On The Table: The Black Sword Hack S01
Actual Play Posts of two BSH campaigns
The first sessions are in the books, and both groups are off to intriguing and wildly different starts. The Sunday crew, The Cycles of Errazu, hit the ground running with a high-energy, action-packed game. I loved how the blanks in my GM prep were filled organically by player actions and dice rolls—I didn’t need to decide very much. For example, the Beast of Ambersoul was set to pursue one of the two sorcerer PCs, but I hadn’t planned out who or how. Vanderjack, with his bold actions, single-handedly solved that question in spectacular fashion!
In contrast, the Monday session, Malpha the Fallen, was a slow burn. I had a clear timeline for the Dream Thief but didn’t know how the PCs would prepare or respond. The group chose an investigative path, which ended up establishing more of the city’s places, people, and lore. The session was full of intrigue and world-building, driven by the players’ curiosity. Same game system, two very different experiences—and I’m totally diggin’ it!
ICYMI:
The Cycles of Errazu: Warlocks...Gonna Warlock!
Our adventurers:
Betany, a master storyteller from the Steppe Raiders, wielding her claymore with unmatched fury.
Wulf, born of a hurricane summoned by his mother, now wandering far from the forbidden city of Malthus, shrouded in tempestuous mystery.
Vanderjack, a warlock of Carafax, carrying the weight of arcane secrets from the sunken kingdoms.
Rikvengar, a mighty warrior from the newly liberated wastelands, embodying the raw power and resilience of his people.
The session opens in the ruins of old Ambersoul in the Hinterlands—a wasteland. The characters regroup in the remains of a barn structure, planning their next move. They have rescued Renee, the Philospheer Duke's first daughter, from the Blue Smoke cultists. She's unconscious at the moment but stirring. Out in the city, two mercenary bands are skirmishing and searching for Renee. It's dusk, and just as the last light falls, a blood-curdling roar erupts from the east. Forcing a DOOM die roll from the players.
Vanderjack summons one of his two demons, Rahab. A creepy little green imp to scout out the nature of the roar. [The DOOM die for Invoking the daemon comes up 1; we misread the rules and applied both the revenge table roll and side effect.]
Rahab appears, anxious and jittery, more than the demon of suspicion normally does; it sees and quickly consumes Rikvengars two-handed axe, it announces the Beast of Ambersoul is hungry, and Vanderjack is its prey, then it vanishes.
Renee wakes confused, and surrounded by stranges asks 'Who are you, is it done? did it work? Am I a god now?'
There are groans and cussing from my players all around! The characters explain the situation to her as they move south quickly through the city ruins. Not a block from the barn, Renee tries to bolt in the opposite direction, but not before Wulf grabs her arm; he's the designated babysitter. The characters make good time through the city, avoiding squads of mercs and spotting other inhabitants, keeping a low profile. Nearby the Broken Bell Merecnay camp, Vanderjack, worried about that beast he can feel tracking him, invokes Rahab again, hoping to distract the Beast of Ambersoul with a new target. [IIRC, another one on the DOOM die]
Rahab is slow to respond and is maniacal when it does, twitchy as it proclaims Vanderjacks doom, "The Beast is here!" then it drinks lamprey-like of Vanderjack's blood and bids him Adieu! A lion-octopus monstrosity leaps from the rooftops down upon the characters. It stands then upright and roars, tentacles flaring. [Everyone fails their Wisdom check for initiative, except Vanderjack! The order is Vanderjack, Mercs, Renee & Ambersoul Beast, Betany, Rikvengar, Wulf]
Renee again flees and gets a good distance away before Wulf casts "Ghost Pain," which forces her to return! Nice Spell. Betany executes TWO critical strikes on the beast, one of which is the killing blow. She later ‘s hidemakes a pelt of the creature. Poor Rikvengar, with only a long bow, misses his shot, being wary not to hit the ferocious Betany. The mercs, startled by the initial roar, formed a wall, and bowman loosed volleys at the creature and Vanderjack, who was running toward them, trying to get to safety or draw the creature to them. Using a spell, Vanderjack speaks through the commander's mouth, "Save that man, heal him!" referring to himself. [another nice spell use!]
In the aftermath, the Broken Bell Company has Vanderjack. Wulf, Betany, and Rikvengar slip out of the dark street to the south and out of the city. They wait for Vanderjack at the coast, where they have a sailing ship, but not too long before they head east to the Iron Port.
Vanderjack attempts to distract, mislead, and confound the Broken Bell Co., buying his friends time to escape. It all comes to an outlandish end. Vanderjack lies about knowing where the duke's daughter, his sister(?), is and leads an escort of the Broken Bell's soldiers to the rival merc company's camp. He intends to escape during the violence that is sure to happen. Only with his DOOM die-depleted and rolling with disadvantage does this plan fail. We decide Vanderjack is MIA.
Rikvengar has coined his first story, "How We Rescued a Goddess and Were Betrayed by a Warlock!" The crew is now level two.
Malpha the Fallen: One Night in Nazara
Previously: A ragtag group of adventurers found themselves in Nazara, the infamous City of Thieves—a city where danger is ever-present, and no quarter is given save for the sanctuary of the Order of the Fulcrum. The Order provides neutral ground and healing, but whispers on the streets speak of a new and terrifying threat: the Dream Thief, a spectral figure said to steal memories, leaving confusion and emptiness in her wake.
Her next target? Gawne, an elder monk of the Order who holds the key to the Blue Smoke Palace, a legendary stronghold said to embody perfect balance—a beacon of hope in a world teetering on the edge of chaos.
Drawn to the sanctuary for their own reasons, the adventurers carry their burdens, secrets, and motivations to confront the encroaching darkness:
Latulei: A Legacy Legionnaire and the pride of the Froststrom Legion Academy, disciplined and ever-ready for a fight.
Peto: A spirit talker from the forgotten palace of Yalokivikori, connected to the voices of the beyond.
Iride the Lodestone: A mysterious figure raised by the enigmatic Arranburu Insect People of the lush Arranburu Rainforest, their presence steeped in riddles and lore.
Into the City of Thieves
The session began at the Order of the Fulcrum, where Dura, an administrator monk, provided the adventurers with robes and shelter. She impressed upon them the need for discretion in their work to protect Gawne, whose life and knowledge were now threatened by the Dream Thief.
The adventurers quickly set to work, dividing their efforts to follow various leads across Nazara’s treacherous streets.
Investigating the Dream Thief
The Dream Fence
Latulei and Iride made their way to Aris, a dream fence operating out of a shady-tented den in the city’s underbelly. Aris, a trader of stolen dreams, agreed to provide them with a "taken dream"—one tied to the Dream Thief’s handiwork—but only in exchange for one of Latulei's war dreams. Despite some hesitation, Latulei accepted the trade. While Latulei negotiated inside, Iride stayed outside the tent, blocked by Theon, Aris’s surly guard. Killing time, Iride joined a street game of cards and managed to win 5 coins with her sharp instincts.
The Merchant of Enlightenment
Peto sought out Sybil, a mysterious merchant of enlightenment known for her rare wares. Sybil sold Peto a dose of Prophet’s Thistle, a high-quality herb rumored to open the mind to visions and greater awareness. Armed with this new resource, Peto moved to rejoin the group.
The Cabbage Clue
The party spoke with Paula and Lede, two locals who recounted their uncle Telo’s tale of “missing time.” This led the group to investigate Telo’s produce delivery at the sanctuary, where they uncovered an unsettling discovery: the remnants of red cabbages tainted with properties that make a person’s dreams vulnerable to dream walkers. Worse, they confirmed that most of the monks at the sanctuary—including Gawne—had consumed these cabbages!
Into the Dream World
Realizing the urgency of the situation, the group worked together to devise a solution. Drawing upon the lore and wisdom of the Arranburu Insect People, Iride concocted a remedy that would allow the party to enter the dream world and confront the Dream Thief on her own turf. With the remedy prepared, the adventurers entered the dream world—a surreal and shifting reflection of the sanctuary.
In this strange dreamscape, the group observed which monks had consumed the tainted cabbages and which had not. They found Gawne in a dreamlike version of his study, but the sanctuary’s elder monk seemed distracted, as though unaware of the danger around him.
As the adventurers approached Gawne in the dream world, a door appeared where none had been before. From it stepped a tall, lanky man, exuding an aura of menace. The man ignored the adventurers entirely as he advanced toward Gawne, producing an ornate dagger from his robes.
And then... we ended the session with that chilling moment.
May Doom forget their names.
It’s my Birthday Month Sale!