It's Day 26 of #RPGaDay and as we wheel closer to the end of week 4, there should be no "Regrets," but one character from my beloved Hackmaster campaign has plenty.
Gnome Titans in Hackmaster are essentially medieval gnome Spartans. Fierce warriors on their one, regardless of their chosen class, the race mocked for their "Groin Stomp" skill, actualy had some crazy combat bonuses, and extra bonuses for having multiple Gnome Titans fighting side-by-side.
The adventuring company known as The Burning Trogs had three of them.
And for General Zorin Redrock, Plenitatory Ambassador for the Barthey Empire, Revenger of Frandor's Keep... he has been focused on his one big failure for the last 15 years since he retired.
During the last critical days of the Siege of Frandor's Keep, Zorin, his trusted narcoleptic albino pal Whitey, the Gnome Titan priestess of Pangrus, Janus, and the party's torchbearer, Coreena, left the Trogs to join the Gnome Titan Legions marching to relieve the keep.
While they were gone, the remaining party members at the time were kidnapped and almost enslaved by the Slavers of Roark. The four members, Cecelia Darkspruce (half-elf warrior priestess of Sif), Gwendalyn Lorax, (half-elf druid), Brother Thomas, (human monk) and Marek the Learned (double invoker), all managed to escape the ship and into the City of Roark itself. The group broke out of the city under heavy pursuit, but with the deaths of Marek and Brother Thomas (allegedly by fire-breathing velociraptors, the other two separated, and it was months before everyone was finally reunited.
Despite fantastic success, fame, and fortune at Frandor's Keep, Zorin has not been able to live down that he was not around to save, or possible fight with, his friends. While the woman who survived have risen to great position of powerful in the region, Zorin's watched them work through the trauma. He's made it his mission to destroy the Slavers by any means necessary.
Of course, finding an elusive slaving ring that's been around for hundreds of years is one thing. Trying to do it without sailing experience was problematic. He's lost most of his fortune, most of his ships, hundreds of men, and possibly the years of respect his previous career had garnered him.
But those slavers will pay.
And this leads to by biggest regret, and my biggest failed GM pitch that has never been realized:
Players will start as halfling sailors on Zorin's ship, Vengeance, prepping for the biggest raid of their career. If successful, they just might find out some information on the Slavers of Roark, and with that Zorin may have to get the band back together to level Roark, and any other outpost they discover.
This is my dream campaign, that allows the crunchiness of Hackmaster and a chance to get everyone together (probably online), recruit my other players who hadn't participated in the Burning Trogs to fill out the ranks, and finish A1-4 with righteous vengeance and furious anger.
And
old man Zorin will get his revenge... and soothe that sharp part of his soul.
Alternate Question:
One game you regret not trying?
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