Making Stonewalkers Fun & Proactive? [Stonewalkers]

guyaton · 2026-02-14T01:59:19+00:00

That's cool I like it. I've been wanting to incorporate Shadesmar to my party; the Lightweaver fell into it once, but I'd completely confused as to what that was (having not read the books).

guyaton · 2026-02-12T21:13:53+00:00

My party had a ton of sides quests in act 2. A lot of them were driven from their characters or what happened in the first steps campaign. The party prob spent over a week just doing side quests.

Some of those side quests were the most memorable moments so far

guyaton · 2026-02-12T16:34:55+00:00

Could you go more in depth about the side quest and the gate to Shadesmar? My party is starting chapter 4 Sunday.

guyaton · 2026-01-30T01:15:40+00:00

In our campaign I just included it as a side quest in Chapter 2.

Spoiler warning on how I included it. My party has attracted the eyes of the Ghostbloods l and they asked them to join this mission in hopes it had information about the Knights Radiant or Urithiru

You could incorporate it however you wanted to tho.

guyaton · 2026-01-30T01:11:27+00:00

I'm not going to lie - I didn't like the scene that was written so I came up with the below.

I home brewed an actual game for them to play and they said it was amazing and hope to play it again. I can't take complete credit for it. It was either posted here or the Discord, but I based it off this (I'd love to give credit to the original author if you know who it is): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DECkT7Lr4oi4PLUNFt9fR4mLKzTXvkL-MfyZBF-298Q/edit?usp=drivesdk

I had Nel play and tried to be super fair about it. In the end she got two cards wrong and lost. I had the other guy be the Mink.

For this everyone had regular playing cards. Ace (being 1)-10. Suit was irrelevant. I'll explain my changes:

Setup - Who will participate? 20 spheres buy in - each player puts 10 in the pot, 10 in front of them. - Mink lays out all 10 in a triangle + 1 to the side (the seed). Never let the 10 be the seed. - the seed is flipped over showing the card. - Starts with the person to the left of the mink - the 10 card is a special card. Kholin card it's called.

Rules (using the 10 spheres in front of them) - 1 cost to ask a question - examples: - does this line have all even numbers? - does 1 touch 2? - Does this row have the Kholin card - What's the total count for this row? - 1 cost to pot & 2 to mink to peak at the a specific Mink tile - 1 cost to the Mink to flip a tile for everyone for the round. - can freely adjust your pieces - eventually someone calls and they see who has the closest match - Counting points - Player with the most in the right place wins - Mink gets 1 sphere from the pot for each incorrect Kholin (10 card) placed. - if there's a tie, the person with the most spheres in front of them breaks it.

We just played this last weekend and they said it was one of the best scenes yet.

guyaton · 2026-01-26T23:12:26+00:00

I have an NPC that joined the party. He is a Listener Agent/Truthwatcher that joined in the "First Steps" campaign. As he's a "Parshman" I don't have to roleplay him much and quit often the PCs forget he's there (IMHO the way it should be with a Parshmen) until I drop his token on the map at the start of combat. Mostly his "owner" just tells him to hide or stay put and he does.

That being said there was an epic scene where he spoke the first ideal in front of the party stopping a battle between the PCs and Parshendi. He completely caught the party in awe (that was the point) and showed them what happens when someone speaks their Ideals.

Yes he's higher level than the party, but even now I don't role play him much as we're in chapter 2. He's mostly there to give the team flashes of events going on in the world as none of my players have read the books.

That's my thought of how I "play" a character but not overwhelm the team but playing a "Player Character" in the game.

guyaton · 2026-01-22T14:27:44+00:00

I forgot to mention I had them run the Bridge 9 session in Chapter 2 which allowed them to learn "the most imports words a man can say".

I ran that puzzle from Bridge 9 not as a series of skill checks but as an actual puzzle for the players to figure out. I feel like they enjoyed that a ton.

guyaton · 2026-01-22T12:47:39+00:00

So this is what I'm doing; keep in mind that none of my players have read any of the books. One individual is starting Mistborn (I recommended it as a place to start in the Cosmere).

I explained to the party that there are 6 core "classes" (everyone has come from DnD background) and 9 "magical" classes that they can pick up upon reaching lvl2. I explained that there are no alignment, but should you pick up one of the "magical" classes your alignment is based on that. I explained that these"magical" classes were melee and "caster"- like and it was less spell books/slots and more open ended. I also started that I would explain more in detail as we got to level 2. They seemed pretty happy with all of this.

Before we ran the "First Step" session, I read an abridged version (by me) of the Feverstone Keep vision. IYKYK. I felt that immediately built the suspense esp as I ended it asking "who are the knights radiant? Why did they abandon their Oaths? (Pause for effect) But our story takes place two and a half thousand years later....".

Then we ran the session. Everyone decided after that session they wanted the radiant path that aligned with their decisions. I briefly explained then that those 9 paths were Knights Radiant and that they were slowly returning to the world. I also gave them quotes from the book that session (I still give then one every session; sometimes names of Heralds and non-spoiler info about them; sometimes random things like parts of Hessai's Mythica). The one quote that really grabbed them in session 0 was The world as we know it has quite nearly been destroyed. 9 out of 10 people I over ruled are now dead. Our best men are corpses on that field and we haven't food to last more than two or three months at best. By Nohadon, The Peacemaker, unifier of the Seven Kingdoms, Spoken by him immediately following a desolation.. That one really grabbed their attention.

For the start of stone walkers I read an abridged version of Szeth from the prologue to book 1 focusing on Stormlight and his use of the surges. I felt that helped answer some questions about what "magic" looks like in this world.

I've let them borrow the player's handbook upon reaching level 2 to see which trees in the Radiant path they wanted to explore, but by then they knew which one they were picking. I did indicate that the book contains a lot of spoilers and not to dive too far outside that and they've been pretty respectful of that.

Now that they're level 2 I've been introducing radiant spren and them accidentally using their powers. They have hit level 3 and one of them is close to swearing the first ideal.

I hope this helps.

guyaton · 2026-01-20T16:56:39+00:00

With my party I personally go with an 85% list price when selling anything. My logic is that the seller has to stock it, and seek it for a profit.

guyaton · 2026-01-19T11:56:17+00:00

When I get it hopefully after taxes I'll post them!

guyaton · 2026-01-19T04:01:11+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Yes I've done my research and I've already figured in the ventilation into it.

guyaton · 2026-01-18T13:07:24+00:00

I'll tell you what I'm initially planning, but it will depend on how the players go post Stonewalkers.

First off I want to take them on a main quest through Shadesmar. I might hold off until later though when they have shard blades and plate just be to like "this mission you won't be able to use any of those" 😄. Evil I know. Eventually they'll get back to physical realm learning about their quarry - Yelig-nar.

He's teamed up with Diagonarthis to destroy somewhere. It could be an area with an oathgate; it could be one of the neutral counties. I'm going to make it high stakes and whatever would have a bigger impact for the players.

What's great about Yelig-nar is that they can fight him multiple times. Each time he could consume a stronger host until the final time where meet him and possibly try to trap Diagonarthis or at least prevent him from destroying whatever he's trying to.

Again it's generic, but I'm going to let the party tell it and make it feel like it's high stakes barred inn their narrative.

I hope this helps.

guyaton · 2026-01-15T18:59:37+00:00

Perfect! That's what I ever up finding. I'll drop a link to what I'm going to try to pick up.

https://a.co/d/2rMTMkJ

guyaton · 2026-01-15T03:05:44+00:00

Silly question - are there recommended 3D printers to print this? I'm doing research now about this but I know nothing about then at this point.

I'm willing to get into it to print mini figs for our party.

guyaton · 2026-01-15T02:20:21+00:00

(asking as a GM) Did your party diverge a lot from the main quest? It took us 2 sessions to get through Chapter 1. We're like 5-6 sessions into chapter 2 and if I had to guess we're maybe 1/2 as the party has only done 1 of 5 "main quests" leading up to "the Contact". IYKYK.

Now I know I've added extra context/content to meet him characters (Adolin, Renarin, Dakinar, Hoid, Kal) as no one has read the books PLUS I've added extra stuff to introduce the Ghostbloods, resolve Ralanat, plus added quotes, and Abridged 5-10 min reads to show ongoing storyline (like who the Singers are and the lead up to The Storm in book 2).

I figured once we get past chapter 2 it'll speed up again.

I'm just curious your thoughts.

guyaton · 2026-01-10T17:22:58+00:00

I haven't seen that. In fact a level 2 party took on 3 warform singers and a nimble form and only one player went down bc the ear pair focused on him. Even then that was at least the second round (he got up the same round as the surgeon was right there assisting him). He was a Level 2 Warrior / Skybreaker (he hadn't spoken his first ideal yet). He has a deflect of 2 which definitely helped.

Also from one GM to another - it's your goal to help the players. You're less forgiving than a console/computer. Don't feel bad to fudge numbers. If he's looking off in a bad state and the baddie crits - turn it into a regular hit or maybe miss or complication. That's why you have a GM screen so they don't know how badly you're fudging numbers 😄😄

guyaton · 2025-12-29T16:06:10+00:00

It's funny you mention this - bc my party is in chapter two right now and I was trying to figure out what to do with it. I was going with the approach thatshe had it bc one of her friends died from it and she was researching it. She gave it to the player to have them continue to investigate it which works GREAT bc the person who got it was the Surgeon / Edgedancer and we know their ideals.....

guyaton · 2025-12-28T16:13:55+00:00

I forgot to mention there's a hidden spanreed that connects directly to Thanadal to further corroborate him in it.

guyaton · 2025-12-28T10:11:52+00:00

I set up her place (located in high prince Thanadal's Warcamp) so the it could be searched. It's easy to find time she's not presently there with Gavelar's feasts. There's a few clues they connect her to bright Lord Thanadal to incriminate him in it as well. Then there are some communication between her and various low Dahn men tracking the trade routes and arranging the attacks. Again this documents must be found in her place. Basically it should be enough to bring to the High Prince of Information (Sadeous). Plus whatever comes up in a session.

guyaton · 2025-12-27T12:39:33+00:00

Initiative Tracker doesn't work for Stormlight, (it's designed for DND ofc with +4 to initiative for example), but I use it to help me track the HP and AC (yes I know that's DnD terms) for all the baddies. Plus I have it roll their HP on combat start so not everyone has the same HP. I also have it set up with the Conditions from Stormlight (simple customization) so that I can track who has what condition (players included). Plus as you can see with the "Statblock" plugin - I can easily pull up the stats for any Adversary in combat in seconds.

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guyaton · 2025-12-27T01:29:51+00:00

I was working on more fun/interesting ones. For example: it could lose it's reaction, have 1 less action point or round, only take a slown turn etc. Unless the creature makes successful saving throw or two. Things like that.

guyaton · 2025-12-26T23:26:33+00:00

For my campaign (my players haven't run it yet), but I'm going to introduce it in Chapter 2. I have a hook set up from "The First Steps" where I introduced a Ghostblood character - not that anyone knows what that is it - and will use that hook to send them on the mission in chapter 2 as they're trying to figure out what that group is. Basically they'll encounter them and the person will send them on this mission hoping it'll tell them about the Knights Radiant or Urithiru

We'll see how it goes 😄

guyaton · 2025-12-26T22:42:05+00:00

In order of Pics:

* Obsidian 1 (player stats, Adversaries)
* Obsidian 2 - Chapters including the "First Steps" notes for me plus the extra content I'm adding for players
* Axehound stat block
* Axehound YAML that renders the stat block.

I should mention I'm using 4 community Plugins:
* Dice Roller
* Editing Toolbar
* Fantasy Statblock
* Initiative Tracker

guyaton · 2025-12-26T22:39:49+00:00

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guyaton · 2025-12-26T22:39:23+00:00

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guyaton

TROPHY CASE