Rise of the Runelords, II and about prioritizing

Oh yeah, the next session came and went. Well, in fact. The adventure is very good and they're pretty much on script, so I'd made a list of things to remember and I think I gave everybody a time to shine.

They levelled up - or rather, they did in the days following the game. I just have to make sure everyone's done their homework and adjusted their character sheets. And the next session's a Friday session! So we're going to the CEO's place. He's even said he's got guest rooms. We'll see. They continue to be a very rewarding bunch to GM, so that's good.

In less good news, I put the teenage campaign on hold. The Asperger player will be introduced into my increasingly inappropriately named family campaign instead of my wife. She (the aspie) has some great ideas for a character, so it'll be fun.

And naturally I feel like a huge failure, but when I'm facing a weekend with nothing to do except do laundry, go to a restaurant with the daughter, and run, then it feels pretty a-ok.

Beginning Rise of the Runelords

So we have Kreolino the Ranger (player: CEO), Hérion the Magus (player: Sales Director), Pephannes the Rogue (counterfeit mage archetype) (player: Genius Colleague), and Aknot the Oracle (player: Friend Colleague).

All equipped with their shiny new backstories and their 1st-level equipment, they attend the Swallowtail Festival in Sandpoint and... Things go pretty much by the book. Two groups of goblins attacked as one. No biggie. I messed around in the town a bit. God, it would be great to just have all the information immediately available. It would require a fast tablet, a hyperlink-heavy map with pop-up features and a good search function.

Good things: The games before the goblin attack were fun. Combat went smoothly, and they know now that goblins are bat-shit crazy. They are appreciative of the story and the players gel well  together.

Bad things: I NEED to get the city straight. I need to be better with the minis in order to minimize the wait. Part of this is logistics:

3 pm: Bone up on last details/finish work
4 pm: Drive for takeout
4:45: get back, set up in CEO's office, if possible, set plates for dinner
5 pm: Eat
5:30'is: Game

But they're hooked. CEO roared in frustration when I called it a night at 10:15. The Sales Director played his Cha 8 better than anyone I've seen. He does not give a flying fuck who he pisses off. Nice!

Next session's in three weeks.

Roleplaying at work

So the CEO asked me to run a game.

At the Summer Party, he asked about an RPG club a colleague of mine had suggested on our intranet, and when I told him it never got off the ground, he seemed so disappointed, that I promised I'd get something up and running. I remembered a colleague (the Genius) who'd said he really wanted to try it out. Another who was a Gamer but wasn't playing at the moment. And my Sales Director who had been gaming for a long time.

I got them together and ran them through a Ptolus adventure I made for a con a few years back. It went well. So well, in fact, that they wanted to continue with a real campaign.

So this next Wednesday, I'm bringing my Special Edition Rise of the Runelords, a combat plan, minis and a few other things to kick off the Swallowtail Festival in Sandpoint. Here's the roster:

• The CEO - Human (Ulfen) ranger. Surprisingly charismatic and wise giant of a man. Very effective with a bow.
• The Sales Director - Elf (Forlorn) Magus. Describes the character as a geek. From Riddleport. Could be fun.
• The Genius - Half-drow Rogue (counterfeit mage). Has some great ideas about bluffing his way through the world. 
• The Gamer - Human (Shoanti) oracle of the Skoan-Quah clan. He'll most likely bring Weird to the table in a good way. 

The last PCs were created yesterday. We'll see what happens Wednesday!

Recap for tomorrow's game

The sun was gone. The distant ridge of the Tors of Levenies hid the sunset, but the sky was still a bright riot of pinks and blues, which made it easy to see the main structures of the fort. The trip through the town - village almost - of Varnhold had been strange. A monster at the river crossing. Dead animals. The ominous murders of crow sitting on some of the buildings. And always the dark, empty windows glaring down into the streets.

There was a faint rotting smell in most of the village. Stale. You'd think nobody had been there for quite some time. But what, then, was the deal with the faint column of smoke from the keep in the south end of Varnhold?

The entryway into the keep rose to meet the palisade. Beyond, a wooden ramp sloped down into the dark courtyard. A two-story keep loomed at the far end. There were some other buildings, maybe an enclosure of some kind.

Mutt growled.

Shackled City

Getting going with the prep work again. Now I really want to make this good. So far, I'm copying/converting stat blocks. I need to find some minor story arcs, some stuff that'll keep the campaign going on a smaller level. If everything points to an 18th-level showdown, the players will die of boredom even as their characters try to find out what the fuss is all about. I need to re-read the damn thing in search of foreshadowing clues and minor villains.

The slavery theme is one that should be explored. One of the Cagewrights is behind most of the slave trade in the region. Taking him (her? it?) out will be a good mid-level goal for the PCs.

The ebb and flow of gaming

I've gamed since 1984. 27 years of making characters, getting to know them, putting them in harm's way, seeing them go.

I've DM'ed since 1986, I think. 25 years of helping others make characters, getting to know them, putting them in harm's way, seeing them go. And making stories, creating universes, and entertaining friends - many of whom I wouldn't have had, had it not been for this weird hobby of ours.

For a longish while, I had one campaign, the Dorm Campaign. I started it in 1990, when I returned from the UK, and even though pretty much all the players have changed, it's still one single campaign with a lot of continuity.

But after I met Marie, I started running a campaign for her son Sebastian. After a false start (coughDungeonADay*cough), we're getting into Serpent's Skull. Can't wait to get them off the island!

Then the wife of a friend wanted to game as well! And her kids wanted to learn, Sebastian wanted more, and my daughter Vibeke also wanted in on the action. And we're going for Shackled City here.

Best news is that Marie wanted to play as well. She tried a short, homemade adventure with Vibeke and Sebastian, and now she's very eager to take her half-elf fighter out for another spin. And this is where it, to me, gets interesting. To my kids, I'm a provider. Of everything, from food to parental guidance and entertainment. So while I think it's fun to DM, DM'ing them is part and parcel of being a parent. At least I don't have to take them to soccer matches...

But when you DM your spouse, it's another kettle of fish. Not only is she an adult who chooses to spend her valuable time doing this, so you have to make sure it's comes out on top of reading world-class literature, going for a long walk in the park, exploring the world of cooking or catching up on some work. She is also, you know, the one who you really want to look good for.

Well Dungeon Master's Angst aside, it's invigorating. I'm cruising the internet, scouring it for tidbits that have to do with the campaign, and I feel the simmer of my creative juices always popping with small ideas. God knows how long I'll feel like that, but for now, I'm enjoying it.