Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby Knicholas » Wed Jan 13, 2016 5:16 pm

It's not D&D but I have introduced my children to role playing, a system called Hero Kids.

I started them with "Basement full of Rats", an easy opening. In essence, the Innkeeper's little boy went missing. It turns out there is a hold in the cellar of the basement of the Inn that leads to a giant rat lair. They are tasked with retrieving the little boy.

My eldest chose a healer character who has a ranged attack, and can heal herself or others at will. Named Mary. My son took a big, burly DPS character, referred to as a Brute (really a barbarian). Named "Brutey". He hits hard, and accurately, but has poor defense. Together they are a pretty good team. Mary heals Brutey as Brutey knocks down enemies.

It was pretty simple--kill a few rats, kill a few more rats, and then an easy boss fight with the King Rat.

Unfortunately, the pre-made modules are a bit lame. The reward is "ice creme".

I am in the process of putting together a proper campaign. Undead might be involved, along with war, a thieves guild, corruption, and an evil wizard with a cat fixation.
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby Irishjava » Tue Jan 19, 2016 8:53 pm

Had our first session of the Elemental Evil campaign Saturday, and it went pretty well. As this is basically a new beginning for my game, I'm going to start chronicling major events here, for reference in upcoming games and because I like talking about it.

Before I get into what's going on, let me establish the major players, i.e, the people playing the game:
Spoiler: show
FELIX: A tricky lvl 5 human wizard played by a childhood friend of mine. He studied magic for years, but felt like he could learn more in the world than in a tower. Kind of a dick to shopkeepers.
MORAELIA: A loner lvl 5 human ranger played by my wife. Growing up in a poor Neverwinter neighborhood, she enjoyed sneaking outside the walls and exploring the forests. After failing to save her family from a red dragon attack, she sequestered herself in the woods for years. A peeping Tom.
YEVELDA: A formerly evil lvl 5 half-orc barbarian played by a friend. After being denied her birthright by her full-orc father, she seeks glory to prove herself and reclaim her throne. Is becoming open to non-violent confrontation as she learns its value. Has tried to kill 2 different town-masters.
POPO: A righteous lvl 5 Halfling Paladin played by a friend. Called by his God to leave the comfort of his hometown to fight the corruption he saw in Neverwinter. Has been slapped in the face by a bird-demon's dick.
RURICK: A ruthless lvl 1 Dwarf rogue played by a roommate. A former soldier turned unscrupulous bounty hunter, he'll stop at nothing to complete a contract. Almost died in one hit since he's a new level one.

SESSION ONE:
Spoiler: show
After agreeing to work with the formerly main villain, Moraelia, Felix, Yevelda and Popo set off from the town of Phandalin toward the Desserain River Valley, the locus of strange weather and ill-tidings they've been receiving. While passing the stables at the edge of town, they found a mysterious dwarf arguing with the mute owner of the stalls, Beebop the Gnome, for a horse. After some inquiry by the party and more arguing, the dwarf reveals himself to be Rurick Braunanvil, a bounty hunter chasing a 2000gp quarry. When Felix asks to see what he looks like, Rurick shows him the wanted poster, with big lettering that says WANTED FOR ARSON AND MURDER: Amon Warren REWARD: 3000gp. They're off to a great start. Rurick says he could honestly use some help with this one, and would split the bounty with the party for their aid.

They buy horses and ride through snow to the town of Triboar, where Amon had last been sighted. After some investigation, they found a room he had stayed in as well as some unusual tracks in the snow leading south. The room, though appearing normal at first glance, hid a burned mattress beneath fresh sheets. Armed with his direction as well as some other rumors surrounding a missing delegation from Mirabar, they made their way South to Helvenblade House. The guy playing Felix is really drunk by now because I did an Irish Car Bomb with him. They fight some horrible bug monsters along the way. Rurick tries to run at one point like a bitch.

The snow picks up to a blizzard, and they hurry to Helvenblade house before they freeze to death. Upon arriving at the splendid manor, they are met by Mr. Peepers, the family butler who is 100% aped from the Comedy Central show Another Period. He escorts the travelers to the guest quarters, where he talks extensively about how great the windows are. He tells them they look dirty and poor. The adventures ask if Mr. Peepers has seen the man on the wanted poster and Mr. Peepers tells them yes, he's in the common room by the fire. They tell him he's wanted for murder and arson, and he is duly shocked. He warns them that if they must take him, they must NOT use violence in the house.

The party waits upstairs until the dead of night. The two stealthiest people, Rurick and Morealia, sneak down to capture Amon. As they sneak up to a collection of high backed chairs facing a roaring fire, his face becomes visible. He's no older than 16, and wearing rags without a coat in sight. Before Rurick can stab him through the chair, a stately Golden Retriever named Fluffy intervenes. He stands between the chair and the party members. Rurick tries to snap the dogs neck, but Morealia stops him. Morealia, a ranger, can talk to animals semi-telepathically, and tries to get Fluffy out of the way. He talks back, instructing them to have a seat over there. He's basically canine Chris Hanson. Fluffy sits by the fire and forces them to have a conversation with the now-awoken Amon. Other non-D&D party people stop what they were doing to look at what's going on with D&D, because it's uncharacteristically intense. He is startled, visibly frightened, and moves toward the aforementioned super-nice window. The rest of the party, cued by Popo's steed, arrives. Popo tries to detect good and evil, but gets a distinct whiff of both. Amon reveals he just got these powers recently, after a series of shocking dreams. He is pulled by an unknown force to the south, and every moment he delays is physically painful. He says his victim was a former employer who abused him, and does not regret the murder. Moraelia successfully convinces him (critical roll) to let them accompany him. The DM is disappointed because he really wanted to do a chase through that window.

Amon placated, Fluffy reveals that he isn't actually a dog but rather... Mr. Peepers? Or, more accurately, they're both a shape-shifting guardian Bronze Dragon named Umsheroth. Rurick would have been so fucked if he attacked him. He's intrigued by these events and eager to join in, but he can't leave the house for fear of an ancient green dragon razing it. If the party dispenses of Old Gnawbone in the Kryptgarden Forest somehow, Umsheroth will happily join the fight against the elemental evil plaguing the land. The session ends with Rurick and Amon uneasily playing cards as the party rests in the common room of Helvenblade house. Umsheroth takes his leave to attend to the rest of the house.

Holy shit, that was the shortest summery I could do? Er... join us next time, for tersely written summaries of shit Irishjava does on Saturday nights!
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby NathanLoiselle » Tue Jan 19, 2016 10:11 pm

The gnomes are gone!?!? Who's going to build the crazy and ineffective half-weapon, half-grocery store now????

Also. I used to play Paranoia. You should check it out.

Also.

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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby Knicholas » Thu Feb 04, 2016 8:05 pm

NathanLoiselle wrote:The gnomes are gone!?!? Who's going to build the crazy and ineffective half-weapon, half-grocery store now????

Also. I used to play Paranoia. You should check it out.



I miss Paranoia. I would like to introduce it to my kids-they are likely to develop the devious sort of minds that would excel at Paranoia.

God, it's been so long--I need to find a gaming group.
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby Irishjava » Thu Feb 04, 2016 9:46 pm

Grrraahh we haven't had any time to play and can't until next Saturday. That's a MONTH I've been sitting on all the secrets and having no solid idea where the players are going next. I just want my friends to experience a detailed fantasy world full of magic and tension, slowly unraveling the dark history of an ancient land while sitting around a table drinking and eating grilled meats, IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK?
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby CarrieVS » Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:13 pm

Wow, I forgot about this thread. Here I've been playing D&D, finally, for almost a year. Fifth edition. Been through a few campaigns in that time - I play at a club that runs several different games at once in six week blocks, so we have a tendency to change campaigns quite frequently.

The current one started this Sunday gone, and I'm finally getting a chance to play a version of the Tiefling Warlock I thought up ages ago for my own amusement. Really enjoying it.
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby IamNotCreepy » Thu Aug 31, 2017 1:08 pm

I had always wanted to play D&D, and I finally got the chance to with some friends playing 4th Edition.

I had a lot of fun, but we always struggled to arrange time to all meet and play. We played several different campaigns, but we never managed to finish one (except for Gamma World, but those campaigns always ended with a TPK).

For the one we stuck with the most, I played a Tiefling Swordmage. After a while, I got bored with the character and retconned him to a Changeling Bard who worked as a courtesan ("I be whoever -- or whatever -- you want.") who, after getting into some trouble with a wizard, performed a complicated ritual to semi-permanently change into the Tiefling Swordmage.

I wrote out a whole short story (I'll have to dig it up and post it here) telling the story, and I did an epic reveal to the rest of my party (with the DM's permission). The resulting character was a Changeling Bard/Swordmage Hybrid that was really fun to play.

God, I miss D&D.
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby Irishjava » Thu Aug 31, 2017 1:59 pm

Oh man, this thread got brought back up at a super auspicious time. I just finished DMing a two-year campaign on Sunday (literally the one mentioned in the first post), so naturally I'm already freaking out about what to do next. After we finished, we talked for about 3 hours about what each of their characters wanted to do with their lives, understanding that the new campaign would take place 50 years in the future.

Epilog (from last campaign)
Spoiler: show
-Our wizard overthrew the Red Wizards of They, freed the slaves and became their king.
-Our paladin runs the Lord's alliance, which has spent years trying to track down a mage villain that got away.
-Our druid, upset that so many trees he brought to life had been killed dumbly following his orders, worked to rebuild the forest and also make trees more like people.
-Our half-orc barbarian hooked up with their bronze dragon friend, bought his mansion, and popped out dragon babies.
-Our ranger, an orphan, set up an orphanage in the wing of the barbarians mansion.

Prolog (for new campaign) already sent to players
Spoiler: show
With the nodes destroyed and the Lord’s Alliance released from the Black Spider’s control, the world soon moved on from the catastrophe in the Desserin Valley. Homes were rebuilt, businesses reopened, grasslands regrew as fissures sealed. As the region healed, however, the orphans of the conflict remained stuck in limbo, unsure of where to go after the deaths of hundreds of mothers and fathers. Herself an orphan, Morealia endeavored, with the help of Fang Yevelda, to turn a wing of the Helvenblade House into the “Desserin Home for the Children of the Apocalypse”.

Dozens of displaced children with no other family were taken off the streets and brought there, where they were cared for by a surprisingly attentive butler, the firm but instructive ranger, and a not-great-with-kids half-orc. Between the caretakers, a great number of disciplines were available to the children: vast libraries of books to study, a burgeoning reclaimed forest to explore, and the now-infamous scarred grasslands of the valley to ride through and play-fight in.

Children grew and moved on, but were always replaced by new urchins, street toughs, and children of war. Fang Yevelda, her lifespan short but full, passed 20 years ago after raising a few dragon children of her own. Morealia watched after the orphanage until the day she died: recently, as word now reaches those she knew. Umsheroth sees to the children remaining, with a few new attendants to assist him.

Each of you grew up in the orphanage. You might have arrived there very young, or well into your formative years. Some of you may have been good friends or bitter rivals. Some may have been in different age groups entirely, protecting or harassing younger orphans. However you grew up, each of you were inspired by tales of Popo the Fearless, Fang Yevelda the Barbarian, Felix the Wise, Morealia the True, and Ceaser the Guardian. When you were of age you left to seek your fortunes (perhaps alone, perhaps with others).

Shortly after receiving word of Morealia’s passing, you each received a letter from Desserin Home requesting your immediate presence. The tale begins as you all trickle in from the corners of the world, assembling in the Great Hall of Amon for an announcement…

tl;dr a bunch of orphans raised by two of the last campaign's heroes are all grown up and called back home for a quest. The quest can be pretty much whatever, I haven't told the players anything yet. The only stipulation is that there can't be an intense time limit. There was a really tight one on the last campaign, and it kind of discouraged screwing around.

Here's the idea that I can't tell if it's good or hacky: All of the rangers friend's and charges received a notice when she died, but none of the three living members of the old party (wizard, druid, paladin) have sent anything since their last correspondence. The party must go on a pilgrimage to their last known locations to inform them of her death and deliver her ashes. Each location would have some problem the old hero was dealing with, but got caught up in. Still lacking a good central villain to tie everything together.
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby CarrieVS » Mon Sep 11, 2017 12:13 pm

We're three sessions into our new campaign and about to reach level 4. And our party is kinda crazy - it's a lot of fun.

We have one True Neutral character, and everyone else is Chaotic - including both paladins. We also have at least three characters (out of six) with Intelligence penalties (though I intend to upgrade my warlock's Int from 9 to 10 when we level up, making him one of the most intelligent members of the party).

Leeroy Tate, the crazier paladin believes he's Lawful Good, but he has no idea what he's doing, and we try not to let him go anywhere alone. He's hilarious.

The not so crazy paladin is Chaotic Good, a sort of Robin Hood on steroids, but with less sense. In our very first session he punched out a city watchman to prevent him arresting the warlock for a crime he really was guilty of (although not as guilty as the rogue, who was in silent fits of laughter in the shadows, and got away scot free). In the second session, the DM was forced to seriously consider whether he'd broken his oath (verdict was not quite).

The rogue is, well, a rogue. And a cat. The elven ranger is reportedly Chaotic Good, though I'm slightly dubious about the good.

My tiefling warlock is vehemently Chaotic, doubtfully sane, and clinging grimly onto the bottom edge of Neutral. His patron is Azathoth - "that amorphous blight of nethermost confusion which blasphemes and bubbles at the centre of all infinity ... whose name no lips dare speak aloud" and I wrote four pages of Lovecraft fanfiction as a backstory. His master requires only that he blow shit up and kill people.

The True Neutral nature cleric might be expected to be a stabilising influence on the team, but he's a perpetually stoned firbolg, causes more accidental chaos than Leeroy, and doesn't much care what the rest of us do so long as we're kind to animals.
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby AboveGL » Mon Sep 11, 2017 5:18 pm

I've never played this, but I'd love to some time. I'm very impartial to (post)-apocalyptic and dystopian settings (Fallout, Borderland, Bioshock, STALKER, Half-Life and the like) but more than happy to dabble in fantasy too. That said, my social energy reserves are very, very small and I'll probably be burned out one hour into the game, trying to find ways of getting my character killed.
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby CarrieVS » Mon Sep 11, 2017 5:24 pm

AboveGL wrote:I'm very partial to (post)-apocalyptic and dystopian settings


There are plenty of tabletop RPGs besides D&D. You might be more interested in some of the sci-fi ones. I haven't played any of those, so I can't give recommendations.
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby Cpt._Funkotron » Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:13 pm

CarrieVS wrote:
AboveGL wrote:I'm very partial to (post)-apocalyptic and dystopian settings


There are plenty of tabletop RPGs besides D&D. You might be more interested in some of the sci-fi ones. I haven't played any of those, so I can't give recommendations.


"Shadowrun" is generally the most popular of the Sci-Fi tabletops, it's essentially cyberpunk noir with a few fantasy elements woven in (magic-but-dfferent, dragons are CEO's). I've only played it once but it was very fun.

There's a (sadly discontinued) webseries called Counter Monkey, in which this guy tells stories about rpg's he's played. He's got a few concerning Shadowrun, this one being my favorite:

phpBB [video]
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby CarrieVS » Mon Sep 25, 2017 5:44 pm

I think I can reasonably say that the most stable member of the party was the Ranger. Naturally, we couldn't be having that for long: she ended up being the first party death, following a comedy of errors by 2/3 of the group (yeah, we split the party...). We're actually getting her restored (probably), but her player thinks it's unlucky to continue with a character who died.

She's being replaced with a Dwarf Barbarian: foul-mouthed, stupid, "filthy in mind and body," and pretty much constructed to butt heads with Leeroy. The Rogue is now the only character with an int bonus (the rest of us contributing three 8s and two 10s).
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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby IamNotCreepy » Tue Sep 26, 2017 5:12 pm

CarrieVS wrote:I think I can reasonably say that the most stable member of the party was the Ranger. Naturally, we couldn't be having that for long: she ended up being the first party death, following a comedy of errors by 2/3 of the group (yeah, we split the party...). We're actually getting her restored (probably), but her player thinks it's unlucky to continue with a character who died.

She's being replaced with a Dwarf Barbarian: foul-mouthed, stupid, "filthy in mind and body," and pretty much constructed to butt heads with Leeroy. The Rogue is now the only character with an int bonus (the rest of us contributing three 8s and two 10s).


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Re: Dungeons & Dragons: The Nerdening

Postby CarrieVS » Tue Sep 26, 2017 5:29 pm

Nobody died permanently.

We (thought we) had to go through a swamp, and the horses and cart couldn't get through. So the guy in very heavy plate armour and the only guy with proficiency in vehicles (land) took them round the long way.

As it turns out, the encounter they got (which the rest of us and Leeroy's pet warg and the ranger's player's new character and two NPCs all arrived at in ones and twos and it was about 80% more epic for that - especially when warlock and cleric turned up last of all and decimated the enemy's rear ranks by casting the same spell one after the other) took them into the swamp and they found the guy we were looking for in there by accident.

But it was logical at the time.

EDIT (couldn't watch the video earlier, was at work):
That's remarkably similar to our party and what went down. (A few details different, substitute Paladins, Warlock, and Ranger for Fighters, Wizard, and Monk... and I don't do fire spells, it was an enemy shaman with Heat Metal who barbecued Leeroy and Peren.)
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