Just finished my second Skull and Shackles game with my in person group. It has only been two games and I am still struggling even to remember the new characters name and how dangerous it can be to be first level again! I almost took one of the characters out with a dire rat tonight!
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| The first of the six module adventure path from Paizo |
I am at the moment running at least three games a week and consuming new material like a ravenous dog! I run a Pathfinder game online and one in person and my Traveller game is also online. They are neatly placed side by side so it is a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday thing and each of those nights I am just amazed at how much fun I am having. Each new game we have makes me feel better than the previous one and they seem to be getting better and better.
I am so glad that the pirate campaign has started off well. All of the characters are well developed and are really getting into their roll. They have also quickly got into the idea that this first module is about biding their time to find the opportunity to get out from under the yoke of their tyrannical Captain and First Mate. But apart from that all of the player characters are evil as well (this is the first evil campaign I have ever run) and they are finding ways to weave that into their stories. They are working to undermine some and fight back against their oppressors in underhanded ways like stealing from them or turning their traps on them.
That said, the players still need to learn a thing about shipboard life After all, they have only been on ship four days now. They have yet to try and get their equipment back from the quartermaster and last night faced six dire rats where only one of them had a weapon. Funnily enough, the one with the dagger drew it out, critically fumbled and dropped it into the waters of the bilge and had to fight bare handed anyway. The summoner is lucky as he is a Tengu and has a beak weapon and also called on his Eidolon for some help last night for the first time.
It is also cool for them as the players all started failing at their job roles in the first couple of days but coincidentally their rolls improved on the last couple and only the target hated by the Master at Arms Master Scourge (Daranis Skyborn, the Drow necromancer played by +scott desmond ) managed to get the lash. They also turned around a staged fight designed to keep them away from deck long enough to get the lash and had two of the combatants receive the lash instead.
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| I am so loving gaming at the moment! Hell YEAH! |
The players were actively defiant first game to the discipline dealt out by the crew, but this game just gone they fell into line. They said yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir to any discipline and then took subtle actions to repay the discipline. I knew this Skull and Shackles campaign was going to be enjoyable and despite two of the players last night suffering colds everyone was laughing and getting in on the unique feel that comes with playing a pirate!
And the players of the campaign have taken to the addition of the Fate core aspects to their characters managing their use of “Villainy” points like ducks to water. They are invoking their own aspects, calling out compels for various aspects and I had one player using his “Villainy” (Hero) points nearly every five minutes by trying to invoke other characters aspects that he was involved in. It is such a good inclusion and one I am glad I have included. The group are intensely curious about Fate Core as well so these are all good signs for perhaps having a test of it one night with an in person group!
So, tonight is Traveller and I am sure after that game I am going to feel the same way! How cool is gaming? HELL YEAH!