Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for February 25, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Battle Rages Aboard The Falling Star

The void above Greela erupted into a brutal melee as the party clashed with Boris “the Butcher” Steelbeard’s ambush forces aboard his vessel, The Falling Star. What began as a desperate defense of their own ship, The Perry, quickly turned into a full-scale boarding action, with the adventurers taking the fight directly to their foes.

Despite overwhelming numbers, the party fought with precision and relentless fury, systematically cutting down goblins, boogins (the savage half-quaggoth, half-orc warriors), and other threats. Though the initial wave had nearly been defeated, the battle was far from over.

Heroic Moments and Tactical Triumphs

🔥 Snagyndar “Snagy” Blackthorn – The War Master rode into battle atop his giant wasp mount, Stingy, using its mobility to dominate the battlefield. His deadly lance struck with ruthless efficiency, felling several foes in rapid succession. His superior positioning on Stingy gave him command over the battle space, keeping enemies constantly on the defensive.

💧 Helg Ingvar – With multiple fires raging aboard The Perry, the aasimar cleric called upon his divine magic, using create water to douse flames before they could spread. This quick thinking prevented the ship from being lost to fire and gave the party the breathing room needed to press the attack. His blade barrier spell from earlier in the fight neutralized two goblins entirely.

❄️ Callum Spellhardt – The sorcerer, ever the master of arcane destruction, adapted to the chaos by converting his evocation spells into cold damage. He unleashed arctic blasts upon his foes, freezing enemies in place and cutting through their defenses with waves of bitter frost.

⚔️ Finch Bloodrain – The half-hobgoblin slayer was a whirlwind of destruction, expertly tripping foes with surgical strikes of his scythe. Every time an enemy hit the deck, they were immediately met with a merciless, bone-crushing follow-up. His control of the battlefield helped keep the enemy forces from swarming the party.

🏹 Notch Bowman – With a commanding vantage point aboard The Perry, Notch rained arrows down upon the enemy ship, thinning the ranks before he swung across onto The Falling Star to continue the fight up close. His precision strikes weakened key foes, allowing his allies to press forward.

🪝 Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka – The sebek-ka fighter secured a grappling hook and swung aboard The Falling Star, landing in the thick of combat. Immediately, he was forced into a brutal one-on-one duel with a Boogin manhunter, a highly mobile and vicious opponent. The clash of blades and brute strength between the two warriors made for a vicious brawl.

🔥 Hwrulf’s Charge and the Chaos That Followed
Hwrulf got aboard the Falling Star after bobbing dangerously in the gravity plane between the ships. Once aboard, the barbarian’s sword proved deadly. Though the fire aboard The Perry had been extinguished, Hwrulf’s battle rage drove him forward recklessly, and he charged down into the interior of The Falling Star without hesitation. Throwing open a door, he was met with a vicious volley of poisoned crossbow discs—whirling blades that cut through the air with deadly precision.

To make matters worse, vials of alchemist’s fire smashed against him, igniting him in a furious blaze. However, his lava glass amulet absorbed much of the fire, sparing him for now—but the flames still raged on his person, threatening to ignite the enemy ship itself.

With the door thrown open, Boris’ reinforcements surged out, eliminating any chance for the party to regroup or recover. The battle was only escalating.

What Comes Next?

• With most of the party now aboard The Falling Star, there is no turning back.
• Can Hwrulf contain the fire before the ship becomes a blazing deathtrap?
• What else lies waiting within the bowels of The Falling Star?
• And most importantly—where is Boris? Will the Butcher finally reveal himself?

The battle is far from over. Stay tuned for next session’s thrilling continuation of Chronoshift: Spelljammer!

Game summary for February 18, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

“Ambush at Greela – The Battle Against Boris Steelbeard”

Setting the Scene

The party had just departed Greela in Greyspace, aiming for Realmspace, when they were ambushed by their old enemy, Boris “The Butcher” Steelbeard. His Falling Star intercepted their vessel, The Perry, initiating a ship-to-ship battle in the depths of Wildspace.

This fight was not a chance encounter—Boris had clearly been waiting for them, likely tracking their movements or anticipating their route. The Perry was caught in a tactical disadvantage at the start, forcing the crew into a desperate defense.

The Battle Unfolds – Key Moments

The first half of the battle played out as follows:

1. Opening Salvo – The Perry Takes Fire
   • The Falling Star opened hostilities with a devastating first strike, catching The Perry off guard.
   • The ambush, put immediate pressure on the crew to react.
   • Players scrambled to assess damage, man defensive positions, and prepare countermeasures.
2. Boarding Attempt & Melee Combat Begins
   • Enemy boarders from The Falling Star made an attempt to breach The Perry’s deck.
   • The party engaged in both ranged and melee combat, working to repel the first wave of attackers.
   • Players positioned themselves strategically, ensuring key spellcasters and ranged attackers had cover, while melee fighters held the line at critical choke points.
3. Mid-Battle Status – Cliffhanger
   • The session ended mid-combat, with both ships still engaged and boarders still fighting on deck.
   • The next session will begin in the heat of battle, with players needing to finalize their counteroffensive strategy against Boris and his crew.

Session Discussion & Recap of Previous Campaign Events

Outside of the immediate battle, the session included:

• Player discussions about Wildspace geography, focusing on the Radiant Triangle (Greyspace, Realmspace, Krynnspace) and their relative ease of travel.
• Recap of past adventures, including:
  • The party’s dealings with the Elven Ambassador on Bral.
  • A trial involving Neko, a past party member, for arson in Bral.
  • Adventures in Waterdeep’s Undermountain, which involved a mission to rescue tressyms (winged cats).
  • Their connection with Large Luigi, the beholder bartender at the Laughing Beholder Tavern, and their current mission to help Daiyu’s brother, Daisuke.

Looking Ahead – What’s Next?

With the battle still unresolved, the next session promises:

• The continuation of ship combat and boarding skirmishes.
• More direct confrontation with Boris Steelbeard—possibly a duel or decisive clash.
• Critical ship damage and resource management as the fight drags on.

The fight is far from over, and the crew of The Perry will need to act fast to turn the tide before Boris lands a decisive blow.

Game summary for February 11, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party sought to liberate Daisuke Kimora from the formidable Granite Mountain Prison on Ginsel. The night was filled with tense planning, reckless magic, and a daring escape. Here’s what went down:

Reconnaissance and Planning

The session kicked off with the team finalizing their prison break strategy. They had already gathered key intelligence on the prison’s security, including the forbiddance wards, the bronze construct that managed food distribution, and the guard rotation schedules. Their previous efforts had uncovered that the prison’s assistant warden, Nero Falconis, was somehow responsible for the strange construct delivering meals. This knowledge significantly complicated any smuggling attempts.

The group decided they needed to be able to leave at a moment’s notice, so they talked to Flick.  Or was it Rick?  Maybe Nick?  …the gnomes were sent to buy cargo for the hold and get The Perry ready to ship out.  The team also went to the temple and got their contingent spells applied. 

Seeking alternative entry points, Hwrulf took an audacious approach—paying a wizard to polymorph him into a hawk so he could scout the hidden ventilation system concealed by an illusion. His aerial reconnaissance confirmed the vents existed, but it wasn’t clear if they were large enough for human-sized infiltration.

The Reckless Wish

Frustration mounted as the group debated their options, struggling to find a foolproof way inside. But then, in true chaotic fashion, Hwrulf decided he was done waiting. Without consulting the rest of the party, he uttered a wish, hoping to bypass all obstacles:

“I wish that Daisuke Kimura would be brought here to us alive.”

The group could only hold their breath as reality bent to accommodate the wish.

The Guild’s Answer

As the night stretched on, a group of rogues unexpectedly arrived, agents of Ikor—the underworld boss the party had previously negotiated with. These thieves had successfully broken Daisuke out of Granite Mountain Prison and, as per Hwrulf’s wish, delivered him alive. They knew the party wanted Daisuke free and figured they could better themselves by aligning with the Subterranean Conquest Crew.

The side effects of such a wish, however, became apparent almost immediately.

The Escape to Greela

No sooner had Daisuke been delivered than the alarms of the prison break began to sound across the city. Guards were mobilizing, and soon pursuit ships would be dispatched to hunt down the escapees. Realizing that remaining on Ginsel would be extremely unwise, the party quickly made their way to The Perry and launched into Wildspace before reinforcements could catch up.

With the prison on high alert and their enemies likely to investigate how the breakout happened, the team had only one option: flee to safety. They made a desperate, high-speed escape toward Greela, where they could regroup and decide their next move.

Once at Greela, they hired a merchant to take Daisuke and the three rogues to Realmspace and the Rock of Bral.  The rogues would provide protection for Daisuke and then work as the SCC’s representation with Ozamata Ku Murawa.  With that business arranged, and Ozamata and Daiyu informed of the situation via magical sending, the team decided they wanted to set sail the other direction and head toward Krynnspace! 

Game summary for February 4, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team continued their daring preparations for a prison break within the formidable Granite Mountain Prison. Armed with new intelligence and a fresh scheme, the party maneuvered through the shadows of Tarvin’s underworld, seeking allies, resources, and ways to circumvent the many obstacles ahead.

Gaining an Inside Man

The session kicked off with the group consolidating their knowledge of the prison’s defenses, thanks to a previous conversation with Eldran Tallowmere, a former Spellward Marshal. His insights into the prison’s magical wards had already given them an edge, but their plan still lacked a crucial piece: someone on the inside.

To that end, they turned to the infamous Ikor Killfury, a well-connected fixer within Tarvin’s Thieves’ Guild. Meeting him in a dimly lit, smoky chamber thick with the scent of pipe smoke and treachery, they put forth their request—finding a guard who could be turned.

Ikor delivered.

He had located Garran Velt, a low-ranking prison guard with significant personal baggage. Garran had a gambling problem and a secret love affair with a woman named Lessa—either of which could be exploited to ensure his absence from work on the day of the infiltration. However, Ikor warned that he was only able to secure one such weak link, meaning the crew would need another method for smuggling aid to their imprisoned ally.

A Late-Night Visit to Garran’s Home

Armed with this information, the party decided to pay Garran Velt a personal visit. The group located his modest apartment in the lower districts of Tarvin—a cluttered and dimly lit space that smelled of cheap ale and stale regret.

Velt’s wife, Mara, was clearly caught off guard, eyes widening as she fumbled to close the door behind her, glancing nervously toward the hallway as the party filed in. Hwrulf, after running Garran down and bringing him back, and Helg took the lead in pressing him for cooperation, dropping veiled (and not-so-veiled) threats about his gambling debts and how easily his affair with Lessa could become public knowledge.

At first, Garran protested, insisting that he couldn’t risk crossing the prison’s administration. But as the group tightened the screws, it became clear that he was already on the edge—his financial ruin and personal indiscretions left him little choice.

• Snagyndar Blackthorn played the role of the cold enforcer, standing menacingly near the door as the others laid out his predicament.
• Hwrulf punctuated the discussion by idly cracking his knuckles, making sure Garran understood the gravity of his situation.
• Helg Ingvar offered a twisted version of encouragement, reassuring Garran that skipping his shift wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to him—so long as he cooperated.

In the end, Velt caved. He agreed to “come down with a sudden illness” on the next guard rotation, ensuring that his post would be vacant. However, he made it clear that if this came back to bite him, he’d be looking for someone to blame.

With their inside man secured, the crew had one piece of their plan in place. Now, they just needed to figure out how to deal with the mysterious bronze construct patrolling the prison’s upper ring…

The Construct Problem

Ikor’s next revelation threw a wrench into their smuggling plans: the guards no longer handled prisoner food deliveries. Instead, a bronze construct had been tasked with the job. This meant their initial plan of bribing a guard to sneak in supplies was now off the table. If they wanted to get a message or tool to Daisuke, their captured comrade, they would need to find a way to either bypass or manipulate this mysterious automaton.

This led to a deep discussion among the group. Theories ranged from the construct being a standard golem to something more exotic. A Knowledge (arcana) check yielded some basic insights—constructs often had strict programming, and some could be controlled or deactivated under the right circumstances. If they could learn more about this particular model, they might be able to disable or manipulate it.

A few ideas emerged:

• Identifying the construct’s creator – Perhaps the prison’s Spellward Marshal, Thorne Ironward, had information about its construction.
• Finding its control mechanism – If the construct had a master override, it could be hijacked or shut down.
• Studying its patrol pattern – Learning when and how it operated might present an opportunity for sabotage.

One thing was certain—ignoring the construct was not an option.

A Dangerous Game

With these two major pieces of information in hand, the party debated their next steps. Their current options included:

1. Pressuring Garran Velt – They could use his gambling debts or illicit affair to blackmail or bribe him into skipping his next shift.
2. Researching the bronze construct – Figuring out its creator, limitations, and potential vulnerabilities would be crucial to gaining access to their contact inside.
3. Gathering prison intelligence – Learning more about patrol schedules, blind spots, and potential allies within the facility would increase their chances of success.

Then, they had the realization they might be able to bargain with their efreet contact, Amir Mahmout.  The genie should be able to grant a wish, and perhaps he could use that magic to get Daisuke free.  Helg cast a sending spell to contact the genie who came to meet them on The Perry.  In an exchange for an undisclosed favor at a later time, Mahmout is willing to grant a wish…

The session ended with the crew considering their approach carefully, knowing that any misstep in their prison infiltration could turn deadly. With time ticking down before the next guard rotation, their window of opportunity was closing fast.