Gods of the Fall - Session Prep - The End of the Beginning

OH NO, what happens next?

That's what came to mind when I sat down to start writing this blog/planning this session. I almost always do these things simultaneously. The blog post provides the motivation to plan the session ahead of time and writing the blog at the same time as I plan ensures that I document what I want to do.

But here we are at the 3rd session and I'm not sure where to go. It's not that I don't have ideas for the campaign, but that I want to expand the game organically and after the last session I'm unsure exactly of where to go organically.

Which means I need to run an RP heavy player driven session and see what shakes loose. The characters are outed as demigods with the Adherent population of Somorrah but they are also still very much mortal and their equipment is somewhat depleted after the trials they went through. So I'll go ahead and give them time for shopping and time for some role playing that doesn't hinge on preventing or getting into combat.

The players were (justifiably) concerned about the Reconciliators who remained and were going to be gunning for them. I think this drove a lot of the discussion and RP of the session even when it was not the direct topic. 

I'll also press a round of RP with Raehcha. She may be persuaded to accompany the group, but she also has her own motives: she know's that the Shwalg orks could be civilized under the leadership of somebody strong enough to change their savage ways, and she knows an ork who could do just that. But first the Fire King's dominance over her people needs to be brought to an end.

This turned out well and the characters were really wishy washy about their divinity which pushed Raehcha to decide that if they didn't believe in themselves they weren't ready, and maybe never would be. She did offer to wait for them outside of Athsayor if they changed their minds and for a good portion of the session it looked like they would join her. But ... 

Once in town, whether to stay or just to re-supply, I'll drop some other prospective storylines. After all I do want to start setting up for adventures to come. Looking at the "According to Prophecy" sidebars is a good way to grab adventure ideas thankfully! I'll probably drop mention of the following into the game as "bait" ...

• Tablet of Fate (pg 68)
• I had the group overhear a pair of Bibliomancer's trying to hire a guide. They reacted based on their backstories and ultimately decided not to help these guys kill themselves.
• Lost Explorer's (pg 42)
• I switched this one around a bit and had Yama be the one asking for aid instead of the one needing aid. I thought it would play better if they were rescuing an unknown and not a famous person. They decided to go this way and that's the story that will drive the second arc forward.

Each of these have potential to draw the group to a new geographical location (and likewise if they decide to help Raehcha) and also provide means to begin fulfilling the obligations of a god. In addition, because Somorrah already has a new god in the person of Visheidon (pg 48), depending on how things play out I may have him seek out the players, or allow them to find him should they want to look.

I didn't end up not needing to use Visheidon. He's a part of the setting and so if & when the PCs next get back to Somorrah he'll be around to use if I need him. 

My goal will be to see what the characters want to do with their situation and figure out how to use that to move forward into the 4th session and eventually into second tier. So my plan is basically to wing it. Let the players direct things to some extent, and maybe toss their way a few RP encounters. The first few sessions were heavier on combat and I want to back off a touch to meter the overall game.

I think we got a good session if a bit short at just over 2 hours. There was lots of RP and discussion and plenty of questioning if they were gods or not and what that meant. I hope I can carry this forward into the next arc and see how they react to events around them and how they change events they take part in.