Luna shines, bright silver in night,

While blades flash white in her holy light.

Dust above, churning waves beneath,

Bloody red mist that bears sharp teeth.

After giving this little intro poem, I tried a tactic I read about that’s supposed to instantly hook players can get them active. I think it’s called the “Roll Join Battle Hook.”

The ship was under attack by pirates, which the group were able to repel handily. This being our first in-game session, as well as the first time using the EX3 mechanics for two of our five players, we started with one lowest-level brigand per player, just to get a feel of the ebb and flow of combat and the new Initiative mechanic. However, there was much more flowing than ebbing in this stage of the encounter.

However, as they fought, thick fog rolled in. So thick that it imposed a penalty on dice rolls. Yolan, after missing his target yet again and careening toward the edge of the ship, witnessed as the fog blossomed red, and then grew teeth.

A group of fogsharks rolled in, proceeding to devour the remaining pirates, save one. The group held their own against them, but the fogsharks’ repeated, powerful attacks made fighting them difficult, even resulting in Xhangda having his arm mangled. Thankfully, Rigvar saw an opening and tore through them, leaving bloody wisps of fog in his wake.

Ice Claw, the Lunar leading their expedition to Gethamane, returned soon after, reporting that Gethamane was still about eight days away. and the group set up watch. Near dawn, they all stood on the prow of the ship, watching as the dusty lump on the horizon–Gethamane–drew closer.

— — —

Unfortunately, we started this session a little late and didn’t get much actual playtime. The “Roll Join Battle Hook” seemed to work and got everyone on the edge of their seats. As far as combat goes, I really like the alterations to the system, especially Battle Groups. They allow for quick and easy management of lots of characters, and their inert Initiative property is really scary–just ask Xhangda. We didn’t get much roleplaying done, but there are subsequent sessions we can work on that in, and everyone seems to be eager for next week!

Is there something about the system you’d like me to talk about specifically? Let me know in a comment!