Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

Hi Woe,

A few thoughts have occurred to me.

We are in a position where the party could easily make a retreat into the secret area and back through the mirror, and we close down play for this chapter?

We could then start up the game again with one or two of your current characters, and offer some slots to some new posters - to turn this into a multi-player game?

Or, you could just come back with lots of retainers.

I have a concept about how that could all happen. If you are keen, we could start it up. I don't want to leave this sitting idle too much longer or else it will go stale.

Ooh! Yes!!!

I've been wanting to start this up again too but worried that you're having too much fun in the jungle. Plus I have one or two other things going on this week so wouldn't be able to really get back into it until near the end of the month.

I think (but not sure yet) I'd like to keep going with my own story arc. I started to like the idea that I was shaping the story arc, instead of having 6x people all muddle around with completely unaligned goals. It's more like computer RPG instead of tabletop RPG, but there's something weird about PbP that I'm not quite accustomed to yet. Maybe it's just been the PbPs that I've been in. Imagine if Tolkien's Fellowship all wanted to head their own directions instead of acting toward a common goal; or if Arthur and Lancelot split up over whether to find the Holy Grail or just attack Mordred. Also, posting speed is a LOT faster when it is just the two of us. I don't like the PbP games where dice gets rolled (something variable happens) only weekly.

I was half-thinking something very similar to your retainers suggestion, but with a slight twist. It's been a while so I've forgotten some of the details -- bear with me! -- but remember that abandoned keep where the party got pinned in the tower by the goblins? I don't think I can afford this quite yet and was planning to wait for level 5 because I have a self-imposed halo around level 5. Plus, winter is coming. Enough caveats. Here's the idea:

Start turning that keep into a base of operations, and work out a supply line between Red Oak and that fort. Hire a few dwarves to start improving the place, hire a few guards (ok a lot) to scare off the goblins, and ask the good shapeshifters (Luscha, sorry about the spelling) if they want to view "human" culture firsthand. Maybe even Anna's da has a skill that can break his alcoholism.

I know it's a stretch with the current state of the characters' levels and finances, but it has still been bouncing around in my mind.

Here's the two issues where I got stuck on the current game and why I got bogged down. It's mainly my doing, but I kinda boxed myself into it because I had thirty days of gear and planned a serious spelunking operation. First, it turned into a dungeon crawl and the party was seriously outgunned. Yes, attacking a tribe of goblins isn't a good idea. I know you said "go deeper" but as any dwarf knows, the deeper you go the worse things get. That means neither up nor down were great options. However, I couldn't completely let go of exploring the whole area because that was my best lead on "something interesting is happening!" opposed to aimlessly wandering around the wilderness. Not that I mind the wandering part, but it was more the story and background threads that draw me to this game opposed to a more simplistic "wander around, kill stuff, get loot" campaign. So kudos!

My second problem was, I don't know much about the Old Man. He did a great job covering his tracks, and all I recall knowing about him is that he's out to get me (you said that; I don't think I learned that); he's in league with the Nisha; and he's trying to find something in the mountains. I have forgotten some of the in-game knowledge on that last point, and would read up on it once we start up again. Overall though, I understanding of the Old Man is about as much as Frodo's understanding of Sauron right before he leaves the Shire.

Let me think about it for a couple of days and then kick off a discussion with Anna and Bruce. They (you) should definitely get a chance to figure out the next step as well.

Wow! That's a lot more than I thought I'd write. To answer your question, yes I want to keep playing.

My concept (as suggested by Bruce) was:

Hey, why don't we just chip this mirror off the wall, and carry it back to Red Oak? Then we could have an entrance to this dungeon, straight from our farmhouse?

Or, you could even take the mirror to Brant. You certainly have enough stuff that needs looking at by a sage.

I'm fine with setting up Caer Gumpwyn (the castle) as a base as well. Just letting you know that the mirror thing is an option. If you leave the current mirror where it is, that's your supply line to the castle, from wherever you take the mirror.

I've explained the Old Man thing a bunch of times. The dungeon you are in is called Malagosbe (The Cursed Caves). Cogan Mine (013) is an alternate entrance into Malagosbe. The Old Man wants something in Malagosbe. He tried getting in the front door (L11) but, there were too many goblins. So he changed plan. You have no idea what he is looking for but you do know that when he gets it, he is going to try to kill all of you.

Also remember that Tiana is looking for a place called the Well of Four Souls, that would allow her to teleport or gate into the Moonglade Estate on the other side of the continent.

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=1169&start=10#p46412

Seems like the ancient elves were keen on using mirrors as gates. Maybe there's another mirror somewhere that leads straight to Moonglade?

Malagosbe is really dangerous. It's supposed to be. If you feel outgunned you could try an overland approach on Cogan and take on some Nisha? But, that could be really dangerous too. Adventuring is a tough gig!

You have no idea what he is looking for but you do know that when he gets it, he is going to try to kill all of you.

Right! I remember that part. I have no idea what he's looking for and no idea why he wants to kill all of us. It's unfair! What did we ever do to him? Did Talin have an affair with his wife/daughter/sheep? :O

Maybe it's just part of the backstory I haven't discovered yet. As I said, I loved the backstory and just got stuck unsure how to move forward logistically (the first part) as well as avoid a demise I didn't see coming (the second part). I am failing at that whole "know thy enemy" philosophy.

But those are all details. Yes, I'll crank up a few posts this week to get it starting again.

There's really no 'backstory' mystery there.

You've killed Nisha near Cogan, and in other places in the forest. You have effectively run them out of Tor Manis, and attacked them in Cyn Dol as well, at three locations (the undertaker's house, the old farmhouse, and their treehouse). As far as you know, the lawless town of Bowen is their only base (outside Boldenwald) that you haven't attacked them and beaten them.

You've also stolen lots of their stuff, some of which is highly magical. They have had to change their route through the woods, to get to Cogan, because of you. You have also alerted the ROR to their activities, as well.

Generally you have been a giant PITA to the Nisha and the Old Man.

(True, one of them did attack you first, without realizing that you could see him in the dark. But after that, you have been the aggressor in most cases.)

So, the Nisha hate you. But they are avoiding you for the time being.

HAHAHAHA! Ok, when you put it that way, I can see why he dislikes me.

I started reading up on recent posts and the map. I've forgotten so much! I'll post by the end of the weekend. To give you the idea of the reset, I had to download the maps again. The 3a map is missing the numbers. I remember where 5 and 6 are, but I'm going to be working from memories unused for a few months. Can you update the maps folder with the numbered rooms?

It's SO worth it. I miss Freya and Kilian.

Do you happen to know which spells I have used for this day? I will need to figure it out otherwise. I know Freya has web still, so not all is lost.

I think I'm going to run to the 35 area (I roughly remember where it is) and explore there before calling it quits and heading to Brant with this haul. Some of it depends on which direction the chains move, and some of it depends on me reading through the recent threads, figuring out exactly where 35 is, and maybe a bit of dice-rolling to help me decide.

I will post soon. Easter and stuff keeping me busy.

The map is in this post: viewtopic.php?f=25&t=1719&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... 190#p51492

Can you download that?

Here's the thing. If you go to 35, you find it completely empty. If that was all you wanted to do, consider it done. You can leave again without having anything bad happen.

The idea was to close down this chapter and exit the dungeon, starting afresh after an exp dump, when you got back to Red Oak, Brant, or wherever you were going.

If you are going to keep exploring, you'll have to look back through the play-thread to remember cast spells and lost hit points.

So yeah, back to Brant sounds good.

Got it!

I wanted to (don't ask why, it's probably OCD-related) to scout out the 20's rooms before leaving. However, since Anna and Bruce both wisely want to depart and Tiana detects ominous stormclouds gathering in the direction of the 20's, time to go!

I'll post tonight/tomorrow on getting back to the keep. Hopefully it hasn't been overrun by goblins or worse. The party has a lot of oil and torches IIRC.