Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for September 26, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

 The team rested and nursed their wounds before continuing on.  They then came across a forest-covered island and an obvious scene of an aarakocra having been slain and eaten.  They debarked the ship and investigated the scene.  An aarakocra had been killed and devoured.  They found tracks from multiple draconic creatures and a leonine creature all heading back into the woods.  They followed and were soon beset upon by a forest drake, a hieracosphinxicore, and two sky blue draco-wyverns!

 Neko cast fireball and hit a tree enroute, causing it to explode early and badly burn two of his fellow party members and also knocked down the tree!  Jiraiya went tumbling through provoking attacks and counterstriking with his flayer flail while croaking.  Edonna cast powerful spell-up spells throughout the fight, such as haste and recitation, much to the team’s delight!  The forest drake spit an acid sphere that formed an obscuring cloud in the middle of the battlefield.  It then used its speed surge ability to dart around the battlefield and put pressure on the back line.  The hieracosphinxicore hurled its tail spikes at Khesen, but he was able to deflect one per round, which helped protect him from the full brunt of the attacks.  The draco-wyverns unleashed their frigid shocking breath weapons to great effect!

 Jiraiya, Khesen, and Hekera used flanking maneuvers to allow Jiraiya to use dirty fighting.  One draco-wyvern grappled Hekera, but the fearsome warrior bit the creature to death with his crocodilian maw!  Khesen went toe-to-toe with the hieracosphinxicore and attempted to knock it out.  He failed to render it unconscious, but finally he just beat it to death. 

 Neko cast a horrifically effective mind thrust on the forest drake causing it to flee in terror for its life.  Edonna protected herself with a blessed mantle, and Jiraiya tried to confuse a foe with his flayer flail.  Having driven off the drake and killed the hieracosphinxicore, the draco-wyverns posed little further threat from the combined focus of attacks and were defeated.

 The team examined the battlefield and found evidence something had been dragged further into the woods by more draconians.  They found a silver piece and a couple of gold coins along the trail as if someone’s pouch had ripped and was spilling out. 

Game summary for September 19, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Helg channeled positive energy to heal the team.  A few minutes later, they sailed into a cloudbank, and a flock of foes flew out.  Sky blue half-dragon pteranodons raked the ship overlapping breath weapons.  Freezing arching electricity washed over the team and crew.  Helg’s celestial heritage saved him from the worst of the effects, and Edonna used invisibility to avoid being seen.  She also made clever uses of prayer and bane spells.  Jiraiya ran up to the team’s newly acquired ballista of piercing and used its volley and lance features to blast numerous opponents.  Neko unleashed an impressive scorching ray, and Komorebi demoralized many enemies with blistering invective.  Khesen and Hekera made great use of their still-ongoing fly potions to take the battle to the monsters.  Komorebi used his wand of magic missiles while Helg cast flame strike.  With an outstanding display of teamwork, the group took down all of their assailants. 

Game summary for September 5, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Edonna decided to try and cast scrying on the dragon and succeeded!  She saw the dragon consuming an aarakocra and roaring at a nearby chimera.  A few moments later, a half-dragon aarakocra approached and kneeled, calling the dragon “Father.”  It mentioned a nearby ship not well guarded by the lizard men, and the dragon told them to gather the troops and take it.  Edonna also caught a glimpse of a flame drake.  Then, the dragon curled up in its ice cave atop a heaping mound of treasure and went to sleep.

A while later, a pair of dirigible octopi floated out of the clouds along with a manticore.  The octopi tried grappling several of the party.  Their tentacles also proved to be electrified.  Meanwhile, the manticore riddled Edonna with electrified spikes forcing her to consume her whisk away admixture to escape the onslaught.  Komo and Neko hit the creatures with spells while Hekera and Khesen consumed potions to allow them to fly.  Neko got thrown overboard, but due to the gravity field around the ship, he bobbed up and down and blasted scorching ray with abandon. 

Hekera and Khesen, now mobile, tore into the creatures while spells continued to flow.  As quickly as it started, the fight was over. 

Game summary for August 29, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team sent Edonna shopping for supplies while they clarified the final details with Ezrelda.  They then went to rent a cage to hold a dragon and found a dwarf near the docks who traffics in large animal imports (mostly for food).  He rented them a massive cage and hauled it to the docks for them while they went and bought chains and two muzzles.  They hooked up their barge to the drakkar vessel they are using.  They decided to see if they could hire the ship’s normal crew for this mission and located them at the Rockrat, the seediest tavern in all of Bral.  At the door, the met Grinder, the ogre doorman.  He “swindled” them out of several copper pieces as a cover charge.  The team was amused at his “cleverness” and paid him even more coppers than he asked, much to his delight.  Inside, they found the place lived up to its reputation.  It was rowdy, bawdy, and appalling.  In one corner, seven men and women were gathered around a table singing a rousing drinking song from the great bard, Blackheart Joan.

It goes good with the hard times and good with the bad times
Good with the fun times and good with the sad times
So always remember when ya done all ya could
That whiskey don’t go bad, whiskey goes good

Komorebi recognized this chorus and joined them in the third verse.  They learned this is the crew they were looking for, a bunch of Vikings and followers of the Revelry pantheon.  The group was well into their liquor.  They introduced themselves as Bella, Ella, Stella, Dorn, Bjorn, Lorne, and Jorn, and to celebrate meeting the party, they drank!  Helg convinced them to hire on as crew for 210 gp for a week, but if they succeed in capturing the dragon they will instead pay 500 gp.  To celebrate their new business arrangement, they drank!  The party joined in.  Alcohol flowed.  Questionable decisions were made.  Jiraiya may have spent the evening with Ella.  Or was it Stella?  Perhaps Bella?  Maybe it was several; memories are fuzzy. 

The next day the team loaded up the ship with their provisions and cage (covering it with a tarp).  Stella (yes, it was Stella, she’s the helmswoman) piloted the ship toward Coliar.  They flew to their rendezvous point with the Donakkis Flock and met with Nylek, a local leader.  He told them what he could of the sky blue dragon, Freylass Icedeath.  The aggressive beast is raiding their trade lanes alongside its half-dragon spawn.  Nylek told them it seems to breed with everything, and Coliar is known to be home to dangerous monsters like chimeras, manticores, sphinxes, drakes, wyverns, and so forth. 

The group headed toward the region Nylek said the dragon haunts.  Along the way they encountered a roc!  The massive bird of prey set off in pursuit of the vessel, and the team scrambled to try and outrun and outmaneuver the monster.  With its size, it was certainly capable of ripping the ship apart.  While fleeing, the group flew through a swarm of wasps!  The party was stung repeatedly, but the wasps were quickly left behind.  Next the group flew into a thundercloud!  Though drenched, and Hekera blasted with lightning, the team was able to emerge from the cloud out of sight of the roc and escape!

Game summary for August 22, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team left Waterdeep and flew back to Bral.  There they met with Lodan from House Eirenfezt and sold the five tressym.  Out on the street they ran into some children who heard rumors of their exploits and asked what they call themselves.  They came up with the SCC, Subterranean Conquest Crew.  They then went to Shou Town and paid to alter and upgrade some armor for Hekera which would be available in a few days.  Helg negotiated a deal to sell a lot of their Undermountain spoils.  Next, they returned to the Laughing Beholder where Daiyu was on stage singing.  They sat down to hear her perform, ordered a meal and Thayan red, and invited the Red Wizard Halava Trent and her bodyguard Nethriss to the table.  They sold her the two best weapons they recovered from Undermountain for four very expensive emeralds. 

Halava and Nethriss left to address other business, and the team settled in to enjoy their meal and fine liquor.  Nearly two hours later, a dazzling woman in black and blue cosmic robes walked in.  Spiked hair ran down the center of her head, and blue tattoos were visible on the shaved sides of her scalp.  Her smiling lips were covered in blue lipstick.  She introduced herself as Ezrelda of the Cobalt Flame, a member of Xenotermination, Ltd.  Komorebi had heard of them, a group of very high-end mercenaries. 

Ezrelda told them they were seeking to subcontract a mission to the planet Coliar on behalf of the Donakkis Flock aarakocra.  The flock wanted Xenotermination, Ltd. to get rid of a rare sky blue dragon terrorizing them.  The mercenaries want to collect on the bounty, but they have upped the ante.  They want the party to not kill but capture the dragon!  They will pay for the dead dragon but more for taking it alive.  Apparently, the dragon is also breeding with native denizens of Coliar, and the team got Ezrelda to agree to pay for any of them captured as well.  For the mission, the Xenos had arranged for them to use a spelljammer-converted drakkar.  The team decided to take the job and immediately began planning how to catch and transport a large dragon.

Game summary for August 8, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group found themselves incredibly impaired by the overlapping silence and spike stone effects.  Khesen went toe-to-toe with one of the giant funnel-web spiders and discovered it was shockingly venomous.  One cildabrin tangled with Hekera while the driders moved up and cast even more hampering spells like grease.  The party slipped and slid around with Neko casting scorching ray and Edonna casting an outstandingly effective voidmote.  Khesen jumped clear of the spikes and was handed a potion of neutralize poison by Komo.  Helg channeled positive energy several times. 

Edonna decided to fall back while the group was suffering from the combined enemy attacks.  Komo fell back with her and tried to dispel the silence effect but failed.  Another fireball washed over the group but combined force from the team started slaying the arachnids.  Slowly the team gained an upper hand and advanced upon the remaining driders.  A few well-placed blows later and the team vanquished the hostiles!  Helg was badly poisoned, and the group gave him numerous potions to try and shake off the venom and live through it.  He was finally able to pull through, and they were able to make it back to the Yawning Portal exit with some loot, their lives, a magical ballista, and five tressym!

Game summary for August 1, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Komo cast dispel magic on the illusion causing the floating hand of Bane and the dwarf to disappear.  Also, the altar appeared somewhat smaller.  Jiraiya walked up and inspected it, finding it to be a heavy black stone with some rusty colored dried substance atop it.  Helg flew around behind and found several levers labeled “Floor” and “Altar.”  The floor lever disabled all the pressure plates and harpoons!  The altar lever opened a secret compartment revealing a black metal mace detecting of evocation magic!  The team then searched the room and found a secret door in the corner where their map indicated they needed to still go despite the obstructing wall.  Opening the door, they found a short chamber with a far wall painted like a glowing blue door with an “S” sigil and three slashes.  Helg knocked on the door, and it transformed into an arch leading into Ludovic Snerd’s Dynamic Delving Supplies!

The proprietor, Ludovic Snerd, is a bucktoothed blue-haired gnome and shrewd merchant.  He provided them with five tressym magically shrunken and held in stasis in metallic vials with glass windows.  They tucked these away for safekeeping.  They asked him about the magical mace, he ran some tests, and he revealed it to be a +2 mace of darkness capable of producing deeper darkness effects thrice per day.  They looked around the shop and asked what useful things he could sell them.  He pulled a tarp off a fine piece of siege weaponry!  He offered to sell them a +1 light ballista of piercing for the low price of 10,000 gp!  Helg convinced him to sell it for that price but also magically shrink it so they can easily transport it.  He did so and told them to soak the magical patch in milk to restore the weapon. 

The group left Snerd’s and heading back down the hallway where they ran into a trio of cildabrin, a pair of driders, and two giant funnel-web spiders!  Edonna cast blessing of fervor while the foes cast spike stones and silence!  Using metamagic, the team was still able to utilize some magic while part of the team tried to move through the spikes and slashed their feet!  Jiraiya made an amazing leap and cleared the spikes entirely!  The team’s front line brought it to a cildabrin that Neko had burned with scorching ray.  The hideous arachnid was slain while the spiders missed with their webs and bites.  One drider cast a lackluster fireball while another cast slow on the team.  Finally, another cildabrin activated a second spike stones effect to hinder more movement options! 

Will the team rally and defeat the spider monsters or become their next meal?

Game summary for July 25, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party moved the partially burnt barricades in front of the two entrances to the room and setup a rotating watch.  Before trying to sleep, they cast detect thoughts and detect magic at the far door and were able to sense faint evocation and moderate illusion magic.  Edonna cast scrying on the black dragon they fought earlier and found it was tucked away somewhere trying to sleep off its injuries.  As secure as they felt they could be, they slept in shifts.  With spells recovered, Helg cast raise dead and recovered Khesen.  Then, the party healed their wounds and spelled up before kicking open the far doors. 

 The room had a very tall ceiling, was lined with tall black statues of armored men, and had braziers burning on either side of an altar.  Behind the altar was an enormous floating black left hand glowing with unholy light.  Upon the altar lay a bleeding and unmoving dwarven man.  Helg cast detect magic again and determined there was some faint evocation around (or within?) the altar.  There was moderate illusion active around and on the altar (perhaps the dwarf and entire altar). 

Jiraiya walked into the room and triggered a trap!  A chained harpoon shot down from the ceiling, impaled him, and began hauling him up toward the ceiling!  In agony, and unable to speak due to being mute, he thrashed about to draw forth his semaphore flags and tried to signal to Helg that he could see openings in the ceiling that the chain was going into, and that there was such an opening over every five feet or so of the room! 

Khesen moved into the room and jumped up to grab the chain above Jiraiya.  This set the chain to swinging back and forth and sent waves of agony wracking through the hurwaeti.  Neko went up to the altar, and CLICK!  Another pressure plate triggered another harpoon!  Up went an impaled Neko.  The horrified onlookers watched their friends continue to be hoisted toward the ceiling.  It dawned on them that the harpoons will fit through the holes in the ceiling… but allies will not!  There was about to be some devastating harpoon extractions and gravity-induced contusions. 

 Khesen used his martial training to turn his fists against the chain and snapped it.  Right above where he was holding it!  Both he and Jiraiya plummeted toward the floor.  Jiraiya tried to direct his fall into the floor section in which he stood when the trap triggered.  Although it hurt, he succeeded.  He then ran from the room and ripped the harpoon out of his torso (and spent the next several moments vomiting from the pain).  Khesen tried to land safely below Neko but just missed.  He crashed into the floor… and triggered another harpoon!  Up he went. 

The rest of the team was dumbstruck and went about trying to heal wounds and otherwise figure out some ways to effectively overcome this obstacle.  Komo tried disabling traps in the first area of floor but couldn’t find any mechanism of any sort.  Edonna kept casting close wounds to help those suffering from the harpoons and chains.  The group decided to drag some of the bodies of the slain orcs and hobgoblins over to try and trigger more harpoons with the corpses.  Helg consumed a potion of fly while Neko hacked away at the chain hoisting him, dealing far more damage to himself than the chain.  Khesen quaffed his own potion of fly as well. 

Helg flew up to grab Neko and support his weight while the half-orc extracted himself from the weakened chain.  He was able to take him to safety while Khesen broke his chain and flew free. 

Regrouping, the team stared at the trapped room in frustration and for some, searing agony.  How would they overcome this challenge?

Game summary for July 11, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group hurled dung grenades in at orcs and hobgoblins on the other side of the door but missed direct hits.  Fortunately, the splash radius still affected them.  The orcs fired arrows, and one of the hobgoblins cast flame strike.  Neko threw a fireball and hit most every enemy in the room and set the barricades on fire which began belching thick smoke.  Edonna cast haste, much to the team’s delight; however, they soon discovered the enemies had a similar effect on themselves.  The group began moving into the room, and the orc goons went down pretty quickly.  The hobgoblins, quite skilled rangers, proved quite formidable against humans (obviously a favored enemy).  Their sickles slashed through defenses and devastated the team. 

The group put pressure on the foes, and the battle priest cast righteous might.  Neko took a beating from a hobgoblin ranger, and Khesen was slain by one!  Helg was able to channel positive energy and heal his allies while Edonna blasted away with spells like voidmote.  Hekera moved into fight the hobgoblin battle priest and was throttled by the magically enhanced humanoid.  The ranger moved to flank and put even more pressure on.  However, the party had put enough damage on the foes that suddenly the began dropping as the team tried to press through.  Finally the priest was cut down by Hekera. 

The party investigated a cell and found it occupied by an unconscious dwarf.  Helg healed him, and they learned his name is Fescus Foamflagon.  He was a lost adventurer separated from his party and trying to make his way back to the Yawning Portal tavern.  He gifted them a magical axe allegedly from long-lost Gauntlgrym, a dwarven kingdom.  The dwarf then departed to find safety while Helg put out the burning barriers.  The smoke was thick but not dangerous, and the team decided to make camp and use magic to recover Khesen.