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Usecase: Fronts, 5x5, 5rd in Logger

BahneGorkDK

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inspired by post: https://campaign-community.com/inde...lot-stories-or-dungeon-crawlers.747/post-5358

I read up on station53, critical hits 5x5 and attempted to incorporate this mindset into logger entries.

So i have an Organisation ^Cult Of Oztt, their campaign entry will be the "faction pyramid/overview"
Then i create a campaign entry with the minus tag for a FRONT and tag the organisation in that entry and in this campaign entry i basically copy station53's blog post.

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I also decided to use + tag for 5rd rooms, so maybe i'll put those as tags inside the table... like so:

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and then i have a campaign entry for the loopy point *infected H....
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BahneGorkDK

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I just added a list of information reveals, seeds for "how can you reveal whats going on as information gathering/discovery", clues you might say. Information that is not in itself an encounter but reveals the presence of the front and/or organisation.
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and added tags to the clues
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JochenL

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I am intrigued by this and will give it a try!
 

BahneGorkDK

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I am intrigued by this and will give it a try!
i still personally have to adjust to all 3 ways of thinking though :)
I still havent created a full 5rd yet, i always stumble on the twist and have trouble coming up with ideas for "next" clues in room 5. but thats for another thread somewhere :D
 

JochenL

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This 5x5 approach with different fronts involved rocks for me!
It increases the density of the story for me and creates a more vibrant world.
I am eager to test my prepared stuff in the next session.
 

BahneGorkDK

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I havent had time to continue my experiment yet, prep for todays session and worldbuild to underline it has taken priority.
But i'd love to see your prep work with this, maybe a separate CL file we can download like that 5rd example with the menagerie:)
 

JochenL

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You will get a CL file! I wanted to make all my prep work and scenarios for my Borderland campaign publicly available anyway.
 

JochenL

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This format generates a complex adventure, suitable for 3 to 4 sessions. It is not suited for my current gaming format, the West Marches-style Play, as I want to do one mission in one session.
 

BahneGorkDK

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This format generates a complex adventure, suitable for 3 to 4 sessions. It is not suited for my current gaming format, the West Marches-style Play, as I want to do one mission in one session.
I havent even gotten around to actually use it yet, im still working on incorporating 5RD in my prep :D But i thought this would be good for a more overarcing story, something that can be sprinkled throughout other stuff. Like it could inform you of clues they could find in that one session mission that was related to the 5x5 ?
 

JochenL

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As soon as I know how we will handle the "end" of the adventure, I will post my CL prep entry here and will be looking forward to your feedback.
 

JochenL

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Abyssal Descent on #Auheim
In Town
Getting Ready to Go
  • Getting Stuff Cheap: Consider this to happen before departing.
  • Scoring Extra Cash: This should add an extra week of preparation that will cost everyone (another) 150 copper.
  • Finding a Quest: As decided by the players; see also Rumors below.
  • Finding a Sponsor:
    • Master @Gernwald Berling would like to get a sample of the !Poisonroot plant growing near #Auheim. He is willing to pay 200 copper to someone willing to find one.
    • Magistrate @Willert Moosball is fearing that monthly payments from #Auheim will cease if a disease is killing the miners. He is willing to pay 200 copper to every adventurer going to investigate the case.
      The last month's delivery of 25 pounds of silver (worth 25,000 copper) is already overdue. If the adventurers can bring back that amount, they will be awarded an additional 500 copper per head.
    • The Church of @Solus is interested in details about what caused @Frundir Samtstein's death. They will sponsor each adventurer going to investigate with 100 copper upfront.
Rumors
End of March 1021 NL, spring is coming.
  • A trapper drinking his share in a local tavern tells his listeners: "A friend of a friend hunting in the east is finding less and less deer at the end of this winter. This surely is related to pillars of smoke rising at the southern fringes of the Black Fang Knolls."
Mid-April 1021 NL, after a week of late snow, temperatures are rising again.
  • Around New Moon in the evenings and mornings, the moon's whole face is burning bright red for everyone to see. A Hehl-worshipping weirdo is telling everyone willing to listen: "The End is Nigh! The Underworld's fires are burning brighter every day!"
  • A Gnome struck by fever entered Holt-Lindeck a few days ago. Gatekeepers report that he has been murmuring about "black snow falling on Auheim." Yesterday he died, having lost all the color in his hair, eyes, and skin.
There and Back Again
It is about 50 miles from #Holt-Lindeck to #Auheim or 2.5 days on feet, one way. #Old-Auheim is just about 40 miles away and would make a good place for camping before going to #Auheim itself.

Starting in #Holt-Lindeck, the weather is sunny, and the temperature is well suited for marching. The night is dry and cold. On the second day, clouds gather, and now and then, drizzling rain starts to wet and cool travelers (Hearing-1). On the third day, storm clouds crowd the sky south of the #Silver Peaks, and a vague red glow lights the black undersides (Vision-1).

In the Dungeon
Overview
GatewayChallengeTensionClimaxTwist
^Hehl's LegionDesperate SurvivorsGauge Their StrengthThe SummoningThe MasterEye of Hehl
^Black Fang OrcsFollowing a TrailSky Grazer BuffetThe Hideout
^KikimoraYounglings on Their OwnThe Hive
^Auheim RefugeesRefuge in Alt-AuheimTrek to Safety
^Auheim GnomesAlchemy 101The Need for Blood

Impressions
  • bloodless, bleached (from poisonous Abyssium taint)
  • green-black ooze (from unrefined Thaumarium)
  • darkness, colorless (emotional)
Scenes
(N) denotes the number of player characters in the group.

1620922678582.png
 

JochenL

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Following a Trail
Observation/Perception/Danger Sense/Intuition lets a character notice that they are watched/followed: A band of (N) ^Black Fang Orcs (M1 p.34, CER 20 ea.) is shadowing them, curious what they are about. They don't want to fight and flee as soon as possible to inform their comrades. They know of and can be followed to The Hideout.

Desperate Survivors
The area around #Old-Auheim is plagued with desperate and deprived survivors that long for !Thaumarium and/or the blood of people to stay alive. A group of (3N) gnomes and humans (CER 10 ea.) are lying in ambush, hoping to catch unwary peasants. They will try to subdue the player characters and flee as soon as they realize they have no chance (half of them have been downed).

The fight will be among trees and bushes, on the road, or the river banks. The attackers will try to use Higher Ground (E p.47) to improve their defenses. They will also try to Retreat as often as possible (E p.50).

They will mass on the most vulnerable-seeming character while the others try to fend off other fighters.

ST11HP11Speed5.00
DX11Will9Move5
IQ9Per9SM0
HT9FP9DR1
Dodge8Parry8Block-
Large Knife (12): 1d-1 imp or 1d-1 cut. Reach C or C, 1.
Punch (12): 1d-2 cr. Reach C.
Kick (10): 1d cr (with boots). Reach C, 1.
Bite (12): 1d-2 cr. Reach C.

Traits: '"Bleaching Plague" (Mitigator: a pint of blood from a sapient being, daily). Bloodlust. Callous.
Skills: Brawling-12; Knife-12.
Class: Mundane.

Refuge in #Old-Auheim
-Nature's Strength -1

Norbruck has been barricaded using carts and sharpened stakes. Halflings and humans are keeping watch. They keep stocky Halfling-bred riding mastiffs nearby.

Refugees from #Auheim have come to #Old-Auheim, occupying empty houses and every somehow protected spot. Gathering around fireplaces, sleeping under carts and trees, sheltering below blankets and other impromptu tents. Most of the nearly 300 refugees camping in Sutbruck do not know what really happened. They talk of earthquakes, strange folk asking weird questions, black snow, the *Bleaching Plague that affected many hardy miners, and vampires stalking the streets at night. All they want is to survive. They beg the player characters to lead their Trek to Safety - to the "great city" of #Holt-Lindeck.

@Honey & @Mouse
Here the player characters can meet @Honey, a 13-year old human girl, and @Mouse, a 17-year old gnome boy. Their parents shared a wild-dug mining hole at the northern flanks of the #Silver Peaks, four miles to the west of #Auheim. They observed what happened first hand and could flee due to the heroic effort of their moms and dads.

They know of the *Bleaching Plague, the *Demonic Striges, and the exploding *Doomchild (see Background below). Most deem their stories childhood fantasies, though.

Gauge Their Strength
After passing #Old-Auheim and unless the group is stealthy, they are spotted by *Demonic Striges (M2 p.42) that will descent on them and attack. Their task is to gauge the strength of intruders and report back to their master. The (2N) striges (CER 35 ea.) will move in, attack, and move out again. They will not stay or fight to the death except when forced to do so.

The striges are coming from and flying back #Auheim.

Sky Grazer Buffet
Days ago, a Sky Grazer plummeted down to and perished on the fields. The carcass has attracted lots of scavengers but still has a lot of flesh on its bones. Currently, a group of (2N) ^Black Fang Orcs (M1 p.34, CER 20 ea.) is cutting meat, preparing to carry it off to The Hideout. If they find themselves discovered, they will chase observers to silence them. They will flee if a third of them falls and warn their comrades of able intruders into their expanding territory.

Younglings on Their Own
^Kikimora younglings from The Hive have been venturing out on their own driven by pure hunger. They have lost their track and are barking and chirping hoarsely for help and orientation. The swarm consists of (3N) hatchlings - treat them as Tomb Bug Hatchlings (M2 p.48, CER 11 ea.). They will all attack one victim, quickly switching to the next when they realize that they don't draw any blood. If they lose more than a third of theirs, they withdraw under the earth using Tunneling without leaving passable tunnels behind.
 

JochenL

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The Summoning
-Nature's Strength -2
-Lower Sanctity

Smoke is rising from the battered remains of #Auheim. Cracks run through walls and streets. Roofs have collapsed. A sheet of white ash covers everything. At five points near the palisade, thickening fumes are billowing. Child-like creatures are roaming the streets dragging the corpses of their seeming parents to these points. Looking closer, one can discern low-burning pyres of dead bodies at the five tips of a huge pentagram.

These creatures are Doomchildren (M1 p.21, CER 38 ea.) that are summoning The Master. They are working in groups of (N). Their knives are made of !Abyssium (2,000 copper ea.). The effects of these weapons are those of !Poisonmetal (TT p.33); count the number of injuries suffered and make the HT rolls after the combat.

When the pyres are discovered, begin the count down: [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] - mark an additional field every ten minutes, unmark a field for each group of terminated Doomchildren. When all fields are cleared, the ritual has been aborted. When all fields are marked, The Master will ascend.

When the second mark is filled, the earth starts to rumble. When the third mark is filled, hot gas streams forth from the cracks. When the fourth mark is filled, the sky darkens - sun, moon, stars are blotted out. When the fifth mark is filled, the earth wildly shakes, lava wells up from the cracks, and in the center of town The Master ascends out of a sea of molten rock.

Alchemy 101
-Nature's Strength -1
+Higher Mana

In the cellars and catacombs of #Auheim, Gnome alchemists have taken up shop. All silver ore mined is pre-processed above-ground and refined here. This latter process sheds !Abyssium taint and, more importantly, raw !Thaumarium that is then distilled into a liquid. Liquid !Thaumarium can then be used as a Paut-equivalent potion or as fuel for alchemical casting items. Player characters can find (N) potions here.

As all Dwarven buildings have connected cellars (often by hidden/secret doors), characters can travel most of #Holt-Lindeck underground. Under the villa of @Merwild Dusk Of Amber, the town's vault (Lockpicking-10) is located - about 2,000 coins of silver (40 pounds) are stored in this heavily fortified chamber. See The Need for Blood for an easier method to get to the silver.

The Master
-Nature's Strength -1

@Am'Urrhaz is the quintessential demon lord: 13 feet in height, massive, cloven hooves, red-black skin covered in flames, large bat wings, a greatsword wielded one-handed, and a flaming whip. All remaining Doomchildren (up to (N)) gather around him when he demands allegiance from everyone in town.

To convince anyone undecided, he will take escalating measures: Poisoning people, Burning innocents, Tarnishing all silver, Spoil all food, Taint all life.

Pit Master (CER 98)

ST25HP25Speed7.00
DX13Will18Move7
IQ12Per12SM+2
HT13FP13DR6
Dodge11Parry12Block-
Greatsword (16): 2d+6 imp or 5d+3 cut. Reach 2, 3 or 1-3.
Flaming Whip (16): 5d-3(0.5) cr +2 fire. Reach 1-8*.
Claws (16): 2d+3 cut. Reach C, 1.
Trample (14): 2d+6 cr. Reach C-2.
Fangs (16): 2d+3 cut. Reach C, 1.

Traits: Callous; Combat Reflexes; Divine Curse (Treat holy water as acid; No DR vs. holy water; Blinded by Sunlight; No DR vs. Sunbeam); Doesn't Breathe; Doesn't Eat or Drink; Doesn't Sleep; Extra Attack 1; Flaming Skin (1d-1 burn to anyone touching or attacking it); Flight (Winged); Frightens Animals; High Pain Threshold; Immunity to Disease; Immunity to Poison; Indomitable; Infravision; Lifebane; Penetrating Voice; Sadism; Temperature Tolerance (Hot) 10; Unfazeable.
Skills: Brawling-16; Broadsword-16; Intimidation-18; Tactics-12; Whip-16.
Class: Demon.
Notes: Willing to negotiate! Truly evil. Abyssium Greatsword (47,700 copper) and Flaming Whip (15,540 copper).

The Hideout
This was @Bausum's old hideout near #Auheim. Now it is the home of a vanguard of the ^Black Fang Orcs. They have extended the burrows under old tree roots to hold up to (4N) orcs. At any time, half of their number is out scouting while the other half stays in hiding, ready for what may come.

If their scouting party has warned them, they will know of the player characters and observe their movements.
If the meat cutters have warned them, they gathered their numbers and are ready to fight and protect their bridgehead.

If they survive long enough, they will report back the situation to the ^Black Fang Tribe.
Of course, they are willing to negotiate if they can gain an advantage.

Eye of Hehl
At the place The Master broke free, a cooling lava tube becomes visible. It leads down to a chamber where a solid orb of black !Abyssium, a foot in diameter, rests on a pedestal of a now-solidified eruption of lava. It radiates the strong magic of the school of Knowledge.

The Hive
The ^Kikimora's hive is located far underground south of #Auheim. Its main entrance is hidden but less than half a mile from the main entrance of the silver mines. At least 100 insectoids populate it. Use the states of the Tomb Bug (M2 p.48) with these adjustments:
  • Younglings use the stats of Hatchlings,
  • Workers use the stats of Juveniles,
  • Soldiers use the stats if Youn Adults,
  • The Queen uses the stats of a full-grown Tomb Bug (IQ 8).
Their behavior is different, though: The queen lays eggs instead of incubating live victims. The others are not just about eating but follow the orders of The Hive. Groups of four to ten bugs have IQ+1, eleven to 30 bugs have IQ+2, 31 to 100 have IQ+3, and 101 or more have IQ+4.

The Hive is desperate. Their hunting grounds south of the #Silver Peaks have been purged. They are about to leave for a new home and will devour everything on their way.

Entering the hive without an army means sure death. Clever characters could try to communicate and convince the Queen of a common enemy (the demons). A few cattle would make a good negotiation start.
 

JochenL

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Trek to Safety
Comin back through #Old-Auheim, refugees are lining the streets, ready to march towards #Holt-Lindeck. As soon as the characters arrive, they are approached if they could lead the track to safety. Expectations are high. On the other hand, the refugees are disorganized and don't have any provisions - they are already starving.

The Need for Blood
-Nature's Strength -1

Near his vault (see Alchemy 101), @Merwild Dusk Of Amber has a panic room where he hopes to survive the events above-ground. Besides (N) potions of !Thaumarium he keeps his vault key, a small !Thaumarium-powered !Cauldron of Endless Feeding, and his blood-drained love @Matilde nearby.

@Merwild Dusk Of Amber knows quite well that he is responsible for what has happened and what he has become.

Background
As an archeologist, @Merwild Dusk Of Amber discovered the ruins of the Dwarven outpost about 30 years ago. He found writings in Ancient Dwarven that reported anomalous silver ore veins in the former gold mine. He missed the warnings that this silver is poisonous, though. With a few friends, he ventured into the former mine and discovered the silver. Quickly, he secured it for himself during a visit to #Holt-Lindeck - for just 50 silver, they say.

Over the years, more and more fortune-seekers came to the new #Auheim to work the mines or dig their own holes into the northern flanks of the #Silver Peaks. Most mines brought their ore loads to @Merwild Dusk Of Amber, and he oversaw its refinement. About 20 years ago, he discovered the first signs of the poisoning effect. An Alchemist finally was able to shed !Abyssium (a dull gray poisonous metal) from the silver. As a by-product, !Thaumarium was discovered.

About ten years ago, @Merwild Dusk Of Amber discovered the cause of the taint: a sealed shrine of @Hehl deep in the mountain. He broke the seal by accident and got tainted, contracting the *Bleaching Plague. The concentration of poison in the ore began to increase. First signs of the plague were showing in other miners. Researching a cure, the ^Gnomes of #Auheim discovered a weakening of the blood that can be halted by drinking blood from sapient beings...

In the last year, more and more miners died. Then the earth began to rumble and shake. Rumors of missing townsfolk and dying miners grew out of control. A few days ago, the first *Demonic Striges appeared, further firing talk of "vampires". When the first *Doomchild (obviously transformed infected) showed up and exploded upon slaying it, those already in fear fled for #Old-Auheim.

Concerning !Thaumarium, @Merwild Dusk Of Amber suspects the addiction aspect, but not the reduction of one's ability to gather mana.
 

BahneGorkDK

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I like that flow chart alot, i think i have been trying to get my mind to visualize something similar but not quite getting there. Havent read the posts after yet :D
 

JohnnFour

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Yes, the chart is fantastic Jochen.
 
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