My “Monday Knights” group has been playing Freebooters weekly for 15 months!
Tonight’s session was about “recovering from major setbacks” that had befallen the group in weeks past. First, they plied Queen Yijara of Hind with glories and gifts (a phoenix ransomed with the loot from a dragon’s horde, and a huge stalactite of magical darkness delivered to her court by a creature of living stone) until she finally returned to them the magical key that will allow them to continue exploring the depths of the dungeon below distant Kinlye. The key had been confiscated when the sorcerer Serso (PC) was thrown to rot in Yijara’s dungeons after he was caught attempting to spy magically upon her.
Next, the group finally put an end to the obstacles posed by the will (and agencies) of Akheenistradu, a suspicious and hot-tempered extra-planar noble who it turned out had been spying on them through their longest-held follower, the guide (and confidant) Wara. All were indeed delighted when it was revealed that tonight’s reward would be an alliance rather than fiery death.
Next time, it will be new magical research for Serso, “Lucky” Jakk’s return to Kobold-town, and new challenges as the toad-priest Kathug attempts to claim the arch-clericy of Thalangul while Raas the Dragonslayer awaits the product of his partner’s forge: a magical sword to wield against the Blight Dragon who waits beyond the final door!
I’d love to see a before-and-after map of your game. It’s wonderful to learn what changed from the earlier moments and what they were able to explore.
Epic stuff!
Have there been any PC deaths over the course of the campaign, or has everyone been clever and lucky enough to avoid that?
If I remember correctly, you guys play almost GM-less or something, right?
Aaron Griffin Correct. At the heart of what makes this possible is rolling a d12 to determine which of the GM moves to make. The player most affected decides or the group collaborates to produce outcomes. We use a few advanced DIE OF FATE rules to resolve matters when there are several good ideas.
Method 1: When you come up with three or four outcomes, roll a d12.
Method 2: When you come up with one “likely” one “unlikely” outcomes. Roll a d12. On a 1-8, use the likely outcome.
Another fun mechanic is a long list of “Things that can go terribly wrong” (offscreen). It’s used for Unwelcome Truths, etc.
Jason Lutes: There have been many deaths, but none permanent. I’ll have to share with your our “Campaign Play” rules for HP, unconsciousness, death, debility, system shock, revival, and resurrection.
Marcelo Paschoalin We have exactly such maps. Here is the map made during the first session:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tK8FF_0t_Pf7BD60CCJhZmnIA1A__OiH9_tLG1FPJjF6rMMrdwDP6FFRjlSKOi7MSCc_FrxOzXKI6XJlNdyeulor5TCckgKJ2IU=s0
Here is the current map:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Yx-d1dPzSQm864qR6ZJv_TeFqvAaqie2EA5l35l2CEAgkzvJXzRKpB87MseatQbHoAPSkPWCjoRj5kvu2K0622ijNsd0d48qSC8=s0
Here’s a zoomed-in example of the level of detail on the big map:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RDHqKD6ossR9vTs1ToRRf8kQHJr0K09BDnEeMxj39Aki0DJEZUVBUAxNuqRC9bGaCcWovYiQMKGrsQgOQuHzhWMhK808PzQtRcY=s0
Marvelous!
Marcelo Paschoalin, here’s one more map, the first one that begins to suggest actual placements instead of symbolic ones. Like everything else in the campaign, it was generated totally randomly.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OLNooZem4ycCJNhxP1D5IG2daygNcnBxbUldRukjkWSCuWaCYLSDR68oMu3AueQQStLdtSA-0hlXU_S0cwMgjMAnw3WoL8XuVlU=s0
I love this. Cartography will always have a warm place in my heart.
Sun Damage Omen Maybe. It’s really just a twist on Jason Lutes’
Game.
The land of Takei. Cool.