Author Topic: [DM] Age of Worms  (Read 11978 times)

Offline Nunkuruji

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[DM] Age of Worms
« on: November 09, 2011, 12:22:47 PM »
I've been DMing Age of Worms for my tabletop group the last few months, and I thought I'd share.

Rules
25 point buy
flaws, traits
LA buyoff
No multi-class penalty
Magic Shop item availability that day is inverse caster level d20% - that is to say, a CL5 item has a 75% chance to be available for purchase that day. Town gp limit enforced. Can order items.
~1d4+1 weeks in between adventures, 1 week to retrain a specific feat, class feature, skillset, etc.
Realms setting
2x per PC per session random swashbuckling cards in play (2/3 non campaign destructive ones)
"Drinking Cards" in play - RL inebriation = character stat mods: +str/con/cha, -dex/wis/int


PCs
Artic Mineral Warrior Deep Dwarf Crusader/Warblade w/ Aberrant feat chain (DR nerfed to HD scaling)
Fey'ri Scout/Mystic Ranger SwiftHunter
Zenythri Swordsage
Silverbrow Human Sorcerer/Binder/Anima Mage
Dark Lesser Asimar Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage

Most of the PCs were designed by the SCM player, based on what the other players wanted to be capable of, as the other players are not particularly involved in CO. For the most part, everyone rotated roles from the last campaign we played, City of the Spider Queen. The SCM player is also aware of some of the major AoW plot arcs, but the Anima Mage is the diplomancer.

Sessions may include 4 or 5 players when we meet, letting experience as a river do its thing.


continuing this when I get time to update...
« Last Edit: November 09, 2011, 05:00:54 PM by Nunkuruji »

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2011, 04:59:23 PM »
Whispering Cairn

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Combat Musings

Precocious Apprentice & Fiery Burst Reserve - really good for dealing with swarms, which can be problematic for low levels. The damage isn't particularly great, but it's certainly better than extremely limited spells and a lack of a wand.

Reach at low levels is really good, as most critters aren't going to have a size advantage.

If you can't roll well, don't play an archer...
« Last Edit: November 14, 2011, 11:24:34 AM by Nunkuruji »

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2011, 11:28:35 AM »
Three Faces of Evil

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Combat Musings

Sneak Attack flasking at low levels is hilariously fun, although certainly out of the wealth of PCs.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2011, 11:19:29 AM by Nunkuruji »

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2011, 11:15:47 AM »
Blackwall Keep

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Combat Musings

At 5th level, a pretty smart combo used by the Swordsage was Shadow Cloak + Assassins's Stance + Shadow Garrote. Very effective for exiting melee combat for a breather, while also executing 7d6 damage.

Swordsage with spiked chain, combat reflexes and fire riposte, is a lot of really effective combat action when fighting in closed spaces.

The Crusader's lack of a crowd control combat maneuver to execute on an AoO as the enemy charged the weaker members of the party was unfortunate. Definitely need to have trip, stand still, etc.
« Last Edit: December 06, 2011, 12:51:26 PM by Nunkuruji »

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2011, 11:24:02 AM »
reserve

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2012, 01:08:37 PM »
Hall of Harsh Reflections

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I'll try and get a few of my custom stat blocks together in another thread.


Combat Observations

Shadowcraft Cookies are quite incredible for the party. Takes the action reliance off the cleric, and just add a lot of nice versatility.

The swift hunter finally learned to stay behind the tanks, or find cover, and never to assume an enemy doesn't have combat reflexes.

The delayed spell progression of a sorcerer/anima mage is an interesting hit to see in playthrough. There's been a definite benefit of versatility in vestige binding, especially crafting, but delayed spell levels and known is a pain.

Frozen summons engulf ability is a real pita.

Benign Transposition is great.

The martial adept classes continue to be enjoyed, just a lot more fun than vanilla melee, though they still find themselves in a pickle when they need fly, etc. They're slowly working that out with items.

PCs with Bluff are a lot more fun than those with Diplomacy at a table :)

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2013, 04:30:23 PM »
The Champions Belt

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Pretty much reiterating the conclusions of the last chapter, there wasn't particular character growth that changed things

Taking a pause to use that racial clairvoyance is something one should remember

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2013, 05:00:43 PM »
A Gathering of Winds

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Even clairvoyance here would not have spoiled the ambush.

The swift hunter's build comes together and starts doing respectable continuous damage, though he's not cautious enough as a player

As awesome as Wings of Flurry is, if you don't Wings of Cover to save your ass, you won't be pressing the button on that nuke.

Back to back will saves completely destroy the Crusader/Warblade after his Moment of Perfect Mind, who has neither the base saves or wisdom, and even party buffs and cloak of resistance aren't really doing enough at this point. Really looking for blanket immunities in the future.

The Swordsage's racial choice pays off at this point. Zenthyri have a racial True Strike SLA, and he's taken Quicken SLA. Quick True Strike + Nightmare Blade + Power Attack is quite a respectable nuke, and has helped immensely in taking down high DR critters.
« Last Edit: February 14, 2013, 11:24:00 AM by Nunkuruji »

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2013, 03:53:19 PM »
Spire of Long Shadows

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At this point things have escalated quickly in the realm of AC, the downtime between chapters was rightfully a large shop & prepare event.

Enemies are typically packing mid 30s AC, while the PCs are struggling to hit with normal attacks. What they've found they've needed to do is truly rely on tactics once again in using modifiers: flanking, tripping, Robilar's Gambit, etc. This in itself is a good thing as far as teamwork, but the reverse is also true.

The Crusader is expectedly also in the mid-30s AC as a shield user.

The Monk/Swordsage decided he wanted a polymorph hat, the primary reason being flight & other mobilities. The second being additional defenses. As an outsider, he's able to poly into such, picking up large AC bonuses as an angel. The compounding problem is actually the double wis->ac I allowed, which I probably should have followed the sage ruling on, touch AC also being absurd. Shifting Defense has also become somewhat of an issue. With Combat Reflexes and a healthy Dex score, he just doesn't get hit. It's a great way to build a survivable melee character for sure, but I feel like it's going to be a problem that I have to throw SoD or big nukes at him, just to make him sweat, at which point it might seem like he's being picked on.

Similarly, the Leonal Planar bind has a great base AC, and just throwing a spare Breastplate +3 put his AC up to 40.

So, default team monster is rarely built to have the additional combat modifier feats, so I may have to re-work them a bit, give them a few extra consumables, or use some unexpected tactics to cause some drama. Not so much a need in the current chapter, as they continue to avoid an onslaught of SoDs, but perhaps the next.

Gotta say, Prismatic Spray always seems to be a great tension builder at the table.


« Last Edit: July 10, 2013, 05:12:23 PM by Nunkuruji »

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2013, 12:57:11 PM »
The Prince of Redhand

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Thoughts so far:

The RP & social elements of this particular adventure are very much enjoyed, particularly after the grueling fights of the last adventure
Daze is quite a powerful condition
« Last Edit: September 07, 2013, 11:12:31 AM by Nunkuruji »

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #10 on: September 07, 2013, 11:26:42 AM »
Library of Last Resort

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« Last Edit: November 23, 2013, 09:19:47 PM by Nunkuruji »

Offline phaedrusxy

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #11 on: September 16, 2013, 04:42:39 PM »
I haven't been following this closely, but that last post sounds like an epic battle.  :clap
I don't pee messages into the snow often , but when I do , it's in Cyrillic with Fake Viagra.  Stay frosty my friends.

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #12 on: September 16, 2013, 05:58:18 PM »
I haven't been following this closely, but that last post sounds like an epic battle.  :clap

It was, this was their rallying cry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avaSdC0QOUM

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Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #13 on: February 02, 2014, 08:01:28 PM »
Library of Last Resort pt.2

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Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #14 on: February 02, 2014, 08:29:12 PM »
Kings of the Rift

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« Last Edit: March 15, 2014, 10:20:46 AM by Nunkuruji »

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #15 on: March 30, 2014, 01:31:50 PM »
Kings of the Rift pt.2

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Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #16 on: June 12, 2014, 02:09:37 PM »
Kings of the Rift pt.3

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« Last Edit: June 12, 2014, 02:17:34 PM by Nunkuruji »

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #17 on: June 12, 2014, 02:17:18 PM »
Into the Worm Crawl Fissure
4/22 log overdue updates

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« Last Edit: August 01, 2015, 10:10:16 AM by Nunkuruji »

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: [DM] Age of Worms
« Reply #18 on: August 01, 2015, 10:58:42 AM »
Dawn of a New Age

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So, that wraps up a 4 year long campaign for us. Everyone is pretty excited to move on to E6 gestalt 5e, leave behind the complexity of high level play, and embrace the real threats of low level play.