Let’s Play Riftbreakers 2nd Edition! Part 4: Kar Helos Under Siege, Act 1

Strangers and humans must join forces to deal with the raid wreaking havoc in Kar Helos.

Table of Contents

Initiates and Journeymen gathered at the Adventurers Guild’s main hall. Headmaster Alaric and Master Helen addressed the lower ranked Strangers as the veterans clashed against the Riftspawn all over Kar Helos.

The Guild rallied Strangers, humans, mercenaries, and all kinds of citizens to deal with the danger threatening the city.

Daena listened to the instructions. All novices should provide support to veterans in any way they could, while protecting fellow citizens and themselves. The priority was to save lives.

“Stray monsters will inevitably slip away in the fray,” Alaric’s voice boomed in the room. “Deal with them as you see fit. There are Headmasters by each of the three Rifts. Report to them and follow their orders.”

Master Helen Liaveroni, who oversaw newcomers, handed potions around. She had a long spear cinched on her back. “Take this and use it wisely.” Daena inserted the two Potions of Minor Healing on her belt.

Alaric looked them in the eye with a grave expression. “Kar Helos’ ancient walls have always prevented the appearance of Rifts. This is no accident. It’s a deliberate assault enabled from the inside. We fight more than Rift creatures today.”

Steel clanged and fire roared outside, along with the crackle of arcane magic, making everyone flinch.

Daena tightened her fists. She was ready.

Act 1

Three Rifts of different dominions—or types—spawned in Kar Helos: Lava Fields, Frozen Wasteland, and Thousand Islands. Let’s help deal with the siege doing tasks near each Rift, while veterans storm the anomalies hunting for the Riftlords.

Moving around the city and completing tasks require a D6 roll. A 6 means a stray monster must be dealt with. If we’re in a Rift area, we roll on that dominion’s monster table. Otherwise, we roll another D6: 1-2 = Lava Fields, 3-4 = Frozen Wasteland, 5-6 = Thousand Islands.

I leave the Adventurers Guild’s building to the chaos in the Strangers District. Fiery monsters from the Lava Fields Rift wreak havoc on the district.

Towering beasts made of lava swing their scalding arms against three Strangers at once. Small leeches burn the skin of the people they latch onto, and a red-scaled dragon peppered with arrows lays waste from above, breathing scorching flames on the streets.

D6: 4, no strays.

Daena approached Headmaster Celeste, leading the raid on that Rift. She barked orders to others, then turned to her. “You, haul those water barrels and extinguish our burning barricades!”

The barricades they used to establish perimeters burned from monster attacks and the fire spitting intermittently from the Rift. The Guild had to recover these points to build better defensive and offensive positions.

I carry a barrel to extinguish fire from the barricades.

I thought of tasks related to my skills. It makes sense that the Guild will take advantage of each Stranger’s strongest traits.

Athletics check (26): 08!
76.

Does the barrel break?
50-50: 71, no.

A barrel slips, rolling away from me. I run after it, but the oppressive heat is hard to withstand.

Endurance check (25): 60.

I can’t chase the barrel, as the heat is unbearable. I go back to pick up a new one.

D6: 5, no strays.

Athletics check (26): 26!
65.

Does the barrel break?
50-50: 85, no.
Action table: Move, Good

I have to stop as my hands cramp. The Strangers helping on the task shout in encouragement. A human comes over and helps me carry it. “Thank you!” I say.

“We’re all together in this.”

D6: 2, no strays.

Athletics check (25): 94.
Action table: Conflict, Uncertain

When Daena dropped another barrel, a very pissed Stranger carrying a longsword came over to berate her. “Are you sure you’re working for us? You seem intent on helping the damn monsters!”

“Sorry, I’m just trying to help.”

“Let the humans carry the barrels. You guard them.”

He left without waiting for a response.

Does a monster attack the humans?
50-50: 25, yes.
Lava Fields table: Volcanic Wurm

The group carried the water barrels, and the ground started trembling. Just behind the barricade, the cobblestones turned orange, then bright red, swelling and cracking. They exploded upwards in a shower of molten stone as a massive serpentine creature erupted from the earth, leaving fire in its wake.

This is a good moment to talk about a few new items.

Rare Gloves. They give me an extra Aether during combat when I kill a monster. Useful for multi-enemy fights like Bandits and those damn Beastmen. The second enchant gives me a +1 when rolling the Quest rewards.

Rare Amulet. Enemies get a -10 to Combat checks when attacking me, and I can choose a Prime ability to use twice in battle. I chose Unyielding (3D4+1 extra HP during combat). Using it twice gives me a fantastic buffer.

Shard of Vitality: increases my max HP by 5. It’s now 26.

The Volcanic Wurm can be nasty, but I got the initiative, stacked my Unyieldings (17 extra HP) and 2H Weapon Master (+d4 damage) and killed it in one turn using a desperate attack (double damage) and a weapon strike. The beast dropped a common ore.

The Stranger that yelled at Daena approached her again, grinning. “That’s more like it. I’m Fabian, by the way.”

Before Daena could answer, a burning wooden beam cracked and collapsed, trapping people between the barricades. Fabian moved toward them, but Daena grabbed his shoulder. “Leave it to me!”

He nodded and rushed toward the Rift.

Agility check (40): 54.
D4 burning damage: 3

I burn myself vaulting a burning post, but I get to the trapped people. I’ll get close to the beam and break it apart with my hammer.

Endurance check (26): 05!
Bludgeoning Weapons check (71): 13!

Can everyone trapped run?
50-50: 12, yes.

The wood splinters apart, opening a way out. I help them get to safety.

D6: 3, no strays.

Some of them have burns, and are suffering from smoke inhalation. I’ll try helping before getting someone else.

I use 1 bandage.
Medicine check (10): 31.

It’s no use, I’d better tell Headmaster Celeste.

D6: 1, no strays.

What is Celeste doing?
Action table: Stop, Uncertain

Headmaster Celeste surveyed the area, pensively. Daena told her of the injured people and asked her what else she could do.

Celeste crouched near a crooked cobblestone, then stood up, shaking her head. She pulled a piece of paper and showed it to Daena. “Can you read this?”

It was nonsense written in runes. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Approach the Rift and search the ground and objects for runes like those. Never mind their meaning, just report them back to me exactly as they are.”

I sprint to the Rift, careful not to interrupt the Strangers clashing against Magma Hounds and Fire Elementals.

D6: 4, no strays.

Perception check (46): 35!
Literacy (30): 51.
Action table: Danger, Enemies

I find the gibberish runes written on a shop stall, squinting to read them as they blinked and disappeared at intervals, when the arrow-riddled blaze drake breathes a searing jet of flame down at the area. I run for cover.

Agility check (40): 13!

The flames licked the back of Daena’s thighs as she leaped over the barricade to safety. An archer lay there, grinding her teeth at the inferno. She looks at Daena. “Can you distract it for me? It’s pretty beaten already. I can bring it down with a sure shot.”

Daena nodded and braced herself.

I stand up, let out a war cry, and sprint away from the cover.

Athletics check (26): 28, damn it.
Action table: Mundane, Emotions

My mail and hammer weigh on me. My legs feel heavy as I run, out of breath, exhausted at the ordeal.

Does the dragon come after me?
Likely: 92, no.
Did the archer get it?
Likely: 60, yes!

I stagger to a halt, hands on my knees, and look up. The drake opens its jaw wide, but an arrow punches its throat, then an eye. It screeches and coils in the air, crashing down a few meters from me.

Bludgeoning weapons check (71): 05!

Breathing heavily, I near the screeching beast with my hammer drawn back, and an overhead smash finishes it. The archer gives me a thumbs up.

I go back to the blinking runes and try reading them again.

Literacy check (30): 30!
Some of these rolls made me wish this was a live video.

I look for other runes around.
Perception check (46): 06!
Literacy check (30): 89.
Action table: Distant, Emotions
Maybe some runes are traps designed to hinder detection.

The runes scrambled before Daena’s eyes, opening a hole in her stomach as memories from another life came to her. Were those real? She felt a longing for something she never lived and missed people she never met.

Tenacity check (40): 65.
Dazed Daena makes a comeback. I’ll start the next combat with Dazed.

She realizes the runes are messing with her mind, but they had their clutches on her, anyway. Tears streamed down her eyes, and a deep feeling of loss tightened her heart.

I’ll warn Celeste of the traps.

D6: 5, no strays.

I tell Celeste the content from the rune I found and about the fake ones. She scratches her chin and slowly nods. “They knew we’d try to decode it.”

“Who’s they?”

But a new wave of enemies charging from the Rift got everyone’s attention. They look larger, stronger, and more savage than all previous ones.

An Inferno Giant stampedes toward us, leaving a trail of fiery destruction in its wake. I raise my maul to brace for the fight, and Celeste draws her mace and locks her shield into a defensive position.

The Inferno Giant is an elite enemy, with 40 HP, +2 Psychic damage, and an extra action per additional character in combat. I’m using Celeste as a Companion, but changing the book’s rules a little to fit the scenario.

I’m supposed to equip the Companion in my Abilities loadout and ‘draw’ it in battle to summon the companion to the fight. Then, the summoning Ability becomes the Companion’s passive, a unique Ability.

Here, the Companion is already summoned and I don’t have its passive Ability. I created a Companion sheet for Celeste, and for all other purposes, I’ll use the Companion rules.

She has the Protector role, so I’ll roll on that table.

Round 1

I fumbled the initiative, so the Giant goes twice. It moves to zone 2.

Celeste moves to zone 2 and engages the enemy. She attacks with her mace then her shield, dealing 4 damage.

I start Dazed, so I cannot attack. I use 2 Unyielding, getting +18 HP.

Round 2

Celeste dodges a Fiery Slam with a successful Agility check, then the monster creates a lava shield that increases its protection by d4 (3) for 2 turns.

She hits the Giant, but doesn’t deal any damage.

I move to zone 2 and use 2H Weapon Master (+d4 damage) and Cleave, hitting for 3 damage.

Round 3

I’ll decide randomly who the Inferno Giant attacks. It goes for Celeste with another Fiery Slam, but she dodges again. Then it comes for me with a Magma Punch, but it misses.

She thumps the Giant for 2 damage.

I hit it with two Desperate Attacks and roll a critical (improvement!) that does nothing because I’m already dealing double damage. First one hits for 12, then 7, leaving it with 14 HP.

Round 4

The Inferno Giant creates another shield, getting 1 extra Protection for 2 turns. Then it uses Fiery Slam on the combat zone. Celeste gets hit, and I can’t roll Agility checks due to the Desperate Attack. She takes 10 damage and I take 3, leaving both of us Prone.

Celeste gets up and attacks, but doesn’t deal any damage. This damn beast has d6 + 2 total Protection, and her attacks are usually d6 + 3. I’m not getting great rolls.

I get up (5 aether) and hit with another Desperate Attack. I deal a whopping 24 damage, and the annoying Giant rolls maximum defense, but not even that can save it now.

My hammer cracks its skull, and the beast tumbles, defeated.

It dropped a Seed of Awakening! It’s used to grant sentience to a magic weapon. As I still don’t have one, let alone a maul or longsword, the ones I have Proficiency with, to the backpack it goes.

My armor didn’t degrade.

The charging wave of elite enemies now drew its last as the teamwork of Strangers and humans led to victory against the beasts.

“Excellent job, Stranger,” Celeste said to Daena. “Look around. The area is mostly secured.” The barricade held in place, the fires dwindled, and the Riftspawn had been felled. “We advance on the Riftlord as we speak, but there’s no time to celebrate. I need you to hurry to the Rift on the Merchants Quarter and pass a message to Grandmaster Oberon.”

“Of course, Headmaster. What is it?”

“Give him this,” she handed Daena a bundle of papers tied by a leather string, “and tell him ‘They sleep no more.’”

And that’s it for this part of the siege! Let me roll the skill improvements:

• Bludgeoning weapons increased by 1.

• Perception increased by 3.

Done! I sincerely hope you’re enjoying this adventure. I planned for the first Rift to be the longest part, as it makes sense that the others will get mostly secured without us being present. Even so, there’s still plenty to do until Kar Helos is safe again!

See you next time.