This past Sunday, I had my first try at being a Game Master. I’m still new to pen and paper RPGs, having only started last July. We’re playing Pathfinder, which is based on Dungeons & Dragons version 3.5.

I invited my friends over (a cleric, a sorcerer, a rogue, an alchemist and a paladin). I sat them down around the table and began.

The party was aboard a merchant ship when during the night, they hear a tremendous roar and a crash on the top decks. They rush up to the top decks to see a dragon, magnificent and terrifying.

He is angrily arguing with the Captain of the merchant ship. The dragon’s captain has been taken during a battle with the navy of a nation nearby, Nidal. They were trying to protect the merchant routes, but failed. The villainous Nidal ship of the line and their heavyweight dragon are in quick pursuit and will be upon them by dawn.

The dragon, Capra, recruits our adventurous party to be his substitute crew to help defend the merchant ship (and hopefully) retake his captain. The party clamors aboard the dragon’s back and takes to the air.

As dawn approaches, the enemy ship of the line, The Flawless, appears on the horizon, with not just the heavyweight, Praetorian, but also a firebreath dragon, Nigelus.

Capra, the green friendly dragon, captained by our Alchemist flies high and far from the merchant ship so as to take the two Nidal dragons by surprise. Capra divebombs between them.

The Rogue jumps off onto the smaller firebreath dragon (purple) but misses his spot and is lucky enough to catch the dragon’s tail. Meanwhile, Capra rakes the heavyweight dragon’s wings (orange) while the party lets off a volley of crossbow & lightning bolts.

Capra (green) grapples with the enemy heavyweight, doing damage with his claws and teeth while his crew hurl bombs at it. They stayed grappled too long, though, and picked up boarders!

Meanwhile, the rogue sneaks up on the captain of the firebreath dragon (purple) and takes him hostage. The purple dragon lands on the merchant ship and surrenders. He is out of the fight.

Capra (green) pounces on the orange heavyweight again, this time delivering the coup-de-grace and sending it spiraling into the sea.

With both dragons out of the fight, their attention now turns to the enemy ship of the line. It has 40 ballistas to the merchant ships 4 and they currently hold Capra’s captain. Capra swings by the merchant ship and collects the rogue who had landed there with the now captive firebreath dragon. They land at the bow of the Nidal ship of the line and face a full crew of wolf men, orcs and wicked men.

The party charges across the deck, their swords slashing, bombs throwing and lightning bolts cracking. They down sailors and marines alike as they barrel toward the stern where Capra’s captain is being kept. Capra uses his tremendous draconic strength to smash the first mast of the ship to keep it from catching the merchant ship.

However, as they charge across, different members of the party hear whispers in their ears:

Each of you is marked for death.

These decks will run slick with your blood.

You will see your friends fall before you, one by one.

Clearly this is not a typical naval vessel; there is magic at hand. And sure enough, wards appear to slow down invaders and lieutenants emerge from the Captain’s quarters. One is a halfling bard, and the other is a 9 foot tall lizard man with bastard sword longer than anyone in the party.





The party works quickly to take down the lieutenants while Capra manages the crew that is streaming up from below and descending from the sails and rigging above. They meet the captain of the Nidal ship of the line, a cruel man with a rapier and a whip. He trips and disarms more than half the of the party, while skewering any who draw too near. But he is outmatched as the five members of the party descend on him and bring his villainous life to a close.

Capra’s captain freed, the party takes the Nidal ship’s strong box and returns to their ship, exhausted from their first foray into dragon combat.