Fantasy

The Icewalker Tribe

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Tonight we meet the Icewalker Tribe who live on the Platara icefields before the great glacier. What appears to be just a meeting will quickly shift, but that may be something for tomorrow night. So sit back, grab a coffee and let’s meet the tribe leader!

The Icewalker Tribe

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The Icewalker tribe was a collection of small animal-skin and fur huts that surrounded a large communal tent in the middle. As Hisha and Jardi approached, people rushed out to grab the different boxes, bags and sacks from them as they brought them into the tribe’s camp.

People milled about and spoke in a rushed language that included clicks, pops and a few words in common. Soon the party were walking amongst the hunts and word had spread of their arrival, and of their success on the Ridge.

“These outsiders killed the Remorhaz?” one man said as he stared at them in awe as several children begged them to tell stories of their adventures. Hisha greeted an older looking human man as he walked out to greet them all.

“Welcome to The Icewalker Tribes camp. We hear that you have kept our Icespeaker, Jardi, and our Matriarch, Hisha, safe. We thank you for helping strangers and welcome you as heroes. Please come out of the cold and rest your feet.” The man spoke with a warm fatherly tone. “I am Fenwick the elected tribe leader and I both welcome and bless you on behalf of the frost titan.”

Matriarch Hisha Sethcardi

Hisha Sethcardi – Created in Artbreeder

Hisha has never wanted to be more than one of the tribe but her being a Drow has granted her an extremely long life. Her elven nature also blessed her with the ability to not sleep as others and it has thwarted many attempted attacks and raids against her people, the icewalker tribe.

Her adopted daughter Jardi was declared Icespeaker, a sacred title amongst the people of the Platara ice plains and as such she was granted the title Matriarch. Despite never wanting to be a leader she is a natural born leader and people listen to her above everyone, everyone except Fenwick that is.

Tribe Leader Fenwick Helder

Fenwick Helder – Created in Artbreeder

Fenwick was not born from the tribe but was chosen by them. A hunter from a distant land he came to the Platara plains to hunt the beasts of the land, however he discovered something much more. A Giant winter wolf. Their battle was legendary and as the howls and blasts of ice met with adamantine spear the people of the tribes flocked towards the commotion as no one had stood up against the giant wolf.

The Giant Winter wolf was a minor deity of the plains, an ancient beast and to challenge it was to challenge the plains themselves. However Fenwick was strongly determined to survive. For a full night and day the beast and the hunter fought and eventually the beast disarmed the man. However instead of devouring the attacker the great beast imbued Fenwick with a blessing of the ice. Fenwick became a legend and was adopted into the Icewalker tribe as their leader, the favoured tribe of the great wolf.

Content with his place and of the wisdom imbued into him from the wolf, and the tribe, he acts as a conduit between the tribe and the ice itself. Shifting as quickly as an avalanche to avoid threats to the tribe and settling like snow in the good times.

Thanks for joining me for another night of NPCs. Don’t forget to come back each day this week to follow along and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Platara Ice Fields

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The Platara ice fields covers the entirety of the land beyond the Platara Ranges. These near-inhospitable lands hold a sparse variety of species adapted to the cold and its these creatures that the tribes of the ice fields survive from. These hardy people are a resilient and strong people, but they don’t dare enter the glacier where the ice spire can be found. But enough about that, lets sit back grab a coffee and roll into this weeks adventure!

Platara Ice Fields

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Platara Ice Fields – Created in Nightcafe

The party had never been more pleased to see the end of the now rickety pulley system that brought them to the top of the ridge. Before them lay endless rocky mountains, fields of ice and in the distance, a glacier with a spire of ice jutting from it. Without any ceremony or delay the two tribe women that were with them started talking as they packed up their belongings, hauled them over their shoulder and headed towards a stone statue nearby.

The statue was of a large bearded man, a fur cloak covered his shoulders and he was depicted holding a giant axe. Placing a small parcel taken from their bags and placing it at the statue’s feet they began to head off towards the glacier. “If you want, you can come visit the tribe. They will be excited to meet someone who has killed a Remorhaz.” the younger Drow, Jardi, offered with a smile. Hisha smiled but rolled her eyes.

Following the two Drow women would take them in the direction of the spire for now, and the potential promise of a warm meal was nearly too promising. Without asking the question Hisha called back “If we hurry we can travel through the night and be there at Dawn. Or, we can camp out on the ice for the night and get there later. Either way it’s not a safe journey. But if you stay with us and listen we should get there in one piece.”

Thanks for joining me tonight for the second week of the adventure on the ice. So don’t forget to come back each day as we move forward with this adventure, and as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Lost Lore of Rastabar

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Tonight and I have created a zine for this weeks adventure. The Lost Lore of Rastabar. This adventure can be used system agnostic as we explore other RPGs out there other than D&D. So please adjust to what ever creatures you are using in your adventure! However as always Kobold fight club can be used to quickly balance an encounter for Dungeons and Dragons and Tetra-cube currently provides the stat-blocks for creatures in this adventure.

So I hope you enjoy this weeks adventure, The Lost Lore of Rastabar. If you like this format please let me know and I hope you enjoy.

The Lost Lore of Rastabar

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Entering the city felt like a dream. The flying ship carefully lowered the carcass of the dragon and the statue, wrapped in cloth directly into a warehouse that their client, Lucile, owned. A group of tight-lipped people rushed out and moved both body and construct into a large warehouse and the party were ushered inside.

Inside of the warehouse were isles of boxes where people moved goods from one place to another. Guards watched from walkways above the isles as people went around moving stock and cargo from one place to the next. 

“Excuse me! Coming through!” a voice rang out as a Tabaxi pushed a wheelbarrow full of bags of spice as other workers followed with boxes, bags and crates. Turning to watch the precession the goods were taken to the ropes from the airshop they came from and hoisted up into its hold. No rest for the industrious it seems. 

Slowly they were being moved before a familiar young woman, Lucile, who stood watching the dragon and covered construct move into a secondary large room. “We have much to discuss. Come with me to my office if you will”.

Rastabar Library- Created in Nightcafe

PDF adventure – The Lost Lore of Rastabar

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Thanks for joining me tonight for another Zine. Next time you get a party together consider running this adventure and I hope that you enjoy it.

I hope you don’t miss a thing so come back daily in the coming week. This is so you can experience the creation of the next adventure as it evolves and shapes out. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Simpler D&D

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Welcome everyone to a bit of a slower paced weekend and maybe some simpler D&D. Tonight after some time spent with friends the prospect of playing Dungeons and Dragons with kids. The one thing that stands in our way is the age.

When looking at D&D it takes understanding of social queues, maths and tactics to play D&D at its core. These concepts may be to difficult for children under seven or so to understand. But there are some simple adjustments we can make that will reduce the complexity for kids.

The d20 System is relatively simple but the concept of “pass/fail” can be hard for kids. Open legends RPG and a few other systems have the concept of ‘yes, but’ or ‘no, however’ where success can grant an additional benefit and failure… Isn’t always a failure. These shades of grey make RPG games with kids a bit easier. The wrong choice strategically may have a positive outcome that rewards child-mind problem solving and can even teach us how to be better DMs.

So having a miss or fail, still do something that progresses the encounter or story, and hyping up those big successes can be all it takes. Take away the math and use a scale of easy, medium or hard and make easy dc10, medium dc14, and hard dc18. To make it easier again, instead of adding modifiers to their dice rolls modify the DC down. As DMs and guides on their story let us handle the complexity and let them just roll dice and have fun.

The other concept is death in RPGs… As the noble hero you destroy undead, kill bad guys and thwart evil. But what if your child, or a friends child is not ready for that situation make it a food quest. Fighting walking foods who want to make them food. That chicken nugget may look brown and crispy.. but it fights like a goblin. Or make it a non lethal encounter and the party the elite police who have to capture the baddies.

Tailoring the adventure for your audience is a key skill for DMs, and even more so when your party consists of children.

Thanks for exploring the tip of this thought bubble tonight, come back again tomorrow for a long over due adventure as I play a bit of catch-up.
The Brazen Wolfe

Glacial Terror

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The Platara Glacier and the frozen plains that surround it are all hunting grounds for the glacial terror. This creature is so brutal and deadly that people only see the aftermath of its attacks, but never the attack itself. The main calling card, a tunnel through the ice and stone. So let’s reveal the big, bad bug for this week and sit back as tonight we investigate what it could be!

Glacial Terror

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The creature is none other than the Remorhaz. Now this thing is renown for being a TPKer (Total Party Killer) but it will be moving slower on vertical surfaces doesn’t have ranged attacks and can only attack one creature at once. If fought and engaged carefully these creatures can be ridiculously rewarding encounters that your players will remember for years.

However, players that blindly jump into this encounter may and likely will regret it. So I would put a break in the adventure – such as snack or lunch – as this creature is revealed to give them some time to discuss what it is and maybe even look it up (I am not an evil DM, just a brutal one).

Remorhaz – Created in tetra-cube.

Come back this weekend for some more content as I write up some adventures and enjoy fathers day with the two kids. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage
The Brazen Wolfe

Platara Ridge

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Tonight’s map isn’t overly complex, a series of rocky ridges capped in snow and ice line the carved path up the near-glacial slope of Platara Ridge. But a large cave has been discovered and it spells doom. The ledges now something that was seen as obstacles may be their worst enemy, or their best ally depending on how they are used. But let’s sit down, grab a coffee and look at tonight’s map!

Platara Ridge

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The ridges range between 5 and 10 feet wide enabling people to walk across them. Most are covered in snow which can make trekking across them dangerous as snow can hide a nasty fall. But overall they are sturdy and stable enough to have someone walk across them. For now that is.

The ice cave is relatively small, a bit over 5 feet in diameter but it poses a threat that the party may not be willing to ignore, or explore. The ropes leading up hold a reinforced wooden platform that can transport around a dozen people if required or about 6 if they each some some space on there. However despite it being reasonably large it is very slow to move so may not be the best mode of transport if speed is of the essence.

Platara Ridge Ice Cave – created in Inkarnate.

Thanks for joining me tonight for a glance at the Platara Ridge encounter map. Now to keep it brief and sharp don’t forget to come back tomorrow for more content and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Holes in the Ice

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Tonight the party uncover something that sets their Drow travelling companions on edge, holes in the ice. not an uncommon thin in most places but the size and position of them are particularly unsettling. So before I give away too much about this weeks surprises let’s roll into tonight’s adventure!

Holes in the Ice

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Ice holes – created in Nightcafe.

As the party returned from the little hut, carved into the edge of the Platara ranges steep cliffside they wearily looked at the second platform and pulley. The younger Drow, Jardi, had gone off as she had seen something suspicious in the snow. Well that’s what they gathered as neither her nor Hisha had spoken a word since they had begun the ascent. They communicated with hand gestures and symbols primarily.

A few dozen minutes had passed and Hisha was looking distressed. She had pointed out the direction that she believed that Jardi had gone but was concerned about how long she was taking to return. As the party followed the track they noticed a darting figure coming back this way very quickly. Immediately they recognised Jardi.

As she got close she gestured for them to follow here, but for Hisha to stay. The next few hundred feet was slow going as the ledge was uneven and the fall, significant. But eventually she stopped in front of a cave entrance that was about five feet wide. Leaning in close she whispered.

“This isn’t normally here. We see these out on the ice but never on the wall and where they appear animals and people leave quickly.” she said, glancing at the sky as if she were to be struck by lightning. “Be alert and alarmed. These holes bring death.”

As she hurried back to Hisha the party noticed several inch deep claw marks into the frozen fragments of stone, the ice above and beyond appeared as though it had been carved through with expertise and ease. The height and constant chill wasn’t the only thing that was deadly on this mountain.

Thoughts

So I skip thoughts occasionally but this sets up nicely with a few options this week for the adventure, encounter and more. I believe its going to be relatively easily to work out what’s going on but let’s see what people think and if they can work it out form the limited information available.

Thanks for visiting tonight to get a look at this weeks twist and lead up to the adventure. To stay on top of this weeks adventure don’t forget to come back daily to see where we take it and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Ice Dwellers

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This week we have the party scaling a massive cliff through a rather mundane apparatus with the help of some rather interesting individuals, the ice dwellers. These nomads and tribal people make a living from the ice and trade with those who live in the deserts and arid dunes below. But will these ice dwellers be any good in a life or death moment when the commotion brings out something from the icy wall? Well we best get a move on with tonight’s content and this weeks adventure! So sit back, grab a coffee and let’s meet some ice dwellers!

Ice Dwellers

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The party had reached the edge of the Platara ranges. The steep cold stone surface was a stark comparison from the desert that they had travelled through that morning. However the shift in temperature wasn’t the thing that shocked them. The drow that stood there waiting for the platform to lower down was the most shocking appearance.

Both were female drow and despite their age difference, one much older and one appearing young, they both were dressed the same. Both were clad in thick furs and appeared as if they were heading back with a few backpacks filled with goods.

“Greetings travellers, do not mind us as we pose no threat. We are From the Jandari tribe. I am Hisha and this is Jardi” the older woman said as she gestured to each in turn. “We are traders primarily and are on our way back up the Ridge to return home.”

Jardi Icespeaker – Created in Artbreeder

The younger looked towards them and at the platform as she constantly pulled on a sturdy rope that rose far into the sky. “The only way up and down is through a pulley system. There is a crossover point half way where we move to another platform but this one takes us there” Jardi responded.

“We have a few rules, sacred oaths to grant our god’s blessing that we try to obey when on the trek up. We go at a constant speed and we don’t make noise. It will take a full day to get up to the top including a stopover for a short rest.”

The party watched as the platform neared the base. It was certainly big enough for them all but a full day of silence and the slow ascent would be difficult to say the least.

Setting the scene for this weeks adventure as we move towards tomorrows Twist. A fun adventure ahead with some real danger if there is not careful. But surely they won’t go against the sacred oaths of strangers they just met… Don’t forget to come back each day this week to follow along and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Frigid Divide

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The Platara ranges marks the frigid divide between the Rastabar Desert and the icy snowscape beyond. The altitude is so high up here that the divide, a massive rocky wall, is half desert stone cliff, albeit cold, and half ice capped mountain. Beyond that is a barren artic landscape which leads into a massive glacier. Pretty cool right? But in order for us to fully investigate this locale we best sit back grab a coffee and roll into this weeks adventure!

The Frigid Divide

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Platara Ranges – Created in Nightcafe

The party looked over the edge of the flying ship as they approached the massive wall of stone and ice. “Well this is about as close as I can go before the ship won’t fly no more. Weirdest thing. The whole land and Rastabarian desert and this wall of ice and rock shuts the magic from the ship off.” Alex called out as he lowered the ship down a few miles off from the frigid divide.

“Are you sure you want to do this? I don’t even know what you saw in that tower that would make you want to come here but surely its long gone after all this time? Just saying, I wouldn’t want to be caught out there in that weather for too long.” Jessica added.

The Tower contained a map with several points marked out amongst the large piece of ancient parchment. One place was somewhere on the glacier here. Andrasa had named it “Ice Spire” and had listed some notes in an illegible script. Another was in the middle of a jungle which Andrasa had dubbed “Well of Souls” with more scribbles. And the third and last point which was furthest away was on a mountain which simply said “The Deep dark”.

If it was points of interest for a powerful and wealthy mage then surely they would be points of interest for the party. The wealth they had seen in Andrasa’s tower was beyond imagination so these three points seemed to be worth the risk and trip.

Climbing off the ship they grabbed their supplies, a magical tent that would keep them warm and safe and food and drink for a few weeks. Turning towards the divide they head towards a man made structure that was attached to the cliff and head towards it. A way up, a pully system that would hoist them and their cargo to the top of the rocks. The local populace of the Platara ranges use it to come and trade with some of the deserts tribal people. But the party will use it to ascend to the top where they hope to find something worth the effort.

So off the party went, in search for the Ice Spire.

With a sickening realisation we are 14 weeks away from December (Dice-ember) and that doesn’t give me much time to wrap up this years adventures before the holiday special. As the party would be around level 11 or 12 by now I find that an adventure series as opposed to one shots is more enjoyable and challenging. But that doesn’t mean we cant treat each series as a one shot – over multiple sessions.

But this week I wanted to layout the next three adventures before us. Each week will build towards one of the three and then a finale for the year. So don’t forget to come back each day as we move forward with this adventure, and as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Trouble of Trenchold

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Tonight and I have created a zine for an adventure a few weeks overdue. Trouble at Trenchold. This adventure can be used system agnostic as we explore other RPGs out there other than D&D. So please adjust to what ever creatures you are using in your adventure! However as always Kobold fight club can be used to quickly balance an encounter for Dungeons and Dragons and Tetra-cube currently provides the stat-blocks for creatures in this adventure.

So I hope you enjoy this weeks adventure, Trouble at Trenchold. If you like this format please let me know and I hope you enjoy.

Trouble at Trenchold

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The party talks to Taliah and Jake, normally rivals at two separate taverns in Trenchold, and are working together to see if they can find people brave enough to go into the Trenchold hills. 

Recently a gang of bandits has been robbing people that pass through or near the hills. Rumours have put their numbers in the hundreds but they don’t believe that is the case. The cities nearby aren’t committed to ridding the good people of Trenchold from the bandit plague. 

However both Taliah, Tilly, and Jake are worried about something more. The last few people to fall victim to the bandits have not been found and the people of Trenchold are worried that a ransom note has not been sent their way.

Trenchold – Created in Nightcafe

PDF adventure – Trouble at Trenchold

trouble-at-trencholdDownload

Thanks for joining me tonight for another Zine. Next time you get a party together consider running this adventure and I hope that you enjoy it.

I hope you don’t miss a thing so come back daily in the coming week. This is so you can experience the creation of the next adventure as it evolves and shapes out. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe