August and GenCon begin, Goodbye July

August (named after that very unhumble Roman first citizen Augustus Caesar) will be a month of personalities from the Sea of Stars (and possibly other places).  If there is someone -or something– in particular you would like to see, write a comment or otherwise let me know.

I will be off at GenCon from the end of July to early August but page updates should continue during that time (and this is where you can find me at GenCon).  If you have not commented before, your comments may have to wait to be approved once I get back (sorry).

July, 2019, saw the following posts published on the journal:

Tuesday Magic Item – Restorative Apple

Gollaon pulled out an apple and tossed it to Voddick.  “I will be sad to see these go.”

“It was the only good thing we gained from visiting that place,” said  Voddick after catching the apple.  “I hope the apple groves survive the coming war.”

“Do you think it will be a civil war or an invasion?” asked Gollaon before taking a bite of his apple.

“Perhaps both?  It will be bad no matter what, no empire falls without fire and blood.”

Restorative Apple

A beautiful apple, it keeps fresh for an entire year from being picked (and is good for cooking another season beyond that).

Finding Me at GenCon 2019

Should you wish to, first review my advice to those going, then look below:

I will be working primarily in the main event hall, the one in the Indiana Convention Center, for Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG) as usual, and we should have banners up.  Right now my schedule looks something like this:

Thursday, I will be teaching Thunderstone Quest from 8:30-11am and again from 2:30-5pm.

Friday, It will be War Chest, 11:45am-2pm and Thunderstone Quest from 2:30-5pm.  And from 6pm – 2am(ish), you will find me in the Board Game Hall overseeing and helping with AEG’s Big Game Night (BGN).  I will be busy but if you want to come and learn one of the recent AEG games, drop by after 9pm and you can join in and play (though not get any swag unless you already have a ticket).  As it winds down I will have more free time, though you may have to talk with me as I check and back away demo games.  In any case, feel free to drop by.

Saturday, the day starts with the new Walking in Burano, 11:45am-2pm, and then Thunderstone Quest from 2:30pm-5pm and again from 5:30-8pm

Sunday, last day, Thunderstone Quest, 8:30-11am and ending with Walking in Burano from 1:45-4pm.

Spotting me in a crowd!  On duty I will be wearing an AEG t-shirt and my hair (pulled back in a pony tail) and beard are mostly white, and I am an average height slightly overweight white man, so, yeah, I will not be that easy to spot.  Photo attached for reference.

Beyond that, who knows?  But I arrive on Tuesday to help with setup.  So drop me a note if you want to try and meet up, I am sure we can work something out.

In any case, to all those going and not going: Have fun and play more games.

Tuesday Magic Item – Tyrant’s Timepiece

“The King certainly is a nervous fellow,” whispered Voddick.  “Do you think it is negotiating with his former slaves or something else?”

“All tyrants fear for their position,” answered Gollaon also in a whisper.  “And losing a war against his former slaves can not of helped his standing.  I am glad we will be leaving soon.”

“Civil war?”

“Or bloody repression, either one, I have no wish to be involved in.”

Tyrant’s Timepiece

These time pieces, usually pocket watches, are of the very finest make, fit for a king one might say.  The are often decorated with the coat of arms or other symbols of the person it was made for.

Tuesday Magic Item – Sword of Fiery Ambition

“That noble does lead an impressive charge, what with the flaming sword and all,” said Voddick, patiently recocking his crossbow.

“Truth.  I do not fault our enemy bravery but they have chosen an ill cause to champion,” answered Gollaon lining up a shot with his bow.

“I almost regret that we have to kill him.”

“As do I but such is war,” said Gollaon releasing the arrow.

Sword of Fiery Ambition

These swords are always made for battle, they may be decorated but at their base, they are weapons of war.  The blade are often decorated with a flame pattern either through manufacture or by etching or inlay.  The hilts are usually wrapped with heat resistant material.

It is a +1 flaming sword that provides the wielder a +1 enhancement bonus to Charisma, however, as the wielder leads soldiers and wins victories in battle, they gain additional abilities.

• After winning two battles, the bonuses go up to +2 and the wielder gains 2d6 temporary hit points when leading a charge of at least ten combatants lasting until the end of the battle.
• After winning four battles, the bonuses go up to +3 and all combatants lead by the wielder gain a +1 morale bonus to attack and to saves against Fear.
• After winning eight battles, the bonuses go up to +4, the temporary hit points gained when leading a charge go up to 6d6 and all combatants following them on the charge gain 2d6 temporary hit points for the same duration.
• Lastly, after winning sixteen battles, the bonuses go up to +5 and the wielder gains DR 5/magic during a field battle.

However, all of these bonuses (even the base +1) are lost if the wielder ever abandons their troops or flees the battlefield, a fighting retreat is acceptable but flight is not.  The wielder must win another battle to restore it to its base bonus and start rebuilding victories from there.

A battle for the purpose of this sword requires there to be at least one hundred combatants on either side and a reasonable chance of defeat for either side.

Aura strong abjuration and enchantment; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 75,000 + cost of the sword; Weight by sword
Construction Requirements
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, bestow curse, eagle’s splendor, greater heroism, stoneskin; Cost 37,500 + cost of the sword

For D&D 5E:

Weapon (sword), very rare (requires attunement)

First paragraph as above.

It is a sword that provides the wielder +1 to attack and damage rolls, you can use a bonus action to speak this magic sword’s command word, causing flames to erupt from the blade. These flames shed bright light in a 40-foot radius and dim light for an additional 40 feet. While the sword is ablaze, it deals an extra 1d8 fire damage to any target it hits. The flames last until you use a bonus action to speak the command word again or until you drop or sheathe the sword.  Additionally, the wielder’s Charisma score is 15 while you wield this sword (it have no effect on you if your Charisma is already 15 or higher).

• After winning two battles, the sword’s bonus go up to +2, the wielder’s Charisma to 16, and the wielder gains 2d6 temporary hit points when leading a charge of at least ten combatants lasting until the end of the battle.
• After winning four battles, the sword’s bonus go up to +3, the wielder’s Charisma to 17 and all combatants lead by the wielder gain a +1 to attack rolls and to saving throws against Fear.
• After winning eight battles, the sword’s bonus go up to +4, the wielder’s Charisma to 18, the temporary hit points gained when leading a charge go up to 6d6 and all combatants following them on the charge gain 2d6 temporary hit points for the same duration.
• Lastly, after winning sixteen battles, the sword’s bonus go up to +2, the wielder’s Charisma to 19 and the wielder gains resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage during a field battle.

However, all of these bonuses (even the base +1) are lost if the wielder ever abandons their troops or flees the battlefield, a fighting retreat is acceptable but flight is not.  The wielder must win another battle to restore it to its base bonus and start rebuilding victories from there.

A battle for the purpose of this sword requires there to be at least one hundred combatants on either side and a reasonable chance of defeat for either side.

Notes: Military success is one of the classic ways for people to build a power base, this sword is designed to enhance that road to power.  But you have to be willing to fight to really get the best of the magic of the sword and never run from battle, no matter how hopeless the fight is.

Photo “Flaming sword” by quinn.anya is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Down and Out in Taren Kost – Campaign Report Episode 9

This takes place immediately after Episode 6, though it was played after Interlude 2 (and Episode 8).  Chronology gets confusing with a constellation of character based play structure.

Our cast for this episode:

Fiorentino, Reed Greenbottle, Hartessa and Skatska

Episode 9: Losing at Chess and Life

Sean’s GenCon Advice 2019

GenCon is about three weeks away (where did the year go?), so, I thought I would (again) share my hard-earned experience and try and help out people who are going as I do every year.

Preparation:

Tuesday Magic Item – Clarion Sound of Freedom

Gollaon looked out over the assembled ranks and smiled.  “Now this is an army pleased and honored to stand with.”

Voddick finished cocking and loading his crossbow.  “I agree.  There is a certain pleasure to taking the fight to slavers.  Especially with an army of freedmen and women to bring the point home.”

“The slaveholder will not surrender their position easily, so we will have to pull them down.”

“I think we can do that,” said Voddick with a grim smile.

Clarion Sound of Freedom

These horns have only a very few commonalities between them, some of the metal fitting are made from slave chains melted down, carrying straps are often woven from the locks of hair of freed slaves but they come in a variety of styles.

Down and Out in Taren Kost – Campaign Interlude 2

The latest adventures from Taren Kost following from Episode 8, which remains unresolved, so this takes places sometime (you can find the initial adventures and cast list here).

Our cast for this interlude:

Reed Greenbottle and Hartessa

Interlude 2: What Happened?

Shadowrun Campaign Update with New Seattle Scream Prop (#61)

Shadowrun gaming is ongoing, but slowly.  The monthly games at Tyche’s Games (every first Saturday every month, come and join) continue apace and in support of that we have a new Seattle Scream (#61).  This month the team had to outwit devil rats to achieve their goal, not as easy as it may sound.

All of the primary groups I play with are excitingly waiting for the Sixth Edition, which we will see at GenCon in early August, and the monthly game will be transitioning to Sixth Edition soon after it is available.

Also excited to see the new version of Cyberpunk from R Talsorian which will be great inspiration for all cyberpunk styled games.

Our NorCal campaign has not had any more play since the last update, sadly.

Notes: Photo “Agnes and Eunice 5” by Sarah_Jones is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.