11/7/15 - Extra-Life - The Known World United!

For those that know me, I'm sorry I keep beating this drum but bear with me for a few more days.  For those that don't know me beyond this blog, Podcasts, and other weird places I pop up online, this Sat., 11/7/15, myself and my Friends are playing 24 hours straight of D&D for the Extra-Life charity!  We are the team Known World United and we are trying to raise $5,000.00 dollars.  The donations are tax deductible, they go to the Children's Miracle Network, and we've chosen a local, Minneapolis, hospital to send out donations to.

We are running our marathon in three hour blocks.  Every three hours a new session will start and there will be two games, except for during one block, going on simultaneously.  We are playing in my Homebrew world where all four of the monthly games that I run take place.  Most of the players were involved in this same campaign world in D&D 4E, and then in the subsequent Microscope games we used to move the narrative 1,000 years forward.  I use this world for all sorts of games, currently Frostgrave, as well to help create a fun, collective. living world.  It is a pleasure to share this with these folks on a monthly basis, and it is going to be a joy to watch them run amok through time and space in it for charity.  This is a good chance for the players to go crazy, play anything they want, and just have fun.  OH, and we will be Live Streaming!  Yup, I know it sounds like a mistake but if we are going to embarrass ourselves let's do it publically for charity.  A special 'Thank You' to Casual Doug for making that happen.  We are apparently on Twitter (!?) @KnownWorldUnite, 'Thank You' to The Beard.

So go to the Known World United If you can please go to Extra-Life.org, look up the Known World United, and donate.  If you can't, that's understandable.  But if you could spread the word via social media and send us your good vibes that would be amazing.  Come with us as we take this game we all love so passionately, tell stories together, and try and support a something we believe in!

Here is the background AND the write-ups for each session.  If anyone is interested I could always post my notes & prep once the event is over in a Behind The Screen Blog.  Without further ado;

"In the Known World, the year is 348. The Lich Whipple of the Silver Mountain has begun building a multi-dimensional Stairway to the Stars in order to contact a dark, unknown Elder Being of cataclysmic might. His dark machinations have begun to rip at the very fabric of space and time. Gods from across the Multiverse have gathered in Council and come to a decision: the Lich Whipple must be stopped or the entire Multiverse could be at stake. Drawing champions out of time from across the realms, the Council aims to assemble weapons and items of might with which to destroy the Lich and right the tears in space and time across the realms which anchor his Stairway to the Stars before it is too late. Who will be chosen to champion the fate of the Multiverse?"

NOON SATURDAY

The True Tomb of Isidore Philokrates / DM: Zack S.
For ages bold or insane adventurers have sought the True Tomb of Isidore Philokrates, clearing out or perishing in its many impostors, starving on mountain tops where it was falsely rumored to be... They went seeking the secret of the Stairway to the Stars, to use for good or ill and for the many treasures, artifacts and mysteries that surely must be buried with a being as powerful as the dread and infamous Sid. Now you've been hearing it whispered by sages and lunatics that the Lich Whipple constructed his lair above the True Tomb of Isidore Philokrates, and you would consider them mad to think so, except for the map you hold in your hands. Dare you descend below the Lich's lair to discover the secrets of the True Tomb of Isidore Philokrates? Will you be the first to plumb its dark depths in ages or will you find those who have come before waiting?  This session is for 4-5 PCs and is an improvised Death Trap Dungeon, in the style of White Plume Mountain and Tomb of Horrors.

The Curious Case of the Undying Heart / DM: Benjamin M.
As the Great War comes to its inevitable conclusion, the Great Empire Of Light’s most successful hero, Adam the Proto-Man, is returning to his home in Liepsburg with his creator, Doctor Shellistein, aboard a speeding magical train. Within him beats a heart full of power unimaginable, and the object the players are questing for. How do you ask a ‘Man’ who has sacrificed everything to make one final, ultimate sacrifice? The players will need to find a way to sway the decision of a Hero who simply wants peace while the last lingering evil of the Dark Axis makes its final play for vengeance.
This session is for up to 6 PC’s and will be role playing heavy.

3 PM SATURDAY

Honey, I Blew Up The Snake Cult / DM: Alex J.

Many ages ago, a young man stumbled out of the jungle with a message: the Snake God Nagendra would soon awaken, and bring a reckoning to decadent civilization. This young man, who took the name Thuul Nagen, proved to be a charismatic speaker and, secretly, a Sorceror of terrible power. Over the decades, his influence has grown, and word has reached King Yashgar of Kuhl that Thuul is preparing a ritual of unspeakable horror which will awaken Nagendra and unleash his fury on the world. The PCs have arrived in search of the fabled Eye of Sarkath, a beautiful gem of pure magic, currently in the possession of the Thuul, and the crux of his ritual. The PCs must storm the mighty Snake Cult temple, grab the gem, and put an end to Thuul's mad scheme.  This session is for up to 6 PCs and will be a traditional hack-and-slash romp through a dungeon which will borrow heavily from Conan the Barbarian. Small opportunities for role playing, and some creative thinking optional, but certainly not required.

The Dungeon that Fell To Earth / DM: Benjamin M.
High above the world itself floats an encroaching doom looking to overwhelm and consume all of the Known World. Only the intervention of one of the foulest races in all of Dungeons & Dragons has slowed this laconic plague. The mission of the PC’s is to invade this devastated hulk in space as it burns around them, find the ‘Soul Of Fire’, and escape this condemned mission before it is incinerates in the atmosphere.  This session is for up to 6 PC’s and will be problem solving orientated, have some combat, and will be extremely fast paced.

6 PM SATURDAY

Hoard of the Dragon's Queen / DM: James W.
Tiamat’s rise threatens to overwhelm the forces of good. His new Queen and leader of his Hoards march to destroy the last vestige of hope: The Gauntlet of the Dragon’s Fist. Perched high above the lands in the snowy mountaintops, the Gauntlet rests in the monastic home of the Order of the Dragon Fist. The protectors of the Order have mysteriously vanished and five Champions from across the Multiverse have appeared in their stead. Can you hope to stave off the onslaught of Tiamat’s followers and preserve the Gauntlet? Will one of your warriors prove themselves worthy to wield the power of Bahamut and use it to strike down the Lich Whipple in final battle? Prepare for battle, the Hoard approaches!  This session is for up to 5 PCs and will be combat oriented.

Aldus' Musical Mind Maze / DM: Benjamin M.
Floating in decay in the Astral Plane sits the inert form of the former God of Debauchery and Music, Aldus. Struck down by a usurper, within him lies the Twenty-Six Lost Notes Of Aldus. The players are not the only group though who seek these divine notes of power, a cadre of Githyanki are hoping to not only make this ‘Dead God’ their new base of operations, but also wish to exploit his fading celestial might.  This session is for up to 6 PC’s and will be critical thinking orientated with some combat.

9 PM SATURDAY

Dyatlov's Circus of Wonder & Merriment / DM: Mike F.
The Circus is in town! If by 'in town' you mean has suddenly appeared on the Chamomile Plains near the base of The Silver Mountain! Several alarms set to alert the various vendors and artificers that support adventurers going up Silver Mountain have been triggered. But, the alerts while being strident are uncharacteristically unspecific. The City's Council posts a reward for investigating and ascertaining what is giving folks who live in the shadows of a mountain that is home to the Lich Whipple.  This session is for up to 6 PC’s and will be investigative in nature with some assurance of combat if enough characters make their saves.....

For A Few Graves More / DM: Benjamin M.
The group that went into the portal before you never came back. You’ve been told it’s imperative that the item they were seeking be found and returned. You never knew what hit you once you stepped through the gate. If you thought fighting for the survival of the Multiverse was tough, no one told you that you’d have to dig your way out of your grave first.  This session is for up to 6 PC’s and will be combat orientated.

MIDNIGHT SATURDAY

Night of the Living PigBears / DM: James W.
As the Exodus draws to a close, and the empire flocks to city centers like Charmonia and Sarsasonne, the wilds grow more wild. Rumors of wandering monsters, neither man nor beast flock at the outskirts of these cities and as they continue to sprawl outwards, those at the edges are disappearing with increasing regularity, never to return. Your party of Champions appears in a village square to screams muddled with squealing roars retreating into the darkness of the wilderness. Save the villagers and solve the mystery of the sprawling wilds!  This session is for up to 4 PCs and will be combat orientated.

The Terrible Tragedy Of Miss Travers' School For Little Wanderers / DM: Benjamin M.
Only those with the bravest of hearts would dare step through the portal to Purgatory. The PC’s are tasked with traveling to this realm of judgment to procure the mysterious Cask Of Innocence. Upon exiting the portal the PC’s find themselves in a very inhospitable environment walking an endless road. There they meet Miss Travers who is returning to her Orphanage after a 15 year sojourn; little does she know that new Headmistresses have taken over her School.  This session is for up to 6 PC’s and will be combat heavy, and will reward inventive and crafty thinking.

3 AM SUNDAY

The Long Dark / DM: Alex J.
In the north lies the city of Cold Harbor, the capital of a rich and prosperous trade empire. As the deepest cold of winter sets in, the people of Cold Harbor prepare to celebrate the Festival of the Long Night, a carnival that takes place over the course of a week during which the sun never rises. This is normally a festive time of year, but all is not well: the King ails, the nobles bicker, war presses, and the people suffer. Worse still, a mysterious deserted ship limped into harbor several days ago, carrying only pestilence and death in its hold. Into this powder keg a group of heroes enter in search of an artifact of immense power. They must navigate the dangers of Cold Harbor and manage to stay alive, because if they fail, Cold Harbor will never see another dawn.  This session is for up to 5 PCs and will be role playing and exploration heavy with options for combat.

6 AM SUNDAY

The Grundlebutte Gambit / DM: James W.
Anders Renvic… Budgie Rutland... Caraga Orcslayer... All have wielded the legendary axe of the Known World’s dwarven warrior kings and turned the tides of battles with it’s mythical might. Lost to the centuries, the Council of the Multiverse has identified its location and sent a team of Champions to acquire it in hopes it will bring victory over the Lich Whipple. There’s only one problem. It lies in the depths of a dwarven outpost long lost to the Kings of stone. Now dominated by a Ogre Chieftess and her kin, can your combined might battle through their horde and retrieve the weapon of legend?  This session is for up to 6 PCs and will be combat oriented and time sensitive.

20,000 Leagues Above the Scalding Sea / DM: Benjamin M.
The Fire Titan, Apollyon, has established a stronghold on the edge of the four prime Elemental Planes greedily coveting a Lamp of untold power. While his forces raid a nearby Githzeria monastery will have access to a scarcely defended Keep. While getting the Lamp will be difficult, escaping before Apollyon and his minions return on their fiery galleons might be impossible. The potential for an airship chase across a sea of flame and steam might be the players’ only chance for escape!
This session is for up to 4 PC’s and will be critical thinking orientated with some combat, and will reward inventive and crafty thinking.

9 AM SUNDAY

Champions Challege the Lich Whipple / DM: Benjamin M. & Mike F.
This is where all the PC's will team up and do battle with the Lich Whipple.  It should be mass chaos with a TON of players, two DM's, a lack of sleep, and desire to make it as fun and crazy as possible.

There you have it!  The run down of what our Extra-Life is going to look like.  So again if you can donate, if you can't just spread the word!  THANKS!