Embedded Files
The mountain trails of the Ironrot Range, below the giant body of Landro, exterior, night...
The mountain trails of the Ironrot Range, below the giant body of Landro, exterior, night...
The giant metal colossus looms over the mountain face, its head and torso even more massive this close up. The night feels eerie, filled with Eberron's fog.
Presto picks his way over rocks as he follows the Finding Stone, semmingly at random. Diana hops from rock to boulder, but hesitantly, with Ginga loping along. Eric brings up the rear, obviously more unwilling.
ERIC
ERIC
I hardly know myself anymore... *huff* I keep thinking about that big *huff* cave entrance hours ago, *huff* *huff* and saying to myself, *huff* THAT would have been a nice way in.
PRESTO
(shrugging it off, concentrating o)
PRESTO
(shrugging it off, concentrating o)
Not necessarily. Who knows if it even went all the way through? The stone is triangulating upward. And it makes sense the Rod piece might be in the area of the heart or the head.
ERIC
ERIC
I'm more worried about *my* legs and feet.
DIANA
DIANA
We're going to need to rest soon. It's late, and it's dark. There could be all kinds of fissures or caves or whatever that we're missing, if only we had the daylight.
GINGA
GINGA
*whine*
There's beasts here.
Ginga's AWARENESS (14), rolls a ⬙(11) = Success!
GINGA
(sniffing the air)
GINGA
(sniffing the air)
Birds! But... many? No, big! Big birds!
PRESTO
(stopping atop a rock as the trail drops off into a lower area)
PRESTO
(stopping atop a rock as the trail drops off into a lower area)
Ah.
Presto looks down in an area now given over to a Giant Roc's nest. The roc is nestled in, pressed to one side of the mass of branches, timber, and dried vegetation.
DIANA
DIANA
Well, guess it's not safe right here. I suppose we try to sneak past and find somewhere else we can settle and wait for dawn.
ERIC
ERIC
Sneak? Boo. Sleep? Yay.
DIANA
DIANA
You want to backtrack seven hours instead, just so we can probably climb up again?
ERIC
ERIC
Fine. You first.
GM says:
GM says:
Make a SNEAKING roll.
Diana's SNEAKING (14), rolls a ⬙(8) = Success!
Presto's SNEAKING (12), rolls a ⬙ (11) = Success!
Eric's SNEAKING (12), rolls a ⬙(7) = Success!
Ginga's SNEAKING (12), rolls a ⬙ (2) = Success!
As Ginga bounds up from the trail below to join his friends on the other side of the nest, he tries his best to supress a happy YIP!
SHHH! They each admonish him in unison, but the roc continues to breath heavily, unawares.
DIANA
(whispering, as they continue on)
DIANA
(whispering, as they continue on)
Come on. Let's find a place to wait the night. But sorry, boys, this probably means no fire tonight.
GM says:
GM says:
Make a BUSHCRAFT roll for MAKING CAMP.
Diana's BUSHCRAFT (5), rolls a ⬙(5) = Success!
Presto's SPOT HIDDEN (14), via ADAPTIVE (3 Willpower Points), rolls a ⬙ (9) = Success!
Eric's AWARENESS (10),via ADAPTIVE (3 Willpower Points), rolls a ⬙(1) = a dragon!
Later, in the morning...
Later, in the morning...
ERIC
(stretching as everyone breaks camp)
ERIC
(stretching as everyone breaks camp)
You know what? That was actually the best sleep I've had in a long, long time! I got a good feeling abou this. I think it's actually going to be a good day.
PRESTO
(at the entrance of their makeshift cave)
PRESTO
(at the entrance of their makeshift cave)
Come on. Let's get this over with.
(holding up the Finding Stone)
ERIC
ERIC
Annnnnnnd... the feeling's gone.
GM says:
GM says:
Roll for Resources; we forgot about eating and stuff.
DIANA Food ⬙ (D6) = 1. Stores depleted. Water ⬙ (D6) = 1. Stores depleted.
DIANA Food ⬙ (D6) = 1. Stores depleted. Water ⬙ (D6) = 1. Stores depleted.
ERIC Food ⬙ (D6) = 5. OK. Water ⬙ (D6) = 4. OK
(Eric gives some of his Food shares to Diana, both now D4)
ERIC Food ⬙ (D6) = 5. OK. Water ⬙ (D6) = 4. OK
(Eric gives some of his Food shares to Diana, both now D4)
PRESTO Food ⬙ (D6) = 6. OK. Water ⬙ (D6) = 2. Stores depleted
PRESTO Food ⬙ (D6) = 6. OK. Water ⬙ (D6) = 2. Stores depleted
DIANA
DIANA
OK. Let's get going. We need to be quick 'cause our supplies are running low. But be careful, 'cause there's that monster about.
GINGA
(sniffing in wide circles through the area)
GINGA
(sniffing in wide circles through the area)
Humans! Come!
The heroes continue picking their way through the rocks and boulders and mist. Their silence is born as much from their concentration as their tension.
GM says:
GM says:
Make a SPOT HIDDEN roll as you hike. Presto is in the front, enjoys a boon from help from Ginga
Diana's SPOT HIDDEN (6), rolls a ⬙(5) = Success!
Eric's SPOT HIDDEN (5), rolls a ⬙(20) = a demon!
Presto's SPOT HIDDEN (14), with a boon, rolls a ⬙ (14, 1) = a dragon!
GINGA
GINGA
There! Do you smell? That place is different.
PRESTO
PRESTO
Yes! That's it! There's a gap in the rock right there, against the giant's form.
DIANA
DIANA
Yeah! I see it. The way the mountain curves I don't think we could climb much higher and still have access.
ERIC
ERIC
The way my feet are sore, I don't think I could do that anyway! Yeesh!
Eric plops down on a rock that isn't quite level enough to sit on, but has to do.
That's when a long, dark shadow passes over everyone.
ERIC
ERIC
Oh, give me a break. I just sat down!
ROC
ROC
SCREECH!
DIANA
DIANA
Scramble! Into the gap!
The roc holds giant boulders in its talons, and as it swoops low, it drops them upon the heroes.
GM says:
GM says:
Random victim D4 (3) = Presto
Make an EVADE roll.
Presto's EVADE (12), rolls a ⬙ (5) = Success!
The roc lands on the uneven terrain, sending out a screech, its eyes filled with hunger.
GM says:
GM says:
ROUND ONE, draw for Initiative.
DIANA
DIANA
🎴(4)
ERIC
ERIC
🎴(3)
PRESTO
PRESTO
🎴(5)
GINGA
GINGA
🎴(7)
MONSTERS
MONSTERS
🎴(6)🎴(9)
GINGA
GINGA
Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark!
ERIC
(waving his Shield above his head)
ERIC
(waving his Shield above his head)
No, you dumb mutt! Just run! Go! Go! All of you!
GINGA
(dashing into the safety of the crevasse)
GINGA
(dashing into the safety of the crevasse)
Whimper! Whimper!
EVADE (10), rolls a ⬙(9) = Success!
DIANA
(activating her staff, then leaping toward the entrance)
DIANA
(activating her staff, then leaping toward the entrance)
Be careful, Eric!
EVADE (15), rolls a ⬙(13) = Success!
PRESTO
(grunting his impatience, he dashes off as well)
PRESTO
(grunting his impatience, he dashes off as well)
EVADE (12), rolls a ⬙(10) = Success!
ROC
ROC
RAAAWWR!
Monster Attack 🎲(3) = Piercing Shriek!
Damage = Eric DAZED + Fear
Eric's WIL (14), rolls a ⬙ (16) = Fail!
Fear Attack D8 (6) = Rage!
The predatory bird screams loud and shrill and long at all its fleeing prey. The waves of the scream pass over Eric, who instinctively hides behind his shield.
As the scream continues, Eric's eyes grow from tightly shut to wide open and full of rage.
ERIC
(screaming, he runs to attack the roc in a full-frontal assault)
ERIC
(screaming, he runs to attack the roc in a full-frontal assault)
aaaa-AARRGGHH!
BRAWLING (14), rolls a ⬙(15) = Fail!
Eric's assault stops short as he bashes against the roc's massive body to no effect.
DIANA
(from the entrance)
DIANA
(from the entrance)
Eric! What are you doing!
ROC
ROC
Shriek!
Monster Attack 🎲(1) = Claw Attack!
Damage 2D10 (10,4) = 14 - Chainmail (4) = 10
Eric's SHIELD OF THE CAVALIER = 2 Willpower points
Reduce Damage 2D6 (4,2) = 6
Eric barely manages to activate his Shield, as the monster rakes its claws heavily down upon him.
GM says:
GM says:
ROUND TWO, draw for Initiative.
DIANA
DIANA
🎴(9)
ERIC
ERIC
🎴(2)
PRESTO
PRESTO
🎴(5)
GINGA
GINGA
🎴(4)
MONSTERS
MONSTERS
🎴(3)🎴(1)
ROC
ROC
Shriek!
Monster Attack 🎲(4) = Wing Attack!
Damage 2D8 (8,6) = 14 - Chainmail (4) = 10 + Knocked Prone
Eric's SHIELD OF THE CAVALIER = 2 Willpower points
Reduce Damage 2D6 (5,3) = 8
Hopping in fury, the roc presses its attack on the cavalier, bringing its mighty wing down and tossing Eric to the ground.
DIANA
DIANA
Come on, Eric! You can do it! Just get out of there!
Picking himself up as best he can, Eric scrambles ungraciously over towards his friends.
EVADE (12), with a bane, rolls a ⬙(1, 2) = Success! So close to a dragon!
ERIC
(to the roc)
ERIC
(to the roc)
Just you wait until my good friend Colonel Sanders hears about this!
Eric launches himself through the split in the mountain that gives way into the colossus, spilling onto the floor in the middle of them.
The roc snaps the empty air that's left behind, then raises its beak high for one last mighty shriek before it flies into the air and away.
to be continued in 6.13 Landro the Failed Colossus . . .
GM FOOTNOTES:
Damn. I keep forgetting Eric's got a bane on Evade with his chainmail armor. I did that only once, in this section. Can't remember when I last remembered that. Luckily, he made it! Whew!
I honestly didn't think the sneaking past the roc was going to work, that first time they came upon it. Like with the whole "does an ambush really work in a game" question, some things work better as a narrative like a movie than plays out the same way in a game, and Dragonbane rules that *everyone* must roll successfully, which in a way is like having X banes with X= the number of characters.
And the Bushcraft rules are quite restrictive, too. Most characters are likely build without training in Bushcraft, which if you play with overland travel REALLY hurts your character. In contrast, in something like Forbidden Lands, only one person needs to make the camp. Unless I'm misremembering.
I do miss Eric's 13th Age Paladin's powers. Like summoning holy damage through a smite, for example. I may think about adding that as a Heroic Ability of some sort, even if it's homebrew.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse