Welcome to Thunderdome

Stranger wrote:

Troy wrote: The answer to Stranger’s questions is... yes.

So i'm guessing we won't get any information on him, like his race, class or even how we meet him until Friday night?

He's an NPC from the book that I've graduated to full PC. A Vallaki native who has never left the valley, I’m going to do a quick session with him this afternoon to get his character down to the parties neck of the woods.

His RL name is Stuart. He's a veteran of the Air Force and Disney World. He will come in with the most recent D&D experience prior to 5E, having done a bunch of sessions of 4th edition. No 5E yet, but he's been binging The Adventure Zone based on the laughter coming from his cubicle.

Troy wrote: He's a veteran of the Air Force, and Disney World.

Ditto.

I can probably do 8 pm EST this Friday if the group votes to do so.

Leisher wrote: Ditto.

I can probably do 8 pm EST this Friday if the group votes to do so.

9 is still the best time for me. i already can't get the kids to shut up so i can play at that time.

Stranger wrote:

Leisher wrote: Ditto.

I can probably do 8 pm EST this Friday if the group votes to do so.

9 is still the best time for me. i already can't get the kids to shut up so i can play at that time.

Chloroform.

Leisher wrote:

Stranger wrote:

Leisher wrote: Ditto.

I can probably do 8 pm EST this Friday if the group votes to do so.

9 is still the best time for me. i already can't get the kids to shut up so i can play at that time.

Chloroform.

Ha!

Well, Stuart and I will have no time limits tomorrow. Zelda's time limits won't be in effect either. Everyone drink your energy drinks and buckle up.

Troy wrote: Ha!

Well, Stuart and I will have no time limits tomorrow. Zelda's time limits won't be in effect either. Everyone drink your energy drinks and buckle up.

Sweet! after 9 i'm good to play all night.

Stranger wrote:

Leisher wrote: Ditto.

I can probably do 8 pm EST this Friday if the group votes to do so.

9 is still the best time for me. i already can't get the kids to shut up so i can play at that time.

Shove them in a sack and sell them to the windmill.

GORDON wrote:

Stranger wrote:

Leisher wrote: Ditto.

I can probably do 8 pm EST this Friday if the group votes to do so.

9 is still the best time for me. i already can't get the kids to shut up so i can play at that time.

Shove them in a sack and sell them to the windmill.

Nice.

Reminder

shit forgot that was tonight

Whew - good work everybody! I had a ton of fun. I rolled poor in the beginning, good in the middle, and ok at the end. Which ended up being pretty solid for tension purposes. That Bless was quite timely and effective. It saved Mordigan from something unpleasant!

We are getting way smoother in combat. I thought for sure that would be a 3.5+ hour session. But we were just under 3(less even because we waited for a while to start). I had anticipated our fateful Windmill scene. But I like that I can grow it's legend even more now.

Szoldar was very against getting near the Windmill for reasons due to his session 0. I didn't realize how effective that might be. I thought Stewart did well in his first go of 5E!

I want to make it clear, especially as we enter into a VERY open-ended part of this campaign, that your choices matter. I'll continue to offer NPC opinions of what you should do, but you don't have to listen to them, they'll have their own reasons for what they suggest. I was sad nobody took Rahadin's offer. That PC could have been moving on up in the world!

Session: 9

+ a small bag of gems worth 100 gold (20 each)
+ Silver Dagger (Szoldar)

edited this down to a cohesive thought.

Body count end of session encounter



Make it to Vallaki gates as it gets dark. the guards definitely let Szoldar through the gates. Stand by for the rest

Troy wrote: It helped the party didn’t stop at The Windmill.

We knew there was no way we were surviving a stop at the windmill. That fight with the vampire spawn did enough damage and we didn't have much healing left.

Troy wrote: I thought Sewart did well in his first go of 5E!

I would have no issue with him joining us permanently. Super nice guy who made an effort to introduce himself to each new person and he did a voice!

Troy wrote: I was sad nobody took Rahadin's offer. That PC could have been moving on up in the world!

It's a worthless offer. We're trapped in a land with a ridiculously expensive economy with no nightlife aside from stuff trying to kill you. Oh, but at least there's a bad drug problem, and to make it even better, it's made out of kids. So live here as a puppet of an evil vampire lord with the guilt of sending an innocent girl to her doom or try to end this shit show. Serious question: Based on our backstories, alignments, etc. should anyone in our party have even been remotely tempted by the offer?

Probably Mordigan, he's a piece of shit.

I actually wondered if Mordigan would be the guy, but he was the first to say no. He has that dark backstory that is always hinted at that I think would prevent him from agreeing to become Stahd's lackey...I think...

Leisher wrote:
It's a worthless offer. We're trapped in a land with a ridiculously expensive economy with no nightlife aside from stuff trying to kill you. Oh, but at least there's a bad drug problem, and to make it even better, it's made out of kids. So live here as a puppet of an evil vampire lord with the guilt of sending an innocent girl to her doom or try to end this shit show. Serious question: Based on our backstories, alignments, etc. should anyone in our party have even been remotely tempted by the offer?

Just starting the negotiations. And you only know what Barovia village is like! I object to other parts of this but that’s for another time.

For your first point I guess I wasn’t expecting an all or nothing scenario. But it makes sense if it’s viewed that way.

You have access to ALL the information. Our characters only have access to what they know and have seen. Thus, our decisions are based on those "truths", true or not.

His whole pitch was "Give me this girl, for clearly nefarious purposes, and I'll pay you off." Additionally, everyone there would have had to agree or fight among ourselves. Once he heard "no", he left. No counter offer. 1,000 gp to betray everything about yourself, possibly betray and fight allies (risking death), doom yourself to these lands and as a sub to Strahd, and certainly doom a poor girl. We all already are carrying 200+ gp each. That offer wouldn't have interested even someone who would have sold her out.

Hey i'm just throwing out options to people.

I know!

I was just trying to paint the picture from our side for you. Koban actually took it as a threat, not a legit offer.

Ya, honestly, 1000gp/100 plat wasn't very tempting at all. Strahd will have to do WAY better than that. Alex is beginning to think Tatiana isn't really all that important to him!