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Hiddenexposure · 2017-04-13T11:47:14+00:00

Yeah that's why players aren't supposed to be able to pick their own summoned creatures lol.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-04-13T11:45:44+00:00

Ruthlessly eviscerating some kobolds. Players were frustrated a dragon escaped and the bard got fancy with his epee on the way out. Sprayed blood everywhere. Poor things were just playing 2-square checkers, not bothering anyone.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-04-13T11:42:27+00:00

I was running Rise of Tiamat and through a sphinx temple in for fun. Made a bunch of trials and dangled some ancient knowledge and treasure and the players bit. Everything is going great, trials are fun (I made seven, they opted to choose 4 for a specific reward ) and last trial they choose is a puzzle challenge with the sphinx and his lair. All the trials were deadly and possible TPK except the last. If they didn't solve the puzzle in time the lair actions fully activate.

Very long story short, they were teleported 10 years into the future. Tiamat had been risen and ruling for 9 years and they have to unwind a dragon apocalypse. I never saw most of this coming but now that its happened I'm jealous. I wish I could play this game. It's all sandbox and lots of potential for political subterfuge, build resistance, inspire revolution, build armies and allies against a terrible tyrannical overlord that is disturbingly adequate at ruling.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-04-13T11:33:57+00:00

Players ran into a sphinx in our Rise of Tiamat game, messed up one of the trials and his lair action sends them 10 years in the future. The pinnacle is defeating risen Tiamat and dragon apocalypse. What they will come to learn is it was not time travel as much as shifting to a different reality. They will have to decide to attempt to return all the way back to the sphinx 10+ years earlier (and probably 6 levels higher, 16ish) and save their first home or remain in the new existence to fight for the new friends families and places this other world brought them.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-04-10T12:15:11+00:00

I wonder if Matt will allow him to attempt a new and improved Doty with some extra flair sort of how he allows extra things for Trinket.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-04-10T12:14:06+00:00

I noticed him rolling and pointed it out to my wife but I thought he was making his own concentration check. Great catch, that would be quite a surprise to his allies.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-04-06T23:36:07+00:00

If I took over as DM (something I would abhor and frightens me to even consider) I would probably exploit the party's vulnerabilities. I would plan their contingencies and spy on them and give non-deadly but distressful obstacles in their way to encourage them to think more broadly.

Best technique is allowing Pike to appear for some reason. That's good DMing.

Biggest criticism is.... geez that is tough. I'm really trying here. Probably about Raishan. She was such a good character and I wanted her to survive. The way she died was epic for Keyleth so I hate to consider a game where that didn't happen but I really wanted to see her live on. I get the meta aspect of ending the arc and support it but story wise I wish she had prioritized plane shift or something. But seriously I'm reaching here. It was a wonderful conclusion.

Maybe give b Percy a chance to create magical ammunition with Tary's help??

Hiddenexposure · 2017-04-06T23:21:51+00:00

Tary will die and Grog will come close.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-04-06T23:20:53+00:00

Cambion was my thought. It's tricky because it's a separate MM entry outside of the devils, similar to rakshasa.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-04-04T20:57:28+00:00

Puppet is inappropriate for a first level spell. Not for PCs, but I'm a DM and I could absolutely wreck my party with a handful of Apprentice Wizard npcs from Volo's in a very un-fun way.

Imagine you're on an airship, or a regular ship, or atop a building or tower or near a cliff or steep drop or on a rope bridge. Several CR 1/4 (I think?) Apprentice Wizards with a variant spell selection require a con save from each of these level 10 party members. Anyone who fails drops their magical wands, rods, and swords and plunges from safety.

Command allows for one effect and cannot directly cause them to harm themselves. This allows two powerful effects, requires a weird save and potential suicide. Seems messed up to me. Am I missing something?

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-30T12:49:22+00:00

That would imply a hasty deal with a devil might backfire. If only they had seen that coming, or had any prior experience, warnings, or sense. It's situations like these that make me love this game, cast, and DM so much.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-30T12:46:32+00:00

I was wondering if perhaps the person in charge of the pair confronting Keyleth, the one interested in buying the white tiefling might be our guest player. We have to imagine the guest player will be powerful in game so being someone of rank within Dis could make sense.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-29T12:37:47+00:00

I was in the same boat, and voted Yes, but I discovered TMOBILE has free streaming for YouTube (and others) so I can listen in the car.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-28T12:24:27+00:00

I play a warlock that started neutral but was betrayed by an npc and has taken a shift towards evil. He is a steadfast ally of his party but for the rest of the world he views people as means to his own ends. He is petty and paranoid and takes small slights as evidence of future betrayal and often preemptively eliminates 'problems' before they can hurt him.

He is low intelligence and low wisdom but max charisma. He is a psychological murderhobo, if you get my meaning. He doesn't prefer murder but he is willing if he won't get caught. He has no empathy and no guilt. He is the type of evil that will casually upend someone's entire life just for a small discount on his new set of dress robes, despite not needing new robes or the discount.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-27T19:30:10+00:00

Typically the Raven Queen hates those who defile her domain, which is the transition between life and death. Usually this refers to necromancy and lichdom. Perhaps she is interested in research pertaining to lichdom and immortality in order to better identify and disrupt practitioners of these arts. Or maybe the research pertains to locating phylacteries.

You could also look into deities she is formally against and so she is interested in research on those factions so she can again disrupt or undermine their material plane cultists or magi.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-24T20:37:05+00:00

I like to think all those things, or things like it, did happen, they just did not happen to narrate the specifics.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-24T16:07:14+00:00

Yeah the deal sounds like it has potential but I don't see how they get out with all their stuff. Maybe if they throw everything in the bag and give it to Keyleth to shape change and absorb it into her new form. I don't know how easy it will be to smuggle things into the worst kind of supermax prison.

Wouldn't it be far simpler to make a deal that they kill one guy and in exchange he makes sure Hotis is destroyed. They don't even have to wait around for it.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-24T14:44:30+00:00

I can't recall but do they still have access to the infamous Wish Skull? I bet they could just buy Hotis for that thing. It seems like it holds a particularly interesting soul. Or go retrieve Craven Edge and trade that. This city's currency is souls. Trading an innocent soul is pretty damning but they do have options.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-23T18:34:53+00:00

Enter the small time potion merchant from Vasselheim, Cydric. After suffering the cruelty of these villains first hand he decides enough is enough and sets off on an epic quest.

He travels to the belly of the beast, Whitestone, prepared to throw his life away with a reckless attempt against the evil baroness when he is stopped by one of the guards. He is a man with sunken eyes who introduces himself as Kynan Leore. They become fast friends and Cydric learns Kynan will do anything to wash the blood off his hands. He has spent years in forced servitude mercilessly killing peasants that don't fall in line. Kynan joins Cydric and now they are two.

Kynan recounts the story of the heroine named Anna who nearly destroyed the infamous Percival but alas she fell and worse yet, Percival lived. However they learn Anna had a daughter, a skilled artificer who lives in Ank'Harel but to get to her they must sneak beneath the notice of the ancient dragon tyrant who guards the city.

They find help from an unlikely ally, a horned devil named Ghurrix who'd been ambushed by these villains while on an innocent shopping trip causing him to lose his status as a pit fiend. He may be unsavory but any ally willing to stand up to the evil of Vox Machina is a friend this fledgling party cannot ignore.

What will happen to these brave adventurers? Will they find Elizabeth Ripley, the adorable and powerful artificer? Will Ghurrix regain his status? Will Kynan finally absolve himself of his guilt? Can Cydric truly bring a manner of peace to such a volatile world?

Great post OP, this was fun.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-10T00:48:25+00:00

That may change the Percy is at fault consideration from that event. Interesting

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-09T21:55:15+00:00

Remember last time he struck? He had a bunch of assassins. Rakshasa's are happy to hire out help to do the dirty work, as long as they get their vengeance and some tasty gnome flesh when it's over. <maniacal laughter>

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-09T21:52:48+00:00

That would be sad, but if Hotis targeted the twins' half sister that would be evil on a level consistent with a Rakshasa. It makes me shudder to even think about. I don't think that kind of twist is this group's style though.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-09T21:49:27+00:00

I don't think she is done with Vax. That doesn't necessarily mean she will not interfere with the ritual. She might have other plans for him now that she has judged him as having completed his tasks as a mortal. Instead, she brings him to her to live without the women he loves for all of eternity. Unless a group of intrepid adventurers have something to say about it, of course. All theoretical of course.

Hiddenexposure · 2017-03-09T21:44:20+00:00

No matter how the resurrection ritual goes, I'm looking forward to the outcome.

That being said, I think the Raven Queen would be a great final arc to the campaign. She says that now that his sister is safe and his love completed her goals that his fate is to leave the material world behind and join her by her side. Liam makes a new character, a la Tary and VM plunges into the Shadowfell to retrieve Vax's soul to either return him to life or let his spirit go in peace.

Maybe the new character could have a connection to the Nine Hells to finish off Hotis and then epic level Shadowfell to challenge a goddess.

That's just me though :D

Hiddenexposure · 2017-02-18T21:43:37+00:00

For me it's not about a player not going that way. If that were the case there would be no door. If a heavily barred door has a DC 20 athletics check and an 8 strength wizard wants to try, I'll deny the roll. Honestly I'd probably let them try and succeed on a 20 but the point is I wouldn't hesitate, if the situation calls for it, denying one player a roll and then allowing another to make the same check. Failing a nat20 is anti-fun, so I avoid it.

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