diff --git a/issue02/halloween.tex b/issue02/halloween.tex index 3a4bf9f..8ebd94e 100644 --- a/issue02/halloween.tex +++ b/issue02/halloween.tex @@ -4,39 +4,41 @@ \section{Halloween at the Barrowmaze} -I wanted to spice up our Selina's Harbor Barrowmaze game a little, so I decided -that all games in October 2022 would be ``Red October'' games and that October -31, 2022 would be a ``Halloween Special.'' It was important to set up -``Red October'' first to prepare players for the \emph{really} weird stuff that -was to come, so here's a summary of both. Feel free to rip this off if you also -have players who are generally amenable to occasional silliness. +I wanted to spice up our Barrowmaze game a little, so I decided that all games +in October 2022 would be ``Red October'' games and that October 31, 2022 would +be a ``Halloween Special.'' It was important to set up ``Red October'' first to +prepare players for the \emph{really} weird stuff that was to come, so here's a +summary of both. Feel free to rip this off if you also have players who are +generally amenable to occasional silliness. \subsubsection{Red October} Every year in October, the sky over the Barrowmoor turns red and stranger than usual things go on below. I used the moderately terrifying ``Pit of Chaos'' table from the actual module, but you can substitute any super-dangerous ``what -terrible monster gates in'' table you have handy. +terrible monster gates in from the depths of hell'' table you have handy. -Before each session roll d6 to determine how many things gate in: 1--3 only -one, 4--5 two, 6 three. Then place whatever it is in a random location; I simply -rolled d100 for a room but I only allowed rooms that had previously been -explored; if the room had not been explored before, I divided the room number -by 2; and if that room didn't make sense, I picked the next lower room number -that did. +Before each session I rolled a d6 to determine how many things gate in: 1--3 only +one, 4--5 two, 6 three. Then I placed whatever it was in a random location; I +simply rolled d100 for a room but I only allowed rooms that had previously been +explored; if the room had not been explored, I divided the room number by 2; and +if that room didn't make sense, I picked the next lower room number that did. -For the October 3, 2022 session I rolled a 1, so only a single roll was required; -4 ghouls gated in; I rolled room 80 but that wasn't explored; room 40 didn't -make sense (behind a secret door ghouls wouldn't know how to operate); so room -39 it was. Interestingly room 39 already had a large group of tomb robbers from -a previous restock roll, so I conducted that fight to see who'd win; the tomb -robbers barely survived. In game I had the players stumble into the tail-end of -the fight which meant the tomb robbers were ``on edge'' and almost attacked the -player characters, accusing them of ``sending'' those ghouls their way. +For the October 3, 2022 session the d6 came up 1, so only a single ``gate'' roll +was required; 4 ghouls gated in; I rolled room 80 but that wasn't explored; room +40 didn't make sense (behind a secret door ghouls wouldn't know how to operate); +so room 39 it was. +% +Interestingly room 39 already had a large group of tomb robbers from a previous +restock roll, so I conducted that fight to see who'd win; the tomb robbers barely +survived. In game I had the players stumble into the tail-end of the fight which +meant the tomb robbers were ``on edge'' and almost attacked the player +characters, accusing them of ``sending'' those ghouls their way. Other ``Red October'' sessions added even more ghouls, a banshee, and a ghast to various rooms; those ghouls are actually still haunting a section of the Barrowmaze to this day, but the ghast and the banshee have since been taken out. +Luckily I never rolled 1--4 bone devils\dots{} \subsubsection{Halloween Special} @@ -109,8 +111,7 @@ them roll once on the table below. What's with the ``Marshmellow d66?'' In our game, a player can \emph{once per session} make a d20 roll with a d30 instead; this d66 allows the player to use -a d66 instead of \emph{any other dice roll} after their main character consumes -it. Pretty tasty! +a d66 instead of a d20 once, after their main character consumes it. Pretty tasty! Somewhere on each item there's a \emph{tiny} note saying ``Provided `as is' without any express or implied warranties. Best by October 31st.'' Yes, of @@ -122,16 +123,20 @@ will work until it doesn't.) \subsubsection{So\dots{} What Happened?} -Of course the players bought only a few tickets, suspicious of the entire thing. -Once they were downstairs and had gotten a bunch of items, of course they wanted -to go back for more tickets. But they got the hint and didn't push their luck. +Of course the players bought only a few tickets, being suspicious of the entire +setup. Predictably, once they were downstairs and had gotten a bunch of items, +they wanted to go back for more tickets. But they got the hint and didn't push +their luck. +% Down in the Barrowmaze I had added some sound and light effects: Instead of the usual silence, there was a constant ``screams and evil laughter'' background, complete with more ``haunted house'' illusions. But there were also lighted -signs pointing the way towards magic items and large treasures. The players -started carefully, but after a few successful ``fights'' using their -\emph{Wand of Cold} and other items they became more confident. Until they -followed a lighted sign to the old temple where a Banshee held court. They +neon signs pointing the way towards previously undiscovered magic items and +treasures. +% +The players started carefully, but after a few successful ``fights'' using +their \emph{Wand of Cold} and other items they became more confident. Until +they followed a neon sign to the old temple where a Banshee held court. They debated what to do for at least 40 minutes, but in the end they ``chickened'' and left. Despite the fact that they could clearly see a \emph{huge} pile of gold. diff --git a/issue02/sessionform.tex b/issue02/sessionform.tex index 95b1065..4b99ecc 100644 --- a/issue02/sessionform.tex +++ b/issue02/sessionform.tex @@ -4,9 +4,8 @@ \section{Barrowmaze Session Form} -I use this form to track the two-hour Barrowmaze sessions I run for our little -multi-DM D\&D-ish open-table campaign around Selina's Harbor. I print them two -to a page, four to a sheet. So what's what here? +I use this form to track the two-hour Barrowmaze sessions I run. +I print them two to a page, four to a sheet. So what's what here? \textbf{Date:} % @@ -64,7 +63,7 @@ pits, but I am flexible if players \emph{insist} on walking next to each other % The middle column is for free-form notes of \emph{any} kind; I usually track hit points of monsters there, but also reminders of treasures found and other -changes the party makes to the dungeon. +changes the party made to the dungeon. % There is also a \emph{round tracker} but I only use it when I have to, for example because a monster they just killed will get up again or because a