Over at my Obsidian Portal site: http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/atgiants, I've started logging my sessions of play.
We're using RAW ACKS, and so far really enjoying it. Got a 'needs work' Maptools campaign file with macros for it, which I'll post once I'm happy with it. It's far from perfect, but does the job.
I really like the Mortal Wounds table, which has saved the lives of two PCs so far.
I've been following your blog - very fun stuff!
Thanks Alex.
I suppose that you are creating your own MapTools setting, but in case you are interested, I have created one that I think is usable by now. You can find the details at http://forums.rptools.net/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=21386.
Please let me know if you try it, I am looking for feedback to improve it.
Thanks.
I shall take a look, thanks. I have done my own, which is no the most elegant thing. It's in the forum somewhere.
Looked at yours and I like it. Haven't used it yet, but I'm going to give it a go when I write up my next adventure and prep Map Tools for it.
Just posted a new update on the tenth session of the campaign (see link in first post).
That's' a great session report! The evil priest's use of Command was awesome ("fall!")
The players were lucky the evil priest and the ghouls retreated. It sounds like they were about to be wiped had the guards not shown up.
Yeah, I'm guessing that would have happened: and if it had, that would have been the third time that group have lost their entire party to ghouls. Thankfully the priest was badly wounded, and a failed morale check called for a retreat. Shame they didn't want to follow them into the catacombs though, although I understand why not.
More from the campaign, as the party delves into the Hammers of the God LotFP adventure...
http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/05/against-the-giants-session-ele...
http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/06/against-the-giants-session-twe...
All but one PC is now level 2, and that character (Zarkov) will reach level after Corvin reaches level 3!
Great sessions - sounds like the campaign is progressing well. They are past the death-trap that is level 1.
There's been three close-calls, but the Mortal Wounds table has been kind to them :)
New play report: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/06/against-the-giants-session-thi...
Poor Corvin! It's funny that he's both the most injured and scarred, and the highest level.
Yeah, that amused me too :) Especially as he is now 2 levels above poor Zarkov, who is still level one :)
Latest report: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/06/against-the-giants-session-fou...
First go at using the Tampering with the soul table. Great fun. The dwarf vaultguard is now an alcoholic.
That's awesome! To be fair, I'd be an alcoholic, too, if I'd gone through what your PCs are going through. We often joke that "cure light wounds" must have a serotonin effect that helps prevent the post-traumatic stress disorder that the PCs would otherwise all be enduring.
In general, I think watching the slow physical and mental transformation of the adventurers as they take wounds is one of my favorite parts of an ACKS campaign. It's a lot more subtle than "you lose a level" or "-1 CON" but the randomness and permanence of the "Tampering" table ends up being really scary.
In the campaign I just completed, the group early on was too non-chalant about the effects of death, and by level 3 the characters were so f**ked up that several of them committed suicide in despair. (The players re-rolled). The new adventurers were more circumspect.
Didn't someone just post rules for alcohol too?!
Have they? I'll have to take a look.
Just started another game with my other group, but the first session killed them all off! They too used to new school ways of playing. Starting again next time.
Play report from Monday night's game: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/06/against-the-giants-session-fif...
Tested my alcoholic house-rules, which were ok, but the dwarf found a way around it, and could well avoid too many side effects; we'll see how it goes next week.
New session report: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/07/against-the-giants-session-six...
And another: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/07/against-the-giants-session-sev...
Two PCs are now level 3 (Corvin the thief, Halmary the cleric), the rest are now all level 2.
Exciting stuff! I love gameplay at that level range. Not so fragile as level 1, not quite epic enough to be true heroes, but certainly tough and ready for action.
Latest report: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/07/against-the-giants-session-eig...
This session saw our first use of carousing rules :)
Great fun! "“Drink of this to find peace” and when Idni recklessly drinks from him, a sense of peace and calm envelopes him." Ahhh, PCs. Delightful.
Can you reveal what Nightbane is?
Nightbane is a magic sword, just does double-damage against giants, and sheds light in a 30' radius but only in darkness.
Last Monday's session: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/07/against-the-giants-session-nin...
Wherein the party play ambushing goblins.
More: http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/atgiants/adventure-log
Latest update from my blog (same as the one from the post above):
http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/08/against-the-giants-session-twe...
Also, here is a link to the pie-chart one of the players put together from their 'Kill List':
http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/08/against-the-giants-pie-chart-o...
I don't know about the rest of you, but my players are very competitive, and keep 'kill stealing' to leap ahead; all in a good natured way.
Great stuff!
Your pie-chart of "kills" is hilarious. My 3.5 group was the same way, but in ACKS their encounters are usually so deadly that the players cheer when ANYBODY gets a kill. It's a classic case of the need to work together or die...
My lot are quite good at killing, so long as it's low level critters. Last night another character killed three in a row thanks to some cleaving, which Ungrid did last week; albeit against lowly goblins. It was a harder fight last night though, chopping down some exploding head goblins that sprayed confusion gas and had Ungrid attacking Idni for a round, almost downing him.
And here is last night's session notes: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/08/against-the-giants-session-twe...
Poor Corvin got struck down by a trap, but thanks to some healing and magic, he survived and is only suffering from shock.
Latest report: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/08/against-the-giants-session-twe...
Poor Corvin keeps going down, but good rolls and good healing have so far prevented his death.
I'm a report behind: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/08/against-the-giants-session-twe...
Monday's game (session 25) saw Idni finally fall to below 0 hit points, but some good rolling meant he survives to fight another day. They are now in the dungeon of an ancient dwarf ruin, fighting robots.
Monday's play report: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/08/against-the-giants-session-twe...
Yesterday's session was all making plans, carousing, buying stuff, and debating taking on cloud giants...
http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/09/against-the-giants-session-twe...
Monday's session saw the party of levels 3 & 4 characters take out three cloud giants, and escape with 37,000 gp worth of treasure: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/09/against-the-giants-session-twe...
Now thats a nice haul!
They were very happy with it :)
More from the party: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/09/against-the-giants-session-twe...
All but one (Zarkov) is now level 5!
http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/10/against-the-giants-session-thi...
Latest session, 30th!
Latest session: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/10/against-the-giants-session-thi...
I am loving Old Man Iron.
It is a pretty sword ;)
Last week's session, brief though it is: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/10/against-the-giants-session-thi...
Playing tonight, and we'll see if the party manage to find a way out of the jungle.
Another session report: this time with poor Corvin once again being critically wounded (minus an arm).
http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/11/against-the-giants-session-thi...
"Then they duck as rocks fly through the air, knocking out the torches that light the room, followed by the other torches across the room, as the apes put the lights out."
****
"They cut the power."
"What do you mean they cut the power? They're animals, man!"
I was channelling the film when the apes were swarming in. If I'd thought about it a bit more, I'd have made tunnels and a hollow ceiling too :)
There is no RPG that is not made better by the homage to ALIENS.
The final battle with the apes: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/11/against-the-giants-session-thi...
Next Monday they can actually start to explore the ruins.
Last Monday's session notes: http://www.theskyfullofdust.co.uk/2012/11/against-the-giants-session-thi...
One thing that I've sort of house-ruled is allowing Corvin to continue to adventure, albeit in a limited capacity, even though he now needs a month's bed rest. If the party used henchmen I'd have suggested he played one of them instead, but since they have none I've allowed his player to at least take part in some way. Otherwise he'd be very bored.
Tonight's game... well, what will they do next?
I do this as well, depending on the circumstances. The permanent wounds are brutal enough that nobody is complaining that I'm a big softie!
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