August ‘24 In Review

Some months you just look back on and it feels like there isn’t anything worth writing about. Played some games, painted a few minis, spent time with the family… It was an uneventful month. I'm also feeling a little bummed that I'm not at Reapercon this year. 

Oh, I did get my covid booster, and you should get yours!

Gaming

Sadly I had to cancel 2 work D&D sessions in a row this month. The first because I had been up all night the night before with a sick dog… I’m pretty sure it was the ant trap I found chewed up. She’s better now, but it was a rough night. There were also a couple of other rough nights when we discovered she really doesn’t like thunderstorms. This past secession they attacked the lizardmen mound, and thanks to some lucky rolls, and judicious use of oil and sleep spells, managed to take out the main warriors of the tribe, collected a chunky gold necklace, and flee to safety. The first character has made level !

The Rappan game is going well. We faced some eldritch horrors and survived… just. Had the fight ended up going a little longer, or had there been even one more of them, it would have been a TPK.

Miniatures

You know when things just get too cluttered to make progress? I hit that point and needed to clean off my desk. And then more than a week went by before I put a brush to a mini. And then 2 minis I finished up, I put some clear coat on them, and it fogged up! I ended up having to repaint them. I also painted up a Stargrave psycher, and her cool base. Unfortunately the base and the mini don’t really go great together. It wasn’t the best month, mini-wise.



I’ve got a couple other stargrave minis I’m working on, and an oldhammer sorceress… Not sure what else will hit the table this month. Still need to finish off the big demon's base. I should probably do that this month. 


Media

Star Trek Prodigy season 2 rewatch
The Umbrella Academy season 4 - WHAT THE FUCK?!?


Goals for September
Build a 6’ tall monster spider for Halloween
Play scenario 3 for Hope Eternal
Try to get at least 2 session reports written per week.

Rappan Athuk: There's always a bigger fish...

 Session 249 was played on 4/14/24

Nick, Fighter 7 (Me)
Borumar, ½ Orc Thief (Josh)
Blotto, Goblin Fighter (Lanse)
Morgana, wizard (Rob)
Koltic, Cleric 7 (NPC)
Aroon, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Jameth, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Lor’Koth, Dwarf 5 (NPC)

With Borumar invisible, and a bunch of kobolds available, and a Horn of Valhalla… the bugbears were overrun with no casualties on the party’s side. A small stash of treasure was collected.

One of the bugbears had been paralyzed in the fight. Tying him up, he was defiant, spitting and cursing at the party. Then things got quiet….

Too quiet…

Magically quiet!

The bugbear hunting party had returned with their cleric. He cast sticks to snakes, but Koltic, outside the magical silence, used his Book of Yg to counter the spell. Nick, Borumar, and the 3 amigos charged in, while the kobolds provided support. 2 Kobolds fell from bugbear attacks, but they were the only losses.

Feeling celebratory, the party again began to think about setting this up as a kobold kolony. Unfortunately a MASSIVE red dragon popped into existence next to the ruins. The displaced air that washed over the party reeked of sulfur and rotting meat. The kobolds dropped to their faces.

“Who speaks for this ragtag bunch” the dragon hissed.

Gains: 154gp, 99sp
Kills: Bugbears
Losses: 2 kobolds

Rappan Athuk: Arriving at the ruins

 Session 248 was played on 3/31/24

Nick, Fighter 7 (Me)
Borumar, ½ Orc Thief (Josh)
Blotto, Goblin Fighter (Lanse)
Morgana, wizard (Rob)
Koltic, Cleric 7 (NPC)
Aroon, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Jameth, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Lor’Koth, Dwarf 5 (NPC)

After enjoying a spider rodeo, the party gathers up 20 young kobolds itching to make their mark on the world and are willing to be the vanguard of the kobold kolony in the ruins. With a pair of mules and a big cart, they hit the road.

Taking the ferry back to the keep, Blotto makes use of his new paralyzing fishing polearm to get what he can in the river. He accidentally hits a kobold, sending him into the relatively shallow waters. He’s rescued and recovers, but keeps his distance.

At the keep they meet up with a caravan heading in the same direction and join up. Blotto takes the lead on the negotiations and they go surprisingly well. Morgana purchases another cart and horses for herself to ride in.

The trip south is largely free of incident. Minor encounters with some giant wasps, a rumored vampire’s tomb, but little of note till they reach the path to the ruined fort. The caravan is unwilling to hang out while the party does its thing, so they move on.

Morgana casts invisibility on herself and Borumar, and they head up the path to investigate, and find “ruins” might be an overstatement. No wall is higher than hip height, and most barely make it to the knee. Nevertheless, a troop of bugbears has made it their camp. Half a dozen large tents are set up within the walls, and as best as they can count, a little over a dozen bugbears seem to be within.

Gains:
Kills:
Losses:

Rappan Athuk: Travel Prep

 Session 247 was played on 3/17/24

Borumar, ½ Orc Thief (Josh)
Blotto, Goblin Fighter (Lanse)
Koltic, Cleric 7 (NPC)
Aroon, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Jameth, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Lor’Koth, Dwarf 5 (NPC)
Nick, Fighter 7 (Me)

Nick uses the tapestry to call in Morgana for consultation about Kelman’s proposal/request. The two of them talk it over, and then get into the weeds discussing magic theories. Then they head to her lab and start working on… magic stuff.

Meanwhile Nick and Borumar begin to make preparations for a long overland trip, and to check in with Drusilla about some ruins that they’ll pass on the way. While unable to meet with the druidess, they receive word from one of her wolves that she has no problem with them trying to take it over, and installing a kobold kolony there.

The 3 amigos spend their time training the kobolds, and blotto fishes. Koltic sets up a still in the kobold caves and gets to work brewing and distilling some mighty fine drinks. Getter than the mushroom swill they call a drink.

Morgana and Kelman come back from their time in the lab with some shiny new armor and weapons for those in the party who were without. Kelman also offers a magic boat in a box to ease their trip to the water temple.

Gains:
Kills:
Losses:

Rappan: Quest Options & Castle Upkeep

 Session 246 was played on 3/11/24

Borumar, ½ Orc Thief (Josh)
Blotto, Goblin Fighter (Lanse)
Koltic, Cleric 7 (NPC)
Aroon, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Jameth, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Lor’Koth, Dwarf 5 (NPC)
Nick, Fighter 7 (Me)

After Nick and the rest of the party clean up, Nick finds the visitor, and has a sit down with him. He calls himself Kelman, says he’s heading north on an important journey, but heard about Nick and company, and thought they’d like to know about a temple of the Blue God to the south that was struck by an earthquake and since then it’s gates have been closed and weird sounds have been heard. Additionally local children and livestock have been born with deformities, and people nearby have been getting sick.

It sounds like a promising quest. Nick decides to chat it over with the rest of the group before agreeing to the trip. Kelman does warn Nick that there’s a potential dragon encounter that they might have on the way, but that he has a flag that will allow them safe passage. Nick grills Kelman about the dragon, an adult that lives on an island off the coast, and collects tribute. After dealing with the temple, it might be worth doing some dragon hunting…

After meeting with Kelman it’s time to survey his castle and check in with the residents. The demonic birds are doing well, and their numbers are up to about 10. Getting their attention takes a little work, so Nick suggests a specific gong outside the tower, and the matriarch agrees.

Checking out the kobold construction, he visits the nursery, and looks at the spider silk production, but declines the opportunity to participate in the giant spider riding rodeo planned for the evening.

Gains:
Kills:
Losses:

Rappan: Back to the Keep

Session 245 was played on 3/10/24

Borumar, ½ Orc Thief (Josh)
Blotto, Goblin Fighter (Lanse)
Koltic, Cleric 7 (NPC)
Aroon, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Jameth, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Lor’Koth, Dwarf 5 (NPC)
Nick, Fighter 7 (Me)

While Morgana spends her time researching the ring, now activated, the rest of the crew head back through the tapestry to the inn at the keep. They take the tapestry down, fold it up and pack it away to take it to Nick’s castle. While in the village, they ask around for news and rumors, and find out that someone has been looking for Nick, recently, but they left for his castle a few days prior.

They take the barge to Zelcor’s Ferry, passing a group of ogres butchering something on the riverside. They were well away from the barge, and no one was interested in getting closer.

Arriving in Zelcor’s Ferry they disembark and head right for the tavern, bumping into 4 kobolds from the keep. They give Nick a quick update on what’s up.

Nick hires another boat to take the party, and the kobolds back to the keep. It’s an uneventful journey and they arrive at the keep safely. The gentleman looking for Nick is already in residence, but Nick needs a quick change before meeting with him.

Gains:
Kills:
Losses:

Stonehell: What a drain

 Session 244 was played on 3/4/24

Morgana, Magic User (Rob)
Borumar, ½ Orc Thief (Josh)
Blotto, Goblin Fighter (Lanse)
Koltic, Cleric 7 (NPC)
Aroon, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Jameth, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Lor’Koth, Dwarf 5 (NPC)
Nick, Fighter 7 (Me)

Still poking around the soap bubble, the party comes to realize that some of their magic is no longer working. The light coins Morgana keeps in a pouch have all gone dark.

Playing with the bubble, eventually they attempt to enter it. Slowly at first, just a finger, then a hand, arm, eventually their head to see if they can breathe inside it. They can. They also discover that they can stand inside the bubble. Morgana tries to use the ring, to no effect. She goes back to the room with the sparks, and attempts to ritual her way home, but fails…

They return to the hermitage, and then to the manor to rest, train, and resupply all the various magical items that were sucked dry.

Gains:
Kills:
Losses: magic light coins, a bunch of potions, a scroll

Stonehell: Sparks and Bubbles

Session 243 was played on 2/25/24

Morgana, Magic User (Rob)
Borumar, ½ Orc Thief (Josh)
Blotto, Goblin Fighter (Lanse)
Koltic, Cleric 7 (NPC)
Aroon, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Jameth, Fighter 5 (NPC)
Lor’Koth, Dwarf 5 (NPC)
Nick, Fighter 7 (Me)

The party returned to the main hall to check the side passages near the entrance. Heading east, they enter a large chamber with glowing pillars, and faint lavender sparks that flash briefly all around the room. A pair of the floating eyes approach the party from behind, but Morgana ice storms them. Borumar cautiously checks out the room and the lavender sparks, but they don’t seem to do anything. The rest of the party cautiously checks out the room, then heads to the door to the south.

Opening the door they find an octagonal room with 4 pillars surrounding a 10’ diameter… soap bubble. Everyone hangs back with the lavender sparks while Borumar checks it out. He doesn’t find any traps, can’t wrap a rope around it. Shooting an arrow through it doesn’t do anything.

Morgana even tries to mentally move the bubble, but it has no effect.

Gains:
Kills:  floating eyes
Losses:

July ‘24 In Review

At the very end of the month, we added a new member of the family. Welcome Tasha! She’s about 3 years old, and while not a puppy, she’s full of energy and seems to be settling in nicely. 

We’ve also been dog sitting a friend's dog all month, so it’s been a nice chance to get back into the swing of having a dog. It is something of an adjustment having to deal with a dog that can reach the counter top… She’s only semi-trained, so there’s work to do on everyone’s part.

Gaming
We paused the Stonehell/Rappan game for most of the month as Rob was out of town, and gamewise it didn’t make sense to continue, so instead I ran Another Bug Hunt for Mothership horror RPG. It’s the first time running anything but D&D in forever, and it was nice. It’s a fun, relatively rules lite system. Not sure I managed to bring the horror, but my players had fun.

My work D&D game is getting going. Always hard to get people together in the summer with vacations and all, but I’ve had 2 solid sessions, mostly in the keep, and am looking forward to them visiting the caves again next session.

Miniatures
A frustrating month. I spent too much time trying to paint some Fristgrave forest bandit minis (aka Robin Hood types) and having the worst time of it. The white primer I used trying to zenithal highlight it ended up being super dusty, and nothing would stick. Eventually (and this took far too long) I gave them and a bunch of other minis that I’d primed at the same time a bath in isopropyl alcohol and a good scrub with my craft toothbrush. Things went a lot easier after that. Then I switched gears and knocked out half a dozen Blood Demons from Reaper. 

I’ve got a wide selection of minis ready to go on my desk right now, and no idea what it is I’ll really focus on next.


Media
Resident Alien
Letterkenny
Star Wars Acolyte
Star Trek Prodigy season 2

Goals for August
Play scenario 3 for Hope Eternal
Try to get at least 2 session reports written per week.