The End of Age 10

The students completed the final challenges that would face them during age 10 on Tuesday and Thursday of last week.

We first heard from Penara (Allurum), who told us of her history and how she came to be a student at the Academy. Mendat then decided that Penara and Mystead would be allowed to remain. Penara would continue to receive training, but Mystead would not. Mendat did agree to let him participate in the challenges, but explained that he could not traing Mystead as it was too much additional burden on him as an instructor.

During the challenges Issac proved that he understood his people and his home well, but the rest showed their ability for creative thinking. The challenge was declared a draw. Lee Chun Su learned during his challenge that while he may be a good fighter, he has two dangerous deficiencies that led to his failure: his inability to withstand damage, and his ability to fight creatively. Mendat promised to instruct Lee in ways to improve on these areas. Finally, Ire presented a difficult challenge but failed once again to adhere to the rules and was declared the loser for cheating.

In the past week, Issac at age 11 made a plea to borrow someone else's "mirror time" so that he could contact someone who may be able to help with the cure for his people. Mystead offered up his turn and Issac humbly thanked him. Why was Mystead so willing to help someone who considers him to be garbage? Has Issac finally learned that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar?
Also, Ire has become more reclusive and quiet over the past two years. He stays up late at night mumbling to himself in his room. Is he up to something? Or is he brooding over some hidden pain?
Lee Chun Su has been spending a lot of extra-curricular time with Mendat in the training room. What are they doing? Why does he refuse to talk about it?

Tonight, the children are age 12 and they will again start out the session with "mirror time". Mystead tells me that he has some interesting things planned for his time, so I am looking forward to that. Also tonight, Mendat has a suprise for the students...a way to ensure that each of their unique skills are nurtured in the most efficient way possible.

The Big Reveal

Well,
Tuesday night we learned several secrets about Allurum and Mystead. This has brought about mistrust among the group and feelings of anger from some. Mendat now has the challenge of deciding what is to happen to the two little deceivers. Should Allurum be allowed to continue training? Should Mystead be sent away? How can the prophecy be fulfilled if there are only 5 children at the Academy?

I was happy with the way the reveal went, but I wish that I could have done Allurum's Challenge a little better. It became clear several minutes in that communication was hard to keep up and everyone was not getting equal time to participate. Perhaps in the future I can use Joe's idea and set up several laptops and use IM to communicate with the players. This way, each side will truly have no clue what the other is doing. Each would have a map showing himself and the last known location of any opponents. Kinda reminds me of Battleship...

Next session will focus on the Challenges presented by Lee, Ire, and Issac. A few notes to self for age 12 (which i refer to as Act 4):
Guest teacher
Another Melee (with powers?)
Lee decides to take his training in another direction

Experience

So, the one complaint I keep hearing from my players is that I haven't given them experience for the past 3 sessions. On top of that, we had discussed the idea of players getting experience for posts to the Galen Tur listserv. I've been kicking around a lot of ideas on how to make it fair, but still reward players for exceptional play. Here is what I've decided:

I will not be awarding experience for gaming sessions or online posts from now on. Instead, what I will do is increase everybody's level by 1 every time I up their character's age by 2 years. The player will have the option of putting that level in whichever class (for multi-classed and prestige classed characters) he likes. I think I may reward exceptional play with bonus feats or perhaps magic items. Here are the pros and cons as I see them:

Pro
1. I can be assured that every player will be at a high enough level for the final challenge when they reach age 26.
2. The players will no longer be motivated by earning experience and instead focus on character development.
3. Removes the potential that posts to the listserv might become forced or uninspired.
4. I won't have to learn 3.5E's retarded experience system

Con
1. I can think of at least one player who will not think its fair that everyone levels up at the same time regardless of how well them played.
2. Players may become unmotivated to assert themselves knowing that there is no XP reward attached to doing so.

We're in the middle of Act 3 right now, so I will post notes on the first half shortly. Any feedback on the experience issue is greatly appreciated.

Combat Tactics Training and Thoughts for Next Session

We weren't able to game on Tuesday, so we got together last night. Unfortunately, only Cecil and Issac were able to join in. Earlier in the week, on our mailing list Issac and Cecil had gotten into an argument that led Medat to make them do a trust exercise. In the end this caused a fight between the two with Shinjekei in the middle, trying desperately not to get in trouble. Mendat revealed at that time his ability to bind the boys' powers with a special token he places on their foreheads. He warned the boys that he could bind their powers whenever he saw fit, reguardless of how old and powerful they became.

Last night Issac and Cecil found themselves at age 9, in a simulated forest fighting a swarm of giant ants. The ants had already taken down Shinjekei and drug him off into the woods. The boys followed the ants the best they could with a little help from Issac's creative use of water to track the downhill path to the ants' hill. When it came to battling the swarm head-on they quickly became seperated and surrounded. Issac fell first, then Cecil cried out to Mendat for help. The simulation ended there and the boys recieved a lecture from Mendat on sticking together in battle. The three learn that the other team of Allurum, Lee Chun Su, and Une faired much better and the winning team happily gloats about it over dinner.

The session was a lot of fun and I liked the way Cecil and Issac were humbled a bit by the experience. I see the possibility of the two becoming friends, but if they don't they at least need to learn to watch each other's backs in combat. They may not like each other, but they have to come to respect each other on the battlefield.


Ideas for next week (age 10):

Une goes wild
Outwit Shinjekei
Track Allurum in the woods
Mystead seeks out one of the PCs for secret training
I want to start the session out with the characters each talking to their masters thru the enchanted mirror. Maybe on their birthdays? Maybe all on the same day?
One of them will not be able to reach his master...but why?