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The party enters the magically charged, desert known as "The Broken Lands" and encounter creatures unlike anything they've seen before... (I know this because I made them up for this region)

http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... nturers-52

Heh ... I laughed at this:

... an ancient gold dragon -- with amazing strength, con, and charisma -- would be a great paladin. Plus great catchphrases. Smite bite and lay on claws!

Good idea for an NPC or player-created character. He would be a fantastic fighter/bard too. The question is, why would an ancient gold dragon want to do this? A young gold dragon, maybe. An adult or ancient, no way; he couldn't sleep at the inn, for a start.

... imagine an ancient gold dragon polymorph into a fly, and when someone tries to swat it, they can’t -- because it has 546 hit points and retains its hit points when it polymorphs.

By the way, Pillars of Eternity 2 is on sale at GOG as part of the Black Friday sale. I'm minded to pick it up, seeing as I had so much fun with POE1.

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:05 am By the way, Pillars of Eternity 2 is on sale at GOG as part of the Black Friday sale. I'm minded to pick it up, seeing as I had so much fun with POE1.

PoEII is fun. Just... a little different than the original.

By the way, what do you think of a young gold dragon as a PC or NPC?

Tawmis wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 11:11 am

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:05 am By the way, Pillars of Eternity 2 is on sale at GOG as part of the Black Friday sale. I'm minded to pick it up, seeing as I had so much fun with POE1.

PoEII is fun. Just... a little different than the original.

How so? The original was all "a conspiracy! Someone's taken your soul and you must find who and why!" etc.

Obviously PoE2 has a different story, but how else is it different?

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 3:43 pm By the way, what do you think of a young gold dragon as a PC or NPC?

Tawmis wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 11:11 am

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:05 am By the way, Pillars of Eternity 2 is on sale at GOG as part of the Black Friday sale. I'm minded to pick it up, seeing as I had so much fun with POE1.

PoEII is fun. Just... a little different than the original.

How so? The original was all "a conspiracy! Someone's taken your soul and you must find who and why!" etc.
Obviously PoE2 has a different story, but how else is it different?

Well, ironically - I just introduced an Ancient Gold Dragon, who had taken a Human form and was a trainer of Monks. Party dug that surprise (I have two Monks in my monthly game). So I love dragons (of any kind) as an NPC as long as it's not over done.

In my "Anita Game" - the party has encountered two dragons (a black dragon trying to restore their brother) - and the restored brother (which was more of an undead dragon) - 25 or so sessions.
The "Work Game" has encountered one (young) green dragon (but one of the players has ties to an Ancient Green Dragon in their backstory). - 52 to 55 sessions.
The "Monthly Game" has encountered it's first dragon (Ancient Gold Dragon). - 12 or so sessions.
The Off Week Game has encountered no dragons - but has heard a rumor of a black dragon in the swamps - 12 or so sessions.

As for PoeII - I don't want to spoil it. You will enjoy it, no doubt. It's good, but I thought the first was great.

So, way back in the day TSR (now Wizards of the Coast) had an RPG called *Star Frontiers* - and it was a very simple, pretty basic, space faring type RPG game (D&D in Space, but easier!) I've always loved Star Frontiers, and had been doing a side project - just for fun - creating a 5e version of it - and seeing if anyone would wanna run in it - it'd be a light hearted, fun kind of game... then I noticed in the *Unearthed Arcana* recently on D&D they did a *Travelers of the Multiverse* ... and as I gazed through it... I realize, they're being sneaky an adding the main races into D&D... In Star Frontiers, there were 4 playable races - Human (duh), Drasalite (pod like people), Vrusk (insect people) and Yazarians (monkey like people with wing membranes under their arms for gliding).... Well, D&D already has humans... but in this *Travelers of the Multiverse* they have **Hadozee** which are simian humanoids that have membranes from arms to legs (Yazarians, essentially)... they had **Plasmoid** - which by the name, you can guess is pretty much Drasalites... and they have a monster that's existed in D&D but not playable before (off the top of my head) - the **Thri-Keen** which are insect humanoids (Vrusks, essentially)...
So even though I have like 40 pages of this loosely tranalated - this stuff is supposed to be for **Mordenkainen’s Monsters of the Multiverse** out next year... here's a linky...
https://media.wizards.com/2021/dnd/down ... iverse.pdf

OK. Hmm ... I've written one Ancient Dragon that into one of my stories -- think Smaug, but less greed and cruelty and more ... sloth. The party that encounters him doesn't know what to make of him, but he's far from evil; just not very good.

My current WIP (Work In Progress) features a Sphinx. (I thought about making her a Dragon, but after playing too much Skyrim, the whole idea seemed a bit cliche).

Here's my original idea: how about a story where locals - farmers and fighters - vanish, thus attracting the attention of bounty hunters? And it turns out that they are all working in underground caverns, farming the land and creating weapons? (So far, this is very Skyrim-ish -- but here's where it gets interesting).

The dragon is in disguise as an elderly monk who they are all very fond of and very protective of, and all they want to do is be left alone.

Of course, the bounty hunters smell a rat -- how can you farm underground? You have no sunlight (so things won't grow), no horses and no cows (so there's no manure with nutrients to enrich the soil). So the monk sheds the disguise and explains (as a dragon) that he gives them the manure they need. They don't need flint and tinder to light fires, because the dragon does this (very, very, VERY carefully).

During the day, some of the fighters go out to hunt and fish; one or two go to town and get bread, cheese and vegetables. The farmers farm and eventually produce all kinds of fresh veggies to sell at the local town. They just want to be left alone.

Of course, the bounty hunters think: woo-hoo, a dragon! He's worth a big bounty! But they're also very stupid. Rather than slay them, the dragon reads their (very small) minds and casts illusion spells on them to stop the fighting and make them all come together with his "community".

Unfortunately, the bounty hunters are followed by even more of them. They fight, and some are slain ("what a waste" the dragon comments), but some get away with the story, and eventually the local warlord (or whatever passes for political authority) thinks: you know what? This is actually a boon. We've got a big old community living underground. Let's make a deal with the dragon: if you help defend us from brigands and such, we'll help you by legitimising you as part of our local community. And if the King (or his tax collectors) come around and tell you that you have to pay taxes and such, we'll all come together and tell them to push off.

The dragon thanks them for their interest and agrees - and has an idea! How about, if a fire happens, he and the local fishermen can help fight it? After all, the fishermen always have buckets of water, and the dragon can fly around and deliver the buckets where-ever they're needed. Now we have a fire-fighting squad!

That's as far as I got so far, but it needs a good antagonist or two. Maybe the King's tax-collectors are peeved at being told to push off, so the King sends a few knights and such to enforce collection. Or maybe a rival King sees that this community is doing well, and decides to invade and annex it -- or (more subtle) "persuade" them to join him. Now they're stuck between two rival kings! Who to support? Decisions, decisions ...

What do you think?

Hmm. As for "Unearthed Arcana" ... Astral Elf? Autognome? Now all we need is a Planetary Dwarf. *shrug* Where are the humans?

As for the hippo-like Giff ... is that a reference to a Hippogriff?

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 1:40 am Hmm. As for "Unearthed Arcana" ... Astral Elf? Autognome? Now all we need is a Planetary Dwarf. *shrug* Where are the humans?

Unearthed Arcana is stuff that they're testing for new D&D 5e books.
Humans are already a race since the Player's Handbook in 5e.

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 1:36 am Here's my original idea: how about a story where locals - farmers and fighters - vanish, thus attracting the attention of bounty hunters? And it turns out that they are all working in underground caverns, farming the land and creating weapons? (So far, this is very Skyrim-ish -- but here's where it gets interesting).
The dragon is in disguise as an elderly monk who they are all very fond of and very protective of, and all they want to do is be left alone.
Of course, the bounty hunters smell a rat -- how can you farm underground? You have no sunlight (so things won't grow), no horses and no cows (so there's no manure with nutrients to enrich the soil). So the monk sheds the disguise and explains (as a dragon) that he gives them the manure they need. They don't need flint and tinder to light fires, because the dragon does this (very, very, VERY carefully).
During the day, some of the fighters go out to hunt and fish; one or two go to town and get bread, cheese and vegetables. The farmers farm and eventually produce all kinds of fresh veggies to sell at the local town. They just want to be left alone.
Of course, the bounty hunters think: woo-hoo, a dragon! He's worth a big bounty! But they're also very stupid. Rather than slay them, the dragon reads their (very small) minds and casts illusion spells on them to stop the fighting and make them all come together with his "community".
Unfortunately, the bounty hunters are followed by even more of them. They fight, and some are slain ("what a waste" the dragon comments), but some get away with the story, and eventually the local warlord (or whatever passes for political authority) thinks: you know what? This is actually a boon. We've got a big old community living underground. Let's make a deal with the dragon: if you help defend us from brigands and such, we'll help you by legitimising you as part of our local community. And if the King (or his tax collectors) come around and tell you that you have to pay taxes and such, we'll all come together and tell them to push off.
The dragon thanks them for their interest and agrees - and has an idea! How about, if a fire happens, he and the local fishermen can help fight it? After all, the fishermen always have buckets of water, and the dragon can fly around and deliver the buckets where-ever they're needed. Now we have a fire-fighting squad!
That's as far as I got so far, but it needs a good antagonist or two. Maybe the King's tax-collectors are peeved at being told to push off, so the King sends a few knights and such to enforce collection. Or maybe a rival King sees that this community is doing well, and decides to invade and annex it -- or (more subtle) "persuade" them to join him. Now they're stuck between two rival kings! Who to support? Decisions, decisions ...
What do you think?

I think the big question you need to answer is - if they want to be left alone - why go underground?
Because this clearly draws (unwanted) attention.
Especially if people are still going to the market to buy and sell.
There should be a reason these farmers want to go underground.

Tawmis wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 11:19 am

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 1:36 am Here's my original idea: how about a story where locals - farmers and fighters - vanish, thus attracting the attention of bounty hunters? And it turns out that they are all working in underground caverns, farming the land and creating weapons? (So far, this is very Skyrim-ish -- but here's where it gets interesting).
The dragon is in disguise as an elderly monk who they are all very fond of and very protective of, and all they want to do is be left alone.
Of course, the bounty hunters smell a rat -- how can you farm underground? You have no sunlight (so things won't grow), no horses and no cows (so there's no manure with nutrients to enrich the soil). So the monk sheds the disguise and explains (as a dragon) that he gives them the manure they need. They don't need flint and tinder to light fires, because the dragon does this (very, very, VERY carefully).
During the day, some of the fighters go out to hunt and fish; one or two go to town and get bread, cheese and vegetables. The farmers farm and eventually produce all kinds of fresh veggies to sell at the local town. They just want to be left alone.
Of course, the bounty hunters think: woo-hoo, a dragon! He's worth a big bounty! But they're also very stupid. Rather than slay them, the dragon reads their (very small) minds and casts illusion spells on them to stop the fighting and make them all come together with his "community".
Unfortunately, the bounty hunters are followed by even more of them. They fight, and some are slain ("what a waste" the dragon comments), but some get away with the story, and eventually the local warlord (or whatever passes for political authority) thinks: you know what? This is actually a boon. We've got a big old community living underground. Let's make a deal with the dragon: if you help defend us from brigands and such, we'll help you by legitimising you as part of our local community. And if the King (or his tax collectors) come around and tell you that you have to pay taxes and such, we'll all come together and tell them to push off.
The dragon thanks them for their interest and agrees - and has an idea! How about, if a fire happens, he and the local fishermen can help fight it? After all, the fishermen always have buckets of water, and the dragon can fly around and deliver the buckets where-ever they're needed. Now we have a fire-fighting squad!
That's as far as I got so far, but it needs a good antagonist or two. Maybe the King's tax-collectors are peeved at being told to push off, so the King sends a few knights and such to enforce collection. Or maybe a rival King sees that this community is doing well, and decides to invade and annex it -- or (more subtle) "persuade" them to join him. Now they're stuck between two rival kings! Who to support? Decisions, decisions ...
What do you think?

I think the big question you need to answer is - if they want to be left alone - why go underground?
Because this clearly draws (unwanted) attention.
Especially if people are still going to the market to buy and sell.
There should be a reason these farmers want to go underground.

This happens not because the farmers want to, but because the Dragon uses mind magic on them (one by one) while they sleep and draws them towards him.

He does this because he is old, and alone, and bored with being alone for so many years. He wants company, but every time he approaches mortals, it's either "DRAGON! Slay the fiend!!!" or "Aaaaaaahh! Run for your lives!!!" Sigh. Why can't people stay and talk to him? It's very depressing.

Now he has a little community to call his own. In return, he promises to help defend them against soldiers and bounty-hunters, and people of that sort.

I don't know if I'll pursue this. After all, who's my protagonist? What does he/she learn, and how? What problems does he/she face on the way there? Who is/are the antagonist(s)? At the moment, this is just an idea in stasis. *shrug*

Is my protagonist the Dragon? If so, what Life Lesson(TM) does he learn from all this? Maybe, at first, he summons humans to him because he wants company - and then he learns about human society, and how he can become part of it and defend it. And the antagonists could be bounty-hunters (who are easily dealt with), and kings (not so easy to deal with).

How does that sound?

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 3:37 pm This happens not because the farmers want to, but because the Dragon uses mind magic on them (one by one) while they sleep and draws them towards him.
He does this because he is old, and alone, and bored with being alone for so many years. He wants company, but every time he approaches mortals, it's either "DRAGON! Slay the fiend!!!" or "Aaaaaaahh! Run for your lives!!!" Sigh. Why can't people stay and talk to him? It's very depressing.
Now he has a little community to call his own. In return, he promises to help defend them against soldiers and bounty-hunters, and people of that sort.
I don't know if I'll pursue this. After all, who's my protagonist? What does he/she learn, and how? What problems does he/she face on the way there? Who is/are the antagonist(s)? At the moment, this is just an idea in stasis. *shrug*
Is my protagonist the Dragon? If so, what Life Lesson(TM) does he learn from all this? Maybe, at first, he summons humans to him because he wants company - and then he learns about human society, and how he can become part of it and defend it. And the antagonists could be bounty-hunters (who are easily dealt with), and kings (not so easy to deal with).
How does that sound?

Well, that's what I mean... if the people are mind controlled, why does he need to promise them anything?
They're mind controlled and under his command.
If they're not mind controlled, why wouldn't they seek help to stop the dragon from mind controlling friends and family?
I think you'd need to build up how bad the threat is on the surface to explain why - after being freed of mind control - they'd still be willing to live underground.
Especially if it's drawing unwanted attention ("Where did this town go?")
So maybe establish some evil force, who is hunting dragons? So that's why the dragon is doing this - to create a hiding place.
But the people become sympathetic to the dragon, because he's one of the few remaining, and lonely.
And that the threat of evil is greater than the threat of the dragon.
This can create some people who'd forgive the dragon for mind control and others who wouldn't - so some dynamic there.
Someone who betrays the dragon - tells the evil forces - see the evil forces enslave the people of the town - the betrayer, as always regrets their choice - and now has to undo it.

Off Week Game Notes from Session 11 - which was just ONE Battle - the deadly "Frogs!"
http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... -wizard-11

Going to include some sound bites too...

Hmm - let's see:

Tawmis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:56 am Well, that's what I mean... if the people are mind controlled, why does he need to promise them anything?
They're mind controlled and under his command.

Mind-control doesn't last forever, does it? It goes away after a few hours, or a day at most. But then he has to make a deal with them, right? Otherwise they'd definitely be angry and might even turn hostile.

Tawmis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:56 am If they're not mind controlled, why wouldn't they seek help to stop the dragon from mind controlling friends and family?

My idea is that the Dragon would only seek out loners, not family people. That gives them fewer options and fewer places to turn.

Tawmis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:56 am I think you'd need to build up how bad the threat is on the surface to explain why - after being freed of mind control - they'd still be willing to live underground.
Especially if it's drawing unwanted attention ("Where did this town go?")

Hmm ... my idea never was that the Dragon would lure an entire town underground. As before, he's luring a bunch of so-called "loners" and "misfits", etc. -- the kind of people that nobody wants -- and gives them a place to belong, and eventually build a community.

Tawmis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:56 am So maybe establish some evil force, who is hunting dragons? So that's why the dragon is doing this - to create a hiding place.
But the people become sympathetic to the dragon, because he's one of the few remaining, and lonely.
And that the threat of evil is greater than the threat of the dragon.

Hmm, I didn't think of that before (i.e. some evil force that's hunting dragons). My dragon is simply a wanderer who's tired of being alone all the time. Maybe the "evil force" that's hunting dragons is a local king/warlord. He is raising taxes to hire mercenaries for dragon-hunting, and the mercenaries have a bad attitude towards the peasants. ("Your king hired us, you bunch of dirt-scratchers! You want to complain? Go see the king! Ha ha!" *SLAP* etc.)

The king isn't evil as such - just fearful of the rumours of dragons, and the fact that he doesn't have enough guards. A neighbouring kingdom has a problem with mercenaries, so they send thm over the border - go and be someone else's problem. So the king panics and hires any old mercenary ... which makes him dumb. But he also learns a good lesson, eventually.

Tawmis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:56 am This can create some people who'd forgive the dragon for mind control and others who wouldn't - so some dynamic there.
Someone who betrays the dragon - tells the evil forces - see the evil forces enslave the people of the town - the betrayer, as always regrets their choice - and now has to undo it.

Maaaybe. Then again, the dragon takes care to only mind-control "loners" who aren't welcome in "civilized lands" (think Aragorn in Bree, or Túrin Turambar in the Silmarillion). Why would any "civilized" folks believe them?

Someone could betray the dragon's location, sure. Then the mercenaries would take over the town and do stupid things in the pub: act like greasy pigs, harass the barmaids, insult the local beer, etc. Once they're roused to actually go looking for the dragon, their captain (thorough soused by now) might challenge the dragon to a one-on-one fight. ("Have at thee, foul fiend!") It would be a very short fight; the dragon would pick him up with a claw and boot him out. "Anyone else?"

Meanwhile, the person who betrays the dragon's location now regrets his choice, goes back to the dragon, and begs him on bended knee to save the town. Maaaybe ... the dragon and his "misfits" come out from hiding, trounce the mercenaries, and kick them out - and there was much rejoicing! But the king sees his mercenaries get creamed, so he panics (e.g. "Traitors to the crown! Raaaah!" etc.) and orders his guards to take care of it.

Eventually all ends well. The people of the town learn that "misfits" aren't all bad, the king joins forces with the dragon to protect the realm, the royal guards train more people to be guards (after all, who wouldn't be proud to be a guard with a dragon?), the mercenaries are kicked out or co-opted ... and everyone is happy. Sounds good?
=====================
As for the D&D Game notes ...

- I love "Behold! The Ability of MS Paint!"
- Hmm ... when you mentioned deadly "frogs", I thought of Slaads. I'm disappointed now
- Trees moving closer? Are these Ents (or the D&D equivalent)?
- "The party decides that camping near the lake may be a bad idea..." Yes, because the trees could squash them and the grungs could poison them.
- The canine something that scares Galiena looks like a two-headed wolf or dog.

Nicely done there, Tawm. Thanks

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:04 am

Tawmis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:56 am Well, that's what I mean... if the people are mind controlled, why does he need to promise them anything?
They're mind controlled and under his command.

Mind-control doesn't last forever, does it? It goes away after a few hours, or a day at most. But then he has to make a deal with them, right? Otherwise they'd definitely be angry and might even turn hostile.

It lasts as long as you need the story for it to last.
But imagine being enslaved and doing something against your will.
So yes, I could definitely see people turning hostile.

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:04 am

Tawmis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:56 am If they're not mind controlled, why wouldn't they seek help to stop the dragon from mind controlling friends and family?

My idea is that the Dragon would only seek out loners, not family people. That gives them fewer options and fewer places to turn.

So ... like a pimp hiring runaways?

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:04 am

Tawmis wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:56 am So maybe establish some evil force, who is hunting dragons? So that's why the dragon is doing this - to create a hiding place.
But the people become sympathetic to the dragon, because he's one of the few remaining, and lonely.
And that the threat of evil is greater than the threat of the dragon.

Hmm, I didn't think of that before (i.e. some evil force that's hunting dragons). My dragon is simply a wanderer who's tired of being alone all the time. Maybe the "evil force" that's hunting dragons is a local king/warlord. He is raising taxes to hire mercenaries for dragon-hunting, and the mercenaries have a bad attitude towards the peasants. ("Your king hired us, you bunch of dirt-scratchers! You want to complain? Go see the king! Ha ha!" *SLAP* etc.)

Could even be the force that's hunted down other dragons. Although that gets close to The Last Dragon.

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:04 am =====================
As for the D&D Game notes ...
- I love "Behold! The Ability of MS Paint!"
- Hmm ... when you mentioned deadly "frogs", I thought of Slaads. I'm disappointed now
- Trees moving closer? Are these Ents (or the D&D equivalent)?
- "The party decides that camping near the lake may be a bad idea..." Yes, because the trees could squash them and the grungs could poison them.
- The canine something that scares Galiena looks like a two-headed wolf or dog.
Nicely done there, Tawm. Thanks

Thanks! The Two Headed Dog comes into play the next session (which has already happened, I am just way behind on my notes)