Today my campaign reporting moves out of the simmering sin of Nightwick and into the simmering sun of Cuccagna-- InPlacesDeep's other campaign. Since some of the Nightwick session reports have gotten a good response, I'll try to give Cuccagna the same treatment- may be just abbreviated.
I really like keeping track of campaign stats around PCs because it helps give those newly entering the classic play style a sense of how things actually go in terms of PC death, progression, and treasure accumulation. So above is a mini-record of my 8 sessions in Cuccagna.
I've included the names of the characters I've played so far with their class and their current fate. I also decided to show total treasure accumulated across all characters as well as what I've spent on carousing. As for the "Cumulative Prospero Meetings", that is tracking meeting with a major NPC(s) in the game.
What do I think of my own progress?
Given that Mayfly is a level 4 MU in Nightwick, I thought I had become pretty adept at surviving some old-school play. Alas, this did not bare out as my first 3 fighters did not survive their starting session.
Zelone was a walking suit of armor of which there is only 1 in all of Cuccagna. And as the new person, I absolutely chose that option and ran it into the ground. Since I had been so cautious with Mayfly, I did try to play Zelone with a more knightly stance. And, yeah, that will get you killed quick.
Thomas of Karse started which more HP than Zelone and I believe had an 18 STR. He survived a ceiling cave-in that knocked Lord Suarr unconscious. But an 18 STR doesn't protect one against an auto-hit magic missile. However, Lord Suarr did survive. And the loot was good too. For the surviving members...
Neuf was the most mercenary in play style. I really was on my guard except when it came to the last door of the evening. The party was in some caves under the manor we were robbing. We had found some valuable oil and had reason to believe we were near a wine cellar. We were just about to leave when we wanted to try one more door. So Neuf touched the handle and *click*, a poison needle ended that. But it was a wine cellar and the loot was good too. For the surviving members...
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Skelars the Stray
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The fourth time is a charm. Rolled up a low DEX (-1), high WIS (+1) cleric with 1 HP- Skelars the Stray. "Stray" because with 1 HP I feel like he was already in bad shape. I used the Leaper from
Darkest Dungeon as the token. Won't last long right? Well, despite touching madness-inducing rocks, jumping into a hole with 100s of baby giant spiders, surviving a fight with wizards using a sling, almost being eaten by a cloaker, and almost being beaten to death by an animated lantern-- Skelars has lived! Now at level 3! And now has 8 HP! Clearly a higher power is on his side.
What do I think of the campaign?
InPlacesDeep understands the assignment of old-school play if that was not evident from Nightwick Abbey. And created in Cuccagna, a heat exhaustion-induced dream of Shakespeare's Tempest, Vance's Dying Earth, and a dash of Lord Dunsany's Dreamlands Cycle. All of this is set in a sun-soaked isle seasoned with a very delightful infusion of the 50's and 60's movies of Vincent Price. In my mind's eye, knights do wear red tights with shiny breastplates and wizards have robes with stars on them.
The engine of the campaign (so far) seems to be the split of a major magician into 7 lesser, but still powerful, magicians: Prospero the Red, the Orange, the Yellow, the Green, the Blue, and the Violet. However, Prospero the Blue has gone missing much to the concern of the others. The party has been investigating the abandoned (?) keep of Prospero the Blue and as a result has drawn the attention of Prospero the Green who has started to ask favors of the party. We also may or may not (unconfirmed yet) have teleported a ghost to the court of Prospero the Orange. So maybe we'll get a "meeting" soon with the vermillion virtuoso.
Its pretty fantastic and fantastical. Its unique but at the same time touches on a lot of the ur-concepts of D&D fans know and have absorbed, yet maybe can't specifically call out. For instance, just look at an early list of monsters (2012!) for the setting which is a mixture of medieval and myth. A lot of the names are very recognizable, yet when you look at the list in its entirety it doesn't feel "D&D".
D&D that doesn't feel "D&D", yet is composed of the same protean blocks as D&D is a high achievement!
