bart. Valley swung his axe at the fourth wolf and sent it into a yelping fit.

Turleus then somehow managed to kick dirt up in the face of the wolf that was attacking him, giving him a chance to throw an axe at the vicious animal. His axe connected, and then Ibhram and Oghram were able to rush in with swords and finish off the wounded wolf.

Meanwhile, Drake and Dukkor continued trying to protect the magic users. Neither have much luck in wounding the beasts, and Dukkor got bitten a second time. Ironically, it was Valley's axe and Big Bart's club that came to the aide of Drake. The angry wolf that had been tormenting Drake then took a bite out of Valley.

Turleus and Amaryxes both tried using their darts on the remaining wolves with some success. Meanwhile, Dukkor killed another wolf as Bart was trying unsuccessfully to nail it with his club.

As all that was happening, Valley the elf went into a berserker rage, bearing teeth at the wolf in front of him, but swinging wild with his axe and missing completely. Luckily Drake stepped in and lopped the wolf's head off.

Who's afraid of the Big-Bads? Nope. Not those guys!

But Ibhram gave them something else to worry about as he and Oghram did a bit of first-aid on the wounded comrades. Rabies? Or maybe becoming a werewolf? Or maybe an elf?

Turleus didn't seem too worried though. He went right to skinning him some wolves. Oh how wonderful the camp will be smelling later on!

So our party is pausing for the night, setting up camp amidst a small stand of trees, and they might just be having fish for dinner. There is a stream nearby, and Drake, Valley and Oghram head off to see what they can catch. Dukkor and Big Bart seem more inclined to kick back beside the fire ...err... guard the camp, that is.

Actually, it seems as if Big Bart is watching the backs of his own eyelids rather than guarding anything.

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And that's where we are. Tune in soon to find out who gets to clean the catch-o'-the-day, what else might be lurking in those woods, and how to tell that you are becoming a were-elf.

GameBlog - Tomb of the Iron God

After a short holiday lull in game posting, things are finally starting to move along. The characters and NPCs have left the city of Augustina and are moving along the east road toward the mountains where there is alleged to be a cave and ultimately the hidden treasure.

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Here's the part where I put in a sort of Gilligan's Island summary of each character for those just tuning in. .... er... just sit right back and you'll hear a tale..a tale of a fateful trip?

Amarixes - a slight man with prematurely vanishing hair who has a fondness for coin tricks but likely has more up his sleeves than just slight-of-hand. He seems to be a nervous or shy person.

Dukkor - raven-haired man from the north who carries a sword in one hand, a tankard in the other, and seems quite confident in his skills with both. He also speaks a bit like Jack Sparrow.

Turleus Ba'dor - tall wiry man in dusty black desert garb carrying a crossbow.

Gwynned - Elf magician..or is he a fighter..or is he a magician? He has brown hair, blue eyes, a bag, a bow, an axe, and an eye for the ladies. He also has an alter-ego called Valley..who is a fighter. Confused yet? Don't worry, there's time yet.

Drake - brawny tattoed wall of a man with braided beard. He carries a wooden flagon and chews on a pipe. He was once a sailor.

"Big Bart" Hammerstein - balding man with grey unkempt hair and full beart, somewhat unfit physique, tatty robes, and a serious fondness for strong drink, even for a priest. He carries a very large ironshod club.

Ibhram - the group's Yarab guide and friendly helpful NPC

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So, our group of adventurers along with a map, a guide, and an ass (donkey, that is) are moving into what a fair sprinkling of in-game foreboding indicates to be bandit-country. It is morning. The dirt road leads them away from the port city of Augustina and past farms and ploughed fields, small hamlets and orchards, and the occasional westward bound pedestrian.

What random encounters lie beyond yon hill or homestead? You'll have to wait and see.

And now.. I present my first game aide. Here is a map using the tutorials I mentioned in my last post. Mind you the hex grid kind of takes away from the Middle-Ages cartography look, but sometimes function overrides form. The hexes are 3 miles each (whether that's edge to edge or corner to corner I have no clue).

Mind you this map took a bit of trial and error..and I still am not wild about how the mountains turned out..but Chgowiz pointed me toward a forum specifically for mapmakers and I hope to learn a thing or two there also.

Gameblogging

In spite of it being the holiday season and all that entails, Garish's play-by-post RPG jumped off to a start this past Monday and is moving along at a nice pace.

For those of you just tuning in, the game is taking place on the Reaper Miniatures message board and can be seen here. The RPG system in use is Mythmere Games' Swords & Wizardry with a sprinkling of his own house rules. It only took a few days to gather up a cast of players, and I know at least one or two also follow my blog..so I won't be giving up any spoilers here.

Think of me as a bard... or a chronicler... or Kermit the Frog with a Sesame Street News Flash. :D


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The story is beginning in Espanola (where the rain falls mainly in the plain) in the city of Augustine, and there is a bit of a noisy gathering at the Blade And Tankard, a tavern frequented by people looking to hire or be hired for high adventure. At this moment, the man doing the hiring is a rather portly man called Orizon, who seems to personally prefer the tankard to the blade. He hopes to hire a party to retrieve for him a valuable artifact, a brass bowl of some great importance.

A man steps right up almost immediately. He is a man of slight build, his robes a bit thin of thread and his head thin of hair. He has a large walking stick, and a deductive person might guess he is a mage. Besides, all mages have names meant to baffle the dyslexic. He introduces himself as Amarixes Rythykia, and demonstrates his abilities by making a coin disappear from his fingers and reappear elsewhere without rational explanation.

The reader may note that such a talent can be handy in an adventure, but even more handy in Illinois politics.

Anyway, as Amarixes and Orizon finish discussing details of the quest and payment, a tough but scruffy man with dark hair armed with a sword which the man says is his preferred means of negotiation. He introduces himself as Dukkor and offers to "stand toe to toe with whatever be blockin' the path to yer bowl."

Next to enter the tavern is Turleus Ba'dor, a tall wiry man in black desert garb carrying a longbow. Following right on his heels is Gwynned, an elf of tall stature (for an elf, that is) with blue eyes, brown hair, and sporting side-whiskers. The human immediately asks about the job, whereas the elf first spares a smile for the ladies in the tavern. Gwynned carries a bow as well as an axe, and tells Orizon that "Spirits told me to come there, so I did. Perhaps were they mischievous or mad spirits, but who knows?". Being that elves are permitted in this style of game to behave like college freshmen who cannot decide upon a degree, Gwynned is, at least for today, a mage.

Even as Orizon is inviting Turleus and Gwynned to join him in what seems to be a slippery path toward eventual drunkenness, a large tattooed man with braided beard and a pipe clenched between his teeth approaches the gathering. His name is Drake, and he is an old sailor who now seeks adventure away from the sea.

By now, everybody is busy getting to know one another better, though Orizon seems to think the party is still one short. (These things sometimes happen to PCs in online games during holidays, but our tardy cleric never strays too far on his sabbaticals.)

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So, that is where we are. Sometimes I think the most fun as well as most important part of the adventure is the beginning-- the carousing around some inn or other in hopes of finding some new opportunity to earn wealth (or get killed) and getting to know the other characters. An article I read recently suggested that PCs in old-school style games ought not invest too much time in character backstory at first or second level because the character may very well not make it to third, but on the other hand, first impressions are so powerful in setting the tone of the game and how the party interacts with one another, I find it hard to imagine getting past the first round of in-game drinks without knowing more or less how one wants to be thought of by the others. One cannot keep being the stand-offish one in the darkened corner thinking how much cooler his character would be if the GM let him use the name Strider.

Yes, we had a PC like that once. You couldn't pry three words of character interaction out of him with a tire tool. Suffice to say, he don't game around here no more.

Anyway, I am really having fun watching this game afoot. Having played the adventure myself, I know where things eventually go, but like my Mom always said, "Getting there is half the fun."

The beginnings of a play-by-post RPG

For those of you who are wondering "What in heck is play-by-post?", it is simply a roleplay game done on the internet, usually on a webforum or blog, and with a deeper emphasis on narrative as opposed to simply rolling dice and smashing things up. What makes me so excited about the forthcoming PbP RPG this blog will be tracking is that it is to be an Original Edition (henceforth to be known as Oe or old-school) styled fantasy heroes-versus-monsters roleplaying game.

"So, why's that so special?", you may ask if you are not yet enlightened and have not yet joined the Oe flock.

Unlike later versions of the game we all know by name, specifically the newest version, Oe gaming emphasizes that the game referee for the most part and the players to a lesser part have more freedom to find out what is and is not possible for the characters to do. A player cannot simply look at his character sheet, calculate the odds on whether or not he can succeed at a particular task or stunt. If you see a wall and want to climb it, you don't roll dice and let Lady LUck decide everything for you. In Oe, you better know at least a little bit about wall climbing. You can throw that d20 all you want, but it won't get your feet off the ground. You're going to have to actually describe how you plan to go about it. This sort of thing makes for excellent face-to-face gaming, but when the players have time to set their thoughts and actions down in words, it can evolve the game into a rather gripping story for others to read as you play.

And before you ask..NO you do not have to be an actual sorcerer to play one old-school style, but if you want my advice, get a copy of Excalibur and watch everything Merlin does. A good game referees will likely look favourably upon a nicely done bit ot theatre on the player's behalf. This sort of mindset can greatly enhance a PbP game for the players as well as anybody else who is reading along.

But I digress (as I often do)

The PbP this blog will be tracking is a Swords & Wizardry module called Tomb of the Iron God. Follow the link in my sidebar to the swords and Wizardry site if you have not already and download the free core rules. The S&W site has several other free downloads too as well as a few "cheaper than food" modules for sale.

The game will actually be running on Reaper Miniatures' webforum. There is an out-of-character topic here, in which the forum members are invited to join the game and, once the game is underway, players and referee handle all out-of-game questions and announcements so that the game topic will be less cluttered and more easily read and enjoyed.

So far, we have four players, one veteran from the Reaper roleplaying forums, and three others who have come over from other old-school RPG forums to join in. I'm excited about the chance to meet new people in and out of game, and to let others have the chance to see what Oe old-school gaming is about.

I'd join in myself, but I've played the module already..BUT I still get to be involved. I'll be providing the visual aides. With a houseful of miniatures, boxloads of HirstArts blocks, and my camera, I'll try my best to provide some good combat maps as the game goes along.

So..watch this space for more on the PbP as well as the usual musings and randomness.