The Tabletop Coven

ZIGGY // North-of-Boston Roleplaying Group // Updates Fridays

[thetabletopcoven-blog]

Emotive Roleplay

When your a GM, you want your players to feel invested in their characters, at least for the long term play. Investment breeds attachment to both personal characters and NPCs. Should you want to create an attachment, you have produce an emotion through a reactive event.

Example : Two ally NPCs fall in love. A player character uses Insight and Perception checks to sense that they stare at each other often and will speak to each other in private, having small trysts when they think the party isn’t around. I use small words to describe their relationship, rather than large ones, to show the relationship is new but the bond is strong! The reactive event is when they are embarrassed when they are figured out, as they thought they were being private about their relationship.

Mechanically, the two NPC’s act on the same turn, and receive bonuses to rolls when they are near each other, but if one is harmed to much, the other dedicates their turn to helping them (instead of a valuable party member). Another obvious clue of their bond

Players would sense their connection is valuable and should it be severed, there would be a consequence. Players might protect this bond, or create strife inside of it to see the unfolding drama.

[thetabletopcoven-blog]

Where the Spirits Have Lease was originally a 3.5 campaign called The Wells of Manifest. It came out of me wanting a campaign with strong atmosphere and theme, where my crew of newbie players became perfect guinea pigs for. A major part of that campaign became knowing (and not knowing) my source material : a 3.0 book called Ghostwalk. As a book, Ghostwalk was neither great or bad, it ran pretty much right in the middle, and because of the 3.0 to 3.5 conversion, it got lost in translation, as did much of its wonderful atmosphere centered around a world heavily populated by undead and spirits. It was the perfect candidate for me to build off of and construct a new world. Its world was underbuilt, only some campaign options where truly noteworthy, but its core concepts fueled my ideas.

Obviously, the book themes leaned me to create a darker fantasy, one that was about of a world during a great period of convergence. This fictional European continent called Varlin was undergoing a transformation, when great wells of spiritual energy started to flow into an inert land, springing magical life into its people, its dead and its wilds. Of course, in college, all my ideas where pretty rough, but I took it slow and built my session more like horror stories instead of fantasy stories, letting me burn my players for answers to complicated story questions. Mystery was essential.

Now, in Where the Spirits have Lease, I’m trying to understand how to fuse the fantasy and horror genre effectively, using the minimal rules of 5th edition, but keeping that ‘slow burn’ pace with intricate world building and gloomy atmosphere.

So this is where it stated, I’ll post more about how I turned the world, and its events into a more intricate universe! 

[thetabletopcoven-blog]

N E V A R R Character Spotlight Bronze Dragonborn Fighter (Eldritch Knight Archetype)

Chapter / Campaign -- Where the Spirits Have Lease Chapter 2 : The Coil & The Faerie

Estranged and far from home, Nevarr is a young dragonborn on a proving journey to reclaim honor to his noble dragon house : the Bronzekin family. He has undertaken the righteous profession of Knight under the Eldritch Order, an organization of mages, guild masters, politicians and front line warriors that predicate the usage of arcane magic in Varlin. Prior to his initiation, Nevarr knew little of the land, magic or even swordsmanship. He traversed through the elven woods of Thalnath Lunasia with the help of his party and plenty of luck. However, with time, the neophyte gleaned enough experiences by his frightful encounters with the fey to enter his order as an Initiate Knight, with the gracious honors of his masters, Plutarch Oliander and Knight-Captain Donaree.

Now, Nevarr’s test has become more frightening (even more so than his fey encounters), as the intricate world of the arcane has proven more complicated that he initially expected. His lord’s motives are unknown, his fellow initiates could perish even under their first week of service, and his dedication the Order could tear him away from one of his alliances : Logan the Sorcerer.  But amongst uncertainty, Nevarr still remains steadfast and diligent, like the blood of the warrior than runs in him. His charming naivety hasn’t sold any promises or lies, but what his words have not done, his actions have...

... but his journey still unfolds, Nevarr’s fate is deeply intertwined with the spirit of family, the ocean and knowledge. His party is deeply centered around him, although the party may not notice. (except when he refers to his arcane flashcards for magical reference)

Nevarr is played by Ivy Fowler, and her art is part of the post! Check her out @ivyfolwer : https://www.instagram.com/ivyafowler/

Where the Spirits Have Lease Chapter 2 continues still! Stay tuned for more posts...

[thetabletopcoven-blog]

Howdy All, sorry about not posting this week. I’ve been busy designing materials for a new campaign called Novu Salm. It’s a 3.5 D&D-like story set in an alternative universe 1700′s New England. Specifically in Salem, Massachusetts (pretty much where I live!). It will be chock full faeries, First Nation myths, colonials and lovecraftian horror.

This is the first page of the character sheet, which is much more simplified form 3.5 D&D. 

I’ll be returning with story / character updates for Where the Spirits Have Lease soon!

[thetabletopcoven-blog]

A N D O R Character Spotlight Half-Orc Rogue (Burglar Archetype)

Chapter / Campaign -- Where the Spirits Have Lease Chapter 1 : Hall of the Silver Demon

Wily and gruff, Andor is a strong soul, wrought by the harrowing trials he faced in depths of the Undercity. Once a illegal runner of ‘hot’ merchandise in Hazuk, the totalitarian capital of the Bazzarene Kingdom, Andor acquired a penchant for escape tactics, free running, and knife-point diplomacy. He met the party through sheer misfortune, after an attack on a migrant fleet of goliaths. Naturally, Andor adapted to the happenstance, with a goal to get topside and deliver one last package to a very important client. At least, he told it was important... But not all was well beneath the mountain he fell in. Ghouls, a possessed grave-robber, troubled spirits, corrupted darklings and a mismatched team of spelunkers to boot. Along with his small rat companion, Neb, (and of course the valuable skills of his party) Andor escaped the haunted mountain and returned to Donaree, a quiet hamlet to the east (closer to his goal no less).

His exploits where small but potent. He slayed an rabid otyugh by plunging his blade on its blindspot, the top of its flat head. He navigated the labyrinthine dwarven waterworks, guiding his party to the last dwarven survivors in the Underchapel of Moradin, using his skills of inner city thief jargon. And finally, he fell piles of ghouls during a last stand to rescue a powerful seeress, Beatrix Moonpupil. Andor is bidding his time in Donaree now, waiting for an opportune moment to travel eastward again, and deliver his last package to a mysterious client, so he may be free of the bondage of those Hazuk-clan thieve traders.

Image credit goes to Will Portoff : http://willpottorff.tumblr.com/ (PS, he plays as Andor, check out his other works!)

[thetabletopcoven-blog]

Where The Spirits Have Lease is a homebrew 5e campaign, though not by far. I enforce some optional rules in my games, like Routine Skills, Massive Damage, Intiative in roleplay, Carry Weight, Item Burden, Crafting skill and Spells Reagents. 

I also use a simplified equation for Experience on the first page, less numbers means players know how much XP they need, and gives each individual point more value. (Its also easier to keep track of!)

So I made this sheet to better explain my homerules and cement them as a part of the campaign. I’ve made other player sheets before, so I whipped this up in a couple of days.

**I forgot Nature in the Skills section, an erroneous oversight  (T⌓T)

[thetabletopcoven-blog]

Hall of the Silvertooth Clan

My Monday group had finished the first chapter of their journey in Varlin, a harrowing descent into a ruined city within a silver mountain.

SPOTLIGHT : The Players

Drake Appleby the Cunning (Human Ranger) Better fitted for life on the surface, Drake was brought into the Undercity to escape the Warlock of the Mad Rock, Klaks. His skills proved invaluable with slaying despot ghouls and navigating the winding streets of the dwarven ruin and mushroom forests. As an amateur demon hunter, he sought the reason of the ruin, who he suspected was caused by a demon of ruin named AYM, who corrupted the Silvertooth King.

Kierren the Brash (Copper Dragonborn Bard) // DECEASED Along with Drake, he was taken by Klaks for unknown reasons, asked to pluck a stone from the top of the Undercity. Against his rule, he and Drake escaped to the Silver Mountain. Kierren brought hope to his party during the descent, even in the darkest of places, his voice and song would carry out the lonely ruins. He fought hordes of ghouls, behemoth ghosts, grave robbers and pale darklings until his demise, caused by the betrayal of misfired magic in  final stand to save a seeress.

Rieta the Sea Witch (Tiefling Warlock) Once belonging to the sea, Rieta had traveled from the Land of Ghosts inland to escape a debt to her captain. Having gained her power from a vestige called Focalor, she harnesses a dangerous and powerful magic. Rieta’s appearance has more than startled the survivors of the Undercity, but against their suspicion, Rieta was able to show her kindness, and they too, their kindness was returned with companionship.

Andor the Swift (Half-Orc Rogue) Fallen from the top of the silver mountain through a sealed passage, Andor along with Rieta and Astor traveled with a goliath migration along the mountain side until attacked by a group of blackclad slayers, who flew in like ravens and slaughtered the innocent travelers. In a flurry of escape, the group slid down the mountain side and broke a ground seal, falling in the lake in the center of the Undercity. Andor’s journey in the ruins have been fraught with challenges, chasing a possessed graverobber, navigating the perilious waterworks of the Silver City and slaying a rabid otyugh.

Hope (Tiefling Paladin) // MISSING A knight of faith on a self-proclaimed journey by their god Aluvan, the psychopomp of souls. Hope had taken to traveling the Varlin Mountain Tail to find conflicted spirits and grant them a resolution so they may pass into the afterlife. Hope eventually heard rumors of hollow mountain that howled like a banshee from its bowels. Her journey led her into the Undercity, close to the party where they encountered a stray demon possessing a graverobber’s body, who in turn summoned a Devourer of Spirits. In the harrowing battle, Hope was in critical condition and then abandoned in a ruined brothel.

Baern (Dwarf Barbarian) // MISSING A rambunctious dwarf led by his ancestral ties, Baern came upon the Silver City in a journey to find the root of his ancestral bondage. Supported by the party with his ferocity in combat and knowledge of the dwarves, Baern became quite attached to the group. It wasn’t until they came across the Under Chapel of Moradin that he decided to pry for answer with their priestess.

Astor (Human Monk / Cleric) // MISSING Somewhat apart from the party, Astor had his own plans with his god, Aluvan. His fanaticism drew the party away from him, and with time the receded far enough that he was lost wandering the Silver Mountain Halls. Little was known of his fate, but some say the same madness that claimed the Silvertooth King had claimed him.

Mags (Changeling Druid) Once bound to the Forest of Manifest, Mags was raised by their Witch-Mother Adwana, who had suspicious plans during their upbringing. In an act of rebellion, Mags left their home, guided by twin Mystics : Sarro & Rassa. Once escaped, they entered the halls of the Silver City to escape a violent snow storm. With cunning, they were able to answer the riddles of the passageway guardians, find the party and return to the surface through a mountainside aqueduct. 

Sarro & Rassa (Dvanti Mystics) The twin mystics of the City of Manifest, Sarro & Rassa are one soul bound by two bodies on a quest to release themselves of the physical world, or simply understand the mystery that created them. With incredible psychic power, they were able to assist the party stem the tide of ghouls during their rescue of Beatrix, the Seeress. With wit rather than strength, they led the party in the abscence of others, safely returning the survivors to a nearby town (Donaree), and curing many of the infectious ghoul fever.

The party’s second chapter will resume in January 2018!

Image credit goes to Chris Cold : https://www.artstation.com/chriscold

[thetabletopcoven-blog]

Where the Spirits Have Lease

A campaign set in a 5th edition homebrewed world, starring a cast of 15+ players over 3 different groups! Undead, fey and all things spiritual linger in our dark fantasy world inspired by a Tolkien style with dramatic, deep and fluid storytelling. Story updates on Fridays! Character updates and art on Wednesday!

Art by Sidharth Chaturdevi : http://www.sidharthchaturvedi.com/ Awesome oil paintings, check him out -- Deep Silver, Fantasy Flight, WoTC and others!