I would like to apologise for the delay between game posts. (To skip ahead, the shows are after the jump.) The reasons for the delays are two-fold.
First, I’m running games for the local FLGS. This, as with my previous efforts with a local library, is more than just running one type of D&D. There’s some community building and promotion involved, which I am entirely responsible for. I’m making an effort to run a fairly diverse selection of game systems and play styles, which takes a lot of prep time and talking up.
Second, life hasn’t been easy. For a while, we were down to a single-income and money matters have made it necessary to focus more on bringing in the extra cash whenever and where-ever we can. In the vice between of time and money, some things get left in the lurch.
Fortunately, most of the prep for this game was completed last June! This is the main reason why I can keep it going–though the time is coming soon when I have to prep for the final confrontation.
I’ve learned a lot about running the game and if I were to do it again now, I would have designed things differently. As it is, I’m trying to make adjustments on the fly. I can do better and I hope that it shows that I am trying.
Session 11
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Session 12
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To much time has passed to give my impressions, but I will post the hastily defeated Abyss here for you to mock.
ABYSS (Niles Styger)
Aff: d10 Solo, d6 Buddy, d8 Team
Dst: Blatant Psychopath, Cruel Intentions, The Newest Horseman
Spc: d10 Horseman of the Apocalypse (combat, menace)BIO-METALLIC COILS
Abyss’ body is composed of nearly indestructible bio-metallic coils that contain a miniature “black hole” that sucks the unwary into their grasp.
d12 Durability
d8 Stretching
SFX: Entangle. Activate an opportunity to draw a nearby person into Abyss’ grasp. Entangle is a d10 complication. When the complication is removed, the target is freed.
Limit: Conscious Activation.BRIMSTONE DIMENSIONAL VOID
Housed within Abyss’ indestructible body is a portal to another dimension.
d10 Vacuum
d8 Teleport
SFX: Suck It! – Abyss may take action to prevent a character from leaving the scene or to bring them within range of his indestructible limbs.
SFX: Into the Void – On an exceptional success, you trap the target within the Brimstone Void, removing that target from the scene. The target’s allies may recover him or her on an opportunity or when Abyss is stressed out.
A person trapped in the void cannot communicate or cooperate with anyone on the outside.
SFX: Feed – Abyss can feed on one person trapped within his void. Spend a doom die to inflict that much stress to the target and then either double one power trait OR step down one of Abyss’ stress dice. If you inflict emotional trauma in this manner *DO BOTH* and then expel the target.
Limit: One at a Time, Please – Abyss can only hold one person in his void at a time.FEARFUL AURA
d8 Mind Control
SFX: The Inescapable Grip of Fear – Step up the effect die when you first create a complication with FEARFUL AURA.
Limit: Conscious Activation.
One thing that I’m seeing with these big boss fights is that they need more actions or reactions in order to keep from being overwhelmed by the players too quickly. Even a horde of minions didn’t help even the odds. I could have planned better, but I threw him in quickly to try and make the escape from the mountain a little more exciting.
I suppose that as long as it isn’t the final, final encounter, I can live with a BBEG going down fast. Apocalypse can’t go out like that! This is going to take some thought.
