Battle of Bloodmarch Hill: Book 1 of Giantslayer AP
Leap into classic adventure! Gear up for the Giantslayer Adventure Path, a campaign against towering odds to fight for monumental rewards.
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Thursday - 11:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 4–5 hours
Campaign Length / 6–10 Sessions
0 / 6 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Deep in the Mindspin Mountains, a storm giant warlord known as the Storm Tyrant has seized control of a cloud castle and an Orb of Dragonkind, and is gathering an army of giants from across western Avistan—first to bring the orc hordes of Belkzen under his banner, then to conquer the neighboring realms. Heroes defending the human town of Trunau from an orc raid discover that the attack is just a precursor to the Storm Tyrant's larger plans. Working their way through an abandoned border fort, an ancient giant temple, the tomb of an undead frost giant, and an elite fire giant training facility beneath a dormant volcano, the heroes eventually take the fight to the Storm Tyrant himself inside his flying fortress. Can the giant army be defeated before it can conquer the human lands of the Inner Sea, or will all of Avistan bow down in fealty to the Storm Tyrant? The Giantslayer Adventure Path begins in the human town of Trunau, a beleaguered settlement surrounded by the brutal orcs of the Hold of Belkzen, the heroes must investigate a mysterious death. Before they uncover the truth, however, Trunau comes under attack by an orc army, and the heroes must help defend it—only to discover that the situation is worse than anyone realizes. For even the fearsome orc raid is just a distraction allowing a giant chieftain to recover the relics of an ancient giant hero from a tomb long forgotten beneath the town. Once we finish The Battle of Bloodmarch Hill, I plan on running Hill Gaint's Pledge, Book 2 of the Giantslayer Adventure Path
Game style
Combat Heavy
Dungeon Crawl
Hexcrawl / Exploration
Roleplay Lite
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Rules as Written (RaW)
Sandbox / Open World
Tactical / Crunchy
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(6)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
1 game hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Inclusive
Average response time: 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
I started playing TTRPGs in the late '80s, mostly 1st Ed. D&D before we transitioned to 2nd Ed. D&D. None of my high school friends wanted to DM, so I ran almost all of our games. While at college in the early 90s, I continued DMing 2nd Ed. D&D games, but I was able to play more--including games other than D&D. I was our Gaming Club president for two years. I was fortunate enough to win the D&D Open at GenCon in both 1994 & 1999. After my second win, I started judging. It was my privilege to co-author the adventure The Sword of Cuthbert, which was used for the D&D Open in 2003. I was the D&D Open Coordinator from 2004 to 2007. Although I was a play tester for 4th Ed. D&D, I was not a fan so I continued playing 3.5 Ed. D&D until Pathfinder came along. In 2010, a few friends & I started publishing some third-party Pathfinder 1e content via a company called Interaction Point Games. I was the primary editor, but I also wrote a few items including Kingdoms of Legend: Dragon Challenge and Kingdoms of Legend: Haunted Woods Encounter. Through it all, I have continued playing and DMing several campaigns. At this point, I mostly run games in Pathfinder 1 Ed.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We will have a (free) Session 0 for creating the party, but you will receive links for the Discord server we'll be using and the Roll20 game as soon as you register. The Players' Guide is in the file section and you are strongly encouraged to review this document ahead of time so you can start thinking about your character. We will be using the 25 point buy method for creating first level characters and most Paizo Pathfinder 1e content is allowed. If interested in firearms, then follow the "Emerging Guns" standard. Third party publishing content will be allowed only with my consent. Players will be required to utilize the Pathfinder character sheet on Roll20. Maximum starting gold and hit points. Traits & Drawbacks are allowed with standard restrictions. At least one character should be from Trunau & have the Trunau Native Campaign Trait.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Discord & Roll20 accounts are required. I'll send links for both once you book your spot.
What Allen (Big Al) brings to the table
Unfortunately, I am unable to do many character voices, but I do try to mix it up a little bit. My GMing style is usually considered more tactical, so expect lots of combat with role-playing sprinkled in. I would say I follow RAW about 80% of the time. I definitely encourage the players to get creative, however, so don't be surprised if I bend the rules a bit if you want to do something cool! I don't really worry about things like tracking (non-magical) resources, encumbrance, or spell components. I also have a few homebrew rules, mostly regarding healing (see below).
Homebrew rules
Drinking any potion is a swift action provided it is within easy reach (for example, stored in a belt pouch or a handy haversack). If it is stored in a bulkier container such as a backpack or bag of holding, then it is a move action to find it first before you can drink it as a swift action. Additionally, I add the following to all spells or abilities which heal hit point damage: Like other spells which heal damage, this spell can bring recently slain creatures back to life. If cast upon a creature who has died within 1 round, then apply the healing from this spell to the creature. If the healed creature's hit point total is at a negative amount less than its constitution score, then it comes back to life and stabilizes at its new hit point total. If the creature's hit point total is at a negative amount equal to or greater than its constitution score, then the creature remains dead. Creatures brought back to life through this spell gain a temporary negative level which lasts for 1 day. Creatures slain by death effects cannot be saved by this spell. Undead creatures cannot be brought back to life. Furthermore, spells such as breath of life have been tweaked even further: If cast upon a creature who has died within a number of rounds equal to the caster's relevant spellcasting ability score modifier (wisdom for clerics, charisma for oracles, etc.), then the creature's hit points are first returned to negative their constitution score and then the healing from this spell is applied to the creature. Higher level healing spells and abilities can expand these changes even further.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Allen (Big Al) creates a safe table
I want to provide a gaming experience where everyone feels comfortable and welcome. First, we will talk about boundary concerns during the Session 0. Also, I will try to provide breaks where appropriate to break up any tension. My games are also completely open-door to assure anyone in the group can take a break for their own safety and well-being without judgement. Finally, I do not tolerate bullying, disrespect, or judgement against other players or any real-world groups (whether they are represented at the table or not).
Content warnings
Safety tools used