by Rob Heinsoo
Apologies from the garage-sanctum, but I’m pushing on three 13th Age deadlines for the end of the month so today’s column is another scoop from the archives.
Before 13th Age was published, Jonathan ran a campaign in which the PCs gained a level between every session. Actually it was a campaign I started as a regular campaign, and after a couple sessions Jonathan took over, renamed it, and pushed the pace.
Jonathan called it the Lethal Damage campaign. As a file of old notes and quotes indicates, we players were fond of starting sessions by asking “When does this Lethal Damage campaign begin?” Goading the GM is the way we roll. This was the campaign that created many of the examples and illustrations in the core book. So today I’m mining for one-liners I’d forgotten, notes that were interesting enough to bring back for a second look.
“Beware, there ees no such think as ‘elf.’ So no is ‘Elf Queen,’ best to call her Light-Elf-Gray-Elf-Silver-Folk-All-Hatink-Each-Other-Queen. The only think that two elf race agree on ees how to keel third race. Thees I remember.”
—opening quote from Paul Hughes’ PC, a fallen hero of an earlier age named Ferrek
Don’t bring a knife to a gargoyle fight.
–other PCs, to Honeybottom the rogue
“When a troll and a derro like each other very much . . .”
“It’s a droll.”
The Archmage salute is a glowing silver flame flaring above a raised index finger!
I really like this throwaway line from a campaign in which the Archmage’s lieutenants turned out to be the major villains. I’m using it in my next game, especially with the idea that the equivalent of a macho-handshake is making your flame flare eye-numbingly bright.