Down and Out in Taren Kost – Campaign Report

Well, as this has now become an actual campaign rather than just a few one off adventures, let me start to record the adventure of our brave (?) heroes (??) in the city of Taren Kost.  This game is played with D&D 5E rules modified for the Sea of Stars setting.

Our cast:

Yosef the Well-Balanced, human know-it-all wizard.  (First appearance Episode 1, on hiatus after Episode 2, played by R)

Hartesa Wormwort Ulshyve, dark elf mushroom farmer and inferniculturalist, and self-described hick, with imp familiar “Portobello”.  (Warlock, first appearance Episode 1, played by B2)

Mercutio “the Green”, dissipated human conman and wild magic sorcerer, color changes as a side effect from his wild magic.  (First appearance Episode 2, played by J)

Skatska, self-exiled acid-breathing Dragonborn who seeks the old gods.  (Paladin, first appearance Episode 3, played by D)

Fiorentino, Prezzo dei Raditor,one of the rare fae gnomes who works as a ratcatcher, secretly building a rat army, wears a cat-fur cloak.  (Ranger, first appearance Episode 4, played by B)

Reed Greenbottle, Visse agent of Taren Kost’s Trade Directorate, License Enforcement, and stickler for the proper rules.  (Rogue, first appearance Episode 4, also played by R)

Episode 1: The Beginning

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PinkCat: Running in the Shade “Babysitting” (A different sort of SR campaign report)

To understand what is going on here, you had best read the first PinkCat: Running in the Shade post, but short summary, this is a campaign report for our Shadowrun campaign set in NorCal through the filter of a cartoon made by one of the team members.

Episode Forty One: Babysitting

Guest Starring: Clawz, Rani, Tora and Doc Cav.

Pink is asked to watch over the children of her neighbors, all six of them, all troublemakers, so she has to call in help from more and more of her friends as the night goes on.  Much classic comedy shtick ensures, Rube Goldberg-esque traps, chases in and out of doors on a long corridor and so on, lots of call outs to classic cartoons.  At the end, Pink and her friends are frazzled, the kids are exhausted and asleep and the parent arrive to see that nothing went wrong . . .  and the whole back wall of the apartment building falls off.

What really happened:

February next with a look back to January

January is ending as the year moves ever onward.  Hopefully things will warm up soon as it is quite cold here and, I am told, across much of the US.

Our month of February gets its name from Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa performed at this time of year.  The Romans considered February an ill-omened month which is why it is only twenty-eight days long.  For this month we return to the theme of curses, cursed items, ill-fortune and, perhaps, defense against such terrible things.  As usual, suggestions, comments and ideas are welcome.

The Sea of Stars will also be hosting the RPG Blog Carnival for February on the theme of Making Magic Wondrous.  Please join in!

What was published on the journal in January, 2019, was:

Review – Shadowrun: Kill Code

Shadowrun: Kill Code is a sourcebook for Shadowrun and providing a useful (and clearer?) overview of the Matrix and how the rules system for it works, with general technological tools more options for technomancers and more information on the state of the Matrix. However to get best use from Kill Code you will need at least the earlier sourcebook Data Trails and several other source books. Unless you are running a Matrix, and especially Technomancer, focused game, this sourcebook is not a priority.

Shadowrun: Kill Code, is the Advance Matrix Rule book for the 5th edition of Shadowrun, this particular book expands ways to interact with and explore the Matrix for hackers, technomancers and others. As well as providing new tools and troubles for all involved in Matrix work.

Ends December and the Year MMXVIII, let us Welcome MMXIX

Backward and forward

January, 2019, and the New Year and are just around the corner.  Good fortune to all in MMXIX!

January is named after Janus (Ianuarius) the god of doorways, usually pictured as looking both forward and back.   We will revisit the themes of doorways, transport and travel for January what with moving into the New Year and all its possibilities.  As usual, if there is something on this theme you would like to see, let me know.

Looking back over December, 2018, we find a quite month but not without interest:

Shadowrun campaign news, heading into a new year, and a new Seattle Scream (#58) prop

Our various Shadowrun games continue on, not least monthly with introductory games at Tyche’s Games (every first Sat, feel free to join us), and the occasional game as part of our Thursday night rotation both the NorCal game and occasional one-shot adventure in Seattle.  I got to GM both a Halloween and Christmas themed adventure, with plague spirits for the former and rescuing stolen toys for the later, and play in a Christmas themed one in the NorCal campaign (“Secret Santa“).

The latest news from my campaign here in Seattle Scream #58, the EcoTerrorist piece is laying some (undeserved) blame on one of the player runner teams but that is corporate controlled media for you.  We will see what people make of the rest of them.

Now, be careful out there in the shadows my friends.  The world is dangerous so keep your wits about you and your weapons near to hand.

Photo by Kaleb Kloppe and licensed under CC BY 2.0.

 

PinkCat: Running in the Shade “Secret Santa” (A different sort of SR campaign report)

To understand what is going on here, you had best read the first PinkCat: Running in the Shade post, but short summary, this is a campaign report for our Shadowrun campaign set in NorCal through the filter of a cartoon made by one of the team members.

Episode Forty: Secret Santa

Guest Starring: DoubleUp, Rani and Tora. Introducing:

• Doc Cav, a new (mad) science teacher at the school, a cyborged lizard in the Inspector Gadget mold.  (Standing in for Cavalier, a transhumanist street samurai. played by B.)

The school has decided that hosting a “Secret Santa” would be good for student bonding.  Of course, everyone wants silly things, so the cast ends up hunting all over town for the strange and unusual gifts and humorous adventure ensures.

The episode ends with everyone around a false tree in the school cafeteria, with other holiday symbols around too multi-cultural the school is, exchanging gifts and food and singing songs.  A happy holidays to all.

What really happened: