Module Matinee

[Daos]

Alright, it's a little earlier than I intended, but this is the recruitment thread for the first Module Matinee.  I have a list of modules and everyone involved will help pick one, and we'll run it.  Pretty simple.  I'll include the title, what the module needs (in terms of how many players and what levels), the setting and whether Pre-Gens are included, as well as a short pitch.  Note that any modules designed for 1E can be converted to 2E, if the players prefer (personally I'm far more knowledgeable of 2E than any other system).

Here are all of the modules I currently own:

Against the Cult of the Reptile God (1E)
Needs:  Party of 4-7 of levels 1-3
Setting:  Greyhawk
Pre-Gens:  Yes
Pitch:  The village of Orlane Is dying.  Once a small and thriving community, Orlane has become a maze of locked doors and frightened faces.  Strangers are shunned, trade has withered. Rumors flourish, growing wilder with each retelling. Terrified peasants flee their homes, abandoning their farms with no explanation.  Others simply disappear...  No one seems to know the cause of the decay—why are there no clues? It will take a brave and skillful band of adventurers to solve the dark riddle of Orlane.
Notes:  I've never played or run this adventure before, so it would be new to me.

Duty Unto Death (AGE)
Needs:  Party of 3-4 of levels 2-4
Setting:  Dragon Age
Pre-Gens:  Yes
Pitch:  The party are a bunch of Grey Warden recruits who have not yet taken the Joining.  They are being escorted to take said Joining, but along the way come across a village in dire need of help.
Notes:  This one looks really short.  I've never run or played it before, but I did watch others play it.  It's for Green Ronin's AGE system, based on the Dragon Age videogames.

The Dalish Curse (AGE)
Needs:  A party of 4-6 of levels 1-2
Setting:  Dragon Age
Pre-Gens:  No
Pitch:  A clash between human villagers and Dalish elves could grow into a full out war if someone doesn't step in and setting things.
Notes:  I've never run or played this one before.  It's for Green Ronin's AGE system, based on the Dragon Age videogames.

The Tower of Azal-Lan (1E)
Needs:  A party of 5-9 of levels 4-6
Setting:  Greyhawk
Pre-Gens:  No
Pitch:  A tower once belonging to a lich is ripe to be plundered by those brave enough to try.
Notes:  I've never run or played this one.

Dragons of Despair (1E)
Needs:  A party of 6-8 of levels 4-6
Setting:  Dragonlance
Pre-Gens:  Yes
Pitch:  Divine magic disappeared 350 years ago when the gods abandoned the world of Krynn.  A group of heroes stumble upon the first evidence of their return, just as the forces of darkness prepare to take over the world.
Notes:  I have run this one twice.  If you are at all familiar with the novel, "Dragons of Autumn Twilight," this is basically the first half of that book.

Knight's Sword (2E)
Needs:  A party of 3-6 of levels 1-3
Setting:  Dragonlance
Pre-Gens:  Yes
Pitch:  A squire is ready to take their test and become a full-fledged knight, but the squire and their friends stumble upon a conspiracy of darkness.
Notes:  I have run this one before.  It requires someone to play a Knight to work, though.

Doom of Daggerdale (2E)
Needs:  A party of 4-6 of levels 1-3
Setting:  Forgotten Realms
Pre-Gens:  No
Pitch:  Trouble is brewing in Daggerdale when people start to fall asleep and don't ever wake up.  The party is asked to investigate this mystery.
Notes:  I've never run this one, although I did play it...well, the first part of it, anyway.

Fighter's Challenge/Wizard's Challenge/Cleric's Challenge/Thief's Challenge (2E)
Needs:  One player of levels 1-3
Setting:  Any
Pre-Gens:  No
Pitch:  Each one is different, depending on the class of the character.
Notes:  These are four different modules, one for each base class.  They are designed for a solo game, with just one player.  I have either played or run them all.

Neither Man nor Beast (2E)
Needs:  A party of 4-6 of levels 1-4
Setting:  Ravenloft
Pre-Gens:  No
Pitch:  Shipwrecked on a desert island!  Marooned among savage creatures who seem half-human, half-animal.  Who can you trust?
Notes:  I played in this one, but never finished it.

The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (OD&D)
Needs:  A party of 5-10 of levels 1-3
Setting:  Greyhawk
Pre-Gens:  Yes
Pitch:  Desolate and abandoned, the evil alchemist's mansion stands alone on the cliff, looking out towards the sea. Mysterious lights and ghostly hauntings have kept away the people of Saltmarsh, despite rumors of fabulous forgotten treasure. What is its sinister secret?
Notes:  I have played in this one before, although it went pretty off the rails at the time.  I could convert this one to 2E, as well, if the players want.

The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom (OSRIC)
Needs:  A party of 6-8 of levels 2-4
Setting:  Any
Pre-Gens:  No
Pitch:  Villagers and cattle have gone missing, woodcutters have disappeared, misshapen beings have been seen shuffling through the forests...strange things are clearly underfoot.  The party is hired to investigate.
Notes:  I have run this one twice.  It's pretty good, for a dungeon-crawl.  It's weird and unexpected; don't expect simple goblins and orcs, for instance.  I can convert it to 2E if the players want.

The Sarcophagus Legion (OSRIC)
Needs:  A party of 4-6 of levels 2-4
Setting:  Any
Pre-Gens:  No
Pitch:  Sultan Mehmet hires the party to rescue his kidnapped wife, Syriana from dervishes.
Notes:  I've run this one once.  A nice change of pace, as it's more of an Arabian flavor.  I can convert it to 2E if the players want.

===============

If none of these seem appealing, I can try and track down others.  But keep in mind that will take time.  (Although I do intend to add more to my collection at some later date anyway.)

Anyone who is interested, list the three that sound most interesting to you, in order of preference.  If anyone wants more information to help make your decision, just ask.

[GreyWolfVT]

*Raises Hand waits to be called on by the DM* Personally I like you am far more experienced in 2E than 1E though I am quite open to playing 1E as I have in other PBP forums. Personally the Module I'd like to run is Doom of Daggerdale though I also would also be open to Against the Cult of the Reptile God, Knight's Sword, & Dragons of Despair

[Daos]

Alright, sounds good.

I'll wait a day or two, see if anyone else is interested.  I know we had another new player show up at around the same time as you, someone named dram.  We'll see if they are interested, as well.  Whether they are or not, we'll still need 2-3 more people anyway.  So I can try recruiting some new people, as well.  Failing that, I can try shanghaiing some of the players in my current games to fill in the empty slots.

In the meantime, I'll read over Doom of Daggerdale to get a feel for it, since that was your first choice.

[GreyWolfVT]

Cool I chose modules I haven't played/run before. So that will be cool. Dram followed me over from Nuke's post over on the Unseen Servant forum. I know him from there quite well he is a good RPer. 

[Daos]

Alright, if Dram wants in, too, that works for me.  I'll start preparing the sub-forum now.

[Daos]

Alright, I think everything is ready.  I've added you to the Module Matinee forum, Greywolf.  So you should be able to post there now.  You can roll up your character in the OOC thread.  You might want to read up on the house rules I use in the Doom of Daggerdale thread first, though.

[GreyWolfVT]

Alright I'll do that Daos. I recall reading in one of your other posts on here about rolling in the forum though I'm not sure what the format for that is. I'll go read the house rules perhaps you mentioned it there. 

[Nuke]

Imma little slow on the up take here, but I'm in. Gimme a few.

[Dram]

I am interested in playing also. 

My choices would be- Dragon of Despair, Doom of Daggerdale, The Tower of Azal-Lan

[Daos]

Okay.  We've decided to go with Doom of Daggerdale.  I've given you permission to post in the Module Matinee forum now, Dram.  You can roll up your character there.

[Justin Tyme]

I am up for the next module matinee.  Love the old school stuff!

[Daos]

Justin has been added to the group.

[Onlie2017]

I would love to play in Doom of Daggerdale. May I use this character? I know she is a child but I love roleplaying and character development. Whatever penalties and limitations you impose on her I will of course accept but I would like to play her as is. The background explains everything.



Character Info



Name: Marianna 'Maria' Fireheart

Race: Human

Sex: Female

Age: 9

Height: 3 feet 10 inches

Weight: 48 lbs

Hair: Reddish Brown

Eyes: Hazel

Character Class: Invoker(Specialist Mage)

Preferred Level: 1

Alignment: Neutral Good



Description: You see a female, standing just a few inches short of 4 feet. She has a very young, probably slightly babyish face which is very childlike for a supposedly young halfling adult. But she can't be a Halfling since she is wearing boots instead of walking hairy barefooted. And she hasn't the pointed ears of an elf. But the real clue to her age is that she lacks any breasts, usually present in adult females of most humanoid species. They have yet to develop indicating she is still in early puberty, perhaps 9-10 years of age. She is a very lithe child, though not too thin. Fairskinned with a slightly sallow complexion, her head is surrounded by a beautiful mane of wavy, reddish brown hair that runs down to her shoulders. She looks at you with piercing, mysterious hazel eyes. Her attire consists of a green shirt, light brown pants and a hooded blue cloak which partially conceals a backpack. On her belt is a large sheathed dagger.



Personality: Maria is a shy, introverted child that is full of surprises. She is someone who likes to stay in the background but despite this can be very outspoken at times. The little girl is very intelligent and witty. She can also be very sarcastic and blunt. But she has a meek exterior that hides the courageous, often formidable inner strength that she possesses within. The child is kind and helpful and a champion of the oppressed and the downtrodden.



Quirks/Flaws: Naive and a bit self critical. Bit of a bookworm and sometimes can be oblivious to her surroundings when she has her nose in a book. Very outspoken and will say what she feels at the most inopportune times. Annoyingly sarcastic and bluntly honest.



Motivations: Day to day. Her strongest motivations are survival and avoiding capture by the red wizards. She would not mind becoming a more powerful evoker in her own right but long term goals are somewhat furthest from her mind at the moment. She has just recently been orphaned, is travelling in a strange unfamiliar land, and is on the run from powerful wizards! That's enough to give adult adventurer's humungous migraines let alone a prepubescent girl!



Future Plans



-hoping for her to have to constantly put up with the red wizards. Would love to see her give them a merry chase about Faerun, especially since they are unaware of how well she has developed in her magic!

-other organizations being interested in her because of her abilities with magic which would make sense. The good organizations will try to protect her and find her a mentor, the evil ones will try to manipulate her and turn her to the dark side. After all there's the Arcane Brotherhood and the Harpers, the red wizards are going to have a lot competition soon!



Background



Umara Fezim was a red wizard unlike any other. Instead of choosing to be power hungry and ruthlessly competitive like the other red wizards in training, she chose to do some good with her training, feeling that the backstabbing, self serving nature of the red wizards could only lead to their downfall. A very idealistic and kindhearted person she was alienated by her fellow trainees, but it only served to make her stronger both mentally and physically. Despite her do gooderness she proved to be a very formidable and clever red wizard which served her well and helped her survive as she developed as an evoker during her years in red wizard school.



So when she gained her right to become a red wizard, she chose to instead join the ranks of the Guild of Foreign Trade and serve as a merchant. She was also trained as an alchemist and chose to ply this trade, mostly to get out of Thay. She had no wish to get involved with the internal conflicts of the other red wizards so she chose to travel outside of Thay and work with the enclaves to help establish trade with the nations to the east. Given that she was one of the best alchemists in Thay and that her goody two shoes nature made her a little more trusted than most other red wizards, she was successful.



But she also left Thay for an even less patriotic reason, wanderlust. For several years she went adventuring whenever she was not working with the enclaves. But she made sure she contributed some of what she gained from adventuring to the enclaves to ensure that they knew she still worked for them.



Umara worked with a particular adventuring group who were neutral enough to accept Umara and her red wizardly background and 'complications'. Although she was very honest with them and while not necessarily telling all of the red wizards' secrets or conspiracies, generally being trustworthy and caring enough to do what is best for the party and their well being. So quickly she earned their trust, a trust she repeatedly continued to earn. The group was working around the vicinity of Daggerdale, since one of their group, a man named Randal Bloodaxe hailed from there and was working to free his people from Zhentarim rule. Because of this the party often went on missions for Randal Morn.



In 1357, the adventurers where one of the mercenary groups selected by Randal Morn and Mourngrym Amcathra to help defend the overland pass between Shadowdale and Mistledale through Tilver's Gap to Cormyr. The group fought bravely and Umara, who was already getting an earful from her red wizard superiors for threatening to induce the wrath of the Zhentarim by helping Randal Morn's cause, risked her life constantly, even for a clear enemy of her people and earned the respect of Randal and Mourngrym and their allies. Eventually the crisis was averted and the group parted ways with Bloodaxe and continued on.Because



Because of her deeds in Daggerdale, Umara was walking on eggshells with her superiors and to appease them offered to go on a few missions, nonevil ones that is, that would help them get some valuable artifacts with the help of her friends who suggested the idea in the first place. It was also at this time that she had a budding relationship with one of her adventuring group, a man Waterdhavian named Allistair Fireheart. Eventually Umara at least earned a bit of forgiveness for her actions in Daggerdale, even though she has no regrets for helping Randal Morn, and Umara was still allowed to continue working for the enclaves. Her position and influence within the enclaves helped them to get needed healing supplies. She did have to screen them first before getting it to her party. Given that these were coming from red wizards that were not as good natured as Umara, precautions had to be made.



Umara still continued to antagonize other red wizards though. One time she was supposed to alchemically alter one of her potions to turn it into a powerfully new addictive drug for sale at the enclaves. Instead she gave the potion, unaltered, to a merchant to help cure his daughterwho had accidentally ingested a lethal poison, saving her. Grateful the merchant compensated for the loss of funds even though Umara insisted on giving the potion without fee.



In Eleasias 1359, the party was in the Sword Coast in and around Waterdeep. They were investigating some banditry north of Waterdeep in the caravan route leading to Neverwinter. It was rumored that the bandits were led by a wizard working for the Arcane Brotherhood. On the night before the party went out to hunt down the bandits Umara and Allistair had a night of unrequited passion after Allistair proposed marriage. Then as soon as morning came the party went out and hunted down the wizard to his lair in the mountain ranges just east of the Mere of Dead Men. Eventually the party battled their way through the underground fortified lair of the wizard and confronted him in his study room and Umara and Allistair got into a magical battle with him while the rest of the party fought off his minions. The two won but Allistair was mortally wounded and died in Umara's arms. Eventually a grief stricken Umara parted ways with her adventuring friends.



Grief stricken and alone, Umara returned to Bezantur,Priador for a while. The while turned out to be a longer stay than she expected as in a few weeks she would realize she was pregnant. Not willing to risk the unborn child by traveling too much and wishing to ensure that her child at least had a stable home, Umara retired and took a position at a red wizard school to teach Evocation magic.



Nine months later Umara gave birth to a healthy baby girl whom she named Marianna or Maria for short. She poured all her love and affection into the child and allowed her little girl to grow and develop on her own terms within reason. To Umara's pleasant surprise Maria was very intelligent and by three was already reading fluently and by 4 could to a limited degree even write fluently as well.



This came to the attention to the red wizards and against Umara's objections had Maria tested for magical aptitude. She tested very high. To keep Maria from being taken away from her, Umara agreed to reluctantly train her daughter in the Art herself citing that her daughter would learn better under her tutelage. So every 6 months between the ages of 5 to 8 Maria was required to attend a meeting with a senior red wizard to show her progress as a red wizard. Maria always toned down her abilities though because she learned magic quickly, actually thriving on the training and the challenges that it provided.



By the time she was 7 Maria had already mastered basic Cantrip spells and was well on her way to learning Read Magic. She would master it just before she reached the age of 8 and was well on her way to becoming an Invoker like her mother. Maria did not want to become a red wizard though, sharing her mother's ideals and beliefs and largely growing to hate the backstabbing, deceitful life the red wizards seemed to live for. Especially when a necromancer named Shamar Grezznar in the service of Szass Tamm has wanted to get to Maria since she was 5 because of her potential. Even on one occasion he tried to send undead to kidnap her while she was on an errand for her mother. Fortunately Maria escaped.



Then one night, after Maria celebrated her 8th birthday and was given her first spellbook as a birthday present, Umara managed to smuggle both her and her daughter onto a ship at the docks of Bezantur. The ship was commanded by a family friend. And eventually the ship left Thay in the dead of night.



During her boat journey Maria polished off her wizarding skills and mastered all the new spells she had in her spellbook. After a few months the boat was forced to head to the city of Yhaunn after it collided with a shallow corral gouging a harmless hole on its side. But before they could reach the city the ship was hit by a severe storm. The already disabled ship did not stand a chance and eventually sank. But before the ship sank Maria's mother put her in the lifeboat just as a broken beam fell on both of them. Umara pushed Maria out of the way and into the lifeboat but was crushed by the beam. Just as she was about to die Umara barely casted a levitation spell that released and safely set the lifeboat away freeing Maria from the sinking ship.



The boat reached ashore, just south of Yhaunn. Despite her grief, Maria bravely continues to live on to this day, surviving on her wits and if necessary her magic. She continues on, heading west and north as far away from Thay as she can. And this is where her adventures begin!



WRITING SAMPLE



It was merely a simple task. She did not know why she was delivering this large bag of smelly, rotted meat but it was a favor for Amik Azar. Earlier Amik had put the seven year old through a series of magical aptitude tests and was displeased, berating her for not trying hard enough. There were times that she wished she could show him that she actually could do better and was tempted to dazzle him with her Cantrips. Most times these days she felt more tempted in blasting him with a magic missile. But that would mean that the red wizards would take her away from mama and she did not want to do that.



Normally the hot and humid weather of Bezantur would not bother the little girl. But this bag was heavy. So she did her duty even though her back ached and she sweated all over. Nevertheless the brave little girl endured it.



Arriving at a dilapidated one story building she walked up to the front door and knocked. No answer. So she tried the door and had to drop the bag and use both hands and all her strength to open it. When she did open it she immediately regretted it. The stench almost turned her off. She had to reach into her backpack and light her torch which she kept in her backpack since it was completely dark inside and the windows were boarded up.



Then she heard the hissing sound and saw the glowing red eyes and the two approaching figures that she immediately recognized as gnolls. Biting her lower lip to keep it from trembling she said in a stuttering voice, I brought dinner!


Then she ran away towards home as fast as her little feet could take her.

[Daos]

Wow, long time, no see, onlie.  You may not remember me, but you played this same character in another version of Doom of Daggerdale I was in about five years ago (I played a dwarf fighter named Gimak).  We didn't get too far before the game died when the DM vanished.  One of the players in my game, Breila, is playing the same character from that game, as well.  So this is something of a reunion.

I've granted you access to Module Matinee.  You can roll up your character there.

[Daos]

Justin has departed from the group.