Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Forums

So I have just started my new forum for my LARP group I run over the summers. We have decided it would be a great resource for connecting between each other and allowing some off field game play.

If you are interested in checking it out, you can find a link below. Remember you don't need to ever even attend a LARP with us to participate, the more we can populate the world with NPCs and characters, it would be amazing.



This is our forum here, Feel free to make an account and join in. It is pretty sparse still, so help up populate the boards.



Help us get this big, join in today :)

Monday, April 27, 2015

Progress


A year ago, I decided to found a LARP using a ruleset from a Croatian LARP based in the universe of The Elder Scrolls. I did a bit of work on some props and posted them to our game's group. I wanted to post them here, so perhaps a few more people may be able to see them and use them for a bit of inspiration. 






Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Windy City

Windy City

Background

The city of Dregg, nicknamed the City of Wind,  sits upon the high hill of Ourma. The city is home to some of the strongest winds in Gurdo. The city is also home to a very special type of hot air, Gnomes. Dregg is the site of the gnomish High Citadel of Knowledge. And with this establishment present, so are the many contraptions of the gnomish empire.


Scene I

A hairbrained gnome by the gname of The-one-who-thinks-in-parallel-with-the-theory-of-aerodynamics-and-the-great-gear-for-the-betterment-of-science, has recently come into a bit of misfortune. His Airship that he has been working on was blown away by the great winds after the negligence of his partner who tied the incorrect type of knot.

He is looking for anyone who is willing to travel downwind and find his craft, or what remains of it and bring back the deck bell for him. The bell was crafted by a friend of his grandfather and was passed down through his family.


  • The One Who Thinks: 3HP Gnome. Immune to Earth based magic and Mind Control spells. 
  • He carries on his person a small note book and pen to jot down notes. He also carries 7GP and a scroll that proves he is a member of The High Citadel of Knowledge.
The one who thinks does not offer a reward of any kind because he believes this all in line with the pursuit of true knowledge. However, if they pester him he finally agrees to find payment for them upon return of the bell. This amounts to 15GP, however the bell if sold is made of electrum and worth far more.

The One Who Thinks tells the party that the ship was blown down wind and they should search for it in whatever direction that may be.

Scene II

A path of wreckage lays scattered across the landscape and in the distance a small mountain seems to be smoldering. If the adventurers follow the debris, they find a small cavern entrance at the foot of the mountain. If they attempt to scale the mountain and crawl in the top, they a met with a distressing sight, the mouth of the chasm seems to have collapsed slightly and is impeding any movement downward into the chasm. However, with significant coin and workforce, one may be able to hire a force to excavate the site.


The cave is unknown to most people, however any character with a knowledge of local lore may recall that this cave was used for rituals to a long forgotten god. The interior of the cave have a couple things of importance. There are three pedestals standing in the center of the cavern path, the first pedestal has a carving of a spell wand upon it, the second pedestal has an icicle carving, and the third pedestal has a carving of a piece of parchment with writing carved upon it. The writing upon the scroll are arcane runes detailing a Freeze Spell. Any mage character can decipher these as such, however they do not gain the ability to cast the spell.

The tunnel goes on for some distance, but after a short walk the players come to a fork. They can go left or they can go right. Both tunnels look very similar.

Scene IIIa

Left Tunnel:

This tunnel  heads slightly farther left than the other tunnel but seems it curves around to run parallel at some point. The cave looks natural and almost as if a giant worm bored the hole. At the end of the tunnel, the players are met with a dead end. However, astute character may notice a slight breeze from the forward wall. Any rogue like players or spell casters who cast find portal or locate type spells may find that there is a hidden passage in the wall.  This passage is trapped.

  • Ice Ray Trap: Any attempt to open or pass through this hidden door without neutralizing or disarming the trap cause the passerthrough to be hit by a ray of ice that causes 2 points of damage. All other players and NPCs within 5 feet of the effected take 1 point of damage. 
  • The trap resets and fires again any time an additional person passes through or attempts to. 
  • Anyone trying to disarm the trap without magical means takes 5 minutes to successfully disarm the trap. Any magical means that are designed to disarm a trap or device are automatically successful. 
  • Disarming the trap should reward the player with some amount of XP or system equivalent. 
Behind the passage they find a long rectangular room that has a series of chests on the left wall, on the right side of the room however, they find 3 small slits that seem to pass through the wall. These slits peer into a room adjacent to this hidden chamber. And if the PCs look through these slits before they investigate the room containing the wreckage of the ship, they seem the ship. They also notice there are a group of kender in the room pilfering through the sips wreckage, however they see no sign of the bell. 

The three chests along the left wall contain the following:

  • Chest A contains 27GP, however the gold is crudely made with the markings of what appear to be goblinoid.
  • Chest B contains nothing except a slimy substance coating the bottom of the chest. This is just a jello mold and is harmless. Whatever was in this chest, was eaten away long ago. 
  • Chest C contains a crude drawing of the puzzle in Scene IIIb showing the puzzle in the correct order, the writing is all in goblinoid. Additionally there is a rolled up scroll bound by lace. This scroll contains a one time use copy of the Ice Ray Trap that was armed on the door entering this room. (A wizard or similar character may be able to learn the spell and add it to his spell book if your system allows it, otherwise it just allows the user to cast the spell a single time.)
Scene IIIb

Right Tunnel:

This tunnel heads slightly left and then seems to curve and run parallel with the other tunnel. This tunnel after a short while seems to leave behind the natural shape of the cavern and turn into what seems to be more man made. The floors slowly reveal bricks and the walls slowly melt away to reveal fine crafted brick walls. Every few feet or so, there is a pillar on either side of the tunnel that is set half way into the wall. 

At the end of the tunnel, the hall stops and the players are met with a flat wall containing a set of three circles each smaller than the last and set inside of the previous. On the side of the large circles there is an obvious lever jutting out from the surface of the wall.  Each ring of the three circles contains approximately 10 different symbols. On each of these circles there are three familiar shapes, A Wand, An Icicle, and a Parchment with runes carved into it. The remaining 7 symbols or runes are all different and serve no purpose other than to confuse the players.

This is a simple puzzles for the players to solve, however any time they guess wrong, they are hit by the Ice Ray Spell trap that was present on the hidden door in Scene IIIa. (This instance of the trap can not be disarmed, but the players may find a different way to outsmart the trap.)

The players may recall their entrance into the cavern that there were three pedestals each with a symbol upon them. These were their clue about the order and alignment of the symbols.
The large circle should be turned so that the Wand is on the top, the second circle should be turned until the Icicle is upon the top, and the smallest circle should be turned until the Parchment with runes is on the top. 

If the circles are placed in the right order and the lever pulled, the door slides out of the way and allows access into the next area. Any attempt to pull the level before the circles are in the correct position, will set off the Ice Ray Trap. 

Scene IV

The door slides away and reveals are large chamber that is covered in debris of its roof collapsing. In the center of the room the remains of the airship. It has been pummeled by falling rocks and is shattered in pieces. Before the characters have much time to do anything though, the room that is filled with a dozen Kender turn and face the doorway, slack jawed and speechless until one kender holding a small sack in one hand and a staff in the other speaks up.

It has been some time since outsiders have found there way in here, perhaps you are kender in disguise? We kender have been living in here for some time, so you can imagine our surprise when this contraption fell through our ceiling and landed right here on top of our piles of spoons! OUR SPOONS HAVE YOU! We have spent years collecting, and unfortunately repeatedly losing our collection of spoons, but now... OH! But now our spoons are buried! 

The players can go about this in any way they see fit, but it is very obvious that the dozen kender are harmless and have no intention to fight, they are simply grieving their loss of spoons. The kender will answer any question that the players ask, however they more often than not start the answer as a story that takes place well before the events in order to make sure they tell nothing but the whole story. This can make the process a bit of a frustration for the players. 

After a short time of the kender relating recent stories and frustrations about their collection of spoons reveal their plans. The kender who originally spoke to the PCs reveals that this contraption had a great bell made out of a metal that would make a fine set of spoons. Out from his sack he pulls the bell. 

At this point the kender seems to show signs of relief as this bell with make their problems all go away. The players can attempt to get the bell from him but he is adamant on keeping it. 
(It is up to the GMs on how to handle this next part.)

The players have plenty of options open to them, they could try to reason with the kender, they could attempt to attack, or they could use mind altering magic to get there way. Out side of attacking the Kender and losing the battle, the bell should eventually leave the possession of the kender and enter the possession of the PCs. Although this should be a pretty sad affair for the kender who all had their hearts set on having a nice new set of spoons. 

  • Kender: 2HP each. Each carry a staff or improvised weapon, since they were not ready for or expecting combat. 
  • Each Kender also carries a random assortment of different kinds of spoons.
  • Out of the 12 kender 5 of them should carry 1-3GP. 


Scene V

Once the players obtain the bell, they can return to The One Who Thinks and return to him his bell. He pays the characters and is over joyed at the occasion. However if the players fail to bring the gnome his bell he is extremely disappointed but understands if they have a reasonable excuse for why it was not returned. However, any mention of kender and the Gnome goes on a rant about the filthy thieves. 

If the characters decide to sell the bell, it is worth 50gp but any shop will try to give them a lower price in the sake of bartering. 

  • The Bell: The Resonating Tomb. The bell is actually a magical artifact, however the gnome has no knowledge of this and have never question the bell outside of being an heirloom. If the bell is struck with a metal pole and the arcane magiks of the bell are spoken out loud, whatever living creature that the opening is aimed at is pulled inside of the bell and trapped until the bell is rung again or the user attempts to trap another creature, at which point the previous creature is expelled and thrown to the ground. (The effect only occurs if the target is not facing towards the bell when it is struck.)
  • While in the bell, the creature can only survive for 15 minutes until they run out of oxygen. 
  • The bell can only be used 1 time per month. 


Monday, April 20, 2015

Deliver Me Goods

Deliver Me Goods
This module is meant to serve as an early hook for a campaign or for a short break in regular activities. 
Background

The lands of Beyvier are home to a melting pot of races. The lands are settled comfortably between three separate mountain ranges that nestle the country away from the threat of harsh weather. The lands see fair weather almost year round. However, while the lands are home to fair weather and clear skies, the kinfolk of the land are in dire straights. A recent uprising of banditry and brigands have been ravaging trade routes and the country side. 


Scene I

A travelling merchant who is making a name for himself in the lands of Beyvier is sitting in a local tavern looking for strong adventurers who can help protect him and his caravan as they travel to the nearby city of Landhoth. Drak Dimsooth, the merchant, has put up a reward of 1 gold upon embarking and 5 more gold upon the safe receipt of goods in the town of Landhoth. Drak already has a female mage, Thine Willhound, and an armored guard, Grun Gre, in his employ. They are quiet and stay to themselves, however, they refuse to leave his side for any reason, and they make a show of always being around Drak

(Alternatively, Drak can be placed in the woods with his two travelling companions. He has pulled his wagons around and has made camp for the evening. If you go with this route, you may disregard any information pertaining to the PC's being hired in the tavern and instead the letter is a more generic proposal of intended deeds.)

If the players question anyone in the tavern about this Drak fellow, they may find that he has recently entered town, and while people know little of him, he offered goods (mostly armor and weaponry) with very reasonable prices. If the have exceptional charisma skills, they may also ascertain that Drak entered town with no hired help outside of his two companions. (It should be noted that if they players get this far, this fact should be played up as suspicious or mysterious.)

Drak has a single personal chest that he carries with him, it is on his person at almost all times except for when he uses the bathroom. He sleeps with the chest next to his head. The chest contains a few things of note:

  • 70GP
  • An assortment of precious gems and stones
  • A recreational drug of some sort, (or something similar in your setting)
  • An ink well and quill
  • A drafted letter.
The letter contained in his chest is a draft written to a small band of hired thugs disguised as local bandits. It lays out the plan that he will hire PC's who look of wealth. After which, he will lead them along a trail leading close to the hide out of the thugs and they will spring a trap, capturing or killing the PCs. Upon the dispatch of the PCs, he will award each thug 2GP and Drak will receive the properties of the PCs in order to sell at the following town. 

The PCs can use the information of the letter in any way they want. They may choose to go along with the plot and know of the staged attack or they may choose to turn in Drak and his companions, however, it is up to the players and the GMs should prepare for such events. 

If the PCs accept Drak relays the information that they will depart within the hour. He needs to send a letter announcing his plans to visit the next town (this should give some sort of red flag to the PC's since this is not customary), and to pack up the remainder of his goods. 

Scene II

Drak gathers his cart of goods and two companions along with the PCs and begins to travel to the next town. After a half hour of travel Drak announces he needs to rest for a moment and heed the cal of nature. (He leaves his chest on the cart buried under some goods). His two companions and himself leave for 5 minutes to relieve themselves. 

When he returns his mage, Thine, offers the party some mushrooms they acquired in the woods.  She claims they are safe to eat and is visibly shewing something in her own mouth already. 

  • Frocnaught Mushrooms: These mushrooms are not deadly, but they are toxic to most humonoids. After 15 minutes they begin to take hold by causing some to collapse asleep and others to suffer from intense stomach cramps. The cramps last until the following morning in game, and the sleep last until the same time unless cured by magic or a healer of some sort. (This should be accounted for in real time, After 15 minutes of RP the effects of the mushrooms should be conveyed tot he afflicted.)
(Any PC who ate of these mushrooms should be approached by a GM and told of their symptoms. In a party of 8 or less only one PC should be affected by the sleeping sickness and 2 others should be affected by the stomach cramps, making it hard for them to do any strenuous activities. )

Before the travelling continues Grun challenges PCs to a game of chance, his choice dice. 
Grun, a dim fellow with immense strength has more muscle than patience. If he ends up on the losing side of the gamble more than 3 times, he rages and threatens to beat up a PC until he gets his money back. He refuses to continue on until he plays 5 rounds. However a charismatic PC may convince him otherwise, if this doesn't prove to work Drak wacks him on the head and he continues on begrudgingly. 

Scene III

If the PCs have not dispatched Drak and his companions by this point then the following should occur. 

After a long travel the sun begins to set on the horizon and Drak tells the PCs that just around the bend there is a spot to set up camp for the night. By this point some of the PCs should have already begun to succumb to the effect of the Frocnaught Mushrooms. As the players turn the bend, they find a fallen tree blocking the path. Drak calls the caravan to a halt and tells the PCs to hold while he investigates. He leaves his two companions and the party and refuses anyone's assistance. He quickly disappears into the wood line. (The fact that he leaves his two companions behind should seem very suspicious to the PCs. To increase the suspicious they brandish their weapons of choice and attempt to move into advantageous positions on the PCs.)

After a moment or two a  war horn sounds from the woodline and 9 bandits jump forth.

  • Bandits each have 1 HP. They carry whatever weapons they can get their hands on and are poorly trained. They should prove no serious fight for the PCs.
  • Grun Gre has 5HP and a few points (your discretion) of armor. He wields his weapon effectively. 
  • Grun is automatically effected by any spells that target the mind such as command, control, and fear type spells.
  • Thine Willhound has 4HP and no armor. She is equipped with a wand and a selection of offensive spells. She is allowed to have 1 AOE spell that causes Debuffs but no damage. 
  • Upon one of the bandits bodies the PCs can find a letter similar to the one in Draks personal box. 
If the players get the uperhand quickly, Thine and Grun quickly surrender and offer all their knowledge about the plans Drak had. While they are loyal to Drak, they are far more loyal to their own lives and coin. They even plead for the adventurers to allow them to join the ranks. 

It should be noted that at any time in the module, the PCs can attempt to gain the support of either NPC. However, if Drak is around they simply shrug it off until they reach the start of scene III, at which point, they quickly spill the plans. If they only get the support of one NPC and not the other, the second NPC realizes how dire the situation is and runs off to avoid their death. 

By the end of the battle Drak is no where to be found. If one or both of the NPCs are still alive they relay information that Drak most likely retreated to the Bandit's hideout and is awaiting the return of the NPCs with their good news. They also relay the information that at the hideout, there should be no less than 5 more bandits including the bandit leader.

If none of the NPCs were alive or captured they PCs should be able to pick up on the trail of Drak. However the plays may decide not to follow the tracks, and that should be awarded by the PC's getting pick of goods on the cart including Draks personal box with his items and money contained within.

It is possible that the module could end here.

Scene IV

If the PCs follow the trail of Drak to the bandit hideout, they find a small camp set up in a small clearing among the many trees of the forest. It is possible they could get the jump on the bandits. None of the bandits nor Drak should be expecting an attack as they are confident in the abilities of their brothers and sister who have no doubt pulled this trap dozens of times successfully.  

  • If the PCs choose a sneak attack and are not noticed by the bandits, they should catch then in disarray, perhaps some separated from their weapons by a sizable distance.

  • If they assault the camp and the bandits are aware of it, they have already gathered into two groups, one group in hiding and the other bracing for the attack. 

  • If the PCs approach the camp in peaceful manner, the Bandit leader may hear out the PCs from a distance. They could use this opportunity to bribe the leader for the head or living body of Drak, however the Bandit leader demands a sizable amount since he has come into a fair amount of wealth in his partnership with Drak. If the PCs push their luck and approach to closely they hidden bandits attack, if they drag on the conversation, The bandit leader voices his boredom and orders and attack. Drak is a cowardly man and does all he can to avoid combat, however he does not try to escape as he is frozen in fear.

If the PCs do manage to convince the leader to hand over Drak, they deliver him with tied hands behind his back and make good on their word. They fancy themselves more of sellswords for hire than bandits, and while they have spilled much innocent blood, they value coin more than death. 

  • Drak has 4HP and a pouch with 12GP. He also carries a scroll that when examined shows it to be a Deed of Land. 
  • Bandit Leader, Swey Vullt, has 5 HP and a small amount of armor. He is effective with his weapon and commands his troops with ease. He has 5GP on his body.
  • Bandits each have 1 HP and are much more organized than the last batch. However if their leader dies, they fall into disarray and lose their effectiveness. 
  • The camp itself is full of consumables and trinkets. These items are up tot he discretion of the GMs, however Drugs and alcohol should be a large focus. This is also a good opportunity to place in a plot hook item. They bandits could have unknowingly come across an item of great power, mystery or a map of some sort, it should be mixed in with the remainder of their possessions. 
At this point what the PCs do with Drak is up to their discretion. He is a weasel and makes grandeur promises of coin that he has hidden somewhere, however if they are smart they would realize he is just saying what he can to get out of their clutches. If the PCs take him to a local town and turn him in, they should be awarded a small bounty. 

Friday, April 17, 2015

Dragorith Cometh.

Background

The lands of Gurdo
have never been strangers to the struggles of war. However, the previous 13 years of peace have been a welcome sight among the denizens of Gurdo. Little did the Gurdoians know, that deep beneath the earth a powerful and ancient evil has begun to stir. 

It was a day like any other, the sky was filled with its puffy gray clouds and a light breeze blew across the meadows of East Valley. Grains swayed across the endless rows of crops and farmers tended to their fields. No one could have known that the Lich know as Dragorith has set his gaze upon the surface, not until the dead started to rise. 

It was an early morning when the first reports started pouring into the King's Guard office. Fed'rik had dismissed the first few as senseless gobble, but after the 6th similar report of deceased animals roaming fields and attacking travelers, he had to begin to change his mind and quickly. As he finished his morning reports and was readying for his mid day meal break, a scruffy looking guard burst into his office. The guard, who's name has been lost in the endless tomes of time, had reported that not only had he seen dead animals walk with his own eyes, but he had encountered something much worse, undead humanoids. 

Fed'Rik had quickly organized a band of conscripted soldiers and wandering adventurers to gather information and put together a report. Extra gold was awarded to those who could find the source, or even more so, destroy the source of the problem. This task however, had proved to be a fatal mistake. 


Module
Scene I

After being conscripted by Fed' Rik the party is lead to the location of the first sightings (they can be given a map to the location, a brief description, or be given a guide to bring them), a lightly wooded open field. On the field scattered corpses lay strew about. When the party steps first foot into the 'Realm Circle' (A powerful gate spell which allows for the transport of souls) the undead humanoids rise up and begin a slow but relentless attack. 
  • 6 Skeletons and/or zombies are present
  • Each mob has 6 HP
  • All present mobs are immune to piercing damage
  • The mobs cannot communicate and their thoughts have been lost to time. Anyone who uses a read mind spell or a spell that is similar in result, will be given just a dull sense of blind ambition.
  • Each mob carries 1-2 pieces of gold and one of the mobs carries a small precious stone that carries magical energy (The Mindlink Stone)
  • The Mindlink stone is a cursed magical artifact that speaks directly to Dragorith of the holders actions. It will also alert other holders of attuned Mindlink stones of the users where abouts. 
Scene II

After the defeat of the undead, and after the party has time to heal up and ready for the continuation, they see a whisp of a figure in the distance scurting the outside of their camp. This apparition is immune to damage and any kind of communication with it fails. However, the Whisp will lead the party to the next encounter if they track it or follow it in any way.

The Whisp floats soundlessly towards the entrance of a recently dug hole in the ground. This hole is about 3 men wide and seems to drop down about 15 feet. Inside the whole the party notices that the dirt hole seems to lead into some sort of man made structure. The walls are etched with carvings of old gods long forgotten with the passage of time. The walls are lined with inset standing coffins, they are all closed.
  • If the party opens any of the coffins they immediately find remains of humanoid creatures, however these creatures have all of their skin and muscle attached and are wearing undamaged robes. If the remains or robes are touched in any way, the monsters all awaken and immediately attack. 
  • If they do no more than look at the creatures, they stay asleep until later in the third encounter. 
  • If the party has a member who took the Mindlink stone, the monsters immediately awaken and attack upon anyone in the party passing the first coffin. 
  • There are 6 Undead wights
  • Each Mob has 8 HP
  • Each mob is immune to mind altering magiks and piercing damage.
  • Each mob carries 1-2 pieces of gold. 
  • If the mobs are left alone and do not attack, upon the beginning of the third encounter, they awake and exit their coffins and attack the players from the rear. 
  • One mob is carrying another Mindlink Stone. 
Scene III

When the party continues down the hall they come to a large open chamber, the chamber is octagonal and had a domed ceiling. In the center of the chamber is a standing coffin that is ornately designed with gold and silver inlays. Upon the cover of the coffin is a awful face of a demon of some sort carved into the material. Surrounding the coffin are 8 pedestals each containing one book opened to a random page and each glowing with a small magical light source. Each Pedestal has engravings or paintings that show piles of burning books. 

When the party enters the room they hear a deep and dark voice, "Mortals of the oldworld, your time has come. True sight has been awarded to us after our thousand year slumber, and we will take back our home.
(If any member of the party is carrying the Mindlink stone there is this additional line.)
"And you, the one so foolish enough to take upon him the burden stone of my elder, thank you for bringing me this sacrifice, you will be awarded greatly in the afterlife. 

At the completion of the speech the coffin bursts open revealing a large robed figure carrying a two handed weapon. 

  • DurinThronz the Ancient has 40 HP and is immune to any mind altering magiks. 
  • He is susceptible to fire damage and takes 2x damage from any fire attacks or enchantments. 
  • If DurinThronz is felled he drops to the floor, but his body is untouchable and emanates strong magik. 
  • After 10 seconds DurinThronz stands back up at half his previous health and begins to attack again. 
  • The 8 books in the room are key to his destruction. The books can only be destroyed by fire, all other attacks or attempts to touch the books causes the user to take 1 point of damage. 
  • For each book destroyed, whenever DurinThronz is felled he adds an additional 10 seconds onto his respawn time. 
  • After all 8 books are destroyed DurinThronz automatically drops to the floor screaming in pain and is killed. His magik ceases to exist and all other undead in the area are destroyed as well. 
  • If anyone studies each book for 10 seconds each, they are awarded with the information of how to destroy DurinThronz and each of the books. 
  • Durinthronz carries 10 gold, a small ring of  +1 health, and a roll of ancient parchment.  
If examined the scroll shows no signs of traps or magik, but it does contain vital information. It explains that in 1000 years time the Great Dread Lorde Dragorith will rise up and retake the Mortal world as his own slave world. The letter is written to a Zealous follower of Dragorith, DurinThronz. 

Breathing a bit of new life here.

As summer fast approaches, I am going to begin LARPing and running small LARPs and modules for different groups.

I think i will temporarily re-purpose this blog as a depository for small ideas for modules and and place to organize my thoughts on different scenarios.

Enter: Tales of LARP.