"Inhibitions Removed" - CHA'ALT Campaign 3.2

 

All 5 players returned for the 2nd session of our Cha'alt campaign (season three)...

Hork the 1/2 orc warrior, Bandersnatch the blue-suede elf sorcerer, Thurberus the v'smm priest, Botsterdomus the droid priest, and Tinker the pixie-fairy thief.

I asked them to come up with a memory from their past due to their amnesia wearing off + inhibitors soon to be removed (but we'll get to that later).  In a nutshell, here's what they either came up with on their own or rolled on the d6 table I provided.  Regardless of the method, there was a good "pitch meeting" collective imagining vibe where everyone threw out suggestions and the best or most interesting ones became canon.  

Hork allowed a woman who rejected her advances to be burned alive as a witch, despite his having evidence of her innocence.  

Bandersnatch was in a band (as you'll remember, he's a bit of a bard, as well as, a sorcerer).  He was lead guitarist for groups such as Clockwork Sex Gnomes, Epileptic Night Clowns, and Gay Demons On Zoth.  His one-hit-wonder claim to fame would be the song "Kra'adumek Rising In My Pants."  With his memory back, he longs for Matilda, his white flying-v guitar that he traded at the pawn shop in A'agrybah before getting picked-up by that slave ship, The Venturan.  

Additionally, he discovered the ability to weave spells with his guitar playing and transported himself away from the tour bus seconds before a purple sandworm ate it and everyone else aboard, thanks to the purple priest assholes who rule Kra'adumek for the alien demon-worm.

Thurberus had a childhood memory... crawling out of a giant pool of blood.  His parents, being members of a death cult, ritually suicided themselves, along with the rest of their kool-aid family.  Young Thurberus was left all alone, raised by wandering nomads.  Later, the priest made a pact with a demon lord to learn that Thurberus had a twin brother who he occassionally dreams about.  While Thurberus is the dark twin, his brother is good and virtuous.

Botsterdomus had a memory of a child asking if he was ok, and the droid responding that he'd soon be dead due to exposure.  Also, he was the general contractor for a sinister vizir who wanted a "death room."  When it was finished, the vizir ordered Botsterdomus to seal the workers inside.  Botsterdomus refused and was hunted, eventually sold into slavery and found himself aboard The Venturan.

The NPC woman, Sass, we determined, was one of the workers who Botsterdomus saved.

Last but not least, Tinker stole an artifact from a demon who occasionally inhabits his body, like when he's hedonistically enjoying a nice meal or murder.  Nixor is the name of the demon inside of him.

Approaching orbital space, Captain Neevo invites the PCs into his private quarters for a little chat.  Not knowing what to expect, the adventurers brace themselves.  As it happens, Neevo wants them to carry out a little mission for the S.S. Motherfucker.  Their ship is low on fuel and energy crystals on Cha'alt are extremely powerful and valuable.  

The mission is easy - go into some caves and collect as many energy crystals as your storage cubes can hold.  Then, return to the ship and collect 1,000 credits each.  But first, the PCs need to get their inhibitors removed (Jay-Vax helps in that regard - he knows a shady cyber-surgeon who operates in the red silk district of Federation Occupied A'agrybah).  And then, it's on to the Cha'alt Excursion Happy Fun-Time Shuttle Tour!

The cyber-surgeon Reznik's shop was a burned-out Radio Shack.  It was a disgusting dive, but he had the tools and skills to pop those inhibitors off.  Reznik owed one to the racoon humanoid Jay-vax, so it was "on the house."  But Reznik told the PCs that if they needed anything else done, he'd be most receptive if they paid him in beta-maxxx 8-track cassette disks.  The format almost exclusively carries porn, but it's a dead medium and so is extremely valuable.

Upon leaving, Bandersnatch wanted to check out that pawn shop where he remembered leaving Matilda.  Turns out, his white flying-v was sold several months ago.  If they somehow get it back, they'll call the blue-suede elf.  In the meantime, they had another guitar - a hot pink Offender.  Bandersnatch didn't have the funds, but told the pawn shop dude he'd give him double in a few hours if he let the sorcerer have it now.  Dude agreed.

Trying to find the excursion place, the PCs ran into insurgents attacking the Federation embassy.  One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter as natives lobbed thermal detonators at Federation soldiers who were illegally detaining one of their own.  The adventurers were caught between wanting to see some action and not wanting to get involved in another planet's troubles.

In the chaos, they snagged a few thermal detonators, blasters, and energy cells (important because visitors to Federation Occupied A'agrybah are not allowed high-tech weapons).  The death priest Thurberus got a few converts before slitting throats, which somehow seals the deal for him and his, presumable, death god... I'll have to ask him about the spiritual hierarchy of his cult. 

At the excursion shop, the PCs went through decontamination.  The ones who'd spent significant time on Cha'alt previously were tattooed on the neck to let everyone know they were identified as "natives."  They were also briefed on the planet, learning that the open desert which covers the vast majority of Cha'alt's surface is called S'kbah, which means "providence."  Also, removing stuff like artifacts, zoth, crystals, etc. was punishable by fines up to 5k credits and 10 years on Cygnus-Beta.

The tour shuttle soon got to the Crimson Rock of Sacrifice and a sky-elf, Quorack, showed them where to enter the subterranean cave-system where they could find those precious energy crystals.  While the rest of the tour learned about various details of the region, the PCs went in.  

They encountered 2 humans who were of the Federation but not with the Federation.  They were mercenaries sent in to locate some missing scientists.  Long story short, these caves were populated by several demon cults working together under Tek-Tular the High Priest of Pain to antagonize everyone in the area.  But no one had heard from them in almost a year.  Believing there was a lot to learn, a team consisting of an archaeologist, anthropologist, and demonologist explored, but got lost.  Hence, the mercs.  

As the PCs listened in to the 3 mercs exploring, they lost contact.  The communicators, Drane and Zeep, offered a stack of beta-maxxx 8-track cassette disks if they help out the rest of their team, and the adventuring party agreed.

They found a cave full of black marble statues of hideous demons along with a black marble obelisk containing the same number of dark-red jewels.  The PCs decided to wait on that.

Soon, they made friends with a tribe of primitive sub-human cannibals who were busy cooking and eating a dead cultist.  In the corner of this cave was a journal recording previous events.  The PCs learned about an infernal-glyph that was the blessing of Kort'thalis, a method whereby Tek-Tular created a small army of mind-controlled cultists (the eyes of Thurberus have never been wider), and the cult's last endeavor, which was to summon a demon lord to possess an acolyte of the cult... but forgot to prepare a banishing glyph.

Moving on, the PCs encountered a flesh shrine of the splayed High Priest of Pain (a la that murdered guard in Silence of the Lambs), bits and pieces of Tek-Tular hanging down from sinew-string like Christmas ornaments.  That included an intriguing demon idol fashioned out of rainbow obsidian.  Touching it gave one a strong sensory impression of the High Priest being tortured by demons.  Several PCs gave it a try.  One went back to ask Tek-Tular his secret to creating those willing slaves - "The worms of Set."  Basically, tiny wormlike creatures not native to Cha'alt but that originally came from an alien world.  Think those little eels from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

The PCs explored a cave where a demonic priest with his eyes scooped-out sat upon a throne of corpses sewn together.  Infernal-glyphs were carved into this dude's flesh.  He told them his name was Cholak, the demon lord summoned by the cult which led to the whole thing coming unglued.  This was his domain now.  While I didn't really show his power, clearly by the looks of him, he meant business.  But I'm going to add a short cut-scene which I neglected to describe during yesterday's session.  Cholak invited one of his primitive servants closer to his corpse throne, turned his hand slightly, and with that carefree gesture, ripped the sub-human apart - gore splattering everywhere.

In any case, the PCs made a deal with this particular devil.  Retrieve a scroll that could be identified by primordial-glyphs created by snake-men thousands of years ago, and found in an A'agrybah merchant's shop and the debt of not killing the PC intruders will be paid.  Also, there would be something special in it for them.  The pixie-fairy shook on the deal, a tiny infernal-glyph binding the deal appearing on his wrist.  Nixon informed him that he had 3 days to complete the task or else be dragged down into Hell.  Asking if Nixon could help him out, his "dark passenger" replied that he couldn't make any promises.  

Then, they came to a "free-use priestess" of the demon cult who was stuck in semi-gelatinous slime.  She'd already gone insane by this time, being down here for months without reprieve.  After one of the primitives was finished with her, botsterdomus availed himself of the opportunity before the adventurers put her out of her misery.

Nearly last of all, they explored a cave that lit up like a giant eye.  Thurberus used his v'smm mental communication to speak with it.  The following is what he and all the PCs heard...

"You have journeyed a long way, but your death is near - so close I can already feel the vibrations in the membranous aether.  However, it does not have to end like this.  The potentiality of transdimensional instability cross-pollinates the variant timeline, manifesting a quantum meta-paradigm state.  Which is to say... it's the multiverse, baby!  Your suffering and eventual demise could be circumvented.  Find Ura'az-Vethun and claim it - stimulate the ultra-telluric glyphs upon its thirsty blade with chartreuse ichor, blood of the Great Old Ones, zoth.  Ura'az-Vethun shall protect you, and save that which is most important.  Seek Ura'az-Vethun within the purple worm corpse."

Soon after, 6 demons ran up on the PCs from an adjacent cave.  Besides Bandersnatch webbing those Federation soldiers outside the embassy, this was tonight's only combat.  At the end of the first round, the PCs had destroyed them.  The sorcerer's super-charged missile command doing the lion's share of the vanquishing.

Searching the cave where those demons came from, they found the missing mercenaries who'd been shanghaied by the demons.  Although, there was no sign of the scientific researchers.  Whatever happened to them?  Time will tell, perhaps...

The PCs hopped back on the tour shuttle just as it was pulling away and reached Federation Occupied A'agrybah.  That's where we ended the session.  Yes, an action-packed 3.5 hours!

Lots of laughs were had, as well.  From cyber-jungle fever to A'agry-go the Cha'alt version of uber-eats to "every death-cult needs a good salesman."  And so many different directions the campaign can go, a few short-term, others long-term.  The players seem to be settling-in to their characters.  At the start of session three, the PCs will have reached 2nd level (I just prefer doing it at the start of a new session rather than the end).

Thanks for reading.  Feel free to make a comment, ask questions, or whatever!

VS

p.s. Want the hardcover Cha'alt trilogy?  here's how!  Want to join the Kort'thalis mailing list to stay up-to-date on what's going on in the skinematic Vengerverse?  This is it!!  Last but not least, I'm organizing a based-as-fuck RPG convention in Madison, WI this July.  Grab your weekend badge for VENGER CON IV: Post-Modern Apocalypse!!!

Inaugural Cha'alt - Roll20 One-Shot

 

A momentous day - the inauguration of President Donald Trump's second term!

And since it was also MLK day and some folks had the day off, I decided to run one of my infrequent 90-minute, text only, 18+ Cha'alt one-shots via Roll20.  I got 4 players, and adventure was had.  

I'm not going to go into detail because the bones of this particular scenario might be used for one of the sessions I'll be running at Gary Con in a couple months.  However, there are some black pearls of wisdom I could furnish, if one were keen...

If the story setup rushes past the quest-giving, as this one did, the GM should provide another form of social interaction.  In this case, a rival adventuring party was at the starting point, and there was some interesting back-and-forth which pleasantly kept up through the middle and end of the session.

I do think it's important that all 3 pillars are represented, even in a micro session that only lasts for an hour-and-a-half.  That's one of the things I like about 5e.

For the first time ever, someone played a lizardtaur PC.  And sure enough, a special ability was suggested - summoning a lizard man who looks suspiciously like Mark Zuckerberg (henceforth known as Mark Zardberg) that can ride on the lizardtaur's back and send out mind control blasts.  I allowed it without a roll since this was a one-shot... and because it was so fucking gonzo that I didn't have the heart to refuse.

The metaverse requires your personal data... stop and watch this cute cat video.  The lizardtaur's player rolled a 17, and effectively distracted the NPC he wanted to stop.  Success!

In a moment of in-character social disarming sabotage, one of the PCs suggests they (the rival NPCs) don't even know about the cyborg worms.  I hadn't considered cyborg worms, but they will definitely show up in a future Cha'alt adventure.  It's cool when off-the-cuff remarks and throwaway lines manifest into some part of the campaign setting.  Borg-Halud and Shai-Borg were offered, but I prefer Cy-Halud.

A player asked if his character had enough explosives to make an IED later.  I told him he brought supplies to make just one.  Usually, I like to give the PCs just enough rope to hang themselves - metaphorically speaking, of course.  

Narrating inaction is one of my favorite unsung aspects of GMing.  When everyone is taking action, those who aren't - such as the droid mentally doom-scrolling through cat videos - can participate, too, sort of.  So, while the PCs were saving others or attacking, the droid NPC wondered aloud, "Why doesn't the cat just jump off the roomba?  Why is he continuing to ride it around the kitchen?"

Is it a major plot-point that furthers the story or affects the wargaming math in some way?  Nope.  Not one bit, but I like to think amusing asides make the difference between a solid session and a truly great session.

If a PC mentions something like his meow-meow beans flying everywhere after a fall, do your best as the GM to utilize that new piece of information.  Treat it like a ball thrown to you.  Do you let it sail past or try to catch it and throw it back?  In today's game, I had an NPC help the PC pick them up.  Not only was this a bit of imaginative fun, and I would say theatricality, but it showed that the NPC wasn't just a too cool for school, standoffish dick.  He was trying to do something kind, and that action colors the way he's perceived. 

I could just as easily had the NPC laugh haughtily or kick a few stray meow-meow beans into a nearby tunnel, but I didn't.  He had a reason for doing what he did, and it happened to pay off.

More and more, I try to incorporate more heccaeity into my purple prose, my purple alien demon-worm prose...

"It looks demonic... and disturbingly unhinged as if the entity had gazed too long into the burning black void."  What does that facial expression actually look like? Is the void actually burning?  Is it on fire?  Those are all fine questions, but answering them is not the point.  Deepening description, layering it with stuff you wouldn't expect but that leaves a definite and unusual mark -  that's our aim.

One of my favorite lines came from the barbarian, "His suffering will improve him, but only if he lives."

The thing I love about virtual text-only sessions is that it gives me an extra few seconds to consider my options before responding.  Sometimes, an extra 5 seconds can separate the wheat from the chaff.  But if we had played in-person, the session would have been longer, juicier (I don't think there was even a hint of sleaze mentioned), and I could have busted-out (there it is, Lol) this lovely map I recently finished.

So, yeah.  A great session to commemorate a great day!  I encourage you to think about the topics I brought up in this post and see if you can use them in your own GMing.  If you do, please share what happened with the rest of us so we can continue to learn and grow.

Enjoy,

VS

p.s. Want the hardcover Cha'alt trilogy?  here's how!  Want to join the Kort'thalis mailing list to stay up-to-date on what's going on in the skinematic Vengerverse?  This is it!!  Last but not least, I'm organizing a based-as-fuck RPG convention in Madison, WI this July.  Grab your weekend badge for VENGER CON IV: Post-Modern Apocalypse!!!

"Are You Not Entertained" - Cha'alt Campaign 3.1

 

Getting Acquainted

We're finally back with the season three opener!

Seems like a weird fever dream that the antibiotics took care of, making us well again, but they eventually ran out and now we've returned to a universe of alien strangeness, crude sexual humor, and the desire to fuck shit up - the skinematic Vengerverse lives!

I was happy to see all the regulars again.  5 or 6 really is the best number of players.  Since character creation in Advanced Crimson Dragon Slayer is so quick, everyone started talking about what they wanted to play and made their PC right at the table before we got started. 

We have the warrior Ha'Ork or Hork; the sorcerer / bard (electric guitar is the focus of his magic) named Billy Bandersnatch, a blue-suede elf; a v'smm priest named Thurberus; a droid priest named Botsterdomus; and Tinker McStabby a pixie-fairy thief.

Giving them the lay of the land, I told them that they knew their own names and bits of pieces of their former lives, but nothing concrete; everything was hazy.  Something was preventing them from remembering.  Additionally, they had a limiter (got that from Blake's 7 - my review of the first season coming soon), but the players started calling it an inhibitor, which I actually like better.  So, they each had an inhibitor surgically implanted upon their temple.  When performing certain actions, it would give them a searing brain scorch for about 30 seconds.

I had them roll a d100 to see how many days they'd been there (the longer they were, the greater chance for a mutation), and also a d12 for distinctive markings.  

Hork had been there 18 and he could create a dazzling light as many times per day as his level) along with tribal scarification, Bandersnatch only 1 (with numbers and letters laser-grafted onto his forearm, a tag to let the penal colony on Cygnus Beta know who he was), Thurberus 2 (subdermal import jacks), Botserdomus 63 (an organic upper-right section of his torso was flesh rather than machine, making him something of a cyborg rather than full droid, along with a large purple bruise on his shoulder - can't recall his mutation as my note-taking got rusty, apparently), and McStabby 44 (all hair removed with the mutant ability to regenerate quickly)

Alright, so I divided the group up into existing factions wherever they've ended up.  

Divide and Conquer 

Billy Bandersnatch and Thurberus both assimilated quickly into the Jurtwee faction (heretofore known by the PCs as Jerk-Weed).  These guys were anti-technology.  A dozen humanoids congregated into a large mud hut, a cinnamon scented incense lit with several large grubs or centipedes giving off a bio-luminescence.  Everyone hung their head low in solemn prayer - "Machines are evil - death to Magrose - technology is the ultimate corruptor!"

Minutes later, another from their tribe brought in a drowsy (possibly drugged) humanoid with a prosthetic cyber arm.  "What's happening?" the stranger said as the tribe's leader instructed the newest members of their tribe, Thurberus and Bandersnatch, to use sharpened rocks and take the blasphemer's lifeforce, thereby solidifying the bond between the Jurtwee and their god.

Thurberus took the rock and immediately tried to dislocate the cyber arm from the man's shoulder.  Bandersnatch stood there wondering how he could get out of there without doing harm to this guy or bringing the wrath of these cultists down on him.  After a few rolls, the cyber arm guy fired a small missile from his arm directly at Thurberus' chest, nearly killing him.  As cyber arm dude escaped out of the mud hut, Bandersnatch jumped on his back acting like he was attacking him with his sharp rock.  

Seeing them make some distance from the Jurtwee, the v'smm priest ran after them.  Once they got clear, they let the cyber arm sacrifice go and began to explore.

The other 3 PCs were part of the Zevateef tribe, even more primitive wearing animal skins, and most of them were mutants, having been here long enough to acquire one or more mutations.  The tribe gathered in a ruined temple.  Each held a cylinder with exterior holes, allowing one to see the bright green radioactive whatever inside.  For a moment, Botserdomus had a memory flash - this was a plasma reactor core.  

Each held the "holy vessel" above their mouth and recited the sacred words, "This holy vessel is the fruit of our race."  As it was passed, the guy before Hork got a drop in his mouth and started convulsing and turning green.  Hork did the same and nothing happened.  Same with Botsterdomus.  But when it came to Tinker McStabby, he got a whole big glob of green goo all over him, and rolled a 1 on his saving throw.  

Now, this being the first session, I decreed (as it was in the previous season of the Cha'alt campaign) that any natural 1 would be special in some way, perhaps the equivalent of a critical-success.  McStabby survived and gained the mutant ability of intuition.  

After the ceremony, the PCs were instructed to follow Raheed into the grasslands to search for a second holy vessel that would be found beneath the black panel of colorful stars.  Apparently, the Zevateef tribe wanted another plasma reactor core.  So, they left.

Together Again

Soon enough, all the PCs were in the same general area, a black panel next to a massive wall that spanned 2 or 3 miles decorated with red bars that were the same as the red bracelets that everyone here wore.  Next to the black panel was a set of stairs going up.  20-feet up was another level.  The "sky" dark but lit by several small suns or large stars and the temperature was always 72 degrees.

A guardian lurked the stairway, stopping people from climbing it.  However, occasionally the stairs were clear, allowing folks to scavenge for food or supplies.  Here on this level, food was dispensed from nozzles in the wall - a porridge type substance, not unlike shredded wheat.   

Raheed had a dagger and the 2 PCs belonging to the other tribe tricked him into believing there was a "super inhibitor" they could outfit him with, if they killed the guardian.  Raheed got halfway up the stairs when a giant manta-ray scorpion floated down, eventually stinging Raheed to death.  The other PCs wanted nothing more to do with the guardian and instead focused their attention on the black panel.

The sequence of colorful stars or buttons was supposedly implanted in Hork's mind.  So, he started pushing buttons... red, chartreuse, lavender, and indigo-blue.  Instead of a plasma reactor core, a small panel opened to reveal a special big button that eventually someone else pushed.  It created a hologram of a member of the Great Race of Yith that spoke in a foreign language, "Seeklu bla'ath blee zai-kone yavlo."  

Therberus used his racial telepathic powers to translate the repeated holographic message and eventually got the following... "The ultra-telluric glyph is the most precious super-science technology on the Venturan - you must save it!"

Not knowing what to do with that information, they filed it away and kept pressing buttons.  A viewer popped out of the black panel.  Putting their eyes up against it, they saw several people entering a dimly lit rusty metal room as a purple light descended upon them.  Within seconds, everyone in that metal room was dead.

Soon, they got a proximity alert that another ship was approaching and preparing to dock.  A ship that would transfer its prisoners to the Venturan.  Attempting to push more buttons in the hopes of contacting the ship or trying to interact with it in some other way, a couple security droids came by and forced the PCs to move along.  

Botsterdomus tried to smack one of the droids and for his trouble got blasted nearly to death.  Oh yeah, Therberus' healing powers were accompanied by that searing pain for 30 seconds, but he was still able to heal himself from earlier and now the droid priest.

Wandering what soon became clear as their artificial environment inside a prison ship, they found a woman with pale skin and pink mohawk wearing a black silk outfit named Sass.  She was struggling to insert a data cartridge into a rectangular gray box but it wouldn't fit.  It was technology she found just outside the punishment dome.  She'd just arrived onto the Venturan but also wasn't sure of her memories.  But she knew that the sign of voorax could occasionally save people from phenomena similar to the descending purple illumination.

She came with them as the party then encountered a man-sized crab-mollusk creature with leopard spots.  He confirmed that they were, indeed, aboard a prison ship.  He was once a man, but stopped eating the provided food that contained memory erasing drugs.  Instead, he ate the weird plants around here and that accelerated his mutations.  This crab dude also had the power to explode peoples' heads, and said he'd help the PCs overcome the stair guardian.

They promised to come back for the crab after checking out the punishment dome.  As the adventuring party reached the dome, they heard something on a loudspeaker about the prisoner transfer and security droids should report to red sector-B.  The PCs could hear the security droids coming because they were a short distance away from red sector-B.

A door opened that led to one of those floaty corridors between ships and there were port-holes confirming that they were traveling through space.  

The PCs had a decision to make, and time was running out as 5 new humanoid prisoners were escorted through the corridor and onto the Venturan.  They decided to make a break for it and run into the corridor and to the other ship as Sass distracted the security droids by asking about the two incompatible mechanical parts.

Only the last 2 were spotted by the security droids and got fired upon.  Luckily, they missed and Sass ran behind them.  Once across and aboard the other ship, Hork pressed buttons to close the door and send the floating corridor adrift.  Meanwhile, McStabby used his intuition to find the bridge.  A blue-skinned guy holding a big laser rifle stopped them, questioning who these people were, assuming they were stowaways.  

They did their best to convince the blue guy that they were part of the new crew just arrived to help man the ship.  The PCs were told to wait in the lounge as blue guy went to confirm their story with the captain.  As he turned his back, McStabby attempted to backstab but failed and played it off like he was trying to pat him on the back or something.

The PCs explored the ship, finding a restroom complete with 3 seashells, a nearly empty crew quarters that had decent clothes and a laser pistol (Tinker also found a living green leprechaun hat with pink fringe and tentacles that attached to his skull like a symbiote and somehow ate / pooped-out his inhibitor).  They saw a vulcan talking to a wookie in the hallway, then wandered into the lounge where a humanoid raccoon was trying to play 17-dimensional chess solitaire.  Happy to have some company, the racoon named Jay-vax welcomed them aboard and got Hork some "crisps" from the lounge vending machine - first making sure that he didn't want a pair of used panties, instead.

Jay-vax was the engineer and tech-guy of the ship, so he tried to pop those inhibitors off their craniums.  He didn't have the right tool (I rolled a 2 on the skill-check), and couldn't get them off.  Jay-vax played 17-dimensional chess with Therberus, winning because he rolled a 1 as they were playing "Albuquerque rules" (it wasn't Albuquerque, but I can't remember the fictional city Therberus claimed to be from).  

At some point, Therberus picked up a puzzle piece from a nearly completed puzzle on some random table, and the party visited the bridge so they could talk to the captain and get it over with - surrender themselves, keep up the ruse, take over the ship, or something else.

Turns out that captain Neevo was extremely accommodating.  He let the PCs pick their own specialty and join his crew upon the S.S. Motherfucker.  Neevo informed them that they'd reach the next destination, a fairly dangerous and somewhat civilized desert planet named Cha'alt in about 5 or 6 standard hours and they'd get a chance to leave the ship and stretch their legs for a couple days before heading out.

That's where we left things.  Although, the PCs talked about future plans, like starting their own cult and livestreaming their adventures.  On Cha'alt, "like and subscribe" has been replaced by "insert the tentacle."  Good times!

Aftermath

The following are some phrases of note.  There should have been a few more, but like I said, my GM note-taking has taken a dive since we last gamed.  Next time, I'll record more of the good stuff!

• "Some people can't handle their green shit."
• "Banana-shaped shank."
• "Toilet paper turban."
• "Scumdogs in Paradise." 

Because of the inhibitor, the PCs didn't get to use much of their class abilities.  They'll have ample opportunity (most likely) next session.  But to recap, here are the roleplaying incentives we'll be playtesting for this campaign.  I've shortened them for ease of use...

• Thieves can earn luck by stealing shit.
• Sorcerers can earn arcana by gaining a better understanding of mystical / magical shit.
• Priests can earn religious renown for bolstering their religion / cult (of personality) and working miracles and shit.
• Warriors can earn epic deeds by being a master of warfare and shit.

Overall, I was pleased with the session.  The groundwork has been lain, and I have an idea of what will likely happen next session.  And yet, it's so open-ended that the possibilities are nearly infinite.  The players mentioned, after the game, they were sure a lot more of the punishment dome was waiting to be explored.  Plus, they liked the crab-mollusk with leopard spots and wanted to hang with him again.

I told them in reply that, yes, there was more exploration to be had.  Cheer up, I said.  You haven't seen the last of the Venturan, I'd wager! 

As their memories slowly return, I'll throw in some recollections.  Perhaps like the Lost flashbacks.  For next session, I'll award a point of Divine Favor for every PC who comes up with a memory, something from their past they can roleplay.  If no one prepares anything, they can either spontaneously come up with something, or I'll simply come up with a memory, myself... perhaps a random table?

Ok, that's it for now.  If you have questions or comments, leave them below.  Next session is in 2 weeks - Saturday, January 25th.  Until then, hoss!

Enjoy,

VS

p.s. Want the hardcover Cha'alt trilogy?  here's how!  Want to join the Kort'thalis mailing list to stay up-to-date on what's going on in the skinematic Vengerverse?  This is it!!  Last but not least, I'm organizing a based-as-fuck RPG convention in Madison, WI this July.  Grab your weekend badge for VENGER CON IV: Post-Modern Apocalypse!!!

Cha'alt: Season Three [roleplaying incentives]

 

I should just make a part 2 of this blog post, but instead will update it.  Thinking about the sorcerer, in particular, I felt like gaining Divine Favor was simply too... pedestrian a reward.  So, I've changed it.

Shit... I just realized that now the warrior class feels shortchanged.  Damn it.  Ok, I'll revise that, too.  I want this page to be something we can all refer back to, so it's just going to become an ever-evolving mutant horrorshow.  

Cha'alt season three begins a week from this Saturday, one-eleven.  Can't fucking wait!

Same campaign, but different characters and story arcs.  Every year, I'm going to try to hit 20 sessions per "season," which means the PCs cap-out at about level 10.  That way the greater Cha'alt campaign keeps going, but still (hopefully) remains fresh and exciting for those interested in playing.  

I was scrolling through X last night and stumbled upon a post by my good friend, gamer extraordinaire, and VENGER CON alumni... Lord Matteus.

He was asking for GMs to reveal a roleplaying incentive from their own game.  For example, he gives extra XP to paladins for purging every living thing found in a goblin warren, gnoll pack, orc camp, etc., doubling it if they shot "Deus Vult!" while doing so.

Feeling inspired, I set myself a challenge to come up with four brand-new roleplaying incentives, one for each class in Advanced Crimson Dragon Slayer.  I posted them last night and will set them before you here for examination.  

Remember, these are roleplaying incentives that exist as incentives to award roleplaying!  Qualification can be determined by the table majority; however, as with all things, subject to the GM's inviolable will and ultimate authority...

• Warriors get an Epic Deed point when they announce a particular fighting strategy, novel combat maneuver, or Leeroy Jenkins their way into battle.
• Sorcerers get a point of Arcana each time they take a break from adventuring in order to consult their zoth-writ parchments of forbidden lore, dark prophecies, and ancient parables.  They may even consult with their sorcerous peers or travel to strange places in order to bolster their understanding of esoteric subjects.
• Thieves receive a point of luck every time they successfully burgle something of value.
• Priests earn a point of (religious) renown every time they gain a new follower, but would also lose that point if the follower was lost... unless he died a martyr.

Sleaze Points: A new metacurrency I created towards the end of the second season of our Cha'alt campaign.  Basically, every point accumulated can be spent to boost or add onto another roll (doesn't affect critical failures, though).  

Sidenote:  I'm going to reserve the "jerk the milky white dice upon the centerfold" sublimation for when the PCs get their math-rocks off over something different, something special.  Not just the usual roll in the hay, which will be rewarded with the standard sleaze-factor-5 bonus.

Luck: Just like sleaze points, except they have nothing to do with sleaze.  Can other classes earn luck points?  If so, for what?  That remains to be seen.

Renown: The renown points metacurrency can be spent, narratively, to temporarily bolster renown; momentarily - or at least to whoever that PC is currently addressing - (re)casting the individual PC, including but not necessarily entailing his reputation, calling/vocation, racial differences, religion, god, noble house, family crest, cause de jour, etc. in a more favorable - or at the very least, formidable - light.  

Renown isn't necessarily concerned with fame or infamy, individuals in the presence of greatness can decide that sort of thing for themselves.  Renown, in this instance, is more a measure of having an impact on the world.  Aside from priests making converts (new souls for the faith), adventurers can earn points of renown by making waves, putting themselves out a bit, and changing the course of their destiny and that of Cha'alt.

Arcana:  Allows sorcerers to do what most magic-users aren't able to do... most of the time.  They can alter their own spells, that of their opponents, or even forge new one's, create dimensions and domains, and alter the very fabric of reality.

Epic Deed:  Warriors can spend an epic deed point to do something in the realm of combat which would normally be impossible - a feat of strength and agility and battle prowess which makes them a paragon of war.

Ok, I'm hoping this gives players something to contemplate as they decide what kind of character they want to create before the first session starts... or maybe we'll start playing and let character creation be part of the introductory scenario?  Time will tell, hoss...

What else?  PCs will start off at level 1 and will go up a level every other session, just like the previous seasons.  Special abilities found in Cha'alt Ascended [now found in the Advanced Crimson Dragon Slayer rulebook (PDF and print-on-demand softcover available on Amazon) will be granted at levels 3 and 7.  Upon reaching level 4, PCs will be expected to "prestige class" into some unique and idiosyncratic version of their base class, granting them a specialty within that particular sphere.

Happy New Year!

VS

p.s. Want the hardcover Cha'alt trilogy?  here's how!  Want to join the Kort'thalis mailing list to stay up-to-date on what's going on in the skinematic Vengerverse?  This is it!!  Last but not least, I'm organizing a based-as-fuck RPG convention in Madison, WI this July.  Grab your weekend badge for VENGER CON IV: Post-Modern Apocalypse!!!