Tag Archives: 3.5e

First Curse of the Crimson Throne “Edge of Anarchy” Session Summary Posted

Well, our gaming group completed the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path from Paizo.  It took a year of hard gaming.  But there’s no rest for the wicked!  We’re starting in on our next campaign, the next AP from Paizo – Curse of the Crimson Throne.  And we’re using the Pathfinder RPG Beta playtest rules, as it’s way better than D&D 4e.  This one starts in the city of Korvosa, with our brave characters coming together to get even with the crime lord Gaedren Lamm.  That goes well, but then the King dies and the entire city breaks out into riot and rebellion!  Thrill to our urban adventures in… Edge of Anarchy, Part I!

And as a bonus here’s my character, Annata Vieri, cleric of Sarenrae the Dawnflower.  She’s cute!!!

Fourth “Xin-Shalast” Session Summary Posted – End Of Campaign!

Part IV of Spires of Xin-Shalast tells the tale of how our brave band – myself, a dwarf entitled Valgrim the Summoner, and my human comrades – Lord Roscoe Dillon, priest of Gorum, God of War; Phiravno the Varisian scarf fighter; Maru Maru, Shoanti Sun Clan monk; Vaelyn, Shoanti Sun Clan dragon shaman; Yenneck Grumman, Ranger of the Black Arrows – ended the schemes of Kharzoug the Claimer, Runelord of Greed.  Inside his ruined capital of Xin-Shalast, indeed atop the very Runewell of Greed, we met him and withstood his arcane assault to end his life.  Golarion slumbers, safer now but largely unaware of the fate our brave heroes averted.

And so ends the Rise of the Runelords campaign, almost exactly a year to the day after we began it.  Props to Paizo Publishing for one of the best D&D campaigns ever, especially James Jacobs, Nick Logue, and Richard Pett.

But there’s no rest for the wicked!  This week, we start the next Adventure Path, Curse of the Crimson Throne, this time using the Pathfinder RPG beta rules!

Third “Xin-Shalast” Session Summary Posted

We may be approaching the climax of the campaign in Part III of Spires of Xin-Shalast. Valgrim calls an angel to help, and the group rolls into a devil-haunted arena to do battle…   And then to the Pinnacle of Avarice to find and defeat the Runelord himself.  Wave after wave of giants broke upon us and fell apart like surf upon the rocks – once, twice, three times.  We slay without respite, or hesitation, or mercy.  The summary ends in media res as more enemies stir in the darkness beyond the piles of cloud and storm giant carcasses.  Who shall fall?!?

Second “Xin-Shalast” Session Summary Posted

In Part II of the Spires of Xin-Shalast, the last installment of the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path, our heroes begin their insurgency campaign within the ruins of fallen Xin-Shalast.  Yeti, dragons, and…  uh, weird invisible psychic slither-beasts prove no match for their spells and steel as they prepare to close in on the Runelord.  Death or glory!

And Then Things Got Out Of Hand

Our doughty band travelled way past the settled frontier into the Kodar Mountains, seeking the legendary golden streets of Xin-Shalast, Runelord Kharzoug’s millenia-lost capital.  But, holed up by a blizzard out in that remote place, trapped in a shelter together for what seemed like an infinity, our hunger grew different.  More severe… savage.  Not to be sated by magically conjured gruel.  What strange meat might quench it?   Oh, what?!?

Find out in Part I of the Spires of Xin-Shalast, the latest installment of the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path!

Pathfinder RPG Free Beta Is Out

Heard of the new Pathfinder RPG? It’s Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition. Well, not really, but it should have been.

While Wizards took D&D in 4e and fundamentally changed it, Paizo took the OGL part of Third Edition and retooled it into what many people call “D&D 3.75e” – an improved version but still mostly 3e-compatible.

Believing strongly in involving the gamer community in the development of the game, they went through a number of public Alpha drafts and have now released their Beta product. This will be playtested by anyone who wants to for a year and then the final “1.0” version will be released this time next year.

You can buy the Beta in hardcover for $50, softcover for $25, or… download the PDF for free!  That’s right, go to Paizo Publishing’s Pathfinder RPG page and get it for free (you have to register, the process to get it is via their online store/shopping cart). Then, you can go and give rules and playtest feedback on their forums.

So far, they’re doing everything I wish Wizards had done with D&D 4e.

  • Continue with open gaming by supporting and releasing content via the OGL? Check.
  • Meaningfully involving the D&D gamer community in the design and development of the game? Check.
  • Developing an awesome campaign setting and adventures to use with it? Check.

Pathfinder RPG Beta – What’s In It

They’ve streamlined and simplified the combat mechanics while making the core classes a bit more bad ass. Races have a bit more put into them, making them more distinctive. The barbarian’s rage powers are very interesting, and there’s more abilities for bards. Fighters get armor and weapon training abilities in addition to their bonus feats so they get something at every level. Sorcerers have “bloodlines” that give them additional powers.

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Fifth Runelords “Sins of the Saviors” Session Summary Posted

Our intrepid band finishes its total subjugation of the Runeforge in the fifth and final installment of “Sins of the Saviors.” The Iron Cages of Lust and Shimmering Veils of Pride bow down before the Relentless Kickers of Ass!

Next, we must locate and travel to the haunted peak of Mar-Massif, upon which lurks the frozen spires of forgotten Xin-Shalast.  And in it the shade of the former Runelord of Greed, Kharzoug, who seeks to lurch back to ill-formed life. I will destroy him and take his place as a proper Runelord! Mmmwah hah ha ha haaaaaaaaaaa!

Fourth Runelords “Sins of the Saviors” Session Summary Posted

Our intrepid heroes return to tramp through the undead-filled Vaults of Gluttony (one of many dungeons in the Runeforge), and my summoned monsters tear up both “level bosses” in:

Third Runelords “Sins of the Saviors” Session Summary Posted

Well, Valgrim fans, unfortunately I was on vacation last week so your favorite dwarven malconvoker only shows up in this session when dragged into the appropriate dungeon-lobe to solve a problem that requires his exceptional intellect.  But everyone else gets to chop a lot more!  Thrill to our looting of the Runeforge in…

Second Runelords “Sins of the Saviors” Session Summary Posted

In Part II of Sins of the Saviors, the penultimate chapter in the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path our group is playing through, we go to the Runeforge, fight a dragon, and avoid being turned into goldfish.  Fun as usual!  Check it:

First Runelords “Sins of the Saviors” Session Summary Posted

At long last, we begin Sins of the Saviors, the fifth chapter in the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path. We have to save Sandpoint from yet another subterranean threat – did these guys look around for ancient Indian burial grounds to put their town on top of or what? Anyway, we take on a crazy and mighty high level cleric of Lamashtu and his two pet glabrezus this time. High impact! Check out the full summary:

Pathfinder RPG Alpha 3 Available!

Paizo Publishing continues their open playtest of the Pathfinder RPG rules, a “fixed” version of D&D 3.5e, with the release of Alpha 3, the last version before the printed beta.  More than 17,000 people have downloaded it, dwarfing the D&D 4e playtester base.

If you’re trying to figure out how to download the darn thing, they are doing it through their store.  You go to http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG, scroll down to see the “Alpha Release” PDF (free), click on it, click on “Click here to get the PDF” to add it to your cart, then you personalize, download, and unzip.  A bit of a hassle but what the heck.  Note that if you’ve gotten earlier alphas this one supersedes them even though all the text etc. just says “Alpha” not “Alpha 1,” “2,” etc.  Re-download, it’s the new one.

Also look at the links above the icons – there’s a character sheet for download!

More once I have a shot at reading it…