User:Bill/Rifts Week by Week/Series Three Notes - Revision history

Bill: /* Session Notes */

2013-09-21T20:38:07Z

Session Notes

Bill: /* Session Five - 17 February 2012 */

2012-03-04T00:23:14Z

Session Five - 17 February 2012

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	Their relocation to Copán also leaves me in a bit of a quandary as to how to proceed. I'll either have to GM fiat JW Grackle into the scene or do a side story with him while I run the other two players through their adventure. Dylan's absence last week sets him up well for that, but I dislike running what is essentially two games in parallel. I've done it before, and done it well, but it isn't my preference. A fourth player is planning to join us for the next session as well. She'll be using one of my pregenerated Atlanteans, so I could just drop her in with Conan and Yavin. I'll probably have her play along with JW in an effort to keep the scene time balanced though.		Their relocation to Copán also leaves me in a bit of a quandary as to how to proceed. I'll either have to GM fiat JW Grackle into the scene or do a side story with him while I run the other two players through their adventure. Dylan's absence last week sets him up well for that, but I dislike running what is essentially two games in parallel. I've done it before, and done it well, but it isn't my preference. A fourth player is planning to join us for the next session as well. She'll be using one of my pregenerated Atlanteans, so I could just drop her in with Conan and Yavin. I'll probably have her play along with JW in an effort to keep the scene time balanced though.

			===Session Six - 24 February 2012===
			This week is the first time we've been back up to four players since Series Three began. Both Dylan and Rachel joined us. Dylan continued with JW while Rachel has taken on the role of Zosime. I actually wrote the character with her in mind, so it should be an excellent fit. John and Mike continued with the characters that they have been playing since the beginning of the series. Rachel has expressed interest in expanding on stone magic and I have encouraged her to. I know nothing of lapidary, so I'll be taking her word on any new gem-spell associations that she chooses to create.

			This session ended up covering a lot of ground, and a blow by blow account of it would be very time consuming to write up. Instead, I'll summarize the significant events.

			Conan and Yavin discovered that Copán is inhabited by Aztecs and ruled by Huitzilopochtli. The god bid them offer alliance to their leader and gave them the gift of two enchanted macuahuitl. They learned from one of the god's servants that Huitzilopochtli doesn't even want to be on earth and the servant begged them to help his god be free to leave. They were presented with a map to a secret place in Acapulco and asked to seek Quetzalcoatl. Conan exposed his secret identity to Huitzilopochtli before teleporting back up the ley line to where he and Yavin had left his mechanical horse.

			JW and Zosime were told that it would be good for them to meet up with Malik by Dave. It was some heavy handed deus ex machina, but I needed to get both of them back into the story and it was a fast and easy way to do it. Malik informed them that an associate of his, called Roger, had absconded with a very dangerous object and that he would appreciate it if they could look into recovering it.

			Doing a little detective work, they tracked Roger and his companion, a demon known as The Eater, back to his apartment near the south gate. Coincidentally, the same gate that Conan and Yavin were returning through. All four characters, now much more conveniently in the same scene, searched the apartment. It turned out to be was vacant, but filled with garbage and half an eaten human leg. The group split up again as Conan and Yavin gave their report to Pycel, JW reported the severed leg to the captain of the guard, and Zosime met with Onesimos to learn more about the mysterious box that Malik had sent them after.

			Confounded by the mystery and frustrated by Pycel's response to their efforts, the group reformed the next day intent on killing some vampires. I don't recall exactly how they came to that decision, but I went along with it. I described it as late in the morning when they arrived near Chichen Itza, taking the ruined highway to the place. We spent the remainder of the session with them fighting zombies.

			It's good to have a full table again. I'll admit that I was starting to feel like my efforts were being wasted. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate John and Mike showing up every week. The point of the game is to demo rules and promote sales though, and that requires that we add people periodically.

			===Session Seven - 2 March 2012===
			I met up with Rachel to help her flesh out her character's background and populate her NPC list earlier in the week. See the NPC log below for notes on those. I really enjoy building up the cast of characters in this fashion. And while I haven't integrated many of the player generated NPCs so far, I do intend to.

			I was pleasantly surprised when Eric and Sara joined us this week, bringing my number of players up to six. Eric played Kaethe and Sara took on Abraxas, while Dylan, John, Mike, and Rachel all continued with their characters from last week. Dylan has expressed interest in playing an Atlantean ley line walker to avoid the possibility of being left out of the story by a teleporting incident such as we had two-weeks ago. I am fine with people switching out characters as often as they like, but I am also committed to making the game work with any mix that might show up (within the limits I have defined above). I'm sure the group will be able to come up with another option if they can't just teleport away from a problem.

			This week was all about Chichén-Itzá. Assessing the damage to their equipment, the group decided to fall back to the settlement to resupply before making an assault on the pyramid itself. This ate up a couple hours of game time and put them back at the pyramid in late afternoon. When they entered the clearing in front of the temple, they discovered that the zombies they had destroyed earlier were attempting to reassemble themselves. Yavin put a quick stop to that, incinerating the accursed remains.

			The group was then confronted by a giant naked half-bat half-man that addressed them in Spanish and bid them enter the temple. The undead slayers recognized the monster as a demon familiar, a manifested being that vampire intelligences use to defend their lairs and operate as an extension of themselves away from their physical bodies. At this point the players seemed a bit confused as to what to do about the monster. Being the only non-atlantean, and therefor the only character vulnerable to vampiric mind control, I whacked JW with the creature's pheromone seduction power. He failed his save and became entranced by the enormous naked monster's obvious maleness. An abundance of penis jokes ensued. Recognizing his friend's dazed stare, Yavin slapped the stupid look off his face; which gave us an opportunity to use the rare pull punch maneuver. Initiative was rolled and the fight went off.

			The last time I used a vampire in a Palladium game was probably around a dozen years ago. It was disappointing then because a friend of mine rolled an unmodified 20 on a called shot to the heart with a crossbow. This time wasn't much more fulfilling because the demon familiar's stats were reduced by 75% in daylight. The fight was over in about one melee round. Between JW's big bore railgun knocking the monster down, which we later determined it wouldn't have, and Yavin's water bazooka blasting half its hit points off, it wasn't much of a fight at all for six player characters. Granted, that's why they made their assault during the day.

			At the top of the pyramid, the player characters found two passages leading down into its interior. Zosime was not able to detect any secret passages, but Conan found a concealed shaft under the altar. The stone master easily lifted the five-ton piece of rock out and gently deposited it out of the way. Negotiating the shaft led to some discussion on falling. JW, being a supernatural creature, leaped into the hole with abandon while the rest of the group shimmied down ropes. Conan actually fell. Both JW and Conan sustained 1d6 MD from the 100ft fall, Conan surviving by the grace of his armor but still suffering a small amount of structural damage.

			At the bottom of the shaft, in a huge chamber encircled by twelve passageways, they found hundreds of skeletal remains littering the floor. Abraxas and Yavin, the undead slayers, had expected this to be the resting place of the vampire intelligence. It was nowhere to be found though. Conan cast ''globe of daylight'' and they began to move towards the passage at the four-o'clock position. Two vampires, groggy and weakened by being active during the day, appeared from the three-o' clock passage and initiative was again rolled.

			This fight was even more one-sided than the fight outside. Confronted by the globe of daylight, the vampires were forced to flee out of its radius. This led to an almost comedic game of Conan chasing the vampires while everyone else murdered them. The fight was over in just under a melee round and the players had a little time to discuss what they should do next when two more vampires appeared across the chamber from them. The players elected to ignore them and proceed down the passage.

			We were getting close to 9pm at this point and I wanted to wrap things up, so at the end of the shaft they found the treasure filled throne-room of Camazotz with the alien intelligence seated on his throne. Camazotz congratulated the heroes on their earlier successes and invited them to take what they could carry from his treasure. Being gamers, this naturally led to some silliness about trying to take the throne or Camazotz's armor. After getting through that, Camazotz invited the player characters to serve him, which Eric would have chosen to do if I had let him. I pointed out that the Atlanteans have a deep seated hatred of vampires and related critters which would make taking the monster's offer unlikely at best.

			We closed the session with the players fleeing at best possible speed from Chichén-Itzá in an effort to get home before dark. I described dusk falling around the settlement and the swirling of huge bats overhead as they entered the protection of its walls. This may change the tone of the next couple sessions as the Atlanteans and their allies battle Camazotz's minions. I've never really run a game that took place during a siege, so it could be interesting.

			Eric indicates that he'd like to join the game and make his own character. I wasn't sure if Sara was as engaged during the session, but if she'd like to join as well they're both welcome. With more players, I'll have to up the ante on the opposition too. I'm sure I'll find a good balance, but it could take a couple weeks for me to hit the sweet-spot.

	==Character Log==		==Character Log==

Bill: /* Location Log */

2012-03-03T23:29:30Z

Location Log

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	\| '''Notes'''		\| '''Notes'''
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	\| Dzibilchaltun <br> [tsee-beel-chal-toon] \|\| 10 miles north of the settlement \|\| The Mayan ruins at Dzibilchaltun ~~include~~ the pyramid that Pycel used to bring her people to the Yucatan. This pyramid is very small and not very powerful. Pycel's next objective, now that the encampment is secure, is to have her stone masters construct a full scale Atlantean pyramid on the site. One that will harness sufficient ley line energy to crush her opposition with.		\| Chichén-Itzá \|\| 77 miles east of Merida \|\| The ancient pyramid dedicated to the god Kukulkan is currently inhabited by Camazotz and his vampire minions.
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			\| Copán \|\| Approximately 900 miles south-east of Merida \|\| The Aztec city of Copán has been restored by the god Huitzilopochtli. It houses more than a thousand people who appear to live in the same fashion as the ancient Aztecs and speak Nahuatl.
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			\| Dzibilchaltun <br> [tsee-beel-chal-toon] \|\| 10 miles north of the settlement \|\| The Mayan ruins at Dzibilchaltun included the pyramid that Pycel used to bring her people to the Yucatan. This pyramid was very small and not very powerful, so Pycel ordered it demolished. Pycel's next objective, now that the encampment is secure, is to have her stone masters construct a full scale Atlantean pyramid on the site. One that will harness sufficient ley line energy to crush her opposition with. At the current point in the story, the foundation of they pyramid has been erected.
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	\| Mayapan \|\| 20 miles south of the settlement \|\| The site of Mayapan is inhabited by a strange race of primitive ant-people. They have constructed a large ziggurat of alien design here and it appears to house their entire colony.		\| Mayapan \|\| 20 miles south of the settlement \|\| The site of Mayapan is inhabited by a strange race of primitive ant-people. They have constructed a large ziggurat of alien design here and it appears to house their entire colony.

Bill: /* Character Log */

2012-03-03T23:16:24Z

Character Log

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	\| Caunus \|\| Psi-Tech 2 \|\| Twin brother of Byblis and younger brother of Xuthus. Unlike his siblings or his mother, Caunus has no particular feelings towards his cousin. He observes the family drama with great disinterest.		\| Caunus \|\| Psi-Tech 2 \|\| Twin brother of Byblis and younger brother of Xuthus. Unlike his siblings or his mother, Caunus has no particular feelings towards his cousin. He observes the family drama with great disinterest.
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	\| Conan \|\| Battle Mage 1 \|\| Conan joined the expedition on Phase World and has been passing himself off as a cousin of the clan. He is in truth the sole survivor of a rival clan, the Kalamarakia, that Pycel ordered destroyed almost 20 years ago. Conan intends to get close enough to the inner circle to have his revenge on Pycel, her lover, and the spymaster Yakutz. Conan has sacrificed much in pursuit of this goal; abandoning his position with the Federation of Magic and masquerading as one of the hated Sharin. Played by Mike.		\| Conan \|\| Battle Mage 2 \|\| Conan joined the expedition on Phase World and has been passing himself off as a cousin of the clan. He is in truth the sole survivor of a rival clan, the Kalamarakia, that Pycel ordered destroyed almost 20 years ago. Conan intends to get close enough to the inner circle to have his revenge on Pycel, her lover, and the spymaster Yakutz. Conan has sacrificed much in pursuit of this goal; abandoning his position with the Federation of Magic and masquerading as one of the hated Sharin. Played by Mike.
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	\| Dascylus \|\| Stone Master 3 \|\| A silhouette that joined the expedition on phase world, Dascylus is refugee from the Trans Galactic Empire. The young alien has tremendous magical aptitude and has quickly caught on to stone magic. He and Zosime have become fast friends while working together.		\| Dascylus \|\| Stone Master 3 \|\| A silhouette that joined the expedition on phase world, Dascylus is refugee from the Trans Galactic Empire. The young alien has tremendous magical aptitude and has quickly caught on to stone magic. He and Zosime have become fast friends while working together.
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	\| Yakutz \|\| Mind Melter 12 \|\| Pycel's spymaster. Rumored to have agents throughout the settlement and in the world beyond.		\| Yakutz \|\| Mind Melter 12 \|\| Pycel's spymaster. Rumored to have agents throughout the settlement and in the world beyond.
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	\| Yavin \|\| Undead Slayer 1 \|\| Yavin has joined the expedition along with his uncle and many other undead slayers ready to make an assault against the vampiric plague consuming central America. Played by John.		\| Yavin \|\| Undead Slayer 2 \|\| Yavin has joined the expedition along with his uncle and many other undead slayers ready to make an assault against the vampiric plague consuming central America. Played by John.
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	\| [[User:Bill/Rifts_Week_by_Week/Zosime_Sharin\|Zosime]] \|\| Stone Master 1 \|\| Zosime is part of the enclave of stone masters that has accompanied the expedition and is working on the new pyramid being erected on the site of Dzibilchaltun. Zosime is played by Rachel.		\| [[User:Bill/Rifts_Week_by_Week/Zosime_Sharin\|Zosime]] \|\| Stone Master 1 \|\| Zosime is part of the enclave of stone masters that has accompanied the expedition and is working on the new pyramid being erected on the site of Dzibilchaltun. Zosime is played by Rachel.

Bill: /* Character Log */

2012-03-03T23:15:21Z

Character Log

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	\| Byblis \|\| Psi-Slayer 1 \|\| Twin sister of Caunus and younger sister of Xuthus. Like her elder brother, Byblis hates Zosime. Unlike her brother, she does so because her mother never stopped comparing the girls. Zosime was always better mannered and more talented than Byblis. Her grudge has grown to nearly homicidal proportions.		\| Byblis \|\| Psi-Slayer 1 \|\| Twin sister of Caunus and younger sister of Xuthus. Like her elder brother, Byblis hates Zosime. Unlike her brother, she does so because her mother never stopped comparing the girls. Zosime was always better mannered and more talented than Byblis. Her grudge has grown to nearly homicidal proportions.
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			\| Camazotz \|\| Sorcerer 15 \|\| Alien intelligence, possibly the Mayan god of bats. Encountered by Abraxas, Conan, JW, Kaethe, Yavin, and Zosime at Chichen Itza.
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	\| Caunus \|\| Psi-Tech 2 \|\| Twin brother of Byblis and younger brother of Xuthus. Unlike his siblings or his mother, Caunus has no particular feelings towards his cousin. He observes the family drama with great disinterest.		\| Caunus \|\| Psi-Tech 2 \|\| Twin brother of Byblis and younger brother of Xuthus. Unlike his siblings or his mother, Caunus has no particular feelings towards his cousin. He observes the family drama with great disinterest.

Bill: /* Character Log */

2012-03-03T23:09:08Z

Character Log

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	\| High Father Suthue \|\| Blood Priest 14 \|\| Bloodpriest of the Tombstone Kingdom. Yavin battled Suthue's forces during the siege on Arzno. The young undead slayer continues to harbor a grudge against him.		\| High Father Suthue \|\| Blood Priest 14 \|\| Bloodpriest of the Tombstone Kingdom. Yavin battled Suthue's forces during the siege on Arzno. The young undead slayer continues to harbor a grudge against him.
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			\| Huitzilopochtli \|\| Warrior 15/ <br>Ley Line Walker 10 \|\| Aztec god of war. Met by Conan and Yavin when they ley line teleported to Copán.
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	\| Igor Venture \|\| Diabolist 1 \|\| Suplicant to Belicor. Igor became Belicor's apprentice after the Atlantean passed through his village in the former state of Kansas. The young man had never seen magic done without an incantation, and the strange symbols of the diabolist's art captured his imagination. At first Belicor resisted taking on an apprentice, but the boy's persistence in following him and mimicing his designs finally convinced him. Belicor is a kind master, but demanding.		\| Igor Venture \|\| Diabolist 1 \|\| Suplicant to Belicor. Igor became Belicor's apprentice after the Atlantean passed through his village in the former state of Kansas. The young man had never seen magic done without an incantation, and the strange symbols of the diabolist's art captured his imagination. At first Belicor resisted taking on an apprentice, but the boy's persistence in following him and mimicing his designs finally convinced him. Belicor is a kind master, but demanding.
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	\| Rikard \|\| Tatoo Master 4 \|\| The youngest tattoo master to every be trained in clan Sharin, Stelmet's apprentice. Rikard only recently arrived at the settlement. He and Stelmet had a falling out for unknown reasons. Rikard has a rebellious air about him and is accompanied by a small pogtalian dragon slayer, Machutuk.		\| Rikard \|\| Tatoo Master 4 \|\| The youngest tattoo master to every be trained in clan Sharin, Stelmet's apprentice. Rikard only recently arrived at the settlement. He and Stelmet had a falling out for unknown reasons. Rikard has a rebellious air about him and is accompanied by a small pogtalian dragon slayer, Machutuk.
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			\| Roger Cormack \|\| Shifter 4 \|\| Roger and his demonic servant, The Eater, have stolen a mysterious box said to contain an object of apocalyptic power from Malik.
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	\| Sevrin \|\| African Priest 10 \|\| Spiritual leader of the clan. Sevrin communes with nature spirits and does as they bid. Sevrin may be mad.		\| Sevrin \|\| African Priest 10 \|\| Spiritual leader of the clan. Sevrin communes with nature spirits and does as they bid. Sevrin may be mad.
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	\| Stuart Benningham \|\| Mystic Knight 3 \|\| Visiting the Federation of Magic, Yavin had the opportunity to meet many people. Cecelia Benningham, Sir Stuart's younger sister was one of these. She and Yavin had a brief tryst but parted amiably. When Sir Stuart learned of the affair he flew into a rage and vowed to slay the young Atlantean.		\| Stuart Benningham \|\| Mystic Knight 3 \|\| Visiting the Federation of Magic, Yavin had the opportunity to meet many people. Cecelia Benningham, Sir Stuart's younger sister was one of these. She and Yavin had a brief tryst but parted amiably. When Sir Stuart learned of the affair he flew into a rage and vowed to slay the young Atlantean.
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			\| The Eater \|\| Unknown \|\| Demonic servant of Roger Cormack.
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	\| Tomomi Long \|\| Mystic Ninja 2 \|\| A childhood friend of Conan, Tomomi has joined the Federation of Magic's elite mystic ninjas. Jaori, Frokei, Tomomi, and Conan met while attending a magical academy in Dweomer. The four friends were amongst the most talented students in the class and great things were expected of them all. She and Conan were romantically involved before his departure and she feels that she knows him better than anyone.		\| Tomomi Long \|\| Mystic Ninja 2 \|\| A childhood friend of Conan, Tomomi has joined the Federation of Magic's elite mystic ninjas. Jaori, Frokei, Tomomi, and Conan met while attending a magical academy in Dweomer. The four friends were amongst the most talented students in the class and great things were expected of them all. She and Conan were romantically involved before his departure and she feels that she knows him better than anyone.

Bill: /* Character Log */

2012-03-03T01:12:37Z

Character Log

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	\| Belicor \|\| Diabolist 6 / Summoner 5 \|\| Belicor and his suplicant Igor Venture are part of Ankara's retinue. The diabolists' powers make them a tremendous asset to the expedition, providing circles of protection for the settlement as well as other runic enhancements. Belicor is not an altruist though. He lusts after Ankara and uses his magic to cripple any would-be suitor that might approach her. Ankara seems to be blind to her "friend's" jealousy.		\| Belicor \|\| Diabolist 6 / Summoner 5 \|\| Belicor and his suplicant Igor Venture are part of Ankara's retinue. The diabolists' powers make them a tremendous asset to the expedition, providing circles of protection for the settlement as well as other runic enhancements. Belicor is not an altruist though. He lusts after Ankara and uses his magic to cripple any would-be suitor that might approach her. Ankara seems to be blind to her "friend's" jealousy.
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			\| Byblis \|\| Psi-Slayer 1 \|\| Twin sister of Caunus and younger sister of Xuthus. Like her elder brother, Byblis hates Zosime. Unlike her brother, she does so because her mother never stopped comparing the girls. Zosime was always better mannered and more talented than Byblis. Her grudge has grown to nearly homicidal proportions.
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			\| Caunus \|\| Psi-Tech 2 \|\| Twin brother of Byblis and younger brother of Xuthus. Unlike his siblings or his mother, Caunus has no particular feelings towards his cousin. He observes the family drama with great disinterest.
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	\| Conan \|\| Battle Mage 1 \|\| Conan joined the expedition on Phase World and has been passing himself off as a cousin of the clan. He is in truth the sole survivor of a rival clan, the Kalamarakia, that Pycel ordered destroyed almost 20 years ago. Conan intends to get close enough to the inner circle to have his revenge on Pycel, her lover, and the spymaster Yakutz. Conan has sacrificed much in pursuit of this goal; abandoning his position with the Federation of Magic and masquerading as one of the hated Sharin. Played by Mike.		\| Conan \|\| Battle Mage 1 \|\| Conan joined the expedition on Phase World and has been passing himself off as a cousin of the clan. He is in truth the sole survivor of a rival clan, the Kalamarakia, that Pycel ordered destroyed almost 20 years ago. Conan intends to get close enough to the inner circle to have his revenge on Pycel, her lover, and the spymaster Yakutz. Conan has sacrificed much in pursuit of this goal; abandoning his position with the Federation of Magic and masquerading as one of the hated Sharin. Played by Mike.
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			\| Dascylus \|\| Stone Master 3 \|\| A silhouette that joined the expedition on phase world, Dascylus is refugee from the Trans Galactic Empire. The young alien has tremendous magical aptitude and has quickly caught on to stone magic. He and Zosime have become fast friends while working together.
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	\| Dave \|\| Mind Bleeder 14 \|\| An enigmatic figure, Dave joined the expedition as it gathered on Phase World. Dave seldom speaks, but people feel comfortable in his presence and when asked almost every member of the expedition would say that Dave is a great guy and reliable friend. Perhaps due to the secrets that he keeps, Conan has been particularly close to Dave.		\| Dave \|\| Mind Bleeder 14 \|\| An enigmatic figure, Dave joined the expedition as it gathered on Phase World. Dave seldom speaks, but people feel comfortable in his presence and when asked almost every member of the expedition would say that Dave is a great guy and reliable friend. Perhaps due to the secrets that he keeps, Conan has been particularly close to Dave.
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	\| Machutuk \|\| Dragon Slayer 4 \|\| The pogtal dragon slayers are a race of savage giants that prove their might and bravery by hunting and killing powerful beings of magic; without regard for the goodness or evil of their prey. Machutuk, the smallest of his tribe, sought to prove his worth by hunting the elusive true Atlantean. Killing Rikard would have gained him much respect from his tribe, but that was not to be. Rikard narrowly defeated the dragon slayer and let him live. Humiliated and unable to return to his family, Machutuk has sworn to serve Rikard until he has recovered his honor.		\| Machutuk \|\| Dragon Slayer 4 \|\| The pogtal dragon slayers are a race of savage giants that prove their might and bravery by hunting and killing powerful beings of magic; without regard for the goodness or evil of their prey. Machutuk, the smallest of his tribe, sought to prove his worth by hunting the elusive true Atlantean. Killing Rikard would have gained him much respect from his tribe, but that was not to be. Rikard narrowly defeated the dragon slayer and let him live. Humiliated and unable to return to his family, Machutuk has sworn to serve Rikard until he has recovered his honor.
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	\| Malik \|\| Mystic 8 \|\| Pycel's lover. Power hungry and desperate to secure his position at the top of the clan hierarchy.		\| Malik \|\| Mystic 8 \|\| Pycel's lover. Power hungry and desperate to secure his position at the top of the clan hierarchy. Lately Malik's eye has turned towards Zosime. Her youth and connection to the pyramid project both inflame his desires.
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	\| Max \|\| Undead Slayer 14 \|\| Leader of the Liberated Underground on Atlantis. Friend and former ally of Yavin.		\| Max \|\| Undead Slayer 14 \|\| Leader of the Liberated Underground on Atlantis. Friend and former ally of Yavin.
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	\| Stelmet \|\| Tattoo Master 11 \|\| An honored elder of the clan. Publicly disapproves of many of Pycel's decisions.		\| Stelmet \|\| Tattoo Master 11 \|\| An honored elder of the clan. Publicly disapproves of many of Pycel's decisions.
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			\| Steve Jones \|\| Operator 3 \|\| A heavy equipment operator working on the new pyramid. Zosime and Steve carry on an affair, even though he is not an Atlantean by birth.
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	\| Stuart Benningham \|\| Mystic Knight 3 \|\| Visiting the Federation of Magic, Yavin had the opportunity to meet many people. Cecelia Benningham, Sir Stuart's younger sister was one of these. She and Yavin had a brief tryst but parted amiably. When Sir Stuart learned of the affair he flew into a rage and vowed to slay the young Atlantean.		\| Stuart Benningham \|\| Mystic Knight 3 \|\| Visiting the Federation of Magic, Yavin had the opportunity to meet many people. Cecelia Benningham, Sir Stuart's younger sister was one of these. She and Yavin had a brief tryst but parted amiably. When Sir Stuart learned of the affair he flew into a rage and vowed to slay the young Atlantean.
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	\| Tomomi Long \|\| Mystic Ninja 2 \|\| A childhood friend of Conan, Tomomi has joined the Federation of Magic's elite mystic ninjas. Jaori, Frokei, Tomomi, and Conan met while attending a magical academy in Dweomer. The four friends were amongst the most talented students in the class and great things were expected of them all. She and Conan were romantically involved before his departure and she feels that she knows him better than anyone.		\| Tomomi Long \|\| Mystic Ninja 2 \|\| A childhood friend of Conan, Tomomi has joined the Federation of Magic's elite mystic ninjas. Jaori, Frokei, Tomomi, and Conan met while attending a magical academy in Dweomer. The four friends were amongst the most talented students in the class and great things were expected of them all. She and Conan were romantically involved before his departure and she feels that she knows him better than anyone.
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			\| Tourlina \|\| Stone Master 10 \|\| Adopted mother of Zosime, Tourlina was a close friend of her real mother's.
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			\| Ucalegon \|\| Ley Line Walker 8 \|\| Zosime's paternal uncle. Ucalegon is an explorer and adventurer who appears at random in Zosime's life. He will turn up for a couple days to share stories of his adventures and pass on a gift to the girl, then vanish for months or even years.
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			\| Valeria \|\| Herbalist 7 \|\| Zosime's Aunt and former guardian. Valeria harbors a grudge against the young stone master for unknown reasons.
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			\| Xuthus \|\| Psi-Warrior 4 \|\| When they were both adolescents, Xuthus pursued his cousin Zosime romantically. She spurned his advances and he has never forgiven her for it. Even today, Xuthus continues to obsess over her.
	\|- valign="top"		\|- valign="top"
	\| Yakutz \|\| Mind Melter 12 \|\| Pycel's spymaster. Rumored to have agents throughout the settlement and in the world beyond.		\| Yakutz \|\| Mind Melter 12 \|\| Pycel's spymaster. Rumored to have agents throughout the settlement and in the world beyond.
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	\| Yavin \|\| Undead Slayer 1 \|\| Yavin has joined the expedition along with his uncle and many other undead slayers ready to make an assault against the vampiric plague consuming central America. Played by John.		\| Yavin \|\| Undead Slayer 1 \|\| Yavin has joined the expedition along with his uncle and many other undead slayers ready to make an assault against the vampiric plague consuming central America. Played by John.
	\|- valign="top"		\|- valign="top"
	\| [[User:Bill/Rifts_Week_by_Week/Zosime_Sharin\|Zosime]] \|\| Stone Master 1 \|\| Zosime is part of the enclave of stone masters that has accompanied the expedition and is working on the new pyramid being erected on the site of Dzibilchaltun. Zosime is ~~available to be~~ played by ~~anyone wishing to try the game out~~.		\| [[User:Bill/Rifts_Week_by_Week/Zosime_Sharin\|Zosime]] \|\| Stone Master 1 \|\| Zosime is part of the enclave of stone masters that has accompanied the expedition and is working on the new pyramid being erected on the site of Dzibilchaltun. Zosime is played by Rachel.
	\|}		\|}

Bill: /* Session Four - 10 February 2012 */

2012-02-23T16:47:43Z

Session Four - 10 February 2012

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:47, 23 February 2012
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	As much as I would like to add more people to this game, I am enjoying the ability to have a low action session like this on occasion. Demo games almost always rely heavily on action to let players practice the combat rules and stay involved when their inexperience and low investment in their character might keep them in the background. It's a challenging balance to maintain.		As much as I would like to add more people to this game, I am enjoying the ability to have a low action session like this on occasion. Demo games almost always rely heavily on action to let players practice the combat rules and stay involved when their inexperience and low investment in their character might keep them in the background. It's a challenging balance to maintain.

			===Session Five - 17 February 2012===
			Dylan was again unavailable. Mike and John continued with their existing characters. After the previous several sessions, I felt it was time to get back to the assignment that Pycel had given the player characters back in session one. Using Zosime as a messenger I set the guys back on the path.

			Conan and Yavin geared up for their recon mission, mounting Conan's mechanical horse and proceeding through the jungle to find the vampires. After establishing that it would not be possible to ride the horse at its maximum speed, I asked the players how they would like to proceed; quietly or with great fanfare. They wanted to try and go about it stealthily, but their characters aren't well built for that task. I think this highlights their inexperience with the game more than anything else. Rifts is designed to be skill centric, but does not include rules for untrained attempts. You've either got the skill or you don't. In this instance, I let Mike make a riding check to try and keep the horse's noise down; though a stiff penalty for traveling at 50mph through dense undergrowth. He did not succeed.

			At that point, I decided that we'd either have a quick fight with a pack of raptors or a pair of allosuars. We randomly determined allosaurs and one chased the guys into the other. Conan rammed the one ahead of them with the horse and both Atlanteans failed their riding check to remain mounted. Fortunately, as it's written, the horse continued to fight alongside of its now dismounted riders.

			The fight with the first allosaur lasted about one melee round. Yavin, the horse, and Conan took it apart without much effort. This might not have been the case, except I took the opportunity to point out to Mike that his character could fire two pistols with every action thanks to his paired weapons skill. He hadn't even considered it and only wrote down a single pistol on his sheet. I had him correct that, the character wouldn't make the error even if the player had. Near the end of the round, the allosaur bit Conan's horse and lifted the machine off the ground in its mouth. It hadn't escaped when the monster turned to flee and Conan cut it down. The dino fell over, pinning the horse under its bulk.

			The other half of the duo arrived at the beginning of round two and didn't fare any better. Even without the mechanical horse to back them up, the pair of Atlanteans wore it down and it too attempted to flee. I had this one give up a bit sooner, no backup was coming for it, and it actually managed to outrun Conan; even taking a shot in the back.

			This fight took about 30 minutes, which is a distinct improvement over our previous encounters. Mike and John are really starting to get the hang of the game. Afterwards, they cut free the damaged mechanical horse and remounted. The sun was setting, and the Atlanteans wanted to avoid being exposed after dark. They rode towards a distant temple visible just above the tree-tops, Chichen Itza. The sun dipping towards the west, riding along the path of a ley line, the pair felt the first stirrings of many vampiric presences ahead of them.

			Another issue with Palladium characters is that they have scads of powers. For example, Atlanteans are able to sense vampires at 1000 feet. They're also able to teleport between any two points on a ley line, which is exactly what Conan and Yavin did after realizing they were headed straight for vampire-central. After presenting them with the option of going the entire length of the line or fleeing to some point along it, John and Mike elected to see what was on the other side and teleported to the distant ruins of Copán. They left the horse behind, poorly concealed under some vines and creepers.

			I had to end the session at that point because I had not even remotely prepared for this contingency. Rifts is very much like that though. Because the players frequently have the means to escape or bypass anything, you've got to be prepared for it. I'll have to start notes on the other locations that are easily accessible via ley line travel to make sure this doesn't happen again.

			Their relocation to Copán also leaves me in a bit of a quandary as to how to proceed. I'll either have to GM fiat JW Grackle into the scene or do a side story with him while I run the other two players through their adventure. Dylan's absence last week sets him up well for that, but I dislike running what is essentially two games in parallel. I've done it before, and done it well, but it isn't my preference. A fourth player is planning to join us for the next session as well. She'll be using one of my pregenerated Atlanteans, so I could just drop her in with Conan and Yavin. I'll probably have her play along with JW in an effort to keep the scene time balanced though.

	==Character Log==		==Character Log==

Bill: /* Character Log */

2012-02-23T15:55:14Z

Character Log

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:55, 23 February 2012
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	\| Ashakku \|\| Dimensional Raider 8 \|\| Former mentor of Kaethe. She and Ashakku did not part on good terms. The dimensional raider may seek vengeance for her leaving with his secrets.		\| Ashakku \|\| Dimensional Raider 8 \|\| Former mentor of Kaethe. She and Ashakku did not part on good terms. The dimensional raider may seek vengeance for her leaving with his secrets.
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	\| Belicor \|\| Diabolist 6 \|\| Belicor and his suplicant Igor Venture are part of Ankara's retinue. The diabolists' powers make them a tremendous asset to the expedition, providing circles of protection for the settlement as well as other runic enhancements. Belicor is not an altruist though. He lusts after Ankara and uses his magic to cripple any would-be suitor that might approach her. Ankara seems to be blind to her "friend's" jealousy.		\| Belicor \|\| Diabolist 6 / Summoner 5 \|\| Belicor and his suplicant Igor Venture are part of Ankara's retinue. The diabolists' powers make them a tremendous asset to the expedition, providing circles of protection for the settlement as well as other runic enhancements. Belicor is not an altruist though. He lusts after Ankara and uses his magic to cripple any would-be suitor that might approach her. Ankara seems to be blind to her "friend's" jealousy.
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	\| Conan \|\| Battle Mage 1 \|\| Conan joined the expedition on Phase World and has been passing himself off as a cousin of the clan. He is in truth the sole survivor of a rival clan, the Kalamarakia, that Pycel ordered destroyed almost 20 years ago. Conan intends to get close enough to the inner circle to have his revenge on Pycel, her lover, and the spymaster Yakutz. Conan has sacrificed much in pursuit of this goal; abandoning his position with the Federation of Magic and masquerading as one of the hated Sharin. Played by Mike.		\| Conan \|\| Battle Mage 1 \|\| Conan joined the expedition on Phase World and has been passing himself off as a cousin of the clan. He is in truth the sole survivor of a rival clan, the Kalamarakia, that Pycel ordered destroyed almost 20 years ago. Conan intends to get close enough to the inner circle to have his revenge on Pycel, her lover, and the spymaster Yakutz. Conan has sacrificed much in pursuit of this goal; abandoning his position with the Federation of Magic and masquerading as one of the hated Sharin. Played by Mike.

140.211.129.133: /* Character Log */

2012-02-20T22:43:10Z

Character Log

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:43, 20 February 2012
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	\| Javier \|\| Undead Slayer 10 \|\| Yavin's grandfather, a hero of the clan responsible for the destruction of the vampire intelligence Aaoraoxoar on the distant world of K'van and the purging of the Dybuk from Joash XI. True to his calling, Javier continues to root out the undead in distant corners of the megaverse.		\| Javier \|\| Undead Slayer 10 \|\| Yavin's grandfather, a hero of the clan responsible for the destruction of the vampire intelligence Aaoraoxoar on the distant world of K'van and the purging of the Dybuk from Joash XI. True to his calling, Javier continues to root out the undead in distant corners of the megaverse.
	\|- valign="top"		\|- valign="top"
	\| [[~~http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/~~User:Bill/Rifts_Week_by_Week/Kaethe_Sharin\|Kaethe]] \|\| Temporal Wizard 1 \|\| Kaethe is one of the many Atlanteans of clan Sharin that have come to recolonize the home world. Her unique skill set places her at the center of many intrigues and makes her an invaluable asset for reconnaissance missions. Kaethe is available to be played by anyone wishing to try the game out.		\| [[User:Bill/Rifts_Week_by_Week/Kaethe_Sharin\|Kaethe]] \|\| Temporal Wizard 1 \|\| Kaethe is one of the many Atlanteans of clan Sharin that have come to recolonize the home world. Her unique skill set places her at the center of many intrigues and makes her an invaluable asset for reconnaissance missions. Kaethe is available to be played by anyone wishing to try the game out.
	\|- valign="top"		\|- valign="top"
	\| Lykos \|\| Undead Slayer 2 \|\| Twin brother of Glykos. The elder of the two, by several minutes, Lykos is generally the calmer of the pair. He also specializes in monster tattoos. Glykos and Lykos met Conan on Phase World while the clan gathered for its expedition to Earth. The trio mounted several short raids on the Splugorth controlled areas of Phase World, valiantly ducking security forces and minions of the alien intelligences alike.		\| Lykos \|\| Undead Slayer 2 \|\| Twin brother of Glykos. The elder of the two, by several minutes, Lykos is generally the calmer of the pair. He also specializes in monster tattoos. Glykos and Lykos met Conan on Phase World while the clan gathered for its expedition to Earth. The trio mounted several short raids on the Splugorth controlled areas of Phase World, valiantly ducking security forces and minions of the alien intelligences alike.