SKT: Rise of the Edgelords

[Herobizkit]

I just wanted to share my, uh, Session -1 with the class.

So one of the regular players in our group wanted me to run Storm King's Thunder and asked if he could bring his gf in with us. She's played with most of the group before under a novice DM who, in short, had zero control over his table and her experience was fairly negative. I, as the resident veteran DM (30 years experience), have been tapped to run a 'better table'.

We're using roll20 and have purchased the SKT module for it, so I have all of the tokens, information etc all pre-set. I also bought the hardcover for, uh, casual reading. You know where. ^_^ Thing is, I haven't DM'd in a long while, and while I know I CAN DM, I have that nagging pressure to do amazing or bust. I'm also not too familiar with the DM side of Roll20 and I tend to get easily frustrated when I'm mucking with the tokens and layers and what not.

Anyhow, because of the newer player, I held my breath and assumed the players would make an agreeable party that would cover the basic tropes and show off the derring-do of heroes.

Here's what I got:

Half-Orc UA Ranger
Goliath Life Cleric of Lathander
Kobold Rogue
... and the gf rolled a Tiefling Warlock.

Also, the half-orc player wants to be part of the Zhentarim faction.

:smallsigh:

Anyone else get 'pleasantly' surprised by their SKT (or otherwise) party composition?

[Unoriginal]

Not sure how those characters are edgelords.

Also, I hope you don't think I'm condescending, but a piece of advice: if you expect something of the characters before the character creation, talk with your players before they start. Not to impose your impression, maybe, but just to know what they have in mind.

[Herobizkit]

Well, all of them are races "normally" considered evil or from Evil stock by humans. Also being part of the Zhents and being mercenary and "not exactly heroic". All they're missing is a Drow.

YMMV, of course.

And it's fine, I just thought it was funny and I couldn't resist the pun from one of Pathfinder's Adventure Path.

[Armored Walrus]

My current campaign was pitched as an intrigue adventure set in the capital city. My party rolled 2 druids, a drow assassin, and a monk. Newest player is a lizardfolk fighter.

[Ravinsild]

Because I am used to Warcraft Orcs I never imagined Half-Orcs as particularly evil, but all my Orcs tend to be "Thrall-junior" because he was very influential on me.

I didn't know Goliaths were evil? I thought they just didn't care one way or another.

I thought Tieflings were humans with horns and a tail and every bit as alignment scattered as humans are?

[Regulas]

For D&D edge-lords more to do with how the party members interact with the main Quest and the party. The guy who has no reason to follow the campaign, or who works against the party or who seems to dislike being in the party. Basically people who work against the campaign and party "but it's their character".

Your party might not be normal races but depending on personalities could fit in perfectly fine with each other and the quest.

[Joe the Rat]

We're using roll20 and have purchased the SKT module for it, so I have all of the tokens, information etc all pre-set. I also bought the hardcover for, uh, casual reading. You know where. ^_^ Thing is, I haven't DM'd in a long while, and while I know I CAN DM, I have that nagging pressure to do amazing or bust. I'm also not too familiar with the DM side of Roll20 and I tend to get easily frustrated when I'm mucking with the tokens and layers and what not.

What I have learned through practice and observation for Roll20.

Built-in info on preset tokens is a godsend... and this is coming from someone who makes is own. Saves a bit of book flipping. Wouldn't hurt to spreadsheet some stats.
Assign one of the "bars" to be AC. Click on token - see what you need to hit.
Until you get used to it (and assuming the bought maps don't have it), skip dynamic lighting layer. The barriers can be a hassle until you learn the One Weird Trick. Use fog of war to block the not-there-yet parts.
Unless you need to track the bodies, delete the dead.
You can stick DM notes and "hidden" creatures in the GM layer. Layer switching takes practice.

Feel free to PM if you need help with something in particular.

On the party composition: You've just got a weird mix - you have one out-and-out monster, two stigmatized halfbreeds, and an barbaric outsider. That's not too unusual. It's just a question as to if they are in for a "acting in the common good" mode, or if you need to be a bit more mercenary in their incentives.

[Herobizkit]

On the party composition: You've just got a weird mix - you have one out-and-out monster, two stigmatized halfbreeds, and an barbaric outsider. That's not too unusual. It's just a question as to if they are in for a "acting in the common good" mode, or if you need to be a bit more mercenary in their incentives.I'm slowly connecting them to the Nightstone plot. I went the 'easy' route and decided they'd all meet in Waterdeep.

Half-Orc Ranger has Guild Artisan as a background. He scours the land for raw gems and ores, whether or not they're on someone else's claim. He's occasionally going to deal with some shady folks and that's how he meets the Tiefling.

Tiefling Warlock went Urchin. She's been all over the streets of Waterdeep. She also opted for the Great Old One pact. Given that Waterdeep is, well, on the coast of a big ocean, I'm thinking Dagon as the GOO and directing her to put a stop to... uh... an aquatic interloper in the adventure.

Goliath Cleric went Acolyte. He wanted to be more of an 'active' warrior-cleric, so I pointed him in the direction of the Order of the Aster in Waterdeep's Spires of the Morning. He has interest in joining the Order of the Gauntlet faction, so sending him to meet a contact in Nightstone to 'test his devotion' is the plan.

Kobold Rogue went Hermit. He was separated from his clan by a massive flooding of the sewers and took refuge in the Spires. There, he spied on the the clergy, learning how to heal and religious lore. Through his nightly readings, he eventually pieces together that a long-dormant and mysterious obelisk has the power to change reality and is due to become 'active'. It's also first-come-first-serve, so he's got to get to Nightstone asap.

[Herobizkit]

So the group took on Nightstone.

Well, most of it.

They set the barn on fire and, as an afterthought, set the horses free.

They also ignored the Keep.

And forgot to search most of the place and loot most things.

Now they're off in search of the missing villagers.

Three of these players are vets and the whole game felt like an animated Team Fortress 2 short.

Great times. :smallbiggrin: