Example of Play

The Gamemaster guides a group of four players through their exploration of a Haunted House. The four characters are Dorac (a dwarven fighter), Serytia (a elven sorcerer), Athosia (a human cleric), and Mortimer (a halfling rogue). The party learned stories of strange happenings around the house from the locals and have come to investigate.

Gamemaster: Standing before you is the dilapidated Heathcarn Manor. What was once a luxurious estate is now crumbling and overgrown. Dessicated vines cover much of the house's exterior, and it seems that the roof and second floor is partially collapsed. The trees reaching far overhead leave the area dark and shadowed, even with the height of the afternoon sun. Wooden slats are nailed over the front door to discourage entry, and the windows are shuttered. What would you like to do?

Dorac: I'm going to head for the door. I think I could probably pry off those boards.

Gamemaster: Ok. The front door is up on a small wooden porch, the wood aged and splintering. As you approach the door...

Athosia: Wait, Dorac! That porch doesn't look very stable.

Dorack: Good call! I'd like to take a closer look at the porch before I step up there.

Gamemaster: Sure, make me an Engineering check if you have it. Otherwise, you can just make an Investigate.

Dorack: I have Engineering. [Rolls] Uh, that's a 13.

Gamemaster: Good enough. The porch is a little unstable, but you're pretty sure if you're careful, and only have one person at a time up there, you'll be fine.

Dorack: Ok, I continue towards the door and begin to pull off the boards.

Gamemaster: Alright, what are the rest of you doing during this time.

Athosia: I'm waiting at the base of the porch, looking on.

Serytia: Me too.

Mortimer: I'm trying to get a look through one of the windows.

Gamemaster: Unfortunately, most of the windows are a bit high for you, as the house is set up a couple feet with a crawlspace underneath. If you hop up on the porch you could try to look through the window there.

Mortimer: I don't know.... Dorack, is it safe for me to come up there with you? I don't weigh all that much.

Dorak: [Looks to the Gamemaster, who nods] Yeah, it should be ok. Just watch your step.

Gamemaster: Ok, while Dorac begins prying off the first board, Mortimer you step up to the window to his left. The shutters are closed and there are dead vines covering them, but you can easily cut the vines away if you like.

Mortimer: Yes, I'd like to cut away the vines and open the shutters.

Gamemaster: Alright, as you're working on the vines, Dorac finishes prying the first board free. As you pull the board away from the door, you find strange carvings on the underside. It doesn't seem to be any language that you understand.

Serytia: Hey Dorac, let me take a look at that. Can I tell what the writings are?

Gamemaster: They seem like Arcane runes of some sort.

Serytia: I knew it! I'd like to use Reveal Magic.

Gamemaster: Ok, you begin to cast Reveal. Meanwhile, Dorac continues to pry off the boards?

Dorac: No, I'm gonna wait till Serytia finishes checking it out.

Gamemaster: Ok. Mortimer, at this point you have finished clearing away the vines and pry open the shutters. The hinges creak, rusty from disuse, but you are able to get them open without too much effort. Looking through the window, the room inside is very dark. You see the vague shapes of furniture, but can't make out much else.

Dorac: Can I take a look? I have Darkvision.

Gamemaster: Sure, you move over to the window and peer inside at what was likely once an elaborate parlor. Several paintings hang on the wall and a few sculptured busts are standing on pedestals in the corners of the room. There are a few settees and small tables, with a large fireplace against the left wall. The room was likely used for entertaining.

Dorac: Ok, I'll share what I saw with the rest of the group.

Gamemaster: Great! Now at this point, Serytia, you've finished your Reveal Magic ritual. The carvings are definitely magical, but the magic seems to be fading. You are detecting the remnants of an abjuration effect. And while you have the ritual active, you can tell that the rest of the boards seem to radiate that same magic, though it seems to still be active with the remaining boards.

Dorac: Uh oh...I think I broke it.

Serytia: You couldn't have known. I should have detected magic before you went up there. Can I get an idea of what the runes may be doing.

Gamemaster: Make me a Ritual Casting check.

Serytia: [Rolls] I got a 10, plus my bonus of 7. So, 17.

Gamemaster: That gets you a Difficulty 3. Hmmm...you think they are connected to some type of Binding ritual, but you don't know which one.

Serytia: So the question is, were they trying to keep something out? Or keep something in?

Dorac: So, should I pull off the rest of the boards or what?

Athosia: I don't want to mess with this if we don't have to, especially if it's meant to keep something in. I'd like to take a look around the house and see if there are any other entrances.

Gamemaster: Ok, you walk around the exterior and see no other doors, but there are plenty of windows...

Athosia: Hmmm, I don't know guys. What do you think?

Dorac: What's better? Breaking off the magical seal on the door or breaking a window.

Serytia: Either way we're still breaking something. We've likely already weakened the spell by removing the one board. And breaking the window might allow anything that's inside to bypass the door anyway.

After some discussion, the group decides to remove as few of the boards as they can, while still giving them enough space to squeeze through. Mortimer squeezes through first, and after confirming the remaining runes to not prevent him from leaving, the rest of the group follows suit.

Gamemaster: Alright, as you pass through the door, you enter into a small foyer with a door to either side and a staircase in front of you that leads up. The foyer is relatively unadorned, but a large chandelier hangs from the ceiling that would provide ample light if the candles were lit. You have a bit of light shining through the door, but otherwise the house is pretty dark.

Athosia: I cast the Light orison.

Gamemaster: Alright, now anyone who sticks near Athosia will be able to see pretty well. Where would you like to go?

Athosia: Let's take a look in the room to the left, that's where the parlor was, right?

Gamemaster: Yes, you go through the door on the left and enter the parlor. You enter the parlor and the room is much as I described. There is a door exiting the room to the north.

Mortimer: I'd like to take a look around. I'm searching for anything valuable.

Gamemaster: Sure, anywhere in particular you'd like to start? And what about the rest of you?

The rest of the group decides to follow in the same vein, searching through chair cushions, small side table drawers, and bookshelves for anything of interest. Athosia makes her way over to the fireplace and shines her light inside.

Gamemaster: Okay, when you shine your light into the chimney, you hear a screeching sound. Suddenly, a swarm of bats comes flapping towards you, and I'm going to need everyone to roll initiative. I'll make a quick sketch of the room and you can place your figures accordingly.

The Gamemaster sketches the room and rolls initiative for the Bat swarm, rolling a 4. He then determines Tide of Battle. The Bat Swarm has a Morale of 0, while the highest morale in the party is 2. Since there is only the one swarm, the party also has numbers on the group, giving the party a +3 to Tide (4 to 1). The Bats have been living here for a while though, so they get Home Ground advantage (+1). That puts the final score at 1 for the Bats and 5 for the party, making Tide of Battle +4 in the parties favor. This should be an easy combat.

Gamemaster: Alright, Tide of Battle is 4 in your favor. The bats have just begun to swarm out of the fire place. We'll start in segment 1.

Mortimer: I'm in 1. I'd like to shoot at the bats with my sling.

Gamemaster: Ok, make an attack roll.

Mortimer: [Rolls] Alright, I got a 12. With my attack bonus, that's a 16!.

Gamemaster: Don't forget Tide, which will make that a 20. That's definitely a Full Hit, and don't forget to roll for a Critical Strike.

Mortimer: Oh, right! [Rolls] Ok, I got 52% on my Crit, so that fails. But I did 4 points of damage.

Gamemaster: [Since Swarms only take half damage from targeted attacks, the GM clues in the group with the following.] Ok, you hit one of the bats, knocking it to the ground, but the rest of the swarm is still going strong. Unfortnately, you don't think weapons is going to be quite as effective against these guys, since there are so many of them.

Alright, let's move on. Anyone in 2? [Waits] No, 3?

Serytia: I'm in 3! I move over closer to the chimney, then I'm going to cast Burning Hands.

Athosia: But that will hit me!

Serytia: Not if you move out of the way.

Gamemaster: Ok, but for now you've just moved. Let's move to 4.

Dorac: I'm in 4.

Gamemaster: So are the Bats. What's your Initiative Order?

Dorac: 16.

Gamemaster: [The Bats Initiative Order is lower, 14] Ok, Dorac goes first.

Dorac: Alright, I charge over and attack the swarm with my axe. [Rolls] I rolled a 13, but no crit. With tide and my attack bonus, that's a 21.

Gamemaster: That hits. Go ahead and roll your damage.

Dorac: Nice, 8 points!

Gamemaster: Great, another bat is slain and one gets clipped. Again, your weapon doesn't seem as useful as it would be against a normal foe.

Alright, now the Bats attack. They get to make an attack on each adjacent creature, so that's going to be Athosia and Dorac. [Rolls two attacks.] Alright Athosia I got a 14, and Dorac that's a 16.

Athosia: Hits.

Dorac: That's a Glance. Do the Bats have any Negation?

Gamemaster: Nah, they're just Bats. [Rolls damage twice.] So Athosia that's going to be 5 points of Slashing damage. Dorac, because of the Glance, that will be just 3 points. Moving on, five? six?

Serytia: Six! Now I start casting Burning Hands.

Gamemaster: Seven?

Mortimer: I make another Sling attack. [Rolls] Ugh, I rolled a 2...but with Tide that's an 11.

Gamemaster: Sorry, just missed. Eight?

Athosia: Finally, I move out of the way.

Gamemaster: Ok. Nine?

Serytia: Perfect timing. I finish casting my Spell. I want to angle the cone towards the fireplace to completely engulf the swarm.

Gamemaster: Ok, make an attack roll.

Serytia: [Rolls] I got a 12 versus Reflex.

Gamemaster: Did you include Tide of Battle?

Serytia: Oh no, 17 then.

Gamemaster: That hits! Roll damage.

Serytia: [Rolls] That's 9 points.

Gamemaster: [Since area effects deal double damage to swarm creatures, this damage is enough to kill off the swarm] Great! The bodies of the remaining bats catch fire and fall, writhing to the ground. Your spell single handedly eliminated the swarm!

We can drop out of Initiative, the danger has passed. What do you guys want to do now?

Athosia: Lets keep searching.

Gamemaster: Alright, tell me where you'd all like to search and make me your Investigate checks.

After about a phase, the group has thoroughly searched the room. Most of the searchinging ended up fruitless, but Mortimer found a small lockbox under a loose floor board.

Mortimer: I want to search the box for traps before I try to unlock it.

Gamemaster: Ok, make an investigate check.

Mortimer: Will do, but I'd like to take some extra time at it. Can I use my Careful Inspection power?

Gamemaster: Sure.

Mortimer: Alright [Rolls twice, thanks to Careful Inspection, and takes the better result]. I got a 18.

Gamemaster: Ok, you notice a small hole next to the lock, about the size of a pin.

Mortimer: Ok, I'm going to take my dagger and hold it against the hole with my thumb while I pick the lock.

Gamemaster: Sure thing, go ahead and make me a Lockpick or Thievery check.

Mortimer: [Rolls] Natural 20! That's a 27 for me.

Gamemaster: Excellent, the lock opens with a soft click. You hear a faint metallic ding against your dagger. As you pull it away slowly you see a needle protruding from the hole next to the lock.

Athosia: I use Sense Poison.

Gamemaster: Yes, you detect Poison.

Athosia: Ooh, good thing you caught that trap Mortimer.

Mortimer: Yeah. I open the box. What's inside?

Gamemaster: Inside you find a stash of 25 gold pieces.

Mortimer: We're rich!

The group chuckles then continues exploring the house. They move through the door on the north wall, entering the Dining Room, and search through the area without finding much of importance. They continue into the next room, the kitchen and search through there as well. Dorac finds a trap door in the pantry that leads down some stairs into a cellar type area. The group decides to investigate.

Gamemaster: Alright, the stairs are only wide enough for one person to descend at a time, single file. So I need to know party order please.

Dorac: I'll go first. Then Mortimer, then Serytia, with Athosia taking the rear. Does that work for everyone? [The rest of the group nods in response.]

Gamemaster: Sounds good. You slowly descend the stairs into the dark cellar. The walls of the cellar are filled with jars of what seem to be pickled vegetables and jams, the kinds of things that you would expect in a cellar. What's strange however, is the chalked pentagram in the middle of the floor.

Dorac: Oooh, this is kind of strange. I relate this to the rest of the party, and take out my Axe. I descend the stairs cautiously, looking around.

Gamemaster: Ok, make me a Spot check. [Out of view of the players, the GM rolls a Stealth check for the demon hiding under the stairs. He rolls a 21, which is higher than the Awareness of any of the PCs. The demon is successfully Hidden.]

Dorac: I got a 17.

Gamemaster: You don't notice anything beyond what I've described.

Dorac: [Looking suspiciously at the GM] Ok, I continue down to the floor and take a look at the circle.

Mortimer: I'll follow.

Athosia: [With a nod from Serytia] We head down too.

Gamemaster: Ok, you take a closer look at the pentagram, you notice that there is black dust lining the entire pentagram, but it has been smudged in one corner.

Serytia: Uh oh, I think I know what this is. Can I make a Ritual Casting check?

Gamemaster: Sure thing.

Serytia: [Rolls] 17.

Gamemaster: On an initial glance, you would guess some sort of binding symbol, but you'd have to take some time to examine it to determine what type.

Serytia: That's what I was afraid of. Guys, I think that someone tried to summon and bind something down here. And by that smudge, I'm going to guess that it got out.

Gamemaster: Just as you reveal your findings, you hear a gurgling growl come from the space beneath the stairs. Before you have a chance to react, lunging out of hiding is an emaciated creature with greenish, yellow skin, a slavering mouth, and long sharp claws. It lunges towards you...and that will be initiative. You are all at a +5 penalty for being Partially Surprised.

Everyone rolls initiative and the GM draws out the cellar and allows the PCs to place figures. He then determines Tide of Battle and begins the initiative count for a new round of combat.