Return to 50 Fathoms Recap #39: Return to the Flotsam Sea

 Sunday November 20, 2022@ 12:30-4:30 P.M.

 < WARNING SPOILERS FOR 50 FATHOMS AHEAD MATEY!!>

DAY 326
PLACE: BRIGANDY BAY
WEATHER: OVERCAST
TIME OF DAY: NOON

      The group got over their hangovers and began final preparations to face the Sea Hags... 

      The group headed to the Black Market and got a Farscope--a spyglass with incredible accuracy that could see the faces of sailors on deck enough to read lips from a distance--and a Talisman of Storms that would prevent storms from affecting the ship. Other Black Market sellers offered a musket with long range and a magical long sword but were turned down. Cyrus Black bought 500 rations.

DAY 327
PLACE: PIRATE SEA
WEATHER: RAINY

       La Arcadia sailed into the Pirate Sea and started navigating around the east end of the island. 

DAY 328
PLACE: PIRATE SEA
WEATHER: SUNNY
TIME OF DAY: NOON

       Nimue spotted two large Razorwing swarms to the north. La Arcadia attempted to maneuver away from the swarms. Horventerous hit one of the swarms with a blast that split it in half. Nimue glided down towards a cannon on deck from a crow's nest.  

        

       One of the Razorwing swarms managed to reach the ship and surrounded one of the cannons. Everyone in the swarm was disorientated until Natsu Nara rallied them. 
      Tar-Tar was afraid and stood motionless in front of the stairs leading below deck.       

[Summer played Rally.]
 

 

      Horventerous cast a blast to kill off half the razorwing swarms still chasing the ship.

 

 

      Nimue fired her cannon and exploded the other half of the razorwing swarm still chasing the ship. This left the other razorwing swarm that had reached the ship as the remaining threat.

 

   
      Horventerous used his devil's eye on the Razorwing swarm which caused chaos. The Razorwing swarm and Pinecone were not affected but everyone else was afraid. The sailors tried to run from the Razorwings and two of them were ripped apart from the back while another six fell unconscious from their wounds. Natsu Nara became afraid of birds (from the Razorwings) and Nimue became afraid of tentacles (from Horventerous).
      Pinecone cut a rope which caused a netting to fall on the Razorwings. This captured some of them and split the swarm. 

[Chessie played Albatross Luck which I allowed to have an effect on the swarms.] 

   
     Nimue and Pinecone flailed around in the middle of the Razorwing swarm, hitting individual birds to very little effect on the swarm.
     Horventerous cast burst above the heads of Nimue and Pinecone and managed to disperse the swarm. Natsu Nara faced her fear but gained a mark that permanently turned a streak of his hair white. He cast burst upward while inside the swarm and destroyed the remaining Razorwing swarm.

DAY 329
PLACE: PIRATE SEA/FLOTSAM SEA BORDER
WEATHER: FOGGY

        La Arcadia sailed north to the boundary of the Pirate and Flotsam Seas. 

DAY 330
PLACE: FLOTSAM SEA
WEATHER: OVERCAST
TIME OF DAY: NOON

       Horventerous spotted a hulk in the distance. He jumped into the water and he was promptly captured by a giant octopus. 

       Nimue spotted the Kraken Greatship in the distance coming out from the Burning Sea nearby towing the Kraken Sphere. With the Farscope she saw the tentacles on their faces and it triggered her fear. She glided down and she tried to fire a cannon at the Kraken Greatship but the crew prevented her from doing so saying, "They are our allies!"       

[Shaune played Here Comes the Cavalry.]

       The giant octopus crushed Horventerous but his bone armor held preventing his ribs from being crushed.

[Andrew played Inspiration which gave him the boost on his Vigor roll to soak it.] 

      Horventerous struggled free of the giant octopus's suckers and brandished his scepter of fire to burn off two of its tentacles. 

      

      Draco saw bubbles in the water and dove into the sea after Horventerous. 

       Draco stabbed at the giant octopus twice with his dagger, but the attacks bounced off its rubbery integument. 
       Horventerous cast another bolt from his scepter of fire but the giant octopus avoided it.
       The giant octopus flailed its tentacles and struck Horventerous and Draco, but the attacks did not stun or wound them.

[Andrew played Ace with a Bennie to soak two wounds and Draco soaked a wound.]

       Draco lunged with his dagger and struck the ink sac of the giant octopus. The resulting red mist was a blinding combination of blood and ink. 

[Nick played Mighty Blow and he rolled 25 x 2 = 50 damage to the giant octopus to count coup.] 

     With the giant octopus defeated, Draco swam towards the empty hulk and grabbed 200 pieces of eight.
      Horventerous was blinded by the ink and swam back to La Arcadia by accident. Wiping the ink off his eyes, he jumped over to the Kraken Greatship as it sidled up to La Arcadia. Horventerous told Great Admiral Caspian that it was time. The Kraken Greatship made preparations to follow La Arcadia to the Devil's Cross while towing the Kraken Sphere. Pinecone screamed out, "The gods are following us!"

      Draco swam back to La Arcadia after pocketing the loot.

DAY 331-332
PLACE: FLOTSAM SEA
WEATHER: RAINY, STORMY

      La Arcadia and the Kraken Greatship sailed north. A storm hit on the second day. La Arcadia wasn't affected because of the Talisman of Storms. The Kraken Greatship seemed almost buoyed by the Kraken Sphere it was towing.

DAY 333
PLACE: FLOTSAM SEA
WEATHER: FOGGY
TIME OF DAY: DUSK

       Zombies attached to flotsam clambered up the bulwark of La Arcadia.  They caught the sailors completely unaware and five sailors died bitten and clawed to death. Nine others were unconscious and they were only revived later with Horventerous and the ship surgeon's help.

[The sailors failed their Notice roll and then the Zombies got the Joker. Surprise + Joker is a nasty +6 attack/damage.]

       Draco took out two zombies with his knife.
       Natsu Nara cast bolt and three earthen cannonballs defeated the closest zombie.
       Nimue drew out her rapier and cutlass. She couldn't pierce the zombie's decayed flesh with either blade. Pinecone did an acrobatic flip, attacked, and left the closest zombie to Nimue staggered.
       Tar-Tar decapitated the closest zombie and sent his hatchet flying into the chest of another zombie.
        Horventerous cast bolt and a stream of water struck at the closest zombie and dropped him to the deck. Two other bolts hit the staggered zombie and the zombie with the hatchet in the chest to drop them as well.
        The sailors brandished their spears and missed. 

        Draco plunged his dagger into the closest zombie's eye and the force of it exploded the skullcap sending gray matter flying everywhere. He then flung his dagger at the closest zombie, slit its throat, and grabbed the returning dagger while casually looking at Tar-Tar.
       Tar-Tar cut a rope and swung in between two zombies. He spun in a circle and decapitated them both with his secondary battle-axe.
       Nimue dropped her swords and drew out two pistols, hitting the one next to her and the last zombie on deck, dropping both of them. 

       The group found 220 pieces of eight and strangely a pirate pistol in a brace on one of the zombies.
       Tar-Tar removed his hatchet and he kicked the zombie into the Flotsam Sea.

 [Relic chance for 14 zombies...2%. Rolled 2% exactly.]

DAY 334
PLACE: DEVIL'S CROSS, FLOTSAM SEA
WEATHER: OVERCAST
TIME OF DAY: NOON  

      La Arcadia and the Kraken Greatship arrived at the center of the Flotsam Sea. The Great Admiral Caspian told Horventerous he would need a human from another world to activate the Kraken Sphere...

[End of session.] 

XP: 2, Missed XP: 1

MINIMUM XP: 81/Legendary

LOOT: 420 pieces of eight, Pirate's Pistol

MAPS

    DramaScape's Above Decks Volume Two: Smuggler's Sloop and The Wave Cutter Smuggler's Sloop side print on demand used for La Arcadia.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/114448/Above-Decks-Volume-Two-Smugglers-Sloop-and-The-Wave-Cutter?affiliate_id=12615

 

 

MINIATURES 

     Tri-folds used are from 50 Fathoms Figure Flats and the metal Kraken miniature made by Pinnacle Entertainment Group.

     Miniature ships used include a ship from Letters of Marque by Fantasy Flight Games and a porcelain ship from Red Rose Tea. 

    Giant octopus figure flat is from DramaScape's Fantasy Creatures Paper Miniatures. 

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/112671/Fantasy-Creatures-Paper-Miniatures?affiliate_id=12615 

 

 

 

Return to 50 Fathoms Recap #38: Norwhales and Revenge Served Cold

 Sunday November 6, 2022@ 12:30-4:00 P.M.

 < WARNING SPOILERS FOR 50 FATHOMS AHEAD MATEY!!>  

DAY 315
PLACE: COLD SEA
WEATHER: SNOW
TIME OF DAY: AFTERNOON

      [Chessie gained a Sidekick, a Half-Ugak called Pinecone. He has a delusion that all Kraken are gods and a singing habit that is a major annoyance. Pinecone is a pirate archetype kind of character who has Dirty Fighting to start. With it being Nimue's sidekick it was an odd choice for this delusion to not be Atani are gods. Shrugs in GM.]

      Pinecone greeted Tar-Tar who he claimed was his friend. Tar-Tar disavowed knowing him at all. Pinecone bowed down and worshiped Horventerous saying, "I am not worthy!" He then brought out his ocarina and started playing it while singing. Tar-Tar was not amused and ended up sticking tentacle vine leaves in his ears to try to drone out the sound. Unfortunately for Tar-Tar, the sounds of Pinecone through the vines sounded like bird chirps and he felt a sudden shudder from his fear of birds. The cold that surrounded him was unsettling and he missed the heat of the jungles of Torath-Ka (He gained Cryophobia minor from this).
      Natsu-Nara collapsed from the strain of casting fire element spells as an earth elementalist and Draco took him below deck to rest.

      Chug succeeded at tracking down the Norwhale. Or rather the Norwhale successfully tracked them down, as an icy blast from the Norwhale's blowhole froze the La Arcadia in place again.
      Overcoming his fear of the cold, Tar-Tar fired his cannon that cracked the ice where the cannonball struck.      

[Shaune played Epiphany to gain a d6 shooting for the session. Which helps against All Thumbs and No shooting skill]

      Horventerous cast fire bolt from his scepter of fire twice to melt the ice. 

[Andrew played Adrenaline Surge to pull this off. But also 8 out 10 power points gone from the scepter to do heavy bolts.]

     Suddenly free of the ice, Chug moved La Arcadia close, surprising the Norwhale. Horventerous cast blast on the Norwhale but it seemed to bounce off its blubber. Tar-Tar fired his cannon but missed. Two of the sailors fired cannons. One shot missed and the other bounced off the Norwhale's hide.  Nimue fired her cannon and wounded the left pectoral fin of the Norwhale.   

        The disorientated Norwhale submerged to avoid being struck by an iceberg remnant of its own icy blast.  

     The norwhale resurfaced far away from La Arcadia and ran into a few icebergs.

[This caused another level of Fatigue for the Norwhale as it failed a complication roll.]   

 

       Chug sailed La Arcadia next to the dizzied Norwhale. Horventerous cast blast on the Norwhale and wounded it. Tar-Tar and the crew fired their cannons but missed. Nimue fired her cannon and finished off the Norwhale.

       Tar-Tar borrowed Draco's seal suit and swam into the Cold Sea with Horventerous and Chug. Pinecone took the wheel for Chug. 

[With Red Pirate Roberts dead, the two best boating characters (Chug and Pinecone) on the team have a d8 and the All Thumbs hindrance. Well at least they have Ace right?]

      Chug sliced off the Norwhale's horn, surfaced, and threw it at Nimue, who caught it in a feat of agility. Horventerous and Tar-Tar gutted the beast. They found 1,000 pieces of eight and a ring of environmental protection (water) in its belly.
      With his crew and his ship, the Fearless, avenged, Rikas Russ asked to join the crew of La Arcadia for 50 pieces of eight or that they return him to Kaja, Arfk to find another ship. Captain Cyrus Black paid him and he joined the crew.

[Randall played Favor of the Gods so they managed to sail back from the east part of Arfk to near the center of Arfk near Kaja in one day, as I allowed it to double their travel speed for one day only.]

DAY 316
PLACE: COLD SEA
WEATHER: SNOW
TIME OF DAY: AFTERNOON

[I flipped a King of Clubs on encounter check, so The Destroyer and Blackbeard appeared!] 

      Blackbeard had been sailing The Destroyer and tracking La Arcadia all the way from Pirate Sea through the Flotsam Sea. The incredible speed of La Arcadia had made it difficult to catch up, but by turning around, Blackbeard finally had his chance for revenge.

      The Destroyer moved towards La Arcadia but Chug outmaneuvered Blackbeard.

  
     Horventerous cast blast and hit The Destroyer's hull. 

 

       The Destroyer went off course and struck an iceberg, causing more damage to the hull. 

[Failed the out of control roll and complication. To make it worse, I rolled a 4 on regeneration for The Destroyer. Then the group got the Joker] 

 

     Horventerous cast blast and hit The Destroyer's hull a second time. Tar-Tar and the crew fired four cannons. Tar-Tar hit The Destroyer's powder stores and sunk it!

 

       The Destroyer's zombie crew went limp becoming inanimate corpses that soon started to sink to Davy Jones's Locker. This left Blackbeard treading water and vulnerable. 

[Andrew and Randall both got Jokers and it was very bad for Blackbeard.]

      Chug rushed to the bulwark of La Arcadia and used his Harpoon Gun to shoot Blackbeard, wounding him. 
      Horventerous summoned a nearby Norwhale by casting beast friend. The Norwhale missed Blackbeard with a swallow attempt.  

[19 power points for Size 8!]

       Chug retracted the Harpoon Gun and brought Blackbeard aboard. He kicked him in the gut and caused a wound.
       Blackbeard brought out a cutlass and swung at Chug twice, but the strikes bounced off Chug's plate corselet.
       Tar-Tar swung his hatchet and buried it in Blackbeard's chest. Blackbeard went limp.
       Chug ripped off Blackbeard's brace of six pistols and Horventerous took a ring off of his finger. Then Chug removed his harpoon from Blackbeard's chest and threw his body into the Cold Sea.
       Horventerous had the Norwhale eat Blackbeard and then leave. 

[For those GMs playing at home, I rolled a 1 on Harder to Kill, so Blackbeard is really dead.] 

DAY 317-319
PLACE: COLD SEA TO PIRATE SEA

      La Arcadia sailed from near Kaja, Arfk circling around the Flotsam Sea into the Whip Islands. 

DAY 320
PLACE: PIRATE SEA NEAR WHIP ISLANDS
WEATHER: OVERCAST
TIME OF DAY: MORNING

      A pirate galleon sailed out from behind one of the Whip Islands and moved towards La Arcadia. The pirate galleon was about to fire when a rolling fog cloud got in the way of their sight lines and they veered off left. Chug had La Arcadia roll right to avoid the fog cloud and potentially hit unseen flotsam in the sea.

[The luck continued for the group with yet another Joker. You may have noticed that I switched the positions of the ships with La Arcadia at the top in this battle. That way I could tell the two ship battles apart since I used the same purple ship.]     

      Horventerous cast blast and the hull of the pirate galleon buckled. Tar-Tar, Nimue, and the crew fired four shots at the pirate galleon. Nimue's shot tore through the weakened parts of the hull and it started taking on water.    

 

 

 

       The pirate galleon listed and wheeled aimlessly as the crew tried to repair the breach in the hull. Nimue shot the cannons again and destroyed the pirate galleon.

      Horventerous dove into the ocean and found a chest with 3,500 pieces of eight inside in the wreckage.

DAY 321-324
PLACE: PIRATE SEA

    La Arcadia sailed from near the Whip Islands southeast around the island of Brigandy Bay. 

DAY 325
PLACE: PIRATE SEA
WEATHER: SUNNY
TIME OF DAY: MORNING

    La Arcadia spied a pirate galleon but it made no threatening movements towards it. This close to Brigandy Bay, it was likely a Coalition ship. 

DAY 326
PLACE: BRIGANDY BAY
WEATHER: SUNNY
TIME OF DAY: NIGHT

   Captain Cyrus Black gave everyone 150 pieces of eight to carouse. 

    Pinecone gambled and lost a big bet, but he caught his opponent cheating. An angered Horventerous came over and revealed his devil's eye infused with greater strength by the ring of fear he was wearing. It gave the cheating gambler a heart palpitation as he clutched his chest. The frightened pirate ran off screaming, "Keep the money!" Pinecone got 150 pieces of eight rather than losing it. Pinecone sang, "That is what you get when you cheat before a God!"

DAY 326
PLACE: BRIGANDY BAY
WEATHER: OVERCAST
TIME OF DAY: NOON

      The group got over their hangovers and began final preparations to face the Sea Hags...

[End of session.] 

XP: 3, Missed XP: 2

MINIMUM XP: 80/Legendary

LOOT: 4,500 pieces of eight, Ring of Environmental Protection, Brace of Six +3 Damage Flintlock Pistols, Ring of Fear

MINIATURES 

     Tri-folds used are from 50 Fathoms Figure Flats and the metal Kraken miniature made by Pinnacle Entertainment Group.

     Miniature ships used include a ship from Letters of Marque by Fantasy Flight Games and a porcelain ship from Red Rose Tea. 

 

Return to 50 Fathoms #37 Recap: Kaja Bar Hopping and Side Questing

  Sunday October 23, 2022@ 12:30-3:30 P.M.

 < WARNING SPOILERS FOR 50 FATHOMS AHEAD MATEY!!>  

DAY 307
PLACE: KAJA, ARFK
WEATHER: SNOW
TIME OF DAY: AFTERNOON

      Captain Cyrus bought winter gear for the crew and paid everyone 150 pieces of eight to carouse. Cyrus recruited five Grael marines to the La Arcadia's crew.
       The group decided to go to The Frigid Bitch. While carousing they overheard conversations of the ship crew.

"Why are we in this icy wasteland?"
"No one knows, but it still beats the Flotsam Sea!" 

"A toast to Unk. His spirit is finally free of Redbeard Rufus's curse."

     They also toasted to the other three sailors who died during their harrowing escape from the Flotsam Sea. 

      The group met a Masaquani named Caleb Candelas in the tavern. Caleb had strange blue skin and a pallid complexion. After several people in the group tried to get him to talk, of all people, Chug succeeded. Caleb told him he was wearing a seal suit as he was planning to look for treasure in the wreck of the Arkanaus. His pale skin was a result of nearly freezing to death after the Arkanaus sunk. The pirates who had sunk his ship saved him from the orca and norwhale infested waters. Caleb was willing to share half the treasure with the group in exchange for guiding them to the wreckage. 

[So you know how ridiculous that was, it was a -2 base roll with a -2 for not having the Persuasion skill, with a -2 for Chug's ugliness. Success was a 10 or better, and Randall somehow rolled it with d4+d6 -6. Everyone else failed d4+d6 -4 rolls. Mutinying against the character with good Persuasion has some drawbacks.]

DAY 308
PLACE: KAJA, ARFK
WEATHER: OVERCAST
TIME OF DAY: AFTERNOON

       Horventerous bought a couple of seal suits for himself and Draco. With Chug not needing a seal suit that meant the trio could dive down with Caleb to the wreck of the Arkanaus. All prepared, the group sailed out to the nearly wreck of the Arkanaus, three miles out. 

DAY 308
PLACE: COLD SEA
WEATHER: OVERCAST
TIME OF DAY: AFTERNOON

        Horventerous, Caleb Candelas, Chug, and Draco dived down to the bottom of the Cold Sea. They got to what was left of the Arkanaus, debris and little more than a door leading to the somewhat intact captain's quarters. Chug tested the door, but found that it was locked. So he shoved his shoulder into it and the rotting wood of the door shattered. 

       Chug grabbed the treasure chest but the vibrations of smashing the door attracted two orcas. 

       Horventerous cut a rotting rope in the debris and an attached piece of wood went flying at an orca, hitting it in the left fin and wounding it. 

 [Andrew played Albatross Luck.] 

        Chug put down the chest gently and charged an orca. He filleted an orca with King Amemnus's sword. 

      Draco charged the other orca and wounded it with his knife.

     Horventerous cast fire bolt using his scepter of fire, which hissed and bubbled causing another wound to the orca.
     The orca attacked Draco but missed.
     Caleb couldn't hold his breath anymore and started to drown. His body also started to feel the effects of hypothermia.
     Draco used his knife to count coup on the orca. 

[Randall used Divers with a Bennie. I thought it might be on Caleb, but no. He played it on Chug to negate the encumbrance penalty of the treasure chest. Rather than save Caleb, they left him to drown and freeze to death in the Cold Sea to get the whole treasure, not just half. This is in line with the Greedy hindrance of Horventerous and Draco's mercenary attitude complete with Jingoistic as a hindrance.]

      Chug grabbed the treasure chest. Chug, Horventerous, and Draco returned to the surface and left Caleb Candelas to his fate. 

      

       On the deck, Nimue unlocked the treasure chest and the group gained 5,000 pieces of eight and a bleeding heart potion. They split it with Horventerous getting most of the amount to recoup the 1,600 cost of the seal suits. 

[Nick played Windfall to maximize the treasure hoard.]

       The group returned to Kaja, Arfk and went to The Holey Grael.

DAY 308
PLACE: KAJA, ARFK
WEATHER: OVERCAST
TIME OF DAY: NIGHT

      At The Holey Grael, Nimue encountered a Grael called Flunk. She spent 100 pieces of eight to buy a treasure map from him that she was convinced was real showing treasure somewhere in the sea far to the east of Kiera. Nimue tried to get the other people in the group to believe her and finally went to La Arcadia where Cyrus Black told her the map was a forgery. Cyrus bought the map from Nimue for 100 pieces of eight.

[Cyrus is a merchant who has sold false maps before in Brigandy Bay for a profit.]

     Meanwhile, the rest of the group harassed Flunk about the false map until Bjorn Olafsson was forced to have Grael bouncers escort them from the tavern.  
     The group left The Holey Grael and went to the Warm Hearth Inn. Chug met an old whaler acquaintance called Frog who couldn't believe Chug could talk now.
      When Nimue got back, she chatted up and left with a one-armed Masaquani called Rikas Russ. They went to Rikas's room at the inn and Rikas talked about how he lost his ship, the Fearless, and his arm to the freezing cold breath of a norwhale. Rikas told her about a magical ring that his water mage wore that could protect against the elements. Rikas told Nimue it was probably still in the gut of that norwhale somewhere. For 500 pieces of eight, he would guide her to the wreck of the Fearless. Nimue negotiated him down to 400 pieces of eight and then returned downstairs to the bar area. She told the rest of the group about the plan to hunt down a norwhale. Chug told Frog to come with them, "It would be like old times." Chug gave Frog his old Grael battleball and Cyrus gave him 50 pieces of eight.

DAY 309-313
PLACE: KAJA, ARFK
WEATHER: OVERCAST  

      La Arcadia sailed to where the wreck of the Fearless was located and waited for the norwhale to appear. On the way, the group netted a large amount of fish twice. 

DAY 314
PLACE: COLD SEA
WEATHER: SNOW
TIME OF DAY: AFTERNOON

       The group finally found the norwhale and approached it at long range. Horventerous cast a fire bolt using his scepter of fire but missed. Natsu Nara cast an earth bolt cannonball but also missed.

 

      But then it was the norwhale's turn. It emitted a blast of cold from its blowhole to immobilize La Arcadia. Suddenly Natsu Nara let out a molten blast of fire and earth that started to melt the ice. Horventerous cast a fire bolt to further melt the ice. Frog jumped off the ship and hit the ice floe with his Grael battleball, with a tink sound.

[Summer played Get Savage to gain a new power. Insert lavabender joke here.]

     The norwhale used the holes in the ice to make an attack against the underbelly of the ship. Chug barely managed to maneuver the ship to avoid it. Meanwhile Frog was flung off balance from the ice floe and landed in the water. Natsu Nara cast fire blast again to melt the rest of the ice.   
      Horventerous cast fire bolt at the norwhale but it just dived out of the way. The norwhale ate Frog and escaped from La Arcadia.
  

[End of session.] 

XP: 2, Missed XP: 1

MINIMUM XP: 77/Heroic

LOOT: 5,000 pieces of eight, Bleeding Heart Potion

MAPS

     Our Sunken Ship is used for the wreck of the Arkanaus. It is a modern map with sea mines around a sunken wooden ship, but if you just print out the center area of the map, it works fine in fantasy.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/135049/Sunken-Ship?affiliate_id=12615

MINIATURES 

     Tri-folds used are from 50 Fathoms Figure Flats and the metal Kraken miniature made by Pinnacle Entertainment Group.

     Miniature ships used include a ship from Letters of Marque by Fantasy Flight Games and a porcelain ship from Red Rose Tea.