I’ve had the honor of DMing a Pathfinder campaign for my friends and family. It’s my first time running a full-fledged campaign instead of the Mafia games and watered-down DnD sessions with my students, so the learning curve has been steep but enjoyable. It was recommended that I run a pre-made campaign as practice. The sessions have been fun, and I figured, “Hey, why don’t I give recaps for everybody, let them join in on the action?”

Our main party consists of five interesting characters:

First we have Ciara Tugann Solais, a Kitsune Gunslinger of the Pistolero variety (at first I thought, “Oh, like a Ranger with extra oomph!” but then I remembered that her Player is a master at building Rogues, so you can expect her to have a gnarly setup). She’s fast and quick witted, which is unusual for her race. Though generally taciturn with little interest in being friendly to others, she does her best to be polite. Ciara maintains her human form more often than her fox form because she feels closer to humans than her own kin. Her upbringing taught her much about the gods, which is likely why she is so distrustful of them and their magic. She relies instead on the teachings of history and her own ingenuity to thrive.

Next is Jyn Ajjak, a Tengu Swordmaster Rogue. Flavor wise, he’s a bit of a mix between a Tengu and a Kenku, but mainly in the dialogue department. Think of a human-sized crow that either mimics other people or occasionally speaks in 2nd/3rd person. Unlike most rogues, Jyn rushes headlong into fights. His high Initiative lets him cut down enemies very quickly, making him a viable front-liner (in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have let him start the game with a Seven Branch sword and a Chain-and-sickle…). He is also easily distracted by anything shiny, and can find even the most disgusting meal appetizing.

Rainstorm, a Samsaran Wizard, comes third. I didn’t know what Samsarans were before the start of this campaign. For a visual, imagine her as a 6ft tall woman with blue skin and all-white eyes. Rainstorm is quiet and motherly, and her favorite past times are reading and eating. Her preferred spell to use is Magic Missile, all day, every day.

Then there’s Chaka Hunggus, a Half-Orc Druid. Chaka was abandoned as a child and raised by a secretive forest race (can’t say now because, you know, spoilers). He later learned magic arts from a powerful witch who lived in the same forest. Well into his training, the witch had a vision of a great evil that would bring calamity on the world. Sensing destiny at work, she sent Chaka out to stop it. Chaka is well adept at druid magic, but his innocence and ignorance of societal norms prove to be a difficult, if not humorous, challenge.

Finally, we have Draco Clarant, an NPC that I pilot. Draco is a young, ostracized orphan who works in the supply closet of a local inn. He’s quiet and keeps to himself, but he’s always admired the adventurers that come through the inn. However, most people in his town keep him at a distance because of his appearance. Draco is a Human Oracle under the Mystery of Succor, and at level 1, all oracles gain a curse. His happens to be the Shadowbound Curse. While he gains the Darkvision feat, he’s sensitive to bright light and has an extreme form of albinism, red eyes and everything. You’ll often find him wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a butterfly pendant from his late mother. Incidentally, because I have to switch between Narrator voice and Draco voice, I jokingly put on a straw sunhat during one of our early sessions. Now the Party insists I do that every time…

I’ll be posting recaps of each session. The first few will come in rather quick succession, since we began shortly before Shelter in Place started, but once we’re caught up, the recaps will be posted as often as we have sessions. Some recaps will have fewer highlights than others, since they happened a while ago and I’ll have to dig through my old notes to be accurate.

Also, since this is a pre-made campaign, I’ll be altering some of the names so it’ll be harder to tell which one we’re running. I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone who wants to play that campaign, nor would I want someone spoiling it for my Players.

Hope you all enjoy the adventure!

And if you’re wondering why this is titled “The Ever-Smacking Gob Stoppers,” well, all will be revealed in due time…