Crimson Nib

Join Mick and I as we chat about delving deeper into the mystery of Anu-Asir’s pyramid, looking for the answer that is tugging at Elbrim’s soul. Entering long, dark, corridors and accidentally stepping on a pressure plate that is buried under a layer of ankle deep crushed bones, and wondering why an Arcana check isn’t Detecting Magic. Lockpicking the ancient, massive, golden doors, that surely lead into the mummies lair, without a rogue! Clumsily knocking over and breaking a priceless urn relic, and discovering that it wasn’t just placed for the room’s Feng Shui; accident or DM helping the players move along? Introduce a new PC, mysteriously found within a pyramid, and they escape the 3rd degree because they are wearing Crimson Nib armour! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Join Mick and I as we chat about, the Pyramid of Cobal and the untold dangers that lurk within! The Grey Company boards the Pallid Court’s sandship and plots the course to the Pool of Blood; but they don’t go far before Elbrim pays Captain Bonita to make a pitstop at the ruins of Anu Asir. Horrible skill checks find aid and advantage from the Pallid Court’s ship, and the Grey Company finds entrance into the ruins pyramid. Once inside the oppressive atmosphere weighs heavy on the company, stifling sound, dampening moods, and finding surprise around every corner. Within they find creepy crawlies, monsters, traps, and astonishing discoveries. Do you wanna know more?

How does one convince their fellow players to build and fund a stronghold? How does a GM incorporate “player industry building” within their sessions? “Your bartender is skimming from the till, and poisoning your patrons!”, this is a random table generated result, what might these industry random tables look like? Should a GM ad-lib an encounter from these table results? How many tombs must players raid to have enough coins to build a fortress? Revenue from tomb raiding, or run a franchise of pubs? What place does economy building have in West Marches?

How does one implement a campaign where a player can spend their hard-earned adventuring moolah to buy a business, and then profit from earned revenue, or declare bankruptcy because they foolishly payrolled the losing political party? To dominate a campaign by sword and spell, or to build an empire where adventurers become your paid employees? What will you do when your bartender employee is skimming from the till, and poisoning your patrons? Or what happens when your farmers grow nothing but kale? You’ve bought a tavern, then a smithy, what’s next? Buy the farm or the brothel? Do you wanna know more?

How should a DM reward XP for role playing super bad / good Intelligence or Wisdom stats? The Grey Company moves to their new studio apartment after a meat-grinding day in the Growling Sanctuary! Captain Deuteronomy returns to haunt Callidus’ past. Many decisions lie before this wanna-be-intrepid group, but what is the smart move? Help the princess, or the Pallid Court, to deal with the Dogs of Bastet, or learn what has Elbrim so distracted? Once decided and a direction has been chosen, how far can one be carried with a bribe and a lot of charisma? Do you wanna know more?

Although SABR’s last words to Sil had been harsh, it had given him a modicum of peace from her barrage of pranks throughout the night. A shrill scream breaks his reverie, and on discovering its origin, SABR wakens Elbrim. The irrepressible Ownka, now battered, arrives at the tent, on orders to take the Grey Company back to the Sanctuary. Oraqi looks down at each of the holes in the chamber floor, watching the River of Sand speed past; Elbrim says, “It’s safe Callidus, trust me! You should go first, I am sure there is nothing to worry about and those raging currents of sand wouldn’t hurt a fly!” Carnage, cats and yellow dust, tell me, do you wanna know more?

There it is, somewhere down there, the next step! Bloody riddles! Bloody decoys! Bloody traps! It is then that the newest member of the Grey Company catches a hint of some whispered insight and their path is laid bare. Must all dangerous tombs be preceded by long dark halls, with sand that moves when there’s no wind? What the hell is a Imy-ut Ushabti, and oh Gods, why is it vomiting scarabs? Let’s call it a morning, retreat home, and put on our Sunday formals, there’s a ball to attend! Now what’s this? To enter we must give blood? Do you wanna know more?

How to avoid becoming sand-touched, and the correct way to use a Quaal’s Feather Tree token in the River of Sand. Can an invincible, a mighty gearforged with precious clockworks, face the terror that haunts his dreams … sand? What does a party do when the next step is certain to be booby-trapped, and there’s no rogue? What are “smart words” to use when facing a gnoll-werecrocodile, your pixie familiar is face-palming, and you’ve just let slip … treasure! Do you wanna know more?

Elbrim’s patron has sent a present, what form does it take? Whereas the Kell brother’s past returns with a vengeance; oh how a haunting would have been preferable! Then arrives an affable gnoll named Oraqi, having found the Grey Company by following a Pool of the Sky vision, followed by the Princess Karima, anxious to have the Grey Company deal with a growing threat! How big is this threat and what agency funds the Princess? Can they connect the dots and help the Princess Karima, thereby earning the plush river Nuria studio apartment she promised? Do you wanna know more?

Post-fireball, Callidus is the last standing member of the Grey Company; he counts on luck and uses the chaotic Vril Stone, nearly falling to a feedback backlash! Seriously wounded, the Grey Company hasn’t a leg to stand on when they face Zubayr’s sister, the Sweet Hasna. Can they challenge her and claim the corpse of her brother? Will Callidus’ documents, bribed from the Dome of the Divine Face of Bastet, prove stronger than Hasna’s documents, sealed by Councilor Akman-Sut? Will the gearforged paladin SABR, prove to be the straw that breaks the camel's back? How will the Grey Company face their benefactor the Princess Karima, and who is trying to escape notice by hiding in a coffin? Wanna know more?

Can the party help the Princess Karima recover the corpse of her friend the Scholar Zubayr? Will the Kell brothers become dinner for a cannibal? Has Callidus learned to control his vril stone? What mystery can a dead man solve? How are the Dogs of Bastet involved this affair? Wanna know more?

The party debates whether to help the attractive Princess Karima, and can the elves from Faerun see past their discriminations? Another B&E and a sobbing woman lead the party to discover the cousin of Hakaan, the unsavoury business man that met an abrupt end. This cousin, Shuk’ri, has a secret and it's a roadblock for the party; can they win the day with disguises, false papers, and a coffin? Wanna know more?

How the players get excited over an invitation to the ball, and wanna go shopping for proper attire. How the Elven Kell brothers try to convince a despondent wererat that he MUST become their fence in a city of cats. Listen as Callidus and Asher learn some startling news about the damnable Vril Stone. Meet the beguiling Princess Karima, and have a care not to fall for her wiles. And have a good chuckle as 5 manly adventurers meet one small dressing room! Wanna know more?

How discord can be used to create more immersion for the players; Elbrim is dragged into a private discord channel to hear the whispered words of an NPC, he then goes berserk and the other players have no idea why! Raheed is found and reunited with Moonia. Hakaan’s motives are revealed and the appearance of a ghast shakes Mistress Henna to her core causing her to reveal a name. NPCs collide everywhere as plot threads begin to close and a milestone is reached; then a new thread thickens ... Mordin does the inexplicable and the line goes silent as the players absorb what has just happened! Wanna know more?

The party saves an odd Temple Cat and learns more about Callidus’ mystery stone. New information leads them back to the home of Hakaan, which is surrounded by cats and is under surveillance. Clearly it is now time for the rogues to earn their due! Now how does the Tomb of Horror fit into all this? Also the ease of tracking inventory with the Fantasy Grounds interface and therefore using the variant encumbrance rule to add to player immersion and role play.

The search for Raheed, Lord of Rats, continues. Beggars, alchemists, laundry women, assassins, a menagerie ... can a DROW persuade everyone and win the day? Or will a Temple cat end all of their plans? Ooh and will a savvy Armourer convince the party to sponsor her merchandise?

The party meets the city watch, so will revenge be their path or will they continue the search for the thief Raheed? Who has the silver tongue in the party? Will a player's backstory get them leverage in the narrative? What happens with player fame or infamy? Time for some roguish B&E action. Then disaster ... a campaign falls apart!

Session 0, answering in character, accents, sidetracking the players, throwing the GM, rules versus narrative, and his name is John! (Why oh why didn't I have a list of names handy?)

Attunement, how dumb is my team, and fighting tactics (should i rush in?)

What's in my backpack, sharing knowledge, and dealing with loot