Since OOC1 was filling up, please post OOC content here from now on.

And as I mentioned in the other OOC, I'll give Eryn and Marcus another day or so, then I'll move the plot forward.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:06, Mon 14 Jan 2019.

S’cool. Like I said, no rush. Though I am looking forward to it ;)

This bucket brigade scene isn't meant to be anything overly dangerous or plot-important in and of itself. Merely an interesting way to bring in Mithralan. So don't worry about the ship sinking or anything like that.

That could definitely change though, depending on what you guys decide to do.

Aaand I’m in :D

So Sybilla brought the rope. Maybe Eryn can either grab Mithralan or help pull the boat via the rope. Sybilla and Lan can go alongside it and once we are at the ship he and I shimmy up the rope back to the deck and we all have the life boat out of the water and secure it to the side of the ship. A sound plan?

My impression is that the boat is a semi-decent distance from the ship (50+ meters) - not right adjacent.  If the rope reaches the boat, great.  However, that'd be a *really* long rope and a tough swim in these seas.  I'm assuming I was going to need to move either the boat or Mithralan close enough they could get to the ship.  I doubt there'll be a way to safely secure Mithralan's boat while the ship is trying to outrun (and being tossed around by) the storm.  Ilura's certainly assuming that Mithralan's boat is toast.

The ship is already in the thick of the storm, far from land. It was probably a couple hours since the time you left port and the time Vixen came and got you. Sorry that I didn't make that clearer. Sybilla's rope won't quite reach the lifeboat from the ship, but it will certainly be handy for securing it to the ship if that is what you want to try to do.

The super simple solution is for Mithralan to turn into a fish and hop into my beak and I can drop them on the deck.  However, IC, I don't know that's possible, won't be able to communicate in my form and Mithralan doesn't really want to lose their boat.  So I doubt we'll do things the easy way :)

Well, actually you Can communicate with Lan, since druids Can understand animals from their chosen environments and those they’ve studied besides that. But obviously you don’t Know that IC.

Just as Lan doesn’t know IC that you’re not a druid, or that Sybs is a trigon and Can breathe underwater (I assume. Honestly, I don’t know for sure)

So what he’s seeing is a very kind but somewhat misguided rescue attempt, since he could just turn into a bird himself. To him sybs is now in much more danger than him.

I’m pondering how he should break this to them IC without coming across as too much of an ungrateful jerk :p

Got ninja'd.

You probably could talk to Mithralan in animal form, although Ilura wouldn't know it yet. Mithralan can speak with creatures of the sea and forest, or creatures who's essence he has studied. A sea buzzard is a sea creatures. Also, Ilura's ranger move lets her talk to all animals, so she could feasibly talk with Mithralan if he is in an animal form too. I will let the two of you ultimately decide if it works like that though. Could also be a good hook for a potential bond.

I hope to have time to get a post up today, but we'll see how things go.

Is Mouse (the player) still around?

No. The player disappeared for over a month with zero explanation or warning and never came back. So I removed the player and turned the character into an NPC.

Yes, OK. Thanks for the info.

I'll get an IC post up a bit later today.

More like mouse me out, am I right? :P

Boo! Booo! Get of the stage!

Make me!

Sadly I cannot! I can’t find my shepherd’s crook, or whatever those long hooked poles are called. You know, the ones you always see in old cartoons when a bad actor is pulled of the stage.

Perhaps you should load up with tomatoes till next time, then. :)

So, were you guys going to skip ahead and get some travel behind you before trying anything? If so, just let me know which landmark you want to skip ahead to. Cliffport, Cane Islands, Lansel Peninsula, Hazy Sea (dangerous place), or the Sunset Isles (destination)? Then we'll need people to take roles and make rolls for a perilous journey. All require a Wis roll. Most rations will be supplied by the ship, but the roll may still affect things if it is really good or really bad. The further you go, the more info Mouse can pick up for you, but it also adds more risk.

---

- the quartermaster reduces the number of rations required by one
- the trailblazer reduces the amount of time it takes to reach your destination (the GM will say by how much)
- the scout will spot any trouble quick enough to let you get the drop on it

http://www.dungeonworldsrd.com...e_a_Perilous_Journey

---

Captain Frost: "We'll travel south along the coast until Cliffport, then head west toward the Cane Islands. From there we'll make a quick jump over to the Lansel Peninsula and cut down across the Hazy Sea. And it will only be a short while further before we reach our destination, the sunset isles."

My leaning is to skip to just the next destination.  I suspect the mutineers will want to go to work before we hit the dangerous waters and if we're going to take any action, it's probably best to do so when the crew is mostly tired.  My preference is to talk with the captain when we hit Cliffport - presumably we'll be done the storm by then.

If we're short on rations at some point, there are 3 of us who can easily do some fishing.

I'll roll for Scouting as Thomas can help.

I should probably also note that Captain Frost currently has no plans to actually stop at any of those locations. You'll merely be passing by.

Jumping to Cliffport is fine with me. I wouldn't mind being trailblazer. Sybilla probably is pretty good with her sea navigating.
Edit; But I forgot Wis was her worst stat lol. Well XP is fun.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:29, Mon 28 Jan 2019.

I have no particular preference of where we end up, so I'll go with Ilura's suggestion of Cliffport too.

I could do the scout work since I've already been looking for danger and fishy business for some time now already. 09:17, Today: Eryn rolled 8 using 2d6+1 ((1,6)). Perilous Journey (Scout).

Ilura already did this. Should I use the roll for quartermaster, or should I re-roll?
This message was last edited by the player at 08:19, Mon 28 Jan 2019.

Might as well use the same roll for quartermaster.

Well, I had hopes that I'll get to somewhere with the post, but it's mostly directionless.
Brain not working good.

I'll give Mithralan another day or so to respond to Eryn, then I'll post the results of the Perilous journey rolls.

Hey, sorry for the quiet the last few days. Came Down with a fever, and have been alternativt between being delirious and sleeping badly, and being delirious and not sleeping at all. I don’t have energy for anything much coherent right now, but s Night of proper sleep should help.
I’ll get an IC post up tomorrow when I wake, if that’s ok.
If not,  then just move past me.

Hope you're feeling better soon, but actually kind of curious what a post would look like when you're delirious... :)

No problem. Rest up and get well. That is definitely more important than posting. I will hold off on my own post for a bit longer.

In reply to Game Master (msg # 30):

Thanks, I appreciate it.



It’d Probably involve a lot of careless spelling errors from me not noticing auto correct changes, and some dubious grammar that would work in Danish but not in english :p

Luckily I’m more clear headed now, so any mistakes I make I’ll have no excuse for.

...wait, that’s no good...

Like being *cough*Danish*cough*.

#Norwegian

Wanna make it even worse? My dad’s Danish, but my mom’s swedish. So I’m some kinda freakish hybrid of the two!

... Oh wait, that’s basically what Norwegians are ;p

Yes, Danish and Swedish forefathers eventually combined to make us the superior breed. Clearly you guys are obsolete now. :P _{And other lies we tell ourselves.}

Just kidding, I like my fellow Scandinavians. Happy to find another one in the wilderness of the Internet!

Heh so I was going to choose the -1 forward until Eryn mentioned how she would react to the lashing.I felt I had to go with what would make the better scene.

I will do unto this sailor as a truck does unto a discarded marshmallow.

Do we have a timeline on when the punishment takes place, between fixes and coming near Cliffport?
When did Mouse hint at our uselessness? i.e. Do we get to do something about it before CLiffport, or in the next leg of the journey?

Also, I hope that going back in time for the message is OK.

Re. the mutiny: I know I said I'd start it here, but only if necessary, really. I don't wish to completely upend any other course of action we may take and thereby override any input you guys may wish to have. Stopping the sailor and making my distaste for the action clear is the primary objective.

We will say Eryn's action is happening currently. No need for a roll since nobody is expecting you to take action. You can either lay Sybilla's "attacker" out flat or allow Marcus to interfere. Your choice.

Marcus, it is fine that you went back in time a bit for your note. Makes sense. Haven't gotten a reply back yet though the last time you checked. The group has only received Mouse's info recently, and haven't really had time to act on it yet.

Question: Are the group actually legitimate passengers on the ship, having either paid or provided some service to Frost as part of a deal to secure passage on the ship?
Or are they counted as one of the crew?

I'm asking because it'll influence how Mithralan would react to the flogging. He won't be happy seeing a friend punished, but if she's counted as a crew member he won't have much room to interfere. excessive punishment or not, it is the captain's right and duty to provide consequences when a crew member fucks up.

If she's a passenger, however, we're talking a pretty friggin' big violation of rights here.
A passenger giving a suggestion on a sea route that turns out to be dangerous puts no responsibility on the passenger. The blame lies squarely on the captain for following said advice, rather than the instructions of whoever the actual navigator on the ship is.

So it'd essentially mean that Frost is cruelly punishing Sybilla, a paying passenger, for her own fuck-up. And if she'll do that to a passenger who would expect at least some level of safety onboard after paying, imagine what she'll do to one of her crew if they mess up?

All in all, We could easily spin it to her looking like an exceptionally cruel taskmaster.

But as I said, it depends on what actual status the party members have on the ship.

They are probably more like passengers. They have not paid Captain Frost any money though. Ilura, Eryn, and Marcus (and their wizard, Hiran) all helped to subdue a giant that escaped from Captain Frost's cargo hold, and she agreed to let them go with her on her trip as a thank you favor. They get free passage so long as they provide help with basic chores aboard the ship.

It is worth noting that Sybilla and the Hirelings were not present for the giant-slaying, so Frost doesn't owe them any real favors. They are only allowed on board due to their association with the other three adventurers.

I'd say that regardless of if you are a passenger or part of the crew, messing up is not something you do on purpose. Reacting to it like this is short-sighted and kills morale. It also makes fighter smash.

Hmm, That's unfortunate. I was banking on them having paid for their spots, so they'd have a clear status as paying customers. IE, people that the captain doesn't have the same authority over as her crew.

This makes it a grey area, though. It'd be hard to pin it as Frost being unfair, and for me to decide how Lan should react. Because at the end of the day he's a sailor, and follows the rule of the sea. The captain's word is law, and something like a flogging wouldn't really seem like too much considering the route DID put the entire ship and crew in danger. When you mess up like that, it has consequences. Plus, while a flogging is certainly cruel and painful, it's something that a physically fit person could heal from fairly quickly as long as it doesn't get infected. It's not crippling in most cases.
Making it Frost's fault for following Sybs' advice is a bit of a stretch...

So I might end up having Mithralan await the resolution for this one, despite being Sybs' friend. He's neither passenger nor crew member, so he doesn't really have much of a say either.

I'm sorry, but medieval shit like this is not something I will be on board with. :P

If the captain brings out the whip, she gets smacked. Doesn't matter the reason.

It's worth noting Sibella didnt try to fight off the men. If that was possible. She is taking what the captain decided to dish out, probably not the first time she has been flogged. She's a good sailor but she also has a mouth that tends to get her in trouble. I love that Eryn it straight up "This ain't gonna happen" and Lan is all "Dont have to like it, but it's the law of the sea." I feel it really paints a picture of who they are. Might be adding another bond with Eryn after this since I did have one left that I didn't fill in.

I am also enjoying the character development taking place. Keep up the great work guys!

We each have to be true to our characters :)

I see potential for a Bond here, then. :)

Though I would go along with Mithralan's suggestion (and put in some calmer words to Aid him in his suggestion, if someone else also pushes Eryn towards that route) there's a third option here of mentioning the Devil's Bargain right now, and a third-and-a-half option of threatening to mess with the giants on board to endanger the bargain (not our problem, in the end).
This message was last edited by the player at 20:37, Fri 01 Feb 2019.

I was hoping to get a post up today, but looks like it will have to wait until tomorrow. Which is unfortunate because things have gotten quite interesting!

Ilura, what is it that you are trying to Discern Realities on? The pirate ship? The ship that was attacked? the sea overall? Something else?

I just want to make sure I focus my answers on what you want to know info about.

Focused on the pirate ship and the sea around us - specifically looking for anything that might impede or aid in the objective of "avoid being spotted by the pirates and get to the sinking vessel as quickly as possible".

Hey those pirates might be friendly to our cause. Not everything is so cut and dry considering we are traveling with someone whose presumably "lawful" but still working with the damn evil overlord. Never know until you check them out.

Ilura isn't going to tolerate working with pirates who just left a ship to sink with people on board.  The captain's working for the overlord because her family was threatened and she was made to sign a contract that's bound her soul.  She was going more lightly on us than she needed to with the flogging.  She helped heal Marcus's friend.  And she's choosing to check on the sinking ship even though it'd be faster not to.

Ilura is going to try everything in her power to keep this from coming down to a mutiny.

Well now that you’ve said it, they’re most likely gonna turn out to be either friendly, like you said, or the exact pirates I ran afoul of two weeks ago.
Dramatic coincidence demands no less.

Either way it will be interesting and that's what matters. I'm driving Sybilla like a stolen car, hopefully it will lead to some crazy shenanigans.

Aye, I don't think we should try anything with the pirates either. Seems very cut and dry. They already sunk a ship and are likely to either flee or attempt to fight us as well. Best case scenario we scare them off and rescue everyone in the water.

When it comes to the captain, I only have sympathy for her family. Do we know what her dealings with the overlord was before it came down to the contract? Doing what any decent person should do is not a plus in my book, it's expected. I disagree that flogging is going 'more lightly' in any sense of the word; if anything having the option on the list at all only serves to make me detest Frost. If there is anything about the events that went on with Marcus and Bolen that could turn this opinion around, please tell me.

I'll be trying to keep Frost alive till the contract on her soul is fulfilled or broken, because I consider that 'right'. However, I really want to either straight up tell her we know what's going on, or get her out of the way. A frosty ghost person serving the overlord, willingly or otherwise, while we dance around our true intent, is a ticking bomb.

That post took a lot more effort than most, but it's up! Let me know if anything needs clarification.

I just realized I forgot to answer the did you bring your equipment with you question. They might have handed me my equipment back, but I didnt say I took it. So maybe it's more interesting if I left my stuff, better to travel light. This will be fun...

They probably would have had it close enough that you could have grabbed it as you headed off the ship, but I will leave the decision up to you. Whatever you think makes the most sense for the narrative.

You indicated that the pirates will spot us unless we slow down.  However, I'm currently leading the ship on a course that's perpendicular to the pirates, so slowing down is going to make us more likely to be seen than less.  I'll go with your intention of "you need to take more time and change approach" and talk about us actually traveling away from the pirates while still angling to the side.

Yeah, I really didn't make that very clear, did I? My intent was that you could easily avoid the pirates if you steer clear of the wreck completely. But if you approach it as Frost desired, then that is when you would run the risk of being spotted if you didn't slow down. Sorry for any confusion.

Ah, that makes sense.  Ok, updated my report to the captain to align with that.

Let's hope I don't botch any parley rolls coming up. If I play this right I think we can have the Frost situation tied up nicely and still have the transport to wherever we were heading. Though if the situation does go to far sideways I guess we will all be stuck riding Lan the rest of the way.

As a player I am also hoping a certain familiar bird can relay some form of my plan back to the group. I don't see Sybilla thinking that far ahead though.

The bird'll relay the plan, but whether we'll go along with it remains to be seen.  Ilura still wants to save the captain - and the crew.  I expect she'd rather take the risk of mutiny alone than risk involving pirates.

Sorry, but Mithralan's transformations are not compatible with your magic item. You could probably make an argument for Mithralan's elven form though. He probably counts as a creature with a strong connection to the sea. ;-)

Hmm.  The possibilities...

Added to my list. :)

I'm going to give Mithralan another day or two to get a post up, then I will continue on with what happens.

Sorry it is taking longer than I anticipated to get a post up. I fully expect to do so either today or tomorrow though.

I've been a bit busy lately, but I'll write a post up later when I can. In the meantime: Marcus, I don't know how you feel about Mouse, but I wonder if we'll really need them going forwards. I'm inclined to keep the current agreement with him and skip making him a hireling.

What do you think?

Technically he's already a hireling - you're just paying him with food :)

Feeling like garbage today. Going to take some medicine and probably pass out. I will try to get a new post up by the end of tomorrow.

Wish you pleasant dreams while passed out and emproved health when you wake :)

Likewise. Get well soon, Sybilla!

On another note, Ilura, did you have any opinions about what the people you freed in the ship are/look like? You can use an existing non-human race, or even make one up if you want to.

Sorry, my brain missed that invitation.  Corrected.

Marcus, would you Like Lady Mirrorsheen to help you cast your spell? There is no rule saying adepts can only help with arcane spells.

Hmmm...
On first I'd say no. Although if she offered he might take her up on it.
Finally, "The most important feature of casting with an adept is that any negative effects of the casting are focused on the adept first." might result in some further dilemmas for Marcus ^^

So... let's go with yes and if nothing else we'll get a nice lesson.

Awesome! I just found a nice magical-mishaps list  to draw inspiration from with 10000 possible outcomes. This is going to be fun! ;-)

I know you aren't a druid Ilura, but I was recently given this link in another Dungeon world game I am in. I thought you might find it interesting too. For... reasons...

Controllg a Druid

:D

Right now, the bracelet is an awesome new toy.  The notion that it might not work or that there could be downsides hasn't really dawned on Ilura.

To be honest, I was assuming that once we had another druid on-scene, it was quite likely that losing the bracelet might turn out to be the cost of a failed roll or a tough choice so I didn't impinge too much on another player's space.

Feel free to impose consequences in game.  But also feel free to take away the toy or ask me to dial it back a bit as a player.  (The toy might also get worn out or need to be recharged or something too.)

I will certainly keep all of those options in mind. But it seems we may no longer have a druid anyway, so you're not really impinging on anyone's characters at the moment. I also let both of our druids know you had that item before they had fully settled on their characters, so they knew to expect it. The shapes you can take are also much more limited than your typical druid, so there is that too.

But overall, I'll try to do what is best for the story at the time. Definitely don't feel guilty about using the items I throw your guys's way.

Made my failed Defy Danger. Dun Dun Dunn

To specify, Sybilla did mean she was going after Captain Frost now. She figures with Frost and her men preoccupied with the attack she can take her down by the element of suprise.

Alright, give a shout if you need backup! :D

Will do, warrior buddy! :)

I really don't want anything to happen to the captain, but I'm not exactly in a position to do much about it :(

EDIT: fixed spelling
This message was last edited by the player at 03:13, Thu 21 Mar 2019.

Personally I won't stab Frost in the back, so any fight from my end would involve having a face-to-face confrontation about the contract first. I honestly wish to talk it over first, but I believe both me and Sybilla have some beef with the captain now that may make it difficult.

Me and Marcus have a telepathic connection now, and he went to talk with Frost after already making her acquaintance earlier, so chances are good we can get something productive out of that.

Believe it or not, Sybilla, but that is a lethal blow for Frost. Feel free to elaborate on her death (or her being rendered unconscious and near death, if you only wanted to incapacitate her. Your choice.)

Do I hack and slash or Defy danger to hack the tentacle? Or both?

Probably Defy Danger in this instance.

> 6 damage

I guess next time I'll forego any careful preparations and just go straight for a headlock on any perceived problem. :v

I'll get a post up sometime tomorrow when I have time.

Go ahead and try that. I would love to see how it turns out. ;-)

But yeah, Frost was not a physically robust opponent. She had some powerful abilities and a crew of people to back her up, but was not really on calibur with a master warrior, for example. I was hoping she would have lasted at least two strikes though, if I am honest. But one of the things I love about Dungeon World is that not even I know where the story will take us.

With the current shape of the two ships and the attitudes the respective crews will have once we've killed both captains, there's a decent chance the story will soon take us into the depths of the ocean - aided by an anchor or two or perhaps some heavy chains... :)

Question - how close to the Jotun chambers did the hull breach caused by the crashing ships occur?

The pirate ship crashed into the middle of Frost's ship. Most of the damage was to the upper half. The jotun are in the bottom of the ship, pretty much right where the crash occurred.

On another note, we never actually named Frost's ship. If anyone wants to do that, feel free.

Awesome...

In reply to Game Master (msg # 91):

Based on her description alone I would have expected Frost to have some kind of supernatural defense, hence the lengthy preparations. None of us know the numbers anyway, so while I can't speak for everyone I will say I'm fine with it if you adjust them on the fly to help make the scene more interesting.

I suppose her soul is forfeit no matter what we do now, unless we actually deliver jotun in her place and sign her name...

I agree with Ilura that we may find ourselves in hot cold water pretty soon. Do we have a backup plan in case we sink? :P

I have added Silas to the character status thread by copying his stats from the previous IC topic, as he didn't have an entry before.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:42, Mon 25 Mar 2019.

Oh yeah, let me add Sybilla to the thread sometime today.
Oh and Sybilla will probably start to focus on the creatures now that the captain is down. Really at this point both sides should worry more about all these monsters.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:00, Mon 25 Mar 2019.

"The Sea-Devil"
"Mistwalker"
"Eisbrecher"
"Sinking Feeling"
"Icy-Hot"
"Less Than Six"
"R. Matey"
"The Rimestone"
This message was last edited by the player at 07:31, Thu 28 Mar 2019.

Ok, that one really made me laugh.

I'll let others post their actions as it would have taken me some time to paddle over and search him and more time to paddle away before I do anything else.

Oh, and nice call Marcus :)

Well, that was the plan. And now she can't protest :D

Plus, if you get enough air in the bag, once the ship sinks, she should float... ;)

I plan to move the story forward tomorrow. Sorry for the wait.

No apology ever necessary.  When you're slow to post, it just means I get more of what I'm *supposed* to done :)

Wait. We're supposed to be doing other things? :p

But yea, take your time. We're here fpr the long haul.

And not feeling like everyone is waiting for me is a welcomed change ^^

Hey guys, I want to let you all know I will be on vacation from this weekend until next weekend. I probably won't post much during that time, especially in the IC threads. I might still get another post in before I leave though. We'll see.

No worries.  I'm more than ok with the Ribbon of Death delaying their appearance by as long as necessary.  Have a fun vacation :)

I've been a bit busy lately myself, and Easter vacation is coming up, so I may be a bit spotty when it comes to posting as well.

I think Eryn may try stabbing the tentacles a bit to drive them off, if the sailors manage to cooperate on putting out the fire. I'm a bit worried about roasting Mirrorsheen earlier; perhaps someone could spare a cup of healing for that poor fairy? :P

Hello! I'm thinking about running a slow-paced (1-2 posts/week) Dungeon world game and I would be honored to have you as players. So if it sounds like something you're looking for, let me know.

I have two possible concepts and will discuss them in detail once we have gathered 4 or 5 players. Working titles are "An Unusual Story" and "A Hero Fortold".
I'll try to set things up over the weekend, and then we can spend the Easter holidays to slowly define things and characters.

P.S. Marcus will get to healing as soon as he's somewhat sure that he prevented killing ^^ Also, looking forward to the level up so I can take Hospitalier for some more hp restoration.

That's appealing, but I'll have to respectfully decline.  I'm in two games now and one that's on hiatus but may return.  I don't think my work life can afford me taking on one more :)

I am on my way home from vacation now, so hopefully I can resume posting again within a couple of days. I don't know is Sybilla is still around though, unfortunately. I tried contacting her, but haven't heard back. :-(

Well, my vacation was unexpectedly extended by a couple of days, so it will still be a bit before I get a post up. Hopefully this week though. I only have my phone available for posting at the moment, and those don't work too well for anything complex.

Hopefully it was the good kind of extended...

We'll, not the bad kind anyway. Related to selling our house.

I finally had access to a keyboard today, but ran out of time to make a post for this game. I will do my best to get our story going again tomorrow though. Hopefully within 14 hours from now, if all goes well. I am definitely curious to see how the rest of this confrontation plays out.

Now that the site is back up, I hope to advance the plot again either today or tomorrow.

Sorry I haven't updated yet. My weekend ended up being more hectic than anticipated. It probably won't be until Monday when I get time again for posting.

That's fine, take your time. :)

Since Brigg is out cold, I'll just wait to see the result of Marcus' healing and whether or not the slug comes within stabbing range before I do anything.

Sorry, got caught up in life. Will post tomorrow. It's mostly Marcus looking for a new sword, but I can't think straight so bear with me.

No worries. Life does that.

Marcus should be able to find a basic weapon fairly easily in the current situation. Whether it be from grabbing one from a fallen crew member, or by confiscating it from a boarding pirate. You can add that detail into your post however it fits best. No need to make a roll or anything.

I am moving this weekend, so it might be a bit before I get my reply up.

Survive and we'll wait.
Good luck.

That process has been known to take a few hours...

Hope things go well.

Moving went pretty well. Unfortunately, it is taking a while to catch up on all of my rpol games during my limited free time. (Especially the ones where I am in charge.) I do expect to be able to get a post up in this game tomorrow though!

Don't worry about it. Glad to hear you're getting settled in your new home. :)

Ilura, the result of your 6- is that the rope snapped and you are now falling backward toward the deck. Feel free to post again when you decide how you want to react to that development.

You mean beyond screaming and swearing? :>

Do my boots react?  Is there anything I passed on they way up I know I can try to grab on the way down?  I'm assuming that I don't have a whole lot of time to do a discern realities...

There are still other ropes around that you could try to grab. And possibly the mast pole itself. And of course a friendly flying buddy named Thomas who might be close enough to aid you somehow. The cloud is still present and following you around, just off to the side. But since it is following you, it is slightly above you as you fall.

Thematically, you probably don't have time to study the situation closely enough to Discern Realities. But if you have an idea for a cool way to save yourself, then the necessary "ingredients" are tentatively within your grasp. Go ahead and try to use them.

Some questions:
- Can I draw and fire the bow while still keeping my grip on the net?
- I assume that if I throw my spear and miss, it will not float?
- If I were to wait for the slug to strike first, what roll would I need? Is it Defy Danger since I'm trying to avoid getting hurt, or is it Hack and Slash because I intend to counter-attack with a stab at the same time?
- Does the slug itself look like it will come within stabbing range, or is its tentacles long enough for it to keep away?

You won't be able to use the bow one-handed (at least not without inventing a tricky new technique), so you would probably need to readjust your position at the very least.

You can tell me whether your spear floats or not.

The slug has reach, but so do you, so you could try to Hack and Slash it if you want to trade blows. (It doesn't matter if you wait for it to make the first move if that is Eryn's strategy for making her own.) Its tongues are a little longer than your spear, but it isn't smart enough to stay at maximum range. No need to roll a Defy Danger to Hack and Slash, since you already rolled when you got into position. However, if you try some new strategy that puts you in a new kind of danger, go ahead and roll to Defy it. I can always ignore an unneeded roll.

Yeah, I figured that by going off the side of the ship to take a stab, it would be hard to actually shoot a bow. I wished to bring it more as a backup in case I fall into the ocean and need to get back up.

I would say no, even if the spear's shaft was wooden its metal head would be far too heavy for it to float. Since this is a rather special item for her, Eryn would rather leave the spear's carrying strap attached and wrap it around her weapon arm to prevent being disarmed, rather than risk throwing the weapon away at sea.

I think I'll go for hack and slash to open the fight, then, and see where it goes from there.

EDIT:
I used my Fighter damage re-roll move here, but I just recalled that the sea slug was already attacking when I last used it to reduce the damage dealt from my botched Fireball spell. If you consider this battle to be an extension of the previous one, I would have to go with the first roll.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:30, Fri 24 May 2019.

For the reroll, I would say this is still an extension of the previous fight since the sea slug has been prowling agressively the entire time. However! Since you also included that roll to get into a good position to pierce it's brain, I would say you succeeded in finding your target. So the amount of damage is pretty irrelevant now that you pierced it's brain.

Feel free to describe what it looks like when you take out this ferocious sea creature with a single strike.

The cloud follows closely behind Ilura, but there is enough of a delay in its movements that she may be able to outmaneuver it for a short while. Of course flying over the ship (or trying to dump water without flying over it) would expose others to a certain amount of potential danger that Ilura would have to defy.

Putting water in her beak is something Ilura can do without having to spend a hold. Not sure if that is a good thing or bad thing in this instance.

Sorry, I'm all over the place. I'll catch up with the game tomorrow.

That is a lot of sixes! I may have to think about my response for a bit. What terrible exciting things do I want to subject my players to? Hmm...

How about we get rammed by a submarine?

Stop! Stop! She's already dead! She's already dead!

---

If I wish to move the mast out of the way of Silas, would that qualify for Bend Bars, Lift Gates, or would it be Defy Danger? The former describes "destroying" the obstacle, despite the name mentioning lifting.

Bend Bars, Lift Gates seems appropriate in this instance.

Let me know if I need to roll anything else. And I solemnly swear that I'm up to a better posting frequency.

Thank you everyone for the answers you provided in my survey. I think it will help a lot for making this game even more fun for everyone. I really appreciate it!

I hope to have a new post up later today. Tomorrow at the latest.

I am thinking right now might be a good time for an End of Session, since the ship battle has basically ended now. That was a huge chaotic mess, but you guys pulled through!



Also, right now is when we'll check to see if you fulfilled your hirelings' "cost." Which are as follows:

Westley: Fame and Glory
Silas Massasauga: Thrill of Victory
Opal: Good Accomplished
Lady Mirrorsheen Addlesnap Smokewisp the Second: Knowledge Uncovered

---

Lastly, I have finally finished compiling the answers to all of your surveys into a more digestible form for myself to contemplate. Once I ruminate on them for a bit, I'll send out a couple of followup questions. That will probably happen sometime within the next week.

Did we learn something new and important? I forget if we learned all the big important things before or after leaving the docks. I'll go back and check later; help me out in the meantime.

I would say Frost, the pirates, and the sea slug all counts as notable enemies. I think this also fulfills my alignment: "Defeat a worthy opponent."

Ilura's got some fancy new boots, for one!

I must admit I tried to forget Westley existed after the battle started, since I thought he would get skewered immediately if he joined the fight. He may consider this a great story of death and danger to tell to his buddies back at the guild, however!

Silas: The Thrill of Killing a Pirate Captain Only To be Pinned Under a Burning Mast That Was My Stupid Reckless Ally's Fault. (Sorry!) But I don't think anyone can deny that we won this fight, despite suffering some losses.

Opal: A lot of stuff going on here that may not be exactly good or evil, but Marcus is at least trying his best to save Frost's soul.

Lady Mirrorsheen: We uncovered a few things on the ship, but I hope she's not been too busy coughing up smoke to notice. (Sorry again!)

---

I'll roll for water damage and get an IC post going once I have time tomorrow. I just saw this and wished to post before I forget my thoughts.

Side note: Liquid nitrogen is very, very cold. Brine would have frozen solid practically immediately if exposed to it, so I assume it was hyperbole. Fun to think about, though! :P

Did we learn something new and important about the world?  Ilura has personally learned that magic is fickle and untrustworthy - though not sure if that's a learning that applies to the collective 'we' :>

Do the pirates have anything useful to tell us?  Other than that, I think we've learned the following:
- stabbing giant sea slugs in the brain is quite effective
- fireballs are best used with care when wood is the only thing keeping you from a very long swim
- floating magic clouds don't make you immune to arrows
- when you're trying to convince someone to let them be killed so you can zip them up in a magic bag so you can save their soul, it's helpful to have a sneaky turncoat who can stab them and save you the conversation

Not sure if any of those count as "new and important" though

Agree re: "defeat a worthy opponent"

Certainly we got some cool treasures - Boots, an orb and a hat.  Not that we know what the latter ones do yet.  (I don't plan to hoard them - haven't had a whole lot of time to catch up with the group to share.  Right now, I think Ilura would feel more comfortable without most of them :>)

I'm sure Westley will have many tales to tell of his heroism in our most recent adventures.  Silas should be happy as well.  For Opal, we rescued two slaves, ended a pirate crew and (though it probably hasn't been explained to him yet), have acted to save the captain's life and hopefully her soul.  That should hopefully keep him happy.  In terms of Lady Mirrorsheen, we learned about the contract prior to the last end of session.  We did learn a few things about giant sea-slugs.  When we examine the magic items and talk to the pirates, I expect we'll learn some more.  Hopefully that'll be enough to keep her happy.

What does Mithralen want?  I presume Sybilla is considered long-gone?  (That avoids worrying about capturing and keel-hauling her :>)

For alignment - "Endanger yourself to combat an unnatural threat" - the pirates' magic and the slug probably both count.  The biggest magic threat I dealt with was probably me :>

I'm going to count 3 XP unless our GM rules that any of our learnings are 'important'.  That's enough to push me up a level.

Boosting my Dex by 1, new move is Viper's Strike.  Spells are:
  Bless
  Magic Weapon
  Cure Moderate Wounds

Resolved bond:
Eryn has stood by me in battle and can be trusted completely.

New bond:
Ilura became careless. She needs to learn patience.

Alignment: Endanger yourself to protect someone weaker than you. Check.

As for learning something important... So much happened and yet nothing really propelled us forward in our quest. Definitely developing a healthy distrust for magic and magic items.

Total XP gain: 4 (or 5)
Spend 11 XP to get to level 4:
+1 INT
Move: Hospitaller (+1d8 healing)
Spellcaster lvl 3

Everyone go ahead and add an XP for learning something new. I'm not stingy. There were a couple other things you guys learned too, I'm sure, but they kind of got burried under all the chaos.

---

On another note, I have a few prospective new players that are taking a look at the game. They are coming from a different Dungeon World game that recently shut down and seem like they should be a good fit here if they decide to join. So don't be surprised if some new adventurers join the mix in the near future.

Do you need to disclose what happened to the party before they join? Think real-estate agent selling a murder house. But looking forward to some fresh meat new blood.

Do I need to disclose that the adventurers joined the crew of a ship captained by a half-elemental who had a demon-bound contract with an evil necromantic overlord's brother? And that the said contract involved transporting huge jotun and bodies for use in reanimation? And that the adventurers were considering aiding a mutiny to stop said captain, but were attacked by pirate magess before they could? And do I need to disclose that the pirates only attacked because one of the adventurers (who has since left the party) went behind everyone's backs and informed the pirate mages where their ship was so that they could help take out the encontracted captain? But then the pirate ship sank, the pirate captain was shot down by a ballista bolt, the allied captain was slain by the betrayer PC, a fireball set both ships ablaze, and a huge sea slug monster started picking off the crew that was not jet dead, a cloud of acid rain was accidentally conjured and reeked havok on the already burning ship? And now a skeleton crew of the few able-bodied pirates and original sailors are struggling with a severely damaged ship as the adventurers decide their next move is to avoid a necromantic overlord and his brother from seizing control over the realm?

Nah, I doubt I need to disclose that. ;-)

And everything that happened prior to that was super-smooth sailing, so no need to allude to it at all really :>

Additional players/victims are certainly welcome.

Side note: I'm likely going to be in electronic communication withdrawal for about 8 days staring mid-day Saturday.  If I get lucky and find a happy overlap of bandwidth and time, I'll check in.  However, in case I can't, know that I'm still alive and kicking and would be oh-so-grateful if my character was in that same state on my return... :)

My 'tomorrow' ended up with me having a meeting with good old norovirus later that evening. From what I hear a large portion of my department has had an encounter recently. I'm back on my feet now, though.

+3 XP for End of Session questions
+1 XP for Alignment
I have 12 XP total at the moment, so I'll go ahead and spend 11 to reach Level 5. I'll get back to you with my choices.


Honestly not sure if I resolved any bonds.

• "I will show [Ilura] what good [magic] can do." - This one ended in catastrophe. On the other hand she's been fond of all her own magic lately, so.
  
• "Marcus owes me their life, whether they admit it or not." - He doesn't seem like the type not to admit it, to be honest, and we've had each other's backs since the start. Given Marcus' resolved bond, I think this one is complete.
  
• Mouse is gone. I should probably just remove the bond I have already, unless he'll stick around.

Mouse is no longer a PC, so feel free to resolve that bond. Your bond with Ilura doesn't have to be successful to be resolved. The relationship just has to be different than it was before. But I will leave that one to your own judgement. I will also leave the Marcus one to your own judgement. If the two of you feel it is resolved, then it is resolved.

Ah, yes.  Bonds.  I guess my bonds to Hiran and Mouse are done.  I guess leave the slots open until the new players arrive?


I'm not sure Ilura has much guidance here to give.  Her initial thoughts that 'her magic' was better/purer is less certain, though perhaps the problem is the magical artifacts, not the magic from her Goddess?


Not sure if this one is resolved.  Marcus didn't throw himself under the bus this time, so that's a plus.  And Ilura sort of made a mess of things, which again makes the notion of taking responsibility for someone else somewhat arrogant.  Not sure if she's quite grown up enough in this space to relinquish the thought though.

Please welcome our two new players and their prospective characters. We have Chance the halfing thief, and Aguri Saika the barbarian (samurai). We may still have a third player coming too, but I will let you know later.

In the meantime, Chance, Aguri, please introduce yourselves and your character concepts. Everyone can begin brainstorming how you might come across each other, which bonds you might have, and why you are all striving for the same goal.

Hi, I'll be playing Chance Tinyfoot, a halfling thief. It is going to take some time for me to read through the game thus far, so I hope y'all won't mind correcting me if step on something that is already established about the game world.

All I have thus far is my character sheet (nothing etched in stone), and an idea that came to me while I was reading the thread that discusses the game's established cultures, deities, etc...

First, my idea:
I think that Chance is a favorite of both Corr and the as yet unnamed god of sacrifice (who shall henceforth be known as Hayew). He is favored by Corr for his ability to acquire the things that Corr covets. He is favored by Hayew for his ability to discern, after a brief period of observation, the nature of the sacrifice a person needs to make in order to facilitate the achievement of their goals. This insight enables him to intervene on that person's behalf by forcing the necessary sacrifice upon them. Recent observations suggest that either Corr's and Hayew's goals are often in alignment with one another, or Chance is not being entirely honest with people.

If that all seems ok to everyone and assuming that Corr's and Hayew's goals are, in fact, in alignment with one another here recently, then I think that whether Lusiny knows it or not, Coor covets Nikadroy Qizproteus’ soul for some reason, and Chance is working to ensure that Coor gets what he wants.  (Which may or may not be a good thing.)
If, however, Chance is lying to people to justify and/or cover up selfishly motivated acts of theft, then that doesn't work. He would need a different reason to become involved in the current story.

So, that is where things stand now. I would like to begin playing with both of those possibilities open (if both are, in fact, possible). Chance's character sheet follows and the suggested bonds for a thief character can be found at the bottom of the sheet; although I'm not attached to any of them (ba dum bum), I am interested in hearing everyone's thoughts about possible bonds between Chance and the other characters.


Chance Tinyfoot, Halfling Thief

When you attack with a ranged weapon deal +2 damage.

             Look

• Shifty eyes
• Messy hair
• Dark clothes
• Lithe body

Alignment: Chaotic - Leap into danger without a plan.

HP: 19/19
Armor: 1
Damage: d8



        Gear

• Dungeon rations (5 uses, 1 weight)
• Leather armor (1 armor, 1 weight)
• Bloodweed (poison, 3 uses)
• Dagger (hand, 1 weight)
• Short sword (close, 1 weight)
• 3 Throwing daggers (thrown, near, 0 weight)
• Adventuring gear (1 weight)

Starting Moves

• Trap Expert
  When you spend a moment to survey a dangerous area, roll +DEX.
  On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. Spend your hold as you walk
      through the area to ask these questions.
  
  • Is there a trap here and if so, what activates it?
  • What does the trap do when activated?
  • What else is hidden here?
  
  
• Tricks of the Trade
  When you pick locks or pockets or disarm traps, roll +DEX.
  On a 10+, you do it, no problem. On a 7-9, you still do it, but
      the GM will offer you two options between suspicion, danger,
      or cost.
  
• Backstab
  When you attack a surprised or defenseless enemy with a melee
      weapon, you can choose to deal your damage or roll +DEX.
  On a 10+ choose two. On a 7-9 choose one.
  
  • You don't get into melee with them.
  • You deal your damage +1d6.
  • You create an advantage, +1 forward to you or an ally acting on it.
  • Reduce their armor by 1 until they repair it.
• Flexible Morals
  When someone tries to detect your alignment you can tell them any
      alignment you like.
  
• Poisoner
  You've mastered the care and use of a poison. Choose a poison from
      the list below; that poison is no longer dangerous for you to use.
      You also start with three uses of the poison you choose. Whenever
      you have time to gather materials and a safe place to brew you can
      make three uses of the poison you choose for free. Note that some
      poisons are applied, meaning you have to carefully apply it to the
      target or something they eat or drink. Touch poisons just need to
      touch the target, they can even be used on the blade of a weapon.
  • Oil of Tagit (applied): The target falls into a light sleep.
  • Bloodweed (touch): The target deals -1d4 damage ongoing
        until cured.
  • Goldenroot (applied): The target treats the next creature they
        see as a trusted ally, until proved otherwise.
  • Serpent's Tears (touch): Anyone dealing damage to the target
        rolls twice and takes the better result.

Bonds

• I stole something from _____________.
• _________________ has my back when things go wrong.
• _________________ knows incriminating details about me.
• _________________ and I have a con running.

This message was last edited by the player at 13:04, Sat 06 July 2019.

I've also got a character sheet ready to go, but I want to discuss things with the rest of the group, because I know my concept isn't one that fits into every group. I'm absolutely willing to make some changes.

The Basics: Aguri is a traveler from a foreign land. Specifically, an equivalent culture to Feudal Japan. Aguri is the youngest daughter of a large family, and thus did not receive the same opportunities and resources as her older siblings. However, she's trained her body, and set out to make a name for herself outside of the shadow of her family.

Mechanically, she's a barbarian, with hungers for Property and Glory. She basically wants the respect and land that should have been due her as a member of her family, but was denied by circumstance of birth order. And once she's got a taste of it, she wants more. To be better than any of her siblings, or even her parents.

If any of this doesn't particularly fit (either the party or plot), or if you don't think the character would work well in this party at all, I'm willing to make any changes necessary. I've skimmed the previous stuff, it looks like you're coming in from a sea adventure, right? I could definitely see a wandering Samurai looking for fame and fortune being in a busy port city. Maybe we could establish some bonds and figure out what would get this character to sign on with you?

Welcome both :)

Chance, I expect Luciny's going to have concerns about you, but so long as you show a thief's appropriate level of forthcoming about your underlying motivations, the party will likely be happy to have you on board.

You might consider picking a different poison.  We're in pretty decent shape around dealing damage.  One of the other options might give you a chance to shine and do things the rest of us can't.  We'll probably also want to misplace our NPC halfling thief hirling, but that should be easy enough once we get to port (assuming we make it to port...)

Aguri, our overall objective is to prevent Nikadroy Qizproteus from coming back to life.  There's certainly an opportunity for fame/glory in that but no obvious path to acquiring land/riches.  That doesn't mean we couldn't make up a reason (or that Aguri couldn't have a plan in her head - realistic or not :>)

In theory, we still have a long sea voyage ahead of us, assuming we can get this ship back together - or find a replacement.

I think the going theory for her would be that fame can lead to land/riches, especially if she's from a place where honor and reputation are as important as it seems. After all, there's nothing directly profit generating about protecting a powerful person...but rewards surely are forthcoming. I mostly didn't think things like "Pure destruction" or "Mortal Pleasures" really fit with this kind of character. Perhaps she could intend on seizing the land we liberate from any baddies we take down. After all, they aren't using it anymore!

"What? If I maintain this Manse, that reduces the chance of blight, and further usage by necromancers, does it not? Besides, I already picked out a perfect gardener, and I'm sure you don't want to disappoint him."

Perhaps, depending on the bonds we come up with, she's trying to hire herself out as a mercenary, and someone recognizes her when you stop to fix/replace the ship, and recommends picking her up?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:55, Thu 04 July 2019.

I'm soon going to disappear for a week.  When we have a moment of privacy, Ilura plans to show her teammates - and the fairy - the magic items she's retrieved and see what more the group can learn about them.  For getting back to port, she can swim around looking for a large creature that she could transform into to help pull the ship back.  But she wants someone to look at her bracelet to figure out what seems to be wrong with it first.

Have fun on your trip, Ilura!

Aguri and Chance, I think your characters should fit into the current plot easily enough. It sounds like Aguri has a good reason for wanting to go after a dangerous threat. Defeating the Overlord once and for all would certainly bring glory, and with it, property. I like the idea that she just sort of takes over the lairs of the people she defeats.

Chance sounds like he might have some divine inspiration for deciding to join up. Chance could even be a cleric of Corr if he wanted (but still play the thief class), except Corr is too greedy to grant Chance typical cleric magics and just tells Chance what he wants instead. Kind of a one-sided deal. So maybe Heyew admires how Chance sacrifices so much for Corr without receiving any great benefit from doing so. It is up to you though if you want to go the pseudo-cleric thief route. It was just an idea that popped into my brain.

Ok, I'll change the poison to Goldenroot.



Sold! That gives Chance a reason to join the party and leaves questions about how the arrangement began, and why Chance is so self-sacrificing to figure out the answers to as we play. I love it.

Regarding Aguri, I don't have any problems with traveling with a character from a different culture. Eryn is a fighter with great interest in seeing new sights, so if anything she'll be excited to learn of the craftsmanship and theories behind foreign weapons and armor.

A samurai also sounds like they will be more reliable than the problematic triton we just saw vanish. :)

Handling my level up:

* I spend 11 XP to reach Lvl 5.
* Stat: +1 Strength, putting me at 17. Modifier is still +2.
* Advanced move: Blacksmith. Allows me to destroy a magical weapon and add its effect to my Signature Weapon. Fits a sorcerous fighter a bit more than trying (and failing) to sling spells around, I imagine. :)
* New Wizard spell: Mirror Image (Lvl 3). Creates an illusory copy of the caster. Useful for combat, and perhaps as a distraction or ruse in other situations as well.

If this sounds good to you, GM, I'll apply the changes to my character sheet and to the status thread.

Also, a minor suggestion: Since OOC topics are labeled OOC1, OOC2, and so on, perhaps IC topics should be prefixed for easier sorting?  "IC3: Making Waves" and so on.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:19, Sat 06 July 2019.

Hello and welcome new folks!

For now, I don't have a lot for Chance. Maybe he and Marcus crossed paths during the reign of the Overlord?

As for Aguri, are you OK with her and Marcus's families being in touch (some form of trade agreement or such)? His sister that was sent away (and lost at sea) was sent to them, as the faraway lands weren't as ravaged by the war.

Thanks for the welcome, Marcus.

I think that Chance and Marcus did cross paths during the Overlord's reign. Did something Marcus values go missing around that time?

Thank you all for the input. Looks like I shouldn't have to do much tweaking to Aguri to make sure she fits in. I need to look at my bonds, and work out exactly who I might know. Should I post that in the bonds chat? Or figure it out here in OOC, then post the finished bonds there?

Also, I note you're several sessions(and levels) in. I'm not particularly familiar with Dungeon World advancement, as no campaign I've been in has lasted long enough to level. Would Aguri coming in at level 1 be something I should worry about?

You can discuss Bonds here and post the final results in the Bonds thread. Keep in mind that you can make up bonds not in the class options, and in my game you can have up to 6 bonds.

I will add an IC thread soon for current plot discussion, like Eryn suggested. Edit: Looking back, I think I misinterpreted what she meant, but I will still create a plot discussion thread.

Lastly, Aguri and Chance will start at level one. The level difference is not as much of a factor in Dungeon World as it is in other games. I may give each of them a magic item and/or extra money to start with though. Additionally, if anyone's character dies, their new character will start back at level 1.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:49, Sun 07 July 2019.

Okay, fair enough. I am not familiar enough with the advancement of Dungeon World to have known whether it would be an issue. Sorry if that was a stupid question.

In terms of bonds, I've got a few ideas in mind, if anybody is interested.

Marcus, I'm definitely okay with having known your sister. If she is close with Aguri's family, she might not be as familiar, due to Aguri's departure, but perhaps we trained together, or she was staying with my family as a Guest? I'm not sure the circumstances behind your sister's departure.

I'd also like to put forward "Chance's ways are strange and confusing." Why do you do so much, with no promise of reward? She understands honor and such, but Chance seems to go a bit too far.

I'm not sure I know enough about anyone else to make offers, yet, but maybe I could just put my options here, plus one or two I made?

"____ is puny and foolish, but amusing to me." Maybe someone who's good at picking fights they can't win?

"____ shares my hunger for glory. The earth shall tremble at our passing." Is anybody else here ambitious? We could commiserate over shared victories and spoils?

"______ is always getting into trouble, I need to protect them from themselves." I hear we had a fighter dangling off the side of a ship, maybe that's someone a bit trouble prone?

Custom: "_____ would have done well in my homeland. I'm still deciding whether that's a good thing." Somebody who is very honorable or formal? Or stands on ceremony?

I agree completely.



Chance seems like a good candidate for this one, too.

Here's a repost of the suggested bonds for the theif class:

• I stole something from _____________.
• _________________ has my back when things go wrong.
• _________________ knows incriminating details about me.
• _________________ and I have a con running.

I think that it makes sense to add

• Aguri is from a culture I am not familiar with. I would like to know more about their beliefs.

I know we haven't met yet, but I anticipate that being a thing when we do. If anyone else is ok with me slipping them into one of the pre-gen bonds let me know and I'll do so. For instance, It is fine with me for anyone to know incriminating details about Chance. I'd just ask for a heads up before you introduce them into play.

Regarding levels: The biggest change I have noticed is that you can add new abilities and spells when leveling up. However sometimes you may pick "+1 Armor" as your level-up move, and find loot with a fancy new magic power on it, and in those cases you get much more of a noticeable boost from the loot than you do from the level.

+1 Armor is still great, of course, but not something that obviously expands your IC options when writing a post. Pure stat bonuses from leveling up have so far not changed the way I play that much, because even though an improved Strength modifier is a clear advantage it doesn't really change the fact that I am going to strike my foe until they drop anyway.

The suggestion from our GM to grant you a magic item on starting would be a boost to your options I'm sure. I'd suggest that it doesn't even have to be magic, however, because even something as simple as getting a bow in addition to your melee weapon (or a bigger purse of gold, or social standing, etc.) can greatly expand the options available to your character. If given the choice, I suggest picking something that fits your character's personality but also allows them to do something they cannot if they don't have the item.

---

@Aguri, I don't see Eryn as being reckless, but she is willing to put her life on the line to get to her foe. If a fight has not started yet, she won't attack unless exchanging blows seems inevitable. Once that line is crossed, her attacks will be direct.

Eryn enjoys putting her strength of arms to work. It is what she has trained for, and what she is decidedly best at. The alignment I chose for her is also "Defeat a worthy foe", and she needs to shake off the feeling of Pyrrhic victory that stems from recent events. I therefore think this bond of yours would fit: "____ shares my hunger for glory. The earth shall tremble at our passing."

(Then again she did anger the captain, set the ship on fire, and dangle off the edge to fight a sea monster, so you're right that your suggestion may work as well. :) )

I don't really have any bonds remaining on the basic Fighter sheet, so here's a suggestion of my own. Given Sybilla's recent actions and subsequent departure, I may add a bond like this to Eryn: "I doubt if Aguri is as honorable as she acts. I have seen such a friendly mask before."

---

@Chance, thieves can be tricky to deal with, but we had one helping us recently (Mouse) and that went well. With a bit of food and coin going their way, we received information and other assistance in return. Their profession wasn't a problem to us.  I also kinda had something akin to the "incriminating details" bond with them, however, so I wish to use another in your case if you choose to write my name in a blank spot.

As long as you don't stab me in the back, you can certainly rely on me having your back when needed. I suggest adding me on this bond: "_________________ has my back when things go wrong."

Since thieves tend to sneak around and stick their noses in other people's business (and purses), I have a couple of suggestions for potential bonds I could have with you:

• "I wonder how much Chance has overheard when I speak with unseen spirits." (Eryn's ancestors, from my Heirloom weapon move)
• "Chance keeps prodding me to sacrifice my hard-earned spoils. I don't like it." (His faith, whether he is being genuine about it or not.)
• "I can't deny that he is useful, but Chance's schemes puts me in situations I can justly complain about." (General thiefy-ness.)

---

Tell me what you think. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 13:08, Tue 09 July 2019.

Chance, Eryn, I like both of those bonds, and feel they'll be wonderful to roleplay. Please feel free to place Aguri's name in those slots!

Eryn sharing Aguri's hunger for glory definitely makes sense for what I've read about her. And I could see it developing in interesting directions, so I'm definitely willing to fill that spot.

Chance, I think I would prefer to enter your name under the Strange and Confusing bond, as I think that would be a good entry for roleplay and future interactions and development.

I was hoping to get an IC post up today, but I seem to have developed internet issues on my desktop. (I'm posting this from a phone.) Hopefully I will be able to move the plot forward tomorrow though.

In the meantime, feel free to keep working on bonds. Also feel free to come up with some other details about the world if it helps flesh out characters. For instance, who have you traveled with recently? Do you have any friends that are local? How has the weather been lately? Fight any notable monsters?

I will send Chance and Aguri a couple of item options to choose from soon too, and you can decide how they came into your possession. Not sure if I will try to do that from my phone though. We'll see.

Eryn, I'll add you to the "...has my back" bond. Regarding your bond suggestions with Chance, I think they are all viable. I lean toward the third as my favorite because it puts a little pressure on me, as a player, to place you in some difficult situations. I don't know that I necessarily need that extra push, but it won't hurt. ::grin::

Aguri, It sounds like we each have a bond with the other.

If need be I can figure out the rest as we play.

Had a few busy days, sorry for lack of activity.

Aguri, Chance I'll try to get back to you both in a day or so to hammer out backgrounds/bonds.

Connected again and prepared to talk bonds :)

For Aguri, I suppose it's possible that Ilura would seem "puny and foolish" to you, though if you hinted at your impression in person, I'd take pains to demonstrate otherwise.  (Which might make for rather quick resolution of the bond ;>)

For "always getting into trouble", that's been somewhat true for the last day or so - but you'd presumably have no knowledge of that.  And things will surely go much more smoothly after we've met... :)

I definitely don't hunger for power.  And I'm certainly not one for formality.


For Chance, most likely candidates are:
* I stole something from _____________.
* _________________ knows incriminating details about me.

The latter perhaps from my younger years - though in that case, you'd know my true background, which means you'd know some things I'd rather weren't broadcast either...


My default candidates for my bonds with you guys are:
* I have guided __________ before and they owe me for it.
* __________ is a friend of nature, so I will be their friend as well.
* __________ has no respect for nature, so I have no respect for them.
* __________ does not understand life in the wild, so I will teach them.

However, we could also make something up

It is probably not a good idea for Chance to know things that Ilura wants to be kept secret. He wouldn't blab anything on purpose, but he could easily talk without thinking about it if he didn't have a reason for keeping his mouth shut that affected him personally. That being the case, we should probably figure out what he stole from her. Maybe it's Marcus who knows the incriminating details about him.



Most likely, Chance doesn't understand life in the wild. Although, he could potentially fit any of the other three, with the first being least likely. Actually, the likelihood that Chance fits the bond increases as you move down the list.

Yeah, I think Puny and Foolish might be the only one that really fits with you, Illura. Thanks for the input.

As for your own bonds, I think either the first or last ones would work best. Aguri was raised in an almost noble's lifestyle, with a very structured society. While she is martially skilled, I don't think she would do particularly well with the wilds. Perhaps you helped her when she first arrived in these lands? I could see her taking a small boat instead of chartered passage, in an effort to not have anyone know where she went, and landing on some shore far from a port.

Perhaps:
Chance has no respect for nature, so I have no respect for him
Aguri does not understand life in the wild, so I will teach her

Realistically, whether Chance stole something from me or I know incriminating details about him, it probably comes from before I left home to become a ranger.  I didn't have a whole lot of interaction with people when I was studying - though I suppose a brief encounter might be possible.  Perhaps you were passing through on the road and I helped you out of a spot and you repaid me by stealing a weapon or even just rations.  (I wouldn't have had a whole lot worth stealing...)

It looks like bonds are developing nicely. Chance and Aguri, I could bring you two into the game at any time. Would you rather wait until Ilura, Marcus, and Eryn reach land, or would you two like to participate in a mini side adventure while we wait for a good opportunity to merge the two groups?

@Ilura - I think that fits together nicely. I doubt that Ilura would be terribly inconvenienced by the theft of rations. I imagine that would most likely serve to confirm any thoughts they might have about his general lack of respect.

@Game Master - I am open to a little side adventure. That sounds like a good way to get into the swing of things!

Cool. I'll wait a bit to see if Aguri is interested too. Regardless though, I will start a thread soon that one or both of you can join in. I will attempt to craft it so that it will fit into the plot regardless of which course of action the other three adventurers take.

Because we're so predictable... ;)

Fair warning: I've hit vacation time now, and it seems like my family has laid plans that will keep me around for a bit longer than anticipated. My replies may be slow for a while again, so I think that side adventure for the new guys is a good idea.

I'm okay with it. Sounds like a good way to ease us in, rather than just getting thrown into the fray.

Alright Aguri and Chance, your side quest is up! Hopefully it isn't too weird of a concept. And definitely let me know if you need any clarifications.

I plan on moving the main story forward some more within the next 12-24 hours. I will use Ilura, Marcus, and Eryn's intended goals as a guide to jump forward in time a bit. I will use my best guess to do so. So if you want to clear up what any of your IC goals are, now would be the time to do so.

I can move the side quest thread forward with Chance and Aguri too, if there are any new posts in that thread between now and then.

I expect to post on the side quest tonight. I apologize for not having done so already. This past weekend was a busy one.

No worries. I usually don't have time on weekends to post either.

I apologize for my absence and your wait. Things should be back to normal soon.

For bonds:
Chance: Marcus knows incriminating details about me. - Any thoughts on what this is? Did Chance do a job for the Overlord back in the day?

In the other direction, how about: Chance’s misguided behavior endangers their very soul!

As for Aguri, I'm thinking: Aguri is a brave soul, I have much to learn from them.
He admires that she had left the relative safety of her land to come to the troubled part of the world (for whatever reason).
Any thoughts on her bond to Marcus?

I'm perfectly fine with accepting that bond! And for yourself, might I recommend..."I feel like Marcus would have done well in my homeland, for better or ill"?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:14, Sun 28 July 2019.

Sounds great :)

Vacation status: Finally back on Internet that doesn't suck.

I ended up adding these bonds:

• I doubt if Aguri is as honorable as she acts. I have seen such a friendly mask before.
• I can't deny that he is useful, but Chance's schemes puts me in situations I can justly complain about.

I've also removed my bond with Mouse, since his player has left the building.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:26, Mon 29 July 2019.

Welcome back Eryn!

I hope to get posts up for both threads today, but can't guarantee. My son doesn't nap as reliably as he used to, and that is when I get most of my posting done. But if not today, I will definitely get something up tomorrow. Thank you for your patience.

Edit: Turns out I had time already. Awesomesauce.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:40, Mon 29 July 2019.

Glad to be back. ^^

I'm not carrying rations at the moment, though I have space in my inventory for a set. What will I have to do to procure some? What do I do if I end up going without food for a while?

On that note, Marcus is out of rations as well. Maybe a defy danger (cha) to get some from the dwindling ship supplies?

If our ship wasn't damaged enough that we lost cargo; with the amount of people that bit the dust we may actually have a surplus of food considering this journey was supposed to last longer than it did.

If all the food is gone we'll have to stock up in Cliffport. Once more I have a set of clothes to wash the brine out of, as well. I loathe the smell and stickiness of old seawater. Give me solid ground beneath my feet! :P

I'm not really sure what happens when you don't eat, but I'll probably have you gain the Weak and/or Shaky debility the first time food is skipped. After the second time it will likely be damage to HP that can't be healed until you eat.

But yeah, it's true there is still food on the ship, especially considering there are not as many mouths to feed. I guess it doesn't really make sense to even roll for it now that I think about it. But if you try to take more than the minimum (for instance, collecting rations to carry off the ship with you) then roll a Defy Danger. The danger being that you are caught stealing from the ship.

Yeah, I tried searching up the rules for it but there aren't any, really. Rations are mostly used to Make Camp (thus no food = no natural healing).

Inflicting -1 conditions and later escalating to -1 Ongoing or Defy Danger rolls seems to be the advice given by other Dungeon World GMs. I haven't actually encountered the issue when GMing myself, so I've never had to make a call on it.

Shopping list once in town: Food for me and Marcus, and some nice-to-have supplies.

2 x Rations (Ration, 5 uses, 3 coins, 1 weight)
2 x Bandages (3 uses, slow, 5 coins, 0 weight)
1 x Healing potion (50 coins, 0 weight)

Total cost: 66 coins

+ However much our hirelings demand in pay.
+ Stay at the inn. Dunno how long we'll stay in town. I'll subtract the expense as needed.

Regarding prices at the inn: are the listed prices for the entire group, or per person?

I would currently be over-encumbered by all the money I'm carrying (!), so I'll leave it in my bag (and keep an eye on that...) while not traveling. We received 300 coin as payment for helping Brigg deal with Frost; if the inn and hireling expenses aren't massive I'll just assume 100 goes to each of me, Marcus, and Ilura.


@Marcus: If I've been reading it correctly, only the person whose watch it is actually makes the Take Watch roll. I'm guessing our GM will be rolling to see who it is (or they already knew which time period it'll be before asking us).

After 1 in 4, now we have 1 in 3 for things to get interesting...

I choose to read it as a 2 in 3 chance that we get the 10+ result. :P

Just a heads up that I'm largely disconnected next week.  Posts will be with my phone, so probably won't be that long or exciting :>

No worries. Everyone has been pretty quiet lately. I think it is just a busy time of year. I know that I personally have been a bit on the busier side lately and have not minded a little lull in the speed of all my games.

That being said, I am definitely ready to pick things back up now. :-) Hopefully everyone will return to posting soon!

I was waiting for Ilura to continue on our side, but it seems she hasn't logged in for quite a while now. I should post during the day.

Sorry, I'd been waiting to see what the shipmates to respond (which they've now done).  Didn't realize anyone was waiting on me.

I was waiting to see if the pirates would respond too. :P We're all back now I guess?

I plan to get a post up for both threads tomorrow, so keep an eye out for those. I am glad to see that everyone is still here!

I'm not leaving. I've been in slower games than this with much worse people. You guys are great, so it would be foolish to drop out. ^^

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Eryn is still carrying the full reward (300 coin) from Officer Brigg. I'll give Ilura and Marcus 100 coin each to lighten my load. Also, reminder that if Mirrorsheen and the other followers need payment, healing, food, etc., I'll use my share to pay for that since I almost killed them with my Fireball. :)

The hirelings don't require any payment other than their "cost." And you could certainly use money to try and fulfill that cost if you would like. With healing, they don't have HP, so as long as they aren't dead then they will be at full capacity after a significant rest. They don't need you to provide them with food either, but again, you are welcome to. They are people and they appreciate kindness as much as the next person. Just let me know what you want to spend.

Also, if you guys wanted to thin out your hireling herd at all, at port would be a good place to do so. Keep or get rid of as many as you would like. It makes no difference to me.

, he said, sweat dripping down his forehead, hands clutching several sheets of note paper that were beginning to crumple under the stress. Please let them think it true, and take the bait, he thought to himself, already stressed over the promise of more hirelings to come. His last campaign had six players, each with a retainer, a mount, and a pet each. All named, of course, for it simply would not do if Lord Longshaft's famous horse - Shadowmax - was not spoken to with due respect by each and every NPC the party came across.

Even the grimdark Bog of Despair module had proven insufficient in thinning out the ever-growing army of NPCs with their portable petting zoo. But what could one do? GM fiat it away? No, certainly not! That would be to admit defeat! And so they went on for another six months, mostly because an hour was spent each session on moving pet miniatures (sourced from Kinder Eggs, naturally) into position on the battle map.

Eventually it all came to its natural conclusion: With the disheveled grid of slate tiles surrounding the final boss filled to the brim by enough miniature animals that the demon's minions could not fit on the board. The PCs? Relaxing on the floor below. They had been unable to fit through the door with Mittens, Fido, Chewster, Shadowmax, and the party of 40 mind-controlled drow warriors taking up all the space.

The battle lasted one round, the GM less than that. While the players were cheering Mittens on in its final attack against the demon, the GM was attacking a demon of his own - the bottle of 70% spirit he had hidden under the table for just this occasion. Suffice to say, his roll was a critical success.

---

Jokes aside: Yeah, I'll treat our hirelings to a meal and a room if we are to stay in town long enough for it to be possible. :P

Oh my gosh, that was hilarious!

Thanks. :)

It's partially based on my first experience as a GM, where I had too many players and each of them got stuff like pets and mounts that took all too much time and effort to handle in detail. This also messed with my scenario planning because existing modules and battle maps seemed to expect 3-5 players in a dungeon room, not such a massive group.

I really want to see the die that made that roll... :)

Their name isn't Chance for nothing!


You are a legend. :P
This message was last edited by the player at 05:16, Fri 13 Sept 2019.

Chance, I will give Aguri until Monday to post, then I will move your thread forward regardless.

Thank you. That seems reasonable to me. I hope we haven't lost them.

If Chance is five lily pads away from the shore, how far is he from the platform on which the pedestal sits?

He is 5 lily pads away from the side with the pedestal. I would say that is roughly 40 feet from shore.

Hey Ilura, are you still wearing your cloud boots?

Nope.  They're in my bag.  It didn't seem wise to risk melting more holes in boat and there hasn't been much reason to put them on since.  We're trying to be semi-inconspicuous and floating and shooting lightning or dripping acid on those below doesn't fit Ilura's notion of that word :)

(It hasn't dawned on her that they're probably associated with a pirate captain of ill-repute who might be unwelcome in town, so they might still come out)

Sorry guys, I'll have to drop. I have experienced some changes in situation that make it hard to keep up. Please continue to enjoy the game. Feel free to NPC Aguri while in the sidequest for chance.

And sorry again.

Thank you for letting us know! Real life always comes first.

That's too bad. Hope RL isn't too stressful for you, then, Aguri. :)

A suggestion from me, given that we just lost a player: Fast-track the side quest a bit so we may add Chance to the main group ASAP.

I was thinking the same thing.

I plan to get an update up for both threads tomorrow.

Sounds good!

All right folks, we've finally got the Chance to make the party bigger here! :P

I apologize in advance, but I will probably be slow to post for the next week or so. I have midterms this week and next.

I'm happy to be joining the rest of the group, though, and I'll do my best to keep up!

Hope the tests go well.  We'll do our best to keep you alive :)

I have had a bit of a hectic week as well, but I hope to get a post up tomorrow.

@ GM

I feel like my last post may have crossed the line of what Chance is actually capable of doing while under the effect of this spell. While I did not foresee or intend to put any of the other PC's in danger from the frogs, fictionally speaking it is an appropriate consequence to him issuing a command to them in his present state of mind. Also, even if he weren't under the effects of the spell he wouldn't have any idea who these newcomers are. Please tell me if you agree and I will edit my post to be more in line with Chance's current mental health. If not, that's cool, too. I just want to make sure I am choosing actions that are appropriate to his present situation.

Thanks!

I thought your post was fine, Chance. Part of the fun of Dungeon World is that the characters get to help decide how things work within the world we build.

*takes a deep breath*
Sorry for my lack of posting. Having a very busy month. I'll be with you as soon as I can.
I'm cutting down on my games, but I hope to keep Marcus as this is a great game with amazing people.

No worries. Real life comes first. Just jump in whenever you get the time. We will keep progressing the story in the meantime, but it will be assumed that Marcus is nearby the entire time.

And hopefully alive too :>

(It's such a pain when real life gets in the way of good gaming... :>)

I like this new information we got here. Sounds like the secret hideout and possibly remnants of the organization could be very useful to us if we can manage to find it.

I prefer will be when over could be if. Otherwise, I agree with you completely, Eryn!

:)

After almost sinking the ship on the way here I assume there is still a chance we could end up torching this place too. :P

Those possibilities aren't mutually exclusive. :)

Is the door that Ilura and Eryn entered through the only obvious way out of the room we are in?

The only obvious one, yes. You could try to Discern if there are any non-obvious ones though, if you would like.

Sorry my reply is taking a while. I hope to have one up in the next couple of days. This game takes a bit more effort from me than most, so when life gets busy it is usually the one that suffers most.

Hakuna Matata. Thank you for letting us know.

I feel you. I wish for an enthusiastic GM rather than a tired one, so take as much time off as you need. :)

When games move too quickly, I just end up feeling guilty for not getting my day-job done :>

I apologize for being slow to post again. My initial thinking was to take advantage of being hidden to either backstab the summoned creature or to sneak out and strike at the priestesses while they are vulnerable. The initial success of the ruse and Ilura's subsequent attempt to kill the gnome took me by surprise, and I think Chance, too.

This turn of events took me by surprise too. What is the reason to kill the gnome in front of them? They demanded the gnome yet we are now crushing him like the lawn variety, so I imagine we may see repercussions...

Should I risk an attempt at disarming the demon thing?

Maybe, but they don't know that the frog is doing Chance's bidding. I don't know if they even know he is there.

In any case, between dealing with possible repercussions from killing the gnome, and the repercussions we are certain to face if the gnome manages to convince them of the truth of the matter... I thought the former was the lesser evil.

If need be, Ilura can claim that she was trying to save the gnome from the frog, and if all else fails, blame it on Chance. He's not (very) scared of Demonic Angels or the Priestesses that summon them (even if he probably should be).

We need access to the temple.  Even if we kill the angel/demon thing *and* the first two priestesses, we'd still have to deal with the rest of the temple defences and perhaps town defences too.  They're already pissed at the gnome and I'm trying to play the death as "accidental".  They'll be pissed at me/us, but my hope is to appease them by offering to  search the lower temple for the magic room.  Perhaps chance can mention having seen a map on the wall in the gnome's mind that he only recalls vaguely, but might recall more if he actually sees the place.  That gives them a reason to make us do what we want to do anyhow.

The gnome was obviously evil, untrustworthy, an ally of our enemy and a direct threat to our existence.  I can live with killing him...

I don't have a problem with killing the gnome, I just find it extremely risky to do it in front of them after they outright said they wanted a word with him. It feels like spitting in their face.

I just realized that I responded without addressing your question Eryn. I apologize for that.

If the demon-angel attacks, yes, definitely. If it is easier for you to disarm it preemptively it might be a good idea to do so, too. While I understand Ilura's concern about other defenses, they concern me less than the priestesses themselves do. I am not aware of any such bonus, though.

It all depends on whether they buy it as an accident or not.  We'll soon find out :)

I don't think we will get another opportunity, and I am hoping that if they do suspect we are responsible they won't act on their suspicion without proof of some kind.

The other options that I was considering were backstabbing the demon-angel, or sneaking off to try to kill one of the priestesses while their attention was focused on the summoning.

We could potentially deal a lot of damage by ambushing that monster. My character will fight if necessary, but let's avoid challenging this unholy fusion right here and now if we can, as it sounds risky. Killing the priestesses controlling it is a good option if everything goes south, but if we do I'm fairly certain we also lose any chance of helping Captain Frost. Ilura's cleric magic may suffer too, since one of them is aligned with the same goddess.

I just made an IC post too. It's been nice knowing you.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:36, Tue 19 Nov 2019.

Did Chance just hear a loud 'Ding!' from somewhere near Eryn?

Was it a happy "You got XP" ding or a "Round 1: Fight!" ding? :P

They're not mutually exclusive... :>

This is going to be fun on my end. I love when people roll 6's! I will try to have a post up tomorrow at the latest.

In the meantime I'll just go ahead and look up Help for Nervous Tics, that ought to keep me in check until tomorrow.

After some consideration, I realized I need a pause from RPoL.



As this is just an extension of my previous absence, can I suggest that Marcus could remain at the temple to learn more about the goddesse's duality?

Regardless, it has been an honor and a pleasure to play with you all. I'll try to wrap up things in whichever direction we decide on.

Ilura will think you're crazy, but as a player I totally understand.  The whole point of playing is to have fun.  If it's not fun anymore, then taking a break makes total sense.  I will hope that it doesn't take long, because I miss (and will continue to miss) having you as a fellow player, but I certainly don't want you to come back before your ready.  We'll try to only create minor disasters until you're ready to join us again :)

If you *do* plan to hang out at the temple, perhaps you can do some reading and see if you can figure out when the Godesses' birthday is...

Thank you for letting us know. I'll probably have Marcus help Aguri recover in the immediate future, then have him do his research in one way or another once the dust clears. But he will still be around.

Ilura, were you trying to cash Guidance in your last post, or was the prayer merely for flavor?

The former.  Though I guess that means you need a roll...  Sorry.  Coming right up :)

Chance takes initiative, I like it. Leaving this room ASAP seems like priority number one? I'm not keen on fighting the monster right here and now if there are other options.

Having Chance in a position to backstab the priestesses seems like a good fallback.  I might be able to stand against the field of truth.  We'll see...

I think Chance's actions may stop the threat of the spell outright, as he's pretty much incriminating himself by leaving. We don't know him too well yet but he's a valuable asset who's carrying the real map, so helping him in case he gets attacked takes priority for me. I'm willing go front and center and take a hit in the process, and I think it would be prudent to relieve the monster of its weapon as soon as possible. Whether this works or not we should book it down the hall and apprehend the priestesses instead of trying to wrestle with a foe that can possibly overpower us all.

---

Also, I just saw the earlier message about Marcus leaving. It's a shame, I really enjoyed having him on the team, but I kind of expected this after lengthy periods of absence.

I hope you'll return to the game one day, Marcus, but if not: Thank your for playing, it's been fun!

I wasn't totally clear on what Chance was doing.  Apparently he has a magic dagger that he can manifest beside?  It's not clear to me whether the creature will see the flying dagger cast from a hidden location.  If they do, their first impulse might be to charge the hidden location (where Chance no longer is).

I wonder if Chance could knock out the 'evil' priestess?  (And I wonder if we could trust the 'good' one...)

If he managed to knock them both out, before the alarm was sounded, we could potentially swipe the magic weapon and head deep into the complex.  (That's assuming that knocking out the priestesses would disable their creature, which might not be a safe assumption though.)

I was given the impression that the priestesses are vulnerable while they are controlling the summoned creature. I'm banking on either taking them out or forcing them to relinquish control of the demon.

That sounds like a plan.

What do we do with Frost's body and our hirelings? Ask them to scatter?

We'll presumably take them all with us if we need to take out the priestesses.

I was planning to post today, but my toddler son decided he needed to stay up half the night last night. So right now, brain no work so good. Hopefully my mental faculties will recover by tomorrow, and hopefully I will have time to post too. I fully expect to. Thank you for your continued patience.

Yeah, Chance has a dagger that teleports him to wherever he throws it. It was the magic item he was given at character creation.

Totally understand and wishing you a better evening tonight...

Question: Where *are* our hirelings?

At one point Eryn described the hirelings as "keeping watch in the priestesses' chamber." So they are currently somewhere near the priestesses, but probably aren't aware of the trouble you are in. (Except Westley, who is currently shopping for supplies.)

Wow. It never occurred to me that Chance might pull that one off without being seen.

The hallway leading to the exit.... is there anywhere in that direction the priestesses could be, or are they almost certainly further inside the temple?

The priestesses *were* at the entrance, which was just up the hall.  Don't think they traveled super-far if at all because they were yammering at us from up the hall until shortly before their weird construct started scraping its way up the hall.

Right. Thank you!

I'll give Eryn another day or so in case she was wanting to Aid Chance, then I'll move us forward some more.

Hi, sorry, holiday prep and stress hit me hard and I forgot all about posting here.

I may be about to die because I couldn't hold my tongue.

Chance, gut the vampire. :P

If Chance had any way to know what the priestesses intended with the map he might do otherwise, but with the information he has he will do just that. I am traveling but will be whee I can post in n her or two.

I could try rolling to aid you, but you seem pretty pleased to have it out with them, so I won't interfere with your post :)

I wondered if Aid would save me here, but I figured you were already talking anyway. Also Eryn is a fighter and subconsciously really really wants to "Defeat a worthy opponent", so threats of violence are almost welcome when she dislikes someone. :P

I don't want to kill the priestesses, but I'll do what I can to try to disable them.

Yes, there is a chance that your double took the blow. Sorry. I forgot that spell was in effect.

Two failures in a row vs this thing. All I want for Christmas is my life.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm busy with family again this year and may be slow to reply some days. Hope you all are enjoying your holidays, if you have them!

Also, I regret not going with Ilura's attempt to pacify the thing, but I truly believe that abomination is better off gone!
This message was last edited by the player at 20:39, Sun 22 Dec 2019.

You're certainly at risk of losing your two front teeth (and maybe a couple of others besides... :>

I'll be posting up until end of day on the 27th.  Then I'll go dark until sometime until Jan. 2.  Hope everyone has an awesome holiday season and a happy New Year :>

Happy Holidays everyone. I wanted to let everyone know that I probably won't get any new posts up until after Christmas. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but we'll have to wait for a few more days to see what happens to everyone.

Sounds good. Happy Holidays, all!

I'm back!

I expected this, but another hit will likely bring me down. I just spent my damage re-roll for this fight and made it worse for myself. :P Not sure if I should risk getting past the monster or if I should just work on delaying it while you deal with the throne room.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:12, Fri 03 Jan 2020.

apologies, all. I am in the hospital with the flu. I hope to be home and resume posting in a day or two. Feel free to npc my character.

Get well soon!

:(

That's a gift no one wants to receive.  Get better soon...

Yeah, flu sucks. "Good betterment" as we say in my country. :)

Thank you for your well-wishes. I am back home now and feeling much better. I'll be resuming a 'normal' schedule over the next couple of days.

I plan to get a new post up either this evening or tomorrow afternoon. Stay tuned!

Will do!

I'll take +1 forward for the additional backstab benefit and pass it to Eryn since I'm not sure what to do with it.

I just noticed I forgot to add the backstab bonus you granted me here, but it wouldn't have pushed me up to a 10+ anyway. Thanks for the boost, though!

Heh... You're welcome. It would have helped Chance, though. Ah, well. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say.

Near-death, cursed and pantless - I think it's time to embark on a trap-laden dungeon crawl...

I think that right now would be an appropriate time to do an End of Session. So go ahead and answer the standard questions as a group and add XP as appropriate.

- Map that gets us to a room with cool stuff including teleporting across the world to kill da bad guy?  Check

- Angel/demon who tried to turn Eryn into a silly-putty?  (plus the half of a two-headed priestess with serious dental issues)?  Check

That mace looks pretty darn cool, but nothing will be more memorable than Eryn's golden pants...

On my end:
Alignment:

Despite several failed rolls, I came out far better than Eryn, but things could have gone differently, so I'd say 'yes'

Bonds:




Three of those are now gone - so I guess resolved?  I think the need to protect Eryn's soul is stronger now than ever, so that one's still on.

My leaning for a new bond w/ Chance is:
"Everyone always leaves - I wonder how long until this one departs too?"

(Not complaining about those who have departed - fully understand that real-life comes first.  I just expect that Ilura is feeling somewhat untrusting of newcomers at this point.)

Question: seeing as we seem to have dropped from 5 PCs to 3, should we establish 2 bonds with each other PC?

You can form as many bonds with the other PCs as you would like, from zero up to a maximum of six in my game. You can technically have all six with one person, but splitting them at least a little bit usually makes more sense. You can add new bonds whenever you feel inspired. Not just at the End of Session. But End of Session is the only time they can be resolved for XP.

If you really want to, you can form bonds with NPCs as well, but those won't count for XP. You do get one XP each for your bonds with Hiran, Marcus, and Mouse though, since they were PCs when the bonds were formed.

Would a bond with an NPC just be for flavor, or would there be some sort of situation where it would actually be possible to Aid or Interfere with them?

• Did we learn something new and important about the world?
  
  Ilura:

  - Map that gets us to a room with cool stuff including teleporting across the world to kill da bad guy?  Check
  
  I concur although I would specify learning about the shrine hidden beneath the temple. 1 XP
  
  
• Did we overcome a notable monster or enemy?
  
  Ilura:

  - Angel/demon who tried to turn Eryn into a silly-putty?  (plus the half of a two-headed priestess with serious dental issues)?  Check
  
  I concur. 1 XP
  
  
• Did we loot a memorable treasure?
  
  Ilura:

  That mace looks pretty darn cool, but nothing will be more memorable than Eryn's golden pants...
  
  I think the map qualifies as a memorable treasure. The mace might very well, too. 1 XP.

---

As for Chance...

Alignment:

Chance might have gone off half-cocked a time or two. I think that running off onto a lily pad covered lake without stopping to take stock of the situation qualifies. Need I look further? 1 XP

Bonds:

• I stole something from Ilura.
  
  Unresolved. 0 XP Chance doesn't yet realize that he has, I don't think. I'll get to work on this one.
  
  
• Eryn has my back when things go wrong.
  
  Resolved. 1 XP Eryn has already proved this to be true.
  
  
• Marcus knows incriminating details about me.
  
  Unresolved 0 XP I'm going to hang on to this in the hope that they will be back.
  
  
• Aguri is from a culture I am not familiar with. I would like to know more about their beliefs.
  
  Resolved. 0 XP I didn't get the impression that Aguri might be returning at some point so I'm going to let this one go.

Never! I'm afraid you're stuck with him. Also, I approve of this bond.

---

If there are no objections I will mark five xps for Chance (and perform the Level Up move when we get some downtime).

Fair point re: Marcus coming back.  I'll hold onto my bond with him as well.

It would just be for flavor.

Chance, you can add an XP for your discarded bond with Aguri too. So 6 total.

End of Session

 Did we learn something new and important about the world?

I agree with the others, we've learned several new things, such as new info about the overlord and the hidden place on the island.

 Did we overcome a notable monster or enemy?

Yes, it lies dead on the ground.

 Did we loot a memorable treasure?

The mace. Even if it turns out to just be a regular mace the fight would be hard to forget. The map too, I agree.

---

Alignment

 Neutral - Defeat a worthy opponent.

The hybrid monster almost killed me, and managed to inflict lasting damage even after being mortally wounded. If that's not a worthy opponent I don't know what is. :P

---

Bonds

 Ilura misunderstands me about the dangerous allure of magic. I will show her what good it can do.

Unresolved, unless accidentally torching a ship and being corrupted by a demon's curse swings it so far the other way that it's resolved by virtue of never happening. :P

 Marcus owes me their life, whether they admit it or not.

Unresolved. I haven't interacted with Marcus in a while.

I fear that Hiran's condition will only get worse from here, but I will protect him from scornful eyes.
I doubt if Aguri is as honorable as she acts. I have seen such a friendly mask before.

Both unresolved. Their players aren't around anymore. I've had these bond marked yellow for a while. Should I replace them with new ones?

 I can't deny that he is useful, but Chance's schemes puts me in situations I can justly complain about.

Unresolved. This fight spelled big trouble, but it wasn't really his fault.

---

Total
3 XP from End of Session questions.
1 XP from Alignment.
0 XP from Bonds.
So +4 then, if everyone agrees. I have 17 XP already from last time + failed rolls; 21 XP total is certainly enough to level up.

I will spend 13 XP to reach Level 6, and have 9 XP left over. I'll get back to you with my choices.

I am leaving on a vacation today and won't be back until after next weekend. I may or may not be able to post between now and then, but any posts will likely be more simplified than usual. Sorry for any inconveniences.

Eryn, you can resolve Hiran and Aguri's bonds for XP, as I do not think they will be returning.

Have an awesome vacation :)

Yes, enjoy!

Eryn, here are the stats for the angelic/demonic morningstar you recovered:

Weight 4, Huge, Clumsy, Close, Forceful, +4 Damage, 1 Piercing, Magical (planar).

The weapon is roughly as tall as you are and the spiked ball at the end crackles with planar magic.

My new bond with Eryn:

Eryn was touched by foul magic and her pants turned into gold. I wonder if anything else has changed?

I've added +2 XP from resolving my bonds with inactive players.
13 XP spent to level up, 11 10 left over.

Level 6
Increase Strength to 18, giving me that sweet +3 modifier.
New move: Armor Mastery.
New Wizard spell: Contact Spirits (Lvl 1).

I will apply these when we have proper downtime.

Bond suggestions
* This darkness is growing out of my control. I need Ilura to keep it at bay.
* Chance will be useful to us, I can practically taste it! Wait, what am I thinking?

---

I know I have access to Lvl 5 spells now, but I think I'll get more mileage out of equipping several lesser spells rather than staking it all on a single one. Plus, with this curse taking hold I believe Eryn would be willing to go beyond Heirloom spirits, and take a page out of her only teacher's book... She will try to demand some answers from the other side on how to break curses, but she will not wish to open a full two-way conversation like the higher leveled spell does.

The mace is heavier than I thought, so I'll leave it behind for now unless there is a forge nearby I can drag it to. I could use my Blacksmith move to transfer the magic to a more manageable weapon. (The blue blade too, if it's possible to stack them both onto my Signature Weapon.) I'll need a trip into town anyway, for another new shield; then possibly pawn off the golden pants at the same time.

For now I'll take the weightless items off Westley's hands and trade him the bundle of gold fabric to carry -- and the mace too, if he's willing to drag it with him for a little bit.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:41, Thu 06 Feb 2020.

I have decided on Chance's level up move, too.

• I subtracted 8 xps, leaving him with 1.
• I raised his intelligence from 12 to 13.
• I gave him 'Cautious' as an advanced move. Now, when he uses 'Trap Expert' he always gets +1 hold, even on a 6-.

He's good to go as soon as we get some downtime.

For my level up:
- Subtract 13 XP leaving 1
- Increase dexterity from 17 to 18
- Add the Vipers Fang move, meaning I role 2d8 on attacks if I'm using 2 weapons

I'll wait to decide my new spells until I know exactly what we're up to.

If I missed info anyone was looking for in my post, let me know. There seemed to be a lot of ground to cover so a few details may have slipped through the cracks.

I will try to get a post up tonight or tomorrow.

On a mostly unrelated note... Who here has seen the movie, Attack the Block?

Can't say I have. Should I read up on the plot? :P
This message was last edited by the player at 20:09, Tue 18 Feb 2020.

Not I.  (Though from the trailer, it seems this might have been a non-ideal time to fail the scouting roll... :>)

I haven't seen it, or even heard of it. :(

The plot is irrelevant. But the creatures are pretty close to what I was imagining in the IC thread.

Unfortunately I do not recall how to post an image at the moment, but here is a random link that will take you to a site with a picture of them: https://idrawonmywall.com/2017...tack-the-block-2011/

Looks just the right size to destroy with my bare hands!

Which end of the group is Westley closest to, by the way? Front or back?

Westley is directly in front of Silas, as they were lugging the huge morningstar together. Silas should still be able to squeeze past though.

Alright, thanks!

Whew!

I just went back and reread because I thought the map is in the pack. Fortunately, it's not. See Msg 119 in the IC thread. I'd still rather not lose Chance's pack, but I feel a lot better knowing that at least we still have the map.

Good call...

I plan on moving things forward a bit tomorrow, but I was hoping to get a post from Eryn first. How much time do you guys want to pay for in the garden? And who is paying? It costs one coin per hour for your entire group.