[Mythweaver 2E] Assault on Mount Brim

[Michael Desing]

b]
First thoughts-<A myrmidon.<A defender.<A hunter.<A delver.<Assigning Traits:<Scab<Macheon<Tashya<Teothas<Favored Trait

Each character gets one favored trait, allowed to make rolls for this trait at the next die up (D16 in this case).

- Scab takes PWS
- Macheon takes ASP
- Tashya takes DEX
- Teothas takes REA

Perks

Finally, each character gets a perk (page 13 of the core rules)


- Scab takes speed. He needs to be able to close for melee quickly, since he has no ranged attack at all.
- Macheon takes toughness. He needs to stay vertical, since he is the healer for the group, and may end up taking much of the damage for the group (between taunting foes and using his shield to defend others).
- Tashya takes improved range (so that she maximizes her striker role)
- Teothas takes magic ward (to minimize the effectiveness of enemy casters and magic on him).


Next up, the heroes purchase their gear
First thoughtA myrmidon.<A defender.<A hunter.<A delver.<Assigning Traits:<Scab<Macheon<Tashya<Teothas<Favored Trait

Each character gets one favored trait, allowed to make rolls for this trait at the next die up (D16 in this case).

- Scab takes PWS
- Macheon takes ASP
- Tashya takes DEX
- Teothas takes REA

Perks

Finally, each character gets a perk (page 13 of the core rules)


- Scab takes speed. He needs to be able to close for melee quickly, since he has no ranged attack at all.
- Macheon takes toughness. He needs to stay vertical, since he is the healer for the group, and may end up taking much of the damage for the group (between taunting foes and using his shield to defend others).
- Tashya takes improved range (so that she maximizes her striker role)
- Teothas takes magic ward (to minimize the effectiveness of enemy casters and magic on him).


Next up, the heroes purchase their gear!

[Michael Desing]

Finalizing Characters<Macheon, Human Defender 10
DEX 5; MGT 3; PWS 6; STA 6; ASP 6; INT 2; REA 2; WIL 5 
Talents      armor (expert); melee (expert); light magic (expert); quick spell; influence (adept)
Fav. Trait   ASP

Scab, Ork Myrmidon 10
DEX 4; MGT 6; PWS 9; STA 7; ASP 0; INT 3; REA 2; WIL 4
Talents      Armor (expert); melee (expert); quick strike; sundering; two weapons; athletics (expert)
Fav. Trait   PWS

Tashya, Shadow Elf Hunter 10
DEX 11; MGT 2; PWS 3; STA 3; ASP 0; INT 11; REA 3; WIL 2
Talents      Missile (expert); poison; quick strike; nature (expert); stealth (expert)
Fav. Trait   DEX

Teothas<Next Step: Gear<
Macheon Purchases:
Chain Mail Armor +10 (200 gold)
Shield +6/+4 (125 gold)
Broad Sword +10/+1 (200 gold)
Light Crossbow +3/+3 (24 gold)
Remaining Purse: 41 gold

Scab Purchases:
Chain Mail Armor +10 (200 gold)
Shield +6 (25 gold)
Broad Sword +10/+1 (200 gold)
2 Hand Axes +5/+4 (150 gold; 75 gold each)
Remaining Purse: 15 gold

Tashya Purchases:
Leather Armor +3/+3 (48 gold)
Long Bow +10/+4 (500 gold)
Dagger +3/+3 (24 gold)
2 Quivers (1 gold; 5 silver each)
100 Arrows (1 gold)
1 vial of tarantula venom (10 gold)
Remaining Purse: 6 gold

Teothas Purchases:<Macheon takes weaken defenses, since this has high utility and sets the target up for others better. He also gets a spontaneous spell for his expert rank in light magic:

(DT 8 Light Spell)
   This spell fills the unit the caster is in (+4) with holy energy restoring +4 health to all good and neutral creatures, and dealing this as damage to all evil creatures in the same unit (+4).

Scab takes focused strike<Tashya takes impede reaction, since this will slow attacks down, and give her more time to get additional attacks in.

Teothas< (DT 10 Arcane Spell)
   This burst of arcane energy fills 1 unit with arcane energy (+4) up to 6 units away (+2) dealing +4 damage to all creatures in the area of effect (+4).

Final Character Sheets (note: These are also posted at www.splinteredrealm.com as a pdf that will be constantly updated with current character stats).

Macheon Mistrunner<Scab <Tashya Tabithian<
Teothas Moonharper

[Michael Desing]

Encounter One: The Living Gate

For the first encounter of Mount Brim (which I'm envisioning as a sort of super-dungeon of wacky craziness- a temple of elemental evil on crack, if you would- note that internal consistency is not a driving design consideration here), I want to set the tone for the whole. A first encounter should really do that. I've decided that the master of Mount Brim is some form of elemental overlord (not sure if it's one element or all of them- maybe a giant? A triad of elemental giants? Still working on that), so elements and elementals will probably be a recurring theme here, although I don't by any stretch want to limit the options for things to include. Time will tell.

At first, I thought about a setup encounter on the path up to the mountain. I picture a natural rocky bridge/pathway/superstructure that winds its way up to the mountain over rivers of lava, bottomless drop offs, crevices emitting putrid fog and bubbling pools of tar. Any number of random creatures could emerge from these, but I decide this is better off setting tone and establishing setting than in actually providing an encounter challenge. I play with this for a bit, and decide on the following introductory description.

Mount Brim has long stood on the southern horizon, daring you to approach its mist-shrouded peak. For years, mercenaries and less-reliable travelers have claimed sojourns to the mount, returning with intricate treasures, enigmatic weapons and unbelievable tales. Now, you have decided to plum the depths of the mountain's fortress yourself, to learn of the secrets that lie within, and possibly to recover some of its ancient baubles for your own.

The path leading to the mountain quickly casts off all vegetation and life, and even the prints of the smallest creatures disappear completely more than 5 miles from the mountain's base. All living things know to evade Mount Brim, yet you have let curiosity or greed overcome your natural instincts for survival to meet this challenge. The road quickly narrows to a thin rocky trail that sometimes becomes a bridge or narrow walkway; sometimes level for hundreds of yards before sharply turning, dropping or setting rough and uneven stairs before you. You pass over rivers of lava and bubbling pits of tar, beyond drop offs into bottomless gulfs and through thick, acrid mists. Throughout, you know fell beasts from the deep watch with interest. You wonder what wagers these creatures must be making on your chances, and look about you at your companions. Are you ready for what this mountain will throw at you?

At last, you emerge at the base of the mountain, its spires looming above you, its great iron gate before you.

The master or masters of Mount Brim would clearly want the main gate defended, although this presents some design problems:

1- This is the first encounter, so it cannot be the toughest. However, any smart leader is going to put his strongest force at the entrance. If the goal is protection, the protection would be the best you can spare.

2- If the goal is to sift the 'worthy' from the 'unworthy' or 'friend' from 'foe', the entrance would need some method by which to determine that.

3- If the goal is to sort visitors (sort of like a Harry Potter sorting hat) into what direction to go, the gate would have to include some test or way to determine the right direction.

I decide that the gate itself is a sentient construct. An iron guardian is a level 20 creature, and probably leads to total party wipe if directly confronted, although by modifying it somewhat, and providing a challenge for each character to overcome, I make the gate a reasonable protective device, but also a plot hook at the same time. So, what can it do?

The first option is a skill challenge. I can have the gate test each character to prove his worth by setting up a challenge to use a skill. I want to combine this with role playing as much as possible.

How it works:<

We made our way along with barren and foreboding road to a pair of massive iron doors affixed to the side of the mountain. I used some of my simple arcane magic to detect the presence of magic, and Macheon did the same to detect malignant forces. While I determined that the gates contained powerful enchantments, Macheon was confident that these were not of an innately evil nature. We proceeded towards the gate with considerable care, and the gate itself addressed us as we were within its shadow.<Analysis:

[Michael Desing]

Encounter Two: 99 Gnolls<About the Chamber (and my cheap play aides)



We moved carefully up the entry hallway, a rough-cut passageway hewn into the rock. Little care had been taken to make this entrance as grand or impressive as one might expect, and the bare rock created a distinct sense of isolation. We could hear considerable conversation several hundred feet down the passageway, and could make out a figure huddled in the shadows between us and the chamber beyond. We discussed the possibility of making contact with this creature, and decided parlay may be our best option.

[Michael Desing]

We had successfully completed a tricky political maneuver that could allow us to avoid conflict and pass the tribe of gnolls guarding the entrance completely. However, in his over-enthusiasm, Scab had killed their leader with a single axe throw, and now their legion emitted a unified cry of anger and rage as they prepared to rip us limb-from-limb.

A few things:<Hero Tallies: <Rewards:<Analysis:

[Michael Desing]

b]Back Story<Ylluks, the Undead HydraYlluks, the Undead Hydra

[Michael Desing]

We spent several hours checking through the main hall, eventually confident that the gnolls had fled and would not return any time soon. We resolved to watch our backs, since any path we took now meant that we could be approached from behind, since we had no idea what lay down most of these paths. The northernmost doors proved both impassible and likely the most important. They were warded with powerful magic that we could not bypass, and Tashya quickly determined that its locking mechanism was not native to our realm, nor was it something that could be bypassed by normal means. We had to assume that we would eventually find some way around it, and set about to explore the other passageways. We determined to work in a clockwise order around the great hall, moving first to the southwest corner, and clearing one passageway at a time.<round one<round 2<Round Three:

[Michael Desing]

b]Awards:

Monetary Treasure<Magical Treasure:<Analysis:<Comments:
Monetary Treasure<Magical Treasure:<Analysis:<Comments:

[Michael Desing]

b]Wight Bugbears<Skeletal Vindicator<
Battlemancer
Traits: +1 to MGT, PWS, two different mental traits
Arms Progression: 1, 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 19
Magic Progression: 1, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, 18

Wight BugbeaSkeletal Vindicator<
Battlemancer
Traits: +1 to MGT, PWS, two different mental traits
Arms Progression: 1, 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 19
Magic Progression: 1, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, 18