Riftwalker Campaign - Overview and Thoughts (Sessions 5-7)
Coming back to my Riftwalker play test, I have made some new changes to the system. You will also see my session recaps below!
These are the maps I made with my template in excel for the main hub world Rift Plane and key city Rift Plane Alpha.
Updates to the system so far:
Add 2 dice to each pool - there was a sense of “feeling bad” and so we found that adding more dice made it still feel like you could fail, but much more likely to pass a test - see with what happened during session 5 - after the change:
Successes: 14 - 1 on fate, 5 dice roll 3 sixes.
Fails: Everyone failed a mind check (21 dice), 8.
Lots of successes, but ones that don’t work, the fate get’s people through.
No more training for extra dice - Training: Learn a new skill your character does not know (something you can add to what you can make a check for), or add a new manoeuvre for your weapon, free of charge - you can gain extra dice through levelling up.
Session 5 - Visit The Ocean World Blended Settlement
The party had a successful tracker, where travelling through the Solar Needle Pine Forest, Esbara picked up some pines that could be used as a light source and avoided some mutant fruit bats. They visited the Blended Settlement of the Ocean World; a boat, with adjoining tavern and pier that has been run aground and pulled here. It is next to the void sea. The Tavern was sad and dreary but with some music from Khazgan, the mood lifted. Esbara took up interest in the squeezebox. Ralph got to know the locals and Zadymka befriended an elderly woman. She brought him to a small rowboat that had a story of man who went out to the dark and worm void sea, never to return. Examining it with his magic knowledge and corruption bone staff, he found the boat was tainted by the corruption of the rift plane. Bringing the crew with him, he saw a vision of the dark night a man tried to go home, but was attacked by a creature from the shadowy depths. A cute moment followed of bonding for the group. They explored the big boat and 2 members got to see the first glimpse of a Rift to another world. They say it shimmer in the light. Those who could not see it, were seeing the Rift ‘correct’ things happening like a snowball passing through it for some, but going past it for others. After Zadymka tried to force it open with his magic and failed (to be saved by Esbara), Ralph went to enter the Rift. An argument started between Ralph and Khazgan, who didn’t want Ralph to go. What will the group decide next?
No downtime but xp
Session 6 - Visit The Ocean World - Port Corsair
For the session, I gave them a decision to enter the portal, or to figure out the mystery of the missing man on the void sea. They chose the portal. To begin, the group tested the portal. Including throwing rat at it, and touch it. They go through it. It is a blinking strobe like experience. They awaken to a new world of ocean breeze, bustling, happy energy. Fish folks, Octopus folks and Crustacean Folks are walking and interspersing with humans. They enter Row after Row - a boat store, fishing supplies and trinket shop. The group buys fishing supplies, and finds out that the Universal Currency they carry, can transform in the world’s currency. Here it becomes “shuckles”. Zadymka looks at some ships, and buys a model ship. Esbarra visits the statue of the SEA-HORSE Hippocampus deity that brings good luck to the village. There is a cute fishing montage for the group, and the 3 folks who fish, all catch a fish. They see a vessel approach and hear an old man covered in blood scream “ESTEBAN!”
No downtime but xp
The Shuckle currency in the Ocean World, designed by one of my players.
Session 7 - Hunting the Leopard Shark with Steve Zissou
After meeting with Steve and his crew at the local bar, the party decides to travel with them to hunt a great Leopard Shark that killed his buddy Esteban. Jane, Vladimir and the rest of the crew got to know the group. After being presented an option to investigate a weapon to use against it on the Isle of Solstice or find its weakness at the Offshore Observatory, the group went with the latter. They travelled and got to know the crew and took a tracker sequence, mostly helping out in deck or helping build morale. In the Observatory, they met a Sorceress named Eleanor, who was the ex-wife of Steve - they asked her about sea creatures, and learnt about the Kracken, more information about the fish back in Rift Plane and a strange mermaid/monster creature that Khazgan found. After reuniting Steve and her after she left him for a Crab Man, the crew found out the weakness was bludgeoning weapons, it could frenzy at the sight of blood and that it could stun through its beauty. Ralph was given a gift through his hard hat to talk to fish (though they might not talk back). The crew left off to battle the beast. Choosing violence, the group attacked with no mercy, Khazgan letting off some huge hits. Esbara protected herself and used Ralph’s hammer to attack the beast. After a few of them fell in, Zadymka created an iceberg to get people to after and tried to move in to capture the beast. Ralph lured and disoriented the shark with his stick, after it would not talk back to him. Khazgan got the final massive blow against the beast. There was a moment of sadness and melancholy as Esteban was given retribution. The party decided to head back to Rift Plane where they will start their next adventure.
(Yes, this session was based on The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou)
Downtime:
Zadymka - Take a hunting mission with the Venture Syndicate - to use the staff on someone.
Ralph - Work on part 1 of learning to be more influential with fish
Esbara - Work on and finish learning the Squeezebox
Khazgan - Will work on training a new weapon skill
Takeaways
The Campaign
Felt good about going through a new world and blended settlement. The crew have been slow to want to move through to the worlds, but this is a great feeling for the game. It makes each world seem more unique and epic.
The System Future Updates
Free action again - this needs to be further clarified.
Sharpshoot Manoeuvre - might need to clarify free action with focus - is it too strong to use no roll or too weak without? Combining it with a power. Maybe it is a power - I didn’t think powers, attacks and manoeuvres would interact in my initial write up - but I like seeing the system take change. It might make more sense for this particular ability to be a power in its current form - spending a resource to get a massive upgrade makes more sense.
The new Sharpshoot Manoeuvre will require a check for an action, if successful - you gain the number of successes as extra dice to the next attack you make.
Overkill - double damage for a pool.
Downtime
No need to check for working towards goal.
No need to spend coin for community service.
Tracking ammo and weapon breaking… Trying to find a better feel for this, but I have left it to the players for now.
More success rate
Either more dice or 5 has a half success/complication to success.
Still trying a better way to implement Monster difficulty. Having it be player facing is working, but the number of dice a monster has, to the deduction for a player is not right yet… Will work on and get back to you all.
