Beatriss and Tetsukichi had promised Afu-- the Priest from the Temple of the Sun who had accompanied them from Khanbaliq-- that they would join him in making an expedition to the slaver's stockade in hopes of rescuing any captives still imprisoned there. After several months of delay, they decided that they would delay a little longer and instead make a trip to Menkan, to see if they could hear news of how their families were doing. In this they disappointed not only Afu, but also both Tsao Ho and Golfo, who argued that their commission from the Emperor had not been satisfied-- it was not enough to find that Gwinch was no longer languishing in Quitokai, they had to confirm that he was still pursuing the traitors, and be ready to assume this mission themselves. Without argument, Tetsukichi and Beatriss simply confirmed that they were going to visit Menkan and would return to their responsibilities in good time.
Tsao Ho with his disciple monks and Golfo, accompanied by his wife Phi Phong, set out on the trail of Gwinch, Kawabi, and Goyat alone, guided by three villagers from Quitokai and the area. Afu declared that he would continue to investigate the slavers' dealings on his own, while waiting in Quitokai.
Beatriss and Tetsukichi, accompanied only by Al-Fitar, made good time traveling to Menkan, and checked in at "The Nice Inn," their designated meeting place. And then they got ready to wait for one of Sansar Anca's ("Uncle") men to show up and take them to where the herds were grazing.
While waiting, they got to know the town.
Beyond "The Nice Inn," and the avenue where it sits, the town of Menkan is not very nice. The main avenue-- running from the main gate past the governor's house and the favored temples, and a handful of inns and shops catering to Imperial visitors and other well-heeled foreigners, to an imperial warehouse at the riverside-- is the only street well patrolled by the watch.
The three visitors became the subject of much interest, both official and unofficial. They were questioned by the watch who, finding their papers counterfeit, ordered them not to leave the city until representatives from the Sansar family arrived to vouch for them. A fortune teller warned them that a man in yellow robes was looking for them. A dropped note let them know that they were being targeted as "Gwinch's friends" and that their "secret admirers" were meeting that night at a boarded-up tavern on the very south end of the riverfront.
They found the moribund tavern, but rather than venture inside, lingered and watched.
They noticed someone watching them, a hooded figure who, being noticed, ran down an alley. The party pursued, the lightly-armored Beatriss running ahead, and staying close enough behind the watcher to see him enter a deserted house. They entered the deserted house, and in the upper story found the foot bridge connecting it to a fortified compound. And as they entered the compound, they were attacked by close to a dozen armed men.
Beatriss, Tetsukichim and Al-Fitar are seasoned warriors; adopting a disciplined defensive position, they cut down their attackers. But then the spellcasters emerged-- a man in yellow robes and a woman in black robes. The sorcerer's magic seized Beatriss's muscles from within, incapacitating her. And he threw bolts of magic energey at Tetsukichi and Al-Fitar. The initial attackers were replaced by stranger foes, half-human beasts with the heads of rats, and with the rats uncanny habit of popping out of small holes and scurrying up walls.
Al-Fitar lifted Beatriss over his should like a sack of flour and made for the exit, Tetsukichi guarding his retreat and slaying several of the ratmen. But then the sorcerer threw a net of sticky black netting, like the web of spider, both blocking the exit and ensnaring Al-Fitar.
Tetsukichi, unencumbered by any immediate assailants, exchanged his katana for his bow and fired several arrows at the sorcerer who, responded by sailing into the air and out of sight. The black robed woman directed the remaining ratman and her personal guards to attack Tetsukichi, simultaneously offering him a chance to surrender. He hesitated, but then concluded his superior skills still outweighed his attackers' superior numbers (and if nothing else that he would have additional opportunities to surrender) made an all-out counter attack. He swiftly killed most of the his assailants and put the others to flight. For her part, the black-robed woman clumsily clubbed the helpless Beatriss and Al-Fitar and then ran for her life.
Tetsukichi did not pursue her. Instead, he cut Al-Fitar's web and together they carried Beatriss across the bridge, and out to alleyway. They stopped to look for anyone following them, and Tetsukichi spotted the yellow-robed sorcerer, silhouetted against the moon. As he raised his bow, the sorcerer flew higher, but not fast enough. The arrow found it mark and a body wrapped in yellow robes plummeted from the sky, crashing the slanted roof of one of the alleyway hovels on its way down. Their were gaps and muffled cries of surprise all around, but the houses stayed dark and closed.
Treading their way through the slum, the three warriors returned to The Nice Inn. With some hot water and time, Beatriss muscles loosened and she was back to normal, save for a couple bruises. Tetsukichi and Al-Fitar had suffered some more serious wounds and the three concluded that they should stay at the inn for a few days.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Golthar vs. Golfo (When NPCs collide, SBH can help you decide!)
What do NPCs do when they’re off-stage?
Probably nothing and perhaps preferably nothing since the player characters must remain always the center of the story. But sometimes NPCs have to do something on their own, and I have struggled with how to resolve conflicts between different groups of NPCs-- especially when the conflict arises of something the PCs did, and the results of that conflict will have a future effect on the PCs.
For example: Tetsukichi recently allowed his cousin/henchman Golfo (and Golfo’s lovely wife Phi Phong) to go off on a dangerous mission without him. The cousins had both accepted the mission which was to “Go to the Southwest Border Region and find Gwinch.” But then Tetsukichi decided he had more important immediate priorities, leaving Golfo to continue the mission as part of a smaller, much weaker party.
It would be easy enough to just have it that Tetsukichi never hears of Golfo again, but I decided it would be more satisfying, at least for me, to “know” what happened to him. So I used the rules for Songs of Blades and Heroes, and played out a crucial encounter.
The Southwest Border Region is dangerous, and especially dangerous when you openly announce that you are friends of Gwinch, the foreign-born sohei who recently tore up the slaver’s stockade from the inside out and so upset the balance of power in the region. Golthar, a sorcerer, was a chief ally or associate of the slavers, and had a strong motivation to seek revenge on Gwinch either directly or by way of his friends. And perhaps capture some new slaves in the process.
For the purposes of SBH, all you need to know is this: Side one is hiding in a thick jungle, waiting to ambush side two. Side two is on horseback, following a narrow trail that cuts through the jungle. Side one wins by capturing the non-combatant (i.e. Phi Phong if you like flavor text). Side one wins by getting everyone, and especially the non-combatant away to relative safety (off the board). I’ve done this enough times that it’s not hard to convert D&D character types to SBH rules. For first level fighters, I use an activation score of 3 and a combat add of 1. I think this is lower than what the rules provide for in the case of a “grunt” human infantry, but it gives room for level progression. Golfo, at 5th level, is the highest level guy in the fight and is at 3 (activation) and 3 (combat add). For Golthar, I used the SBH magic rules and also gave him the ability to fly on a successful activation.
Here are the rules as provided to the other players . . .
Jungle
Everything off the path is thick, nearly impassable jungle.
1. Unless they are running away, figures move through jungle at half-speed.
2. In order to avoid becoming lost, figures must be part of a chain of other friendly figures that leads back to a square that is next to the path.
3. Lost figures move only one square.
4. EXCEPTION—Scouts move at normal speed through the forest, and do not become lost.
Horses
All of the good guys, except for the scouts, are riding horses.
1. Horses move 12 squares.
2. In melee combat, a rider on a horse gets a +1 vs. someone not on a horse.
3. Horses cannot go off the path or into the jungle.
4. If a figure on a horse is forced to run away, they must run away on the path. If they run into a bad guy before finishing their retreat, they must dismount and retreat into the jungle.
5. It costs one “success” for a horse to pass one or more other horses on the path.
6. If two horses are next to each other on the path, no other horse can pass by; pedestrians must use a “success” to get around them.
7. Riders can spend one “success” to get off a horse or to get back on.
8. If a horse does not have a rider, either side can use one “success” to drive that horse 12 squares or until it runs into another horse.
Winning: Capturing the non-combatant
One of the good guys is a non-combatant.
1. If the non-combatant is knocked down, a bad guy can use a “success” to capture the non-combatant.
2. If the non-combatant is forced to run away and crashes into a bad guy, the non-combatant is captured.
3. Once captured, a bad guy can move the non-combatant at 4 squares.
4. If a bad guy moves the non-combatant off the map, the bad guys win.
5. If a bad guy moves the non-combatant into jungle and at least five squares away from the path or any good guys, the bad guys win.
6. If the non-combatant moves off the map freely, and using the path, then the good guys win.
Flying
One of the bad guys can fly. Jungle is no obstacle. As his altitude varies, he becomes very hard to shoot.
The forces on each side . . .
Side one (bad guys)
Golthar (human mage, flying)
Cleric (3 activation, +2 add)
12 militia
5 medium infantry
Side two (good guys)
Golfo
Phi Phong ("non-combatant" actually a 3 activation and +1 add)
1 mounted archer (Tsao Ho: activation 4, +3)
4 light cavalry (other monks: activation 4, +2)
3 scouts/thieves (villagers: activation 3, +0, special move through jungle)
AND HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED . . .
The good guys (or side two) had a single archer who traded shots with a flying Golthar. The archer had one good shot and that was enough. Not enough to kill Golthar but— according to SBH rules— enough to make him flee one full move. And because he was flying that meant “off the board and out of the game.”
Despite this major setback, the attackers did a good job of blocking either end of the path, and because of their superior numbers, it looked likely that Phi Phong would be captured. The good guys started dismounting so that they could get up to where the fight was happening. It was only after the scout’s leader was killed that the scouts had the idea of helping her escape by moving through the forest. After Phi Phong escaped, the players decided to play out the battle. Golfo ran back to help two of the monks who had been “knocked-down” (SBH rules, temporarily incapacitated and capable of rallying, especially with help.) Instead, Golfo himself also fell to Golthar's minions.
For example: Tetsukichi recently allowed his cousin/henchman Golfo (and Golfo’s lovely wife Phi Phong) to go off on a dangerous mission without him. The cousins had both accepted the mission which was to “Go to the Southwest Border Region and find Gwinch.” But then Tetsukichi decided he had more important immediate priorities, leaving Golfo to continue the mission as part of a smaller, much weaker party.
It would be easy enough to just have it that Tetsukichi never hears of Golfo again, but I decided it would be more satisfying, at least for me, to “know” what happened to him. So I used the rules for Songs of Blades and Heroes, and played out a crucial encounter.
The Southwest Border Region is dangerous, and especially dangerous when you openly announce that you are friends of Gwinch, the foreign-born sohei who recently tore up the slaver’s stockade from the inside out and so upset the balance of power in the region. Golthar, a sorcerer, was a chief ally or associate of the slavers, and had a strong motivation to seek revenge on Gwinch either directly or by way of his friends. And perhaps capture some new slaves in the process.
For the purposes of SBH, all you need to know is this: Side one is hiding in a thick jungle, waiting to ambush side two. Side two is on horseback, following a narrow trail that cuts through the jungle. Side one wins by capturing the non-combatant (i.e. Phi Phong if you like flavor text). Side one wins by getting everyone, and especially the non-combatant away to relative safety (off the board). I’ve done this enough times that it’s not hard to convert D&D character types to SBH rules. For first level fighters, I use an activation score of 3 and a combat add of 1. I think this is lower than what the rules provide for in the case of a “grunt” human infantry, but it gives room for level progression. Golfo, at 5th level, is the highest level guy in the fight and is at 3 (activation) and 3 (combat add). For Golthar, I used the SBH magic rules and also gave him the ability to fly on a successful activation.
Here are the rules as provided to the other players . . .
Jungle
Everything off the path is thick, nearly impassable jungle.
1. Unless they are running away, figures move through jungle at half-speed.
2. In order to avoid becoming lost, figures must be part of a chain of other friendly figures that leads back to a square that is next to the path.
3. Lost figures move only one square.
4. EXCEPTION—Scouts move at normal speed through the forest, and do not become lost.
Horses
All of the good guys, except for the scouts, are riding horses.
1. Horses move 12 squares.
2. In melee combat, a rider on a horse gets a +1 vs. someone not on a horse.
3. Horses cannot go off the path or into the jungle.
4. If a figure on a horse is forced to run away, they must run away on the path. If they run into a bad guy before finishing their retreat, they must dismount and retreat into the jungle.
5. It costs one “success” for a horse to pass one or more other horses on the path.
6. If two horses are next to each other on the path, no other horse can pass by; pedestrians must use a “success” to get around them.
7. Riders can spend one “success” to get off a horse or to get back on.
8. If a horse does not have a rider, either side can use one “success” to drive that horse 12 squares or until it runs into another horse.
Winning: Capturing the non-combatant
One of the good guys is a non-combatant.
1. If the non-combatant is knocked down, a bad guy can use a “success” to capture the non-combatant.
2. If the non-combatant is forced to run away and crashes into a bad guy, the non-combatant is captured.
3. Once captured, a bad guy can move the non-combatant at 4 squares.
4. If a bad guy moves the non-combatant off the map, the bad guys win.
5. If a bad guy moves the non-combatant into jungle and at least five squares away from the path or any good guys, the bad guys win.
6. If the non-combatant moves off the map freely, and using the path, then the good guys win.
Flying
One of the bad guys can fly. Jungle is no obstacle. As his altitude varies, he becomes very hard to shoot.
The forces on each side . . .
Side one (bad guys)
Golthar (human mage, flying)
Cleric (3 activation, +2 add)
12 militia
5 medium infantry
Side two (good guys)
Golfo
Phi Phong ("non-combatant" actually a 3 activation and +1 add)
1 mounted archer (Tsao Ho: activation 4, +3)
4 light cavalry (other monks: activation 4, +2)
3 scouts/thieves (villagers: activation 3, +0, special move through jungle)
AND HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED . . .
The good guys (or side two) had a single archer who traded shots with a flying Golthar. The archer had one good shot and that was enough. Not enough to kill Golthar but— according to SBH rules— enough to make him flee one full move. And because he was flying that meant “off the board and out of the game.”
Despite this major setback, the attackers did a good job of blocking either end of the path, and because of their superior numbers, it looked likely that Phi Phong would be captured. The good guys started dismounting so that they could get up to where the fight was happening. It was only after the scout’s leader was killed that the scouts had the idea of helping her escape by moving through the forest. After Phi Phong escaped, the players decided to play out the battle. Golfo ran back to help two of the monks who had been “knocked-down” (SBH rules, temporarily incapacitated and capable of rallying, especially with help.) Instead, Golfo himself also fell to Golthar's minions.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Hommelet is starting to wonder if it’s all part of some weird game
This time the marauders bypassed the tower of Rufus and Burne and centered their attack on that well-loved tavern and inn at the village crossroads, named (officially) “Wendy’s Inn” in honor of the innkeeper’s daughter. The attack was well-coordinated, with two groups of about half-a-dozen rough and desperate men charging simultaneously from thickets on the north and south sides of the village. The Hommeleteers were caught unawares and the attackers surrounded the Inn, with about half of them gaining entrance to harass, worry, and molest the diverse crowd of travelers and villagers enjoying a drink or their noontides meal. But perhaps the attackers misunderestimated the good folk’s courage and prowess, for no sooner than they enter than they were exited and in considerable disarray both corporate and individually. Those surviving their misadventure were put to flight.
Surely, a most wicked, but nonetheless well-devised plan was most poorly executed. Many are wondering, who was behind it?
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Tunnels! Trolls!
Last night, we finished a three-session game of T&T. My character, Miłosz, a human wizard, sat out the most dangerous bits, but he did help make some really good soup. And he helped fight the orcs with a dancing skeleton. (Animate dead at first level! "Dead" singular, btw.).
Compared to D&D, there's a lot of unavoidable book-keeping because XP is delivered in little morsels and then converted into incrmeental point-buys. Combat is more honestly abstract as the hit and damage rolls are replaced with one roll and there's no initiative turn-taking. I'd like to be able to incorporate this into D&D-- mainly the sense in combat that everything is happening at once.
Last night's finale was very good. We were holed up in a little shed, fighting off waves of orcs, and then during a lull made a break for it and floated off down the river. (Now I've got a cold!)
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Hommelet is done waiting around
After Hommelet was invaded by frog cultists, the village elders asked a group of adventurers, militia members, and soldiers from the tower to take a trip to the moathouse and destroy the marauders. The group from Hommelet did not find frog cultists, but they did find a band of common brigands, who met them rather more tactical intelligence than the frog cultists might have exhibited. Indeed, the Hommeleteers even began a retreat and if the brigands, carried away by hubris, had not pursued them, they would have lived to see several more days of briganding. But the brigands did pursue, and outside of the blackguards dark bunker, the valor of the men of Hommelet (and the chutzpah of that one weird lady-priest) shone through and the forces of law and goodness carried the day.
The forces of law and goodness beat a hasty retreat back to Hommelet, those with minor wounds giving support and encouragement to those barely hanging onto life. Which is to say they didn't get to do any looting . . . and there are others in Hommelet who think this might be the perfect opportunity to make sure those brigands didn't leave anything behind.
Friday, June 15, 2012
NDT 23 Play Report: Finale
Wulfric did not accompany the party in their last foray into the Hutakaan temple.
Last?
Well . . .
Wulfric: "It feels like I've lived and died about nine times since I set out from Threshold with a group of lowlanders who said they wanted to see for themselves the Foamfire Falls. So I took em and I showed em and then they said they wanted to go up in them mountains and as there was more gold ahead of me and an army of beastmen behind, I agreed and I took them into the mountains and all the way to where I am now with these fox-head people and no-neck people fighting over some rocks and old stones and walking dead walking all around.
"The no-neck people said they were Trals and that crazy priest he believed them and the rest of the group went along. And then the no-necks asked us to go inside the old temple and we did because we thought there was treasure. And there was treasure so we went back in looking for more. We found the place where the fox-heads store their dead and then we went under and we wandered in the dark and I didn't ask why and no one asked me if I saw any sense in wandering around in the dark with nothing to see but the dead and the walking dead and why should they ask for the opinion of a fool who takes a group of lowlanders to see the Foamfire Falls for a promise of ten gold.
"But I made my opinion plain enough when we were waylaid by some horrible green and slimey thing from out of Grandpa's handkercheif, and me and the no-necks who were with us we decided we'd rather try to make our own way. We didn't run far before we noticed we were just tripping in the dark, so we took a strategic position and we waited until sure enough one of those lowlanders came round the corner with one of those glowing rocks and saying it was ok, the nameless snot horror was dead. The lowlanders were tired and I didn't think less of them for that. They found a tunnel that led to the service and we wandered back to where the no-necks were camped outside the temple.
"The no-necks were agitated something fierce and the reason was the chanting and purple light going on inside the temple. Somehow the fox-heads had got back in. And the no-necks didn't like what they were doing and so they were ready to go in and bust them up and the lowlanders, well of course, they were ready for that kind of thing as well.
"But your Wulfric said to himself, "Do I have any quarrel with the fox-heads? I do not. And have I been promised as much as a flake of gold off the princely treasures the lowlanders posessified from the temple? I have not. Would I enjoy a smoke in the sunlight? I would. And so I watched the lowlanders and the no-necks charge into the temple and, from the outside I heard the cries of the fox-heads-- who seemed to be getting the worst of it and then I heard the bellows of the no-necks who didn't seemed to be getting an altogether good time themselves and then there was a roar of purple light and then a roar of silence, and I decided I should go and find a place to have my smoke because deciding to have a smoke was an easy decision to make and there were some other harder decisions to make coming soon."
http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/bigharas-ndtb10/adventure-log/15th-nytdain-yarthmont-ac-1000-
Last?
Well . . .
Wulfric: "It feels like I've lived and died about nine times since I set out from Threshold with a group of lowlanders who said they wanted to see for themselves the Foamfire Falls. So I took em and I showed em and then they said they wanted to go up in them mountains and as there was more gold ahead of me and an army of beastmen behind, I agreed and I took them into the mountains and all the way to where I am now with these fox-head people and no-neck people fighting over some rocks and old stones and walking dead walking all around.
"The no-neck people said they were Trals and that crazy priest he believed them and the rest of the group went along. And then the no-necks asked us to go inside the old temple and we did because we thought there was treasure. And there was treasure so we went back in looking for more. We found the place where the fox-heads store their dead and then we went under and we wandered in the dark and I didn't ask why and no one asked me if I saw any sense in wandering around in the dark with nothing to see but the dead and the walking dead and why should they ask for the opinion of a fool who takes a group of lowlanders to see the Foamfire Falls for a promise of ten gold.
"But I made my opinion plain enough when we were waylaid by some horrible green and slimey thing from out of Grandpa's handkercheif, and me and the no-necks who were with us we decided we'd rather try to make our own way. We didn't run far before we noticed we were just tripping in the dark, so we took a strategic position and we waited until sure enough one of those lowlanders came round the corner with one of those glowing rocks and saying it was ok, the nameless snot horror was dead. The lowlanders were tired and I didn't think less of them for that. They found a tunnel that led to the service and we wandered back to where the no-necks were camped outside the temple.
"The no-necks were agitated something fierce and the reason was the chanting and purple light going on inside the temple. Somehow the fox-heads had got back in. And the no-necks didn't like what they were doing and so they were ready to go in and bust them up and the lowlanders, well of course, they were ready for that kind of thing as well.
"But your Wulfric said to himself, "Do I have any quarrel with the fox-heads? I do not. And have I been promised as much as a flake of gold off the princely treasures the lowlanders posessified from the temple? I have not. Would I enjoy a smoke in the sunlight? I would. And so I watched the lowlanders and the no-necks charge into the temple and, from the outside I heard the cries of the fox-heads-- who seemed to be getting the worst of it and then I heard the bellows of the no-necks who didn't seemed to be getting an altogether good time themselves and then there was a roar of purple light and then a roar of silence, and I decided I should go and find a place to have my smoke because deciding to have a smoke was an easy decision to make and there were some other harder decisions to make coming soon."
http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/bigharas-ndtb10/adventure-log/15th-nytdain-yarthmont-ac-1000-
Saturday, June 2, 2012
NDT 22 Play Report: Ochre Jelly
There are people, like me, for whom D&D figures as a alternate outlet for their thwarted writerly ambitions. (Was that dependent clause necessary?) But it's likely a mistake-- though a mistake I'll keep on making-- to recount an evening's session and expect it to sound like a passage from a readable novel.
We reached the lowest levels beneath the temple and even found the bottom of the flame-encircled pit that dominates the main temple room. Wandering through the maze of rough-hewn tunnels, with Roger directing us-- "East, east, and if we can't go east, go southeast"-- we at last came to a dead end. There was jackal-headed statue. Martin approached, ready to duck behind it when . . .
gobs and gobs of gloppy blobs of yellow-brown bloppy goo slip and slobbed out of the statue's mouth and began eating away Martin's flesh! (not a direct quote of the DM)
[Crazy stupid right? But it was super-awesome to play and gets better.]
Thinking fast, Pavel announced his plan to invoke his gods' power to protect Martin from fire so they could burn off the goo without harming him. Thinking faster, Martin pulled out a magic potion to dissolve himself, his clothes, and his posessions (all temporarily) in a floating cloud of vapor. The thwarted writerly ambitions goo landed on the floor! And then dwarf stepped up and brought out his special bottle, and sprinkled poisonous powder all over the goo and it froze, crystalized and disintegrated!
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