All right, let’s get to it. We’re reading *The Gathering Storm* by Adrian Bott, for D&D 3.5, with an eye to running it using Halberds & Helmets. *Chillhame* is the first adventure. Thus, I’m expecting goblins, maybe giant rats. 😀
2020-06-21 The Gathering Storm
Page 24 tells us how the rest of the text is going to be structured. I like it: locations, plot events, events (i.e. optional events that you can use when your players want something to fight – and I know it sounds cheesy but sometimes that’s exactly how it works), non-player characters, information to be gathered, and a discussion of the aftermath. This makes sense and I like that it isn’t all structured like the Paizo adventure paths, which are primarily map based, with introductions for the book and for each section, making it hard for me to find stuff that wasn’t strictly based on the map. Where do you look for the stuff you half remember?
Page 25 tells us about the big conflict between the island of Chillhame and the neighbouring country of Caldraza, which is one of the upcoming destinations in the campaign, so that’s interesting, but also somewhat buried in more paragraphs.
Page 26 starts the adventure. The players all appear near some standing stones. A goddess speaks some stuff and points the players in the right direction. Player characters can be resurrected at these nodes and the circle of stones is one of these places. I like the idea that there are nodes where magic is stronger than usual and thus magic users and elves are both interested in taking it over. That also means, I think, that powerful magic users should have built a tower here, or there should be an elven fortress, or a former fortress, right here. Perhaps I’m going to skip all of this but retain the idea that sometimes magic users and elves have extra powers in their homes.
Page 27 has shadow goblins attacking. That doesn’t sound very interesting. The player characters must soon leave the island or the land bridge sinks beneath the waves as the tide rises. If the players stay, nothing happens. All of that I’ll skip, I think.
Page 28 has two sections with information, both structured as skill checks. That never felt very good to me as a D&D 3.5 referee. I think I’ll have to reread these sections, prepare a list of villager names, and have players learn all these things in free play. In an old blog post of mine from 2012 I talk about social skills, and in a blog post from 2011 I talk about enjoying acting at the table. That’s why I’m looking forward to writing down a bunch of names, the thing these people might be interested in, and letting players interact with them.
Page 29 introduces the local bully, Jim Oakenbough. I think I won’t be needing all those D&D 3E stat blocks, but I can skim it and learn that he’s a good fighter, he’s friendly, but his voice has menacing undertones. There’s a subplot about a dead tax collector. All in all things that can be condensed to two or three paragraphs, I think.
Jim Oakenbough is a F2 with leather armour, bow and arrows, sword and shield, AC 6.
Page 30 has the stat blocks of three of Jim’s companions. OK. There’s also the stats of two guards, an older one, tired, hates himself, and a younger one, eager, shrewd. I like this setup. It’s going to be interesting to have the players interact with them all.
Hal Betram, taciturn, smelly. Tom Cucksmere, always eating chicken and drinking wine. Jacko Fenn, laughing about his own jokes. all of them F1 with leather armour, bow and arrows, sword and shield, AC 6.
Davan Gaskell is a F4 with chain armour, bow and arrows, sword and shield, AC 4. Morton Gimbert is a F1 with leather armour, bow and arrows, sword and shield, AC 6.
I think weapon choice, like rapier instead of sword, crossbow instead of short bow, and all the specialised equipment useful in combat – remember tanglefoot bags? – makes combat tedious. I do like the treasure they carry and the short explanation provided, like “silver chalice stolen from a church (90gp).”
Page 31 has three locations, the shop, the inn, and the windmill. It’s nice to be able to add some colour to descriptions. The problem is going to be to condense three or four paragraphs into a sentence or two, I think.
I think this is where players can learn all the info bits from earlier pages. The Golden Nugget is run by Bernik and Jinnie Oakenbough. Bernik is Jim’s brother. Mother Bailey is a suspicious old woman.
Page 32 has the guard dogs, a nice trap, and mechanics for a fight, I like it. All of it is verbose, but I’ve already bought the book many years ago so there’s no use complaining.
Use the stats for wolves and war dogs: HD 2+1 AC 7 1d6 F1 MV 18 ML 6 XP 200.
Treasure chest: nail trap, 1d6 to anybody nearby, plus automatic tattoo. The crest of Saragost on the chest makes it clear that this is stolen property.
Page 32 has the old church and father Bronson. I no longer have clerics in my game. So the cleric can be a retired fighter.
Father Bronson has a deep voice and mutton chops. He is a F2 with plate armour and shield, mace +1, AC 1.
And with page 34 we’re off to the first excursion, the tomb of Starkweather John and the first hobgoblin camp. Next time!
2020-07-30 The Mines of Chillhame
#The Drow War #Halberts and Helmets #Old School #RPG