We’ve played four sessions of the Riverford Freelancers, our open bi-weekly quest-based PFRPG game. I wrote a bit about the first session, and while the subsequent ones were archived on YouTube, they never got a full writeup. This post is long, but I know the session recordings are also lengthy and intimidating to watch, and that some people would prefer to read a detailed writeup than slog through a long video. This post is for you!

The Riverford Freeelancers are open to all, and novices to both SyncRPG and Pathfinder in general are welcome! The XP and loot is recorded in a Google Drive spreadsheet, and notable events are added to the character and game timelines. Check out the game page to see all the Freelancers and what they’ve done!

Additionally, we are still accepting quests for the Riverford Freelancers! If you don’t have the time to join a session and are feeling creative, you can create a short adventure for the Freelancers to take on in just a few minutes using our tools. As always, I’ll do my best to kill the PCs with your monsters. :)

Session 2: Ogrefood, Drexell, and Azeria Igel

CR 4 The Lost Miners 0 Toggle Quest Information Questgiver Token Source Riverford Freelancers Task Hammon Woburn of Artful Arms has hired the Freelancers to investigate a small mine in the deep in the Ashwalker forest and determine why the miners haven't returned. Additionally, they should ensure the mine is secured. Completion The PCs must return to the Riverford Freelancers main office with some evidence of the lost miners, and their assurance that the mine is safe for new mining operations. Reward 2,000 gp worth of store credit at Artful Arms. Asset ID: 3737 Owner: Joe

The party initially headed out on a quest to investigate a group of miners that had gone missing in the Black Mountains, far behind the Ashwalker Forest. They made strongheadway on their first day out, but were attacked by a gang of bandits during the night! After the initial surprise wore off, the party quickly bested the bandits, with Drexell the half-dragon fighter cleaving several in half. They allowed one to run away, “to spread tales of their deeds.”

They made their way through the forest over the next two days without incident. Arriving at the mine, Ogrefood, the halfling ranger, lit a torch and the party entered with Azeria, the half-elf rogue, sneaking ahead. As they rounded a corner, Azeria spotted several corpses near a fissure in the wall at the edge of her vision. She told the others to stay back as she crept further to investigate, but before she could, an ankheg burrowed out of the ground, looking for a meal. As the party fought the beast, several began to feel lightheaded. Ogrefood quickly figured out that they have failed to notice a noxious gas, and they fall back as they finish fighting the ankheg. The party deduced that the miners had opened up large pocket of gas, and based on the condition of the corpses likely exploded. Drexell joked about luckily not using his breath weapon.

The party was not as lucky with their random encounter rolls on the way back to Riverford. While moving through the Ashwalker Forest they were ambushed by a fachen, who leapt out from a bush to paralyze Ogrefood and Drexell with fear, and nearly drop Azeria unconscious with his opening blow. The rogue fell back and hid, while Ogrefood plinked at the muscular aberration with his sling bullets. Several landed true, and Drexell shook off his fear a round later to get a solid hit in. Still severely wounded and openly pondering cutting her losses, Azeria decided to charge in, landing a sneak attack that staggered the beast. The fachen turned to Azeria with rage in his eye and swung with all his might, missing. It collapsed to the ground, bleeding to death, and the party stomped it out.

As they slept, they were ambushed by a several gourd leshys, animated plant creatures with pumpkins for heads. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! The party outmatched them handily, and after destroying most of them Drexell threw one into a sack to take back home.

With the town in their sights, dark clouds grew overhead and rain began to fall on the sprawling plains of wheat. The party came across three axebeaks, and before Ogrefood could talk them down, the most aggressive of the gaggle attacked. As fighting erupted, the plains began to flood, creating hazards for the characters to avoid. Azeria walks on the edge of the rushing water to get a sneak attack in, felling one while balanced on her tippy-toes. Ogrefood shouted about taking them alive, that they’re worth good money to the right rancher, and the party managed to knock one more out. The third ran off.

Back in town, the party cashed in their quests. We had enough time for another encounter, so they decided to buy some gear with their loot and to go out to the plans to try and hunt some orcs. After a day and a half of searching, they come upon some mounted orc raiders, and manage to set up an ambush as they move through a narrow pass. Azeria stood in the middle of the road and acted as though she was surrendering, while Ogrefood and Drexell attacked from the side. Their gambit worked, and the orcs approached Azeria cautiously. Drexell jumped out of the ruins cuts a raider nearly in half, killing it in the saddle. As Azeria engaged the other raider, their leader moveed to a defensive position on a ridge, and Ogrefood cracked him in the head with his sling. Drexell flapped his little dragon wings to jump up onto the ridge, and with a smirk sliced him across the chest. The tide turned, the party quickly mopped them up.

This was the most “productive” Riverford Freelancers session, in terms of encounters per hour, cramming six encounters into under three hours!

Session 3: Ogrefood, Drexell, and Kandar

Level 6 Level 5 Level 4 Level 1 Ogrefood Toggle Statistics XP



Chaotic Neutral (CN) Small humanoid

Init +4; Senses Perception +11 DEFENSE AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 15

hp 58

Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +5

OFFENSE Speed 30 ft

Weapons and Attacks

Sling +10 / +5 (1d3 + 7/x2)

Short sword +9 / +4 (1d4 + 2/x2)

Rapid Shot Sling +8 / +3 (1d3 + 7/x2)

Comp Longbow (+2 str) +10 / +5 (1d6 + 6/X3)

Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

STATISTICS Str 14 Dex 18 Con 14 Int 10 Wis 11 Cha 9

Base Atk +6; CMB +7; CMD 21

Feats Rapid Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Deadly aim, Endurance, manyshot

Skills Acrobatics +13, Appraise +0, Bluff -1, Climb +6, Craft 1 +, Craft 2 +0, Craft 3 +, Diplomacy +0, Disable Device +, Disguise -1, Escape Artist +5, Fly +6, Handle Animal +5, Heal +5, Intimidate -1, Arcana +, Dungeoneering +4, Engineering +, Geography +4, History +, Local +, Nature +4, Nobility +, Planes +, Religion +, Linguistics +1, Perception +11, Perform 1 -1, Perform 2 -1, Profession 1 +, Profession 2 +, Ride +8, Sense Motive +0, Sleight Of Hand +5, Spellcraft +, Stealth +17, Survival +7, Swim +2, Use Magic Device +

Languages

SPECIAL ABILITIES Chaotic Neutral (CN) Small humanoid+4;Perception +1119, touch 15, flat-footed 1558+10,+12,+530 ftSling +10 / +5 (1d3 + 7/x2)Short sword +9 / +4 (1d4 + 2/x2)Rapid Shot Sling +8 / +3 (1d3 + 7/x2)Comp Longbow (+2 str) +10 / +5 (1d6 + 6/X3)5 ft.;5 ft.1418141011+6;+7;21Rapid Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Deadly aim, Endurance, manyshotAcrobatics +13, Appraise +0, Bluff -1, Climb +6, Craft 1 +, Craft 2 +0, Craft 3 +, Diplomacy +0, Disable Device +, Disguise -1, Escape Artist +5, Fly +6, Handle Animal +5, Heal +5, Intimidate -1, Arcana +, Dungeoneering +4, Engineering +, Geography +4, History +, Local +, Nature +4, Nobility +, Planes +, Religion +, Linguistics +1, Perception +11, Perform 1 -1, Perform 2 -1, Profession 1 +, Profession 2 +, Ride +8, Sense Motive +0, Sleight Of Hand +5, Spellcraft +, Stealth +17, Survival +7, Swim +2, Use Magic Device +

Ogrefood and Drexell return, and are joined by Kandar the half-orc monk with a surfer vibe. During the opening roleplaying scene for this session, I informed the players that because the Freelancers in the previous two sessions had ignored the undead-related quests south of the Vastra River, more and more were being encountered down there, resulting in more pleas from the people, and more undead-related quests. The Riverford Freelancers is a living campaign, and choices made in one session will carry over to another, even if the characters and players in each game are completely different!

The party decided to deal with the undead, and set out south. They make good time across the more well-settled and secured areas along the rivers, and made camp for the first night. While on watch, Kandar heard the sound of rattling bones on a nearby road. A squad of skeletal archers had noticed the party’s fire. Kandar takes a bit of a beating as the others wake up and join the fight, but the party crushes the undead archers.

The next day the party encountered strange fissures in area of planes, and took a moment to investigate. As they approached, the ground writhed and cracked as an onyx ooze filled with bones bubbled out of it. Ogrefood quickly identified it as an undead ooze with a masterful Knowledge check, but before he could even finish explaining its weaknesses Drexell was scorching it with fire and Azeria stabbing it with her sword. It did not last long.

That night Kandar was meditating a bit too deeply, and didn’t notice as a half-elf zombie lord dressed in Vasatran finery snuck up on the sleeping party until he was practically on top of them. “Can you speak?” the half-orc asked. The response was the sound of charging feet. Fighting better and more intelligently than the previous undead the party had faced, there was definitely something different about this zombie. After a long fight and lots of hitpoints lost on both sides, the party prevailed.

While exploring the forests to find the source of the increasing number of undead, the party discovers an ancient ruin. Inside, they found a stone statue of an ogre. As they approached the statue, the stone began to flake away, revealing a horrid monstrosity: a putrid, gelatinous ogre surrounding the creatures animated skeleton. The party acts quick as the beast splits in two, but Drexell is knocked unconscious! As the half-dragon bled out on the ground, Kandar shattered the bones of the skeleton while Ogrefood poured a potion in this mouth before slinging holy water at the ectoplasmic spirit. Amazingly, they all pull through and heal up.

In the next room they find an orc necromancer and some skeleton bodyguards. “ORCS! OF COURSE IT WAS ORCS!” shouted Ogrefood, palming a pair of sling bullets. Magical darkness overtook the room as arrows began to fly out at the PCs. Drexell destroyed a skeleton in a single swing, causing the orc necromancer to turn his attentions to the half-dragon. Cause Fear sent him running for the majority of the fight, once again leaving the halfling and the half-elf to deal with the enemies. The monk wanders into the darkness, blind, swinging wildly at any sound he can hear. He connects more often than he doesn’t, and eventually Ogrefood crit with his sling, shattering the orc’s skull.

The party continued on, looking for more undead to slaughter. They came upon what appeared to be visibly disturbed barrow mounds, and wouldn’t you know it, there were animated corpses there! Zombies, skeletons, and a pair of wights rose up from mounds and attacked the party. Seasoned by their encounters with undead, the party wasn’t even phased by the undead, laying them to rest as quickly as they rose.

Session 4: Ogrefood, Lady Lliaran, and Faith-Light

CR 5 Troll Troubles 0 Toggle Quest Information Source Riverford Freelancers Task A troll has been spotted in the northern hinterlands, around the Rivalud forest. It is aggressive and savage, and the homesteaders want it dead. Completion Kill the troll of the Rivalud Forest and return to Riverford with its head as proof. Reward 750 gp Asset ID: 3804 Owner: Joe

Ogrefood gets around! This time he was joined by Lady Lliaran the human synthesist summoner and Faith-Light, the dwarf cleric. After a short discussion and some initial hesitance from Lady Lliaran, the party decided to head to the Rivalud Forest to deal with a troll that was attacking nearby settlements and murdering loggers.

During the first day they were ambushed by a fachen! Apparently one-legged, one-armed, one-eyed super-muscular aberrations are more common than you would think in the Three Rivers Valley. Again, the monster got the drop on the party, and knocked Lady Lliaran to half health. That’s all it would do, as Lady retaliated with four claws of her own, tearing off chunks of the monster as it screamed in agony. Ogrefood is impressed.

Continuing along, they came upon two orcs standing outside a stone building, arguing. As the PCs approached, the loud clanking of Faith-Light easily gave them away, and one orc drank a potion and disappeared as the other grabbed for his bow. Ogrefood cracked the visible one with his sling, but ended up walking past the invisible one, drawing an attack of opportunity. With an overly dramatic swipe the orc appeared, and missed the halfling by a foot. Lady Lliaran quickly flanked the inaccurate orc, and begins her clawing. It’s a short fight after that, and afterwards they check the building to find twelve bound and gagged farmhands. Talking to them, it seems as though the orcs were trying to decide to kidnap or kill them when the PCs showed up. The party told them to stay put, assuring them they would escort them to Riverford after they finish their quest.

The party reaches the Rivalud Forest and began searching for signs of a troll. Ogrefood discovered its tracks, and the party sets a trap for it with stinky fachen meat. They lie in wait for almost a full day, but eventually the troll shows up and takes the bait. Despite all their planning, the physical realities of engaging a troll prove daunting. Ogrefood takes a hit, curses, and then bounds up the walls of a ruin to plink at the giant from safety, while Faith-Light casts Hold Person, paralyzing it. Lady Lliaran unleashes her flurry of claws and begins throwing chunks of troll on the ground only to watch them reform before her eyes. “FIRE!” Ogrefood shouted, reaching into his pack for vials he purchased earlier. They down the beast, and take its head.

Returning to the farmhands, the party makes camp with them and plans to head home the next morning. The random encounter macros had other plans for them though, and a cyclops stalked them as they slept. Ogrefood sees it before it attacks and manages to get the party woken up quickly, but Lady Lliaran is caught without her eidolon “body armor” or claws. She shrieked before loudly hacking and coughing, and ran behind the building to gather her wits. The cyclops’ eye gleamed for a moment as he looked into the future and guaranteed himself a crit against Ogrefood. Lady Lliaran summoned celestial giant ants to distract the giant before casting Haste, as Faith-Life kept the halfling alive. A few more sling bullets, including another crit, and the cyclops was down.

The party returned to Riverford, escorting the captured farmhands, and dropped off the troll’s head with Sibit, collecting their 750gp. With time left for one more encounter, Ogrefood convinced the party to go hunting for axe beaks and their eggs. They find some east of town at a well-known watering hole. Ogregood snuck up and let out a volley before the giant birds noticed him, and he managed to knock out the alpha male in the opening round. Lady Lliaran enlarged herself and stomped in to support the halfling as he shouted, “TAKE THEM ALIVE! THEY’RE WORTH GOOD MONEY!” Holding back a bit, the synthesist summoner used non-lethal attacks to knock out the two birds, and they were able to subdue them. In a nearby nest, Ogrefood finds a single egg.

If you’ve read this far, thanks for sticking with us! We’d love to hear what you think, or have you join an upcoming session! Check out our Google+ Community for more information.

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