D&D Oct-9-2003

[ralphmelton]

I was stressing out hard about tonight's D&D game, because I felt woefully unprepared. But I really feel happy about the way it turned out.

- I felt a need to railroad the players a bit, because I wanted them to encounter Captain Jorvik and hear the explanation of the two wars around Cardior. I'm pretty sure that I chose the right way to railroad them; I said, "I'd like to railroad y'all to encounter the top side of Cardior first," and they very nicely cooperated by suggesting that the teleport be taken off course. I think this was much better than trying to railroad them subtly.

- Dani was very pleasant about the discussion of the ring of protection, by saying 'I don't mind, but Prolix is going to make a fuss and hold his breath until he turns blue about it.' Doing it that way turned Prolix's obstreperousness into something we all enjoyed. I really appreciated him handling that issue that way, and I told him so, both immediately and after the session.

- I felt fairly happy about the roleplay with the soldiers and Captain Jorvik--I was kind of flustered when they were dealing with the soldiers, but that was okay, because the soldiers were too. I think the players got a pleasant little surprise from the crossbow-wielding soldier saying nonchalantly, "I'm a prisoner, so I can't take you any further." I didn't say all the things I'd thought of about the two wars and the rules of war, but that's fine--the players got the point.

- We got more emotional roleplay than we often do--I particularly appreciated Liandra's concern over Viggo and her uncertain moment with her sister. Thanks, Lori; that was great.

- I got off a horrible pun with one of the minor battles: the half-dragon PC used his secondary bite attack against a shambling mound (a big animated plant-creature), but he rolled too low to hit. "Sorry, no," I said. "Your bite is worse than its bark."

- I managed the pacing just right (or, at least, I lucked out with the pacing). Just as it was getting time for Lori to leave and the game to wrap up, I surprised them with an arrow attack and the voice of Viggo (one of the NPCs they were trying to rescue) calling, "Run, Liandra! I can't stop myself!" Others agreed with me that it was just the sort of twist Buffy would have just before a commercial break.

The combats might have been a little low-key, but that's okay. I still feel very pleased with the evening.

Comments

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

One more cool thing: there was a manticore fight. In the first turn, the manticore got a truly excellent volley of spikes; two misses, two hits, and two critical hits. But then the PCs did their assorted violence to it, and on its next turn, it had only two hit points.

I declared that it was losing control of its flight, and had it dive/crash into Prolix--but Turok got an attack of opportunity on it as it plummeted down, and managed to eviscerate it as it was crashing in.

It was a moment that would have been good in an action movie.

[mrpeck.livejournal.com]

I was amused to see that the attack on Tasha was the one that it failed on. Good dogs are hard to come by in a city full of freaks. :)

[cellio]

It was a moment that would have been good in an action movie.

Sure would have! That was fun.