Let’s Play Riftbreakers 2nd Edition! Part 3: Cults and Beastmen

Daena continues her Escort Quest, but some new encounters dishevel her journeys.

Table of Contents

Our Escort Quest continues in the Arenmist Forest! We’re going into hex 6 out of 9, so two thirds of the way there.

Hex 6, Arenmist Forest region

Bandits are a common occurrence in the woods. Another group burst from the mist to steal the cargo, but I put them down swiftly.

Bandits have an action where they steal money, and we can only recover half of it after winning. I lost 10A and am down to 122A now.

We rest the night before moving on. I recover 4 HP, completely topped at 21.

Hex 7 and 8, Arenmist Forest region

I rolled twice for the exact same noteworthy encounter in two hexes, an abandoned hunting lodge. I’ll merge the encounters by ending up on a glade with a couple of cabins.

The small, abandoned hunting lodges were not much different from the one where Renny hid at.

Is there anything of value in the first lodge?
Likely: 99, exceptional no and random event!

Action table: Goals, Gain

I’ll interpret this as nothing of usual value, but something useful for Daena. Could it be an old skill book?
50-50: 86, no

Let me roll on the Description table: Fragrant, Full

Ok, the alchemical ingredient table we can harvest has an aromatic resin, which is worth 2d100A. I could interpret the Full to be it has a maximum value, but that would be a bit busted.

The lodge is completely empty. Not even furniture or a door had been left. A strong earthy scent overpowered the small interior, coming from an uncapped container. A sticky, dark green fluid was inside. The smell burned her throat and irritated her eyes as she got closer.

Renny took in the foul smell and grunted. “This sap is everywhere around these areas. It’s a terrible adhesive. It ruins the surfaces and never binds.”

“That’s not adhesive,” Percy said, coming in. “It’s a resin used to make incense and perfumes. The right folks in Kar Helos will pay good Aetheryte for that. I’ll give you their information.”

The rare aromatic resin is worth (2d100) 114A.

Is there anything of value in the other lodge?
Unlikely: 34, yes!
Random finding: 36, weapon.
Weapon table: 71, quarterstaff.

I find a quarterstaff leaning against the wall inside. Just a solid weapon made of hardwood worn smooth by use.

Hex 9, Arenmist Forest region

We arrive at a trading camp, and Percy and Renny stop the caravan next to others. The huge open field was right on the edge of the forest.

Percy gives me a piece of parchment with the Adventurers Guild’s seal, and offers me 2d20A (25) with his bandaged hand, Renny by his side.

“Your obligation was to the caravan, but you helped us anyway. This is just a tiny thank you.”

“Keep it, Percy. As you said, going after Renny was not a transaction. I did it because an extended hand shouldn’t be met with a bill.”

He smiled and nodded. “You have friends in Kar Helos, Daena. Don’t forget that. I know I won’t.”

We say our goodbyes and I leave them behind.

No ores around, but I find a rare alchemical ingredient! Nice.

Looking for resources, I see a strange procession:

Silent figures in tattered robes glide past you, carrying a coffin. Interrupting them curses the party with dread (-10 to Tenacity check for 24 hours). A Reason check recognizes them as priests of a forgotten god; their burial site might be nearby and may hold valuable relics.

Reason check (20) = 87, fail.

Daena’s legs trembled, gripped by an irrational fear as she neared the robed figures. Every hair on her body stood on end as she gripped a shoulder for answers, for the scent of blood clung to her tongue. She knew she shouldn’t meddle, but the scene screamed of something vile.

A man with eyes white as marble turned to Daena, and a shockwave made her recoil from his shoulder. Visions of a colossal octopus pulsed in her mind, a vicious and mad creature. She dropped to the ground, clutching her chest as a wave of dread washed over her.

Tenacity check (40): 25

Even terrified, I find the strength to follow them as they continue moving. They eventually arrive at an ancient overgrown graveyard.

They marched around crooked headstones as the wind carried rotten leaves and the smell of damp soil. Vines coiled around broken statues and small crypts.

The group descend into a mausoleum, and I follow, lighting a torch. I smell dust and old stone, guiding myself by the cracked walls, blotched by lichen.

A loud boom reverberates through the crypt, followed by a low chanting. I make haste, the torchlight sending frantic shadows around. I curve down a corridor and enter a room illuminated by braziers.

The figures stand before an altar, the coffin open and empty, chanting louder. The feeling of foreboding is too overwhelming. I interrupt them again.

Do they attack me?
Likely: 70, no.

What do they do?
Action table: Progress, Benefit

They glared at Daena with smooth white eyes. The air hummed with energy. The mad octopus cultists simply smiled, as there was no need to attack her.

They had summoned their god.

Except it wasn’t the thing haunting her head. It was a corrupted, demonic lesser version of the abomination.

But it would die all the same.

I drink the Balm of Fortune (+5 Luck for D4 hours: 1) and attack the creature. I used an Ocean Wraith as a template for the enemy.

I destroy their summoning, and the cultists scream. The fighting is gone from them. Some collapse to the ground, eyes back to normal, and cry in anguish. Others dart away from the mausoleum, their sharp cries bouncing off the walls.

My Mail goes down to UD8.

Luck gets added to all loot rolls. I add it to the enemy drop and got a magic item! Let’s generate it:

d12: 8, Rare
D8: 6, Amulet

All magic items have a peculiarity, a unique characteristic that is mostly cosmetic, but can be used for RP purposes.
D100 Peculiarity: 38, it sparkles.

Rare items have two enchants.
Roll 2D6: 4, 2
Those two numbers are the item’s aetheric signature, representing the magic enchants. I have to unlock them to identify the enchants.

Jewelcrafting check (00): 65. Just trying to get a double to improve it.

If I had succeeded, one of the aetheric signatures would be automatically unlocked.

Now, I roll 2D6 again. I have to roll any of the aetheric signature numbers to unlock it: 3, 1

No unlocks. I can try it once a day. The skill check, however, can’t be attempted again, only the first time.

I search the mausoleum for any valuable items the cultists may have hidden.

Perception check (36): 11, critical success and improvement!

I’ll roll for two random findings (Luck is added): another magic item and a random formula!

Magic item: Rare Belt (3, 1) covered by tiny scales (peculiarity). No enchants unlocked.
Formula: Potion of Mental Fortitude (Increase your Tenacity by 20 until the end of combat).

Tucked behind an alcove, Daena found a small bundle wrapped in cloth. She looked inside and smiled at her stroke of luck.

Torch consumption (UD6): 4, safe.

I leave the mausoleum. I could use Portal or my Astral Anchor to teleport back to Kar Helos, but travel a few hexes to loot.

I encountered a Grove Guardian that proved a bit of a challenge. It has the trait Suppression Aura, which lowers all my checks by 10, and also an attack that leaves me Restrained: I take 1 Piercing damage every round and attack with Disadvantage.

I can make an Athletics check every round to remove the condition, but with the -10 I was rolling against 15. Not easy.

I mainly used Cleave, which has the monster doing an Agility check (30), but the damn thing kept dodging. Fumbling attacks didn’t help (Bludgeoning Weapons improvement). I managed to whittle it down and kill it. My HP went down to 14, but at least it dropped a Heart Essence! I have 2 now, since I still didn’t use the one from the tutorial area.

I broke my pickaxe mining ore (Gathering improvement!). Then I rested the night and recovered 5 HP (19 now).

Then some Beastmen turned out to be hellish. They come in trios, like bandits, but have more dangerous moves. I got many terrible checks and fumbles, wasted a minor healing potion (heals d6) that rolled a 1, and they killed me.

However, I had the Crystallized Shroud equipped (If an incoming attack were to kill you, ignore the damage and heal D10 Health instead. The Crystallized Shroud shatters afterwards). Not great, but better to use it than carry it forever, I guess. On the next roll, I killed the last Beastman.

They dropped a Potion of Aether Surge (Grants you 6 additional Aether this round), which is cool.

I harvested a common alchemical ingredient and teleported to Kar Helos.

Kar Helos

I turn in the Escort Quest and receive my 200A reward and a Reputation point! Next rank is at 20, but for now I’m still an Initiate with no benefits.

I sell the fragrant resin (114A). Currently holding 436A! Let’s spend a little:

• -20A for another pickaxe and hunting knife.

• -20A for a Visored Helm (+2 Protection, UD8, -20 Perception).

• -6A to repair Mail.

• -10A to rest and recover.

Down to 380A.

I unlocked the enchants for both magical items!

• Rare Sparkling Amulet: -1 Max Aether, +5 Max Hp | Recover D4 HP after combat.

• Rare Scaled Belt: Immune to Stun | Receive -2D4 Piercing damage.

How cool are those? Equipped right away.

The belt has another benefit: it gives us quickslots! We can equip four consumables that won’t cost any Aether when used in combat (it costs 5 Aether to use items from the backpack).

Let’s end the session and roll skill improvements:

• Bludgeoning Weapons increased by 2!

• Gathering increased by 4!

• Perception increased by 4!

After a terrible streak of luck against the Beastmen, these improvements sure end the session on a high note.

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Daena walked the streets of the Strangers District when a violet and orange thunder cracked the sky, followed by another. Again and again. Spears of pure energy pierced Kar Helos, pulverizing cobblestones and razing buildings. Doors and windows rattled across the street, over the screams of the citizens.

The thunderstorm intensified. It hammered the city in different points, until the lightning converged in circles of energy, growing larger by the second. The ground vibrated under Daena’s feet. Her heart pounded in her chest.

Shadows convulsed inside the circles, now the size of small houses. They bounced in a chaotic display, then they stopped.

The circles stabilized. Thunder ceased.

But it wasn’t a thunderstorm, and those weren’t circles of energy.

It was a Riftstorm.

Creatures erupted from the Rifts in a frenzied rush, roaring and trampling each other to attack anyone unfortunate enough to be caught nearby.

Kar Helos was under siege!

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I did some “offline” grinding to get better stuff before deciding what to write next. I didn’t want to repeat myself, so I created an MMO-style raid to play next: Kar Helos Under Siege.

I really hope it is a fun read. My goal is to show how to create other types of adventures if you don’t want to do Board Quests or map events for a while, and that you don’t need an overpowered character. I’m trying to emulate MMO events where you’re just another cog in the machine, playing a support kind of role, but still getting involved in plenty of action.

I want to keep things fresh for the Let’s Play. I’m so into the game that I could simply write about going from hex to hex doing random stuff, but I’m sure that’s way more interesting to play than read about.

And I’ll be damned if I’ll give you the impression that Riftbreakers is boring.