Posted by Aaronhd  3/28/2014 2:02 pm | #1 |
Hi all: Well quite a few of our current Pathfinder group did not show. Making it a perfect time to start an AS&SH game, and my inspiration came from a R.E.H. tale. The two guys present rolled up a Ranger, a Fighter, and I made a Beserker. To get true "over the top" fantasy heros they rolled 6D6 7 times, dropped the 3 lowest dice and used the extra roll to drop the lowest roll if higher. This gave each party member at least one 18 with the lowest roll about 14. They were members of an ambushed raiding party and had fled from overwhelming odds only to be hunted by a wolf pack. When we started they had lost two companions and had lost all but 2 daggers each. Moving through thigh high snow they made their way into the foothills, and there just before last light they found an old barrow tomb, the door partly blocked by fallen stone. Climbing in they found a corridor leading into the mound lined with wood panels that they used to start a fire just within the entrance. Not long after they got the fire going one of the wolves jumped the barrier landing partly in the fire and we quickly dispatched it. My berserker picked the body up and tossed it back outside earning the displeasure of the party who wanted to cook and eat it. But redeamed himself soon after by dispatching another one. By this time the fire was going well and they could see more of their surroundings. That's when they noticed that the panneling had glyphs on it. More to follow in a bit... Aaron
Last edited by Aaronhd (3/29/2014 8:16 pm)
|
Posted by Handy Haversack 3/28/2014 2:06 pm | #2 |
Excellent.
You should think about copying this post over to the Campaign board. That seems to be where stories from everyone's games are going, while this one is talk about published adventures. But I'm not a moderator. I just come here for the awesome.
|
Posted by Aaronhd 3/28/2014 5:01 pm | #3 |
Hi: I looked there first but I was uncertain if it belonged there or here. I'll let a Moderator decide as I was going to finish the story today. I have arthritis and I two finger type in short bursts so when someone decides I'll finish it there.
Aaron
|
Posted by Aaronhd 3/28/2014 10:09 pm | #4 |
Hi All: Part 2
No member of the party could read the glyphs but the story was accompanied by pictographs, and seemed to be the story of a great king and his deeds. Feeling the need to go deeper into the barrow mound the party tore more paneling from the walls both to build up the fire and to use as torches. they ventured down a sloping corridor approximately thirty feet where they found a passage to both the right and left. Deciding right they found a corridor with several burial chambers. the fighter and berserker checked out the first one where they found a bier and on it a helmet, a medium shield, and a long sword in it's scabbard. About then the ranger told them that more wolves had made their way in and were almost upon them. The fighter grabbed shield and longsword while my berserker did the same from the next bier and hurried to face the wolves telling the ranger to arm himself as well. after a short battle we dispatched the wolves and marveled at our new weapons, helms and shields. They seemed to be of a higher quality then we were accustomed to though plain in appearance. After thanking the spirits of the dead warriors a braver party explored the rest of the corridor finding two more biers with similar equpiment and that the passage ended just after that. More to follow in a bit... Aaron
Last edited by Aaronhd (3/31/2014 8:06 pm)
|
Posted by Aaronhd 3/28/2014 10:55 pm | #5 |
Hi All: Part 3
Returning to the main corridor we went to check our fire and toss our half burnt torches into the fire while we lit new ones to continue our explorations. Moving back down the corridor this time turning left we discovered three biers and marveled this time at armor and weapons so fine their owners must have been kings of old. Our fighter coveted a matched set with a cave bear Helm, snarling bear on shield, bear head on long sword hilt and a long spear with bear motif. The ranger went for the same with a great cat, and my berserker for a set with a Boar motif. Abandoning the best equipment that we had ever seen and held just minutes before, we viewed our new equipment with bemused amazement. Kings bedamned they must have been Gods who used these. I think this tale could have ended here, that we could have walked out and made our way back to the lands we know and none could have hindered us in our going. But, More to follow in a bit... Aaron
|
Posted by Aaronhd 3/29/2014 7:45 am | #6 |
Hi All: Part 4
Greed is bad, we should all have this tattooed across our foreheads. Of course we went to the end of the corridor. Of course we found the catch that opened the door to the high kings chamber and muscled the heavy slab open. There we found the king laid out like the others and two small chests on the chamber floor. If our armor was that of gods, then this was the armor of the king of gods. While the berserker watched the door, the fighter forced the first chest open to find a gold goblet encrusted with jewels. While he did that the ranger picked up the helm, and ghostly warriors filled the corridor. Trembling with dread we met them just inside the doorway where they could come at us but two at a time. More to follow in a bit... Aaron
Last edited by Aaronhd (3/29/2014 11:30 am)
|
Posted by Aaronhd 3/29/2014 11:24 am | #7 |
Hi All: Part 5
Our newly aquired weapons must have been enspelled at their making for our parries turned their blows and our strikes disrupted them into tatters of dissipating mist. Falling back a pace so that all of us could front them, we settled to the grim task at hand. Through skill and luck (thank the goddess) we dispatched the last ghost. And the king struck, my berserker felt a blade thrust into his shoulder and a numbing cold spread from it. The party turned to face this new threat and in a battle lasting nearly an hour managed to bring it low. The spirit disipated into the flagstones with an anguished Noooooo, and we turned to look at our booty as the armor and weapons of the king turned to rust. That which we had taken remained whole much to our relief. We bandaged each others wounds then retreated for new torches. Returning to the kings crypt the fighter forced open the other chest where we found a war banner enwrapping a ruby of immense size. After a knowledge roll by the party my berserker remembered an old tale about The Eye Of Abbitor a cursed gem stolen from a temple long ago. Whosoever touches the gem shall die a horrible death and the priests search for it always. (I do love giving my parties large treasures they can't spend). Choosing to make camp here until their wounds mend thus ends our tale... for now... Aaron
Last edited by Aaronhd (3/29/2014 11:35 am)
|
Posted by Aaronhd 3/29/2014 11:47 am | #8 |
A Note: For years I have used a parrie system that I like. Everyone and thing gets parries, when I roll the attackers roll I ask the attacked to roll a D20 and add their defence bonus if it is 5 points or more higher then the attack roll they parrie it (Monsters just get a parrie (attack roll) and if it is 5 points higher it is deflected) Thus giving the players a small advantage over the monsters, as in this adventure they could have died many times over especially against the kings megaghost.... Aaron
Last edited by Aaronhd (3/29/2014 5:47 pm)
|
Posted by Handy Haversack 3/29/2014 12:20 pm | #9 |
Great stuff! I had a really bad feeling there for a while. From rags to riches, eh?
