Introduction

I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017-18, the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign I ran in 2018-19, the ‘Out of the Abyss’, a campaign I ran in 2020, the ‘Phandelver’s Pact’ campaign I ran from 2020-21, and the ‘Shadows over Saltmarsh’ campaign from 2021-22. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that), which is why I could use them for this column.

Here are the session summaries from my first Pathfinder 2e campaign which I started running in 2023 after WoTC stunned the TTRPG community by deciding to be dicks about the OGL (remember that?). Like many who started playing PF2e, we commenced with the Beginner’s Box, progressed to Troubles in Otari and then to the Abomination Vaults campaign. The players, calling themselves the “Otari 2600s” (it’s amusing if you’re old enough to remember lol), have now finished the campaign after 85 Sunday night sessions!

I apologize in advance for the writing in these summaries – they’re a bit raw and not fancy at all (I don’t have time for fancy writing when typing them up late at night after each game lol).

Steve 🙂

Warning: These summaries contain spoilers for Paizo’s Abomination Vaults campaign

Session 63 – Cats & Claws

While the party battled Chuuls at the door and on the beach, a cat-like figure was climbing stealthily down the elevator shaft, noticing the gouges and claw marks of the Gug’s previous passing. It reached the bottom of the shaft, eyeing the broad, mist-enshrouded lake below, the elevator sitting on the wharf, surrounded by the torn bodies and gore. Dropping 30 feet to the wharf, it landed on its feet, revealing a proudly furred catfolk, called Sevastin Brava Fulgencio Melhoras de Gato, a rogue/monk. Sevastin could hear the sounds of battle coming from the south – he pulled up his elven cloak’s hood and disappeared into the darkness of the beach. Rounding the central rock column, he spotted Gunnar the fighter, caught between two lobster-like chuul. Sneaking behind one of the creatures, he struck it from behind with his fist, finding a weak point in its carapace. As he appeared, the big fighter thanked him and the fight continued.

Lob the goblin alchemist was grabbed and knocked unconscious by a chuul, but Corny the cleric managed to heal him from around the corner. Vydar was dragged towards the Chuul, but fired two arrows into the creature’s eyes and killed it. As Gunnar and Sevastin fought the remaining chuul, Vydar climbed onto his fallen foe’s prostrate body and fired another two shots into the last chuul’s mouth. It dropped like a stone.

The party made their way back to the room where they had first encountered the Children of Belcorra playing their game. Questions flew thick and fast: Sevastin revealed he was an adventurer searching for tales of daring do to tell his family. He had heard of the oddly named Otari 2600’s and sought them out after being directed to the Gauntlight ruins by Morlibint in Otari. He agreed to help the party on their quest. By this time the wizard Ezren had collapsed into another of his narcoleptic sleeps.

Vydar headed back to the beach to track the Gug that chased the party down here. He found its prints, but they trailed into the lake water to the east. There was a barricade across a cave entrance to the west with some writing in red on it. Unfortunately, no one could read the language. Lob believed they could use the barricade as a makeshift raft, so Gunnar lifted it up and placed it on the beach. Sevastin scouted around inside the cave, noting a large stalagmite. A sticky strand whipped out at the catfolk, missing him. He headed out, warning the party.

The Roper slid up to the entrance, firing four sticky strands at Gunnar and trapping him. Another two strands caught Lob and Corny, dragging them back to the Roper’s stony tooth-filled mouth. Lob was knocked unconscious, but Corny brought him back with a heal spell. Lob tossed different bombs at the creature to test its resistances. Sevastin attempted to punch a sticky strand but got stuck. When he pulled himself loose. Lob tossed him a kukri and he helped to sever strands holding Vydar. Eventually Gunnar was able to free most of those held using a flurry of strikes. Sevastin tumbled past the Roper to flank it. The battle continued…