Quote from: Planet Algol;493526What is the sound of one hand clapping?

The same sound a lich makes when he breathes.

Did no one find that post funny?

Well it's a switch for me to praise Group B instead of Group A. But the fact is Group B's session was far more profitable for them than it was for A.

We'll start with Group A(the newbies). To help give this story some context, the day before, Saturday December 3rd, our local hangout/Favorite Local Gaming Store: Four Horsemen Gaming and Comics had a lock-in. Now understand that a lock in is just the store's way of having stuff going on from the time they close (which was 10 pm) until they opened again at 10 am. Naturally there were prizes and games galore.

I myself attended for a goodly part of it with the intention of getting a short nap before our scheduled gaming session at 11 am. The first 3-4 hours were fine, as we started Serpent's Skull being run by one of my players from Group B. (Sarah whose character Katerina, the female dhampir sorcerer/oracle has become a bit of mainstay.) Now as the time got closer to say, 3/4 am, I got rather tired. So I tried to find a nice spot in the store. Unfortunately the most comfortable spot I could find (after retiring around 2/3 am) was near the front of the store. As I tried to get comfortable, the other participants (not in Serpent's Skull but the other games going on) decided to switch things up. They started up Rock Band. On the overhead projector with the rather large speakers. Naturally I tried to sleep but I stopped after they started on Freebird.

So back home I went, into my own bed. I woke up around 9:30/10am. I fully expected the group to make it before 11 am. 11 rolls around. Other than Ben (my assistant DM who also is a player in my Carrion Crown AND had stayed up ALL that time.) no one showed up. So I wait. Then James (who is often late) shows up. But again, no one else. So finally I get a little annoyed, and have Ben call the rest of Group A. (They hang out together and I don't have their cell phone numbers.)

They finally rolled in around, 11:35/11:45 am. By this time Ben is pretty much out of it. He's still awake, but consciousness, isn't something that's with him. I point this out BECAUSE when they start the trial, the other remaining members (the ones NOT involved in doing the trial) decided to not split up the party. (Even though it was pretty obvious thing to do so as they'd have stuff to do while the trial was going on.) So instead they all traveled to Hestag, near dusk. Instead of surprising Brother Swarm, they nearly ended up on his dinner menu. (Well they might have IF I had the baby wraiths/wraith spawn attack too but the module didn't allow for that...and I didn't feel like making THAT difficult.)

In any case Ben's ranger put down the wraiths and they proceeded to the next day without rest. Over all I wasn't nearly as happy as I was with Group A's effort BECAUSE they didn't utilize their strengths as best they could. We'll just see how it goes after that.

Group B, on the other hand, did exceptionally well. By that I mean they RPed and combat/ed the hell out the module. While we did lose our paladin player Rob due to work issues, (He had to pick up another job.), the party oracle/sorcerer was able to cover for him to assist the ranger to do recon while the Alchemist filled in for her along with having the Monk and the Bard take care of court stuff.

The courtroom stuff was pretty good, as the RPing from that was pretty sweet. The combat for the exploration of Sanctuary (a mental hospital) went well too. Because of the clues they gathered, the PCs there got permission from the local judge to act as deputies to carry out a search warrant as well as act as officials of the law. This meant they could enter into Grine and Vorkstag's works to find evidence of their wrong doings at Morast and Sanctuary. Naturally the fight there was epic, the PCs managed to incapacitate both owners. Now it looks like they'll get a chance to have extra evidence to PROVE their case even more effectively.

Overall I'm happy with Group B's performance BECAUSE they followed procedure. I just wish Group A had done that. Oh well.

*sighs* How about a little commentary folks? Really?

Okay how about now?

Ah Janurary! The month I most wonder about but don't actually despite. (Tie between February and August. One is too damn long...and one is just too...damn ....long!)

Anyway before we broke for holidays in 2011, Group B was willing to run ONE more session on the 18th of December. Fortunately I had no plans and my only family in town had a birthday the previously day. (My youngest brother is now 30. Wow... I'm old. ) Anyway while we didn't have a FULL party compliment of 5 people, we did have 4 and honestly that covered it. The PCs all made PASSIONATE pleas in the courthouse, especially when it came time to present the evidence they found in Vorstag and Grine's place. That plus the fact they saved them to be held over as witnesses, helped tremendously with their case. Between that, the mob handling by the PCs (The bard just blew up crossbows like it was nothing.), and the fact they made all their Diplomacy checks, helped proved the Beast innocent.

While they didn't get to head out to Schloss Caramaoc just yet, they did get paid AND got recognition for their excellence.

Group A...on the other hand, continues to surprise, vex, and yet over all prove the most interesting group I've had the pleasure of GMing/Dming.

First to recap: they hadn't gone to Sanctuary while the trial was on going. However, they did prove a tad more resourceful! By that I allowed them time via Judge Embrath Daramid to contact a friend of hers in Caliphas to help with "teleporting" issues. So while one half the party was having "an adventure" (mostly the half orc and the dwarf since they wanted something to do other than 'trial work", so I made up a little side adventure of them being pick pocketed, a chase, and then a setup/trap.) the remainder of the party decided to try to investigate Sanctuary. They did so relatively quickly. They still don't know the full details but they do believe they have evidence that points to Vorstag and Grine. Meanwhile the dwarf, the half orc and the alchemist all ended up in prison. (Though the dwarf made a convincing argument about him not being involved.) It's a long reason why that happened, but at least now, day three of the trial will continue with them presenting evidence AND having successfully defended the courthouse (only killing the 4 mob agitators. )

Boy I guess 5th edition trumps an ACTUAL D&D/Pathfinder Game on this board...

You had been found amusing.

You may continue inform me of your proceedings, hobbit. But remember.


You cannot hide. I see you. There is no life in the void. Only death.

Well I'm grateful for the cryptic if slightly threatening nature...

Anyway I'm glad to discuss this further if you wish.

I hosted Carrion Crown twice.  

Very fun adventure and one of the better ones yet.  I am looking ever so farward to the "pirate" themed one after The Jade Regent.

Good job on your progress and versatility with your groups.

Quote from: Ancientgamer1970;503320I hosted Carrion Crown twice.  

Very fun adventure and one of the better ones yet.  I am looking ever so farward to the "pirate" themed one after The Jade Regent.

Good job on your progress and versatility with your groups.

Yeah I'm only in chapter 2 (Trial of the beast) but I'm seriously looking forward to chapters 3,4,5 and of course 6. The pirate themed one, Skull and Shackles, does seem to be more 'high seas' adventure. What I'm liking though, as a player in Jade Regent, is the chance to become a Linnorm King! (Well eventually!)

It's been an interesting ride, hosting two groups that alternate. On the one hand, I think I'd be further along with just one group. On the other hand...I don't think I'd have NEARLY as much fun as I am with two different groups. It just...something about Group A and then Group B that makes it more interesting.

Quote from: Nightfall;503325Yeah I'm only in chapter 2 (Trial of the beast) but I'm seriously looking forward to chapters 3,4,5 and of course 6. The pirate themed one, Skull and Shackles, does seem to be more 'high seas' adventure. What I'm liking though, as a player in Jade Regent, is the chance to become a Linnorm King! (Well eventually!)

It's been an interesting ride, hosting two groups that alternate. On the one hand, I think I'd be further along with just one group. On the other hand...I don't think I'd have NEARLY as much fun as I am with two different groups. It just...something about Group A and then Group B that makes it more interesting.

Yeah, I am competing with another GM to run Skulls & Shackles when it is released.

I have 3 PF games a week (my 4th game is a CoC game) that I run with 3 different groups.  As of now, none of them have done any of the PF adventure paths except one of which I completed RotR up to Carrior Crown.  I do not run a new AP until I get all 6 of them.

Well I'm the same way, at least waiting for Carrion Crown to come out. I was in the middle of Second Darkness when I read Carrion Crown.  I waited until we were well done before I announced I wanted to run Carrion Crown.

So over all I do get what you're saying. I just am feeling different about the fact I'm not used to running a different group every other Sunday instead of the same people every Sunday.

Well Group B continues to impress. That said, Group B can thank Group A for this week's encounter. As I mentioned last time, both the dwarven fighter and the half orc Magus got themselves involved in a "James Bond/Stop! Thief!/Ambush!!" type chase deal.

This meant I had to prep slightly ahead of time for it. This meant writing up the chase cards, setting DCs for skill checks to ensure the PCs didn't have TOO high but not too low DCs in a chase through the city of Lepidstadt; ensuring said pickpocket was more than just "human child'(halfling rogue/pickpocket specialist), fight scene at the end (with 2 clerics, 6 thugs (which I forgot to actually make INTO thugs!), a high level cleric (since the other clerics were only 3rd. She was 6th.), and add in a monster they have never seen before; (THANK YOU Bestiary 3 and Graven Guardian!)

So while it did go off, the fight itself wasn't quite what I had planned since I LOST the sheet with the cleric, didn't do the thugs as actual thugs, and honestly I felt the Graven Guardian wasn't as tough against two of the best fighter types/melee types.

This led me to think "Well the PCs in Group B ARE slightly further along...maybe if I run something like this for them, but not a chase, it might work out better." So naturally I took the time to redo the thugs (which I'm pretty proud of now that I decided to make them fighter/rogues with the cad and thug archetypes respectively), changed the Graven Guardian into a Deathweb instead and instead the Ambush happened on their way to Schloss Caromac.

Before that happened, I had to introduce the PCs to their newest party member; Nate's wife Amanda, (Nate being the ranger with like 3 archetypes in one character. All legal I must say!) decided to try out a Suli Sorcerer with the Draconic bloodline. I was, I must say, taken aback by her interest and determination to be from Tian Xia. For those of you that don't know Golorian, as well, Tian Xia is pretty much mainland Asia with some smattering of various Southwestern Asia and the Gobi Desert.

This of course presents a bigger problem than just introducing her, since the fact is there's a large chunk of ice between Tian Xia and land of Ustalav, which is where Carrion Crown takes place. Still it wasn't insurmountable. Just...very odd.

In any case she joined up, the PCs got on the road, and then...AMBUSH!!

The thugs were probably my favorite out of all the home made creations. They did a great job swarming the PCs, sneak attacking and using the Dirty Trick combat maneuvers on them. That coupled with the fact they kept the combat going BEFORE the main cleric died. (Unfortunately...) was a goodly reason this combat ran for more than 3 hours. Still I was happy because a) the clerics killed two horses and the main cleric cast animate undead on the horses. It was fun. That plus knocking a few PCs into negative HP was good.

Then came Schloss Caromac. There they fought (with little trouble) two troll hounds. This fight alerted the trolls inside the Gatehouse to the PCs presence. The trolls proceeded to toss rocks and keep the PCs at bay. In fact, thanks to the Troll Leader's large-sized heavy cross bow, I had a great RP going! Whereas before, Ben, who plays the now human bard (with the archeologist archetype) had been a dhampir, I already 'implanted' in him a parasitic creature from "Beyond the Stars" that helped to keep him alive. When he failed his mass damage save, I had it, 'save him' by regenerating him to -1 and also do a few other things.

This seriously made the rest of the party nervous AND I felt helped to add to the tension that "This isn't just a fantasy game..."

So overall that's how this week's Carrion Crown went. We'll see come January 29th how Group B does in the rest of Schloss Caromac.

Moved to Design, Dev and Gameplay per request from the OP.