Druid Problems

October 17, 2006

The group wakes up without Duece in a grove of trees after having gone to bed at the Inn. Turns out the local druid grabbed them and told them to do something. They said no, unless they get more information. The druid said their fate was up to them and left.

The group goes back to town and talks to some people. They don't get helpful information and find out the druid has done this before. Eventually, though, they decided to do it. They look for Duece but can't find him. They want to look for him but realize they have a time limit on the task and have to get started.

The task is to plant eleven acorns around the county. The first one has a guardian that they defeat but Eric is left wounded. The next two go well. They end up planting one at the fortress near Hackby that they had recently visited. (The Fortress) They end up fighting some undead there.

Again, they get a rest the next several go well. They plant one near Hartley and see someone watching them. They digress to the village to rest there. When they finally go to the spot, they talk with some followers of Malar. It seems as if a fight is going to happen but then the leader lets them pass.

They decide to plant that one and go to the next one yet this night and plant it. When they do, through the clouds a shaft of moonlight comes down onto the spot planted. The druid appears and says they have restored balance to the town, which stopped a plague from happening as well as helping the withering that was effecting the animals and crops. They whine that they would have done it gladly and right away if they had known. The druid retorts that it says more that they were willing to do it without knowing. Victor tells the druid he won't be doing anything else for him. The druid says there is always a choice and leaves.

They head back to Hightown to rest and find Duece.

Notes

• The player who plays Duece was gone and I think the group did a good job of looking for him but realizing they wouldn't find him.
• The episodic nature of the game is working out very well. I will have to figure out what happened to Duece but at least they aren't in the middle of a dungeon and I have to explain why/how he left and came back.
• I had plans for if they did do it and yes a plague would have hit the county and wiped all but them out. Very much in fitting with the darker tone of this campaign.
• I played the druid of Sylvanus like a noble (read: jerk) who ordered them around without saying much. Further, when they asked the priest of Chauntea for help, a philosophical discussion ensued about the two faiths. I might have bored the players but I had fun discussing the finer points between two similar gods.
• I really think Alternity worked well and that came out tonight. The first battle left their main fighter wounded and with no healer, he stayed wounded for several days, until the next battle. Further, the character was hesitant about battle because he was wounded. I think it really showed a strength of the Alternity system in how damage and healing is done.
• As I said in the Introduction, I again gave a bonus skill rank to their basic skills. It is working out very well to do this and let them point earned points elsewhere.