Rotvalan Reveries Ep13: Are We the Baddies?

Run Date: July 21, 2024

PCs
Adelbert: Lv1 Paladin
Gwendolyn: Lv3 Fighter
Helena: Lv3 Bladedancer

Hench
Mercedes: Lv1 Priestess (WtW)
Lothor: Lv1 Vaultguard
Eduardo: Lv1 Mage
Athena: Lv1 Priestess (Clotho)
Hugo: Lv2 Ravager

Are We the Baddies?

After their frustrations with the Unhidden Temple, the party decided to try checking out a different point of interest. They pulled out the handy map and plotted their route to a place marked down as the Ruined Mausoleum. Then they hopped on their horses and headed out.

The trek into the hilled areas of the Greenwood can be a slog, and today was no exception. The party passed through some cliff-like rocks and were nearly crushed by a falling tree, and their camp was attacked by a pair of feral lynxes while they tried to sleep. The following day they spotted a scout of parasitic wasps and promptly, and easily, evaded. As the day pressed on and the cloud cover shifted into a lightning storm, the party discovered the rocky valley that housed the mausoleum. It was shrouded in a thick fog, not unlike Silent Hill.

Rotvalan Reveries Prep-As-Practice Vol 2: Special Abilities (Infusions)

Volume 2

Foreword

In the previous volume, I talked a bit about creating the Feuckos for Wendyl the Mad. I’ve had some time to think over it and ask questions within the Autarch Discord. I learned that a lack of Man-Sized cavalry was an intentional design choice for (reasons above my pay grade). As a result, I went ahead and calculated the Fuecko Riders as Cavalry with a note that the creatures are rare enough that it would be difficult to fill out a full company of 120. To reiterate:

Fuecko Rider (Leather, Sling, Spear, 3 Javelins, Fuecko) (IndBR: 0.125, wage 75gp, Unit BR: 7.5)

Fuecko (As Giant Gecko except: HD 3, AC 2, Lob [30ft, 3d4 extraordinary fire, ignites flammables, save for half], Load: 7st, Trained Value: 900, IndBR: 0.0375)

A portmanteau of Fuego and Gecko, these 6-legged creatures serve as evidence of the chaos of wild magic and breaches of the veil. Fueckos are typically deep reds with orange to yellow mottling and prefer hotter habitats. They are reported to be a common sight around places infused with Elemental Fire. Fueckos can lob a ball of molten goo at a target within 15' that deals 3d4 extraordinary fire damage and ignites flammables (save for half). Being creatures touched by the veil, they are immune to mundane cold, as well as mundane and extraordinary fire damage.

Alex made sure to scold remind me that he intended for people to build with the basic blocks before jumping too far into the deep end. My players do not get such memos.

Rotvalan Reveries Ep12: Flour Power

Run Date: July 14, 2024

PCs
Helena: Lv3 Bladedancer (WasteThatWalks)
Gwendolyn: Lv3 Fighter

Hench
Mercedes: Lv1 Priestess (WTW)
Lothor: Lv1 Vaultguard
Eduardo: Lv1 Mage
Athena: Lv1 Priestess (Clotho)
Hugo: Lv2 Ravager

Flour Power

The PC group was small, but a few Mercs and slew of henches helped round things out. Helena took the lead and tossed out a couple options; including revisiting the Unhidden Temple and poking around a mausoleum. The former was chosen and they set out from the Shrine of the Golden Sun and into the wooded hills.

The entire crew being on horseback helped counteract the significant slowdown the terrain imposed (both hill and wood modifiers stack). While traveling, the party found themselves traipsing through a densely shaded area that pushed away some of the summer heat. They soon found out, however, that it wasn’t leaves, but webs, that had offered it. The party was ambushed by Giant Tarantulas!

Rotvalan Reveries Ep11: Legends of the Unhidden Temple

Run Date: July 7, 2024

PCs
Helena: Lv3 Bladedancer (Waste That Walks)
Gwendolyn: Lv3 Fighter
Adelbert: Lv1 Paladin

Hench
Mercedes: Lv1 Priestess (WTW)
Lothor: Lv1 Vaultguard
Eduardo: Lv1 Mage
Athena: Lv1 Priestess (Clotho)
Hugo: Lv2 Ravager

Legends of the Unhidden Temple

During downtime, Helena purchased a map from an Explorer the group previously hired (more about that later). After going over the various points of interest with the others, the party decided to make their way toward the Unhidden Temple. Before that, however, Helena wanted to drop some laborers off for her boyfriend, Ryder.

While crossing the prairie to the Greenwood, Helena’s scout stopped the group (and their mercs) and called her forward. He pointed out an excavated pit trap hidden among some tall grasses and they weighed whether it was Porco Rosso’s doing before moving around it. Shortly after entering the Greenwood, the scout stopped the army again. This time, it was to point out that the area was despoiled; desiccated, half-petrified plant life gave off a horrifying aura. The henches and hirelings were more than happy when Helena ordered the scout to find a path around it.

Rotvalan Reveries Ep10: Nightfall

Run Date: June 30, 2024

PCs
Anthonie: Lv3 Mage
Emmelina: Lv2 Wonderworker
Friedrick: Lv1 Mage

Hench
None

Afterword

I’m putting the afterword first (yes, that means it’s a foreword) since the report itself will be fairly short. I am often critical at myself, possibly moreso than I should be, but my goal as a game master is fairness wherever possible.

Today I made a decision for expediency. 60ish Orcs vs 25ish PC/Crew. I stand by the decision that rolling individuals here would have dragged on, though my bias played a part in tipping the scales. One player controls most of the army and extras, and my goal was to abstract what I could as quick and fairly as possible so the adventure could continue.