Just wanted to quickly share a great “Defy Danger + Cha” roll that was used in my game last Thursday.

Just wanted to quickly share a great “Defy Danger + Cha” roll that was used in my game last Thursday.

Just wanted to quickly share a great “Defy Danger + Cha” roll that was used in my game last Thursday.

We were working a Dwarven Cleric into our party, and had spent some time figuring out how he ended up in a market place. After a series of questions, the Cleric revealed that the head of the Market was a very tall woman who “took a liking” to him. He described her as tall, tough, and not particularly pretty, but with “a beautiful singing voice”.

It turned out to be a somewhat uncomfortable engagement (“awww, my little dwarfy-warfy” kind of fawning), and the Cleric eventually sought out the help of our Wizard in making his escape. One invisibility spell later, and he was hiding in the trees when she released the hounds.

There was a poor attempt to distract the dogs, followed by a poor attempt to scare her off, and finally it seemed there was no escape. The Wizard and the Cleric would have to take on two guards, two dogs, and a very angry, very hurt brawny woman.

That’s when the Dwarven Cleric decided to sing.

Defy Danger + Cha, for the win.

He gained his freedom, but both of them ended up banned from the market for life.

Agrash Rage-Fist the orc says, “Human village weak. We strong!”

Agrash Rage-Fist the orc says, “Human village weak. We strong!”

Agrash Rage-Fist the orc says, “Human village weak. We strong!”

The Bard interjects, “But if you-“, but the orc immediately takes a swing at her with his fist.  What do you do?

In this case the Bard wanted to discern realities to decide how to react, so I had her Defy Danger +INT to think quickly enough to both analyze and react before she was hit.  Turns out this is just standard orc behavior to assert dominance, and Agrash wasn’t trying to hurt her, so she rolled with the blow and avoided antagonizing anyone.  Classic neutral bard.

Thought I would share, since I’ve found Defy Danger +INT to be extremely rare!

I started writing and collecting my best campaign “The Braveland Saga” on my profile.

I started writing and collecting my best campaign “The Braveland Saga” on my profile.

I started writing and collecting my best campaign “The Braveland Saga” on my profile. The players are the same ones as my TPK story “although sadly Bill Clinton will not return”

https://plus.google.com/collection/Q9cD3

A few of you checked out my tabletop podcast, Too Cool For Tabletop, so I wanted to let you know that our first…

A few of you checked out my tabletop podcast, Too Cool For Tabletop, so I wanted to let you know that our first…

A few of you checked out my tabletop podcast, Too Cool For Tabletop, so I wanted to let you know that our first bonus episode is now available. We dig into Class Warfare to create a character based on Taylor Swift. One of my guests next week really loves T. Swift, and we wanted to play a gag on her.

Find us on iTunes or at www.toocoolfortabletop.com!

https://soundcloud.com/tcftpodcast/episode-0025-you-know-nothing-johnstone-bonus-episode

Finally finished writing up what happened, to the best of my memory.

Finally finished writing up what happened, to the best of my memory.

Finally finished writing up what happened, to the best of my memory. Note to self, really write down things much more thoroughly!

I had no idea that this was where the adventure was going, but I’m glad I rolled with it.

Originally shared by Brian Vo

Session 1:

GM: Brian Vo

Players & Characters:

Orion Cooper  – Vladislac, the Paladin, armed with sword and shield

Island Vixen  – Ina, the Brute (A “Were-orca”), wears a hardbitten loincloth and wields a huge club.

Eric Tolle  – Morgan, the Wizard, dressed in a hoodie (robe)

It was a crisp day in the city of Goldenfield, Garrison City of Industry, where the fish lines the pockets and perfumes the air in the docks district. City of fantasy hipsters and metrojacks, except these metrojacks actually cut wood. But with more wax in their whiskers than lumberjacks. It is a city of both plaid and chain mail. It is here in Goldenfield that we find our staunch adventurers.

Vladislac, an impoverished yet huge and red bearded paladin with saintly purpose, is recently arrived into town meets with Ina, a hulking wereorca (note: basically a huge orca person) who has found a new home in the docks. Their meeting is warm, as familiar friends from the far north, as well as allies to return and solve the mystery of his missing village. Morgan, the hoodie wearing bookish wizard who has come across Vladislac and helped fend off Vladislac’s starvation with day old pastries, joins them out of a strange sense of camaraderie as well as a desire for lucre. It was on this day that they collaboratively decided to make their way North to solve that mystery, for lack of better options.

It was determined that the best course was to head to Castonshire to find passage from that point, on account of there being more direct trips, because of the shipping lanes.

They meet Captain Randolph, of the Ship “Ennet Bend.” While initially reluctant to take them North due to a lack of payment, Vladislac’s holy conviction fills him with a surprising amount of goodwill and latent purpose, so long as the party is fine with waiting for their last shipment to arrive from the Jeweller’s District of Goldenfield. 

While passing the time, Morgan summoned a spirit to see what troubles would assail them on their trip, and met a heavy handedly piratey pirate ghost who told them to expect pirates. Oh, and there was a ghost parrot too. There was much bent elbow gesticulation.

The party agrees, but when the hour grows late, Captain Randolph grew more agitated, until the party decided that something needed to be done, and they volunteered to track it down. 

A few missteps at the Jeweller’s shop to realize that it was Gerda’s Blue Wagon company that was supposed to deliver it, and some bartering with some street urchins (comprised of Grell, Laney, and Kworx), to track down the shipment. After quickly, and terrifyingly, dealing with the thieves, the party spent way longer than necessary tracking down the box on account of trying to figure out how stairs and doors work, but they eventually got it back to the ship, and collected some rewards from the town guard along the way.

Ina “helped” the Captain “move” the crate, and Captain Randolph resolved to never ask help from Ina ever again. Once Vladisclac and Morgan arrived, after settling up some accounts, the ship moved out of the dock to catch a favorable wind on the next morning.

On the trip north, Morgan enacted a ritual to protect them from arrows, but fortunately, through great intimidation, Ina “convinced” the pirates to leave the ship alone… and they left, with great muttering. Morgan may have felt put off to put all that effort into a ritual.

Eventually, the ship pulled into Castonshire’s harbor, where they were greeted by the sight of many townsfolk on the dock, beating themselves upon their bodies, as though they were being attacked by invisible knives and swords.

Upon closer inspection… MONSTER MOSQUITOES. Morgan devised a smokescreen, clearing the dock with [shark fat and lanterns?], and after much grumbling, he took the townsfolk to their homes, before heading the town leader’s house, where they met up with an adventuring band led by a sneering Regis, along with his right sword, Ferris, Locksley man of faith, and Schlarby the Recondite. This group was reluctant to take on help and wanted all of the treasure and glory.

While Ina and Vladislac seemed content to let the other party take all the booty and reward, Morgan, ever practical managed to ensure some share of the treasure would be going their way.

Adventurers set off upon towards the West. 

Morgan was able to detect an ambush, and in spite of Vladislac leading everyone down a wrong path, they leveraged this roundabout way to good use, laying an assault upon an unsuspecting group of brigands, armed with crossbows, staves, and swords.

While there were a few missteps and overzealous jumps by into the fray, Ina smashed through plenty, Vladislac smashed through plenty of fools, and Morgan fried faces off with his fingerguns of magic missile. With great numbers dead or dying or missing (via air travel over the cliff’s edge) the remaining two brigands quickly surrendered.

Unfortunately however, Morgan’s fingerguns of magic missile were so explosive a yeti woke up and strolled on over to say hi and play catch with them. With boulders.

Morgan blasted away, while Ina Charged, Vladislac covering both her and Morgan with his mighty shield. With several smashes of clubs, sword cuts, and well aimed magic missiles, the yeti finally tumbled into the earth.

Wiping their blades and licking their few wounds, the party took a breather.

Starting a Twitter experiment with Keep on the Borderlands powered by the  Dungeon World system.

Starting a Twitter experiment with Keep on the Borderlands powered by the  Dungeon World system.

Starting a Twitter experiment with Keep on the Borderlands powered by the  Dungeon World system.

https://nonlineardungeon.wordpress.com/2015/09/17/b2-keep-on-the-borderlands/

I hope this is allowed here!

I hope this is allowed here!

I hope this is allowed here!

I recently began a new podcast called Too Cool For Tabletop where I convince friends unfamiliar or uninterested in tabletop games to play a game with me to prove that no one is too cool for tabletop.

We have four episodes at the moment with the last two featuring actual play of Dungeon World. I will be uploading a bonus episode on Monday where my co-host and I dig into Class Warfare.

You can listen to us on iTunes and other podcasting apps. For more ways to listen, behind-the-scenes photos, and my dumb rantings visit my website at www.toocoolfortabletop.com.

I’d like to note that this isn’t a typical gaming podcast, the emphasis is more on how people unfamiliar with these games behave when playing. We banter back and forth and try to make it entertaining to listen to.

I’d love to hear some feedback! Both actual play episodes are ~1.5 hours long. Thanks!

https://soundcloud.com/tcftpodcast/tcft-episode-001-sheep-shop

Going to be running my second (or third, depending on if that one super quick 45 minute session counted while…

Going to be running my second (or third, depending on if that one super quick 45 minute session counted while…

Going to be running my second (or third, depending on if that one super quick 45 minute session counted while camping) DW session!

Super excited, wish me luck, feel free to foist advice or random encouragement!

I play at a mall food court, not at a home.

I play at a mall food court, not at a home.

I play at a mall food court, not at a home. I can’t take my game to a home bacause most players are underage and don’t get permission to go to houses. At the mall there is a spot where all kind of gamers gather and play tabletop games and exhibit their costumes and such. The mall is ok with this, there’s enough room for everybody and there plenty of food. The question is that I always have different people at my table. I don know how to keep a steady campaign when nobody knows what’s going on in the world and there is no involvement with the world since players change from session to session. That is campaign developments fom last week’s players are meaningless to today’s new players. Any advice?