Monday, December 22, 2014
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Case 02: Harvester of Sorrow
Session 1 (12/21/14): After several weeks of training, the Skeleton Farm is tipped off to a possible location where they might track down the elusive hunchback Udmer Thull. Arnhelm, Brando and Malfin journey several days east, through the World's Edge Mountains, to the town of Stavian's Hold, where they are seeking a former miller named Ancin Toke. They meet the man rather quickly, as he is down on his luck and out of work, and he tells them he's seen Thull talking to his former employer, a trust fundee libertine named Szaldor who took over the business from his parents. Ancin and his creepy daughter reveal that the noble was into all sorts of 'blood orgies' and other debaucheries, and may be the 'evil seed' that blights some of the local crops. Searching the abandoned mill, our heroes are assaulted by a violent murder of crows. Malfin is blinded in the attack...
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They also find that, upon returning to the Yellow Husk inn, that Malfin's prized pony has been bludgeoned to death right in the heart of town. Later that night, they too are stalked by a being with heavy footsteps, which turns out to be Thull, who knows he has been followed to the Hold. In a grueling combat, he is subdued by Brando's superior fighting and the assistance of the others, magical and otherwise. Thull is taken into custody by Sir Hany the Half-Orc, a local knight of the Taldan Phalanx who is the 'official' law of the town.
They become suspicious of Ancin's 12-year old daughter Stelle, who is rather creepy and seems to know too much. She also sews straw dolls which have an unusual divination property. They return once again to Szaldor's Mill to further investigate, and discover that the guy was barely running his business, signing off receipts and orders that he was 'bored' and so forth, totally unprofessional. In the end, when trying to exorcise Stelle, they instead discover that it was an old spinster living with the Tokes in the local hostel/shrine to Sarenrae, who was the object of possession by one of Szaldor's experiments before his flight from the region. The haggard old woman calls forth an animated scarecrow, which the heroes just barely defeat...
Characters: Arnhelm, Brando, Malfin
XP Awarded: 1066 each (combat), 1000 each (session bonus), 400 each (case bonus)
NPCs:
Ancin Toke (human male): Down on his luck local miller in Stavian's Hold, he's the one who tips off the Skeleton Farm to the possible presence of Udmer Thull in town. His daughter is Stelle. Ancin is a hard spoken man who wields a sword in case of trouble, but then doesn't seem able to muster it for use when that trouble actually presents itself...
Bedsalt (human male): A gaunt farmer wielding a ho, he manages to bribe the PCs after he catches them breaking in to Szaldor's Mill soon after their arrival in the Hold.
Bedsalt's Brother (human male): A balding, thick-jowled man with little family resemblance to Bedsalt, but nonetheless tries to bribe the characters when they return to search Szaldor's Mill for a second time.
Cece (human female): A well-to-do woman with a fox companion, she is the 'mayor' of Stavian's Hold, appointed by the Emperor's court, though she seems forced to share leadership with the knight Hany and his wife Lene.
Joycie (human female): A former slave who travels with her dog Jane, Joycie maintains a wild and haggard appearance and seems to be seeking a new master, a path that Arnhelm dissuades her from.
Kater (human female): A beautiful Eastern woman with an unusual accent, she's an herbalist, a nomad of the Whistling Plains who often spends time at Stavian's Hold. As an adept who follows Erastil, the PCs turn to her to cure Malfin's condition, which she is unable to do.
Lene (half-orc female): The wife of Sir Hany, and herself an officer serving the Taldan army.
Pinard the Prestidigitator (halfling male): A rather plain-clothed vendor of exotic goods, operating out of a stall called 'The Naga's Arcana' in the town center of Stavian's Hold.
Sir Hany (half-orc male): White-haired knight who commands a Taldan Phalanx out of Stavian's Hold. He's brutally honest but also somewhat of a 'dick', exclaims Malfin. Has since taken Udmer Thull into custody.
Stelle (human female): A young girl with black pony tails, she is the daughter of Ancin Toke and seems to have a rather morbid disposition for her age. Also capable of sewing together strange magical scrying dolls out of straw, though she claims the old woman possessed by part of Szaldor's spirit was responsible for teaching her the technique.
They also find that, upon returning to the Yellow Husk inn, that Malfin's prized pony has been bludgeoned to death right in the heart of town. Later that night, they too are stalked by a being with heavy footsteps, which turns out to be Thull, who knows he has been followed to the Hold. In a grueling combat, he is subdued by Brando's superior fighting and the assistance of the others, magical and otherwise. Thull is taken into custody by Sir Hany the Half-Orc, a local knight of the Taldan Phalanx who is the 'official' law of the town.
They become suspicious of Ancin's 12-year old daughter Stelle, who is rather creepy and seems to know too much. She also sews straw dolls which have an unusual divination property. They return once again to Szaldor's Mill to further investigate, and discover that the guy was barely running his business, signing off receipts and orders that he was 'bored' and so forth, totally unprofessional. In the end, when trying to exorcise Stelle, they instead discover that it was an old spinster living with the Tokes in the local hostel/shrine to Sarenrae, who was the object of possession by one of Szaldor's experiments before his flight from the region. The haggard old woman calls forth an animated scarecrow, which the heroes just barely defeat...
Characters: Arnhelm, Brando, Malfin
XP Awarded: 1066 each (combat), 1000 each (session bonus), 400 each (case bonus)
NPCs:
Ancin Toke (human male): Down on his luck local miller in Stavian's Hold, he's the one who tips off the Skeleton Farm to the possible presence of Udmer Thull in town. His daughter is Stelle. Ancin is a hard spoken man who wields a sword in case of trouble, but then doesn't seem able to muster it for use when that trouble actually presents itself...
Bedsalt (human male): A gaunt farmer wielding a ho, he manages to bribe the PCs after he catches them breaking in to Szaldor's Mill soon after their arrival in the Hold.
Bedsalt's Brother (human male): A balding, thick-jowled man with little family resemblance to Bedsalt, but nonetheless tries to bribe the characters when they return to search Szaldor's Mill for a second time.
Cece (human female): A well-to-do woman with a fox companion, she is the 'mayor' of Stavian's Hold, appointed by the Emperor's court, though she seems forced to share leadership with the knight Hany and his wife Lene.
Joycie (human female): A former slave who travels with her dog Jane, Joycie maintains a wild and haggard appearance and seems to be seeking a new master, a path that Arnhelm dissuades her from.
Kater (human female): A beautiful Eastern woman with an unusual accent, she's an herbalist, a nomad of the Whistling Plains who often spends time at Stavian's Hold. As an adept who follows Erastil, the PCs turn to her to cure Malfin's condition, which she is unable to do.
Lene (half-orc female): The wife of Sir Hany, and herself an officer serving the Taldan army.
Pinard the Prestidigitator (halfling male): A rather plain-clothed vendor of exotic goods, operating out of a stall called 'The Naga's Arcana' in the town center of Stavian's Hold.
Sir Hany (half-orc male): White-haired knight who commands a Taldan Phalanx out of Stavian's Hold. He's brutally honest but also somewhat of a 'dick', exclaims Malfin. Has since taken Udmer Thull into custody.
Stelle (human female): A young girl with black pony tails, she is the daughter of Ancin Toke and seems to have a rather morbid disposition for her age. Also capable of sewing together strange magical scrying dolls out of straw, though she claims the old woman possessed by part of Szaldor's spirit was responsible for teaching her the technique.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Case 01: Pale Moon Rising
Session 1 (10/26/14): On a dire, stormy night, three Skeleton Farm initiates converge upon the town of Old Sehir, where a Constable Crowl awaits them with a mission. Several of his soldiers have gone missing while they themselves were sent to investigate the case of a number of house servants that never returned to their homes after their duties. The constable also found something disturbing on the road, a wriggling, zombified torso with no other limbs attached. The PCs and Plum Rum make their way out to Halfmoon House, where they begin to search, finding a carriage house and then a dining area, where they are engaged in battle by a half dozen crawling, amputated hands! Unfortunately, too quickly did the would-be heroes meet their demise, after a valorous act of self sacrifice by the halfling Tem Garridan...
Characters: Plum Rum (RIP), Rasp (RIP), Tem Garridan (RIP)
Session 2 (11/2/14): Malfin, the hired 'squire' to Tem Garridan, becomes apprehensive once his patron does not return from the Halfmoon manor, and so he confronts the Constable, who gets in touch with the Skeleton Farm elsewhere. Within a week, another agent named Brando has arrived, and Crowl also manages to recruit a cleric from the Reveler's Rest, a half-elf named Arnhelm who is of a good nature and desires to lend the assistance of Cayden Cailean to the beleaguered duo. They march off to Halfmoon House with hopes to learn the fates of all the missing, successfully exploring much of the first floor, where they discover that the former occupants of the manor had indeed been up to no good. They manage to exact revenge upon the crawling hands, and take down an eerie wax likeness of the lady of the house, but while they have found the remains of the servants and at least one of Crowl's soldiers, they have located no trace of their fallen companions. After the battle with the wax thing, they are seriously depleted and so spend the night to rest there and get unconscious Brando back on his feet.
Characters: Arnhelm, Brando, Malfin
XP Awarded: 600 each (combat), 400 each (session bonus) = 1000 each.
Session 3 (11/9/14): After finishing their investigation of the first floor, and unable to explore the second story which had been burned down long before their predecessors ever set foot in the place, the trio moves into the cellar level, which seems to have been built long before the manor proper. They find sarcophagi with several local lords buried in them (and not long ago), and also two laboratory areas, one for the manufacture of constructs, the province of Lady Cress, and the other belonging to her beloved, Regas Halfmoon...necromancer of some loathsome ability. Through some of Cress's notes, they discover that the pair has moved on recently from the house, becoming wary of two creatures they summoned from the 'Tear', which they have been breeding and sending off with a hunchback named Udmer Thull. They have left the Manor ultimately to meet up with other members of what is called 'The Grand Junction', which the hunchback might also represent. Thull was supposed to burn down the manor, but due to the inclement downpours he was unable to complete this, but apparently he (or someone) keeps the lights lit in the home.
Our heroes eventually run into the foul beasts Lady Cress had referred to as 'Mother and Father' jokingly, though Regas' real parents are in some of the crypts in the basement. They defeat one of them, the female flees back through the 'Tear' in the basement level, a glowing pupil of nothingness which reaches to some realm beyond. They also discover a hidden shrine to Urgathoa, the Pallid Princess. They then barricade the door to that room with the stone sarcophagi covers, loot a little bit of jewelry from one of the old nobles, and make their way hurriedly back to Old Sehir. By the time they have spent a few hours back, Brando and Arnhelm notice their hair falling out in clumps, a result of the lethal kiss they received from the creatures from the 'Tear'. They offer donations at the Reveler's Rest to have this disease removed, and then inquire with Crowl about the hunchback, while Brando gets in touch with the Skeleton Farm higher ups to figure out what to do next. Arnhelm and Malfin seem willing to join the crew, and their recent brushes within the Halfmoon House might qualify them...
Characters: Arnhelm, Brando, Malfin
XP Awarded: 400 each (combat), 400 each (session bonus), 300 each (case bonus) = 2100 each.
Levels: Arnhelm (+1 in wizard), Brando (+1 in fighter), Malfin (+1 in ranger).
NPCs
Constable Crowl (human male): Orange-headed man who commands the small constabulary based in the town of Old Sehir, Taldor. He is the first in the campaign to hire on the Skeleton Farm to investigate some disappearance at a local manor.
Characters: Plum Rum (RIP), Rasp (RIP), Tem Garridan (RIP)
Session 2 (11/2/14): Malfin, the hired 'squire' to Tem Garridan, becomes apprehensive once his patron does not return from the Halfmoon manor, and so he confronts the Constable, who gets in touch with the Skeleton Farm elsewhere. Within a week, another agent named Brando has arrived, and Crowl also manages to recruit a cleric from the Reveler's Rest, a half-elf named Arnhelm who is of a good nature and desires to lend the assistance of Cayden Cailean to the beleaguered duo. They march off to Halfmoon House with hopes to learn the fates of all the missing, successfully exploring much of the first floor, where they discover that the former occupants of the manor had indeed been up to no good. They manage to exact revenge upon the crawling hands, and take down an eerie wax likeness of the lady of the house, but while they have found the remains of the servants and at least one of Crowl's soldiers, they have located no trace of their fallen companions. After the battle with the wax thing, they are seriously depleted and so spend the night to rest there and get unconscious Brando back on his feet.
Characters: Arnhelm, Brando, Malfin
XP Awarded: 600 each (combat), 400 each (session bonus) = 1000 each.
Session 3 (11/9/14): After finishing their investigation of the first floor, and unable to explore the second story which had been burned down long before their predecessors ever set foot in the place, the trio moves into the cellar level, which seems to have been built long before the manor proper. They find sarcophagi with several local lords buried in them (and not long ago), and also two laboratory areas, one for the manufacture of constructs, the province of Lady Cress, and the other belonging to her beloved, Regas Halfmoon...necromancer of some loathsome ability. Through some of Cress's notes, they discover that the pair has moved on recently from the house, becoming wary of two creatures they summoned from the 'Tear', which they have been breeding and sending off with a hunchback named Udmer Thull. They have left the Manor ultimately to meet up with other members of what is called 'The Grand Junction', which the hunchback might also represent. Thull was supposed to burn down the manor, but due to the inclement downpours he was unable to complete this, but apparently he (or someone) keeps the lights lit in the home.
Our heroes eventually run into the foul beasts Lady Cress had referred to as 'Mother and Father' jokingly, though Regas' real parents are in some of the crypts in the basement. They defeat one of them, the female flees back through the 'Tear' in the basement level, a glowing pupil of nothingness which reaches to some realm beyond. They also discover a hidden shrine to Urgathoa, the Pallid Princess. They then barricade the door to that room with the stone sarcophagi covers, loot a little bit of jewelry from one of the old nobles, and make their way hurriedly back to Old Sehir. By the time they have spent a few hours back, Brando and Arnhelm notice their hair falling out in clumps, a result of the lethal kiss they received from the creatures from the 'Tear'. They offer donations at the Reveler's Rest to have this disease removed, and then inquire with Crowl about the hunchback, while Brando gets in touch with the Skeleton Farm higher ups to figure out what to do next. Arnhelm and Malfin seem willing to join the crew, and their recent brushes within the Halfmoon House might qualify them...
Characters: Arnhelm, Brando, Malfin
XP Awarded: 400 each (combat), 400 each (session bonus), 300 each (case bonus) = 2100 each.
Levels: Arnhelm (+1 in wizard), Brando (+1 in fighter), Malfin (+1 in ranger).
NPCs
Constable Crowl (human male): Orange-headed man who commands the small constabulary based in the town of Old Sehir, Taldor. He is the first in the campaign to hire on the Skeleton Farm to investigate some disappearance at a local manor.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Character Generation
Ability Scores: Standard Fantasy, 15 point buy. You can use this handy calculator to input your racial adjustments and spend your points.
Hit Points: Maximum for 1st level.
Races: You can choose any of the Core Rulebook races: dwarf, elf, gnome, halfling, half-elf, half-orc or human (Taldan or otherwise); or the following featured in the Advanced Race Guide: aasimar, catfolk, changeling, dhampir, gnoll, goblin, hobgoblin, kobold, orc, ratfolk, and tiefling.
Classes: You can choose any of the Core Rulebook classes: barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, wizard; any of the Advanced Player's Guide classes: alchemist, cavalier, inquisitor, oracle, summoner, witch; any of the Advanced Class Guide classes: arcanist, bloodrager, brawler, hunter, investigator, shaman, skald, slayer, swashbuckler, warpriest; the magus from Ultimate Magic or gunslinger from Ultimate Combat. No ninjas or samurais. You can also use any of the class 'archetypes' available in these source books.
Favored Class Bonuses: Feel free to use any options from any of the books from which you can select a class or race.
Prestige Classes: Again, you can choose anything from the books listed above, or anything specific to the Inner Sea setting, like the Lion Blades of Taldor. Please avoid options from far off settings like the Dragon Kingdoms, etc.
Traits: Two traits, no flaws. You can choose these also from any of the books from which you could select a class or race.
Alignment: Though the Skeleton Farm might occasionally associate with informants or clients of an evil bent, agents of such alignments are not admitted. So choose anything non-evil.
Starting Wealth: Average per class, unless you take the 'Rich Parents' trait which starts you off with 900 gold even.
Experience Points: We will be using the 'medium' track for XP distribution, in place of the attendance system I use in the Udders Well campaign.
New Characters: Start at one level below the party average (minimum of 1st), with adjusted wealth appropriate to the 'Character Wealth by Level' table located midway down this page.
Hit Points: Maximum for 1st level.
Races: You can choose any of the Core Rulebook races: dwarf, elf, gnome, halfling, half-elf, half-orc or human (Taldan or otherwise); or the following featured in the Advanced Race Guide: aasimar, catfolk, changeling, dhampir, gnoll, goblin, hobgoblin, kobold, orc, ratfolk, and tiefling.
Classes: You can choose any of the Core Rulebook classes: barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, wizard; any of the Advanced Player's Guide classes: alchemist, cavalier, inquisitor, oracle, summoner, witch; any of the Advanced Class Guide classes: arcanist, bloodrager, brawler, hunter, investigator, shaman, skald, slayer, swashbuckler, warpriest; the magus from Ultimate Magic or gunslinger from Ultimate Combat. No ninjas or samurais. You can also use any of the class 'archetypes' available in these source books.
Favored Class Bonuses: Feel free to use any options from any of the books from which you can select a class or race.
Prestige Classes: Again, you can choose anything from the books listed above, or anything specific to the Inner Sea setting, like the Lion Blades of Taldor. Please avoid options from far off settings like the Dragon Kingdoms, etc.
Traits: Two traits, no flaws. You can choose these also from any of the books from which you could select a class or race.
Alignment: Though the Skeleton Farm might occasionally associate with informants or clients of an evil bent, agents of such alignments are not admitted. So choose anything non-evil.
Starting Wealth: Average per class, unless you take the 'Rich Parents' trait which starts you off with 900 gold even.
Experience Points: We will be using the 'medium' track for XP distribution, in place of the attendance system I use in the Udders Well campaign.
New Characters: Start at one level below the party average (minimum of 1st), with adjusted wealth appropriate to the 'Character Wealth by Level' table located midway down this page.
The Skeleton Farm
Brando the Night Watchman
LN 2nd-level human fighter
The son of wealthy investors in the shipyards of Cassomir, Brando chose to join the local constabulary and further his family's good name with the populace. His life took a tragic turn when his betrothed was taken by a ravenous pack of werewolves one fateful eve; and thus Brando sought to drown his sorrows in imported whiskeys and rums, leading to a discharge from the Cassomir watch. Soon after, he crossed paths with Exodé and Glyff during an investigation of the abductions, and they found him a suitable recruit for the Skeleton Farm, provided he 'dry up'. Brando is available for initiate casework.
Inquisitor Exodé
LG 6th-level human inquisitor
The daughter of Ludivs II, prior Chapter Lord of the Skeleton Farm in the Taldor region. She never knew her father well, having been sent to Lastwall at a very young age for her 'protection', which was in reality over a decade of training and conditioning to inherit his position. Once prepared, she spent years traveling the coastal territories of the Inner Sea honing her skills, making short work of spooks, witches, zombies, petty necromancers, and other minor threats. Inevitably she wound up home when she received word of her father's passing during the Purge, and has begun to take up his role while, recruiting new members to the cause while searching for pieces to the puzzle of what happened to the previous team...and possibly to learns things about the man in death that she could not in life. Exodé is available only for advanced casework.
Glyff the Ghost Sniffer
CG 5th-level gnoll oracle
The loyal companion to Exodé, Glyff was exiled from his kind due to a combination of his benevolent nature, a rare magical 'Sight', and a fragile physique which was ill-fit to murdering and plundering. After traveling alone for some time, the gnoll eventually was able to use his gifts to rescue an adventurer from a flight of harpies in the Southern Fangwood. That wayward soul turned out to be the Inquisitor, and since then, the two have been inseparable friends. He considers her his 'fur-sister', the first sentient being to fully accept him, and would follow her to the ends of creation and the afterlife beyond. And so he does. Glyff is available only for advanced casework.
Scarpa the Sedge Witch
NG 3rd-level human witch
Originally the target of an investigation led by Exodé, there were rumors of her involvement in the shambling mound incursions at the junction of the Verduran Fork and Tandak Plains. Scarpa turned out to be innocent of the accusations leveled at her by the local Wildwood Lodge druids, but not before a sound thumping by the Inquisitor and her compaion Glyff. Eventually, the Sedge Witch decided to align herself with the Skeleton Farm, not only to disprove the stereotypes against her kind, but also due to some possible attraction towards the daughter of Ludivs. In fact, some among the Farm whisper that their relationship is already past the friendship stage. Scarpa is available for intermediate casework.
Plum Rum, the Innkeeper's Daughter
Plum Rum, the Innkeeper's Daughter
CN 1st-level dwarf rogue (Deceased)
'Plum
Rum, ye got a nice bum'. Such were the jeers and unwelcome physical
assertions of the patrons of the Pig & Pickaxe, her father's inn
near the hillside town of Maheto. Plum Rum paid them back by sneaking
into their rooms at night, taking just enough from their purses and
pouches to compensate for how low she felt. But then one night it went
to far, and she made a mistake...there was a particular customer of a
ghastly countenance, who caught her in the act, and would have drained
the life from the dwarf maiden had Inquisitor Exodé and her gnoll
companion not arrived at that very moment. Plum pleaded with the woman
to lift her from the dregs of her day to day existence, seeing Exodé as
an inspiration and role model, despite their age difference. Since her
peculiar set of 'skills' was in demand amongst the Skeleton Farm, the
Inquisitor accepted her, provided she relent from using them for
nefarious purposes...a course the dwarf has found challenging thus far.
Plum Rum is available for initiate casework.
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