D&D – Witchlight2 – Session 0 & 1

Dirla, the displacer beast, who runs Lost Property at the Witchlight Carnival.

The group gathered a little later than planned, but keen to get into it. A lot of nerves from the brand new player, and also some from me as my first face 2 face DM.

Firstly we ran a little session zero, mostly to give the new player time to get settled. One player had their character already, and the others rolled their’s. We also all linked into my D&D Beyond campaign. While I didn’t plan on using it too much, mostly just to share the resources, all the players are using the Beyond to roll at the moment, so all their rolls are logged.

The party formed.

• Human Wizard, Cameron
• Human Fighter, Alistair
• Human Monk, Snell
• Tabaxi Rogue, Wis

And we agreed to head down the lost things hook. With a twist, one of the players, concerned about not having a reason to go to the carnival, had invented the idea that they had been escorting their young nieces, who get lost in the carnival. I decided to add that in as well. I think I will have them taken to LoomLurch.

Their lost things are

• Cameron can’t keep secrets
• Alistair has no fashion sense
• Snell can’t smile
• and no one can read Wis’s handwriting

We went through some admin things, but I will have to discuss “what if a player is not here” because I don’t think I made that clear.

We still had some time, so we got started.

The carnival arrived in town, the adventurers, not yet a party, headed that way. Alistair in pursuit of his nieces who had dashed off the moment they saw the bright caravans in the sky. They happened to arrive at the ticket booth at the same time and the others agreed to help Alistair search for his family.

They paid to come into the carnival and then they started their search. Their first stop was Lost Property, where, after retrieving a young boy they talked to the displacer beast, Dirla, but at this stage he wasn’t much help.

After that, they thought that perhaps getting up high might help them find the nieces, so headed over to the Dragonfly rides. As they arrive, there is some sort of drama and one guest is almost thrown from one. Snell and Wis spot someone in the crowd and set off to chase them. The other two decide to continue with the ride.

Gleam’s Shadow

While writing this entry, I think I want to get the nieces found. Otherwise the party will not want to go and “enjoy” the carnival. So my plan is thus – the party can’t catch Kettlesteam, but as they reunite they receive a message from Darla – the nieces have been found. As they arrive back at Lost Property, the girls’ parents are there and they are reunited. As a thank you for helping, they are given an extra set of tickets so that they can enjoy all of the carnival. Hopefully, the party will remain and explore and then I can weave in all the “things are not quite right here” hints. I have two already now, the chase of Kettlesteam, and I had one character notice an unsettling shadow (Gleam’s Shadow) but they couldn’t figure out what.

So far, the new player seems to be liking it, the others as well. I’m having fun too. Hopefully it works. Minimum stuff needed as they are all using devices, and worst case I need a device, a notepad and maybe some dice (but can I let you in on a secret, I have a set of dice in pretty much any bag I take with me anywhere). But as I have MY OWN CLASS, I am storing some of the stuff (notebook, DM screen, maps, and some other random stuff there). All I need to take on a playing day are my favourite dice and the Witchlight book. Everything else is either on my iPad or online.

2022 – a year in review

If you say that right, it even rhymes!

2022, things change, things get back to normal.

About Bikes

MOTOGP! Finally. And the ride there and back was great, and the racing was excellent. I stayed in budget (very important this year). I camped, I had adventures… yup, read the two stories here and here. Was worth the wait. The only thing that didn’t work out was Jack Miller getting taken out by Alec Marquez at the new “Miller Corner”. I do think I will stick to my two year cycle and aim for 2024 for my next ride down. It’s at an awkward time of the year, work wise.

2022 Philip Island -Australian MotoGP

I hit most of the roads I had planned, changed a few over, mostly due to the bad weather.

My first night motocamping.

Otherwise the bike was a garage queen at least by comparison to how it (and my other bikes) have lived. It was lucky if it got a ride to the shops once a week. As the year finishes off, I think I’m in the market for a new battery. Even commuting is off the menu at the moment, as work is only 10mins away and I drop my two kids at school on the way.

I got a new bike… sort of. It was fun to build at any rate.

LEGO’s M1000RR

No bicycle riding to speak of really. Some fitness rides on the commuter.

Enjoying the sunshine and open space…. in the middle of the suburbs?

About Babes

Two girls in high school. Both doing well. One won a State Championship for her gymnastics so really well done there. Next year will be interesting as the other one can start learning to drive!

About Bytes

Nothing hugely dramatic here. My Surface is finally getting used a lot, I use as my school device and it’s been great. Except for a dead TypeCover. Replaced, but I am suspicious of the durability of this part.

I upgraded my iPad Pro 9.7 (v1) to the Pro M1 11”. It has been excellent, really nice jump in performance from my last one. They did eventually release an M2 version as I suspected, but it didn’t get the mini-LED display, so I don’t feel like I missed anything. Its keyboard cover has also deteriorated (common theme this year), there are some places where the soft covering material has worn through. It is still working, but has been put away and hasn’t been replaced.

The new PC has been working fabulously, though I really should step up the graphics card. Otherwise it’s been fast and reliable. I’ve since spent many hours using it for gaming, completing the last 3 Tomb Raiders and spending over 100hours in the Baldur’s Gate 3 pre release.

And I can play BG3 on the Mac too

The iMac also has been going well. It has also recently received a new keyboard, a Logitech MX Keys (not the specific Mac one). I’m really happy with this keyboard too.

Having all these devices has meant all my work is available everywhere. The school mostly uses Google’s environment so that was something to get used to. But with it all in the cloud (along with my OneNote) it’s easy to work anywhere. I also switched over to iCloud Photos and this has been working well too.

D&D has been fun all year. Wild Beyond the Witchlight finished up just a few weeks ago. That was a fun campaign for all. It’s been replaced by a journey in the Dungeon of the Mad Mage, which I am not DM, so currently I am a player in 3 campaigns (Dungeon, Strahd and a face to face home-brew) and not a DM anywhere. It’s so relaxed! Strahd is likely to finish up soon and the DM wants to put us in Spelljammer (D&D in space). I have never played in that environment, so I’m a little unsure. I’m writing my own home-brew adventure for when I get a DM slot again.

About Me.

My offical career change occurred in mid-April (not Christmas as planned), I stayed in order to finalise a couple of medical issues with work. Even though that was the offical date, I was on holidays from that work from Christmas until April and actually working as a teacher full time.

I am enjoying my teaching. My school has a really nice community working environment. There are some challenges, partly due to the children and partly due to my limited experience. However, the school has always been supportive.

The pay is a significant cut from my old pay, at least in these first couple of years. Once I complete my proficiency after two years it will jump up and be a lot closer. I don’t think it will ever surpass it.

To help make up for this, I have secured some part time work in my old career for the school holidays and that will be a nice bonus for me. It’s also a way to stay relevant and connected to that old career in case I am needed.

Next year will see me having my own class, and it looks like it will be a Year 5/6 one. Equally excited and nervous, but everyone at work assures me I will do a great job. That makes me feel very supported, but then also nervous that I don’t want to let them down!

My class, as it was handed to me… a blank slate.

2023, here goes…….

D&D – Witchlight – Session 14

The fight with the Jabberwock continued… with two of the party dazed and confused from the babble of the creature, the other three stayed well away, but their attacks continued and eventually the creature had used all of its legendary saves and found itself taking the full brunt of these attacks. This started to turn the tide and I think the turning point was when the rogue, lost in confusion, attacked the nearest creature, delivering a solid blow to the Jabberwock.

From my perspective as the DM, it was almost as if the first half of the battle (in the last session) the party was surprised and confused. Then in this second part, their experience kicked in and they quickly set to the business of killing it.

Just as the creature dropped to the ground, a couple of the party noticed one of the doors from the room closing quietly. Clearly someone had been watching them (Warduke had come to investigate the great booming sound, from the knock spell, to discover a party locked in battle with the Jabberwock)

The party moved to attack through two different doors. The rogue and lizard fight teaming up as usual to quietly slip into the corridor. Luckily their opponent had just been distracted when the paladin (forgetting all his lessons) decided to try to boot the door in. The cleric took a few paces back in alarm as he did so and so was missed by the lightning bolt from the door. The paladin failed to open the door, and took some damage in response.

The cleric simply opened the door, and spotted Warduke. At this point the paladin decided that he would negotiate, and offered Warduke a significant sum of gold to change sides. Warduke promptly did – he was here for money and had just seen the party eliminate the Jabberwock without barely any damage and certainly no casualties. That was a surprise for the rest of the party. He promised to find the others of his group and pass an ultimatum – take the cash and leave or face the consequences. They had one hour to decide. (Here the paladin player continued to demonstrate his lack of playing experience, contrary to what he actually told us when he joined, he would time him on his watch, oh no watch, the sun then? In a demiplane with no sun visible and from inside a room with no natural lighting? He decided he would guess). At least that was the paladin’s offer, I’m not entirely sure the rest of the party was so keen.

The rogue followed behind using Warduke to lead him to the rest of their opponents on a reconnaissance through the castle. Meanwhile the party had some discussions about the cauldron and spent some time healing.

The rogue followed the mercenary through the palace until he entered a throne room. Here the fighter had a sometimes heated discussion with another about intruders, dead Jabberwock, and what else he had seen. The rogue left after a little while to report back.

In the meantime, the party attempted to wake Zybilna, but it was clear that was not her true name. With the return of the rogue and her info, they decided they would destroy the cauldron by tossing it out a window or off a balcony. The paladin experimented with picking it up, finding it heavy but not impossible. The wizard opened a door they hadn’t tried, to find a balcony looking over the maelstrom in the centre of the palace.

Here he had a revelation. Back when the hag had escaped them he used a scry spell to see where she went. At the time, the hag had been in a large circular room looking through a large hole in the wall at a knight, suspended above the maelstrom, locked in time. When he opened the doors he saw the knight from the other side, still locked in time, and a large hole in the brickwork some 40’ up from where they were.

“Stop!” He cried to the paladin who was carrying the cauldron to its expected doom. “I’ve found the hag” and he points up to the hole in the wall, “or at least where she was.”

A plan was hatched to cross the maelstrom. The wizard would cast fly on three of the party, then dimension door himself and the last member across. First would go the rogue, then the two melee fighters and lastly, himself and the cleric.

The rogue stealthed up and landed. Immediately she spotted the hag, took cover. The hag only saw the lizard fighter land. He charged across the room as the rogue fired as well. Significant damage. The paladin landed and added his bow to the mix, but it was the holy light and fire from the cleric that turned the hag to dust.

And the session ended. Certainly not where I had expected it to. The hag will return in 24 hours, but I’m not sure what she will find when she does. Will the party think to rescue the warrior suspended above the maelstrom? What will the mercenaries do when they meet the party? Will the party destroy the cauldron?

D&D – Witchlight – In the Palace

Our session started with the party arriving in the Palace. They were set down in the garden beside a marquee, from which voices could be heard.

The tabaxi and a couple of others wandered over to investigate and shortly found themselves being greeted and welcome as fellow petitioners and were offered tea and cake. The party joined in the conversation, but found that these folk had come from far and wide to visit with the Queen of Prismeer seeking help and had little real information. They did not know how long they had been here, partly because the tea and cakes magically replenished. The paladin kept trying to threaten people which the rest of the party managed to quash. I’m tempted to have his god start being annoyed at his actions. Perhaps some of his abilities will wane.

Leaving the folks to their own devices, the party set out across the garden. Shortly they noticed that things were unmoving. Instead of flitting about, birds and bugs were stationary, immobile as if statues, in many cases floating in mid air. Water wasn’t flowing and it looked as if the Palace had been put on pause. They had learned enough by this stage of the adventure to suspect that Zybilna was being held, somehow, by the hags. This let the hags rule Prismeer as their own place. They started to suspect that somehow the hags had managed to freeze the Palace and everything inside of it.

Across the garden the party found the main door. This was topped by a porcelain lions head, which meant very little to the party. They explored along the entranceway before seeing a higher level balcony. The group quickly made their way up there, finding themselves an easier way to access to the Palace.

The paladin again was making noise at this point. Going on about how this fortress was stupidly designed and where are the patrols and such. It seemed to go right over his head that this was a PALACE not a FORTRESS and not designed for warfare.

I also can’t remember if they picked up the crown from the lake. They certainly haven’t investigated anything about them.

They started exploring, moving back and forth along the battlements and exploring a few turrets. They found a couple of strange gems which they used mage hand to delicately place in their bags (separately, they were worried what might happen if they touch).

Eventually they found themselves inside the Palace proper, having found a door that led into what was clearly sleeping quarters.

Here they found Thinnings, a servant who had escaped the time freeze. After some convincing (that they had killed 2 hags already helped a lot), Thinnings opened up a lot more. The party learned that the time freeze had been caused by the hags so they could take over. The hags had used a magic cauldron, owned by Zybilna, against her. The cauldron was the only way to unfreeze everybody, though the party also learnt that touching someone with a unicorn horn and speaking their true name could also do that on an individual basis. The last tidbit was that there is a fearsome beast, called a Jabberwocky, that rests around the cauldron. It is something like a nasty dragon. Even the mercenaries that the hags have made a deal with, fear to go near the creature. However, the Jabberwock is terrified of Zybilna’s pet giant owl, Bloodybeak. Thinnings had a lot to say to be honest.

This is also the point where the party just kind of let the paladin do what he wanted. His plan was to attract these mercenaries, then offer them a choice, convert and join him, or die. He charged off to find them. No talking from the party about letting the rogue handle the doors (you know, traps, locks…). Or about the actual party’s goals seemed to sway him.

At this point the players were a bit fed up with trying to keep this guy in line. He had these far out ideas of storming the Palace and taking it for his own, with his armies (who knows where they would be coming from). I made it quite clear that I wasn’t going to do that as a DM, and if he wanted to he could do that after this adventure he was welcome, but with another DM (good luck).

The Paladin was a little disappointed when his first kick at the door bounced off (a terrible roll). But persistence paid off and eventually the door slammed open. The door didn’t take too kindly to that, and let off a lightning bolt at the Paladin. Let’s just say that the next door, and the next, showed that he could learn but it takes a while. He charged off ahead of the party.

And that’s where the session ended.

We are continuing to have issues with this newest player. He’s not much of a team player, very set with his own ideas and won’t listen to advice. He talks a big game about his D&D knowledge, but as the last few sessions have shown, he’s either not that experienced, or any other groups he plays with very much let him run things. I am not keen on letting him continue with us after Witchlight.

The final chapter of Witchlight, some 12 sessions in (so about 24 hours of playing time). Will they free Zybilna? Can they find Bloodybeak to drive away the Jabberwock? Will the paladin storm off and find himself overwhelmed in the strange world of the fey?

D&D – Sleeping Dragon Wakes (Review)

With the next module in the series complete (aside from the tidy up) it’s a chance to review this one too.

Again, I think it is a pretty good module, with some interesting scenarios wound together into the story. I ran it without using the “Quest Board”, adding some story links to have the party get involved in things. Partly, so that I could control which parts I would need to prepare, but also, it fits with the story better. They were very much a part of the town by this stage, so having them look for jobs on a board made no sense. For a party that starts here, maybe it would fit?

A running battle with the sahuagin proved a challenge for the group. Later a similar, multi stage battle with some bandits could have really punished them, if the zombies and chimera waiting in the wings could have gotten involved. Some smart tactics helped them there. At the higher levels they are reaching, simply throwing a crowd of enemies isn’t really a challenge.

I gave them the full credit for getting in to meet the green dragon without having to fight almost anyone in the entire lair. They basically talked their way in, as they also did with the bronze dragon earlier. This made for some fun RP.

Overall a great part 2 of 3 adventure with a terrible “to be continued” ending. However, if you consider it all as one, then its not an ending.

For Roll20 users

Again, I added a bunch of maps, but nothing like the last module. I mostly reused a couple of maps with different creatures, to run random encounters, so not strictly required. The maps provided did a better job of covering the action. Might not be so for the next module.

And so it’s on to Divine Contention and the final showdown. The core of this is a long defence of the town itself as the two factions attack. It will really test the endurance of the group. It will also be interesting to see what they remember they have picked up (they have several healing scrolls that will come in handy – if they remember them!).

DnD – A Call from Leilon

The party enjoyed several relaxing days in Phandalin, enjoying the chance to rest, recuperate and resupply. The town was continually grateful, with the group having saved the town from goblins, orcs, the Redbrands and a dragon. 

Then, one afternoon, a messanger from Neverwinter arrived. Carrying an invitation from one of the Neverwinter Lords, he asked the party for help in the nearby town of Leilon. Leilon is along th coast, a little south of where the trail to Phandalin branches of the High Road. 

Leilon, as it is planned to grow into.

The party set out, making it about ¾ of the way before dark (they had set out late due to wellwishers in Phandalin). As night fell they approached the Wayside Inn, a place recommended by the proprietor of the Stonehill.

To their dismay, they found it set upon by zombies and wraiths. A fight ensued.

Here I messed up as a DM. I wasn’t as familiar with the creatures and missed the fact that zombies can reanimate and that wraiths take half damage from non-magical, non-silvered weapons. The battle would have been a lot more tense had I realised that. Next time!

They defeated the undead and were welcomed into the tavern, meeting most of the staff and guests. 

The following day they set out towards Leilon, only to find the townsfolk gathered in panic in a field a little away from the town. Something had spooked them.

Again, I missed a little of the flavour here, missing a lot of the council’s conversation which would have added to the colour of the situation. 

But never mind, because they were quickly set upon by knights and archers on watery horses, attacking from the direction of the town.

Look I really hadn’t expected them to get this far in the session, so I really hadn’t read up on what happens and again, missed that the archers had multiple attacks. 

The townsfolk scattered and the party engaged the attackers. A townsfolk was killed by a miss from one of the archers, but their tight formation lent itself to a fireball assault. And the battle was quickly over.

And we had to stop there.

I’m enjoying the party, and this adventure none have played. It’s the expansions from the Icespire adventure. If you buy the Starter Kit you gain access to these through D&D Beyond for free.

But I am feeling both a little underprepared (fixing that for this next session) and that I’m not really challenging the party. Partly that has been my ongoing problem with my monsters just not hitting the party (almost totally due to my ongoing dice roll fails). So instead of hurting them, the monsters (and this has been true from session 1) stand there flailing away and not hitting anything while the party pounds away. And of course, they are experienced players, using their skills effectively.

We’ll see what happens next as they will not have time to prepare for the next two combats. How will they cope when all their spells are spent?

DnD – Dragons in Phandalin

Where did we last leave our intrepid Phandelver party? Sadly our scribe seems to have lost interest some and there are no further updates from him. You’ll have to make do with my brief notes.

So the party headed into the mountains in pursuit of the dragon. Searching the hills they found several clues, including a frozen orc carcass. By this stage, they were pretty certain it was a white dragon, and the dragonborn was looking forward to the scrap.

They eventually found themselves following a trail up to an abandoned keep, high in the mountains. Made up of two buildings, you needed to enter the gatehouse building, before crossing a bridge to the main keep. A pretty good design I thought. Drop the bridge and then attackers have to scale cliffs to the main building.

Inside the gatehouse they came across a group of brigands, whom they fought until the last two surrendered. The party let these leave and continued onwards. 

Most of the keep turned out to be empty, though a small flock of stirges had moved into one room. Most other rooms had been ransacked and defiled by the orcs who had lived here. Before the dragon of course.

The new “Dragon of Icespire Peak” module.

The dragon was found on the rooftop, and a fight ensued. They won it over quite easily as they managed some lucky casts of Hypnotic Pattern which kept the dragon incapacitated for each of its turns. This let the party pound on the dragon without taking almost any damage. This was helped by the initiative order. They would cast it, then the dragon would miss their turn, only for each of the damage dealers to take their turn, and then it would be recast, just in time for the dragon’s turn. I think the dragon managed about 1 round of actual combat (where it nearly killed one character with a breath attack).

Unfortunately as the dragon had only recently taken up residence, there was not a lot of treasure.

Finishing the episode, they travelled back to town carrying a dragon head (now mounted in the Stonehill Inn common room) and with the intent to take ownership of the keep.

DnD – Updates galore!

Ah, it has been a while and I apologise. I’ve been very busy finishing my degree (only a few days before my very last assessment is due).

So The Phandelvers have continued, with the lead party recounts attached below.

The Lost Mine of Phandelver: Part 6Download

The Lost Mine of Phandelver: Part 7Download

The Lost Mine of Phandelver: Part 8Download

As for the girls one, that has sadly sat on the side a little with my own time pressures and their school term starting back up again.

However, they are in the middle of some minor tasks around the campaign. They’ve visited the Hag, neither group thought to ask it a different question. The girls have also visited the traveling mage and provided feedback to the town. Lastly they found their way to Thundertree village and started looking about. They’re not too keen on engaging the spiders or the dragon (unlike another bunch I know!)

However both groups now know where Cragmaw Castle is, and the “not my girls group” now have someone to guide them to the mine, both groups are soon to head into the final chapter of this adventure. Exciting times….

Me, Dungeon Master???

About two months ago, I briefly joined in a couple of rounds with a nearby D&D group before it was clear that the timings weren’t going to work for me. This was 5e, and I hadn’t played since 1e when I was in high school (I’ll let you work out how many decades ago that was), so long ago that when I brushed aside the cobwebs the notes had wasted away to nothing anyway. I still have a 1988 printed PHB on the shelf (rats just gave away the answer).

Enthused, but not sure what to do, I asked around across the work network and found a half dozen of us who were all keen to play, mostly all new. So in a fit of altruism, and in order to get the idea moving I volunteered to DM.

Which I haven’t done for that same number of decades… and maybe only once then too.

Being geographically disparate we decided to use Roll20 website to run the game. This gives us an online game board to draw and create on, while providing automated character sheets and a host of other tools to use. It also has audio and video.

We’ve had two sessions so far. I hope its been enjoyable. Its a steep learning curve for me as I try to learn all of the players abilities and manage the game, while we all learn Roll20 and its capabilities. Each session has left me with some homework on things to study and read up on. I also try to make sure that I am reading ahead and preparing so that the short 2 hours that we have is of maximum benefit.

But both sessions have included new people joining, so there’s the inevitable period of setting up characters, things not working and the learning we are all doing about both D&D and Roll20. A couple more sessions and I’m sure we’ll be in the swing of it.

I’m running the group through a module called “Lost Mines of Phandelver”, which was included in the D&D Starter Set. It’s designed for new players (and DMs) so a good start for us.

There is also a host of resources online (which didn’t exist when I started, heck online barely existed when I started). Youtube videos that explain rules more clearly, tips and tricks – both generic and specific to the Lost Mines. The official D&D website and the Roll20 wiki have a heap of stuff as well. I had already picked up the Starter Set a year or more back when the Mini Mabs showed some interest and just before the foray into the other group I picked up the D&D box set with PHB, DM guide & screen and MM. So plenty of references.

I am enjoying it, the group is settling in together. I’d like to see it continue, I’d also like to rotate through as a player, but I’d rather keep the group than force the issue. Because I do enjoy the DMing as well. If it does continue, I’d like to get the Storm King’s Thunder as that looks pretty interesting. Maybe keep the same characters or let them restart…. I think that is some time away as there are at least 3 out of 4 chapters to complete in this one first.