Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for March 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), and Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Claiming The Falling Star and Setting a New Course

With Boris Steelbeard dead and his ship secured, the party returned to Greela, where they liquidated their plunder and made major investments in their new vessel. The team officially claimed The Falling Star as their own, debating renaming it The Shooting Star. A heated discussion followed over whether to sell The Perry or press it into service as a merchant vessel. Ultimately, they decided to keep The Perry running trade routes, investing 10,000 gold into outfitting it for commercial operations.

With an impressive 177,000 gold remaining, the party outfitted The Shooting Star for both combat and cargo transport, securing siege weapons, hiring marines, and adjusting its configuration for future battles. Among their purchases:

• A heavy catapult installed on a 360° turret on the stern
• Two ballistae left in place on the forecastle (one magical)
• Giff (hippo-folk) siege engineers hired to operate weapons
• A new crow’s nest installed for enhanced lookout capabilities
• Discussions on adding more firepower but balancing maneuverability and cargo space

Meanwhile, Hwrulf found that Boris had an active bounty in Greela. Turning in his severed head earned the party an additional 5,000 gold—a fitting final reward from their battle with the pirate.

A Stowaway Surfaces – Vinnie “Freaking” Getz

While transferring supplies, the crew was startled when a crate burst open, revealing a curly-haired, fast-talking scoundrel—Vinnie “Freaking” Getz!

Vinnie, a former guild thief and informant, had stowed away aboard the party’s ship after they freed him from Ikor’s dungeon. Claiming he had nowhere else to go (and that various crime lords wanted his head in a sack), he declared himself a valuable asset to the group, offering his connections, black-market expertise, and cooking skills.

After a barrage of suspicions, threats, and half-hearted intimidation attempts, the party reluctantly agreed to let Vinnie stay aboard—for now.

A Mysterious Puzzle Chest

Three days into their journey toward Oerth, the crew recovered a drifting metallic chest, which slammed into the deck with a resounding crash. The chest was locked by an intricate dwarven cipher, featuring:

• Three sliding rows of symbols
• A cryptic dwarven inscription that hinted at aligning virtues:
  • To the daring, fortune.
  • To the wise, truth.
  • To the resolute, power.

On the back of the chest, the symbols were listed alongside short descriptive clues, providing the key to unlocking the puzzle.

Deciphering the Code

The team worked through multiple attempts, theorizing that the solution required matching virtues to the correct symbols. Every failed attempt reset the sliders and changed the riddle, forcing them to think fast.

⚠️ After three failed attempts, the chest armed itself!

Through clever deduction, they realized that their assumptions were off—the riddle wasn’t static. Each new version demanded a different answer. With one final chance before detonation, they carefully selected:

🗡️ Sword (Conqueror / Dominance)
🌙 Moon (Secretive / Control)
⛓️ Chain (United / Security)

As the final slider clicked into place, the chest shuddered, then unlocked with a satisfying clunk!

What lay inside? A magical dwarven item, a moltenheart helm, granting the wearer resistance to cold!  It was claimed by Hwrulf as the team continued on their journey!

Game summary for March 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), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), 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 Showdown with Boris Steelbeard!

The battle aboard The Falling Star reached its peak as Boris “The Butcher” Steelbeard emerged from belowdecks, axes chained to his bracers clanking ominously. His platinum beard was slick with sweat and blood, his eyes filled with rage as he cursed the adventurers for ruining his operations.

Though Boris was not the most dangerous foe the party had faced—the tiefling abjurer still held that grim honor after slaying Callum the previous session—he proved to be the most formidable melee combatant they had engaged on board. His whirling axes struck with terrifying speed, and despite the overwhelming opposition, he fought with the fury of a cornered beast.

One by one, his crew fell before the party’s relentless assault, leaving the pirate captain to stand alone.

The Flow of Battle

🔥 Boris Steelbeard stormed across the deck, his twin chained axes spinning in deadly arcs. His first target? Komorebi.

🎭 Komorebi, relying on his mirror images for protection, watched as Boris tore through the illusions before finally striking true. A vicious axe swing slashed into him, spraying blood across the deck as Boris grinned through the carnage.

🎶 Not to be deterred, Komorebi retaliated with a shadow conjuration, forming a spiked pit beneath Boris and one of his henchmen. While Boris resisted its illusory effects, a toxic boogin was not so fortunate—he tumbled into the pit, screaming as the spectral spikes impaled him.

⚡ Callum, barely recovered from previous wounds, spun in the crow’s nest and unleashed empowered scorching rays at Boris. The blazing bolts hammered into the dwarf, heating his armor red-hot and searing his flesh, causing him to roar in agony. This attack turned Boris from untouched to heavily wounded, proving that firepower would be needed to bring the pirate down.

🦊 Finch, still weakened from poison, focused on control, tripping a nearby boogin and ensuring that Helg’s spiritual weapon could finish the job.

🐝 Snagyndar landed a crushing axe-hammer blow before following up with a devastating kick from his magical boots, sending a goblin reeling.

🐊 Hekera, now towering over the battlefield after drinking his enlarge person potion, became a juggernaut. His massive greatsword carved through Boris’s allies, shattering their defenses.

🔥 Hwrulf, no longer burning but still lost in his battle rage, carved through what remained of Boris’s crew, reveling in the destruction.

🛡️ Helg channeled divine power, healing the party and keeping them in the fight, while his spiritual weapon continued cutting through fallen foes.

🏹 Notch, despite still feeling the effects of poison, unleashed a deadly bane arrow at Boris. The first shot shattered harmlessly against Boris’ thick armor, but the second found its mark, punching through a chink in his plate and drawing a furious growl from the pirate lord.

🗡️ Boris fought with reckless abandon, his chained axes whirling in every direction. Even outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and badly injured, he refused to surrender.

The Final Blow – The Butcher Falls

As Boris reeled from the fire, arrows, and sword strikes, Hekera stepped forward, his greatsword gleaming in the dim light of wildspace. With a mighty swing, the massive blade cleaved through Boris’ defenses and took the pirate captain’s head clean off, sending it tumbling across the deck.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then, with a sickening thud, Boris’s headless corpse collapsed, blood pooling at his feet.

The largest challenge of the battle was over.  Quickly the team mopped up the rest of the pirates.

The Arcane Trap – A Race Against Time!

The moment the last pirate’s body hit the deck, a wave of red-hot arcane sigils erupted across the ship, glowing with power. These sigils spread like wildfire, searing themselves into the very wood of the vessel. Within seconds, the adventurers realized what was about to happen—these runes were primed to detonate the ship’s entire powder magazine!

The party raced to decipher the symbols, trying to shut down the arcane bomb before the entire ship—and likely The Perry moored nearby—was reduced to splinters.

But the danger didn’t stop there.

🔥 A few seconds after activation, an elder fire elemental erupted from the runes, its roaring, infernal form looming over the battlefield! The creature lashed out immediately, attempting to ignite the ship in a final act of destruction.

Each member of the party was forced to make a split-second decision—disable the runes or battle the elemental.

⚡ Callum, Helg, and Komorebi focused on unraveling the enchantments, working furiously to shut down the magic before it reached critical mass.

🗡️ Hekera, Snagy, Notch, and Hwrulf, engaged the elemental, doing their best to hold it back before it could reduce the ship to cinders.

The fight against the elemental was brutal, with flames lashing out in all directions, but through a combination of raw power and divine magic, the creature was finally vanquished.

🔥 From the shadows, Finch came forward and successfully disabled the last of the runes, stopping the detonation just before it was too late.

As the runes faded, and the elemental’s form crumbled into harmless embers, the crew finally took a breath.

The Aftermath – What Comes Next?

The party now stands victorious aboard The Falling Star, having slain Boris Steelbeard, his lieutenants, and prevented the ship from being destroyed.

They searched the ship and found several documents with intriguing leads and clues about the Witchlight Marauders, mysterious militant orcs, and the possibility of joining Xenotermination, Ltd.!

But what now?

🚀 Will they claim The Falling Star for themselves, or will they strip it for parts?
⚓ What treasures or secrets still lie within its hull?
💀 And has Boris’ death truly severed his influence, or will his past sins come back to haunt them?

Find out next time in Chronoshift: Spelljammer!

Game summary for March 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), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), 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 Battle for The Falling Star – A Hard-Fought Engagement!

The chaotic battle aboard The Falling Star reached its climax as the adventurers pushed through arcane defenses, freezing fog, and relentless pirate attacks. With a tiefling spellcaster and its beholderkin ally standing in their way, the fight became a brutal test of skill, resilience, and sheer willpower.

Despite the tiefling’s powerful wards, retaliatory magic, and quickened spells, and the beholderkin’s disruptive eye rays, the party pressed forward with relentless determination. By the end of the night, both powerful foes lay slain—but not without near-disastrous consequences.

The Flow of Battle

The tiefling spellcaster moved into position, hurling quickened magic missiles while its robe of retaliation lashed out at attackers. As the melee unfolded, the battlefield was suddenly engulfed in thick, freezing fog, making movement treacherous and reducing visibility to a near standstill.

🎭 Komorebi acted swiftly, first casting silence, forcing the tiefling to reposition away from its original vantage point. Moments later, he followed up with dispel magic, successfully banishing the freezing fog and clearing the battlefield, allowing his allies to push forward with renewed momentum​.

⚡ Callum, seeing an opportunity from his perch in the crow’s nest, unleashed a devastating Dalamar’s lightning lance against the tiefling. However, the abjurer’s protective ward triggered, reflecting the lightning back at him. The full force of his own spell struck him, instantly killing him where he stood.

For a brief moment, it seemed the party had lost their arcane powerhouse—but his pre-cast contingency of breath of life activated just in time, bringing him back from the brink of death. Though shaken, Callum remained in the fight​.

🐝 Snagyndar and Stingy executed a devastating charge, with Snagy’s lance striking the tiefling hard, piercing through its defenses. However, goblins swarmed Stingy, slashing wildly, and with a final strike, the giant wasp was banished back to the Astral Plane, sending Snagy crashing onto the deck of the forecastle​.

🏹 Notch activated his super leaf, hoping to gain a better vantage point, but with the cold fog impeding movement, he remained on the sterncastle. Only after Komorebi dismissed the spell could Notch line up the perfect shot and release a precise volley of arrows, the final strike piercing the tiefling’s defenses and bringing it down for good​.

With the tiefling slain, its beholderkin companion retaliated viciously, turning its eyestalks upon the party. Seeing Callum weakened but still standing, the aberration unleashed a ray of frost, striking him along with a final quickened magic missile from the tiefling before it fell. The combined assault dropped Callum once more, leaving him unconscious and dying​.

Before the beholderkin could press its attack further, Helg, the Valhallan cleric, invoked divine wrath—his flame strike scorched multiple boogins, and his spiritual weapon cut down foes with relentless efficiency. His spiritual weapon then turned on the beholderkin, carving into its floating body and striking it dead before it could unleash further devastation​.

🔥 Hwrulf, still ablaze but unbothered due to his amulet, continued his rampage, cutting down enemy after enemy as if the fire surrounding him only fueled his fury​.

⚔️ Hekera, relentless as ever, pushed through what remained of the boogins, cutting them down and keeping the enemy forces from regrouping​.

⚔️ Finch, struggling with poison coursing through his veins, abandoned his bow and swung into battle on a rope, his scythe cutting into foes as he tripped them left and right, despite his weakened state​.

As the final blows were struck, Helg channeled positive energy, healing the party and bringing Callum back to consciousness once more. While the cleric mended wounds, Hekera consumed a potion of enlarge person, preparing for whatever lay ahead​.

The Aftermath – Boris Steelbeard Emerges

With the tiefling and its beholderkin finally slain, the battle had shifted in the party’s favor. However, just as the adventurers began to catch their breath, a new threat emerged from the ship’s depths.

A brawny dwarf, his arms wrapped in thick chains connected to twin battle axes, strode onto the deck. His eyes burned with fury, his weapons clanking ominously against the metal links as he sized up the party.

Boris Steelbeard had arrived.

🔥 Will the party survive a direct battle with the pirate lord?
⚔️ What secrets does The Falling Star still hold?
🚀 Is the end of the battle near, or is the true fight only just beginning?

Find out next time in Chronoshift: Spelljammer!

Game summary for March 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), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), 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 Battle for The Falling Star Rages On!

The fight against Boris “the Butcher” Steelbeard’s pirate crew aboard The Falling Star continued with no sign of slowing down. The party pressed the attack, cutting through enemy forces, though the tide of battle constantly shifted as fresh dangers emerged. With fire, steel, and magic, the adventurers fought to seize control of the enemy vessel, knowing that Boris himself had yet to appear.

Heroic Feats and Tactical Mastery

🎭 Komorebi’s Frightful Performance: The kitsune bard was a terror to his enemies, unleashing blistering invective paired with Improved Dirge of Doom, which sent waves of panic rippling through the enemy ranks. With many foes cowering in fear, their effectiveness in battle plummeted. To protect himself from counterattacks, Komorebi also warded himself with mirror image, ensuring he was difficult to strike.

⚔️ Finch’s Agile Evasion & Counterattack: Early in the battle, Finch was caught on the stairs and brutally wounded by the orog quartermaster, forcing him into a tactical retreat. Thinking quickly, he used the ship’s rigging to swing across the deck and scampered up the mast to the crow’s nest, where he repositioned and unleashed volleys of arrows upon the battlefield.

🛡️ Snagyndar’s Impenetrable Defense: The war master’s heavy armor proved its worth, as several foes attempted to surround him but struggled to land solid blows. His superior positioning and ability to command the flow of combat ensured his allies could push forward.

🏹 Notch’s Reign from the Sterncastle: From a commanding position atop the sterncastle, Notch delivered devastating barrages of arrows, striking down enemies before they could close the distance. His pinpoint accuracy continued to thin the enemy ranks with deadly efficiency.

💧Helg’s Bolstering Energy: The powerful aasimar cleric proved his worth throughout the battle by channeling massive amounts of positive energy to heal his allies and bolster their defenses. His earlier blade barrier continued to pin down some foes, and his spiritual weapon laid out a foe.

🔥 Callum’s Arcane Onslaught: The human sorcerer unleashed a relentless barrage of cold-based evocation spells, including multiple fireballs and a fire snake, sweeping through clusters of enemies with frigid devastation. Toward the end of the session, he teleported himself into the opposite crow’s nest with dimension door, ensuring a superior vantage point for the battle’s climax.

⚒️ Hekera’s Unstoppable Advance: The sebek-ka fighter was a one-man wrecking crew, cutting a path through Boris’ rank-and-file pirates with brutal precision. Though no singular foe stood against him for long, his sheer battlefield presence helped turn the tide.

🔥 Hwrulf’s Flaming Rampage: Still wreathed in flames from previous attacks but unbothered due to his magical amulet, the barbarian rampaged across the deck, delivering unrelenting attacks. He moved between pockets of enemy resistance, cutting down foes wherever he found them.

A New Threat Emerges…

As the party pushed through the enemy ranks, their momentum was suddenly halted by a new wave of pirates swarming onto the deck. But these were no ordinary reinforcements.

Stepping forward with crackling arcane energy swirling around them, a tiefling spellcaster emerged from the chaos, their fiery eyes burning with malice. Floating at their side was a small, beholder-like aberration, its four twitching eyestalks scanning the battlefield hungrily.

⚡ Arcane power surged in the air, promising a deadly new phase of battle.

The Cliffhanger Ending

Despite the significant ground gained, The Falling Star was far from secured. Boris Steelbeard himself had yet to emerge, and with powerful spellcasters now entering the fray, the party’s fight had only just begun.

🔥 Will the crew of The Perry finally bring Boris to battle?
🧙 What deadly magic will the tiefling and their aberrant companion unleash?
🚀 Can the party hold their ground against this fresh wave of enemies?

Find out next time in Chronoshift: Spelljammer!