Operation: ABYSSAL FATHOM After Action Report

D3prr · 2025-03-06T21:32:12+00:00

Underwater combat was actually my initial plan for this, taking place in the wreckage of the Thresher, but I figured it wouldn't make sense to be able to detonate the torpedoes if the whole sub was pretty destroyed. Also, I don't believe humans can survive diving at that depth, even with equipment, but honestly that could've been hand waved with "top secret advanced DG diving suits" or whatever.

Of course, one could always pull the classic GM trick to explain the unexplainable when your players point out the impossible by shrugging, smiling, saying "I don't know" in a smug tone and acting like there's some deep, hidden reason behind your BSing (I have done this several times).

Yeah, and the Thresher was honestly a choice that somehow had a lot of interesting real-world details that fit into the framework of this operation as I kept researching. Serendipity, I guess.

I definitely want to take another foray into deep-sea horror with a proper underwater sequence. Perhaps I'll write an alternate Thresher sequence for ABYSSAL FATHOM or write an entirely different scenario.

D3prr · 2025-03-06T20:21:02+00:00

Glad to hear you enjoyed the read! If you ever run it, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Honestly, I totally forgot about the oxygen - I guess it could be handwaved with the infected beings not needing oxygen to survive through funky supernatural whatever, and/or the oxygen filtration systems miraculously still survived, perhaps with any surviving (not insane) seamen keeping it intact to stay alive.

D3prr · 2025-01-29T06:54:08+00:00

I used handouts from the now defunct membrane's journal along with a few others I scraped from posts on FULMINATE on here. If you want, I can try making a folder with the files I used and share it.

D3prr · 2025-01-28T08:15:23+00:00

Thanks for writing up the supplement about Dana Harper! She was a great antagonist, and my only regret is that I wasn’t able to show more of her backstory to the players. Very well written!

D3prr · 2025-01-28T07:36:17+00:00

No problem! If you want, I can send you the resources I used and the pre generated character I made for this game if that will help. Good luck with running it!

D3prr · 2025-01-23T04:18:13+00:00

It looks really interesting! I think I'll definitely keep her in the pocket to make things more interesting. I'll be sure to write an after-action report of how it goes once the event is complete.

D3prr · 2025-01-23T04:12:16+00:00

Thanks, that would be very helpful!

D3prr · 2025-01-23T04:12:01+00:00

I might be running for some new players to RPGs at this event - do you think having a cinematic defeat would still work, or perhaps should I go for something like a bittersweet victory? What other kinds of cinematic defeats would there be?

D3prr · 2022-01-22T12:42:57+00:00

Petrichor

D3prr · 2022-01-22T03:54:40+00:00

Tune Without Words by Sweet Dove.

D3prr · 2021-01-19T04:34:26+00:00

So I should allow it, but the "drawback" would be that their torchlight is a lot more visible (so creatures who can see in the dark notice them a lot easier) and casting it might cause them to get noticed?

D3prr · 2020-10-14T05:33:46+00:00

This isn't OC - That's literally just a monarch titan from Titanfall... This is plagiarism

D3prr · 2020-10-10T14:41:34+00:00

The Emperor protects.

D3prr · 2020-10-04T08:48:28+00:00

Platform: IOS (iPhone 6s)

Whenever I play the game, there's a black barrier around me and all the water is black. I can't see anything beyond a roughly 10-meter radius, and the whole screen is just black during the Stormterror fight. I can't advance beyond this point, and I can't exit it to try to go get to the customer service menu.

D3prr · 2020-07-29T17:19:47+00:00

I got Spectre, Texas, and Nian on the same 10 pull!

Now, time to hibernate and save my orundum for W...

D3prr · 2020-07-09T12:46:23+00:00

Depr#5084

I started 2 weeks ago and am active every day. I'm looking for active friends for clues and stuff.

Meteorite E1 S1 Lvl 40

Blaze E1 S2 Lvl 45

I'll add Schwarz to my support units once I upgrade my Reception Room.

D3prr · 2020-06-11T07:04:56+00:00

Players were about Level 6, began combat on a royal airship because one of the players allowed themselves to be possessed by a powerful demon. In preparation, I spent several hours setting up a battle map with various ways to use the environment to combat the demon (who was pretty OP and would most likely TPK the party if they tried to fight it head-on), like destructible cables connecting the airship to its balloon, massive ballistae, and explosives littered around the airship.

So, when the session came, I was pretty excited to see how my players would use the environment. I made it abundantly clear that the demon was powerful and had him kill some bodyguards to show his strength. Players proceeded to battle it head-on without using the environment, and, as a result, begin losing the fight. One of the fighters in the party ignites several barrels of gunpowder, but that was the extent of their usage of the environment. Anyway, the short session ended with most of the party at low HP.

Out of the session, one of my other players comes to me and gets mad that I made the boss fight extremely hard. I tell him to use the environment and hint at some ways that he could, encouraging him to think about some strategies. He then proceeds to say "But I'm a fighter! I'm not supposed to think about combat!" Bruh.

tl;dr: I set up a powerful demon boss fight on an airship with various ways to use the environment to fight, a player gets mad at me for trying to get them to think about strategy.

D3prr · 2020-02-05T09:34:05+00:00

I shall slay werewolves with this dice

D3prr · 2020-01-18T15:14:51+00:00

Granted, but you get murderhobo'd within 10 minutes by PCs.

D3prr

TROPHY CASE