STK Session #4 - Old Man Darnish??
Feb. 3rd, 2018 08:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
taluminI've been slack updating this because I have so many tabs open that I didn't want to open another one just to post. Yes, I'm THAT lazy.
This week was a good example of what often stressed me about running RPGs. This was supposed to be the last session and wrap the story up a little, save for some long weekend games where we can just power through encounters. The problem with that is that it meant there were certain beats and encounters that we HAD to get to before we ran out of time for the evening, so the DM ended up having to push us onto the tracks and railroad us along.
We were fighting the giant apes and starting to hold our own (although Manu had gotten smacked around because he was standing too close and nearly died), when one of the apes just up and fucking died. Something ripped open its back and the last ape legged it. Then our employer Darnish (our Major Reisman) showed up, we rescued the skyship captain and headed back to camp, constantly on guard for whatever killed the giant ape.
Once back at camp we levelled up (wooo level 7). We started asking the captain why the apes wanted him, and he was wondering why we were here. We started getting some plot elements that we hadn't known before, and the DM was clearly indicating that SOMETHING about what we'd done was shifty and didn't match with what was going on and that we'd been misled, but I couldn't follow it (which means Manu couldn't either). B and M made some good Perception rolls and began to realise that Darnish was acting... weird. Like not-human weird. Like weird construct that looks human. There was lots of RPing as we slowly started to all realise what was going on and the situation became more and more tense, with Darnish wanting to leave and the rest of us trying to figure out what was going on. And then that last giant ape showed up and just fucking skewered Darnish.
It was an awesome moment but I immediately realised that this was going to turn into a boss battle and the DM had pushed it forward because we were running out of time for the session. Still, it was awesome, as Darnish started acting like a lunatic, giggling when he took damage and becoming immune to magic. I had the idea to turn into a giant constrictor snake and hold him still while everyone pummelled him, but he still managed to kill B's paladin in one-shot (death rays, yo). Eventually, the construct Darnish was using was killed and the presence retreated, changing form and heading back towards Goldenfields.
So yeah, we're fully off book from Storm King's Thunder now. It's a good ending for the campaign, leaving lots of hooks for when we pick it up again. That being said, I'll be glad to get back to Kaz and B's campaign next week.
This week was a good example of what often stressed me about running RPGs. This was supposed to be the last session and wrap the story up a little, save for some long weekend games where we can just power through encounters. The problem with that is that it meant there were certain beats and encounters that we HAD to get to before we ran out of time for the evening, so the DM ended up having to push us onto the tracks and railroad us along.
We were fighting the giant apes and starting to hold our own (although Manu had gotten smacked around because he was standing too close and nearly died), when one of the apes just up and fucking died. Something ripped open its back and the last ape legged it. Then our employer Darnish (our Major Reisman) showed up, we rescued the skyship captain and headed back to camp, constantly on guard for whatever killed the giant ape.
Once back at camp we levelled up (wooo level 7). We started asking the captain why the apes wanted him, and he was wondering why we were here. We started getting some plot elements that we hadn't known before, and the DM was clearly indicating that SOMETHING about what we'd done was shifty and didn't match with what was going on and that we'd been misled, but I couldn't follow it (which means Manu couldn't either). B and M made some good Perception rolls and began to realise that Darnish was acting... weird. Like not-human weird. Like weird construct that looks human. There was lots of RPing as we slowly started to all realise what was going on and the situation became more and more tense, with Darnish wanting to leave and the rest of us trying to figure out what was going on. And then that last giant ape showed up and just fucking skewered Darnish.
It was an awesome moment but I immediately realised that this was going to turn into a boss battle and the DM had pushed it forward because we were running out of time for the session. Still, it was awesome, as Darnish started acting like a lunatic, giggling when he took damage and becoming immune to magic. I had the idea to turn into a giant constrictor snake and hold him still while everyone pummelled him, but he still managed to kill B's paladin in one-shot (death rays, yo). Eventually, the construct Darnish was using was killed and the presence retreated, changing form and heading back towards Goldenfields.
So yeah, we're fully off book from Storm King's Thunder now. It's a good ending for the campaign, leaving lots of hooks for when we pick it up again. That being said, I'll be glad to get back to Kaz and B's campaign next week.
