Darnanest's Tower: Basement

It was a major takeover. The party went full-force against a prepared enemy--which they presume to be the powerful Cult of the Dragon.

Somehow they have to get the connection between the Darnanest's ruined tower and this infamous cult nesting under it.

The first three rounds saw their elven rogue/ranger in a tight spot (ambushed and then surrounded by flanking enemy rogues which cut him down to 8hp), their greatsword-weilding warrior-sorcerer, tactical wizard, shadwostriding monk, and unpredictable fighting-grappler quickly turned the succeeding rounds in their odds.

A familiar figure appeared, guarded by several fighters and rogues, in the far end of the basement ruins. It was the mage who escaped them on their first encounter in the woods. This time though, the poor fellow (along with his cohorts) had to deal again with a fireball (from *you-know-who*) right under his feet. Even though all survived from the blast, the party's warrior-sorc's 20-20 super critical with a mighty composite bow pierced one of the survivors right between the eyes, the impact hurtling the chap off beyond the next room. The monk shade (curse his shadiness!) clobbered through armor and bone while the fighting-grappler axed a few appendages after painfully thinking over whether he should use a dart, his fists, or the shiny axe strapped to his side (hint: sharp=good).

The fireballed mage wasted no time countering with a charm spell against the party's fighting-grappler, hoping to turn him against that pesky, fireball-loving wizard. But the thick-headed grunt shrugged it off, much to the mage's exasperation.

The next round was equally damaging as the previous--another fireball from the party's wizard rocked the enemy squares, ensuing shrieks of death, including the enemy mage (pretty low-level mage *sigh*), and leaving smoking bodies with the heavy smell of freshly burnt flesh.

"Lieutenant!", cried the lone female survivor. The last wave of enemies came--two armored warriors and a high-level-looking wizard (beard and hairless head, flowing robes, angry eyes, and brandishing a wicked wand... get it?) It was my most anticipated moment, since MY high-level-looking wizard could positively turn the tide back yet! He mouthed the words of a frightful spell and wove the incantations. A dark globe of vile energy crackled and engulfed his semi-clenched fist. At the last syllable, he thrust at his target just a few feet away, and the dark energy shot forth in a ray.

BUT (oh sorrow why thus it be) DM luck wasn't there. I ALWAYS have a knack for my rolls to suck whenever I'm over-excited. The enervation spell fired at the party's wizard (who, so far, was the most damaging contributor) missed by a gnome's nose.

Sensing the threat, the monk shade (curse his shadiness!) tumbled his way right in front of the high-lev* okay, enemy mage, and quite easily grappled him to death (medical reports indicate broken ribs, fractured skull, serious spinal injuries, and possibly missing eyeballs from Master Pai Mei's Secret Two-Finger Legendary-Eyeball-Popper-Monkey-Style-Technique).

The narrow escape from the enervation miss prompted a gloating party wizard to cast charm at one of two remaining fighters. Another bad roll lost me that one.

My remaining fighter could just think of good ol' days drinking warm, frothy ale and buxomy tavern wenches as doom crept upon him. He chose to fight anyway, and he met his bloody end at the swipe of the warrior-sorc's greatsword. Sigh.

I should have cast mirror-image with my wizard... tehee now that's for sure!

ON TO THE NEXT ADVENTURE!

Today is Natz B-day! Happy Birthday Natz!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATZ!!!

Chapter 1: "Let's Start the show with a Big Bang"

Finally! Finally! Our gang's party of four - a warrior, elf, wizard, and monk once more set foot on the magical lands of the Forgotten Realms. The group was tingling with excitement. Quite literally so, that on their very first encounter, the party's wizard let out a fiery fireball--blasting a group of threatining armed humans before anyone had ever had a chance to talk. It all started when the party's elf (a rogue/ranger) was stealthily scouting these humans. Before the light-footed scout was able to close in for an earshot's distance, one of the humans caught sight of him and instinctively alerted his group at their pointy-eared eavesdropper. Then came a chase as the elf tried to scurry away, with the humans already arming themselves in pursuit. Initiative rolls soon followed, and the chase instantly turned out into all-out violence--bows snapping, swords drawn, and magic prepared. The party realized the humans also had a spellcaster in their ranks, whose charm spell targetting the elf came short of the elf's resistive will. But the party's wizard wasted no time, nay, itched all over to flick his hands in arcane gestures and lob no less than a fireball at the closely-formed humans. Foooom!!! And the battle was clearly won. The human's wizard was lucky enough to survive, casted invisibility and fled. The rest was peppered by arrows and bolts fired by the rest of the party, taking them down one at a time. One was able to flee, but that was cut short by blasts of magic missiles hurled by the the party's wizard.

Up to now we name them party's wizard, elf, monk, and warrior, because the gang so far couldn't be a bit more coherent with their names. So we're left to call them by their obvious appearances. Flesh 'em out guys!


Pax poses for a roll.

Slim Shadey the shade monk.

More friendster material.

The Taming of the Dwarf

If Natz were here, he would end up the way all pivoting dwarves would--either a bloody death or a an even bloodier death. His character always weilds the biggest, baddest axe, and his bulging backpack would carry all the stuff (accounted and not accounted all in). If it's not a dwarf, it would be a hulking half-orc (which still carries the big bad axe and the bag of goodies) with a charisma low enough to warrant a look of disgust even among the orcish community. He breathes combat. He charges without hesitation. He lunges at the enemy without fear. He is the frontman of frontmen (okay, frontdwarf). The number of character deaths he manages to churn is eclipsed by that fact that another dwarf rises again to brandish the banner of pivoting and charging. He is doom to enemies and sometimes to the party. But it's not all about combat too. For some reason, cooking seems to be his character's specialty (in real life though, Natz is a good cook!). All I can say is we miss playing with Natz. Though his characters are wild, they are often remembered. And that's what makes all those numbers on paper turn into something more tangible. Way to go dwarf! Keep those new characters coming!

Might and Magic

The fighter/barbarian/sorcerer is quite fun to play. If he takes weapon specialization feat for the greatsword, along with the power attack feat, he can combo it for a special attack that can literally cut low-hitpoint opponents in half. His sorcerer abilities would grant him access to the true strike spell, which gives him a +20 insight bonus on his next attack.

This character will be one of the front line fighters for the party. He has good hitpoints, added movement and the rage ability from being a barbarian, a selection of fighter feats, and also clinches the sorcerer's base will save of +2 along with access to arcane spells.

Let's see how this will turn out:

To Hit:
+1 weapon focus, greatsword
+2 str mod
+5 BAB
========
+8

+28 if using true strike


Damage (using power attack feat)
+2 str mod
+2 weapon specilaziation (greatsword)
+10 (using power attack, taking -5 penalty to hit, +5 damag doubled for two-handed weapon)
+2 minim damage from greatsword
========
+16 total minimum damage

Weaknesses:
Low-AC (must use light-medium armors to be able to cast spells)

Advancement:
Can take more barbarian (hitpoints) or fighter (feats) levels. Need to find armor with decent AC and low % of spellcasting failure.

The Roguish Fighter

A character concept for the party's rogue...

He is a sniper with the composite bow. At close range he can dual-wield twin short swords.
If he flanks an enemy, does additional damage from his sneak attack ability.

Can be the party's scout and pointman. Stealthy and can handle traps.

Skills:
At 6th level, maxed out ranks in:
Hide
Move Silently
Listen
Spot
Open Locks
Disable Device
Escape Artist

Rogue Abilities:
Trapfinding
Sneak Attack 1d6
Evasion

Feats
Weapon Focus, short sword
Weapon Focus, composite bow
Weapon Specialization, composite bow
Improved Initiative
Point Blank Shot
Two Weapon Fighting

Let's see how it works:

To Hit Bonus (composite bow):
+1 focus
+1 point blank
+3 dex
+5 BAB
=======
+10

Damage:
+1 point blank
+2 specialization
+2 str
+1 min damage from arrow
=======
+6

Advancement
Can take more fighter levels for additional feats or can advance rogue for more sneak attack damage.

I am an Eeeeevooowker.

1. Name: Araih N'Kuoppo a.k.a Spooky, Spooks
2. NG
3.
4. Character background:

Born from relatively prosperous merchant parents, who sell "slightly" used clothing, Spooky experienced a more or less comfortable childhood. His parents are capable in showering him with wonderful, shiny and glittering gifts from far and exotic civilizations, but they didn't, instead they bought him "trust funds" for who knows what those are, but they say its for his and his younger brothers' future. Having very few toys to play with at a young age, Spooky took refuge in books and tomes, where he learned his ABC's at a peculiarly young age. He has shown time and again his adeptness in knowing details about folk tales and stories when at story telling groups with children of his age.

As a boy Spooks exhibited an unusual liking at playing hide and seek with his younger brother that eventhough they are no longer at the game he continues to hide in the closets that sometimes entire days he would spend just hiding. In fact he asked his mother in one of his birthdays to give him as present, a magical robe to hide him from his friends and even if he nugdes them he is still hidden from thier view. Maybe that was how he got the name Spooky.

He enjoyed a protected life behind walls of their abode in Calimshan, although the place is not much for a teenager, where harem girls spend too much freetime during hot sweaty nights while their lords are away to distant lands. You might say that Spookys' tender years were short on time but long on enjoyment, if you know what I mean. The naughty boys' frivolous adventures finally caught up on him when harem guards showed up at their house at the most unholy hour. His parents, worried what harm might come sent Spooky to a distant relative in a remote oasis in the Calimshan desert.

Time passed by where he was taken as an apprentice by his elderly uncle Roger, a third degree cousin of his mothers' step nephew from third marriage of his fourth brother from thier second mothers' marriage to her third husband, where he was to attend to the small potion shop during the day, called Wal-Shop and, assist in brewing some bootleg Calimshale® in the evening. Everything went fine for a moment when he can watch the wind blow across the desert, view the clear night sky filled with brilliant stars, enjoy the company of young supple women when noble and merchant caravans would pass by their small oasis, visiting the nearby town to get some supplies and then some... action. But in all those activities time finally came when he heard the call of adventure, compelled by its inescapable allure and thrill of going into the unknown and make it known, Spooky answers the call.

7th level Evoker
42hp, AC 15, Bluff+9, Concentration+11, Spellcraft+11,...
Spells/day: 4/6/5/4/3
Spells known:
0 - detect magic, read magic, flare, dancing lights, fleeting fame, silent portal, mage hand, message, mending
1st - magic missile, burning hands, shield, identify
2nd - rope trick, mirror image, fox cunning, flaming sphere
3rd - fireball, flameburst, lightningbolt, fly, gaseous form
4th - greater invisibility, spell enhancer, wall of fire, rary's mnemonic enhancer
Feats:
Bloodline of Fire, Spellcasting Prodigy, Improved Initiative, Great Fortitude, Toughness

5. As for now, is to bring the unjust to justice, protect the weak and helpless, destroy, shred and batter evil and malignant forces, unite the disjoined, connect the dots, straighten the crooked, expand the narrow, build bridges over rivers and fjords, tie loose ends, weld the broken, right the astray, and while doing it enjoy as much as possible the perks, fringe benefits, doleouts and such other freebies (scavenged from not so lucky evil doers who stayed around for too long) along the way.

Basketball Pics

Another Beginning

It's been waaaay too long since our group had gamed. The last time blades broke and spells slung was November of 2005. The group got lucky to have run two sessions then. Come to think of it, those two were the only sessions for the whole year of 2005! Echoes of despair and awful gnashing of teeth from the players would have the DM scurrying for something from his handy bag of wondrous excuses. Good thing there's basketball though.

I admit the DM's precious time is split between work, family, and girlfriend priorities (the latter getting the larger chunk). Too little time left to think of devious traps, design cool NPCs, or to toy away with hamlets, villages, towns, cities, magic items, monsters--they're all shamelessly tucked away somewhere in the back of the head deprived of the care and attention they need.

But the echoes of despair and gnashing of teeth haven't stopped (it's like the players hired someone to cast permanency on them). So it's time to get my tools of destruction and blow the dust over those books. It's time to get the gang rolling once more across the face of Faerun! It's time to don the DM guise once more. It's time to practice my die rolling since I really, really suck at die rolling.

But before that, it's time to straighten my busy schedules first.