Laidback DM: SteveStillStanding.com

Hi all,

I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017. It was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that). Here’s the follow up campaign – 2018’s ‘Tomb of Annihilation’. We used experience points rather than milestones/level-based progression, which led to some ‘xp grinding’ along the way. Each session was 4 hours long. Some of the summaries may be amusing; don’t forget these are unedited emails, so please forgive their somewhat chaotic nature and poor sentence structure/grammar. If you’re a D&D fan you may enjoy them. And maybe even if you aren’t.

Game on!

Steve 🙂

Week 17 (missed a week due to work commitments)

Meanwhile, in Hrakhamar, the Dwarven Forge:

After the Giant Strider stampede, the party finished off the Firenewts in the corridor then headed off to the armoury to get rid of those pesky Flying Swords. All except for Morgan’s Dwarvish Barbarian, who decided to pursue his entrepreneurial dream of having a signwriting business and commenced making a large sign, claiming the mine as his own.

Meanwhile, Jake’s Aasimar Warlock blinked into the next room and confronted the Firenewt Warriors and a Firenewt Sorcerer there; the rest of the party were caught off guard and rushed after him via the door. After wiping the floor with the monsters, Mark’s Kenku Monk decided if the Aasimar could go into a room, then so could he.

“You know what would be good right now?” moaned the Aasimar. “A short rest!”

“Rests are for wimps,” mimicked the silent Kenku, gesticulating with his middle finger.

In the next room, more Firenewt Warriors and a Firenewt Sorcerer (surprise – well, they did take over the forge, y’know). More hacking, slashing and arrow shooting. Davor’s Ranger decided to (accidentally) shoot Jake’s Warlock with a trick shot that bounced of the wall. “Just be glad I didn’t Hunter’s Mark you,” said the Ranger. Yes, the party was getting a little ticked off with the Aasimar’s lack of teamwork.

Just when everyone thought they would get a rest, the Firenewts from the rest of the complex decided to come through the door. The Firenewt Sorcerer accompanying them threw a glowing globe to the ground and commanded his servants to rise. Outside, Dwarvish Animated Armors broke free from the walls and went for Morgan’s Barbarian, who was putting the finishing touches to his sign. “GASP! I was only two weeks from retirement…” That was one dead Dwarf (okay, Daniel’s Bard managed to heal him from a distance, but all good things come to an end…).

By this time the party was feeling a little stressed (or crotchety, because of lack of rest), realising that all good things (like spell slots, Ki points, etc.) really must come to an end (and not just Dwarvish Barbarians). William’s Druid saved the day by conjuring a few Dire Wolves and eventually the Animated Armors were destroyed.

Phew! Time for a well-earned, long rest.

Week 18

Morgan’s new character, a Halfling Rogue, premiered this week (after the death of his Dwarven Barbarian last week).

After a nice rest, the party crossed a metal bridge to what was obviously a treasure room sealed with two locks. Along the way: a run in with a Fire Elemental, conjuring lots of giant owls, spectacular attempts at lock picking, a box shaped like a book with moulds for keys, a bridge sinking into magma, and giant owls saving party members (LOTR-style, ’cause that’s how the party rolls).

Eventually, the party created new keys using molten metal from the vats, opened the door and found lots of ingots of adamantine and iron. One summoned zombie later (to carry the load – the zombie union will be registering a demarcation complaint) and the party faced off against a refreshed Fire Elemental (hey, monsters can rest too, y’know). Lots of burning (ouch!), but victory to the…well, victors.

A mining cart ride back to the Wyrmheart Mine (gotta love fantasy world physics) and Tinder, the Adult Red Dating Dragon, agreed to honour the deal and take the party to the lost city of Omu! (the exclamation mark is mandatory.)

The dragon flew the party across Chult and over the lost city, landing at the south entrance. There the intrepid adventurers investigated an abandoned guard post. There was lots of interesting graffiti, signs other parties had been through recently. Or maybe just be local kids tagging. Suddenly, a dastardly rooftop ambush by Ambush Vines (well, it’s all in the name, isn’t it).

Next week: OMU! City of…stuff. ‘Cause we still have no idea how to find what we’re looking for. If only we had a guide…

For more Laidback DM, click here.

For Laidback DM products, visit Drivethrurpg.

Hi all,

I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017. It was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that). Here’s the follow up campaign – 2018’s ‘Tomb of Annihilation’. We used experience points rather than milestones/level-based progression, which led to some ‘xp grinding’ along the way. Each session was 4 hours long. Some of the summaries may be amusing; don’t forget these are unedited emails, so please forgive their somewhat chaotic nature and poor sentence structure/grammar. If you’re a D&D fan you may enjoy them. And maybe even if you aren’t.

Game on!

Steve 🙂

Week 15

The Wyrmheart Mine!

Tinder, a huge Adult Red Dragon, confronted the party. Mark’s Kenku Monk protected Jake’s unconscious Aasimar Warlock (who fell from a great height last week) while attempting to tell Tinder that Jake wasn’t wholly responsible for killing all of her Kobold minions. And then he offered Hew Hackysack up as a sacrifice!

Hew HackandGo, riding a Giant Strider, decided it was time to show the Dragon who was boss. Daniel’s Human Bard and Dan’s Halfing Warlock decided to stop him by pushing Hew off the tracks, but the Giant Strider was too strong. Hew faced the dragon: “Geronimo!! And thanks for all the fish!” he cried lustily, then was slaughtered and eaten. Thus ended the brief, but world-weary tale of Hew HanksfortheMemories. A tale of sweaty, odour-filled nights, lots of standing around yelling support and deckchair reclining by rivers. His Scottish brogue would be sorely missed. By someone, I’m sure.

The fawning party then decided to give Tinder all their Giant Strider mounts to eat. Now sated, Tinder the dating Dragon, asked the party to clear the Fire Newts out the Dwarven forge of Hrakhamar, which lay 40 miles north along an abandoned cart track. If they succeeded she would consider flying them to the lost city of Omu. And set them up with some online dates who would look nothing like their photos.

A very cool roller coaster mining cart ride later (including jumping a gap in the tracks – Gavin’s Druid and Jake’s Warlock assisted with Thornwhip and Lightning Lure), and stopping before an underground river, where Ghasts and Ghouls lurked. Most were turned by Chloe’s Drow Cleric, but then a huge Krake Spawn decided to cream Jake’s Warlock and Chloe’s Cleric (but not before Dan’s Warlock decided to show his true colours and run away). The Krake Spawn formed a huge Wall of Ice which Morgan’s Barbarian scaled and leaped to the rescue, hurling Japanese anime epithets left and right (apparently the Japanese know how to get the most out of conversations about trains) but unfortunately missed completely. Leave it to Mark’s Kenku Monk to save the day and bash and kick that nasty beastie into the sushi Morgan’s Barbarian originally intended. Davor’s Ranger had an opportunity to attack the monster with his sword, but declined. “I’m a long range kinda guy,” he said, checking his nails.  

In the magma-spawned heat of Hrakhamar, the party split up (as usual), with Jake’s Warlock and Chloe’s Cleric wandering off one way, Mark’s Monk, Steve’s Rogue and William’s Lizardfolk Druid sneaking off on a scouting mission, and the rest just hanging around. Mark’s Monk, sneaky little fellow that he was, got to the armoury only to be trounced by a bunch of Flying Swords. “Run away, run away!” he cried, Monti Python-style.

A number of Fire Newts pursued and in a Giant Strider-packed corridor, everyone caused enough ruckus with spells (including Gavin’s Druid–conjured Dire Wolves), to set the Giant Striders stampeding (ouch!).

Next week: Hrakhamar! And maybe a dragon ride…  

Cheers

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM, click here.

For Laidback DM products, visit Drivethrurpg.