EVARRESSEMME: Update

Returning to Captain Octagon with the information that the people who had tried to imprison him are some sort of demon cultists who seem to be making a power play in Mong Xar, Sand, Mr Wong, Seraph and Jodric are introduced to two chaps who are new in town and have been taken under the captains wing – a rogue named Jaeles and a wizard called Querion. Querion begins the process of dispelling the magic ink that keeps the Captain trapped in his chamber, and after battling off a few nasty arcane beasties, the spell is broken and the Captain is free.

He’s pretty pissed off, and enlists the party to try to track down those responsible, whilst he’s busy re-establishing his organisation in the Mong Xar underworld. The party picks up their first lead at Stark’s Shop of Wonders – an arcane emporium run by an aged but powerful warlock. He makes the party a deal – if they can either collect a debt, or if it cannot be paid, meet out suitable punishment, he’ll give them some information. The party agree, and find themselves in a battle with some lunatic sea-spirit worshipping sailors and a couple of water elementals, who’ve no way of paying the debt they owe Stark for a shipment of Kua Toa roe. Victorious, Jodric suggests scuttling the cult’s temple, which is a converted ship, and Stark is well pleased with the outcome. He doesn’t know much about these demon worshippers, but he directs them to a gambling house where he knows a mercenary who has done some work for them often plays.

The party track down this mercenary, chase and kill him, and find a note on his body which mentions a meeting in Daddy Hung’s Wagon Wheel Factory, now closed down, that very night. They stake out the joint, but their efforts are thwarted when none other than the city guard themselves come to clear the area, claiming they must do so in the name of some public health emergency. The party regroup, overpower the city guards outside and enter the warehouse.

They burst into the warehouse in time to see a short, portly man trying to make his escape through the back, protected by the city guards. But they aren’t the only ones there, a group of stocky foreign mercenaries engages the party, and despite best efforts to stop the fleeing man, the party is too engaged by these mercs and the guards, and the man escapes in a carriage. Combat continues inside, where another robed man, gaunt and lean and terribly afflicted by some rotting disease has joined the combat. He eventually escapes the party, fleeing into the city night.

As the party search the warehouse, a Tiefling with one eye enters, and introduces himself as Lucien. He claims to be a member of the Dhigan Society, working for the House of the Jackal, the wing of the society that is most concerned with criminal activity. He’s been assigned to keep an eye on Captain Octagon’s activities, and when all when quiet on that front his suspicions were raised. His investigations also led his to this warehouse. When the party show him a document they found, stamped with the family seal of the Bai family, he is aghast. Sho Zan Bai was a Grand Advisor to the Emperor two hundred years previously, when it was revealed he was in league with the forces of the abyss. He, and his wife and children, were executed and his line believed to be extinct. Who could be using the Bai family seal after all these years?

Lucien suggests that the first place the party should look is the Bai mausoleum, on the outskirts of the city. Here the party find evidence that the Bai line had continued, in secret – the family tree in the mausoleum has been kept up to date over the centuries. Someone had also been expanding the tomb, and had filled it with some nasty surprises from the abyss. As Seraph and Querion began to look through some demonic tracts, Sand’s powers seemed to take on a life of their own – and just at a passage about the boon’s offered to those who make pacts with the Lady of Decay! Seraph took this as evidence that Sand was in league with demons, and expelled him from the party.

The party returned to Lucien. He was gravely troubled by the news, and said he had to consult Uncle Shin, the leader of the House of the Jackal, before deciding on the next course of action. Unfortunately, he also had bad news for the party – their two newest members, Jaeles and Querion, were drawing much renewed interest with local bounty hunters, it seems someone had tipped off the guard that they were at large in the city. Thankfully, Lucien knew a guy who could help them out.

After a scuffle with one such group of bounty hunters, one of whom decided to switch sides and, in recompense, pledge his blade to the party’s cause, the party met with Lucien’s contact and arranged a quid pro quo deal – they’d take out some smugglers who hadn’t paid off the guard and had also taken liberties with the Lieutenant’s intended, and he’d stage their deaths (conveniently, the two smugglers bear a passing resemblance to Jaeles and Querion), confirm the kill and put an end to the bounty. The party succeed in this, and return to Lucien’s safehouse, waiting to meet with him and plan their next move.

ARVENTINE: Update for 30th January 2013

The party left the House of Pale Lanterns to its apparent bloody end at the hands of the Drow bounty hunter Tinve Aleeza’baen, and ventured back down the disused sewer tunnel, discussing their next move as they travelled. Their plans however, were cut short by screams – both demonic and human alike – echoing down the tunnel from topside. Venturing up and into the courtyard of the ‘Flowers in a Cursed Land’ Brothel they were met with a grisly sight: Panicked patrons scurried all over the place, while demonic shapes flittered on rooftops overhead. The sky has turned a deep crimson colour, and above them hung a huge and terrible image of a total eclipse. It was clear that their time had run out, and the Eclipse ceremony was finally upon them.

Barging past the panicking men and women of the brothel, they stepped out into the street, only to be greeted by four figures; a tiefling brandishing a long, thin blade, a goliath barbarian, a robed man holding a wicked looking mace and a man wielding a greatsword, dressed in the outfit of a Warrior of Elemental Chaos. Each of these men had a black blindfold over their eyes. Turning to Alain Fu, they spoke of him as “brother”, and asked for his return to their side. Alain Fu, stepped forward and within a moment unleashed a spell at the men, ignoring their cryptic requests. A battle ensued, and strange demons that bore the upside heads of women were summoned, demons that seemed to excite the Cyrinishad in Christophe’s procession. All where dispatched however, as Tinve emerged from a side alley to assist.

Quickly deciding that the best course of action was to fight their way to to Lord Azzur’s palace to seek the ruler’s aid, Christophe first paid Tinve to assist them, to which she told him she would consider it. Making headway through the stricken streets of Khare, they arrived on Palace Street, only for the way to be blocked by a fierce looking goat-headed demon, and some horrifying tentacles that seemed to burst up out of the ground. Seeing off this threat, they were soon treated to a fresh terror, as the tentacles belonged to a much larger beast that was hidden beneath the ground – a Devourer, a giant ravenous demon born from the filth and gore that collects in the deepest recesses of the Abyss. Retreating from this vile creature, Alain Fu unloaded the full force of his spells into it, serving both to harm it considerably, but also to rile it up something fierce. Bursting through the wall of spells Fu had erected, the Devourer charged forth, grasping Fu in its vile talons and swallowing him whole. The rest of the party ran towards the creature, hacking away at its bulk. Knowing Alain Fu would not survive long in the belly of this monster, Eored formulated a plan. Leaping into the fray, he threw himself atop the demon, took out his Elixir of Gaseous Form and hurled into its gaping maw, losing his little finger to its teeth in the process. Within moments the huge demon dissolved to a gas and was carried away on the wind, leaving Alain Fu lying on the pavement. With no time to lose, the party gathered their wits and headed towards the Palace.  

Tinve had done her job after all, and the fierce War Troll that guarded the palace gates had been dispatched by her crossbow bolts. Disheartened by the loss, and fearing the burning acidic rain that was pouring from the sky, the remaining gate guards soon lost their resolve and fled their post. Forcing their way inside the palace, the party came face to face with Lord Azzur upon his throne, guarded by a small handful of Banite Templars. The leprous king of Khare, shaken with rage, demanded the party tell them who was responsible for all this.

Before any could answer, the doors behind them burst open, and in walked a man who could only be the famed Pilgrim, with a coterie of demons and Varlets. In answer to Azzur’s question he declared “I am!” in a thunderous tone, and removed his leather mask. All were took aback, as the face they saw was the face of Alain looking back at them…

Tune in next time for the shocking truth behind the Blind Varlets….

RULES: Alchemy Overhaul.

Here is the new Alchemy system I'll be implementing in Arventine. It's based on gathering ingredients to make potions and other fun items. I will be giving out ingredients in treasure parcels, and you can also try to skill check yourself to sourcing some on your own. Also players can do this straight away, I won't be asking for any crafting feats to be taken.
If any other DM wants to implement this into their game, bear in mind the DCs are tuned to the Arventine party, so they might need need dropping for a lower level game.

~Moss.


GATHER ALCHEMICAL INGREDIENTS

(Daily, must be trained in the skillcheck. Forage can’t be used on the same day as Gather.)
Gathering ingredients can be done anywhere, but has contextual environmental skill DCs:
Forest/cave/countryside/plains etc: DC:15
City/Town/Dungeon etc: DC:20
Desert/wasteland: DC:25
Success: Roll a d6 on the ingredient table below.

1 - Ignus 
2 - Aquae 
3 - Aether 
4 - Maga 
5 - Vitae 
6 - Mort 

These can be combined into potions, oils and powders. Preparing a potion takes an hour and the user make a Arcana or Religion check of DC:20 to successfully make the potion. If a player makes potion that fails by 5 or less on the check, he will recover/make instead one ingredient rolled off the table, but the original ingredients will be destroyed.
The basic recipes follow as such:

POTIONS
Potions can be drunk as a minor action.

HEALING
Spend a healing surge and regain 10 HP
1 x Vitae, 1 x Aether, 1 x Maga.

VITALITY
Spend a healing surge and regain 25 HP
2 x Vitae, 1 x Aether, 2 x Maga, 1 x Mort.

ANTIDOTE
Take an immediate saving throw on an ongoing effect with either the disease or poison keyword.
1 x Mort, 2 x Aquae

SWIFT
+1 bonus to your next attack roll, and +1 to your reflex until the end of your next turn.
1 x Ignus, 2 x Aether, 1 x Mort.

IRON WILL
+1 bonus to your will, until the end of your next turn.
2 x Maga, 1x Aqua.

GUTS
+1 bonus to your fortitude, until the end of your next turn.
2 x Ignus, 1 x Vitae

MUSK
+1 to your next diplomacy skill check, within 1 game day.
3 x Aether, 1 x Mort, 1 x Aquae.



OILS
Oils can be applied to melee weapons as a standard action. They last 1 hour or one encounter, whichever comes first. Oils can be applied to ammunition in the same way, but only last for one attack. Only one oil can be working on a weapon at any given time.

HANGMAN
+1 damage to humanoid creatures. (+2 at Paragon)
3 x Mort, 1 x Maga.

TOOTH
+1 damage to beasts. (+2 at Paragon)
2 x Aquae, 1 x Mort.

NECROPHAGE
+1 damage to undead. (+2 at Paragon)
2 x Vitae, 1 x Ignus

OUTSIDER
+1 damage to elementals and demons. (+2 at Paragon)
1 x Vitae, 1 x Mort, 1 x Aether.

HOLY
+1 damage to immortals. (+2 at Paragon)
1 x Aether, 1 x Mort, 1 x Ignus.

HORNET
A critical hit with this weapon causes the target to feel immense pain. They are dazed as well and any other effects (save ends).
1 x Ignus, 1 x Mort, 1 x Aether.

PYRO
Your attacks with this weapon do +1 fire damage.
2 x Ignus, 1 x Maga, 1 x Mort.

BLIZZARD
Your attacks with this weapon do +1 cold damage.
2 x Aquae, 2 x Aether.

CORPSE
Your attacks with this weapon do +1 necrotic damage.
2 x Mort, 1 x Maga, 1 x Vitae.

MELT
Your attacks with this weapon do +1 acid damage.
2 x Maga, 1 x Mort, 1 x Aquae.

WOUND
+2 to any ongoing damage that you inflict with this weapon.
1 x Vitae, 1 x Maga, 2x Aether.


POWDERS
Powders are miscellanous extras that have a variety of uses.

BASIC RITUAL COMPONENT
Provides up to 100gp worth of ritual components
1 x Aquae, 1 x Maga, 1 x Ignus.

RARE RITUAL COMPONENT
Provides up to 500gp worth of ritual components.
2 x Aquae, 3 x Maga, 1 x Ignus, 2 x Aether.

LIFE SALT
(minor) Sprinkle on a creature with negative HP, and they will immediately stabilise.
2 x Vitae, 1 x Mort, 1 x Aether.

QUICKSILVER DUST
(minor) When applied to any flesh, the quicksilver will turn into a froth if the flesh is that of a lycanthrope.
1 x Maga, 1 x Aquae.

TRUEFLESH
(minor) Will reveal a creatures true form through any enchantment up to level 20. Use on Doppelgangers, et cetera.
2 x Mort, 1 x Ignus, 2 x Maga.

PIXIE DUST
(minor) Sprinkle around you and you gain +1 bonus to Bluff and intimidate checks. Lasts one hour. Does not work when checking against Fey creatures.
1 x Vitae, 1 x Aquae, 1 x Maga.

ALCHEMIST'S FIRE
Bursts into flame when lit. Causes 2d10 fire damage. there is enough powder in each unit to occupy at most a 5 x 5 foot square.
3 x Ignus, 1 x Aether.

FREEDOM
Sprinkle on locks. +2 to thievery checks. the lock is dissolved and cannot be relocked until it is fixed or replaced.
2 x Maga, 1 x Ignus.

FLUX WAX
(standard) Coat any implement with this powder. The next attack that uses the Arcane keyword crits on a 19 or 20. 
1 x Vitae, 2 x Aether, 1 x Mort.

SCHOLAR
(Minor) Sprinkle on anything you wish to examine, and get a +2 bonus to Arcana checks.
1 x Acquae, 1 x Maga.

SUN
(standard) Ranged 10. Dex Mod +2 vs. Reflex: 1d8 +Dex radiant damage, and the target is blinded until the end of the attacker's next turn.
2 x Vitae, 1 x Ignus, 1 x Mort, 1 x Aether.

ARVENTINE: January 9th update.

As Zod flew down the hole into some sort of strange, demonic scrying ritual, Alain Fu thought he was done for. Luckily for him, seconds later, Christophe came screaming down the pit after him, planting his blade straight through the demon's skull, killing him dead. After battling some demon seers, they examined the scrying bowl on the lower level. Dropping a sacrifice of blood into the bowl, Fu summoned a smokey image of himself leading a demonic host to battle across an unnamed plain, flanked by Blind Varlets. With suspicious and concerned faces, the party finally cleared out Conrad's Point, and the treasures therein.

Upon returning to Khare, they were almost immediately confronted by Pavel Flind, the doyen of the Court of Jakob. Rather upset at the party trying to play the Court against the other gangs, Pavel demanded a substantial financial offering to 'let it slide'. Fresh from battle, the party characteristically declined the offer, and found themselves in a brawl with Flind and his swordsmen. The swordsmen, despite their skill, where soon dispatched, and Flind soon found himself dead with Sarah's axe buried in his skull. 

They soon reached Sapphoro's shop where, underneath a poster advertising Khare's Smelliest Griffon, Hanged Men doyen Bad Krum was waiting for them. Upon hearing about the demons at Conrad's Point, he told the party that demons had been reported all over the city since the Eclipse appeared in the sky. However, exuberant at the thought of Pavel Flind being dead, Krum declared Gang War, and feverishly gave the party the location of Forkiz Geung's (Orrind's kidnapper) secret domain: a decommissioned sewer underneath the Flowers In A Cursed Land brothel that could be access at midnight.

Before they went after Orrind, they had some old business to attend to. Remembering Dogbone's revelation about Suzzarn having a secret house in the river district, they set out to check it out. They arrived at small shack guarded by a nervous looking teenage streetboy. Toying with wither killing or turning him into a gas, Christophe chose to adopt his old 'drunken Lord Melchior' rountine, and tricked the lad into drinking wine laced with sleeping draught. Inside they found numerous clues that:

1) Outed Suzzarn as a potential member of the Blind Varlet cult. 
2) Spoke more of the Eclipse - a ritual to be undertaken at nearby Mount Shareat, that required the Cyrinishad, and an entity referred to as 'the Annointed One'.
3) That a doppelganger and some trickery was involved in the party's dealings with Baba Yaga in the Dire Woods. 

Leaving everything as they found it, the party crept away from the shack. On their way home, they found themselves cornered by soldiers of Bane, who dragged them to the Palace of Lord Azzur. Inside they were given an audience with Suzzarn, who turned out to be a courtier of Azzur. Suzzarn made a few veiled threats about the Cyrinishad and Shareat, and the party managed to leave unscathed. On their way out, the Banites attacked the party under Suzzarn's orders, exclaiming "Take what the paladin is carrying, take the wizard alive!" The party dispatched the soldiers and fled the scene to the brothel.

Hiding out in the brothel until midnight, the party indulged in the local product before entering the sewers to rescue Orrind. Not before long, they ran into an old friend - the Drow bounty hunter Tinve Aleaza'baen, who seemed rather jittery and troubled. After Christophe convinced her of the party's good intentions, she told them her and her men were en route to kill her master, Forkiz Geung, but they could not get past the Balhannoth, an Underdarkien beast that lived in the tunnels. The party finally took the Balhannoth out, and they and Tinve  both assailed the House of Pale Lanterns. 

In the cellar they found a beleaguered Nelson and Forkiz, who informed them that Orrind had just been sold - sickeningly to Suzzarn, supposedly as 'leverage'. Nelson and his master pleaded the party to help them flee the city, but it was an offer that fell on deaf ears, and the two were left to die at Tinve's blade. 

Now, faced with foes unknown, the party has some tough times ahead of it....
   

Brothers of the Black Feather: Prologue

“Brothers! Brothers!” Percy Pinklebottom the novice calls out hastily, shaking you from your sleep. “The Abbot wants to see you immediately!”

It’s a cold morning in the dormitory at the Brice Black Feather Monastery, and there’s a fair amount of grumbling as you dress amongst your brothers. The more martially minded amongst the faithful – yourself included – strap on weapons, holy symbols that crackle with the divine power of the lady of death, and armour carved with devotions to Her name, standing out amongst the more scholarly minded fellows who dress in simple habits of jet black hessian.

You ascend the stone steps to the main hall, bones weary from a night spent on a plain wooden pallet. All the brothers have been gathered in the main hall, and the abbot stands at the lectern waiting to speak.

“In her name!” Father Jacob Cobblestone, the Abbot of Brice’s chapter of the Brothers of the Black Feather, cries shrilly, and after you and your brothers reply in kind, a hush descends on the room. “I have called you here because grave news has arrived at the monastery. A letter just reached me from the head chapter, and two of our brothers have recently disappeared. They were believed to be journeying into Ostergardt, and we are the nearest brethren to their last known location. We have been asked to send out a delegation of the faithful to try to locate our lost brothers. I need volunteers – the journey will be difficult and dangerous…”

As the Abbot talks on your head begins to swim, and suddenly your ears are filled with the sound of beating wings. In amongst the noise you hear a woman’s voice, hollow as the grave, call your name. “I choose you” she says. As the room swims back into view, you find yourself stood up, alongside a few others, saying “I shall go”.

The abbot surveys the dozen or so of you – mostly novices like yourself – and says “So be it. In her name!”

You and your newly selected companions roar back the response, and set about making preparations. 

ARENTINE: Story Update

After conquering the dangers of the Shahamunti Mountains, the party saw the grim city of Khare on the horizon. Heading through the wasteland foothills that mark the beginning of the vast and terrible land of Kakhabad, they enter the city, and are greeting with streets streaming with blood and effluence. They make haste to refresh their supples before heading to a Harper safehouse in the northern quarter of the city. There they met a Harper agent, a rather scruffy and jittery ranger called Dogbone. He seemed unable to help them with their quest, appearing quite confused as to why Baba Yaga would send them to find Suzzarn. He informs the party that Suzzarn is no sage, but in fact one of Lord Azzur’s (the supposed ‘ruler’ of Khare) lickspittle courtiers.

The party choose to follow Dogbone’s advice to find an alliance in the city with one of the factions who run the streets; the Hanged Men, the Court of Jakob, or the House of Pale Lanterns. They also learn that it is the House of Pale Lanterns that is run by the infamous Forkiz Geung, the very same man who holds Orrind hostage. They make contact with all three gangs, and acquire a mission to investigate some disappearances at a dungeon named Conrad’s Point from Pavel Flind, the doyen of the Court of Jakob. Not fancying allying with the Vecna and Orcus worshippers, the party take this intelligence to the Hanged Men’s doyen Bad Krum, who sends them to investigate Conrad’s Point to see what the death cult is up to.

Upon their arrival at Conrad’s Point, they encounter a moribund cultist, who informs them that the dungeon is infested with demons. Sure enough, the party find and dispatch several bloodthirsty demons and abyssal traps. Bursting into the final chamber of the dungeon, they encounter another group of demons led by a huge bull-headed demon who introduces himself as Zod the Immortal. Full of hubris Zod announces that we will enjoy feasting on the party and, rather cryptically, that “he will not wait for the Eclipse”. After a furious battle, the heavily wounded Zod swoops into the fray, snatching up Alain Fu and escaping down a pit deeper into the dungeon…

Chase Rules

The Movement Check

A character’s Move check is +2 per point of base speed.  For an unencumbered human that moves at speed 6, that’s +12.  In a self-powered race like a footrace, you can add your STR bonus to this in a given round but then have to make a DC 15 Fort save to not become fatigued from the exertion.   Use this same formula for other movement types (riding, swimming) because it takes differing speeds into account well. 

The Chase Track

Rather than keeping up with specific distances, a chase has distance represented by an arbitrary condition track.  It’s defined relative to whoever’s in the lead, and has six levels -

1.       Close Contact – within melee range of leader.  Subject to all obstacles the leader has to deal with.

2.      Point Blank – close range can make any ranged attack without penalty.  Take leader’s obstacles or take an alternate path at DC 20.

3.      Short – Take leader’s obstacles or an alternate path at DC 15.  -2 on ranged attacks.

4.      Medium – From this far back, it’s usually easy to avoid obstacles.  -4 on ranged attacks. Can’t use ranged 5.

5.       Long – -6 on ranged attacks. Can’t use ranged 5.

6.      Lost – you done lost ‘em.   If you have allies still in the chase and you can still run (not fatigued or just giving up) you can run after them sufficiently to at least arrive on the scene once it’s all over, but you can’t get back into the actual chase.

For each 5 points by which you beat the leader’s movement check,  you close by one category on the track; similarly you slip back by one for each 5 points by which you miss their check.

Chase participants start at a chase level that makes sense – if they are right there with the leader and take off after them when they take off, they can start at point blank.  If they’re a round of movement away, or pause to shoot or take another action before they get going, start them at medium range.

Obstacles

In a chase, there’s a bunch of different kinds of obstacles and complications that can come up.  Here’s a sample but not comprehensive list.  In general the checks to pass these obstacles are DC 15.  If you fail the check, you drop back one level on the chase track; if you miss by 5 you take 1d6 nonlethal damage from a collision or similar mishap.  This is an urban specific list.  In a crowded urban environment, each round has a 1 in 3 chance of bringing a mandatory obstacle, or the leader can deliberately head towards obstacles as desired.  Roll 1d8 for what type, or choose one:

1.       Simple (Acrobatics/Melee) – barrels, gate, street vendor’s blanket, etc.

2.      Barrier (Acrobatics) – fruit cart, unexpected turn

3.      Wall/Gap (Athletics) – “end of alley” wall, fence, ditch, open manhole, pit

4.      Evasion (Perception) – spot where he's gone

5.       Traffic (Endurance/Dex) – pedestrians, mule team, orc pirates

6.      Squeeze (Str/Dex) – crawlspace, hole in wall

7.       Noxious (Endurance) – tannery, factory, sewage

8.      Terrain (Dex/Acrobatics) – gravel, mud bank, slick cobblestones

Chase participants farther back on the chase track can choose whether or not to hit the same obstacle.  Chasers in close contact have to negotiate the same obstacles as the leader.  Chasers in point blank can take the obstacle or make an alternate check at DC 20 to avoid it – for example, “I can’t swim, I’m going to run around the reflecting pool instead.”  Chasers at short range can take the obstacle or an alternate check at DC 15.  Chasers farther back can generally avoid routine obstacles, but the DM can require them if it’s logically necessary (the leader swam across the river, for example).

Actions

Anyone in close contact with the leader can conduct melee attacks on them.  Whoever wins initiative gets to determine if attacks or Movement checks happen first.

A character can take a ranged attack but automatically drops back one level on the chase track when they do.

If the chase goes a number of rounds equal to anyone’s CON score they have to make DC 20 Fort saves each round or become fatigued, and effectively drop out.