Reign of Winter — Game Session — 050

by: Charles Plemons - December 5th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Reign of Winter Add Comment

Game summary for December 5, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Averdick), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Kobold Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team rushed to one of the fortress’ blockhouses in a snowstorm to try and fend off a pair of barbarians and a sorcerer trying to bash their way in to make it down to the underhalls.  One barbarian used an adamantine warhammer to try and smash the stone door.  As the party arrived, the sorcerer hit them with a cone of cold.  Tulvur and Kenwrec moved in and landed some hard early blows on the other barbarian.  Magnus unleashed a holy smite with limited effect.  Deska dropped a flame strike on all three but found them warded heavily against fire!

The barbarian traded blows with Tulvur, and finding him effectively armored, switched to Kenwrec.  The team had not moved much, so the sorcerer hit them all again with another cone of cold.  Magnus moved to the side of the blockhouse to setup for a charge.  Meanwhile, Greta cast several healing spells on Deska.  Magnus crashed into the hammering barbarian, but his companion spun on him and tried to defend against the big cleric.  With most of the team still clustered together, the sorcerer hit them with a third cone of cold.

Soon, the door collapsed, and a barbarian and the sorcerer slipped inside!  The sorcerer cast wall of fire and burned several in the party.  With the heat radiating out, Tulvur was driven back.  The barbarian outside was cut down, and Magnus moved through the flames into the blockhouse.  The sorcerer breathed out a breath weapon, a shorter cone of frigid breath!  The cold hurt several of the team.  The sorcerer was badly injured by Magnus, but the cleric was soon cut down by the barbarian.  Greta came in through the fire, but soon she and Kenwrec were both sent fleeing thanks to a fear spell.  Deska moved in and summoned an owlbear and trio of wolverines using her cauldron of overwhelming allies!  This limited the maneuverability of the enemies, but not enough to prevent the barbarian from slaying Magnus!  Deska blasted the sorcerer with call lightning storm while the owlbear injured the barbarian.

The wall of fire expired, and Tulvur was able to move in.  Soon, the enemies were all vanquished.  Deska gathered up the slain corpse of Magnus and cast reincarnate.  Magnus returned to life as a human once again, of Taldan descent…  a female human!

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 049

by: Charles Plemons - November 28th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Reign of Winter Add Comment

Game summary for November 28, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Averdick), Svala Alehorn (Orc Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), Ten-Penny Tacey (Halfling Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team was summoned with haste to one of the keep walls.  They could see an enormous siege tower being pushed up the hill by a pair of seven-headed war hydras.  Two frost drakes circled to provide protection.  The team had only moments before this tower would arrive up against the wall providing a way for the Drakelands barbarians to swarm into Spurhorn.  Tulvur used his engineering skills to recognize the tower might be toppled backwards if the rear wheels were destroyed due to the steep angle of inclination.  The group decided they did not have time for that.  Instead, Ten-Penny gave Deska a potion of flying, and she wild shaped into a mastodon.  She then catapulted herself off the keep walls and slammed into the top of the tower!  The massive mastodon’s collision shook the tower and toppled it over!  It hit a drake and hydra on the way down.  Deska was a bit stunned by the impact and crashed prone to the ground.  Svala, having also imbibed a potion of flying, entered a rage and charged through the air to hit a drake.  She was successful initially but then crashed into it, plunging both to the ground.  After impact, Svala, still prone, rolled over and mightily lopped off the drake’s head!

Tulvur went flying out toward the other drake and bull rushed it away from Deska.  Greta, unable to fly, dropped off the wall and just tried to roll with the impact.  She was somewhat successful and rushed into the fray.  Ten-Penny did the same and ended up hiding in Deska’s mastodon fur hoping to surprise her foes.  The hydras proved devastating with their massive number of attacks, and the remaining frost drake unleashed its frigid breath weapon.  Denessia unleashed a barrage of fireballs from atop the wall using her newly purchased necklace of fireballs.  Deska cast baleful polymorph and turned one of the hydra’s into Triaxus’ first hamster.  Tulvur killed the other drake, and then he stepped over and killed the remaining hydra.

The team scrambled back up into the keep and healed their injuries while the defenders of Spurhorn cheered them on and hailed them as heroes.

Ruins of Undermountain — Game Session — 018

by: Charles Plemons - November 25th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Harm Incorporated, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Ruins of Undermountain Add Comment

Game summary for November 25, 2017, Ruins of Undermountain campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Harm Incorporated. Session included: Boran Gibbs (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Kalil Bakran (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Paddy Brandywine (Halfling Bard played by Preston Harmon), and Rumbald Shieldcracker (Dwarf Ranger played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party entered a smoky chamber occupied by a death ettin and a pair of ghoul stalkers.  The smoke caused the party to cough and choke a little, but it was not too dangerous.  The death ettin breathed a blast of disease across the party and infected two of them.  The ghouls rushed in and flanked some of the team.  However, one was cut down quickly.  Astoundingly, the death ettin yelled “Arise!” and raised it back to unlife!  Boran stepped up and sucked the life out of the ghouls with undeath to death.  The team then was able to unload upon the death ettin, with Rumbald finally cutting it down.  The group looted the bodies and found some scattered coins as well.

They entered a natural cavern and found glowing yellow corpses attached to the walls.  A trio of glowing starlight wasps descended from the ceiling and charged in!  Despite numerous stings, none of the party succumbed to the poison.  Kalil unleashed a volley of impressive spells like lightning arc, fireball, and scorching ray.  The team closed ranks in around him for defense and cut loose with slashing blades.  It did not take long to defeat the wasps.  The team then found a side tunnel and located a closed chest at the end.  Rumbald and Paddy immediately began picking the lock and triggered a hail of arrows that injured them terribly.  They decided it was worth the pain after finding a small fortune in gems and jewelry.

Exploring, they found a fissure in the wall that led into a corridor.  One end was blocked by a cave-in, but the other led to a door.  On the other side they found two mummy clerics and a mummified gynosphinx.  The auras of despair and fear emanating from the horrors put the team off their game.  A flame strike eliminated one of the mummy clerics, and Boran stepped up to do battle.  When the gynosphinx inscribed a symbol of stunning, most of the team fell victim.  The gynosphinx then pounced Boran and ripped into him with front and rear paws while under the effect of burst of vengeance.  The cleric was unable to withstand the onslaught and fell unconscious and dying.  Moments later, the gynosphinx performed a coup de grace, and as Boran died, his body disintegrated into dust!  Fortunately, Kalil shook off his fear and unleashed magical destruction into the room and eliminated the monsters.

Discouraged by the loss of Boran, the team summoned their merchant friend Ludovic Snerd and sent him search of magic to resurrect Boran at any cost.  Meanwhile the team went through another door.  They found a workshop of horrors where some madman had been stitching together flesh golems!  Two golems attacked the team immediately!  One was a bit more power, a fleshreaver golem!  The fighting was intense, but fortunately the team figured out fire and cold magic would slow both golems.  This bought them time while Paddy and Kalil cast numerous enhancements including haste, good hope, bear’s endurance, and enlarge person.  Rumbald stepped up and held the creatures at bay as this magical defense network was layered on.  Paddy then stepped in and began fighting the flesh golem while Rumbald stayed toe-to-toe with the fleshreaver.  Both were being pretty successful until the fleshreaver finally managed to grapple Rumbald and began replacing its injured flesh and organs with hunks ripped off the dwarf!  The team was horrified and redoubled their efforts.  Finally, the constructs were overcome!  The team found several treasures in the room.

Shortly thereafter, Snerd appeared with the magic necessary to restore Boran Gibbs to life!

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 048

by: Charles Plemons - November 21st, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Reign of Winter Add Comment

Game summary for November 21, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Kobold Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Svala Alehorn (Orc Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), and Ten-Penny Tacey (Halfling Rogue played by Shane Bradley). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team landed upon Spurhorn, and with the help of Efrixes and Bescaylie convinced the defenders to give them audience with Commander Pharamol and the council in the morning.  They team rested in a guest room and met with the council.  After being grilled over their story, the team won over the council’s trust.  They also demonstrated the summoning of their mercane contact, Zilvazaraat.  The Commander was overjoyed at the prospect of a ready resupply line.  The team agreed to help fend off this siege in exchange for the two-headed eagle possessed by the Commander.

The next day, the Drakelands marauders attacked!  The party was dispatched to a tower to rescue the soldiers there and save the siege weapons from destruction when a frost drake landed and breathed upon them.  The party swarmed in and focused fire on the drake.  Svala decapitated it with her furious waraxe!  The group then turned on the pair of Drakelands barbarians that had ridden up on the drake.  The pair were no match for the party and were quickly cut down.  A cheer and huzzuh! went up from the defenders in support of the party after their resounding victory and saving of ten Triaxians!

Small Adventures — Game Session — 009

by: Charles Plemons - November 18th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Small Timers Add Comment

Game summary for November 18, 2017, Small Adventures campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Small Timers. Session included: Elsbeth Blackburn (Half-Elf Druid played by Maddy Smalling), Goshik Trakar (Elf Sorcerer/Dragon Disciple played by Jack Smalling), Kyras Sonata (Half-Elf Monk/Rogue played by Noah Smalling), Reth Steelarm (Half-Orc Fighter/Rogue played by Luke Smalling), and Valetin Krupova (Halfling Paladin played by Jared Smalling). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team advanced into Pilvi’s tower and discovered an armory.  The group noticed a suit of articulated armor in time to avoid a surprise!  It attacked with its axe, and its chest cavity opened to reveal an auto-loading crossbow!  It attacked Kyras with the axe and shot a volley at Valetin.  Kyras dented the armor with his fists, and Valetin pelted it with sling bullets.  Elsbeth and Gretchen began casting enhancement spells such as bull’s strength, barkskin, and bless.  Goshik used magic missile while Reth moved up and utilized his punching dagger.  In short order, the team brought the automatron down.  Searching the area, they found several weapons and one of particular interest for their halfling paladin, a +1 air outsider-bane longsword!

In the next room they found a pair of large lightning elementals who rushed forward to target party members using metal weapons or wearing metal armor.  It seemed to attract the creatures and make them more accurate in their attacks.  Valetin discovered his new sword was particularly effective against these creatures, and the team quickly took them down.  Under a loose flagstone they discovered a stormward amulet.  Next, they explored the water closet.  There was nothing of interest.

Down another flight of steps, the team found a great library.  They explored a bit and turned up a formula for a long-lost spell called elemental surge.  They also found some glowing panpipes.  After some extensive study and examination, they unlocked the secrets of the pipes.  They transport the person playing them, and everyone touching him, to a location within the tower, the summoning chamber.  If played from within the summoning chamber it returns you to the library.

The group explored a bedroom and triggered a ruptured harmony trap on the wardrobe!  This caused Gretchen and Reth to attack the party!  Reth nearly killed Goshik, and Gretchen tried to finish the job.  Then, inexplicably, she healed him with magic.  The group figured out the discord came and went, and they used tanglefoot bags to glue Gretchen and Reth in place until the enchantment passed.  In the wardrobe, they recovered a robe of useful items.

Finally, the team played the pipes and entered the summoning chamber.  They discovered a half-fiend djinni trapped within!  It hit the team with unholy blight, and a second half-fiend djinni, previously cloaked by invisibility appeared.  Gretchen cast blessing of fervor, and Elsbeth cast bull’s strength on Valetin.  Goshik unleashed a fireball and then blinded one of the djinn with blindness/deafness.  The group thought things had fallen apart when another djinn appeared, but they soon figured out this one was a mere illusion.  Bolstered by his new magical sword and his paladin smite, Valetin led the way in vanquishing the twisted creatures.

With the tower cleared, the team was able to recover Pilvi’s spellbook, On Bluster.  They found it filled with wind and weather spells including three long-lost spells:  aspect of the four winds, thunderbolt, and wresting wind.  The group realized they can now use the tower as a base of operations utilizing the pipes, but now they have to figure out a way to get down from the flying tower!

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 047

by: Charles Plemons - November 7th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Reign of Winter Add Comment

Game summary for November 7, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Kobold Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), and Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team climbed a ladder inside the storeroom and found themselves in a hut with a cauldron.  A trio of ravens took flight in the room and began to speak, “Baba Yaga has gone on, off to see her only son.  But a trail she left behind, if the breadcrumbs you can find!”  They knocked several items off the shelves on to the floor:  a stuffed two-headed eagle, a hand mirror, and an elephant tusk.  The team used the index to enter the library and found a name for Baba Yaga’s son, Grigori.  They figured out the items were not hut keys but clues to find others.

The team exited the hut and were stunned to find themselves in a snowy mountain range with an odd sky above.  After a few moments, Kenwrec determined they were on an alien planet!  They debated for a while what to do when a red dragon swooped down from above and circled.  They could tell an armored rider was on its back.  The dragon landed, and the rider approached.  The team found themselves speaking in Draconic to a white-furred female who seemed unsure what exactly they were looking at.  After talking awhile, they learned they were now on the planet called Triaxus and the woman had never seen a human or dwarf.  The woman is named Bescaylie, and the red dragonkin is named Efrixes.  Both are members of the Dragon Legion from the citadel of Spurhorn.  Their fortress is currently under siege by the barbarians of the Drakelands.  The team discovered the commander of Spurhorn has a pet two-headed eagle.  The group agreed to help the Dragon Legion defend against the siege in exchange for an audience with the commander and perhaps possession of the eagle.

The only problem was the team needed to cross the siege lines to get into the fortress.  They waited until dark and used flying ointment to try and cross.  Magnus boosted their speed with blessing of fervor to allow them to avoid a patrol of frost drakes.  They were unable to avoid the dimensionally shifting daemons in pursuit, however.  The greater ceustodaemons swooped in and breathed fire across the party.  Kenwrec hit one with a critical sneak attack.  Bescaylie and Efrixes charged another.  Greta hit the third with a critical as well.  The team swarmed around the daemons and finally brought them all down.

The group then landed on the walls of Spurhorn and were surrounded by crossbowmen.  Bescaylie let them know they party were friends, and the crossbowmen looked at one another and lowered their weapons.

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 046

by: Charles Plemons - October 24th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Reign of Winter Add Comment

Game summary for October 24, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Alfbern Winterbloom (Half-Elf Inquisitor played by Preston Harmon), Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Kobold Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Koloth Kruge (Centaur Ranger played by Parker Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Ten-Penny Tacey (Halfling Rogue played by Shane Bradley). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team entered the storehouse and encountered a lone denizen of Leng!  They were a bit shocked to see such a creature and engaged it in conversation.  It offered to take them to its master to discuss business.  It led them across the hallway where a moon-beast emerged!  It tried to get them to trade one or more of the party members to it for information.  When they refused, it attacked!

The moon-beast tried to dominate Magnus but failed.  However, it managed to dominate Ten-Penny.  The denizen and Ten-Penny flanked Alfbern and injured him severely.  Meanwhile, Denessia began smiting the moon-beast using her pistol and broke it on a misfire!  Koloth injured the denizen, and Kenwrec studied it and was able to slay it, but not before it was able to drain all of Magnus’ dexterity and cripple him!  The moon-beast tried to dominate Greta and failed.  Finally, Alfbern’s bear companion scored a critical hit and then pawed the moon-beast to death!

The group was unable to restore Magnus, so he was left paralyzed on the floor as they ransacked the room and corpses.  They found the denizen carried several rubies, and they noticed a figure trapped inside one!  Alfbern broke it open and released a strange creature named Zilvazaraat.  He claimed to be a merchant interested in magical items, and traded the team two scrolls of restoration for a magical flail they were carrying.  He then presented them with an obsidian raven and told them to use it to call him into safe areas to conduct further trade.

Halloween Hootenanny XII — Dread Roleplaying Game — Cabin in the Woods

by: Charles Plemons - October 21st, 2017   Filed under: Gaming Add Comment

Game summary for October 21, 2017, Cabin in the Woods campaign, Dread Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Alex Smith (Human played by Taylor Averdick), Cerinitee Jones (Human played by Casey Scruggs), Elliott Samuels (Human played by Kaliegh Belda as secondary), Jimothy Belfry (Human played by Colby Westerfield), Robert Andrew Renfrow (Human played by Andrew Renfrow), Ruby Fontaine (Human played by Kaliegh Belda), Spencer Durham (Human played by Shane Bradley), and Wyle Cumberbatch (Human played by Todd Hughes). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group arrived at the Myers & Krueger Cabin Retreat on the shores of beautiful Crystal Lake without incident.  They were greeted by Sheryl Thompson who was very excited to meet them.  She took them into their large cabin and told them to introduce themselves to one another and pick bunkmates and then meet back up in the main room in an hour.  For some reason, there was a rubber hamburger toy sitting in the room.  Sheryl took it and apologized for having something out of place.

The group made introductions and began to explore.  Cerinitee and Ruby went swimming in the heated pool.  Mr. Renfrow went into the kitchen and had an awkward interaction with Penelope and backed out of the room.  Spencer took a nap on the couch while Jim stood back and just watched people.  Alex went to the shed and met Roscoe the maintenance man and then went and looked around the boathouse.  Wyle went to the barn and talked to Sheryl.  She got Roscoe to help him saddle a horse and go for a short ride on some of the trails before the meet-up.  Meanwhile, Ruby discovered the only alcohol was peach schnapps brought by Alex.  She started partaking quite liberally.

The team gathered for their first meeting right before dinner.  Sheryl started trying to break the ice and get people talking about some goals for the weekend.  Meanwhile, a storm rolled in.  As Penelope served a meatless dinner, the storm knocked out the power.  Jim went out to start the generator in the pouring rain where he ran into Roscoe who was trying to do the same.  While there, the team heard horrendous sounds of pain and fear from the barn.  Jim and Roscoe ran over to investigate and found all three horses had been gored and ripped apart!  They found shark teeth in some of the wounds.

Obviously shaken, Roscoe and Jim returned to the group.  Sheryl went to see the barn while Alex, Andrew, and Spencer made the half-mile hike down the road to the ranger station.  They discovered the car damaged and the ranger dead, his keys missing.  They were able to operate the radio and call for help.  Andrew took his gun and ammunition.  They returned about the time the group discovered a wedding cake topper and plastic jack-o-lantern sitting among their stuff.  Wyle found Sheryl terribly injured in the barn and wrapped her in a blanket and rope.  He took the pitchfork and dragged her back to the cabin.  He performed first aid, and she was able to tell them she was gored by a great black bull with fiery red eyes and a mouth full of rows of shark teeth!

Spencer went about locking the doors and was nearly decapitated by a zombie-like woman in a wedding dress dragging a large axe.  He dodged as the glass shattered around him, and Andrew came forward with his pistol and shot her once with no real effect.  She went around the side of the cabin dragging her axe and dripping maggots.  Alex ran about making lines of salt across the doorways and making what he called “protective circles” of salt on each floor until he ran out of salt.  The group then barricaded themselves into several of the upstairs rooms.

Spencer looked out the window and saw a scarecrow man sitting on a stump carving a pumpkin.  He turned it toward Spencer, and it looked like him!  It then impaled it with its knife.  Meanwhile, Ruby slipped downstairs and noticed the shed was on fire.  As she watched, it exploded and blew the glass out of the window all over her and knocking out the power.  Horrified she ran to the bathroom to see the damage.  As she looked herself over, the corpse bride appeared and tried to chop her up!  She was able to get past her and run back upstairs and into one of the rooms.

The group noticed the bull and corpse bride circling the house while the scarecrow man seemed to make torches over by a stump.  They decided they could not stay here.  Perhaps they could find another cabin with a vehicle?  They knew they needed to transport Sheryl somehow.  They had the idea of putting her in one of the kayaks and dragging her through the woods.  The group ran toward the boathouse, but the bull came out of the darkness charging right at Andrew!  He shot it several times, and it veered off and impaled Penelope!  It carried her off on its horn and threw her to the ground.  It opened its impossibly wide shark mouth and bit her head from her shoulders.

The group got the kayak, and Cerinitee put a rope on it and began pulling.  The group fled up into the mountain trails.  They came upon a very old homesteader cabin.  Inside, Ruby found a loose board and an ancient leather book.  She pried the lock open and found it filled with obscene rituals and pictures but was written in a language she did not know.  She did recognize a picture of the scarecrow man.  She explained what she found, but the team continued going for the moment.  As they traveled, the scarecrow man rushed out of the woods.  Ruby pulled out the rest of the alcohol, hurled it at him, and set it on fire!  He went screaming into the woods.  Thankfully the recent downpour prevented a forest fire.

They arrived at another cabin and Ruby nearly got shot by the occupant because she was shining a flashlight into the bedroom window.  Cerinitee was able to talk him down.  They convinced him to take his mini car and take Sheryl to the hospital.  He left them his shotgun, so Wyle took possession.  Soon after the corpse bride tried to decapitate Wyle, but he managed to blast her head from her shoulders.  Ruby snatched up the fallen axe and hacked the body to pieces.

They looked all over the cabin and barricaded the doors with a mattress and couch cushions.  Ruby noticed the still-smoking scarecrow coming out of the woods, and he hurled a flaming pumpkin at her!  She climbed through the window and charged him with the axe!  He caught her arm with ease and drove his wicked curved knife up through her chin into her brain.  Meanwhile the rest of the team fled in terror.

They came upon another cabin, this one occupied by grizzled rancher Elliott Samuels.  He had several shotguns, some whiskey, and an attitude.  When the bull arrived, he shot it with two shotguns, which seemed to just piss it off.  It charged, but Wyle caught the charge with the pitchfork and drove it upwards where it stuck its horns into the wood frame around the door.  It kicked violently as Elliott tried to slit its throat with his hunting knife with little effect.  Andrew unloaded a magazine into it, and Wyle wedged the shotgun under its chin and pulled the trigger.  Alex then dislodged the bull.  Spencer knelt over it, and its eyes blazed to life once again!  Using the kitchen knife, he attacked it and found the blade worked to great effect.  He was able to kill the savage beast.

The group realized the book Ruby found may have the key for getting rid of the scarecrow man, so they waited until he got near and dosed him with whiskey.  Elliott then set him back on fire.  The group then ran back down the mountain to find Ruby’s body and the book.  Wyle was able to figure out a ritual to get rid of the demon occupying the scarecrow.  It required fairly fresh human blood, a hollowed out pumpkin, a stump, and the scarecrow man’s own knife.  They found a pumpkin on the stoop, and Elliott hauled Ruby’s body up in a tree and bled out a mason jar full of blood.  The team headed back to the original cabin and the stump they saw the scarecrow sitting on earlier.  As they traveled, they hollowed out the pumpkin and filled it with blood.  Alex salted it for good measure.  Cerinitee ran into the woods to act as bait and got its attention!  She led it into the group who used a rope to trip it.  The blade went flying, and Alex scooped it up and drive the blade into the prepared pumpkin.  It flashed with unholy energy, and a fissure into hell opened up and pulled down the scarecrow’s demonic occupant.

Just as the dust began to settle, the authorities arrived to investigate…

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 045

by: Charles Plemons - October 19th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Reign of Winter Add Comment

Game summary for October 19, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Ten-Penny Tacey (Halfling Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Deska opened the door to the Dancing Hut and was immediately warned to stay outside by Ratibor the Bold.  Deska revealed Baba Yaga’s cookbook and enacted the ritual to free him!  He stepped outside and declared his intention to resume his quest to conquer all of Iobaria.  The team tried to dissuade him and get him to come with them instead, but instead they made him angry.  Finally, they departed each others’ company.

The team entered the Dancing Hut and placed the blue dragon scale and gold nugget in the cauldron.  Once again, reality shifted, and they found themselves in an ornate glassed-in gazebo in a great garden.  Deska sent her magical owl to scout around, and they were most interested in a clearing containing a stump upon which sat a gray cat.

The group went to the cat and learned it could speak!  They discovered its name is Syvet, and its “master” is missing Queen Yelizaveta.  The cat said it is afraid she died around 100 years ago, but it believes she has been unable to find peace.  Deska moved to pet the cat and realized it was barely in control of itself.  Suddenly, the stump split open to reveal sharp fangs and tentacles rose up all around.  The wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing pulled several of the party in close and began biting them.  Deska turned into a mastodon and began goring the stump.  Tulvur and Greta slashed away as Ten-Penny hit it with a magical ice spear.  As the entity died, the cat thanked Deska for its release.  Intrigued, she cast reincarnate upon it, and Syvet came back as an orc.  She told them she had been killed by the aberration long ago and had somehow merged consciousness with it.  Syvet was a bit unsteady and trying to get used to her new form.  Deska put her on her mastodon back and carried her around.

The team went to investigate a storage building the owl had spotted.  In the trees they were ambushed by a pair of moonflowers!  The deadly plants blinded half the party with a flash of light and then swallowed Tulvur.  He was encased in a constricting acidic cocoon and spit out upon the ground.  Ten-Penny drank a ditch dram admixture to heal injuries and turn invisible.  She then started trying to cut Tulvur out of the cocoon.  Meanwhile, Deska the blind mastodon struggled alongside Greta to fight off the plants.  Greta’s axe seemed to cut deep wounds, but Deska’s tusks were quite ineffective.  Eventually Deska regained her sight, shifted into large fire elemental form, and used Natural Spell to cast multiple flame strikes upon the plants to great effect.  Ten-Penny freed Tulvur just in time, and the team defeated the plants.

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 044

by: Charles Plemons - October 10th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Reign of Winter Add Comment

Game summary for October 10, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Kobold Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Svala Alehorn (Orc Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), and Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team cast a number of spells upon Denessia for protection and then sent her down the spiral of the Eon Pit to retrieve the key to Baba Yaga’s Dancing Hut.  She found it easily, and she withstood most of the ravages of the curse; however, at nearly the top, her mind buckled under the pressure!  She began drooling and babbling.  Bravely, and with no protection, Magnus hurtled down the stairs to rescue her.  He shook off the effects of the pit and saved his companion.  They learned that her mind was badly damaged, and she had become erratic and somewhat unpredictable.

They talked to Jadrenka again, and she mentioned some other visitors inside Artrosa that Caigreal had let in.  She led them to a forest and a meditating upasunda asura.  The dangerous woman was intrigued by the party and eagerly engaged them in battle despite their attempt at diplomacy!  She hit several with a rainbow pattern, but the team was able to shake their fascinated allies out of it.  She then activated haste and ran amok among the team.  She became a dervish of death, slaying both Ten-Penny and All Might and badly injuring Kenwrec.  Denessia, in moments of clarity, smited the creature but then accidently blew up her pistol.  Magnus, Greta, and Svala closed in, and finally Svala (enhanced by her newfound orc strength, rage, and Greta’s bull’s strength) chopped the creature down!  The team collected the monster’s treasures and left Artrosa.  On the way back to the Dancing Hut, they stopped by Vurnirn and purchased a scroll to heal Denessia, and they got All Might and Ten-Penny reincarnated.