It is still summer and hot here in East Texas; I hope wherever you find yourself in the world, you are staying cool and having fun. This week's spotlight is cool, and I have game openings to announce!
I want to note that I am incredibly excited for Spelljammer content to drop soon; big surprise. I am currently recruiting for a Thursday afternoon Spelljammer ramp-up game; we have three slots open if interested, check out the listing 'Ghosts of Spelljammer.'
I have one spot available for Wednesday Mad Mage, which deviates from my standard table vibe with a party focused on the combat pillar over roleplaying and exploration. This is a great game to get into if you like to fight, and you can find the listing and get in on high-level play here.
I am considering another PBP game but will likely wait for 'Radiant Citadel' and 'Spelljammer - Adventure in Space' to officially launch before adding more games. As always, I listen to my players first so if you have any suggestions come say hi and let me know!
Spell Spotlight - Synaptic Static
This week's spotlight is brought to you by the letter "when you absolutely need to weaken some enemies before they crush your face in." I picture this spell very much as a "mental fireball" that can be plopped in a similar sphere to cause some severe problems for baddies.
The 8d6 damage as AOE is pretty significant, but where this spell shines is taking the edge off your foes with heavy attacks and abilities. When they fail their save, the creature "rolls a d6 and subtracts the number rolled from all its attack rolls, and ability checks, as well as its Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration." This colossal debuff can be applied to an entire group of enemies to make a deadly encounter a little easier to handle.
I do not get to see this one used very much, but our friendly neighborhood bard popped the spell off on Wednesday night, and it gave everyone a significant edge in a very challenging fight. For more information, you can read up on the spell on page 167 of "Xanathar's Guide to Everything."
Game Recaps!
PIFON. Everyone wish team PIFON good luck as they play the finale of Storm Kings Thunder on Monday! Exciting!
Mad Mage Monday. The crew took the night off for Independence day celebrations. I haven't heard any reports of missing limbs, so I look forward to playing on Monday after a week off. We also welcome a new player character into the mix, which is super exciting!
Tuesday Nights in Thay. The crew has been in some tough spots over the last few sessions, with many circumstances and limited choices. Q: How do you say no to Szass Tam? A: You don't. This week they met an unlikely but approachable and friendly ally to their cause. The Red Wizard has been exiled and is working to line things up for a natural resistance, sans disparate motives and backstabbing. I think this is a well-needed shift in the campaign and gives the team an obvious goal. For now, however, they need to figure out how to get the Barbarian back in their right state of mind after having their intelligence devoured. Let's hope someone on staff at the Holy Temple to Bane has a Greater Restoration scroll handy.
Wednesday Mad Mage. The crew found themselves up against some tricky Kobolds as they walked further down the chasm, which is the Mad Mage's dungeon. Level 12 characters coming into some caves with kobolds doesn't seem challenging, but they were tricky on their home turf, and the player characters were not. They had to pull out some stops to best them before continuing. When the door from the cave to the dungeon opened, all hell broke loose with giants and azers none too happy about having visitors.
Thursday Platoon. We took this week off; vacations and Holiday plans conflicted. Ultra excited to get back to it this week as the party floats in a small boat at sea, witnessing their first glimpse of a Spelljammer ship landing. Things should get spicy this week as they pursue their dreams of smuggling and adventuring!
Frozen Few. We are in THE dungeon crawl of the campaign, which in some ways has been a nice change of pace from the tundra. At least warm braziers are glowing, and no cold wind is pelting their face. We leaned into the horror and desperation of the setting big time, and it was a fun night for the players but a menacing and challenging evening for the player characters.
Storm Giants Wrath PBP. The crew had a few exciting encounters on their way out of Waterdeep and are now halfway to their goal of getting to Goldenfields. A few wandering helpers familiar to the monk in the party met up with the crew, and we had some highly heartfelt moments. I love when players interact with backstory; this was a big week. We spring into this week fighting a Hill Giant and some of their cronies!
Wise Witches of Rashemen PBP. After learning of possible corruption in the woods, the party finds themselves taking a well-needed rest. They spent the evening at the Lakeside Inn and met a new adventurer to join their ranks at breakfast! With introductions out of the way, a man barges in screaming about chickens gone mad. Yes, chickens.
Ghosts of Spelljammer PBP. Big week for the GoS crew as they found the treasure the skeleton hinted at without getting a rolling pin to the face. They found mysterious maps and a helping of some much-needed coin to fuel their adventures. They stand in Timbertown with rumors of a haunted house, folks combing the beach, and a strange advertisement about a "Spelljammer Academy." It seems like some fanatic who has lost their mind is in town.
Adventure in courage, friends, and thanks to all my incredible players for playing!