[Pendants of Tor-Logos]
Barion (rogue), Bellerophon (paladin), Thorkron
(cleric/wizard/mystic theurge)
Session
Highlights
The heroes of
Agatarkion's kingdom continue to chase Taurus McKymera in search for the
pregnant succubus. During a fight with a pack of vrocks they have a glimpse of
the balor, Kelsier, who manages to breach the Planes and strike at Bellerophon
with his vorpal whip. The clash with the party’s nemesis (Taurus) finally arrives,
with both the paladin and the general dying in the process.
Every good DM hates seeing
good characters die. When it happens, there are two possible outcomes:
1) The character stays "dead-dead",
and all the story investment done so far goes down the drain, possibly
compromising several major plots;
2) The character is resurrected, thus banalizing
"death" and therefore damaging what possible suspension of disbelief
exists in the setting.
If losing characters at low/mid-level can easily
be dealt with, the same isn't valid for high level. All the map of relations
established between PC and NPCs goes away, and any replacement PC that enters
the story will mostly be an alien to the campaign. It would be like losing the
main character of a TV show around season 3 or 4. Playing Pathfinder (or
D&D 3.5) at high level (12+) can - and will - easily face you with such a
scenario.
And so it came to be with our
most beloved Saint Bellerophon, the dracopegasus riding paladin.
I tend to favor roleplay-heavy sessions, having
less combat, and saving it for good and interesting scenes. But, when
appropriate, it is good to prepare epic fight scenes. That is what I tried to do in Castle McKymera, dragging the fighting
along several rooms, with different groups of enemies building up tension until
the final moment, where Taurus and the succubus awaited. I used a high
level fighter template for Taurus, knowing that he would hit hard, but be an
easy target for any control spell cast by Thorkron. Any Hold Person, Feeblemind, Dominate, would rend the fearsome Taurus
McKymera useless. That is why I threw a wizard loaded with dispels into the
game. Taurus knew Thorkron's power and had previously been targeted by his
spells. Therefore, it would be reasonable to have a mage nearby to protect him.
As to the succubus, a regular one would be to subpar for the party (currently
at level 13), so I pumped her slightly, boosting her spellcasting score a bit
with magical items, and other less significant things. I have to say that I'm becoming a master at deception, since none of the
players suspected that the good Commander Magnus was indeed the succubus in
disguise. I mean, come on! Yes, the balor was originally Magnus' son, but I
don't usually turn to such cliché plots!
In the end, Bellerophon had a majestic
dismissal, throwing himself in front of a Fireball
to save Thorkron's life. But this is not the last we've seen of our glorious
hero. He will return, with permission from his god, fulfill his mission, and
then enter the afterlife. And that is an inspiring story for a saint.
Let us see how the battle will end (we stopped
midsession with both the succubus and the mage alive (although heavily
battered). The campaign is lively, vibrant, deadly, and glorious!
Session Chronicle and Epilogue (Portuguese): link
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