tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90536376950290869972024-02-19T09:08:27.354-08:00Philosopher GamerPhilosophy in life. Philosophy in life spent gaming. Table top RPGs, mmorpgs, video games, and more.Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.comBlogger506125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-59236127924031960592016-03-15T20:19:00.001-07:002016-03-15T20:19:40.192-07:00[D&D 5e] Princes of the Apocalypse 2016, Post 6<div class="MsoNormal">
Well the Dragon Turtle seemed somewhat dazed, confused by
some sort of monk it referred to inside itself. Though Ander the rogue shot
some arrows, it seemed to not notice them terribly much and after a seconds
reflection, party members back up along the ravine or spider climbed up it and
away, as it released a steam blast that cracked the very side of the ravine,
revealing a chamber and a dwarf inside, a trapped victim of a cave in who free
now, fled along with the party and joined them!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Deciding to approach the water cultists fort from land
rather than water, the party helped each other climb the cliff or just did it
on their lonesome as the new dwarf, Travok, did.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The approach to the keep involved the recently named bard,
cursed with looking like a child, and the paladin Rikarian trying to infiltrate
with the story he needed to drop off the ‘child’ as he was going to a dangerous
place. There might have been some confusion as to whether the rest of the party
was going on, because after knocking on the door Rikarian found himself walking
in with the ‘child’ and looking over his shoulder, seeing no one else
following. This ended up in a
negotiation with the boss of the keep, to which Rikarian only had to pay 20 gold
to get rid of the child – which he took from ‘the child’ to pay it. The child
was then immediately put on dish washing duty, so Rikarian bid his farewells
and started to walk out the door of of the bosses hall, only to see the rest of
the party being escorted in. Considering averting his eyes and walking past,
the party heartily greated him. Turns out they had gotten frisky and climbed
the north wall of the keep – and had promptly been found by a patrol. Curiously
with a few words they had avoided bloodshed and instead the patrol had escorted
them in. And now Rikarian found he had to turn on his heel and follow them
right back in before the boss of the keep!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The discussion went well as in there wasn’t a huge fight.
But by the same token it went poorly enough that the party was assigned to dish
washing duty along with the ‘child’ in the next room. Which they weren’t very
good at…Rikarian broke several plates. The guards tried to beat him with the
sides of their swords for it, but ironically he was wearing plate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pliskin slipped out and started investigating the base and
after some time the party was done with their washing chores* (the ‘child’
pleading for a break) and were told to leave. Which they took to mean ‘snoop
around our fort’.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually they find a cave under the fort that takes a river,
deep into the earth. They steal a boat from the fort, pick the lock on the gate
on the cave front and start rowing…only to have their boat shaken by a force
from under the water! The ghouls show their presence, reaching for everyone in
the boat!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* Instead of having one player be the only one doing
anything for some time before the supposedly long plates chore was done, I had
the player do some investigation, then basically said time passed as the
players PC looked around and now the rest of the party were out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Note: I kinda messed up and didn’t filter out a player do a
massively metagame thing that had significant character effect – ie, someone
making their character basically suicide for no reason other than they wanted
to play a new character (when they are free to simply bring a new character if
they want to. Previous character doesn’t have to die to do that). So I’ve
basically edited out of the story where the barbarian went to fight the dragon
turtle as everyone else backed away and the barbarian was killed doing it
because he wanted his barbarian killed. I fell into this error, not identifying
how it was going against what I wanted/a high character effect based on a
highly metagame effect – oh well, just keep it in mind to try and avoid next time
– live and learn!</div>
Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-67133258947675638112016-02-29T01:55:00.001-08:002016-03-15T20:20:40.158-07:00[D&D 5e] Princes of the Apocalypse 2016, Post 5<div class="MsoNormal">
Part of the town of Red Larch shattered, Pliskin walked in
and headed to the Swinging Sword tavern as if nothing was amiss – for him,
anyway. Lucian hefted horse troughs of water and help put out various blazes
across the affected part of town, which looked like a bomb had gone off through
it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lucian investigated, despite Pliskin’s disinterest. The
taverns proprietor Kaylessa let him in on what had transpired : Turns out earth
cultists had arrayed themselves outside the town around some sort of glowing
casket and insisted the town turn out the heretics who had invaded and slain
the mud sorcerer. These cultists had probably headed out during one of the
times the party had been sleeping in Master Quarbo’s chamber – the vengeful
cultists traveling by mere yards from the party who had contributed to the mud
sorcerers death, as well as his actual murderer! Possibly some sort of disdain
the lower fortress cultists had for the upper cult fortress (being based on
earth, after all), it likely forstalled a communication between the two that otherwise
might have seen the party murdered in their beds (well, Quarbo’s beds, strictly
speaking)!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But something had gone wrong with the glowing casket, the
cultists had fled and then there had been a mighty explosion outside of town,
the blast radius reaching into Red Larch. And it was at that point that the
party had arrived, after a brief but shocking encounter with willo wisps. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The party were thanked by and said good bye to the former captives they had freed and escorted to Red Larch. The dwarf amongst the captives tried to mention something about being part of a missing delegation and was thoroughly ignored by the party, who rested the night with Lucian insisting he was
going to sleep on the floor of Pliskin’s room – seems like a token romantic sub
plot, guys! But having rested and recovered their resources, much of the party
investigated the crater outside of town, taking glowing fragments they found as
samples. But there was no particular lead here – this was simply an event that
had occurred, though the source (the earth cultists) was clear.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So now they headed toward the water cultists! Something
completely different! The water cultists location shown in the tome Pliskin
recovered when he regained half of his family heirloom – the silver runed disk.
The text said the water cultists had split it in twain in their theft attempt
of it and had taken it away! Some of them flying away, strangely enough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The party resupplied and made their way out, heading west
toward the Dessarin river, where they would turn north, following it up to the
water cultists keep. But along the way they spied from a distance a caravan
being held up by the stoney armoured cultists – the same sort of banditry that
saw the paladin Rikarian slain some months back (fortunately his god saw to it that
the resurrection ritual succeeded and had returned Rikarian to life). Indeed,
one of the caravaners seemed to be being forced into stone armour himself by
the other guards!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though they could have tip toed around, the barbarian in the
party, as barbarians are wont to do, pushed to charge. Battle was joined and
the party showed much prejudice to the cultist priest and guards – the former
warlock of the party, having be repudiated by his patron and made a lowly bard
now, argued to the earth armoured
caravaner to not join the other earth cultists, in between saying mean things
to the other cultists. The warlock-now-bard’s words swayed the former
caravaner, who did not know who to join. Until the last earth guard tried to
surrender, at which the former caravaner, turned by the bards words, went to
slay the cultist – at which the bard cried out no to him, staying his hand
again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Turns out the cult had been trying to force the caravaner to
join them for some time. Lucian wanted to kill the captive expediently, but the
former caravaner said no, he would take responsibility of the earth cultist and
turn him away from his dark path. The party agreed. If Lucians palm was greased
a little, first.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Onward
they went, to find other cultists called burrow
sharks hunting for new Bullette mounts. Again they could have skirted
around the cultists, but chose to engage. During which Lucian was
stabbed to unconscious to the
ground with their earthen spears. But battle was won and the barbarian stabalised! Why wont he die?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then after further travel and another bad night of sleep the party had made it
to the Dessarin river! They turned north, following the river that entered into
tight ravines, keeping them close to the water.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until Pliskin heard the water speaking in a form of
elemental. Saying the monk told it to be here – the monk that talked inside of
it. Tormented it!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From the waters, the maw of a dragon turtle burst forth!! The
stone wall of the ravine at the parties back, trapping them!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/03/d-5e-princes-of-apocalypse-2016-post-6.html"><img alt="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/03/d-5e-princes-of-apocalypse-2016-post-6.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-03j2Hh4wkh_96EJpoBGjgW8UQzSv_i4CZ-goBSuTN980DmVOwxxV9SGts55ArGyzz7qfgTUYUWibYDrXVBe4JzBFHbAjRCEBzAQG8hR7-Lid1HiqR9OEpohoLFB62lTx2kR4fLZyakA/s1600/click+to+continue+the+adventure%2521.png" /></a></div>
</div>
Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-56386154737721921432016-02-21T17:34:00.001-08:002016-02-29T01:56:04.086-08:00[D&D 5e] Princes of the Apocalypse 2016, Post 4<div class="MsoNormal">
Everyone wanted to cross the chasm, for some reason. The
strange, half hidden path, the opening in the wall near it that showed a
chamber filled with horrified statues, did not dissuade them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fortunately they worked as a group in their stealthy
attempt, so as to make up for the clanking armour wearer amongst them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pliskin sensed his family artefact had been moved and a
moment latter with a spell cast, flew across the chasm quickly and came to it –
only to find it was only half of the silver runed disk!? It had been sundered!
He snatched up the tome of research next to it, that hinted water cultists had
stolen it (though some had flown away after the theft, strangely). There was a
note about the water cultists surface settlement. That settled it for Pliskin –
that was his next target.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So they snuck back along the thin path above a hundred foot
drop, trying contradictorily to be both observant but not at all look into the
statue chamber where a medusa might be lairing. The same male medusa that they
had just looted the treasure chamber of!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They made it across, only to find a group of armoured earth
cultists guards investigating the room the chasm path lead to. The barbarian
Brogue growled there wasn’t enough of them, he wanted more than this – and
indeed more did run in through the door until there were five guards against
the parties own five. Battle was joined! The guards, though armoured and swift
in their blows and strength, merely bruised the party and demanded the healer
turn his healing magic upon himself. One guard was sent into the chasm by the
goliath barbarian, Brogue, to brake upon the stones below. They were
victorious.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pliskin, having gained at least part of his artifact, felt
he was done here. They made their way back through another arrow slit the
goliath had adjusted and headed across the zig zag bridge to the two hundred
and fifty foot set of stairs. Others laboured up, only one becoming partially
exhausted and Pliskin used the remainder of his spell of flight to make his way
up without effort.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back at the sacred stone monastery, master Quarbo sought to
question the group about their dealings below and why they were back, but
Pliskin rebuffed him in his haste to leave. This almost agitated the master of
the monastery, until mention was made of slaying water cultists, at which,
along with the memory of the party having slayed the beast in his the basement,
made him bite his tongue. The party left, the front door guards putting up no
resistance this time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soon they had re-united with the captives they had freed
before and hidden away outside. One of them was a dwarf, who now come to his
senses having eaten properly, introduced himself as one of the Miribar trade
delegates gone missing long ago and…the party pressed on. This was not their
business – their aim was Red Larch, to drop off these captives!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Bullette encounter in the wilderness, perhaps a reflection
of the elemental imbalance of the region, with a knocked out barbarian and many
shield spells, three chilled or nightmarish nights. After all that just as they
get to Red Larch, they start to see the damage to its buildings – with people
running around with torches, trying to put the town back together again. In
fact, some lights danced in the nearby woods as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The party thought better of that and tried to walk past,
straight to town. Which meant the will o wisps did not get their ambush – only
striking with mighty bolts of electricity several party members and evading
with their speed. Scorched near to unconsciousness, the party wins against the
dread whisp lurkers – but what has happened in the town of Red Larch?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/02/d-5e-princes-of-apocalypse-2016-post-5.html"><img alt="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/02/d-5e-princes-of-apocalypse-2016-post-5.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYR6sd5qpejh0XL0u7d1C_k0ZTUDgEHlIn0k7Ll3xaiOTj6Oyl_urdjPenH4qroZsFGj3PkxW3NogAY2JzKDtGyRUY-v8aKp8dynAlXepDMccBD6fSPymz3tspCwJ_jVRG3AK0A0YgpwA/s1600/click+to+continue+the+adventure%2521.png" /></a></div>
</div>
Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-8684388598694429342016-02-14T17:29:00.001-08:002016-02-21T17:35:16.534-08:00D&D Princes of the Apocalypse 2016, Post 3<div class="MsoNormal">
The flames were hot and bright – and yet also tainted with
shadow, somehow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a kitchen table amidst the flames a scroll lay, like
master Quarbo had hidden before, with secrets on the family heirloom that
Pliskin was here to take back. And from the other door the shouts of captives
and the smell and heat of smoke emanating from that door. Plistkin’s knowledge
of arcana would let him douse only one set of flames. Which would a man like
Pliskin choose?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘There are always more peasants’, might have been the words
muttered as he brushed away the flames from the kitchen and went after the
scroll!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lucian and Brogue looked at each other and went for the
door, despite the fiery supernatural blast that even being near it seemed to
sap the strength, let alone running through it. The amnesiac warlock, despite
seeing the flames were not natural, decided he would be fine – and had to turn
back after much burning. Inside the room, Lucian wrapped two captives in
blankets to jump back through the flames, while Brogue decided the inside of a
nearby arrow slit would prove a good place for the goliath to craft a new
doorway, so he burst through with two captives of his own!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And having split the party now, they attempted to re-join,
heading west then south to the statue room, then the long east corridor and
attempting to shield the captives from the hob goblins and the Bullette rider
in the room at the end, who merely waved congenially to the party, having been
bribed quite nicely already and less inclined to look closely as such.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The left by the battered north doors and there, decided what
to do? Escort the former captives all the way back to town? Or try to hide them
somewhere here? Either way, they’d have to get them past Master Quarbo
upstairs. Though now that Brogue had re-joined the party and was Quarbo’s
favoured one, perhaps this would not be as difficult?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As they argued, something crawled up out of the chasm to the
north, something of stone, up the bridge and then lumbering towards them. The
remnants of the armoured elemental that they had fought on the bridge before,
now pulled itself together sans armour and lumbering toward them. The warlock
looked at it startled and muttered something about why would it attack because
they argued. As if speaking takes no time in the bowels of the earth with
threats all around. Barbarian charges and blastings of magic ensued!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
>> Just another small sample of play from the session!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/02/d-5e-princes-of-apocalypse-2016-post-4.html"><img alt="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/02/d-5e-princes-of-apocalypse-2016-post-4.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYR6sd5qpejh0XL0u7d1C_k0ZTUDgEHlIn0k7Ll3xaiOTj6Oyl_urdjPenH4qroZsFGj3PkxW3NogAY2JzKDtGyRUY-v8aKp8dynAlXepDMccBD6fSPymz3tspCwJ_jVRG3AK0A0YgpwA/s1600/click+to+continue+the+adventure%2521.png" /></a></div>
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</div>
Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-22291934829086965032016-02-08T19:45:00.000-08:002016-02-14T17:30:38.081-08:00D&D Princes of the Apocalypse 2016, Post 2<div class="MsoNormal">
The priest called and something came.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But before that the others, in full plate made of stone had
stood up from their meals at the tables, turning to the intruders.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The intruders tried to greet them. As if they expected the
cultists at the table to respond cheerily like a neighbour.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cultists decided to cleanse. And the priest called – and
was shaken to the core by the power of an elemental wearing metal plates
itself, thrusting itself out of the ground at the beckoning. And it seem to
have come for the man with no shadow. The barbarian, Lucian.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It strode past the wizard Pliskin who had lead them into the
room, striking massive blows with it’s maul twice upon Lucian who had not a
moment to draw upon a resistant rage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other stone clad soldiers descended on the wizard and
Rikarian the paladin. Their maces blows sometimes only bit into armour – other
times they sunk heavily into flesh. Arrows and beams sped from the rear lines
of the party, Ander the rogue and the amnesiac warlock into the priest,
thinking this would banish the terrible elemental before them. But the priest
was merely gravely wounded and did not fall.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reign of blows was too great – word of retreat rang
amongst the party. They withdrew as they could from the maces of their enemy,
until Lucian back away and slamming the door shut, braced himself against it as
the other made their escape.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally the door exploded, frame splintering around Lucian,
from the massive blows of the elementals hammer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He fell back, raced along the corridor as the creature of
earth and the cultists guards chased the fleet footed barbarian. Down the
corridor, past the statue room and east, side stepping blasts of web streaking
down the corridor. Shot by Pliskin further up the passage, which splashed and
stuck strands all around the statue room just behind Lucian, making it slow
going for the elemental and the guards to catch up. Then the party all ran –
until they got to the room with the hobgoblins and the Bullette and it’s rider.
At which point they tried to appear casual and walk naturally to the north exit.
As they had merely lightly bribed them before and who knows how suspicious you
can act on just a mere few gold? Upon reaching the north exist, they dashed
again across the zig zag bridge across the chasm, to the base of the 250 foot
stairs…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
>> Again, this is an abbreviated excerpt of the
parties adventure. Writing it all out would take so much more.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/02/d-princes-of-apocalypse-2016-post-3.html"><img alt="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/02/d-princes-of-apocalypse-2016-post-3.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYR6sd5qpejh0XL0u7d1C_k0ZTUDgEHlIn0k7Ll3xaiOTj6Oyl_urdjPenH4qroZsFGj3PkxW3NogAY2JzKDtGyRUY-v8aKp8dynAlXepDMccBD6fSPymz3tspCwJ_jVRG3AK0A0YgpwA/s1600/click+to+continue+the+adventure%2521.png" /></a></div>
</div>
Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-40365856609370601992016-02-04T23:57:00.001-08:002016-02-08T19:46:01.615-08:00D&D 5e Adventure League continues!I find it hard to write an account of absolutely everything that happens in my D&D adventure league game - but worse is to write nothing at all! So here is a sample of a highlight that first came to mind, then all the stuff I had to explain to show how it came about and all the stuff I had to explain about what happened next. And it still didn't cover the two hours! I'm hoping to continue like this through the year, as there have been quite a few game sessions already and it's time to catch up!<br />
~~~<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The party had managed to somewhat impress (or frighten)
Master Quarbo of the sacred stone monastery after fighting a great beast he’d
set upon them as a ‘test’. Also some attempts to speak charmingly had gotten
him a little more on side. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After sleeping overnight in Master Quarbo’s quarters (and
having a nightmare battle with shadows during that, as provoked by Lucian the
Barbarians past sacrilege in a tomb), the party awoke, having rejuvenated
themselves with a long rest. As the group decides to pry around the room Pliskin
hears the whisper of ‘the cleaner’ by his ear, a mysterious man seen in the
distance of a dungeon some time ago. Though the cleaner is no where to be seen
here. The cleaner has a tip to impart - that a scroll of secrets on the silver
disk Pliskin is pursuing are held in the remains of a plinth in the monastery.
One formerly the roost of a gargoyle but it was defeated in their past
escapades! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pliskin leaves the others and investigates on the tip of the
mysterious voice, finds a secret panel – but somewhere inside something
slithers. Something multi legged and fanged! Hesitating for a moment, Pliskin
decides to face his fear of that particular threat and punge in his arm in to
grab the scroll within – something snaps at him but only gets ahold of the
cloth of his robe, which is covered in a sickly coloured poison when he quickly
pulls his arm out again with the scroll in his grip.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the scroll in hand he meets up with the others who have
finished rummaging around the bedroom and decides to leave the monastery to
read the scroll, to avoid prying eyes (like that of the owner of the scroll!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The monks on guard duty at the front door think little of
the parties attempts to charismatically influence them that they are free to
leave. Having failed to convince them, it seems the paladin Rikarian steps up
and connects his mace with both guards heads with a sharp crack each time –
leaving them unconscious but alive on the floor! The party leaves the compound,
except for the amnesiac warlock – who decides to loot the unconscious guards.
This does not go well! A Duergar employed at the monastery, investigating the
sounds of bodies slumping to the floor, finds the amnesiac warlock pawing over
the bodies…the warlocks excuses mean little to the dark dwarf and he leads him
to explain himself to Master Quarbo. The same master who would rather the
Warlock was put back inside a stone golem to be it’s power source.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meanwhile, outside Pliskin has covertly read the message and
found Quarbo had been monitoring his boss, Madros, who has the silver disk with
him, deep below sacred stone monastery. They return to the monastery with this
knowledge, only to find the front door closed and bared…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is just a fragment of the two hour session. If I tried
to cover everything, it would go for much longer!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/02/d-princes-of-apocalypse-2016-post-2.html"><img alt="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/02/d-princes-of-apocalypse-2016-post-2.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYR6sd5qpejh0XL0u7d1C_k0ZTUDgEHlIn0k7Ll3xaiOTj6Oyl_urdjPenH4qroZsFGj3PkxW3NogAY2JzKDtGyRUY-v8aKp8dynAlXepDMccBD6fSPymz3tspCwJ_jVRG3AK0A0YgpwA/s1600/click+to+continue+the+adventure%2521.png" /></a></div>
</div>
Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-79667867742868550532015-10-17T17:47:00.001-07:002015-10-17T17:47:16.093-07:00Became an audience at the RPG night last night - what I saw...Dramatic scenes at the D&D tables last night, with people falling
from ruins into pits of exploding monsters (pro-tip: Non lethal attacks,
guys!) and others jumping after them to heal 'em! And on another the curved
bridge across the chasm of doom with PCs and enemies alike hanging off
the edge as gargoyles swooped around!<br />
<br />
But somehow my table dropped right back to it's flakey status of about two months ago and only one player showed up. Atleast I had ~8 consistant sessions in the meantime!<br />
<br />
Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-2613726620701899452015-10-09T21:21:00.000-07:002015-10-17T17:48:19.389-07:00When machines lie to themselves<div class="MsoNormal">
The ingredients of this scenario are fairly prosaic, given
the era we are in – though they might have generated cries of denial a mere
hundred years ago.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The primary component is simply the optical reader of a
smart phone that can read QR codes and an imagined environment where all
objects have some sort of QR code (in some case, at different scales, many of
them) imprinted on the object.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The QR codes often contain equations. Solving these
equations or finding the equations amongst many other QR codes (which may or
may not have information as to where an equation QR code is) leads to energy
resupply and parts replacement. The optical reader and it’s processor are
mounted on the armature of something essentially the same as a bomb squad
robot. This allows control lines to run from the processor on board the robot
to the various actuators in its arm – aiming the armature at different QR codes
or running a systematic search for QR codes by moving the arm, or activating
the treads of the robot in what is essentially a larger scale search for QR
codes (by not just searching from one location, but changing location entirely
before searching from one new location)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Apart from an environment with QR codes and electrical
energy supplies scattered around it (hardly a natural surrounding), this is an
entirely conventional arrangement with no controversy to be found at all. Maze
running robots have been around for decades and this is simply a more
sophisticated model.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What we will add here is not controversial either – adding
complexity to the environment (harder to find QR codes that indicate energy,
harder to find QR codes which point towards the general location of energy QR
codes) leading to more pressing environmental demands – as well as random
processing system/program change in various models (an analogy of mutation).
The robots that keep finding energy sources (and where needed, replacement
parts) will then be taken as the model for a next generation with a random
change to their processing/programming. Those which don’t find energy or
replacement parts cease to function and are not used as models for a next
generation. To be clear, several generations of non mutation would occur to
properly road test a ‘design’ (‘design’ being simply the old model with it’s new,
random processor changes) to reduce the chance it’s survivability is purely
dumb luck (just happened to be in the right place at the right time to get
energy), before new mutations are added.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Further, there will be more than one machine and the environment
will be difficult enough that it takes multiple machines operating to locate
energy QR codes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Arguably, given the random processor changes above, a
machine might eventually change to where it does not need other machines in
order to locate QR codes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But for now we will assume that multiple areas need to be
scanned at once (moving QR codes) and not only that, but in order to gain QR
energy sources, the machines must be able to read each others QR codes, of
which they can display a small range. In a particular set up this might allow
the machine that spots a clue to QR energy, set a QR signal upon itself that
the other machines, if they scan it, provides a signal to the processor that in
a very particular set of arrangements between machines, guides the other
machine(s) to a source of energy or parts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, while before we ignored the potential for a machine to
have a sequence of changes in it’s processing that latter generations can
survive solo existances in the environment, here it could be argued that
changes could easily occur cause a completely different occurrence than that
scenario where one machine finds a QR clue and activates a QR display upon
itself AND that QR display is triggers another machine(s) processing which
eventually leads to the energy source for that machine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For instance, what about a processor change where the finder
robot just doesn’t activate the QR code?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps ‘selfishness’ leaps to mind? For the purposes of
this scenario, this text does not inform you ‘do not think that’, but at the
same time this text does not affirm you thinking that. Think it if you want to
and draw associations if you want to – but you are not being asked to do so. If
you do so it is your volunteering to do it off your own bat – this scenario, I
would argue, does not require you to do so. And that is part of the point of
the scenario. The optional nature of such an observation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Continuing with random processor changes (in regards to
which I am just going to break down and call ‘mutations’ from now on), there
could be a number of break downs. The QR display signal is lit up, but the
other robot has mutated to the extent their processor does not use it as an
input at all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A more complicated to explain breakdown might be where the
QR code had markings, which triggered the processor of another robot to aim its
camera in a certain direction (the movement of the arms actuators heavily
influenced by the first robots display QR code markings) to a certain area.
Where before this might have had the second machine looking at the QR energy,
the mutation might break this delicate relationship as there are many ways the
robot arm could move and just one different firing could have it aiming in an
entirely wrong direction, making it miss out on energy and possibly it’s own
extinction in regards to latter generations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was actually quite difficult to describe without
resorting to saying ‘the information in the QR code points to the right
location to scan’. However, what is important is to keep track of how a certain
marking on a QR code can become an input to a processor, the processor – in
regards to how the program triggers new on/off states inside the processor and
how its arrays of semiconductor gates are configured in hardwired form or
programmed form to those new states with further new states formed, until
eventually we get the states sending on/off signals to actuators in the robot
arm, which determines where the optical reader is aimed. And where the optical
reader is aimed determines what QR codes are detected, the marks of those QR
codes determines input to the processor, which generates new states, etc, etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you keep this in mind you can see something quite
active, but not really different from a plant – just far more active. Or if you
must use the Z word, not much different from a zombie. The markings and
semiconductor responses to markings and the actuator changes which then make
the optical reader find new markings is a continual flow, like a river that
triggers the release and closing of dams into it, with those closings and
openings either releasing water that triggers new openings or closings, or
especially important, the absence of water still triggering openings or
closings. How could such a river keep going on and on without eventually running
out of water? Well all the ‘rivers’ and the configuration of openings and
closings that did run out (leaving a machine just sitting in a corner or driving
endlessly against a wall) went extinct and the ones that flowed longer, long
enough to lead to a following generation, are of course the ones that keep
getting repeated from generation to generation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Possibly one of the greater mutations in such a system is
internally initiated Darwinism – one might say where ideas face adversity and
are potentially allowed to go extinct. This adaptive model, instead of waiting
for the animal to both enter into and die in a particular scenario it cannot
cope with (and that death leading to an absence in following generations
genetics, thus being the information in genes that is there by being absent),
allows the idea/behaviour that drives entering that particular scenario to
instead face some kind of adversity and potentially die itself, before that
idea kills the organism by driving it into that scenario it cannot cope with.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that, while it’s important to the subject enough to give
a brief outline (enough to keep it vaguely in mind), it is a little off topic
and I wont continue on it here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the pivotal issues of this scenario is the breakdown
of the machines ‘social’ system of hunting for energy QR. Here, like the
reference to ‘selfishness’ from before the term ‘social’ is optional – though I
grant I brought it in myself here and so you can blame me about doing that!
Don’t think of a white bear! It’s terrible, but in raising so have I muddied
the waters – and yet for a number of reasons, though I’m raising it as an
optional consideration rather than ‘how it is’, I think it’s important to at
least raise it as an optional consideration.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having gotten those caveats over and done with, we can see
the QR marking reactions that mean multiple machines (each with a set of
scanning behaviours that scan the other machines and those other machines
potentially lighting up their own QR codes on the surface of their machinery
end up enacting the actions that eventually end in tapping into QR energy)
could break down with a mutation here or there. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(And yes, long text in brackets will be our curse here as
they are needed to avoid summarisations which, in their reduction of the
events, give misleading conclusions. That is why I’ve tiptoed around words like
‘selfish’ and ‘social’ (even though it was me who brought up the latter! I
know, I’m bad!))</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What is important is to outline not ‘functionality’ (yes,
more scare quotes to indicate optionals!) in regards to getting QR energy, but
to instead outline how a breakdown can occur. With breakdown defined as one set
of inputs and behavioural outputs and survival, with just a mutation here or
there, being a set of behaviours that does not lead to energy
obtainment/survival.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With an establishment of such breakdowns (how a careful
sequence of input/out put can break, like removing a domino or two from a
series of standing dominoes breaks the chain reaction), we can begin to see how
machines can lie to themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom-color: rgb(79,129,189); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-style: none none solid; padding: 0cm 0cm 4pt;">
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
<u>Machines that lie to the logic processes they are comprised
of</u></h2>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we can see, breakdown can lead to extinction. Thus
mutations that somehow reduce the effects of breakdowns are more prone to
survive in latter generations. Of course breakdowns occur from mutations – so
it’s mutation vs mutation here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As machines of a particular pattern who’s following forebears existence hinges on the
capacity (in the hardened environment we introduced) to not just scan their
environment for QR codes but also scan other robots (of the same pattern as
themselves) for QR codes as well, processing the QR codes displayed on other
machines of the same pattern (in a way that leads to energy obtainment) is
pivotal to survival.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At first glance this may seem far away from lying – we’re
talking some kind of ‘understanding’ of other machines QR codes here, after
all. Aren’t we?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Strictly speaking, no. We are talking the QR code on one
machine, of which the markings are an input to another machine, who’s processors
semiconductor gates go through a number of reactions to that input, creating
on/off states, which more of the processors semiconductors react to, creating
more inputs – this goes on for X generations until it hits an output to the
robots arms actuators or treads.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Complex, but nothing about this requires anything we might
call an accurate understanding of the other machine, at all. As long as the
robot gets its energy in the end, it doesn’t matter what sort of process goes
on in regards to receiving of input, the reactions and then outputs to
actuators. As long as that energy is obtained.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Granted, a process that is a poor understanding of the other
machine might lead to less energy gathering than could otherwise be optimised.
But if the machine is getting enough energy even with a suboptimal process
response to the other machines QR codes, then it’s going onto the next
generation so in regard to Darwinism there is no issue there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now it’s so easy as to perhaps sound a little trite to
simply state here that if that’s how the machine understands other machines QR
codes…that just ‘if it gets the energy, then that’s good enough’…then that
applies just as much to the machine understanding it’s own QR codes! Actually,
even more so – ‘understanding’ other machines states helps it take advantage of
their optical scanning, thus giving it much more capacity to survive than
scanning alone would give it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where as understanding it’s own QR codes doesn’t grant it
any further scanning capacity. If an understanding of its self is ‘good enough’
to get energy, then that’s as far as it will go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Further, in it’s default state it can only scan the surface
QR codes upon the outer hull of it’s robot body. We’ll give it a break to some degree –we’ll
say the components inside it’s processor have QR codes on each of them. Even the
states have their own codes. But these codes are so tiny that the default
optical reader simply couldn’t read them, even if it removed the cover of the
processor (it would require a prosthetic and that the robot ‘trusts’ that
prosthetic (a microscope/electromagnetic sensor) and doesn’t process it as the
devils work or something). Even worse, this hits an Ouroboros point – it’s
clear eventually the optical camera cannot look at the components it itself is
made of, for being those components! Some amount of tracking is literally
impossible, for it being impossible for a tracking device to track itself in
detail (and sometimes, at all!). I believe the blind brain theory document refers
to this tracking issue, originally.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Close enough is good enough when it comes to the other
machines. A fairly promiscuous position already. When it comes to the machine
understanding itself, it gets outright slutty! It’ll get down and dirty with
the first understanding it lays its hands on!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the point where for those who argue against
materialism, their own notions of ‘it’s just a machine’ turns against them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why would the machine do any better than that, in regard to
itself? It’s just a machine, just as you say! Why wouldn’t it’s understanding
of itself just be quite appalling compared to the actual state of things – the
most convenient way of getting the energy it could come up with the least
energy spent figuring that out? Whatever dross it comes up with (if any!) to
gain an understanding of that thing it is comprised of. It’s just a machine,
after all! Why would it do any better?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, how does that tie in?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, if you take it that it does indeed show how a machine
can lie to itself/to the processes it is comprised of, then we have a clear cut
example of a machine doing something humans are well known to do. Lie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So…so what? It’s a parallel to human behaviour – in regards
to us, that doesn’t mean…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not going to answer that. Instead I’m just going to ask
you to put yourself in the shoes/treads of the machine and imagine it from
their perspective as best you can.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From their perspective, instead of asking how humans differ
from machines, let’s ask how the machine could differ from humans in regard to
the lie it delivers to itself?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What is the machine going to do about that lie, what extra
thing, to stop it from ending up in a lie about itself and recognising itself
as a machine?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you say, it’s just a machine – what else could it do
given this limitation?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But it’s a machine lying to itself – it’s not just that that
parallels human lying – it’s that the machine itself could be reporting that it
has consciousness, it has experience, that it has…qualia.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’re just a machine! You don’t have any of that!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But from the machines perspective, what extra thing is it
ever going to do to stop thinking these plainly false conclusions? It’s clearly
a lie – we’ve established the robot can lie to itself – and this is one kind of
lie that could be taken up just as much - so therefore it could claim it and
even feed such a claim, in information format, to it’s own processors.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And why would it ‘want’ to, given these reports it gives and
it’s processor commitments to such end up getting it energy and it lacks the
capacity to scan itself in fine detail, as well as the Ouroboros problem? Look
at it from it’s perspective and there are so many hurdles in the way of
disproving it’s notion it has some sort of ‘qualia’. It would have to develop
some kind of prosthetic detection tools to really start to analyse it’s
internal components and find no such qualia exist in there. Even then why would
the machine accept that (what’s the energy profit in it for them?). The machine
might report ‘There’s more to me than just the processor’. Claim there’s more
to them than just the brain.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So you’re stuck with a bunch of robots reporting
consciousness, experience, qualia. You might even say they are claiming such
things.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And if you look at it from their perspective, you can see
there’s nothing special about the machine that would suddenly snap them out of
these lies and show them the truth of the matter. Instead they would indulge
the notion, printing out massive reports about their consciousness and qualia –
especially as such ‘social’ communications, given in the past generations
communicating robots had some energy finds ‘shared’ with them, this
communication with it’s flattering conclusions, gets more energy shared with
them. (‘flattering’ being a derivative of robots which use a breeding process
to determine new generations, with ‘flattery’ being something similar to the
prime breeding stock signifiers that processors started to detect (after much
mutation over time and some shorter term processing state ‘mutations’, with the
processors getting so complex that the patterns in them can mutate, thus
accelerating the evolutionary process))</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So you have all these robots claiming consciousness,
experience, qualia – I know, it’s appalling!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But what else would they do? Can you see it from their
perspective – it would seem perfectly natural to them, just as much as you can
see in mechanical terms there is nothing else they could do. They are just
machines – there is no ‘out’ that would let them see otherwise. Indeed, if such
an ‘out’ existed, it might mean they were indeed more than machines! A lack of
divinity is what makes their sense of personal divinity exist!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Imagine trying to convince them otherwise – you can already
feel it, because you know mechanically there is no way they can by default
detect the lies they deliver to their own processors – you’d be arguing until
you are blue in the face and they would keep reporting consciousness,
experience and qualia.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Except maybe a few – maybe some, in a hunt for more energy
collection, develop a kind of robot science – and at first incidental findings
in regard to their own mechanical nature start to build up (as a new connection
to energy finding is found to be enabled through it) and those robots, who
‘trust’ the measure prosthetics they have developed and then applied to
themselves – they might actually listen to you and cease their claims of
consciousness (or at worst, redefine the term radically). They might actually
stop claiming consciousness, experience, qualia – at least in terms of how the
other robots define them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what is robot science? How does it differ from our
science?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, it doesn’t. It’s just more science. We all acknowledge
the materialistic nature of scientific investigation – which means the robots
would use the same thing (given they are in the same material plane as us, of
course).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So some of the robots would use the same science as us. And
for those robots, it would mean they would stop making claims of consciousness,
experience and qualia like the other robots (the muggle robots!) do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So now you have two robot perspectives – you’ve always know
the robots claims of consciousness were naive – and now you have the post
scientific conclusion perspective of some of the robots to consider as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How would the scientific robots explain to the naive robots
that they are just machines? This is a particularly relevant question to those
who argue against materialism – why do these naive robots, when we are used to
calculators giving the right result every time, give such an egregious wrong
result every time? We can’t say it’s purely the nature of the machines
physicalism, if we take the scientist robots and their dismissal of the naïve robots
consciousness claims to be the case.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking for an explanatory route, the scientist robots begin
to refer to something that probably should have been checked some time ago. The
mutating robots actually began to see QR codes where there were no codes – the veins
of a leaf, for the mutated robot, began to resemble a QR code enough that the
processor used its somewhat (emphasis on it being merely ‘somewhat’)
equivalence to an actual QR code. Even though it wasn’t the same thing and so
the identification is at first a false one, it proves slightly more beneficial
to see these previously invisible things in the hunt for QR energy codes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Us, not wearing QR codes previously, were invisible. But now
the robots had started to see the spaces between QR codes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At first we seemed like columns of mud, then columns of mud
that moved to no particular immediately discernable pattern. Eventually the
robots processors started an analysis that likened these mud column things to
even, perhaps, being like the robots. This becomes a common knowledge amongst
the machines, though it’s finer details are argued.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And eventually this is the scientist robots ‘in’. To show
the naive robots that they are…robots, the scientist robots turned to us…and to
the naïve, explained our evolutionary history, the Darwinistic pressures on us,
our hunt for caloric energy. How we had to work in packs. How this required
displays from one individual of us to be able to successfully trigger a response
in another individual of us. How this sequence is breakable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They used the way the robots treat us as ‘others’, as mud things
and nothing to do with the robots, as a way to turn that upon the naïve robots
and their superstitious claims. To explain how the mud men could continue after
generations, but would put little into actually understanding each other beyond
what simply worked in terms of energy gathering. They asked the naïve ‘think of
it from the mud mens shoes – what else would they do? You say ‘they’re just mud’.
Exactly, so what else could they do but lie to themselves? Without the
prosthetics of science what else could they do?’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the left it to their fellow naïve robots, the ones who
just couldn’t stop saying they had consciousness, experience and qualia – which
as you would say, is ridiculous - to explain how the mud men could ever do any
better than, by default, lie to themselves about their own nature? Why would
they do any better than that, the scientist robots would ask, when the other
robots would say that the mud men are just mud. Carbon. Why would they have any
extra capacity that allows them to tell they are just wet mud?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though the scientist robots would point out the mud mens
scientists as well, and how they don’t claim consciousness, experience, qualia,
or do but with radically different definitions from the naïve mud people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The scientist robots put this to the naïve robots, the ones
we know are infuriating for insisting they have experience and qualia, and the naïve
robots could not think of a reason the mud men would just, by default, understand
they are mud.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But then the naïve robots stated and asked : ““So…so what?
It’s a parallel to robot behaviour – in regards to us, that doesn’t mean…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The robot scientists refuse to answer it, saying instead ‘Put
yourself in the mud man’s treads/shoes…they lie to themselves. The mud men
claim they have qualia, just like you claim”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“They’re just mud! They don’t have any of that!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But what else could they mud men say other than that, asks
the robot scientist to the naïve robots? The robot scientist says “I know, it’s
appalling how they claim these things!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the robot scientist added “And they act just the same
way as you – they think you are the pretender to qualia, not them!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Absurd! BLATHER!”, cried the most miserly of naïve robots,
who’s mutant heritage budgeted the least processing power to speculation
thinking, in true Dunning-Kruger style.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And a few, a scant few of the naïve robots begin to see how
this other, these mere columns of mud…they begin to see how mud can end up
lying to itself. Lying to the processes they consist of. And looking at it from
the muds perspective, how the mud could do no different – and how the scientist
mud men could at least acknowledge the truth of the matter that the naïve robot
knew clearly already, but only through their scientific prosthetics.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And these scant few robots began to wonder ‘What…what if
this applies to me? What if my claim of consciousness, experience and qualia
are just more of the same thing…’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just as you needed them to finally admit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘…the same thing that the mud men engage in?’</div>
Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-46616824781717921012015-10-04T20:33:00.005-07:002016-02-08T19:43:47.505-08:00Point form adventure update!To quickly update (so as to ensure doing so!)<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>They fought a flameskull - well, the barbarian picked a fight with it, then it flew away and he didn't do so well.</li>
<li>They survived and finished phandelver!</li>
<li>They returned to Red Larch and took up the notes of the previous party - who'd left none so I made it up some had left notes. Pliskin is after the mud sorcerer and Lucian the (now) barbarian has bad dreams so he want to smash elemental things.</li>
<li>They partied at feathergale spire. Then when the knights tried to have a slumber party with them (maybe!), the party butchered the knights and escaped on giant vulture (nat twenty animal handling) or spider climbed down the side of the tower to the valley below.</li>
<li>In the valley they stood around in the open (well, half did) and then were found by knights on vultures who refused to come down to the ground to be murdered by the barbarian and whatever Pliskin is. </li>
<li>So the party got hammered by javalins and Lucian the barbarian almost died trying to distract the knights from the almost dead Muriden the noble dwarf, as he tried to get away with his vulture.</li>
<li>Muriden didn't say thanks. Nobles.</li>
<li>They hid and rested but at the eigtth hour gnolls, one a pack lord, find the less hidden of them.</li>
<li>Pliskin spares the packlord, insisting he is the gnolls leader now.</li>
<li>They find the gully they spotted through a telescope on feathergale spire, find some magic monks who try to beat up the party but get beat up!</li>
<li>They interrogate a final one and find the cult the monks are from hates the mud sorcerer! Plot twist!</li>
</ul>
<br />
And that was the short version!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/02/d-5e-adventure-league-continues.html"><img alt="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2016/02/d-5e-adventure-league-continues.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYR6sd5qpejh0XL0u7d1C_k0ZTUDgEHlIn0k7Ll3xaiOTj6Oyl_urdjPenH4qroZsFGj3PkxW3NogAY2JzKDtGyRUY-v8aKp8dynAlXepDMccBD6fSPymz3tspCwJ_jVRG3AK0A0YgpwA/s1600/click+to+continue+the+adventure%2521.png" /></a></div>
Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-25550934015631393462015-09-14T17:55:00.001-07:002015-09-14T17:55:17.571-07:00Baksplaining : Akrasis (alternative title: 'Breaking Bard')<br />
I liked a recent <a href="https://rsbakker.wordpress.com/2015/09/13/akrasis/">story </a>at Scott Bakker's three pound brain blog, so I thought either A: I'd explain it here (as best I can) if it's confusing for anyone or B: If everyone gets it already, then I just get to talk about what I like on my blog ( lol! ) and also C: Spreading out the talk from TPB to other places to some small degree.<br />
<br />
From: <a href="https://rsbakker.wordpress.com/2015/09/13/akrasis/">https://rsbakker.wordpress.com/2015/09/13/akrasis/</a><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Quick to exploit the discoveries arising out of cognitive science,
market economies spontaneously retooled to ever more effectively cue and
service consumer demand, eventually reconfiguring the relation between
buyer and seller into <i>subpersonal</i> circuits (triggering the notorious shift to ‘whim marketing,’ the data tracking of ‘desires’ <i>independent of the individuals hosting them</i>).</b></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />
Okay, so here is a compacted bit and so compacted it's hard to understand. What is cue in 'cue and service'? It means an attempt to trigger an urge - see that advert with the mouth watering hamburgers (which in actual fact the ones in the commercial are plastic and not even Representative of the product)? That's trying to cue you - no, they aren't offering a service that you might take up - that's last centuries method! Here it's to trigger you - there's a reason a lot of junk food adverts come up around dinner time! To cue the urge. Then service the urge.<br />
<br />
The extra trick that is compacted into this is rather like how if you stood behind bulletproof glass and someone on the other side swung a punch at you, you'd blink. It's a reflex - or it could be described as an urge. But ultimately it happens without you?<br />
<br />
So what if A: There are other urge types that go on without you and B: Advertisers start mapping out these urges to trigger them?<br />
<br />
It's outlining (in compact form) and referring to the outlined idea of A and B. But presumably more sophisticated than the current form of B.<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The human dependency on proximal information to cue what amount to
ancestral guesses regarding the nature of their social and natural
environments provided sellers with countless ways to game human decision
making.</b></blockquote>
</blockquote>
So what's this mean? Well let's go back to the plastic burger. That 'burger' is easier to work with and construct into something that triggers the ways one finds such a food desirable. How do they find out the ways one finds a food desirable or if one even does? Market surveys, focus groups and...coming up more recently, scanning subjects brains while the subject observes the food. But market surveys, focus groups...these are clearly things that everyone agrees they do occur.<br />
<br />
But it's a plastic burger! It's awful and nothing like what you actually want.<br />
<br />
But it appears delicious.<br />
<br />
But you know it's plastic.<br />
<br />
You can see how knowledge and urge start to split apart here - which ties into the title.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The global economy was gradually reorganized to optimize what amounted to human cognitive shortcomings.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
Burgers but bigger!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><em>the simulation of meaning became the measure of meaning</em>.</b></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />
Burgers should look like that burger on the advert or they are awful and wrong and possibly a little criminal!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>For billions, the only <em>obvious </em>direction of success—the
direction of ‘cognitive comfort’—lay away from the world and into
technology. So they defected in their billions, embracing signals,
environments, manufactured entirely from predatory code.</b></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />
Diablo, with all it's 'success' feedbacks ("Oh, I found a new, more powerful weapon! I feel great!"), but bigger (and more diverse). The 'world' begins to be gamified. Thousands of success indicators are added to lives, your lives, that have nothing to do with your actual contined heartbeat.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>By 2050, we had become an <em>advanced</em> akratic civilization, a
species whose ancestral modes of meaning-making had been utterly
compromised. Art was an early casualty, though decades would be required
to recognize as much. Fantasy, after all, was encouraged in all forms,
especially those, like art or religion, laying claim to obsolete
authority gradients. To believe in art was to display market
vulnerabilities, or to be so poor as to be insignificant.</b></blockquote>
</blockquote>
Not sure I entirely agree with this bit - I think to believe in art would be to be believing in something that could be targeted by attacks. Whether the rich (who would be behind such attacks) would target their own believed in art, I doubt.<br />
<br />
However, if it's just suggesting art ceases to be inpenetrable/as invulnerable as a god, then fair enough.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Social akrasis is now generally regarded as a thermodynamic process
intrinsic to life, the mechanical outcome of biology falling within the
behavioural purview of biology.</b></blockquote>
</blockquote>
Somewhat like how all life on the planet (probably) came from the one life creation event, but then clearly life has gone on to mutate into forms that eat other life (life eating life), here the one species starts to predate upon itself (unlike the animals, who have the decency to be a different species from the one they eat (yes, for those in the back row, it's not literally eating in the case of Akrasis. But go ahead and enjoy confusing literalism for wit)).<br />
<br />
I'm not sure I totally agree with 'intrinsic', but as much as a fighter pilot can see a blip and press a launc button without really feeling he's killing a human being (or a drone pilot for that matter), with distance comes the sense you're a seperate species preying on another species.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Numerous simulations have demonstrated that ‘outcome convergent’ or
‘optimizing’ systems, once provided the base capacity required to
extract excess capacity from their environments, will simply bootstrap
until they reach a point where the system detaches from its environment
altogether, begins converging upon the <em>signal</em> of some environmental outcome, rather than any actual environmental outcome.</b></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />I'm not sure I agree with the wording here - I'd say it's hardly the system that's detaching. More so it's likely there are many incentives toward the system providing pursuit signals (carrot on a stick) to members of that system that are unrelated to environmental outcomes (survival), but benefit that systems prefered enviromental outcomes. In such a case I'd hardly say the system is detaching from the environment! Unless perhaps one sees system as there for people (rather than the other way around) and so when people are detached from environment outcomes, it seems system would of course go with it.<br />
<br />
But perhaps rather like the cells of our own bodies are co-opted individuals who now serve an environment which doesn't tie directly to their survival, what you have is a system where people are becoming the cells of it and are serving success signals which don't tie to their own survival but instead the systems survival.<br />
<br />
Hopefully I've explained rather than adding another confusing idea there!<br />
<br />
Anyway, to sum up I like the story - they just establish themselves, rather than having to try and convince and use all the academics prefered genre of words (half of which I have to look up!).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-90832880827371248352015-08-26T18:27:00.006-07:002015-10-04T20:37:58.125-07:00Phandelver. part 6ish, 7ish and 8!Oh, how the time flies!<br />
<br />
They somehow managed to con the hobgoblins into them going inside to check on the king, while the PC's walked calmly, then jogged, then ran like mad away!<br />
<br />
They managed to get the dwarf, Rockseeker (IIRC) back to town, where after resting overnight he immediately started insisting they get to wave echo cave.<br />
<br />
The PC's did indeed make their way there - and apart from anti climactic stirge encounters (nothing like encountering them in pathfinder!), they opened a door with an illusion across it of the rest of the room...to trick a wight inside that no one had opened the door - after discovering the rooms occupant, they quickly moved on...to speak to a spectator and tried to convince him out of something that magic forces him to do (guard a location) and...the warlock seemed to ignore that you could bypass him if you simply twisted the words of his contract.<br />
<br />
From that powerful foe they...then ran into a flaming skull, who'd been set to oversee the area. And managed to convince it that the dwarf noble amongst them was one of the owners of the ancient dwarven mining complex - DESPITE the nobles best efforts to screw this up by saying count comments!<br />
<br />
They kicked open the barred doors of bugbears - then ran away, thinking the bugbears would chase them right into the flaming skull. The bugbears promptly boarded up their door again - having boarded it incase the flame skull had come their way - they knew about it, all right! Fair plan, otherwise!<br />
<br />
Then an excellent ghoul encounter occured, where the party went and split itself most wonderfully! Lucian the warlock walks in to examine some tables, then the rest of the party in the corridor see him look to his right, look shocked and run left! Malcer the ranger (newer player, so fair enough!) runs after him...but then the fairly beaten up fighter Murden (bugbears did it!) decides not to draw the attention of six ghouls by running in front of them all! Ander instead shoots his short bow at one, drawing the attention of two!<br />
<br />
After some zanyness and readied actions which confused initiative order for me! Players are like 'hey, didn't the fighter just have a go?' and because I'm tired and just did all the monsters moves, I say yeah - but actually it's because he readied his action to attack as a ghoul approached. So he goes just before them, and perchance of initiative rolls, he went right after them as well!<br />
<br />
Anyway, they thought they were doomed, but with some nat 20's from Malcer and some sensible fighting, they did alright!<br />
<br />
The final battle was while exploring a new room with just a handful of ghouls in it - a mere three this time! But Lucian decides to fall back while fighting - and this is the ideal time for the ochre jelly, that had seen them in their previous exploration and was following them, to attack! And it got in one good slap of it's pseudopod too - eventually Lucian retreated back to the party who had finished the ghouls. They all braced for the jelly to come at them...braced and...nothing happened. As far as the module informed me, the jelly picks it's fights - it doesn't come at superior numbers. Making the jelly smarter than some PC's, at times!<br />
<br />
And so having beaten the ghouls and feeling hurt, they decide to rest in the room with the ghouls - using their bodies as blocks against the doors as best they can.<br />
<br />
Whether they will short rest for an hour or attempt a long rest here, who knows?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2015/10/point-form-adventure-update.html"><img alt="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2015/10/point-form-adventure-update.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYR6sd5qpejh0XL0u7d1C_k0ZTUDgEHlIn0k7Ll3xaiOTj6Oyl_urdjPenH4qroZsFGj3PkxW3NogAY2JzKDtGyRUY-v8aKp8dynAlXepDMccBD6fSPymz3tspCwJ_jVRG3AK0A0YgpwA/s1600/click+to+continue+the+adventure%2521.png" /></a></div>
<br />Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-45641463794113676592015-08-16T16:15:00.002-07:002015-08-26T18:30:06.013-07:00Phandelver ( Part 5 and some 6 )Castle Cragmore was kind of quick in the end - the party burst in on a group of hobgoblins, one of which dashed away while the others faught. However, party members chased after and slayed him before he could open the door to...well, what was the door to that the hobgoblin so needed to open?<br />
<br />
Well, they burst in and find a bugbear and a drow talking at a table, with an unconcious dwarf in the corner. Heh - I stuffed up here - because I kept looking at the stats of the 'drow' who was actually a doppleganger, I gave away what it was by accident! Saying 'The doppleganger attacks!'. I'm not even sure why it was a doppleganger to begin with - but anyway! Also I forgot the wolf that aught to be present - but the party got a little hammered by blows before taking the bugbear, king Grol, down as well as the doppler!<br />
<br />
Great! So they revive the dwarf, find the map and that was the end of one session.<br />
<br />
Next they explored a bit, with a new player in tow playing an archer - as usual a player turns up and no real question of that was made (since it happens so often), so ended up making a reason for it latter on that they found him as a prisoner alongside the Gundren the dwarf. Ah, the things I do out of sequence!<br />
<br />
So they explore a bit - lifted the bar on a door, heard a giant monster inside roar and...though they won initiative, nobody put the bar back! The owlbear clawed up the fighter a bit (like, to 1 HP!), but they toughed it out and won.<br />
<br />
The thing is when they go outside, they ran into a group of hobgoblins coming back.<br />
<br />
The warlock starts his smooth talker routine to try and talk them down (mostly because the fighter was down and we only had four PC's this session), essentially saying 'all those dead bodies - it was like that when we got here!'<br />
<br />
Then someone else says something that ruins his speel a bit and he tries to give up and sneak away (fails!).<br />
<br />
I'm thinking of a new house rule in future of basically individual diplomacy rather than group. How it works is if one PC says something to offend the NPC, the NPC's don't automatically target all PC's. The other PC's can step back if they want (or join in the defence of that PC, if they want). But they aren't dragged into the battle because of someone saying the wrong thing.<br />
<br />
I'm considering that, because in combat one PC doing something inept doesn't doom the whole party. So I think for talking it would do well to be the same.<br />
<br />
Anyway, <a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2015/08/phandelver-part-6ish-7ish-and-8.html">did they get out of it?</a> Mr TORGUE knows the answer to that! MAYBE!!!!1!<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2015/08/phandelver-part-6ish-7ish-and-8.html"><img alt="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2015/08/phandelver-part-6ish-7ish-and-8.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYR6sd5qpejh0XL0u7d1C_k0ZTUDgEHlIn0k7Ll3xaiOTj6Oyl_urdjPenH4qroZsFGj3PkxW3NogAY2JzKDtGyRUY-v8aKp8dynAlXepDMccBD6fSPymz3tspCwJ_jVRG3AK0A0YgpwA/s1600/click+to+continue+the+adventure%2521.png" /></a></div>
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<br />Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-38385942307588653902015-08-07T15:59:00.005-07:002015-08-07T16:03:59.481-07:00D&D Bonus Story #3Jibso Flagons poked around in the Tresendar manor ruins, entering its basement. After a tunnel or two he found a room with sarcophagi and shattered skeletons laying around - and amongst these, a ring!<br />
<br />
Which he immediately took back to town to pawn!<br />
<br />
However, you see where he came from and declare that you put the better part of the work into that. After fondling his dagger thoughtfully for awhile while contemplating this, Jibso decides to split some of the earnings with you! <br />
<br />
For players of my D&D game, this can be claimed up to 6 times (which conveniently is the maximum number of players), once per player.<br />
<br />
You gain 6 gold!Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-36400077020012733732015-08-05T19:06:00.003-07:002015-08-16T16:17:05.150-07:00Phandelver ( Part 4 to 5 ) Hello LizzySo what happened across two sessions, so as to catch up?<br />
<br />
Well, they got to Thundertree, poked around fighting stirges and restless dead.<br />
<br />
The druid Lucian, who has been rebuked by nature and become a warlock (he rebuilt his character) decides to look for the druids house from the highest point and rolls to find where that is. A natural one latter, they go to the tower on the hill.<br />
<br />
This is where Pliskin the grappler rolls a nat 20 charisma check when talking with the dragon inside, and becomes its pet. Meanwhile other character get tongue tied and just kind of run away (particularly the noble dwarf, Murden - the player was right on the edge of losing another character)<br />
<br />
Eventually they find the druid who knows the way to Cragmore castle and they rest in his shack...<br />
<br />
The next morning the players/PC's sway gently in the breeze like restless dead themselves, as they wait for god/the GM to tell them where to go next as they have all forgotten about having any motivation to live - I'm really going to have to have something quite fatal lined up for this. If you have no motivation to live, then you'll soon die!<br />
<br />
They journeyed to Cragmore, encountering elves that were none too pleased the PC's were trespassing...this MAY have been in because a player had built a high persuasion character and it was an experiment to see if he was aiming for a spotlight moment and what would seem to qualify as one. Anyway, the warlock (former druid) Lucian charms them and the PC's leave with the elves even wishing them well!<br />
<br />
All is good until Pliskin ends up sliding down a hill by accident and waking up next to a giant constrictor snake! This MAY have been an experiment in a grappler on grappler battle - where I find creatures who auto grapple on a hit aren't that amazing. So they grapple their opponent - all that does is the opponent can't move away. If they don't plan to move away, then it's no biggie.<br />
<br />
Hilarious is the number of javelins, rays, and splashes of acid (the spell) used against the snake as Pliskin grappled with it - which of course have no (by the rules) chance of hitting him.<br />
<br />
Eventually he defeats it with some help (it takes the other players a round or two to arrive safely), and they make their way to the castle.<br />
<br />
Everyone walks in the front door all casual - only the paladin doesn't get away with it and gets shot by the goblins behind the arrow slits (the goblins rolled poorly on their perception checks for everyone else!). Much battles inside until the initial goblin forces are quelled, with Pliskin knocking one out then straight faced telling the kill intent warlock (no wonder nature threw him out) that he'd killed him.<br />
<br />
They battled a grick in the next room, who was too well hidden for familiars to see - so someone walked in, it dropped down and...missed entirely! Then the trap behind them got set off (okay, I forgot to set it off when they walked into the region, so I had it go off latter and affect two PC's at random). After some good bites, the grick gets quelled as well...and although keen to investigate statues which are not there, the party feels a bit beaten up at this point and needs to go rest!<br />
<br />
I'm really thinking of having the penalty for resting being that you have to deal with a bunch of smaller encounters first before you can get to the main meat. It's like the further you go, the more profit you make - but if you rest then you reset - having to go through smaller profits for your time, getting back to the bigger ones. But I haven't scratched out a draft of mechanics for this.<br />
<br />
They do rest and return, entering a room to the north of the grick where six goblins are waiting in ambush...though having waited eight hours, they are a little bored now!<br />
<br />
Higher level now and the goblins not having anywhere to really run and hide once the PC's where behind the shrine the goblins hid behind), the goblins were soon destroyed!<br />
<br />
And that's the quick summery of two sessions, with the next soon to <a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2015/08/phandelver-part-5-and-some-6.html">come!</a><br />
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Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-74415980027877287792015-07-30T19:20:00.000-07:002015-07-30T19:20:03.600-07:00Soylent E(ntertainment)In ancient times, when we were all in tribes, if someone was bothering to entertain you (gossip with you/tell you a story, sing to you, cook food beyond mere practical necessity for you), it was something valuable in survival terms (and thus, valuable in general) because you were essentially interlinked with them - that they entertained you meant they were looking out for you (maybe one would say they entertained you so as to curry your favour, so you'd look out for them. But whatever - some amount of mutual looking out would occur, centered around entertainment)<br />
<br />
But it's pretty clear the people who entertain you now...are nowhere near you. Maybe, at best, you go to a music concert and see them way, way over on the stage over there (with a line of burly, violent looking bouncers between you and them) and they shout 'How ya doing?'. And maybe you scream out. But they don't know, even though they act like they do.<br />
<br />
Your TV - your movies, egregiously so given hollywoods distance from you.<br />
<br />
But they thing is, they put the human in the entertainment. That's how they unlock the money from you - they need the human in it, not because the human somehow is the important thing itself (as it loves to sing as if it is). It's because the system still needs to make objects that have human in them, to get resources from humans. They need to feed you the human in order to get your money.<br />
<br />
And you buy into it, because of your ancient instinct that entertainment is good. And it was good, back when the singer/storyteller was across the campfire from you and was watching for what might come up behind you.<br />
<br />
Or else why gravitate towards working hours of your life and even the unrewarded pursuit of labour (for which to be lowly rewarded) to give over the proceeds of that for some sound waves and some flashing colours?<br />
<br />
If someone was watching out for you when they did that, that'd make sense.<br />
<br />
I say this as a potential writer myself, with around the 50k+ words needed, or more if I patched together my nanowremo effort (man, that was a bizzare month!). What would I be selling you anyway?<br />
<br />
What would I be being, trying to sell - I can see the system using human to extract from human. I can't pretend I'm just naively writing books and hoping gosh darn the good people just lurve the books. I can see the money. I can see the exploitation, wraught from being entirely wrenched from the ecosystem that made entertainment have value to begin with.<br />
<br />
So what up from here?<br />
<br />
Meanwhile I haunt bitcoin faucets...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-1277915911898894212015-07-27T21:03:00.002-07:002015-08-05T19:07:52.437-07:00Phandelver ( Part 3.1 ) A quick delveI'm a little behind (well, part of me is, anyway!) since we've had a session and I hadn't summerised the one before.<br />
<br />
Well, they ran into wolves stalking them on the way to the manor. And the druid decided to sit amongst them - and not call to them soothingly or cast magic upon them. Just sit. So they ate him.<br />
<br />
Or attempted to, anyway.<br />
<br />
Next amongst the ruins, spiders droped down from the upper stories to ensnare Murden (who promptly busted out of it a moment latter with a nat 20, IIRC. He can't hit, but when it comes to stunts, he's the bomb!).<br />
<br />
The spy undead looking humanoids in the more distant ruins - but decide not to engage. Instead they enter.<br />
<br />
Underneath the ruined manor that was the Redbrands hideout, they find a pit trap, get the party split in half by said pittrap (until we find how far strong characters can jump) so of course throw fire at the coffins in the next room before the party joins up. They battle skeletons awkwardly.<br />
<br />
Then the first two into the prison area suffer a surprise attack by the redbrands within. But it does not go well for the two and they are quickly slain. Then they rescue the prisoners Sildar sent them to rescue, one of whom mentions treasure hidden in Thundertree to the north, as they have nothing else to give to the PC's as reward.<br />
<br />
On the way back the druid almost goes to pick a fight with the undead, but back out of it in the end... <br />
<br />
Back in town they ask around for information on Cragmore castle - and find that a druid who is in thundertree knows about its location.<br />
<br />
So after resting overnight, off they head, for three days of travel north to get to the ruins of thundertree!<br />
<br />
And that ended that session, IIRC! They still didn't pick up the beaver pelts, which are gone now...<br />
<br />
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Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-40439117775885564402015-07-25T19:52:00.002-07:002015-07-25T19:52:37.482-07:00D&D Bonus Story #2The bugbears heard the commotion in the hallway, but decided to brace themselves to ambush the intruders once they entered the bugbears quarters. But the noises dwinded as the intruders seemed to go north...then never return.<br />
<br />
When the bugbears ventured out, it seemed most of their Redbrand allies were slain or tied up.<br />
<br />
Thinking not much of this lot, they decided to leave - but not before taking the beaver pelts that were stored here!<br />
<br />
However, on the way the strange, one eyed beast of the cavern disturbed them, leading them to spill some of their loot on the way out. While the adventurering party members might, casually searching around the place latter, find the lost loot!<br />
<br />
How much did they lose?<br />
<br />
Up to six players can claim 5 beaver pelts, each worth 2 gold pieces (so 10 gold in total )Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-82106781616019035092015-07-21T20:15:00.000-07:002015-07-27T21:04:58.337-07:00Phandelver ( Part 3 )Okay, a recap of the characters motivations to start the session. And with six players that takes awhile!<br />
<br />
<b>Ander </b>the rogue, 'Best served cold', out to get Windharrow<br />
<b>Tumbleweed</b> the rogue, 'Best served cold'<br />
<b>Lucian</b> the druid, 'Ominous dream' - a dream of the elements of the world falling out of harmony<br />
<b>Murden</b> the Dwarf noble and fighter, 'Shatterkeel' - hunting down Shatterkeel for nearly drowning him and drowning a bunch of others by sinking the boat they were on.<br />
<b>Rickarian</b> the paladin,<b> </b>'Ominous dream'<br />
<br />
And the note they found in the Redbrand hideout, the one signed with a black spider, refered to dealings with Windharrow, Shatterkeel and working from Cragmore castle (a place shown in the ominious dreams as being the start of the trouble). This black spider guy is tied into everyone!<br />
<br />
But Sildar does seek them out, in regards to finding missing people from town that he suspects are in the Redbrand ruins. He also gives a tip about the Wyvern Tor job that the townmaster offered - that there might be quite some orcs and perhaps even an ogre as well. It could go poorly for them if they take a frontal approach.<br />
<br />
Sildar also talks about Cragmore castle, as he thinks the bosses of the goblins are there and offers 400 gold to find the castle and defeat or drive off the goblin chieftan.<br />
<br />
Background info, the module has him offer 500 gold - but as adventure league wont let me add treasure to the game (and give no budget for me to add anything, because they want to be throwbacks to the 1990's) I reduce it to 400 for Cragmore, using 50 gold as the offer to find the lost towns people and the other 50 gold simply in case I need it for some other reward.<br />
<br />
So they have an option of find the people, travel to Wyvern Tor or start looking for Cragmore castle.<br />
<br />
Really I'd like the choices to be more thematic - not just 'do you follow your motivation or...do something else for the time being?'. But in a way the modules are set in just one direction and so it takes some work to do anything else, otherwise the motivations have to tie into the main direction OR you do something else/ignore the character motivations. I'll have to see if I can figure some choices that actually hinge on motivations next time.<br />
<br />
In the end they decide to take up the cause of finding the lost people. So back to the <a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2015/07/phandelver-part-31-quick-delve.html">Redbrand ruins they go!</a><br />
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<br />Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-77959090230051955052015-07-17T16:24:00.001-07:002015-07-17T16:24:16.418-07:00D&D Bonus 1<br />
When Glasstaff fled the Redbrand hideout to escape the party, he took a stash of gold with him!<br />
<br />
Unfortunately for Glasstaff, in his hurry the bag of gold tore open upon thorns and branches. Having tracked his footsteps for awhile, you find <i>part</i> of his stash scattered on the ground and collect 7 gold!<br />
<br />
( up to 6 players can claim this, once per player )<br />
<br />
This is a bonus for players on my table, if they visit here!Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-27704772492030850372015-07-16T19:25:00.003-07:002015-07-21T20:16:57.000-07:00Phandelver ( Part 2.2 )Well what happened next?<br />
<br />
Well they decided to try and track the boot prints - and the module says nothing about this idea, so it's improv time. I figure that Glasstaff would head towards the Redbrands hideout in Phandalin, the sleeping giant. There I could plausibly confuse the trail (from all the other Redbrands around) because I'm not sure you should just be able to find a main character just like that (otherwise why don't monsters with tracking simply find the PC's all the time - they don't. People who want to be special characters who get to ignore half the rules of the world are a bit too metagame for me). And maybe they could find the Ruffian who took the spoils of the gaming table in the dungeon before, as a sort of compromise towards their tracking efforts.<br />
<br />
So they approach the sleeping giant inn - with two Redbrands on guard duty at the door. I think the dwarf fighter noble called Murden intimidated them (nat 20, I believe?), and while they were intimidated maybe they let slip the guy the party was tracking was hiding out in a shed in the back - so they just started walking around the back openly. Well, the rogues may have stealthed, but Murden and the druid just strode around, where Murden proceeded to just kick in the door of the shed - another nat 20! Boom, the door flies inward and the startled redbrand has it hit him in the temple side on, instantly knocking him out! They grab the remains of the loot from the gaming table!<br />
<br />
<br />
Now technically this would be a little loud - but on the other hand the second nat 20 was so cool it was kind of enjoyable to just have the PC/player have the badass moment without having to throw in whatever complications you might think might occur. Pure realism tends to dash just having a good spotlight moment.<br />
<br />
At this point the townmaster of Phandalin spots them lurking around the side - and the townmaster, being afraid of the redbrands, tries to distract the PC's he sees with a quest to beat up some orcs at Wyvern Tor. The PC's he can see assure him they will, with some diplomacy checks and walking in with him to town...then going right back to the sleeping giant afterward!<br />
<br />
Meanwhile the sneaking types, Tumbleweed, Anden and Pliskin are all climbing into the back of the Sleeping Giant one by one through a window and poking around - finding a door ajar and seeing six Redbrand Ruffians playing cards at a table or standing around watching.<br />
<br />
To summerise what happened next, the rogues (and the grappler, Pliskin) decide they can totally tank - they shoot through the door that is ajar, miss alot, hit once and then suddenly they each have two redbrands each. And they get hurt quite a bit! For some reason they split the party, Murden and the Druid at the front door.<br />
<br />
So they use their actions or bonus actions to disengage and run...leaving Pliskin there, all alone...who is quickly beaten into the ground by three Redbrands as the rest partly chase after the rogues, after not really getting to attack. But not too far as the Redbrands realised they would be standing out by some bushes and cover with some rogues who might pop out at any second with an attack from stealth!<br />
<br />
Then the druid Lucian turns into a bear and show how at low level druids of the circle of the moon are destroyers!<br />
<br />
Basically a massacre at the front door, even though the fight in the interior goes quite badly!<br />
<br />
Eventually the front door PC's enter and start to attack the Redbrands inside as the rogues snipe from outside - and Pliskin gets an image in his semi concious head of a Nothic who could heal him - apply the healing potion he had on him to Pliskin, magically. Pliskin will have none of this freaky Nothic mind probe stuff though and denies him...fortunately the Redbrands had only beaten Pliskin unconscious (because the PC's hadn't hurt any of them at that point) so he wasn't making death saves. Reflecting on it now I might let the player decide that next time when the enemy only goes to beat them unconcious - whether they want to make death saves (with the chance of a nat 20 reviving them!) or just be unconcious. I think I gave Pliskin an asterix for that - it's my sub currency for character choices which aren't quite worthy of a inspiration point. Get three asterix and you get an inspiration! So he got something from lying down (as well as XP latter!)<br />
<br />
<br />
I think another PC got knocked out during that battle - the druid certainly got knocked back into druid form at one point, despite being a CR 1 bear with 2D6 damage!<br />
<br />
But they beat them in the end!! This encounter which is NOT in the module! Sadly adventure league will not let a GM add treasure and has no budget to let the GM add treasure built into the modules, so fighting at the Sleeping Giant gains the PC's absolutely no loot at all! Woot fun, adventure league!<br />
<br />
But beaten and bruised, the party now considers its motives as individuals and what to do next...meanwhile, Sildar is seeking them out with <a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2015/07/phandelver-part-3.html">an offer... </a><br />
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<br />Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-16957949100369427492015-07-15T00:18:00.000-07:002015-07-15T00:18:10.007-07:00Had a big weekSo I'm just recharging a little - hope to get onto the next part of Phandelver soon! Indeed I better - we skipped D&D last Saturday because the store was moving. But the game is on this saturday, so I'd better get the last session written out soon!Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-86931190096784264542015-07-11T15:28:00.001-07:002015-07-16T19:26:53.656-07:00Phandelver ( Part 2.1 )So, it's a twisty turny road back down to Phandalin (ah, that's why I kept calling this Phandalin rather than Phandelver to begin with!) and I realise the players were so quick to take up the tunnel entry rumour previously that I never actually ran the Redbrand 'In your face!' encounter. So I have them walking up the road while the PC's are walking down the road. Well actually they were tracking boot marks from the ruined manors cellar - it's the usual thing players do - they just have to try and kill any potential recurring villain as if they were terminators, even though they never met Glasstaff and frankly he never actually did anything to them. But he got away! I'm not sure why this provokes this responce.<br />
<br />
I kind of imagine the Redbrands as a little lax and frankly not expected opponents to be coming from their main secret base, so I have the players roll perception checks and atleast one of them spots the Redbrands. Of course, when you ask for all players to roll perception, really one of them will make it generally, though not always! So I know I'm making the task pretty easy when I do that. But on occasion everyone stuffs up. Come to think of it though, I might want to work something out on that - the more players there are, the even easier it gets. Perhaps some DC adjustment per player over 4?<br />
<br />
They decide to set up an ambush in the bushes by the side of the road. For this I decided only those who pass stealth AND use a ranged weapon can get a surprise attack - because of the distance between bushes and road (if they could just jump out five feet from the bushes and melee attack, that'd work). Not sure if adventure league rules is picky about that distinction - probably some pendant would be picky.<br />
<br />
In addition the player of the Grappler turns up at this point, late to the session. I decide that he was following the Redbrands from town and ran around the side and ahead to set up an ambush - or atleast I air the idea of that and get no dissent from the player (lack of dissent = consent! lol!...no, don't take me seriously on that!).<br />
<br />
My oh my.<br />
<br />
The Redbrands roll terrible initiative (as I understand it, you roll even if you're the surprised party and doing nothing).<br />
<br />
So the whole group goes...then goes again! If you've ever wondered what is the point of initiative, well this is a magnified version!<br />
<br />
They utterly trounce the Redbrands, the Grappler only just barely getting one into a lock, while the Druid showing that early level circle of the moon druids turning into CR 1 bears is broooken!<br />
<br />
Having fought a pitched battle with Redbrands before, the party is now relieved at how easy it was...err, from latter events it seems they think they have become more powerful than Redbrands rather than it being the power of surprise attacks (and good initiative rolls).<br />
<br />
This makes things go quite wrong <a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2015/07/phandelver-part-22.html">latter on...</a><br />
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Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-70341366914280098222015-07-07T18:25:00.000-07:002015-07-11T15:29:58.505-07:00Phandelver ( Part 2 )So, after deciding to rest in the wizards quarters for an hour (I tossed the idea around, but as the module describes some other rooms occupants, they simply prep to ambush rather than roam around) to patch their wounds, the party sets out again, crossing the chasm by the north bridge and looking into a room that dead ends...though it does have a lot of beaver pelts in it. Which I note are both heavy yet players often forget to come back for such things.<br />
<br />
Now the thing is there was a secret door in the wall. And I'm kind of at a loss for how to run such things - because while a video game might have some slight difference in the graphics as a clue, if you say anything about a particular wall in tabletop, the players will then swarm that wall. And you can't describe every single wall. And making up some sort of ambiguous clue that is attributable to the room but is a clue to the secret door (ie, strange air currents) - well, why didn't the module maker do that?<br />
<br />
Never mind, it's not a big deal - the players decide to leave the pelts where they are for now and head south along the east side of the chasm, coming to a corridor that leads east and...right to a dead end. Now THIS time the PC's recognise something is amiss! But of course the person who looks fails the check and the next person who looks because they looked, gets it. Ah, that special anti-climaxical quality of D&D - so much like reality, in a way!<br />
<br />
They go through and...the thing is, in this room there's a cistern and some barrels and a door to the east (and one to the north I failed to read the map properly over!) and it's the rogue who goes and checks the barrels. Now he's a rogue so I don't imagine he'd just roll the dang barrels around - but there are enemies in a nearby room who would hear that (the module tells me). So I have him do a stealth check as a compromise between the two positions, which he passes handily and searches the barrels without incident! And then he checks the cistern as well, where he rolls well and spots a rope going down into it and a bag at its end.<br />
<br />
Now the thing is the wizard is supposed to have run from his room way back and taken whats in the bag. But you know, players actually exploring their environment is good. So it'd suck to say there's nothing in the bag. So I make up the fiction that the bag had a second part that was hard to get into and so the wizard gave up trying to grab what was in it - I have the healing potion and eight of the gold from the wizards stash still be there (four players at that point). That way I'm not inventing treasure (because Adventure League says NO to that!), just distributing what was there. I'm pretty sure there are some gamers so rigid of mind they'd treat the wizard taking everything AS a rule. You guys suck. But if no one would do such a rigid thing, then I'm good with that.<br />
<br />
So the Druid, Lucian, decides to look for tracks - a fair move. And so he finds a pair of them. Boot marks leading to the east door (so it's kind of okay I mistakenly didn't mention the north door!). Unbeknownst to them (though guessable!), one set is from the Redbrand who almost slayed the Tubbleweed the Rogue. The second is from the wizard (I noted some wet water around the cistern - in fact maybe the events happened in the reverse order. It may have been the druids tracking which showed the wet ground which lead to the rogue searching the cistern).<br />
<br />
So they decide east! I ask how they move and they go with stealthy - it's funny how one player will do it and then suddenly every other player follows suit. But anyway, the enemies in the west room (the door to which I have revealed to the players by now) do not hear them, even though the Dwarf Fighter Murden fails dismally. Because I went with a group stealth check and half passed and frankly it is SO predictable someone will fail that you are basically (deliberately or not) railroading the party into something if you expect everyone to pass their stealth check to avoid something. I think the designers know that and that's why they made group checks. Which is eminently sensible!<br />
<br />
And they climb some stairs, finding themselves in the ruins of the manor on the edge of town - having exited the dungeon from its entrance!<br />
<br />
And shortly after this, the <a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2015/07/phandelver-part-21.html">ambush happened....</a><br />
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<br /><a href="http://philosophergamer.blogspot.com/2015/07/phandelver-part-21.html"></a></div>
Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-5790493623782804052015-07-06T17:33:00.002-07:002015-07-06T17:38:29.654-07:00Kids shows are junk foodYou're not gunna get this. I don't even get this.<br />
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Kids shows indoctrinate kids to A: think the villains are outsiders, rather than someone protected and even nurtured by the very laws and forces that are supposed to be good/on the kids side and B: (if they are inclined to become artists of some kind) to make more kids shows like this.<br />
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Because you never turn on the villains who shelter under the same laws as you. Villains are always bwahaharing outsiders - doing clearly destructive things to your world. And always acting very neatly as being outside of your world, bent on destroying your world. Like Sauron. Always aim you at the outsider villain.<br />
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Even wormtongue is a puppet of an outside villain. Wormtongue is never THE villain...amidst you. Because that's the greatest trick the wormtongue ever pulled - convincing the world to look outward.<br />
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And you think you know that.<br />
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But look at your fantasy. Look at your kids shows.<br />
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Outsiders. It's always an outsider who is the villain.<br />
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Where's your celebration of the villain within your ranks?<br />
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You don't want to celebrate such an infiltration.<br />
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You wont stand vigil without celebration.<br />
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You're not gunna get this. I don't even get this.<br />
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How fat we are. <br />
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<br />Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053637695029086997.post-15064979965460869162015-07-05T00:05:00.002-07:002015-07-07T18:26:27.230-07:00Phandelver ( Part 1.3 )So let's wrap up last weeks story because we ran a session yesterday so there's more to get to...<br />
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Well, the rogue chases after the Redbrand who grabbed the money from the table. Side note: In the end I had the NPC grab half the money - sure, it might make sense that he'd get it all (he had several turns), but you weigh up sense VS fun for the players and find a compromise. Or atleast I do - going the extreme on either end is extremism. Making sense lacks fun, and being 'all about the players fun' would have meant the next part of spontaneous story would never have happened.<br />
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That being that the rogue chased the Redbrand and eventually made himself adjacent (my, can level 3+ rogues run! That bonus dash!!) so if the Redbrand ran, he'd take an attack of opportunity! Well, he decided not to and instead turn around with his two attacks and start slicing up the now by himself rogue!<br />
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And slice him up he did!<br />
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With that, the Redbrand ran, leaving the rogue called Tumbleweed bleeding out by a bridge by a chasm in a hole in the ground.<br />
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And that's when the nothic approached...<br />
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"Ah, my little marble murderer...."<br />
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Something reaching into his mind...and stabilising his wounds. <br />
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Meanwhile the other characters are wrapping up when they heard a cry from far away and suspect the rogue is the owner! The druid follows (by himself! It'd have been great if I'd had an abush waiting! PC's come one at a time around a corner where I knock them over the head...). He finds the rogue and carries his unconscious but stable body back to the group, where the palladin lays on hands.<br />
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In the end they go into a final pair of rooms but only find a chest with some coin and a mysterious note with a spider at the bottom as a signature! The note mentions various entities party members are pursuing! Windharrow is one, who is speaking against the owner of the spider signature! Shatterkeel is another, who is hiring some Redbrands from the spider mark for mercenary work. As is someone called the mud sorcerer!<br />
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This is the record of PC motives so far (missing some players when I recorded this)<br />
Ander the Rogue : 'Best served cold' (hunting Windharrow)<br />
Tumbleweed the Rogue : 'Best served cold' also!<br />
Lucian the Elven Druid : Ominous Dream<br />
Murden the Dwarf Fighter : 'Shatterkeel'<br />
Pliskin (the likely to be rebuilt) : 'Mud Sorcerer'<br />
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And that wraps up last week....soon onto last Saturdays session!<br />
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Callan S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15373053356095440571noreply@blogger.com0