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  • Unknown's avatar

    giorgis 12:57 am on December 1, 2019 Permalink | Reply
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    The siege of Ostenhofen pt2 

    A Savage Worlds Warhammer Fantasy Battles mashup.

    Brief Summary: In the previous part, our party of adventurers had just arrived at Ostenhofen, as the orcs began their assault. Even though, Evie, used her skills in public speaking to dissuade some deserters from abandoning the fight, the orcs bid their time, and struck when Ostenhofen least expected, managing to get a hold of the city granary.
    After losing the battle, with half their remaining supplies gone, and the captain of the guard among the fallen, things are dire for the defenders. Our party managed to evade the pursuit and is just outside of the inner city walls.

    I want to keep the roleplaying aspect at an adequate level, so I will ask a few questions to the Oracle before proceeding to the next roll of the siege engine.
    Q: Are the inner city gates still open?
    A: Yes
    Q: Are there people still entering the gates? (Likely)
    A: Yes
    Q: Do the orcs attempt to attack the gates?
    A: No
    Q: Does the party manage to enter the gates in time?
    A: False presupposition. Time is not of an issue, the orcs don’t attack at all the inner city walls soon.

    Evie, followed by Rudiger and Gustav reach the tall inner city walls. Handgunners and Crossbowmen man the battlements, peeking over the crowd entering the gates in panic.
    Down below, the gates are flooding with people from the outer city trying to get inside before the greenskins catch up to them. A detachment of halberdiers is nervously guarding the gate, while a guard has a hatchet at the ready to bring the portcullis down, at the sight of the first orc, irrespective of how many will die in the process.
    “Fear will get even the best of us.” Evie points out. “Rudiger, can you make way so that we can enter safely?” She asks.
    Rudiger nods and starts pushing people around.

    Rudiger: Intimidation (d6): 4: Success.

    As Rudiger pushes makes his way for Evie and Gustav to follow, a few Ostenhofeners turn to protest, but seeing the towering veteran warrior, clad in chainmail, stop short of opening their mouths.

    Q: Does Bianka arrive?
    A: False presupposition. Bianka reaches a different gate.
    Q: Are the other gates open?
    A: No, and the guards are very suspicious.

    Halt! Who goes there? A guard shouts from atop the gate tower as he sees Bianka approach the shut gate.
    “I’m a survivor from the granary battle. Let me in! The orcs shouldn’t be far behind.” Bianka shouts, looking behind her shoulder at the same time.
    “How do I know it wasn’t you who let the orcs in, in the first place? Pretty convenient how you showed up, escaped from the orcs!” The guard replies, and doesn’t make a move to open the gates.
    “I had to dive into shit to escape the damn creatures. I had to crawl in the sewers. I believe I reek so much you can smell me up there. I wouldn’t have to do it the orcs weren’t chasing me.” Bianka counters.

    Bianka: Persuasion (d4-2): 1: Fail. Spend Benny: 3, Fail. Another Benny: 2: Fail.

    “If you come any closer, I’ll put a crossbow bolt in your foot, you orcish swineherder.” The guard responds, and Bianka puts some distance between them, and tries to find the main gate.

    Q: Does Bianka reach the main gate in time?
    A: No, and, the other gate is closed as well.
    Q: Do the other guards let her in?
    A: No, but they just won’t open the gate, they won’t pose any resistance if she tries to come inside by other means.

    She leaves and goes along the walls until she reaches the next gate. Closed as well. ‘Just my luck’ she mutters.
    “Hey! You up there? Could you open up? I don’t want to be skewered by the orcs!” She shouts at the guards.
    The guards look down at her. “The gate is barred from the inside and the portcullis has been lowered. We’re not to open to anyone. We won’t stop you from coming in though.” They laugh.

    Bianka: Notice (d8): 8: Success with a Raise!
    Q: Does Bianka notice any ledges or holds on the wall to make a climb?
    A: Yes
    Bianka: Climbing (d4): 5: Success

    She scoffs at the guards, and looks carefully at the worn wall. Quickly she notices a couple of recessions where she can put her feet in, and a few extrusions that she can grab hold on to with her hands. Slowly, to make sure she makes no mistake, she starts climbing the steep wall. The guards who laughed out, slowly fall silent, as, she reaches the top of the battlements.
    “I did as you asked. Now, where did the refugees from the outer city go to?”

    Q: Does Bianka meet up with Evie and the rest?
    A: Yes
    Q: Does Prince Ingmar meet the party?
    A: No
    Intervention: Regress Plot. With the fall of Captain Volkmar, noone takes Evie and her entourage under consideration. She has not been heard of in the inner city, and the Prince doesn’t care about a lady, when his city is about to fall prey. Whatever the group does will be of their own volition.

    Bianka finds Evie talking to a guard.
    “Listen to me you mongrel. I was with Captain Volkmar when he fell. You better tell Prince Ingmar that Evie Vogel is here to see him.” She has started yelling, but the guard is unmoved.
    “I don’t care. The Prince doesn’t know and doesn’t care about you. You better get moving.”

    Battlefield Roll: 3,5=8 -> 13: Walls.

    Not a day has passed, when the bells ring again. Soldiers are running in all directions, heading for the walls.
    “Should we join them?” Rudiger asks Evie.
    “What choice do we have? Evie asks.
    “If things go south, we could always try the sewers…” Bianka says and lets her phrase trail off.
    “I don’t care if the Prince will have us or not! We will do our part in the defense of Ostenhofen. Rudiger let’s go assist to the walls.” Evie replies, and the party heads off to the battle.

    In this battle, the orcs will have triple the number of points that the empire has, but the empire has fortifications.
    It’s going to be 500 points for the empire and 1500 points for the orcs.

    I need to ask a few questions before setting up the battlefield.
    Q: Is there a significant distance between the walls and the outer city houses?
    A: No
    So, the houses are close to the walls, providing cover to the attackers. It’s going to be within a bow’s short range (12″). I’m going to roll 2d6: 6″ range. That’s the visibility range for the orcs.
    Q: Is there a defense small tower in the section of the wall under attack?
    A: No, but, the walls are deep enough for two lines of soldiers to defend.
    With this information at hand, I realize that the defenders will best use handgunners, crossbowmen and halberdiers, against foot orcs and goblins that will raise ladders for assault. But also, there’s a chance…
    Q: Do the orcs have goblin spider riders with them?
    A: Yes! Oh no, that’s a serious danger for the Ostenhofeners.
    Q: How wide is the battlefront?
    A: 1d3+1 typical unit widths (10″): 20″. So the battle is focused on only a small area. Why is that? Maybe it’s the only part which is covered by housing so close to the walls, so they decided to strike there.

    Some further homebrew rules and clarification.
    The battlements will allow half the battle front to make melee contact. Which means 5 per side. The goblin spider riders are an exception to this rule as they can climb any obstacle, and use the entire battlefront. They still have to abide by the hit only on 6 rule for attacking defenders in buildings.
    Troops that can’t climb will have to use ladders to attack. This will take one round to set up before they can climb up and attack. As per the rules for fighting in buildings they will gain no battle ranks bonus. In addition they will lose the charge attack order bonus.
    As per Warhammer LOS rules, only the front row of archers can shoot unless they stand on inclines hill.
    Defenders are behind heavy cover.

    Empire point count:
    Captain (Champion, Pistol, Heavy Armor): 35 points
    19 Halberdiers (Halberd, Light Armor): 9 X 19 = 171 points
    Unit Standard: 10 points
    10 Crossbowmen (Light Armour, Crossbow): 10 X 10 = 100 points
    20 Handgunners (Light Armour, Handgun): 10 X 20 = 200 points
    Total: 506 points

    Orcs Point Count:
    Goblin Spider Rider (Spear, Shield, Giant Spider): 11 X 20 = 220 points
    Goblin Spider Rider Boss: 21 points
    Unit Standard: 10 points

    50 Orc Warriors: (Light Armour, Shield) 8,5 X 50 = 425 points
    Orc Boss (Light Armour, Shield): 36 points

    20 Black Orc Warriors (Light Armour, 2-H Weapon): 11 X 20 = 200 points
    Black Orc Big Boss (Light Armour, 2-H Weapon): 95 points

    50 Orc Archers (Light Armour, Bow): 9,5 X 50 = 475 ponts

    Total: 1482 points

    Whoever wins initiative, places units last, so they get to choose.

    Turn 1:
    Initiative: Empire A♥️, Orcs Q♣️.
    The goblin spider riders and the black orcs are on the left flank, while the orcs are on the right flank.
    The Halberdiers are right behind the crossbowmen. on the left flank, and the handgunners are on the right flank.
    The party is with the handgunners.

    Empire Turn:
    Since the empire won initiative they get a chance to shoot.
    Crossbowmen (vs Goblins): 4 hits: 4 Wounded, No save.
    Handgunners (vs Orcs): 3 hits: 2 Wounded, No save.
    Bianka (vs Orcs): 2 hits: 2 Wounded, 1 Saved.

    Orc Turn:
    Animosity: 5,2,5: No units suffer.
    Orc Archers (vs Handgunners): 2 Hits: 1 Wounded: No save.

    16 Spider Riders and their Boss Charge. Only 10 are able to attack at any time.
    Goblins (vs Crossbowmen): 2 hits: 2 wounded: No save.
    Goblin Boss: 0 hits
    Spiders (vs Crossbowmen): 1 hits: 1 wounded: No save.
    7 Crossbowmen fight back: 5 hits: 2 wounded: No save.
    Battle results: Goblins (+3 kills, +1 standard), Crossbowmen (+2kills, +1 high ground): The goblins win the fight.
    Crossbowmen: Ld: 4 vs 6: Success. They stand and fight!
    So it’s 7 remaining crossbowmen vs the remaining 14 goblin spider riders and their boss.

    The walls overhang a densely populated part of Ostenhofen. Through the streets and alleys, the greenskins converge and launch their assault.
    “To arms! Man the battlements!” The captain shouts as goblins riding giant spiders appear on the left flank. “Draw. Aim. Fire!” He orders and the crossbowmen release their bolts, striking down 4 goblins. The strength of the bolt is such that it pierced through the flimsy goblin shields without trouble.
    The volley isn’t enough to stop the charge of the gigantic beasts, who climb the walls as if they were flat ground, and attack the crossbowmen. The fighting is fierce and 2 Crossbowmen fall under the spears of the goblins while a third is cut in half by the mandibles of a giant spider.
    They don’t go without a fight, as they kill two of the greenskins that crash down on the ground below, much to the indifference of the black orcs who wait for the goblins to finish their assault so they can follow up with ladders. The goblins though have managed to push their way up on the battlements, and the crossbowmen lose the advantage of their defenses.
    On the other flank, the handgunners let off a thunderous roar from their arquebuses, killing two Orcs that are setting up their ladders. Another one is killed by Bianka’s careful aim.
    Orcs archers shoot at the battlements blindly, killing one of the handgunners.

    Turn 2:
    Initiative: Empire 3♠️, Orcs 10♥️

    Orc Turn:
    Animosity: 2,4,5: No units suffer.
    Orc Archers (vs Handgunners): 2 Hits: 0 Wounded.

    Orcs climb the ladders and attack the handgunners.
    The Handgunners second row shoot at the chargers.
    Handgunners ranged (vs Orcs): 7 Hits: 2 Wounded: No save.
    Handgunners melee (vs Orcs): 3 Hits: 0 Wounded.
    Orcs (vs Handgunners): 2 Hits: 1 Wounded: No save.
    Battle results: Orcs (+1 Kills), Handgunners (+1 High Ground). It’s a draw.

    7 Crossbowmen fight back: 5 hits: 2 wounded: No save.
    Goblins (vs Crossbowmen): 2 hits: 1 wounded: No save.
    Goblin Boss: 2 hits: 2 wounded: No save.
    Spiders (vs Crossbowmen): 2 hits: 1 Wounded: No save.
    Battle results: Goblins (+4 kills, +1 standard), Crossbowmen (+2 kills, +1 high ground): The goblins win the fight.
    Crossbowmen: Ld: 7 vs 5: Failure. They break and flee! 2d6″: 11″.
    So it’s 3 remaining crossbowmen. The 12 goblin spider riders and their boss pursuit. 3d6″: 5″.
    The Black Orcs set up ladders.

    Empire Turn:
    Halberdiers Panic Test: 7 vs 7: Success!
    The halberdiers charge at the goblin spider riders.
    Halberdiers (vs Goblins): 7 Hits: 4 Wounded: No save.
    Captain (vs Boss): 1 Hit: 1 Wound: No save.
    Goblins (vs Halberdiers): 2 Hits: 0 Wounded.
    Battle results: Halberdiers (+5 Kills, +1 High ground), Goblins 0. The goblins are automatically broken.
    Flee: 3d6″: 11″. The halberdiers don’t pursuit.

    Handgunners (vs Orcs): 7 Hits: 1 Wounded: No save.
    Orcs (vs Handgunners): 0 hits.
    Bianka (vs Orcs): 1 hit: 0 wounded.
    Rudiger (vs Orc Boss): 1 Hit: 1 Wound: No save.
    Battle results: Handgunners (+2
    Kills, +1 High ground), Orcs 0: Orcs lose the fight.
    Orcs: Ld: 8 vs 4: Fail. The orcs are broken. Orcs Flee 2d6″: 6″. Handgunners do not pursuit.
    Orc Archers: Panic Test: 6 vs 7: They hold.

    The spider riders make short work of the crossbowmen who falter and run for their lives across the battlements as fast as they can. Not expecting such an outcome, the goblins are slow on their pursuit and fail to catch up. Much to their demise, as the halberdiers take the opportunity to charge their flanks. The halberdiers captain meets up with the goblin boss on the battlefield. With a quick slash of his sword, the goblin’s black guts cover the spider mount. The halberdiers prove true their fame as defenders of the realm and manage to kill 4 more of the greenskin riders. The goblin resolve is known to be frail, and they turn and run as fast as they can, descending the walls, past the black orcs who are untouched by the goblin panic, and continue setting up ladders to climb the walls.
    On the other flank, the first of the orcs manage to climb the ladders, only to be greeted by a barrage of fire, sending two of their kind to their death. The fight on the battlements openings is fierce, and one handgunner is killed. The defenders push back, and with renewed strength they kill more of the orcs. Alongside them is Rudiger, fully clad in his chain hauberk, wielding his sword with skill. He notices an orc that must be the unit leader and shouts out to him. The orc accepts the challenge and attacks. But Rudiger has faced the greenskins before and knows what to expect. He easily deflects the blow with his shield and follows up with a strike that decapitates his foe.
    Seeing the battle against them, and their leader gone, the Orcs go down their ladders and turn to flee.
    A cheer is heard from the handgunners.

    Turn 3:
    Initiative: Empire 8♠️, Orcs 5♠️

    Empire Turn:
    Halberdiers: Set up defensively on the walls.
    Crossbowmen: Rally: 5 vs 7: Success.
    Handgunners: Reload.
    Bianka (vs Orcs): 1 Hit: 0 Wounded.

    Orc Turn:
    Animosity: 1: The orc archers suffer from animosity: 5: Squabble and do nothing.
    Goblin Spider Riders: Rally: 7 vs 5: Fail. 3d6″: 11″: Off map.
    Orcs: Rally: 2 vs 7: Success.
    Black Orcs climb the ladders.
    Black Orc Big Boss (vs Halberdiers): 0 Hits.
    Halberdiers (vs Black Orcs): 7 Hits: 5 Wounded: No save. Reduced to 4 Wounded, due to battle front.
    Captain: Pistol (vs Black Orcs): 0 Hits.
    Battle Results: Halberdiers (+4 Kills, 1 High ground), Black Orcs. The Halberdiers win the battle.
    Black Orcs: Break Test: Ld 4 vs 4: They stand their ground.

    The goblin spider riders flee off to the distance, away from the battle, as the black orcs reach the wall defenders. In the fight that ensues, the huge black Orcs are fought off and 4 of them are killed by the valiant men.
    The orcs on the other side stand and regroup, while the archers start fighting among themselves as to how they should continue. The handgunners take this opportunity to reload.

    Turn 4:
    Initiative: Empire A♦️, Orcs 7♥️

    Empire Turn:
    Handgunners (vs Orcs): 7 Hits: 2 Wounded: No Saves.

    Captain (vs Black Orcs): 2 Hits: 0 Wounded.
    Halberdiers (vs Black Orcs): 4 Hits: 1 Wounded: No save.
    Black Orc Big Boss (vs Halberdiers): 1 Hits: 1 Wounded. No save.
    Black Orcs (vs Halberdiers): 0 hits.
    Battle Results: Halberdiers (+1 Kills, 1 High ground), Black Orcs (+1 Kills). The Halberdiers win the battle.
    Black Orcs: Break Test: Ld 9 vs 8: They are broken. Flee 2d6″: 10″. The halberdiers pursuit 2d6″: 5″, they don’t catch up.

    Orc Turn:
    Animosity: 6, 5: No Animosity.
    Orc archers (vs Handgunners): 1 Hit: 1 Wounded: No save.
    Orcs climb ladders.
    Handgunners shoot (vs Orcs): 4 Hits: 0 Wounded.
    Handgunners melee (vs Orcs): 4 Hits: 1 Wounded: No save.
    Orcs (vs Handgunners): 1 Hit: 0 Wounded.
    Battle Results: Handgunners (+1 Kills, +1 High ground), Orcs 0. The handgunners have won the battle.
    Orcs: Ld: 4 vs 5: Success. They stand their ground.

    The Black Orcs continue their fight, but the stern Halberdiers do not falter. They kill another Black Orc, which have had enough. Seeing how hard it is to storm the walls, they turn back and flee, running down the ladders. The halberdiers try to catch up, but they can’t close the gap.
    On the other side, the orcs are reduced in numbers by another volley. They climb back up, but fail to hold their position.

    Turn 5: (Last Turn)
    Initiative: Empire 5♣️, Orcs 10♣️

    Orc Turn:
    Animosity: 6, 5: No Animosity.
    Black Orcs: Rally: 4 vs 9: Success.
    Handgunners (vs Orcs): 4 Hits: 2 Wounded: 2 Saves.
    Orcs (vs Handgunners): 2 Hits: 1 Wounded: No save.
    Battle results: Handgunners (1 High ground), Orcs (+1 Kills): Draw

    Empire Turn:
    Halberdiers: Return to battlements.
    Handgunners (vs Orcs): 4 Hits: 3 Wounded: 1 Save.
    Orcs (vs Handgunners): 2 Hits: 1 Wounded: 1 Save.
    Battle results: Handgunners (+2 Kills, 1 High ground), Orcs 0: The handgunners win the battle.
    Orcs: Ld: 5 vs 4: Fail: They are broken. Flee 2d6″: 5″
    Handgunners: Pursuit 2d6″: 4″ They fail to reach them.
    Orc Archers: Panic Test: 5 vs 7: Success.

    The black orcs return to order, and the captain of the halberdiers, willing to live another day, orders the troop to return back to their formation on top of the battlements.
    On the far end, the handgunners exchange blows with the orcs, killing 2 of the greenskins, and losing one of their own. Once more, the orcs falter and run away. The handgunners wanting to taste the smell of victory rush after them, but they can’t reach them.

    With several dead and wounded, the orcs tactically withdraw. The walls held up another day. Until the next orc attack. Rudiger was renowned in the battle, and the party begins to make a name for themselves. Meanwhile, the supplies are dwindling down to 1 more weeks.

    Remaining Empire Points: 2499 – 118 = 2381
    Remaining Orc Points: 9477 – 491 = 8986

    Session Background: A heavy wargaming session, I think I captured the feeling of how hard it is to storm the walls. Truth be told, I was scared that any flank could fall at any time due to a missed morale roll, and then everything would be a lot different. But the defenders held.
    The SW roleplaying was limited to the first part of the session.
    With only one week of supplies left, what will happen next? Will rationing begin with risking of losing morale? Will the party try to flee the city somehow? Will there be an exodus in general to save themselves? I’m curious to find out.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    giorgis 3:44 pm on November 24, 2019 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    The siege of Ostenhofen pt1 

    A Savage Worlds Warhammer Fantasy Battles mashup.

    In this game, I want to try my To the Battlements! hex flower game engine as a roleplaying and wargaming aid.

    We continue back from where we left our group from Night of the blood. Bianka, Evie, Gustav and Rudiger have been arrested by the roadwardens (8 of them) and are being escorted to Ostenhofen, to be interrogated regarding what happened at the Hooded Man.

    Brew! Brew! Stir the pot!

    Here I go with another custom homebrew, I will be doing something quite radical for my end. I will be using the Warhammer Fantasy Battle 4ed rules to run this game, mixed with Savage Worlds for the roleplaying aspect.
    I will re-design my characters to savage worlds and use the following live conversion of WHFB to SW whenever I need to scale in or out.

    WHFB SW
    WS Fighting
    BS Shooting
    S Strength
    T Vigor
    1 d4-2
    2 d4
    3 d6
    4 d8
    5 d10
    6 d12
    6+ d12+

    I will be using a homebrew Wild Card rule from SW. Wild Card characters get to roll a Wild Die in WHFB with every roll and can choose to use the best result.
    Double 1s are critical failure though, and something bad happens.

    I decide that the Orcs will have 10000 warhammer points, while the Empire a mere 3000.
    I roll that the supplies of the defenders will last them 3d6 weeks: 6. That’s tough.

    The forested countryside slowly gives in to small farms and barn houses. In the distance, the tall walls of Ostenhofen are visible.

    Q: Is the party tied up?
    A: No
    Q: Do they have their weapons? (Unlikely)
    A: Yes

    Despite the road warden’s initial suspicions, Evie has managed to convince them that they had nothing to do with the massacre and that since the roads are dangerous, they should get to keep their sidearms just in case they are attacked.
    The road wardens finally gave in to her threats of notifying her father and the prince if they wouldn’t do as she said. Nevertheless they would take them to Ostenhofen for a proper debrief.
    A short while later they are in the inquisitor’s office. That’s when they hear the distant sound of horns blowing. The party exchanges looks with the warden and the inquisitor, in an effort to find out if they heard correctly. Then they hear it again, and again. The horns were blown three times. It’s an assault! The temple bells start ringing in the city. Slowly they head outside.

    Q: Is it the orcs?
    A: Yes

    People are running in all directions. “It’s the orcs! The orcs are coming!!!” The crier is shouting at the square, ringing his bell. “Man the battlements. Bring your families inside!”.
    The inquisitor turns to Evie. “Right now we need every man -or woman- capable of yielding a sword.” He looks at the wardens. “You are free to go. We will speak again after the greenskins are defeated.”

    Battlefield roll: 2,2=4 -> 4, Plains.
    Event triggered: 3,6=9 -> 6, Deserters. I roll, 60 Halberdiers will flee.
    Bianka: Notice (d8): 6: Success.

    As the town crier keeps warning people, Bianka notices a large group of able bodied men making their way silently out of the square, towards the gates, that are flooding with people coming inside.
    “Rudiger, you were a soldier, correct?”
    Rudiger grunts and nods, Bianka continues. “What are the odds these men are soldiers leaving their posts?”.
    Evie catches wind of their conversation. “These men need to do their duty, like the rest of us!” She steps next the the crier, and yells.

    Evie: Persuasion (d10+4): 8: Success with a Raise. Uncooperative -> Friendly. 45 out of 60 men will stay and fight.

    “You there. You have families. What do you think will happen to them when the Orcs reach us? You think you can outrun their Wolf riders? Our and your only chance is if we stand and fight them together! But maybe I am wrong and you don’t care about the others, maybe you are just afraid! Do you care to challenge that a woman wears the pants better than you do?!”
    The crowd around the group of deserters has dispersed and people are staring, mumbling “cowards”. Humiliated, most of the deserters, bow their heads and head back towards the barracks. A few, unmotivated, blend in the crowd and flee.

    Q: Did her speech make her stand out to the command? (Likely)
    A: Yes

    A weary man wearing a breastplate, with a sword and a pistol around his belt shows up. He wears a cape with the colors of Ostenhofen.
    “Excellent speech out there. May I ask your name?” He asks her.
    Gustav intervenes. “She is lady Evie Vogel. We have an invitation by Prince Ingmar.”
    Evie smiles. “And who you may be?” She asks.
    “I am Captain Volkmar Goldfarb. The prince is otherwise disposed, but I can see that you are in dire need of some lodgings and clean water. You will need it, we’re going to be in here for some time.” The captain says, and orders his ensign to get the party taken care of.

    Evie is with Captain Volkmar at the battlements. In the far distance they can barely see the orc camp. They have advanced and taken hold of a large position in front of the city.
    “The scouts have given us an estimation of their numbers. Their force is more than three times ours, but we have heavy walls. The orcs are impatient. If the siege holds out for long, they will disperse. We must do our best to hold the line. Unfortunately, Ostenhofen is a large city, and I can’t see how our supplies will last without rationing.” The captain confesses his troubles to Evie.

    Battlefield roll: 10 -> 1, Camp. 5 Weeks of supplies.
    Battlefield roll: 10 -> 1, Camp. 4 Weeks of supplies.

    A couple weeks pass with the orcs in place. Are they scouting? Are they gathering more forces for the attack? The Ostenhofeners can do nothing but wait, while their stocks are dwindling.

    Battlefield roll: 8 -> 16, Granary.

    Evie wakes up to the sound of orcs yelling Waaaagh! As the bells sound the alarm. She finds Captain Volkmar sending men to the north part of the city.
    “They found a side entrance to the outer city and entered by stealth! Our granary stores are there! We must defend it!”

    50 orcs in 5 ranks of 10 are trying to win ground in the Main Street in front of the granary. They are wearing chain armor and are armed with curved swords and shields.
    Holding them off are 24 halberdiers in 3 ranks of 8.
    The rear street is threatened by 70 goblins with spear and shield, held off by 24 crossbowmen. The crossbowmen have taken a strategic point of stairs so that more than one rank can shoot at the goblins.
    Civilians are carrying the supplies from the granary back to the inner wall.
    The granary needs 6 turns to empty if both entrances are secured. If one steet is lost, then the entrance must be blocked to ensure the intruders don’t kill the civilians who carry the supplies. If one entrance is lost, double the remaining time.

    Captain Volkmar is commanding the halberdiers. Besides him is his standard bearer, bearing the flag with the Red Wolf.
    Evie and her entourage are inside the granary, to protect the civilians from any orc strugglers who break off combat to wreak havoc inside.

    Empire point count:
    Captain Volkmar (Champion, Pistol, Heavy Armor): 35
    24 Halberdiers (Halberd, Light Armor): 9 X 24 = 216
    Unit Standard: 10 points
    24 Crossbowmen: 10 X 24 = 240 points
    Total: 501 points

    Orcs Point Count:
    They will start with more than 500 points and more will join on two waves in reserve up to 1500 total.
    70 Goblin Spearmen: 3,5 X 70 = 245
    50 Orc Warriors: 8,5 X 50 = 425
    Total: 670

    Turn 1:
    Initiative: Empire A♥️, Orcs A♣️.

    Empire turn:
    Crossbowmen: 10 Hits: 8 Wounded: No save. 62 Goblins remain.
    Halberdiers: 4 Hits: 1 Wounded: No save.
    Captain Volkmar: 1 Hit, 1 Pistol Hit: Wounded, Wounded: 2 Saves.
    Orcs: 5 Hits: 1 Wounded: 1 Save.
    Orcs have lost the combat by 1. Roll break test: 9: Fail. The orcs are broken!
    They flee: 2d6″: 4″
    The halberdiers pursuit: 2d6″: 5″
    They slaughter the Orcs.

    Q: Do any Orcs or Goblins out of formation manage to enter the granary? (Unlikely)
    A: False Presupposition
    There are no orcs or goblins out of formation except the broken troops.

    The crossbowmen release a volley of bolts towards the small greenskins that approach their higher ground. Some little goblin shields are shattered, others are pierced through, and in the end 8 of the greenskins lie dead, trampled under their brethren feet who push forward despite the losses.
    On the other side of the granary, Captain Volkmar and his halberdiers despite being severely outnumbered, hold fast against the orcs. The two sides are locked in combat, exchanging blows. The city street doesn’t help for much maneuver.
    Only one orc falls under the halberdiers, but the greenskins falter under their enemies resolve. Feeling there is no chance to break through the ranks, they turn and flee.
    They don’t make it far. Squished in the narrows of the city, the halberdiers reach them and finish them off one by one. Their cries echo in the alleys.

    Orc turn:
    Animosity: 5, No effect
    The Goblin’s move 8″ closer, to 17″.

    Q: Do the orcs receive reinforcements? (Likely)
    A: Yes
    Q: Has the halberdiers defensive position been compromised by their pursuit?
    A: No, and they are in a better position now. The civilians can transfer the grain in more safety.
    Q: How many points Orcs will join?
    A: 200-600: 300 points
    Q: What distance?
    A: 3d6: 11″
    9 Orc War Boar Riders join the fray. They wear light armor and carry spears and shields.
    Orc Boar Rider: 27 X 10 = 243 points.
    It’s led by a Black Orc Boss.
    Black Orc Boss: 54 Points
    Total Points: 297

    Turn 2:
    Initiative: Empire J♥️, Orcs: 7♦️.

    Empire Turn:
    Crossbowmen: 10 Hits: 7 Wounded. No save. 55 Goblins remain.
    The Halberdiers hold position.
    Bianka climbs to the top of the granary to get a shot at the goblins.

    Orc Turn:
    Animosity: Goblins: 4, No animosity, The Orcs are led by a Black Orc and don’t suffer from animosity.
    The Goblins move another 8″ to a distance of 9″ from the crossbowmen.
    The Orcs charge at the halberdiers.
    Distance: 11″, Charge max at 14″, they make contact.
    Orcs: 6 Hits: 3 Wounded. No Save.
    War Boars: 8 Hits: 6 Wounded. 1 Save.
    The Black Orc Boss attacks Captain Volkmar: 2 Hits: 1 Wound. No save.
    The entire front rank of the Halberdiers is decimated. They can’t fight back. The Red Wolf standard is captured by the Orcs.
    17 Halberdiers remain.
    7 Halberdiers fallen, and Captain Volkmar. Break Test: Automatic Fail. The flee 2d6″: 9″. The Orcs pursuit at 3d6: 6″! They fail to catch up.

    With another volley of fire, the Goblin ranks are further reduced, but they move on still certain they can win the fight.
    On the Main Street, Captain Volkmar and his men are enjoying their victory, as 20 sets of eyes glitter in the dark ahead. They hear a loud growl and they feel the ground tremble underneath. “Waaaagh!” The orcish warcry resounds.
    Orcs, riding war boats charge at them. Leading their line is a tougher, larger orc, with skin black as the night.
    The halberdiers look at each other. “Hold the line!” Captain Volkmar yells as the riders lower their spears aiming for them. “Brace for Impact!” Comes the Captain’s second order.
    Within seconds everything turns into a bloodbath. The Black Orc has sent his spear through the skull of the captain. Next to him the halberdiers are crushed under the charge. Several are sent into the air by the war boars. A few others are skewered by the tips of the orcish spears.
    Through the charge, an orc rider manages to get hold of the Red Wolf banner and carries it, taunting the troops.
    The halberdiers falter. They turn their backs and run back, the Orcs pursuing them fast. The bodies of the fallen provide an obstacle to the boar riders who fail to reach the broken unit.

    Turn 3:
    Initiative: Empire 9♥️, Orcs K♠️

    Orc Turn:
    Animosity: Goblins: 3: No animosity.
    Goblins move a further 8″ towards the crossbowmen to a distance of 1″.
    Orcs charge at the halberdiers. Halberdiers: Flee: 2d6″: 6″+3″ from previous round: 9″ distance. The charge is 14″. They are caught and slaughtered.

    Empire turn:
    Crossbowmen: 15 Hits: 11 Wounded. No saves. 44 goblins remain.
    Evie, Gustav and Rudiger try to bar the main gate from the inside.
    Group roll to lift the heavy wooden beam to bar the gate, with Rudiger as lead.
    Evie: Strength (d4): 2: Fail
    Gustav: Strength (d6): 3: Fail
    Rudiger: Strength (d8): 6: Success
    They manage to bar the gate.
    Bianka shoots at the Orcs with her sling.
    Shoots twice: 2 Hits: No wounded.
    So we had 2/6 Turns of full grain transfer and it will need 8-1: 7 more turns now to complete, at Turn #10.

    With a second charge, the orc boar riders sweep through the remaining halberdiers, trampling, hacking and crushing them.
    On the other side of the street, the goblins advance dangerously close to the crossbowmen, under a continuous volley of fire.
    In the granary, Rudiger, assisted by Evie and Gustav, bar the heavy granary gates. Rudiger feels as if he carried the entire beam by himself. Bianka hits twice at an orc boar rider with her sling, but the bullet doesn’t manage to hurt the tough greenskin.

    Turn 4:
    Initiative: Empire 9♣️, Orcs 9♦️

    Orc Turn:
    Animosity: Goblins: 1: Animosity: 6! “We’ll Show ’em”. They charge at the Crossbowmen.
    Goblins: 6 Hits: 3 Wounded: No Saves.
    Crossbowmen: 3 Hits: 2 Wounded: No Saves.
    Goblins battle score: 3+3 = 6.
    Crossbowmen battle score: 2+2 = 4.
    Crossbowmen break test: 9 + (6 – 4) = 11 > 7. The Crossbowmen are broken and flee!
    Crossbowmen glee: 2d6″: 4″.
    Goblins pursuit: 2d6″: 8″. The crossbowmen are destroyed.
    The Orc riders try to destroy the barred gate.
    It will have 5 damage points and a Toughness of 6.
    Orcs: 2 Damage. Black Orc: 1 Damage. Boars: 3 Damage. The door is destroyed.

    Empire Turn:
    The party, realizing all is lost, tries to make a run for it and leaves through the side street of the building, while Bianka will try to hide from the rooftops.

    The goblins start to squabble, when suddenly they realize that the best way to prove who is the best, is by crushing their enemy. They charge so quickly that the crossbowmen have no chance to react with another volley. The men draw their swords and close combat ensues. The goblins fight fiercely though, and even though a couple of them fall under the sword, they cause more casualties, and supported by the sheer wave of numbers, they push through. The crossbowmen break, and try to run, but the sneaky creatures catch up to them and pierce and thrust with their spears, until noone is left alive.
    On the other side of the granary, the orcs bash and hack at the barred gate with all their might. It tries to hold, but the sheer weight of the war boars is enough to break the wooden beams, and the orcs rush inside.
    Rudiger grabs Evie and Gustav and they retreat quickly from the other entrance, while Bianka shifts in the shadows, trying to find an opening from the rooftop.

    Battle resolution:
    Remaining Empire Points: 3000 – 501 = 2499
    Remaining Orc Points: 10000 – 523 = 9477
    Only half of the granary stores were saved. 1 week of supplies lost, for 2 remaining weeks.

    Since there are no units left anymore, I’m switching to SW rules now to run a chase. I will be using SWEX rules for the chase as it accommodates theater of the mind better, and my space is limited at the time.
    A 5-turn chase makes sense, since the orcs are willing to hunt the team, but not go to deep into enemy lines.

    Turn 1:
    Evie: Agility (d6): 3: No card
    Gustav: Agility (d4): 5: 8♠️ Long range, no attack
    Rudiger: Agility (d8): 5: 5♣️: Complication Major Obstacle: Agility (d8-2): 7: Success. Long range, no attack
    Orcs: Riding (d6+2): 7: 7♠️. Long range, no attack
    Goblins: Agility (d6): 1: No card

    Turn 2:
    Evie: Agility (d6): 5: K♦️ Melee range
    Gustav: Agility (d4): 5: 10♣️: Complication Major Obstacle: Agility (d4-2): 3: Fail, Benny: 1: Fail, Benny: 1: Fail. He gains on fatigue level. Long range, no attack
    Rudiger: Agility (d8): 3: No card
    Orcs: Riding (d6+2): 6: Q♠️, Medium range, no attack
    Goblins: Agility (d6): 2: No card
    Evie attacks an orc: Fighting (d8): 4: Miss

    Turn 3:
    Evie: Agility (d6): 5: Joker, Melee range
    Gustav: Agility (d4-1): 2: No action
    Rudiger: Agility (d8): 5: J♦️, Medium range, no attack
    Orcs: Riding (d6+2): 10: 6♦️ Long range, no attack
    Goblins: Agility (d6): 3: No card
    Evie attacks an orc: Fighting (d8+2): 11: Hit with Raise. Damage: 11: Shaken

    Turn 4:
    Evie: Agility (d6): 9: Joker, Melee range
    Gustav: Agility (d4-1): 2: No action
    Rudiger: Agility (d8): 6: J♠️, Medium range, no attack
    Orcs: Riding (d6+2): 7: 5♠️ Long range, no attack
    Goblins: Agility (d6): 11: 10♦️Long range, no attack
    Evie attacks an orc: Fighting (d8+2): 7: Hit. Damage: 9: Shaken again, Wounded.

    Turn 5:
    Evie: Agility (d6): 5: K♣️, Melee range. Complication: Distraction: Can’t attack.
    Gustav: Agility (d4-1): 1: No action
    Rudiger: Agility (d8): 7: 4♥️ Long range, no attack
    Orcs: Riding (d6+2): 6: 8♥️ Long range, no attack
    Goblins: Agility (d6): 2: No action
    The chase ends.

    As the party flees in the city, the black orc boss points his spear towards them and three boar rides charge after them. A handful of the goblins break off their slaughter of the broken unit and join in the pursuit.
    The team has a distinct advantage, having covered some distance already, and the rear alley streets don’t help the pursuers. Gustav, being the less fit of the three, sprains his foot a bit, and he makes double the effort to catch up. Seeing as an orc boar rider has come close to him, Evie, lies in wait behind a corner and lunges at him with her short sword, performing a couple slashes that are enough to leave him down, blood dripping.
    Seeing that they can’t cover the distance in time, and they have already lost sight of their main group, the orcs and goblins take pause. The inner city walls are visible already and they don’t want to become target practice. They break off and return to their army.
    Evie, Rudiger and Gustav all breathe a sigh of relief.

    Back to Bianka now. Since out of combat the rules state that she moves 5 times the normal distance, again I will require 5 total successful rolls. The first one will be to escape the granary, and the 4 last ones will be to reach safe distance.
    Bianka: Stealth (d6+2): 7: Success, she flees in the darkness and avoids the goblins.
    Bianka: Stealth (d6+2): 11: Success with raise, she finds an opening in the gutter and flees from the undercity.
    Bianka: Stealth (d6+4): 9: Success with raise, she finds an opening far away from the battle, and gets back on the street.
    Bianka: Stealth (d6+4): 8: Success with raise, she moves completely unnoticed.
    Bianka: Stealth (d6+4): 9: Success with raise, she moves completely unnoticed.

    Bianka makes no sound as the goblins enter the granary. A few are holding torches, ready to burn the place down, but a big bad black orc doesn’t let them and kicks the tiny greenskins away. He seems to want to keep the supplies for the orc troops.
    Taking advantage of the fuss, and of the pursuit of her teammates, Bianka slips away in the back alley behind the granary. Quickly she finds the entrance to the sewers. A big city like Ostenhofen has a huge network running underneath. She knows that the inner city shouldn’t connect there directly, since that would be a defense flaw. The stench doesn’t bother her, and she enters the sewers, taking care to close the grate behind her. Like an experienced rat catcher, she finds her way, and makes it back to the surface a couple of blocks away from the inner city walls. The battle is away from her, and she makes her way to the gate.

    Session Background: I know that this wasn’t pure Solo Roleplaying, since it had serious aspects of Solo Wargaming, but I think it fits the bill.
    It took me a while to make this work, and this is the final working result. At first I was trying to create a homebrew WHFB rpg system and convert my characters to that. It didn’t work. In the end I decided to go ahead with the SW/WHFB Focus In/Focus Out aspect, and I think it worked out pretty well.
    Another mistake I did was trying to scale up the combat to more realistic numbers, like 500 Orcs instead of 50, in a single unit. Warhammer isn’t meant to run this type of battle and it quickly got out of hand, so I rerun the initial turns of combat into a less abstract and more tactical battle.
    Also initially I used a body count to compare the armies, but switching to Warhammer unit points was the right thing to do, as this gives me a direct idea of the unit strength.
    Overall I loved how the game runs so far, and it was really nice to dust off my old Warhammer books.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    giorgis 12:33 am on November 20, 2019 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    To the battlements! 

    Inspired by Goblin’s Henchman Hex Flower Game Engines, I’ve decided to design one of my own, to run a siege. I will run it as a framework alongside my next solo adventure, where the defender is the lord of a keep, about to be overwhelmed by the enemy, and each turn, they will have to face off the odds one way or another. So, this means I have not playtested it yet, and there’s a chance there’s going to be a version 2. if this one isn’t to my liking.

    To the battlements!

    To the battlements!

     

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    giorgis 4:30 pm on November 17, 2019 Permalink
    Tags: Collaboration,   

    One beginning, multiple endings 

    My take on the collaborative exercise by /u/ClassicToy

    It was only thanks to your close friend’s warning that you could avoid the first wave of the assault on the base where you are stationed. The creatures are decimating the garrison but you haven’t been noticed yet, thanks to your duty on the far patrol route. Your objective: reach the command headquarters before dawn, to inform high command.

    BOLD thread: leeching otherworldly overcome by fate

    Game System: Savage Worlds
    Oracle: Recluse
    Interventions: MUNE
    Notes: Simplenote

    Protagonist Agility Smarts Spirit Strength Vigor
    Corporal Ruce Gramoor img d8 d6 d6 d4 d6
    Skills Driving d4 Fighting d6 Shooting d10 Stealth d6 Healing d4 Notice d6 Repair d6 Survival d4
    Charisma – Pace 6 Parry 5 Toughness 5 Heroic, Loyal Alertness, Quick
    Bayonet Str+d4 Steel Pot H&K G3 2d8, RoF 3, Ammo 20 3 Clips Camouflage Fatigues

    Only the protagonist will be a Wild Card. Any supporting characters will be Extras.

    I need to define the when: The year is 1980. I roll d12: 9, the month is September. I roll d30: 11. It’s Thursday.
    I will not define the where.

    Q: Am I alone in the patrol? (Unlikely)
    A: No, it’s a two man patrol. PFC Stine Milley is with me.
    Notice (d6+2): 7: Success
    Q: Are any shots heard?
    A: No

    There’s rustling in the bushes next to our route. Immediately I hip aim my rifle in the general direction of the noise. “Halt! Who goes there?” I shout.
    “Ruce! Ruce!” I hear my name.
    “Identify yourself!” I persist.
    “It’s me Billie.” I hear the familiar voice of Billie Hughy.
    “5” I tell him the passcode.
    “Fuck the codes Ruce! This is serious!” He says.
    I exchange looks with Stine. Stine shines his flashlight on Billie, and as we see him clearly, we lower our weapons.
    “They’re dead man! Everyone’s dead!”
    “Who’s dead Billie? Calm the fuck down.” I tell him.
    “I only heard their screams.” Billie pauses. “Then I saw blood spattered all over the weapons rack and Rone’s remains on the keeper’s desk.” He falls to his knees and covers his face with his hands.
    “Who killed him? What are you talking about?” I ask. He doesn’t seem to be joking though.

    Q: Does he know who did it?
    A: False Presupposition
    It’s not a who, it’s a what.

    First roll on tables: Partially Colorful, Excitement Liberty.

    “It, it was unreal. As I found him I saw a streak of blood dripping from thin air trailing quickly out of the room. It was letting off a shriek and I froze. Didn’t make a sound. Then I heard the screams. Oh my god the screams.” He stops for a moment. “I ran. As fast as I could. I left them Ruce, I left them to die!!!” He covers his face in shame.
    “If this is some sick joke, I’ll have you reported to the Captain.” I tell him, but Stine interrupts me. “I don’t think he’s joking Corporal. He’s trembling.”
    I nod. “If someone has offed the entire barracks we should sound the alarm and find a way to contact the division command. Remove the duds. We’ll need live ammo. That’s an order.” I take off the three blank bullets from the clip and arm it. Stine does the same and gives Billie his bayonet. “Get a grip man. We need you.”

    Billie: Spirit (d6): 7: Success, he’s no longer shaken.

    Billie nods and takes the blade.
    No matter how much we try to be silent, the boots are heavy, and our footsteps thud in the dark.

    So, I have established that the Barracks are the furthest. I need to do some mapping, and assign order of distance for the following locations. I will roll dice to define them. Highest number is furthest away.

    Location Distance
    Vehicle Depot 6
    Fuel Depot 5
    Armory 4
    Warehouse 3
    Comm Center 2
    Base Command 1

    The squad heads towards base command. I will roll notice and stealth for them and then consult the Oracle as necessary.

    Notice (d6): 5: Success
    Stealth (d6): 5: Success

    Q: Is there any movement?
    A: No
    Q: Are they ambushed by anything? (Unlikely)
    A: Yes, And they don’t expect it.
    I roll on the rules’ chart and I get:
    Very feminine, lie business

    As our squad treads carefully towards the command center, we come across a blond woman. She’s naked and trying to keep warm in the chill.
    “Halt! Identify yourself” I call out to her as I point my rifle, and she looks at me questioningly.

    Q: Does Stine try to help her?
    A: Yes, but he can be persuaded otherwise
    Q: Does Billie react to her?
    A: Yes, but he can be calmed down

    “The fuck, Ruce?” Stine cuts me off. “She needs our help. Can’t you see she’s vulnerable?”
    “Don’t go to her! Shoot her! Shoot her!” Billie shouts.
    “Shut up the both of you! I don’t care if she’s an orphan who run away! She shouldn’t be here and I’d like to know how she got in, the first place! Arrest her. This is not a discussion, it’s an order!” I put them in line.

    Persuasion (d4): 3: Failure.

    “Fuck you Ruce. She’s a scared girl.” He puts his rifle aside, and removes his jacket and proceeds to cover her nudity.

    Q: Is there an attack?
    A: Yes, but I can see it coming.
    Q: Does the girl attack Stine?
    A: False presupposition
    Billie, crazed out jumps Stine.
    I’ll roll and opposed fighting roll to see who wins.
    Billie (d6)/Stine (d6): 2/5.

    As Stine starts to walk towards the girl, Billie lets of a cry and jumps at him. But the cry has warned Stine, who turns and hits Billie swiftly with the rifle’s butt right on his jaw.
    The hit brings him down and he spits blood. “Idiot.” Stine turns and puts his jacket on the girls shoulders.

    Q: Does she talk?
    A: False Presupposition. She runs off.
    Intervention!
    Entity negative. {d4: Me, Billie, Stine, Girl}
    Billie.
    I roll on the tables. Dangerously Cold.

    Before Stine manages to get her warmed up, she cries out and runs off. Billie attacks her with the bayonet.

    Since everyone is doing different things, I draw one card for each.
    Me K♥️, B 10♠️, S Q♣️, G 9♥️
    I hold.
    Stine holds.
    Billie: (Fighting d6): 5: Hit: 5: Shaken.
    Q: Is she human? (Unlikely)
    A: No and she transforms and attacks immediately Billie.

    He hits her leg, and she lets off a scream that is not human.
    Her jaw rips out open and three series of serrated teeth appear, surrounding a throat without tongue of any kind. Each of her hands burst out tentacles which rip out and grip Billie.

    Girl: Fighting (d10): 6: Hit: 12: Success with raise, Billie is out.
    Ruce: Fear: Spirit (d6): 4: Success
    Stine: Fear: Spirit (d6): 7: Success
    I shoot at her at Full Auto.
    Ruce: Shooting(d10-2,ROF 3): 7, 0, 4, 1: 2 Hits: 8, 7: Shaken, Shaken: Wounded. She’s down.

    I contemplate reality for a second, as I see Billie on the ground, writhing, but I return to my senses.
    I switch to full automatic fire and let off half a clip at her. I feel the recoil at my shoulder. The AP 7.62 bullets rip her apart at this close range.
    “What the fuck? What is that thing?” Stine asks unable to believe his eyes.

    Q: Does it still move? (Likely)
    A: Yes, and small tendrils writhe all around the place trying to move away.

    The soldiers look at the thing.
    Tendrils shoot away and detach from the body heading away.
    Stine, creeped out, shoots out half his clip on the corpse, but the worms keep moving out.

    Notice (d6): 11: Success with a raise!
    Billie: Vigor (d6): 4: Success. Incapacitated.
    Billie: Vigor (d6): 2: Failure. Can’t move.

    I look at Billie who is down, trembling. The wounds he suffered are bad and he can’t move at all. I take a closer look and there are worm like tendrils shooting out from where the thing grabbed him.
    “I’mmmm cccollldddd.” Billie said trembling.
    I turn to Stine. “We have to help him, but he seems infectious.”

    Q: Is Stine willing to try to help Billie? (Unlikely)
    A: False Presupposition. Billie can’t be helped at all. He’s a lost cause.

    In a few seconds, Billie pukes. He vomits a mixture of blood and worms that run off in all directions.
    “Screw this. Let’s go!” I grab Stine and we run off towards the Base Command.

    Since there is a chance that the shots were heard, I want to check if someone will come.
    Q: Is there an encounter before they reach the Base Command?
    A: Yes
    I roll on the NPCs table.
    Cunning Highwayman.

    Notice (d6): 7: Success.

    As we head to the base command, I distinguish the sound of a motorized vehicle. The headlights of a Jeep reach us. I gesture Stine to take position along the road.
    The Jeep stops near us. Engine still running.
    “Halt. Identify yourself and shut the engine!” I yell at the driver.
    “Still following protocol Ruce?” Sergeant Jose Grogan asks sarcastically.

    Q: Does Sgt. Grogan know what has happened so far?
    A: No, and he’s completely unaware.

    “With things turning to shit, it’s all we got Sarge.” I tell him.
    “Yeah I heard shots were fired, tried to call the duty officer but got no answer.” He answers.
    “Grogan, cut the crap. You’ve been sleeping again in the depot.” Stine interrupts. “Something, not human is killing everyone. We put it down, but it got to Billie first. That’s the shots you heard. Now let’s go sound the alarm.”
    The sergeant looks at me, not saying a word, as if he expected me to correct Stine. I don’t. “What he said.” I tell him. “Will you give us a lift?”
    We ride the Jeep and reach the Base Command.

    I roll on the table to get some information regarding the Base Command building. I get playfully bizarre.

    Q: Are there lights on?
    A: Yes, and the doors are open.

    As the Jeep stops outside of the Base Command, we see lights inside, and the doors are open ajar.
    Jery, the base’s stray dog, is rolling playfully in front of the wheels. He has a weird twitch to his motion though.

    Notice (d6): 10: Success and a Raise.
    Q: Is there blood anywhere?
    A: False presupposition. There’s no time to check for blood.

    As Jose puts his foot down to the ground, Jery rolls around in front of him. I get off the Jeep from behind the driver’s side and Stine leaves from the other side.
    Suddenly, Jery lets off a weird ear piercing shriek, and lashes out to Jose.

    Dog: 2♥️, Party K♣️
    Ruce: Shooting (d10-2, ROF 3): 4, 11, 6, 2: 3 Hits: 13, 8, 4: Wounded, Shaken, No damage: It’s down.
    Jose: Spirit (d6): 5: Success.

    I don’t waste any time, and as it brushes three series of serrated teeth, ripping apart the dog’s jaw, I empty the rest of my clip on it. The strength of the shots, blasting it apart and sending it back a couple meters.
    “What the..!?” Jose yells.
    “Ruce, it’s more than one? And not only fair maidens? What’s going on man?” Stine asks worried. “Sarge what should we do?”
    I remove the safety pin from my ammo pack, and load another clip on the rifle.

    Q: Does Jose want to leave now?
    A: False Presupposition
    Jose doesn’t take charge of the situation.

    “Boys, whatever you got planned, I’m with you. Strength in numbers and everything. Ruce, you saved my life. I owe you one.” Jose says, and he pulls and arms his Colt 1911.
    “We stick to it. Sound the alarm. Notify command. Get the hell out.” I tell them, and we enter the building.
    Blood is spattered on the floor, on the windows, everywhere. If the duty officer was in here, he’s no longer.

    Since the shots again were heard, I ask.
    Q: Are they ambushed before finding the alarm?
    A: No, and the alarm is operational.

    There it is! I remove the safety pin, and bring the switch down. A blaring alarm starts being heard from the sirens along the entire base. For good or for bad, now, everything and everyone is stirred up.
    We head back to the Jeep.

    Q: Is there an encounter?
    A: Yes, and it’s hostile.
    How many?: 1d3+1: 2.
    Notice (d6): 4: Success

    Outside, I see a glimpse of movement in the far away spotlight. I make a signal to Stine and Jose and they arm. Then we see them.
    Billie running towards us, completely naked, not a single wound on his body, and Jade Mithy, naked as well.
    Jose stands motionless, but me and Stine take aim and shoot.

    Things: 8♥️, Me: 4♠️, quick: A♥️
    Range (d100): 86.
    Ruce: Single shot: (d10-4): 0: Miss
    Stine: Aim.
    Things: Running: -11 distance.

    Since there’s no chance that they reach them yet, I will draw cards only for the Joker chance.

    Things: 2♠️, Me: A♠️
    Range: 75
    Ruce: Single shot (d10-4): 12: Success, Raise: 33! Damage: Dead
    Stine: Single shot (d6-2): 2: Miss
    Thing: Running: -13 distance.

    Things: J♣️, Me: Joker
    Range: 62
    Ruce: Single shot (d10-2): 13: Success, Raise: 16:
    Damage: Dead

    I shoot as the things rush at us. My first shot misses. Stine, who isn’t as good at shooting takes his time. My next shot finds the thing that looks like Billie right between the eyes.
    The rifling in the bullet leaves no remains as the head pops out. Stine shoots and misses. I shoot again, and hit the other thing right in the chest, and it shrieks and falls.
    Jose has entered the Jeep and turned on the engines. “Come, no time to waste. Off to the Comm Center.”

    Q: Is there any encounter on the way?
    A: False Presupposition. It’s not an encounter. It’s an event! They have a vehicle malfunction. {d3:Flat tire,Radiator Broke,No gas}: No gas.

    As they drive suddenly they hear the engine making a weird sound and the Jeep comes to a halt. A quick look at the fuel gauge, shows that it’s empty.
    “Seriously, Jose? You didn’t fill up? You had one job at the depot.” Stine complains, pissed off.

    Q: Did Jose fill up?
    A: No
    Q: Was there enough fuel?
    A: No, and it was almost empty
    Intervention: Wild! For Portent I use BOLD without solutions, and get corrupt myth.

    “I woke up from your shots and took the first Jeep I found. Didn’t check if there was enough fuel. Quit whining you idiot.” Jose counters.
    “What do you think is going on? Is this another Black Spear situation?” Stine asks.
    “If I hadn’t seen these things, I’d tell you to go hang yourself and your conspiracy theories Stine!” I tell him. “But go on, I’m intrigued.”
    Stine takes a deep breath, happy that someone shows finally interest in his stories. “1973, an Airforce base just ceased responding. The 15th Cavalry, situated nearby was sent to investigate. Noone returned. Next thing you know, operation Black Spear is authorized, a surgical airstrike is called to the entire base. They napalmed the whole thing. If it weren’t for the people that stayed behind, no one would have heard a thing.”
    “No shit Stine. Think they’re gonna bomb us?” Jose asks.
    “I would. How else to contain this?” I tell them and we fall in silence.

    That’s the first time that I interpret an intervention as a thread/rumor. But essentially it is an intervention as the GM would have it. Now there’s a clock. If they don’t make it out in time, they may die.

    Since I already asked about an encounter on the way, I won’t ask again, even though they are on foot now. I decide that they arrive without any further interruptions.
    Q: Are there lights on?
    A: Yes, and the spotlights are on as well.
    Notice (d6): 12: Success with two raises!
    Q: Is there any sign of previous struggle?
    A: Yes.
    Q: Is there any movement?
    A: Yes.
    Q: Is it the things? (Likely)
    A: Yes.

    We walk to the Comm Center. The lights here are on, as well.
    I catch a glimpse of movement through the blood stained windows. Tentacles and tendrils lash out at the windows and I signal my squad to be at the ready.

    Q: Do the squad mates agree to enter the Comm center despite the apparent danger?
    A: Yes.
    Stealth (d6): 5: Success.
    Q: Was the hostile movement detected in the radio room?
    A: No, but it’s at the room next to it. Roll an opposed Notice to listen to the squad.
    Notice (d12): 1: Fail! Woohoo
    Q: Is the radio operational?
    A: No, and the equipment is covered in the remains of the radio operator, covered in blood and small writhing worms.
    So we need to check the land lines.
    Q: Are the land lines in the room with the things?
    A: False presupposition. There are no land lines. It’s a remote base and communications are through radio and satellites.

    Slowly and silently we move in. We reach the radio room, but there is obvious damage to the gear. The hood is damaged and cables are cut out. The bloody remains of who used to be the operator are all over the place, and hundreds of tiny worms are swirling all around.
    We look at each other. There’s no chance for contact, and none of us is willing to touch the infectious gear. We move silently back out to decide on our next actions.

    “The way I see it, we head to the vehicle depot, get some wheels, and get the hell out of here. Let’s just hope that the alarm sent an automated warning back to HQ.” I propose.
    “We should arm up if possible.” Jose adds. “I doubt my 9 mil will do much against these fiends.”
    “And maybe get a tank of fuel as well in case the vehicle is half empty.” Stine completes.

    Notice (d6): 12: Success with two raises!
    Stealth (d6): 3: Fail
    Q: Is there an encounter before their next stop?
    A: No

    We reach the warehouse.
    “No time to gear up, let’s move on!” I tell my squaddies and we press on.

    Notice (d6): 9: Success with a raise
    Stealth (d6): 9: Success with a raise
    Q: Is there any encounter before their next stop?
    A: Yes
    Q: Is it the things?
    A: False presupposition. It’s not one a ground encounter, it’s the sound of airplanes.

    We’ve just reached the armory as we hear the sound of jet airplanes approaching.
    “Our time’s running out boys! Double up!” Jose shouts and we start running. “If we’re lucky they will do a recon pass first.”
    “Straight for the vehicle depot! We don’t stop anywhere else.” Stine says.

    I deem that if they are running and don’t make any stops inside the armory or fuel depot, then they will be able to reach the vehicle depot in time. But, they will have a -4 penalty to notice rolls and no chance of stealth.

    Notice (d6): 0: Failure
    Q: Is there an encounter on the way to the next stop?
    A: Yes, and since they are running, they come face to face with whatever it is.
    Q: Is it the things? (likely)
    A: Yes
    How many? 1d3: 2
    Distance? 1d10: 3meters

    As we turn around the corner behind the armory, we come face to face with two of the repulsive creatures. They are in their true form. Gooish tendrils and tentacles and jaws with serrated teeth. A horrid thing from a deranged imagination.

    Party: 4♠️, Things: 4♣️
    I shoot at them at Full Auto.
    Ruce: Shooting(d10-2,ROF 3): 0, 0, 4, 1: 1 Hit: 8: Shaken.
    Stine shoots at the same one at Full Auto.
    Stine: Shooting (d6-2, ROF 3): 3, 1, 5: 1 Hit: 13: Wounded. It’s down.
    Jose double taps at the other creature.
    Jose: Shooting (d6+1): 4: 1 Hit: 7: Shaken
    Thing: Spirit (d6): 2: Fail

    Party: Joker!, Things: 7♣️
    I shoot at it Single Fire.
    Ruce: Shooting(d10+2): 21: 1 Hit with Raise: 18: Dead.

    I fire full auto at the monstrosity, but the recoil pushes me back and I only hurt it by a small margin. Thankfully Stine follows up and he finishes it off with a rain of bullets.
    Jose double taps his Colt semi, at the other creature and it’s taken aback.
    I take the opportunity and take a single shot right at it’s chest, blasting it to withers.
    We don’t waste any time to go in the armory and press on towards the depots.

    Notice (d6): 1: Fail
    Q: Is there an encounter on the way to the next stop?
    A: No

    We jog past the fuel depot without stop and head towards the vehicles.

    Q: Is there an encounter on the way to the next stop?
    A: No
    Intervention! Entity Positive: Ruce.

    “Hey Ruce.” Jose tells me as we approach the depot. “Just letting you know. If we ever get out of here alive, I’m commending you for a medal. I have some friends in high places, and I’ll make sure they know what you did for us here.”
    “Thanks Sarge. Let’s make it out and I’m happy with just a burger.” I tell him.

    Q: Are the lights on at the vehicle depot?
    A: No
    Notice (d6): 12: Success with a raise.
    Q: Are there any things inside? (Likely)
    A: Yes, but they are not aware of the soldiers.
    How many?: 1d3+1: 2.
    I roll for the vehicles in the depot.
    There are only three Jeeps. The Steyr
    and M715s are out of service.
    Q: Are the things between us and the vehicles?
    A: Yes

    As we reach the vehicle depot. I see a couple of the monstrosities crawling between the vehicles.
    “We need to reach the Jeeps at the end of the depot. We’ll have to get past the creatures among the trucks.” Jose whispers.
    “Alright. Let’s go silent. Weapons at the ready.”

    Stealth (d6): 9 vs Notice (d12): 2: Sucess!

    Holding our breath, we manage to evade the creatures and reach the jeeps.
    “Are they filled?” I ask Jose.
    “Can’t tell unless we split and check each.” He tells me.
    I look around.

    Q: Are there any fuel jugs around?
    A: No
    Q: Does any of the jeeps have enough fuel (Likely)?
    A: Yes, but it’s the one closest to the creatures.

    “Sounds like we ain’t got a choice. Once Jose starts up the engine, if you see them coming, fire at will.” I give our order.

    Things: Notice (d12): 13: Success with two raises!

    The moment the engine start sound is heard, the things let of a horrid shriek and lash towards us. We open fire.

    Party: 4♦️, Things: 4♣️
    I shoot at them at Full Auto.
    Ruce: Shooting(d10-2,ROF 3): 0, 6, 10, 1: 1 Hit, 1 Hit with Raise: 10, 19:
    Dead.
    Stine shoots at the other one at Full Auto.
    Stine: Shooting (d6-2, ROF 3): 3, 6, 2: 1 Hit: 7: Shaken.
    Jose: Rushes off with the Jeep. Speed: 10.
    Thing: Spirit (d6): 1: Failure

    Party: 10♠️, Things: K♦️
    Thing: Spirit (d6): 4: Success. It shakes off and rushes to attack.
    It will need to cover a distance of 12 to reach them.
    Running: 8+3: 11
    It barely misses.
    I reload my last clip.
    Stine reloads his 2nd clip.
    Jose Accelarates to 20.

    Q: Do more creatures hear the shooting and come? (Likely)
    A: No, and the one hunting us can’t keep up.

    One of them crawls from under a Steyr truck, and I bring it to my sights. I empty the rest of my clip on it ripping it to pieces.
    The second one jumps down from the top of the truck, surprising Stine, who fires blindly, barely hitting it, and stopping it as it cries out a shriek.
    Sarge doesn’t lose time and presses on the acceleration. The Jeep jerks and drives off.
    Me and Stine reload at the same time, and we look at each other anxiously, as the thing, is back on its feet and rushes off after us.
    From the back seat I can see its mouth agape, and it’s clawed tendrils lashing out towards us, but it can’t keep up. Jose has sped off and we lose it in the distance.
    “To the main gate. Let’s hope it’s open.” I tell Jose.

    Q: Does the Jeep sport a .50 cal?
    A: Yes, but it needs set up.

    “Hey Stine, help me set up the .50 cal. Jose try to keep us steady on the road.” I coordinate the team.

    Jose: Driving (d6): 4: Success
    Repair (d6): 5: Success

    We set up the .50, and I man it up.
    “Let’s rock and roll!” I shout, and Jose speeds towards the gate.
    The Jeep’s headlights illuminate it as we approach.

    Q: Are there any of the creatures near the gate? (Likely)
    A: False Presupposition. The gate has been ruined, the exit is no longer usable.

    As we see the gate in ruins, we understand we have to double back, to the rear exit of the base. Back to where Billie first found me and Stine.
    Jose already has turned the Jeep around and is speeding up.

    Q: Are there creatures after them? (Likely)
    A: Yes, and the movement of the Jeep has drawn a lot of them.

    Then I see them. Naked men, looking like our previous brothers at arms, dogs and goats behaving strangely, and a couple of the monstrosities, moving towards us, trying to cut us off.
    With stealth no longer an option, I let loose fire from the .50

    How many? 10

    Chase, 5 rounds
    Jose: Driving (d8+4): 7, 9♠️
    Things: Running (d8): 6, 6♥️
    Long range. I shoot the .50 at full auto.
    Ruce: Shooting (d10-6): 11, 0, 1, 7: 1 Hit with Raise, 1 Hit: 10, 9: Shaken, Shaken: Wounded.

    Jose: Driving (d8+4): 11: 6♠️
    Things: Agility (d8): 5: 10♥️
    Long range, they don’t reach us, we have no advantage over them.

    Jose: Driving (d8+4): 7: 4♦️
    Things: Agility (d8): 1: –
    Long range. I shoot the .50 at full auto.
    Ruce: Shooting (d10-6): 2, 0, 0, 0: Miss

    Jose: Driving (d8+4): 6: 2♠️
    Things: Agility (d8): 6: 2♣️
    Out of range. Disaster for the things.
    Agility (d8-4): 0: Fail. A creature running drops inside a huge ditch and can’t follow.

    Jose: Driving (d8+4): 9: 10♠️
    Things: Agility (d8): 1: –
    Long range. I shoot the .50 at full auto.
    Ruce: Shooting (d10-6): 6, 0, 8, 0: 2 Hits: 10, 18: Shaken, Wounded.

    The chase is long through the base as we hear the jets approach again. My fingers are on the trigger of the .50 and I manage to take two of the creatures out, the bullets of the machine gun splitting them in half. Another one drops into a defense ditch and doesn’t come back up.
    At last we reach the rear gate and smash through the bars as the jets release their payload.
    Huge napalm flames cover everything, but we have made our distance.
    “Woohoo! We made it brothers!” Jose sounds exhilarated.
    “Yes we did!” I agree, and sit down from the .50 gunner spot.
    I clutch my trusty rifle, without it I wouldn’t be alive now.
    “Hey Stine. That girl we met? Who do you think she was before she turned?” I ask.
    “I heard Jim Mayers had a pretty gal that he sneaked in once or twice. Must have been her.” Stine replies.
    Jose presents a flask and takes a sip. “To the ones that were lost today.” He offers it to us and we join in silence.

    Adventure Summary: This short campaign was really fun.
    Savage Worlds was a very good choice, as I had all the necessary stats for the gear of that period. I need to make up my mind with regards to the SWEX or SWADE rules.
    It may have seemed as if there was no challenge for the soldiers, but if they were unlucky enough to come in close contact with the creatures they’d have ended up like Billie. A steel pot helmet isn’t enough to protect them.
    The collaboration tables that I had to use were not very suitable for the theme I chose, but they worked out in the end.
    Recluse Oracle, again, turned the tables a bit with the false presuppositions! It’s a mechanic that I can’t seem to grow out of.
    I’ve had a few interventions occur from MUNE. The toughest to interpret was the entity positive on Ruce in the end! What good could happen to him that wouldn’t affect the entire team? I think I came up with a decent solution regarding the medal.
    Overall I really enjoyed it, and may return to this group of soldiers in some weird adventure in the future.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    giorgis 3:11 pm on November 10, 2019 Permalink | Reply
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    Return from Syriholm S2E02-S2E03 

    Episode 2

    I designed the giant beetles after the giant spider, without their special abilities, some extra armour (toughness) and greater strength. I roll and get 2 Giant Beetles.

    Name Agility Smarts Spirit Strength Vigor Pace Parry Toughness Fighting Bite
    Giant Beetle d8 d4(A) d6 d12 d8 6 6 10(4) d8 Str+d4

    So in order to play out the background event, Atiel must make a Vigor roll, or suffer a Wound and be Shaken.
    Vigor (d6): 6+3=9, Success with 1 Raise. Not Wounded, not shaken.

    I roll for distance, and get that the Giant Beetles are at 10 and 11 distance respectively.

    Round1:
    Party: 8♠️
    Beetles: A♥️

    Beetle 1 Runs: 6+5=11, reaches Furi and attacks.
    Fighting (d8): 2-2=0/6: Miss
    Beetle 2 Runs: 6+5=11, reaches Atiel and attacks.
    Fighting (d8): 7-2=5/5: Hit
    Damage (d12+d4): 6/6: Shaken

    Furi draws his Great Axe and attacks Beetle 1.
    Fighting (d10): 5-2=3/6: Miss
    Atiel Spirit roll (d6): 4: Success
    Atiel draws her Sword and attacks Beetle 2.
    Fighting (d6): 6+2=8-2=6/6: Hit
    Damage: 3/10: No damage

    Round2:
    Party: K♦️
    Beetles: 8♥️

    Furi attacks Beetle 1.
    Fighting (d10): 7/6: Hit
    Damage (2d10, AP 1): 3/9: No damage
    Atiel attacks Beetle 2.
    Fighting (d6): 5/6: Miss

    Beetle 1 attacks Furi.
    Fighting (d8): 7/5: Hit
    Damage (d12+d4): 15/9: 1 Wound
    Furi will spend a Benny to soak.
    Vigor (d6): 6, Shaken.
    I mistakenly removed a wound here. Need to get to know the rules better.
    Beetle 2 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8): 3/5: Miss

    Round 3:
    Party: 4♣️
    Beetles: 3♦️

    Furi Spirit Roll (d6): 5: Success
    Furi attacks Beetle 1.
    Fighting (d10): 7/6: Hit
    Damage (2d10, AP 1): 10/9: Shaken
    Atiel attacks Beetle 2.
    Fighting (d6): 5/6: Miss

    Beetle 1 Spirit Roll (d6): 3: Fail, Shaken
    Bettle 2 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8): 2/5: Miss

    Round 4:
    Party: JOKER
    Bettles: 10♠️

    Furi attacks Beetle 1.
    Fighting (d10): Critical Failure.
    I will use a Benny to re-roll.
    Fighting (d10): 7/6: Hit
    Damage (2d1), AP 1): 8, Shaken again, Wounded. Beetle 1 is out.

    Bettle 2 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8): 3/5: Miss

    Round 5:
    Party: 3♥️
    Beetles: A♥️

    Bettle 2 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8): 1/5: Miss

    Furi attacks Beetle 1.
    Fighting (d10): 4/6: Miss
    Atiel attacks Beetle 2.
    Fighting (d6): 4/6: Miss

    Round 6:
    Party: 2♦️
    Beetles: J♥️

    Bettle 2 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8): 1/5: Miss

    Furi Wild Attack Beetle 1.
    Fighting (d10): 14+2/6: Hit with a Raise.
    Damage (2d10+d6, AP 1): 15/8: Wounded. Beetle 2 is out.

    Despite the tear in her wound, Atiel grits her teeth and pulls through.
    The Giant Beetles close in, but Furi manages to slaughter both of them before they hurt him or his elven companion.

    Q: Is it possible to climb out?
    A: False Presupposition. It is not required to climb out. The collapse has provided a slope that can be walked. The party can leave the chasm easily.

    Despite rolling down in the chasm, the collapse has created a natural ramp to the top, so the duo walks out without any effort.

    Episode 3

    Bennies are refreshed.

    Day 8:
    Encounter Engine: Wandering Monster
    Terrain Engine: Plains
    Weather Engine: Dark Clouds/Rain
    Encounter: Blink Dog. I translate this to Dire Wolf.

    I will make a notice roll. If successful, the team will be arms ready.
    Furi: Notice (d6): 8, Success with a raise.
    Atiel: Notice (d6): 4, Success.

    I roll 1d6: 6 Dire Wolves!
    I roll 2d6 for their distance: 7.

    Round 1:
    Party: 4♦️
    Wolves: 4♥️
    The wolves go first by a hair.
    I split them in 3s. Three go for Furi and three for Atiel. They gang up on them and get a +2 bonus.

    Dire Wolf 1 attacks Furi.
    Fighting (d8+2): 15/6: Hit with a Raise. Go For Throat.
    Damage (d8+d6+d6): 7/7: Shaken.
    Dire Wolf 2 attacks Furi.
    Fighting (d8+2): 6/6: Hit.
    Damage (d8+d6): 9/9: Shaken twice. Furi is wounded.
    Dire Wolf 3 attacks Furi.
    Fighting (d8+2): 7/6: Hit.
    Damage (d8+d6): 12/9: Shaken again. Furi is wounded twice.
    Furi spends a Benny to soak.
    Furi: Vigor (d10): 11: Success and a Raise. Furi only suffers one wound.

    Dire Wolf 4 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8+2): 6/5: Hit.
    Damage (d8+d6): 8/6: Shaken.
    Dire Wolf 5 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8+2): 7/5: Hit.
    Damage (d8+d6): 19/6: Three wounds!
    Atiel will spend a Benny to soak.
    Atiel: Vigor (d6): 5.
    Atiel will spend another Benny to reroll the soak.
    Atiel: Vigor (d6): 8: Success with a raise, she only receives one Wound.
    Dire Wolf 6 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8+2): 4/6: Miss.

    Furi: Spirit (d6): 14: Success with a raise. He’s not shaken.
    Furi attacks Dire Wolf 1.
    Fighting (d10-1): 8/6: Hit.
    Damage (2d10): 5/6: No damage.
    Atiel: Spirit (d6): 5: Success. She’s not shaken.
    Atiel attacks Dire Wolf 4.
    Fighting (d6-2): 8/6: Hit.
    Damage (2d6): 12/6: Wolf is Wounded and out.

    Round 2:
    Party: 2♦️
    Wolves: 8♣️

    Dire Wolf 1 attacks Furi.
    Fighting (d8+2): 3/6: Miss
    Dire Wolf 2 attacks Furi.
    Fighting (d8+2): 15/6: Hit with Raise. Go for the throat.
    Damage (d8+d6+d6): 22/7: 3 more Wounds for a total of 4.
    Furi will spend his last Benny and attempt to soak a wound.
    Furi: Vigor (d10-1): 7: Success, no raise.
    Furi has no more bennies and is incapacitated.
    Dire Wolf 3 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8+2): 7/6: Hit.
    Damage (d8+d6): 3/5: No Damage
    Dire Wolf 5 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8+2): 7/6: Hit.
    Damage (d8+d6): 9/5: Wounded.
    Atiel will spend a Benny and attempt to soak the damage.
    Atiel: Vigor (d6-2): 8/4: Success with a raise. She’s not wounded further.
    Dire Wolf 6 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8+2): 5/6: Miss

    Atiel attacks Dire Wolf 5.
    Fighting (d6-2): 0.
    Atiel spends a Benny to reroll the attack.
    Fighting (d6-2): 8/6: Hit.
    Damage (2d6): 9/6: Shaken.

    Round 3:
    Party: 7♥️
    Wolves: 6♣️

    Atiel attacks Wolf 5.
    Fighting (d6-2): 3/6: Miss

    Q: Does Dire Wolf 1 perform a Coup de Grace on Furi?
    A: Yes. Furi does.

    Dire Wolf 2 attacks Atiel
    Fighting (d8+2): 5: Miss
    Dire Wolf 3 attacks Atiel
    Fighting (d8+2): 3: Miss
    Dire Wolf 5 Spirit roll.
    Spirit (d6): 1: Remains Shaken.
    Dire Wolf 6 attacks Atiel
    Fighting (d8+2): 4: Miss

    Round 4:
    Party: Q♣️
    Wolves: 2♥️

    Atiel attacks Dire Wolf 5.
    Fighting (d6-2): 3/6: Miss

    Dire Wolf 1 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8+3): 6/6: Hit
    Damage (d8+d6): 11/5: Wounded
    Dire Wolf 2 attacks Atiel.
    Fighting (d8+3): 15/6: Hit, with a raise, Go for the throat.
    Damage (d8+d6+d6): 11/5: Wounded. Atiel is incapacitated.

    The next day finds them walking in the tall grass plains under rain.
    Suddenly Furi notices the top of the grass stalks move. He draws his great axe, and Atiel readies her sword.
    Not a moment after, they are jumped upon by wolves.
    Not the small ones. These are giant beasts that the goblins tame and ride in battle.
    Furi tries to hack at them unsuccessfully, and they gnaw and slash at him. Finally the jaws of a mighty beast find the opening in his armor near the neck, and it gashes open a wound.
    Atiel has already thrust her sword in the belly of a beast, but seeing her companion fall, she lets out a scream.
    The wolves seem undeterred and they follow up, tearing apart the fallen dwarf.
    Atiel tries to survive, but to no avail. She wounds another wolf, but she is outnumbered. Soon, her leg is bleeding and she can’t stand well. Another attack rips her arm, and finally a wolf jumps on top of her, it’s bite killing the fair elf.

    Session Background: Ouch, Savage Worlds is indeed furious.
    I don’t know the system balance, so in retrospect, 6 dire wolves were too much for two characters.
    Also I failed to use my characters edges. Furi should have Sweeped at them, and if he failed, use a Benny to reroll the attack. Should have known better. You can’t draw a fight for long. You must take advantage at all costs or perish as I did.
    I’m new to Savage Worlds and did a few mistakes at the combat rules here and there, but I’m eager to learn them and try again with other parties.
    About the Background Surprise Events Framework. Since I had an event trigger and I was wondering about it, I consider the experiment successful. There is of course room for improvement.
    Regarding the Into the heart of the Unknown Hexflower Engine, I must say I loved it. If I spend the time to design an encounter list to my liking, then I will have results without much effort. It’s very good for wilderness encounters and mapping the wild. The weather and terrain Engine could be modified a bit to fit other climates and seasons if needed, since now they are for a temperate region.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    giorgis 10:12 am on November 6, 2019 Permalink | Reply
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    Return from Syriholm S2E00-S2E01 

    So, I want to play test my Background Suprise Events ruleset. In order to do that, I’ve decided to return to my Hexflower dungeon crawl adventure and pick it up from there.
    I’ll be switching gears from MiniSix which had serious balance issues for me, to Savage Worlds. So I went ahead and converted the two survivors to SW and since they got out of Syriholm alive, also gave them 5 exp, and an advance, which I spent.

    Below are their stats.

    Name Furi Grinarson
    Archetype Fighter,Great Weapon
    Race Dwarf
    Attributes
    Agility d6
    Smarts d4
    Spirit d6
    Strength d10
    Vigor d8
    Skills
    Fighting d10
    Intimidation d6
    Notice d6
    Repair d4
    Taunt d6
    Low light vision
    Charisma –
    Pace 5
    Parry 7
    Toughness 7+2
    Hindrances Code of Honor,Loyal,Greedy minor
    Edges Brawny,Sweep
    Experience Points 5
    Advance –
    Weapons Great Axe
    Armor Chain Hauberk
    Name Atiel Nerdalye
    Archetype Marksman
    Race Elf
    Attributes
    Agility d12
    Smarts d6
    Spirit d6
    Strength d6
    Vigor d6
    Skills
    Fighting d6
    Healing d6
    Notice d6
    Shooting d10
    Stealth d4
    Taunt d6
    Tracking d6
    Low light vision
    Charisma –
    Pace 6
    Parry 5
    Toughness 6\
    Hindrances Heroic, Phobia minor snakes,Loyal, All Thumbs
    Edges Alertness
    Experience Points 5
    Advance
    Weapons Bow, Short Sword
    Armor Leather

    Furi managed to recover the great axe heirloom from the hands of Gorkil. I decide that this axe of dwarven craftsmanship will inflict a +1 step on the damage die on a raise (d12).

    Normally I wouldn’t list them, but since this is an example playtest of the ruleset I will describe the possible background events that may unravel for the party:

    Suit Event
    Hearts Their dead party members family reaches up to them and have a request
    Diamonds Rumors of their journey in Syriholm reaches unsavory characters who will ambush them for their supposed treasure
    Clubs The orc new leader to prove his mettle, has sent assassins after them
    Spades Both members were severely wounded, maybe a wound has festered? Furi drank a concoction of dragon’s blood, could this have some side effects?

    So, staying true to the Hexflower, I will be using In the heart of the unknown Hexflower engine from goblin’s henchman.
    It has a terrain engine, an encounter engine and a weather engine all in one. I will be using the default encounters as described there. The party will start in the mountains.

    What is the objective? I will start off with a Savage Worlds chase. Orc boar riders are after them. They must successfully escape, whether it’s defeating their pursuers or gaining enough distance. This will bring the group together, instead of splitting up to their own devices.

    Additional rules

    I’ll be using the Usage Die and Resource Die mechanic from Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells and the Addendum.
    I feel that since there are dice steps, it will fit in well with the Savage worlds mechanics.

    Resource Die
    Funds d6
    Rations d10
    Torches d6
    Water d8
    Healing kits d6
    Adventuring gear (spikes, hooks, ropes) d6
    Arrows d12

    Prologue-Intro

    Atiel wakes up to the sound of panicking and galloping horses. She’s on her feet within seconds and realizes it’s their own horses.
    They’re already gone, but what startled them?
    She puts her ear to the ground, and can hear the sound of hooves. Heavy and smashing to the ground. Two Orc boar riders with scimitars! She kicks Furi, her hard hearing dwarf companion to wake him up and she picks ups her gear.
    Furi quickly follows and the two of them start running in the undergrowth as the boar riders appear in the distance, screaming their war cry.

    I will be using the Savage Worlds Chase rules to run this. I will use a 5-round chase which is the default.
    The orcs have a +2 bonus due to their boars speed.

    Annotations
    Wild Cards other than PCs will be noted with a ⚜️ in front. When a Wild Die is rolled, it won’t be noted, just the final best result between both dice.

    Round 1:
    Atiel: Agility (d10): 6: Success, 6♦️.
    Furi: Agility (d6): 2: –
    Orcs: Riding (d6,+2): 3+2=5: Success, 5♥️.
    Atiel: Shooting (d10,-4): 9-4=5: Hit, Damage (2d6): 3/8: No damage.
    Arrows usage (d12): 6, No downgrade.
    Furi has no action card and doesn’t act.
    Orcs are at long range and can’t attack.

    Round 2:
    Atiel: Agility (d10): 4: Success, 5♠️.
    Furi: Agility (d6): 2: –
    Orcs: Riding (d6,+2): 2+2=4: Success, Q♠️.
    Atiel has an action card lower than the orcs and can’t attack. The orcs are at long range and can’t attack.

    Round 3:
    Atiel: Agility (d10): 5: Success, 8♦️.
    Furi: Agility (d6): 2: –
    Orcs: Riding (d6,+2): 5+2=4: Success, Q♥️.
    Atiel has an action card lower than the orcs and can’t attack. The orcs are at long range and can’t attack.

    Round 4:
    Atiel: Agility (d10): 4: Success, 5♣️, Obstacle.
    Atiel Agility (d10-2): 9-2=7: Success, she avoids Bumps and Bruises due to obstacle.
    Furi: Agility (d6): 6+4=10: Success and Raise, ~~7♣️~~, 5♦️.
    Orcs: Riding (d6,+2): 1+2=3: –
    Atiel: Shooting (d10,-4): 5-4=1: Miss
    Arrows usage (d12): 6, No downgrade.
    Furi is at long range and can’t attack.

    Round 5:
    Atiel: Agility (d10): 4: Success, 10♣️, Obstacle.
    Atiel Agility (d10-2): 4-2=2: She gets one Fatigue level due to Bumps and Bruises.
    Furi: Agility (d6): 3: –
    Orcs: Riding (d6,+2): 3+2=5: Success, 6♥️.
    Atiel: Shooting (d10,-4-1): 6+2-4-1=3: Miss
    Arrows usage (d12): 6, No downgrade.
    Orcs are at long range and can’t attack.
    End of chase, the characters escape.

    Atiel and Furi sprint as fast as they can, the orc riders behind them in the distance. The terrain is on their side as the thick bushes and branches delay the boars as their riders force them through.
    Atiel finds an opening and lets off an arrow which fails to penetrate the thick leather armor of the orc.
    Elegantly she evades a tree trunk in front of her, while Furi tries to keep up.
    Another arrow misses her target, and distracted as she is, she stumbles and falls in a small trench, getting bumped and bruised. Her next arrow misses again as she is disoriented from the fall.
    Nevertheless they manage to climb atop a small hill and evade the orcish pursuit.
    Without their steeds, they begin to walk back to civilization.

    Episode 1

    Day 1:
    Encounter Engine: Wandering Monster, distant/improbable
    Terrain Engine: Hills
    Weather Engine: Sunny/Rain
    Encounter: Lion

    Atiel: Notice (d6+2,-1): 6+4+2-1=11: Success, Raise
    Rations (d10): 5: Ok

    The first day, they descend the mountains, and travel a hillside. It’s afternoon, when Atiel stops Furi and motions him to be silent. Her keen elven eyesight has detected a mountain lion in wait far in the distance. They decide to make a detour rather than face the beast.

    Day 2:
    Encounter Engine: Equipment Trouble
    Terrain Engine: Hills
    Weather Engine: Sunny/Cloudy
    Rations (d10): 8: Ok
    Encounter: Healing kit downgrade to d4

    The next day, as Atiel checks on her gear, she has noticed worms! They have eaten through a significant amount of her healing herbs. Thankfully, she’s no longer bruised.

    Day 3:
    Encounter Engine: Major Settlement
    Terrain Engine: Arid
    Weather Engine: Raining

    Q: Do humans live here?
    A: Yes, and, it’s a bustling city
    Time of arrival: Midnight
    Q: Do the guards let them in?
    A: No
    Rations (d10): 8: Ok

    Finally at midnight of the following day, they reach Camora. A huge walled city in the middle of an poor arid valley. No matter how much they knock and bang at the gates, no one opens, and they camp outside the walls, waiting for the dawn.

    Day 4:
    Q: Do the guards let them in? (Likely)
    A: Yes
    They will spend the night at the Green shield inn and listen to rum ours.
    Smarts (d6): 6+5=11, Success, Raise
    They find a quest.
    Funds (d6, rent a room at the inn): 1: Downgrade to d4.
    I’ve used donjon for the quest generator and GMA to find out what Sabazzu (see below) has committed.

    In the morning, they enter Camora. They put on their cloaks again, as the humans seem suspicious of other races. A culturally diverse city like Camora thankfully is quite safe for the elf and dwarf adventurers.
    After so many days in the wild and in the Syriholm dungeon, they decide to rent a room at a local inn, The Green Shield, and listen to local rumors. Their coins are dwindling dangerously.
    As they drink casually in the bar, a priest named Enetros recognizes them as adventurers.
    -Please noble warriors. Sabazzu the Terrible and his cultists committed a most heinous crime today. They defenestrated the high priest, a holy man, who fell to his death from the temple top floor. The local militia won’t see to the matter. Bring us justice and you will be rewarded!
    Furi, worries about their financial state, and turns to Atiel.
    -We have lost our steeds, and we are low on gold. Let’s do this one, and then we can part each to his own way.
    -We have to help this poor man get justice. I’m with you on this one as well Furi Grinarsson.

    Day 5:
    They begin their tracking from Camora.
    Tracking (d6+2+1-2): 4: Success
    Encounter Engine: Equipment Trouble
    Terrain Engine: Hills
    Weather Engine: Heavy Rain
    Encounter: Torches got wet and ruined due to the heavy rain, downgraded to d4.
    Rations (d10): 2, Downgrade to d8

    The party has found the tracks of Sabazzu fleeing Camora and follow the group to the wilderness.
    Heavy rain catches with them and soon the tracks are gone. To top it all, the torches are soaking wet in the backpack, and they are left with only a few usable ones.

    Day 6:
    Encounter Engine: Signs of Civilization
    Terrain Engine: Arid
    Weather Engine: Storm
    Tracking (d6-3): 0: Failure
    Rations (d8): 3: Ok

    The storm is so heavy that the tracks are gone for good and they can’t follow. They will continue in the general direction they think Sabazzu has went and hope they can catch up with the tracks soon.

    Day 7:
    I draw the final card and reveal all the 7 of them and I get an event!
    Didn’t expect it so soon. The first three cards where spades!
    This also means that whatever is happening has started a while and out character had no idea.
    So Who? A: Atiel

    Encounter Engine: Lair/Monster Settlement
    Terrain Engine: Special, Chasm
    Weather Engine: Clouds
    Encounter: Giant Beetles

    That’s some good luck for the experiment, but some bad luck for the group! As they meet some monsters in their lair, Atiel’s wound has reopened!

    The storm has ended, and as the party moves on, the ground collapses from the torrents and they fall down in a deep chasm. Atiel screams, as her wound from the orcs of Syriholm sends waves of searing pain through her.
    But that’s the least of their worries, Furi draws his great axe, while man-sized beetles crawl towards them, eager to devour their newfound meal.

    Resource Die
    Funds d4
    Rations d8
    Torches d4
    Water d8
    Healing kits d4
    Adventuring gear (spikes, hooks, ropes) d6
    Arrows d12

    Session Background: I didn’t expect that quick success. An event from the first week of play! Now, I know I have to give Atiel a chance to avoid this wound, but I need to think through the trait roll, so I will do it in the next session along with the combat!
    For this adventure, I did the same as with the dungeon crawl in Syriholm, maybe even more pronounced. I played on a high level. I didn’t go into moderate or tiny details. Instead I focused out. This allows for fast, dynamic play. Less roleplaying though, but it fits well for what I want to achieve.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    giorgis 1:43 pm on November 4, 2019 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Background Surprise Events Oracle 

    This ruleset and it’s playtesting will be my contribution to Solo Gaming Appreciation Month. During the playtest I may need to modify the ruleset, and it’s going to be finalized after the playtest adventure is complete.

    So this idea has been bothering me a while now. How to deal with events running in the background that your character wouldn’t know?

    In social TTRPGs the GM rolls some things behind his screen and you as a player have no idea what is going on.

    Then suddenly, in the next town you are arrested by the militia. The burgomeister was running the fence of the weapons shipment you intercepted in the name of the king and he was notified by a survivor.
    Or your thief barely escaped from the castle with a hefty jewel. He rides off, and a while later he finds out the constable’s men are after him.

    How can we emulate this, by keeping the element of surprise? I know the Oracles have chaos factors and interventions which you can use to add such events, but it feels too random, disconcerted, and on the whim of the solo player to use. I want something separate, running on the side.
    First of all dice as a check are out of the question. If you roll dice, then you know the result, which ruins any surprise and the sense of worry. This leaves me with cards as a randomizer. I will be using a deck of poker cards with jokers.

    So here goes:

    Choose one time unit for card drawing and one for resolution. I find a general rule for Day-Week is quite good, but you may want something more tense.

    Each day, draw a card, face down, and put it aside. Do this for the entire week. The order matters so don’t mix the cards, but put them one on top of the other.
    At the end of the week, reveal the drawn cards. If you get 3 or more cards of the same suit in a row, then there is an event. If you get 3 or more cards of the same suit, spread between other suits, then you get a rumor on an event, and if this happens again in one of the next two weeks, then an event is generated. If two different suits both happen, then the suit that wins is the one with more cards. If it’s a tie, then it’s the one with the highest total. Jokers can be applied to suits of the same color. Order still applies.

    For type of event see the following table.

    SuitsEvent
    HeartsRelationship, Family
    DiamondsDebt, Weregild
    ClubWanted, Hunted
    SpadesWounds, Disease

    So for example:
    If you get an event in Diamonds, then maybe someone the party killed had a wife and kids. He is tracked down and asked to pay a Weregild to the victims family. This can go back to something that happened several adventures ago.
    If you get an event in Clubs, then maybe a wanted poster is raised on the characters because of the fight they had in the inn.
    If you get an event in Hearts, then maybe a friend has come to ask a favor owed.
    If you get an event in Spades, then maybe that rat bite you had when clearing the basement from the giant critters was diseased, or an old wound from the past has reopened.

    In any case when the event is revealed, it’s always connected to something that had happened in the past. If the adventure is still new and there are no past events, try to connect it to the character’s background.

    The event should always give a chance for the player to avoid it or come on top of the situation.
    If for example the character is hunted down in the city and he’s not actively laying low, roll a search/tracking/whatever skill for the hunters against a fixed difficulty. If he’s actively laying low, then the roll is opposed vs the character’s sneak/hide/stealth roll. If he’s found, then check for ambush and run the encounter, if not, then he’s made aware of his hunters presence. For example the homeless kid could run to him in the inn, and tell him that some nefarious looking figures are asking about him.

    Now, if an event has triggered in the week, really early, the event will have a bonus when rolling on avoidance. For example if the hunters were on the character’s trail since Monday, and now it’s Sunday, then they had ample time to find him and ambush him maybe.

    What I like about this mechanic is that it gives the player a warning at certain times, and also the results are hidden until revealed. For example if you had a ‘rumor’ on spades, and you felt that old wound bothering you when straining, maybe you start to take things slow to avoid reopening it. So you spend the next two weeks avoiding close combat and not responding to the insults of the thugs in the tavern, just to make sure that you will have an opposed healing roll if required. Then the two weeks pass and spades events didn’t trigger, and you took all those precautions for nothing.
    Or you had a ‘rumor’ trigger in clubs and you overheard the merchant about how a caravan was attacked and they are looking to find who did it. You know your character was involved, so he lays low, and when the event triggers next week in clubs, you have the bonus opposed roll for laying low.
    In addition it’s a way to connect game character creation disadvantages such as Hindrances, Banes or whatever else they are called.

    So, considering the cards instead of dice again, I realize it’s all about the feel. This could be done with a nice table and probabilities on a d100 die.
    But having the cards face down, makes one wonder about what’s going on each day that they don’t know about.

    Also maybe there could other side rules. If the player has a sixth sense, an active web of spies, insight skill, or is clairvoyant, maybe they could reveal a card in the middle of the week, based on a successful roll, and prepare accordingly.

    If for any reason, the character is otherwise occupied (in a dungeon, in hyperspace) then keep drawing cards face down, but reveal them only when he is back.

    Optional rules:
    If there are more than 3 cards of the same suit, then increase the intensity of the event.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    giorgis 12:14 am on October 30, 2019 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: #SHOCtober,   

    SHOCtober [A crime at the river – A weird noir fiction D6 adventure] Summary 

    Introduction

    Inspired by SHOCtober, I decided to delve in a horror themed solo rpg investigation.
    I began with a basic crime scene of a murder (it wouldn’t be horror if I there wasn’t at least one) and built it up from there.
    In order to keep the surprise element I went above and beyond to not ask the Oracle any metagaming questions and did not use any story generators for the set up, even though it’s harder this way.
    Link to the rule set for Solo RPG Investigation Framework

    WARNING SPOILERS
    If you want to read the story first check the following entries on my blog here: S1E00 S1E01 S1E02 S1E03 S1E04 S1E05 S1E06 S1E07
    Spoilers from here on.

    What I liked: Overall I felt that the adventure was not scripted. It was freeform, but still within a framework not totally free. The Recluse Oracle was a very welcome addition that breathed new life. Whenever I had a False Presupposition, I had to stop and reconsider the story path! I liked the fact that the story built itself from the ground up, and when I reached the end, it did not crumble to a totally different direction, but stood.
    Careful readers may have noticed that in the final scene, when the party entered Verner’s office and met with the deep one, I did not ask the Oracle if the figure in front of them was a deep one or a human. The story was set and we were at the end, I didn’t care for another surprise that may have ruined everything. So many Oracle rolls led to this result, I wasn’t going to allow one roll overrule them. So I decided that the creature was a deep one and went on.
    Regarding the D6 system choice, I’m so glad I used it. The skills were so easily used and blended with the Oracle without effort. Most importantly, balancing the final encounter was a piece of cake. I know what the base attributes are, and I upped the stakes just enough to make things challenging and I was rewarded with an enjoyable fight. If I had used his fate point, Malkowski might still be alive, but oh well wrong choices lead to death in pulp horror games.
    Where it succeeded: The crime scene investigation was performed successfully. I set up clues with witness testimonies, evidence, autopsies and managed to combine everything. A long time ago I used to be a huge fan of police shows, CSI, Law and Order, etc. This helped me think in what I needed and frankly, the questions led the investigation on.
    Where it fell short: Building up the Horror aspect. Maybe if I had a dark room with candles and music, everything would feel different, but being player and GM at the same time and fleshing our the creature, kinda killed it for me. Maybe for the readers it was different, and that’s why I didn’t share the results of the SSSS monster generation, to keep things interesting and unknown. Nevertheless, the slimy tentacles with seaweed hair is a gross picture!
    Also I think I didn’t capture the ’20s feeling well. Even though the setting was in that time period, in my head the images better fit the next decade or two. Not much of a problem, just something to consider.
    What I did against my better thinking: Once more I did not flesh out my protagonist’s character. At first I delayed it for a session or two, but then I decided against it. I didn’t want the adventure to be about Malkowski, I wanted it to be about the crime investigation. In all those shows that I watched, the protagonist’s stories were irrelevant. What made things interesting was the crime and how it was solved, so I did this as well. I fleshed our a basic stereotypical male detective figure, who’s a bit of a hardass, doesn’t follow orders well, and smokes like a chimney. Typical noir detective. I could have written the notes in first person, but it’s not my style.

    Brief Adventure Summary

    The theme is weird noir 1920s.
    The protagonist is Police Detective Stanton Malkowski. His partner is Wade Norman.
    Malkowski is the lead homicide investigator in the death of author Latimer Tilton.

    During the investigation, Malkowski found out that Latimer Tilton had financial differences with his editor Joseph Verner and was also experimenting with the occult arts with his girlfriend, Emily Browne.
    In every second step of the way, Malkowski faces the nearby church priest, Pierre Tillman of St. Mark’s. He’s even found him in Tilton’s houseboat, where we tells Malkowski a story about Tilton’s half-brother, Benjamin Kingston. Tillman now has entered Malkowski’s suspects list.
    Autopsy shows that Tilton died from brain implosion, and a weird stinking black goo was found in his nose and in the crime scene.
    The detective finds contradictory statements between Tillman and Browne, but the evidence seem to suggest Browne’s more likely to be telling the truth.
    A forged birth certificate is a dead end, leading to nothing definitive and a fire breakout in the forensics lab delays the processing of evidence.

    After a second, more thorough search, Malkowski recovers an occult tome from the public library, the Enchiridion of Bilamma, which was in possession of both Tilton and Browne. Norman is removed from the investigation and Malkowski is warned by the police captain, Falkner to stay away from Tillman.
    A couple days later, going after a dead end lead provided by Tillman, regarding the supposed half-brother, Benjamin Kingston, Browne is found dead at her home. Signs of occult ritual are the main theme of the scene. Norman is brought back to the investigation.
    Norman and Malkowski head over to St Mark’s church to gather statements regarding Tilton and Tillman. Malkowski sneaks in Tillman’s office, but finds nothing that could incriminate him.
    With the delays on the autopsy report and the damages on the forensics lab, the next day, Malkowski faces Tillman and gives him his hypothesis, based on his evidence so far.
    Tillman died trying to cast a summoning spell that merged consciousness between him and an unknown entity, which attacked Browne later on. Tillman agrees with Malkowski’s hypothesis and the two of them proceed to solve the mystery and hunt down the entity.

    They meet up with an old friend of Tillman, brother Robert Atwood, who translates some of Browne’s notes. They realize that the ritual markings in Browne’s residence were a failed attempt to protect herself from the entity, and deduce that the next possible targets are the people that in life, were closest to Tilton.
    They head to Joseph Verner’s office, where find him dead and they come face to face with an unspeakable creature. Crablike, with tentacles and seaweed. It brings down Malkowski and a neighbor who joined in to help until finally Tillman decapitates it with Verner’s cavalry saber.
    Tillman sets the remains on fire after getting the downed men to safety. Unfortunately they contracted an unknown disease and perished in the next weeks, leaving Tillman the only survivor.

    Tools

    MUNE
    Light, few page oracle with fast resolution and low bookkeeping.
    Pros: Easy, Fast, Intuitive
    Cons: The ‘buts’ can be difficult to narrate all times, regressing to simple Yes/No

    Recluse
    Oracle with Yes/No, But/And and also False Presupposition. Once I found out about it I switched to this resolution for the MUNE.
    Pros: The False Presupposition helps reduce bias greatly and can give very nice twists to the story. It’s like there is a GM telling you what is there.
    Cons: The resolution uses 2-3 dice and can take a bit getting used to regarding the different combinations. Also the false presupposition just doesn’t fit in certain cases, so a couple times I just had to reroll.

    UNE
    Universal NPC emulator. Worked great for the cases I turned to it.
    Pros: NPC on the fly, NPC backstory
    Cons: The result may not fit the NPC.

    GMA from beta Alone release bundle
    Had to print it out to use it, but it was worth the effort. It has great potential and is a quick assist at hand without having to search my online bookmarks for tools.
    Pros: No need for dice, no need for online portents, tailor-made for rpgs, solves multiple issues with one card.
    Cons: I don’t have the entire deck 😀

    donjon
    This site has a ton of resources from fantasy to cyberpunk to scifi. It’s my go to resource when I want something generated. I only head elsewhere if I don’t find what I need.
    Pros: Generators for almost every need
    Cons: Some generators enhance metagaming (System generators)

    Simplenote
    A cross platform note taking app that I use as an intermediary from paper to publishing.
    Pros: Cross platform (web, windows, Linux, iOS, Android), Note sharing, Markdown, publishing, export function.
    Cons: There are no folders so browsing can be a hard.

    SSSS Addendum
    This is the addendum for the free Sharp Swords and Sinister Spells OSR sword and sorcery rpg. It has a great pulp feel with tons of tables and it’s great for inspiration.
    Pros: Lots of tables. From adventure downtime to monster generation and adventure titles.
    Cons: Had to reroll a few times to find something that fit my adventure.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    giorgis 12:05 am on October 30, 2019 Permalink
    Tags:   

    Solo RPG Investigation Framework 

    #Solo RPG Crime Scene Investigation Framework

    Edit: This is a work in progress. I will be adding more examples and defining the framework with further rules in this page. I will be making short blog posts about updates referencing this link when this happens.

    Preface: These rules are to facilitate a solo rpg crime scene adventure.
    It’s meant to run without a story framework or threads, since knowing what happened kinda ruins the surprise. I seriously urge the reader to follow the rules on Solo Metagaming and how to avoid it, as the entire concept is based on this.
    I’ve tested these with a homebrew D6 system, but it’s supposed to be system agnostic.

    Order of set up for crime scene

    1. First of all define the Known Information

      The crime scene was called in by someone. Who was it? When was it called in?
      Where is the scene?

    2. Then, define the Obvious Information

      What is visible at a first glance?
      Is there a missing body part? Is there a weapon on the floor?

    3. Ask the Investigation Information

      This requires an investigation skill roll. Depending on the outcome you get one or more questions to the Oracle, regarding non obvious items.
      Since most game systems are not mechanically based on delivering information to solo players, I suggest that you use the relevant skill, and decipher the result in a way that a moderate success will answer 3 Oracle questions.
      Are there bullet holes? Is there a wound that may be the cause of death? Are there signs of struggle?
      Example modifications:

      System Rule
      OpenD6 Every 5 points of success, is one answer
      Savage Worlds Success 1 answer, Each raise 2 answers
      D100 Systems Every 10 points of difference from skill, is one answer
    4. Run a specific Search Information

      This requires a successful search roll. You must define beforehand what you search for. It could be for example shell casings. If it’s probable that the item is hidden, then increase the difficulty.

    5. Finalize Follow up Information

      If any of the above could generate more questions that can be answered at the scene, go ahead and ask them. If there are bullet holes, ask how many. If a knife was found ask if it has blood on it. Don’t ask the about the bullet diameter or whose blood it was on the knife. These need a forensics lab.

    6. Run Field Examination Information

      If the investigator has a kit at hand to examine gunpowder residue or blood stains, then perform the respective skill rolls and ask the Oracle.
      Likewise if there is a witness, run the respective social skill and questions and ask the Oracle for the answers.

    Notes on rules

    Always ask the Oracle after any successful skill rolls. The fact that your investigator has a keen eye and rolled a critical success on the search roll to find shell casings doesn’t mean that there are any to be found. Though they can be certain that they would have found them if they were there. So maybe the gun was planted since it wasn’t a revolver… who knows?

    Run a separate investigation roll for the crime scene and the location. Trying to find clues in the location of
    the crime is quite different than defining if anyone in the neighborhood could have seen anything.

    NPC or item generators are very useful, but one must be careful to use only the relevant information. If the generator states that the priest secretly worships an evil deity, disregard it, since there is no way your character would know. If it says that his hair is black, keep it.

    The Oracle will take your story in its own direction. Embrace it and go with it. The more a story progresses, everything will either get clearer or blurred. Makes sense. Not all crime scenes are to be solved, even by the best investigators. Sometimes the bad guy has confused everyone so much, they get to walk away.
    Also some clues won’t fit. Maybe they were irrelevant or their link is lost. Don’t fret over them, try an approach from a different angle.

    These are system agnostic and Oracle agnostic rules. If your system has a separate skill for interrogation, intimidation, persuasion, charm or only a charisma attribute use the appropriate one when talking to a witness. If the Oracle has interventions or unexpected events, use them normally.

    Cement Hypothesis

    During the course of the investigation, many hypotheses will arise. Once you have a hypothesis of what happened that you feel is most likely, run a 6M Why/Why Not analysis on it. Each M, that supports the hypothesis (a Why) adds one point to the hypothesis score. Each M that contradicts the hypothesis (a Why Not) removes one point from the hypothesis score. Each M that neither adds nor contradicts the hypothesis doesn’t affect the hypothesis score.

    6M
    Man:
    The suspect. His character, does it fit the hypothesis?
    Material:
    Evidence (not the murder weapon, see Machine) that supports the hypothesis.
    Means (Environment):
    The crime scene. Are there signs that support the hypothesis? Struggle? Forced entry?
    Measure:
    The reports, autopsy report, police reports, financial trail reports, do they support the hypothesis?
    Machine (Murder Weapon):
    The murder weapon, does it belong to the suspect? was it found on their possession? Is it their favorite tool? Is it a tool of their job?
    Method:
    The method of killing, does it support the hypothesis further? Could the suspect have committed the crime using this method? A slim young woman is unlikely to have strangled a heavyset wrestler.

    Once the hypothesis score is set, any questions to the Oracle regarding the hypothesis from then on will have the following modifier:

    Hypothesis Score Modifier
    1 Very Unlikely
    2 Unlikely
    3 No Modifier
    4 No Modifier
    5 Likely
    6 Very Likely

    If a further Oracle answer modifies one of the 6M, adjust the hypothesis score respectively.

    The adventure is considered complete with the Closure of the case. This can be a different thing regarding the objectives set at the start.
    It could be a trial and you send it to the DA. It could be an occult ritual and you hunt down the demon. It could be a plea from the suspect.

    Scene Example

    1. Story thread
      Let’s say I want to run a ’30s Murder investigation. I decide that my character is a police detective on homicide investigations. I will start my opening scene with the crime scene.

    2. Known information
      All the following question can be asked either with procedural Oracle questions, or generators, digital or tables. For the sake of the example I won’t be using any tools, just providing answers, to make it easier to showcase it.
      The following can be asked on the way to the crime scene, or before, during the assignment.
      Roll: What time of day is it?
      A: 10.00 am
      Table: Where is the crime scene?
      A: A mansion
      Table: Who called it in?
      A: Service maid
      Roll: When did she notify the police?
      A: 8.00 am
      since a service maid called in about a murder in a mansion, it’s likely they know the victim’s identity
      Q: Is the victim’s identity known?
      A: Yes
      Table: Who is it?
      A: The rich lord

    3. Obvious information
      The detective reaches the mansion.
      Q: Are they first responders?
      A: Yes
      which begs the question
      Table: Who opens the door?
      A: The butler
      Table: Where is the body?
      A: Living room, in an armchair next to the fireplace
      Q: Is there a weapon visible?
      A: Yes, and it’s next to the body
      Q: Is it a firearm?
      A: Yes
      Q: Is it a revolver?
      A: No, but, its a pistol, a semi-automatic
      Q: Is it near the hand?
      A: Yes
      Q: Is it the right hand?
      A: Yes
      this could look like a suicide
      Q: Is there a headshot wound?
      A: Yes

    4. Investigation information
      Detective succeeds on Moderate investigation roll, gaining 3 answers on the Oracle.
      Q: Is there an exit wound?
      A: No
      Q: Is there a flash burn on the head?
      A: False presupposition, there is too much blood to make it out
      Q: Is there any other wound?
      A: No, but it can’t be clearly seen

    5. Search information
      Detective succeeds on an Easy search roll, gaining answers on an out-of-sight but not hidden items
      Q: Are there shell casings?
      A: Yes, and, its two of them!
      so one shot missed, maybe during suicide there was a trembling hand, this means there’s a bullet somewhere
      Q: Is there a bullet hole?
      A: No, and there is no bullet strike either (no ricochet)

    6. Follow up information
      So maybe there is a window, and the bullet went out that way?
      Q: Is there a window?
      A: Yes, but, it’s not in the logical trajectory of the bullet
      something doesn’t fit here

    7. Field examination information
      Since it’s the ’30s I doubt there’s much of field examination kits going.
      Witness statements are taken here. Extra care must be taken when using a generator to define the NPCs. If I get a result that says that an NPC is a sleazy weasel, then that must be the feeling that the protagonist gets when talking to them, which could be far from the truth. A perception check is in order for any information given, to see if you can ask the Oracle if the NPC sounds truthful.
      I won’t go much into dialogues, maybe in a future update.

    Now, the investigator has a series of things to look upon. For now, I will jump to the end, and skip the main part of the adventure, but we’ll suppose that the following has been gathered.

    • The victim left a suicide note
    • The victim had suicide tendencies according to separated-wife
    • The victim was rich and had properties according to lawyer
    • The victim’s doctor said he was getting better
    • The cook heard one gunshot, but maybe it was two together
    • The cook says he was preparing a chicken for the day’s meal at the time of murder
    • The butler heard one gunshot
    • The butler says he was in the library at the time of murder
    • The service maid was out in the stables with the stable boy
    • The victim was left handed according to the doctor
    • The forgery expert derived that the suicide note is genuine
    • The autopsy report revealed two bullets in the brain and no gunshot residue on the head
    • The lawyer said that the divorce hadn’t been finalized yet
    • According to victim’s best friend the wife was a schemer who spent too much, that’s why the victim wanted to divorce her
    • According to the butler the cook was stealing cash from the victim whenever he could find the opportunity

    With the above and the clues from the initial crime scene, the detective is certain that this wasn’t a suicide.
    Hypothesis: The wife used a suicide note she had kept from when the victim was in a bad shape and staged his murder. Due to the fact that she’s not a resident in the mansion anymore she must have had help. Considering that the butler knew the victim very well, he couldn’t have made such an obvious mistake such as planting the firearm in the wrong hand, so that leaves only the cook as a possibility.

    6M Why/Why Not
    Man
    The wife spent a lot of money and would be left out with a minimum allowance after the divorce.
    Man supports the hypothesis.

    Means (Environment)
    2 shell casings were found away from the body, someone shot the victim from away.
    Means supports the hypothesis.

    Material
    A genuine suicide note was found which contradicts the hypothesis.
    Material contradicts the hypothesis.

    Measure
    2 bullets were found in the head of the victim. The lack of GSR means that the shot was from afar. Measure supports the hypothesis.

    Machine (Murder Weapon)
    The murder weapon was an easy to use semi-auto pistol, in the ownership of the victim. It neither supports nor contradicts the hypothesis.

    Method
    The wife was a schemer. Having an accomplice fits means she had access. The cook was a common thief.
    Method supports the hypothesis.

    So we have 4 points that support, 1 point that contradicts, and one that doesn’t support or contradict, for a final score of 3. The detective will try to intimidate the cook into confessing the crime saying that the wife gave him up, and will do the same to the wife. If anyone fails to the intimidation attempt, then we get to ask the Oracle with no modifier according to the score of 3, if the hypothesis stands, and possibly get a confession.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    giorgis 1:24 am on October 29, 2019 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    A crime at the river – A weird noir fiction D6 adventure S1E07 

    Tuesday noon, April 12th, 1921, Emily Browne’s residence

    Tillman: Scholar (Occult) (5D/M): 4/3: Success
    Q: Are the ritual drawings for protection?
    A: False presupposition

    The drawings aren’t there anymore. They have been swiped clear.
    “Seems we’re out of luck father. The scene was released and it’s been cleaned up. If we’re lucky forensics may have a photo shot.” Stan says disappointed.
    “Would it be alright if we looked for any notes regarding the occult detective? Maybe we could find something else that will help us” the priest proposes.
    “You really aren’t the law abiding type, eh father? Sure, let’s do a search.” Stan agrees.

    Stan: Search (for occult notes): 4+
    Q: Are there any notes on the occult?
    A: Yes, and they may include spells and rituals
    Intervention: 5: Regress Plot
    I decide that the notes aren’t in English but in Greek/Latin/Aramaic/Egyptian/Sanskrit. I roll and get Sanskrit.
    If it was Latin, I’d have the priest be able to read them, but now they have to find someone else.

    Note to self: seriously? first a false presupposition and now a regress plot intervention? This GM Oracle really makes the protagonist’s life hard.

    I’ll try to do what I can with the stuff at hand.
    Q: Is there any drawing in the notes similar to the one that was drawn on the floor? (Likely)
    A: No, and there are no drawings at all.
    Q: Does father Tillman recognize the language?
    Knowledge (4D/M): 4/3: Success
    A: Yes it’s Sanskrit
    (Small metagaming mistake here. When I deemed that it was another language, I should have rolled Tillman’s knowledge check before asking what language it is.)
    Q: Does father Tillman know anyone who could translate it?
    A: Yes

    “Found these, tucked behind a book in the bookcase. They’re handwritten but I don’t recognize the language.” Stan brings a document bound with strings to father Tillman.
    “That’s Sanskrit. I don’t speak the language but I have a friend who does. We can take this to him.” The priest replies.
    “Let’s go then, father” the detective says and they set off.

    Now, since up to now I was giving 2-3 scenes per day and it’s getting late already, I will ask.
    Q: Is there enough time to go to the contact before the end of the day?
    A: Yes, but, no time for anything else

    I roll for UNE for the contact and I get: righteous missionary.
    Sometimes the dice fill in perfectly. This one is a devout priest.

    The duo parks the car outside a small chapel and get off.
    Sitting on a plain bench next to the entrance is a man with trimmed silver hair and grey eyes, wearing a dark suit and a priest’s collar.
    “Brother Pierre” he says to father Tillman as he approaches.
    “Brother Robert” he replies.
    “What brings you here?” Brother Robert asks.
    “This is detective Malkowski. I’m assisting him in a murder investigation and we could use your expertise in a piece of evidence in Sanskrit.” Father Tillman says.
    “Please, come in then. I’m always happy to help the police” Brother Robert says.

    Brother Robert Atwood: Languages (Sanskrit) (6D/M): 4+/3: Success
    He translates it and has an easy chance of understanding what it it about.
    Knowledge (4D/E): 3/2: Success
    He realizes what this is about, must do a sanity check.
    Sanity check: Willpower (6D/E): 8+/2: Success, and he won’t be needing another sanity check for this subject matter.

    “What have you gotten yourself into? This is heresy!” He says furiously.
    “Calm down brother.” Father Tillman tries to defuse the situation. “The woman who presumably wrote these was found dead. We need to find if she was the victim of an entity and tried to protect herself from it.”

    Tillman: Persuasion: 3+/2: Success

    Brother Robert sighs and nods in agreement, after taking a deep breath.

    “Are there any protection spells? Using the pentalpha magic symbol?” Father Tillman asks.

    Q: Is there a spell of protection with a pentalpha ritual?
    A: False presupposition

    “There are no spells in the notes. Only wards against detection from entities of the abyss. This one requires a full coal circle around the warded area.” Brother Robert says.

    “Does it refer to the Enchiridion of Bilamma?” Stan asks.

    Q: Is there any reference to the Enchiridion of Bilamma?
    A: Yes
    I decide to get a portent from UNE using the NPC motivation nouns and verbs. Learn, Peace.
    And another one: Opress Slavery.

    Brother Robert looks at the detective with worry. “It says that to cast the spells described in the Enchiridion, one must achieve a trancelike state of peace of mind, otherwise the summoned entity will set itself free.”

    “Is there anything else that might help us, brother?” Tillman asks.

    Q: Anything else of note?
    A: No

    “Nothing that I can tell. You should burn these once you’re done with it!” Brother Robert persists.
    “We will brother, thank you.” Father Tillman replies and they leave.

    The detective drops the priest back to his church and he leaves. Hopefully tomorrow he can find a photo of the scene to complement their knowledge.

    Q: Does anything happen in the downtime?
    A: No, and it’s unlikely anything will happen tomorrow

    Wednesday morning, April 13th, 1921

    Q: Is there a photo of the crime scene depicting Browne’s ritual drawing?
    A: Yes, but it’s not perfectly clear. The focus was on the corpse. Increase difficult by 1.

    With the photo at hand, Stan drives to St. Mark’s and shows it to father Tillman.

    Tillman: Scholar (Occult) (5D/M): 3-/3: Success, Complication, photo is ruined after the examination.
    Q: Is a ward depicted? (Likely)
    A: No
    Q: Is it a summoning spell?
    A: No
    Q: Is it to keep something from escaping?
    A: False presupposition
    Another series of questions overridden by the Oracle. I decide that no spell was depicted at all.

    “I can see the occult drawing, even though it’s hard to tell, being out of focus, but everything is plain wrong. I have seen plenty of such drawings, and always the lines seemed to connect, and the candles would be at the star edges, which isn’t the case here. Also this can’t be coal. Some kind of dark chalk maybe? Brother Robert had mentioned coal in the Sanskrit notes. I presume that Ms Browne May have wanted to do something, but either she did it in a hurry and messed it up, or she had no idea what she was doing.” Tillman puts the photo down on his desk clumsily and spills the ink holder next to it, ruining the picture. “Oh no! I am sorry detective” he exclaims.
    “No worries father, I trust the boys still have the negatives. We’ll print another if needed.” Stan says not losing his cool. “So father you’d say that Ms Browne was trying to protect herself, and considering her knowledge of the occult, she did so in panick and failed miserably? The thing that killed her, what do you think it wants? If she didn’t summon it, why did she end up dead?” Stan monologues.

    This could be a rhetorical question but for the sake of storytelling I will ask
    Q: Does father Tillman answer Stan’s monologue?
    A: Yes

    “The notes described the blend of two minds. Could the entity have Mr Tilton’s memories? Desires? Passions? More?” Tillman replies.
    “Could he become the creature? A transfer of minds? We should read the Enchiridion, father!” Stan proposes.

    With that realization, a Sanity check is in order.
    Stan: (4D/E): 5+/2: Success
    Pierre: (6D/E): 5/2: Success

    Q: Is father Tillman willing to give the Enchiridion of Bilamma back? (Unlikely)
    A: No
    Intervention: 3: Entity Negative
    Q: Is the intervention about someone else?
    A: Yes
    So something negative has happened to someone else that we already know of in the list of NPCs, but it will be revealed in the next scene.
    Father Tillman opposes the persuasion roll of Stan, and I will give him a bonus of 1 since he has the item in his possession and it’s up to him essentially.
    Stan Persuasion opposed: 4/4: Draw

    Tillman disagrees. “No! This item is evil. It must be destroyed!”
    “It could tell us what to do!” Stan counters.

    Stan Persuasion opposed: 0-/4: Failure

    “The road to hell is paved with good intentions detective. I’m sorry but no!” Tillman crosses his arms in a definite denial. “Solve it like you solve any of your other cases. Think!”.

    Stan sighs in defeat. “Given that Ms Browne was attacked, I would suppose that the next possible targets are the late Mr Tilton’s close acquaintances. According to my sources these would be 3 people. Mr Verner, his editor that they had differences. Ms Marian Taylor, an antagonist author, and, well you, father Tillman. Given that, father, are you willing to stay with me until this is resolved?”.

    Q: Is Father Tillman willing to stay with the detective?
    A: Yes, and he proposes that the detective sleeps at the church

    “Certainly. I can even prepare a bed for you at St. Mark’s if you are willing to sleep out of home, detective.” The priest responds.

    I did a mistake and doubled back to this point. In general my rule is that until it’s posted, the session is in draft. If mistakes are made they can be corrected, and maybe I can change the order of a question or two to the Oracle, to make more sense.
    So the mistake would be that I presupposed that they would go to the precinct to ask for a security detail for Verner. A few lines down, I realized that it wouldn’t make sense for Stan to do it. No one would believe him and even if he lied and made up a story, the suspect would have to fit. Since that would be a lot of trouble, I went ahead and asked the Oracle to switch gears.

    Q: Is it in Stanton’s power to request a security detail?
    A: No, Verner must be warned in person.

    “Alright father, let’s go. We must warn Mr Verner.” Stan says.

    Wednesday noon, April 13th, 1921,
    Mr Verner’s office

    Since the story fits possible next victims, I want to see if the intervention was about Mr Verner being attacked. 5 points in the score board, means the answer is Likely.
    Q: Was Mr Verner attacked? (Likely)
    A: Yes, and he’s dead.
    Q: Is there police on the spot?
    A: False presupposition
    So I was about to go into a spiral of metagaming. The false presupposition saved me. The police isn’t aware of Verner’s death, so I need to start the scene from there.
    I also made the mistake of asking if the attack was made recently because I wanted to see if the attacker could be around, but I realized that’s metagaming, so I will ignore the question and if it appears in the future (e.g. in coroners report, I will roll again in the Oracle).

    Stan enters Mr Verner’s office, followed by father Tillman. The first thing that catches the detective’s eye as he enters is Mr Verner, lying motionless in his desk chair, mouth open, eyes staring blank, a horror painted on his still face.

    Perception: 3+: Finds up to concealed items.
    Q: Is there anyone else in the room? Since Mr Verner died at his office, the attack must be recent, so I give this a Likely.
    A: Yes
    With Stan’s success, he can see whatever it is. I will roll though to see if its in plain sight, behind something or concealed: I get behind something.

    The commotion of their entry seems to stir something. A figure moves behind the desk.

    I will use the Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells Addendum on Humanoid creatures to flesh it out.
    After some re-rolls on the random tables, I have the following.

    The creature in front of them defies explanation. A couple of slimy tentacles that drool black goo crawl on the desk as the thing writes about and rises. Red seaweed covers the tentacles that sprout from a hard carapace. The head isn’t visible at all, being a indistinct mass of seaweed drooling black goo.

    They must roll a difficult Sanity check.
    Stan: (4D/D): 2/4: Fail. 1 Corruption Point. I roll and get Phobia. Of course its a phobia of any body of water.
    Tillman: 1-/4: Fail. 1 Corruption Point. I roll and get Depressed.

    Initiative: Deep One: 3
    Team: 1
    Q: Can the Deep One attack in one move?
    A: Yes
    Q: Does it attack the priest?
    A: False Presupposition, it will try to escape
    Q: Is the way in, the only way out? (Likely)
    A: Yes, but, they are standing in the way
    It will try to push them past.
    Q: Does father Tillman have holy water with him?
    A: Yes

    Round 1:

    Deep One: 1/2 Move
    Stan: Draws his revolver
    Tillman: Draws his crucifix and a holy water bottle
    Deep One: Pushes Tillman aside: 0-/0-: Failure
    Stan: Shoots: 3+++/1: Hit: 2/3: No damage
    Tillman: Splashes it with holy water: 3/1: Hit
    Q: Is it affected by holy water?
    A: No
    Deep One: Pushes Stan aside: 3/3: Failure

    Stanton draws his service revolver as the thing moves towards them and tries to push the priest aside. Father Tillman cries “BEGONE VILE CREATURE! BACK TO THE DEPTHS FROM WHENCE YOU CAME” and splashes it with holy water.
    It doesn’t seem to bother at all, but as Stan shoots at it, it lets of an eerie cry and tries to push him aside, with its tentacle, without success.

    Round 2:

    Q: Does it attack? (Likely)
    A: Yes, and it’s angry after being shot at
    Intervention:1: New Entity
    So the shot was heard, and the next door neighbor came to investigate.
    UNE: addicted professor

    The doctor next door appears in the hallway. He sees the creature from the door opening.

    Sanity: 2/4: Fail
    Q: Does he ran away? (Likely)
    A: No, and he will try to fight the creature with the fire axe.

    Deep One: attacks (randomly, it’s Stan): 4+/2: Hit: 3/4 (Stan Spends 2 CPs): No damage
    Stan Shoots: 4/1: Hit: 1/5: No damage

    Father Tillman will look to find a makeshift weapon
    Q: Is there a makeshift weapon?
    A: False presupposition
    There is a regular weapon
    Q: Is it melee?
    A: Yes, it’s a cavalry saber, from Mr Verner’s time in the war.

    The neighbor attacks with the fire axe: 1/2: Miss

    The creature lashes out at the detective, furious that it was shot, and grabs his leg, but Stan manages to let go before it wounds him. He shoots at the thing, failing to do any significant wound.
    Father Tillman runs behind Mr Verner’s desk and grabs the cavalry saber on display, as the neighbor, still not believing his eyes, cries out, and tries to hack at the creature with a fireaxe he grabbed from the hallway, but missing the swift tentacles.

    Round 3:

    Deep One: attacks Stan: 2/2: Hit: 4/2 (Stan Spends 2 CPs): Incapacitated!
    Stan: Resist Disease (4D/M): 2/3: Failure
    Q: Does the blessed crucifix assist the detective?
    A: False presupposition, He doesn’t have it with him
    Neighbor: attacks: 3/2: Hit: 2/2: Stunned
    Tillman: attacks: 3/2: Hit: 2/2: Stunned
    Deep One: attacks neighbor: 2/2: Hit: 4/2: Incapacitated

    The creature grabs Stan and the neighbor at once with its tentacles, and thrashes them about, with such strength, that they lose consciousness from the concussion. Not before it has received slight slashes from the axe and the sword, but none penetrated the strong carapace.

    Round 4:

    Deep One attacks Tillman: 2/2: Hit: 1/2: No damage
    Tillman attacks: 3/2: Hit: 3/3: Stunned

    Round 5:

    Deep One attacks Tillman: 0-/2: Miss
    Tillman attacks: 3/2: Hit: 2/4: No damage

    Round 6:

    Deep One attacks Tillman: 1-/2: Miss
    Tillman attacks: 0-/2: Miss

    Round 7:

    Deep One attacks Tillman: 1-/2: Miss
    Tillman attacks: 2/2: Hit: 4/0: Dead!

    After exchanging a few blows with the thing, father Tillman sees an opening. He swings the saber with all his might and decapitates the creature, it’s head falling down a few feet further, black goo covering the floor. The carapace falls on the floor with a big thud.
    He then proceeds to drag the two incapacitated men out of the building and returns with a canister of petrol. He douses Mr Verner’s office, and lits a fire. As the blaze starts to cover everything, he rings the fire alarm and gets out.

    In the coming weeks the detective and the doctor perished quickly from an unknown disease, unlike anything the doctors had ever seen.
    Father Tillman sunk into depression. Questioning his beliefs and how the holy symbols of faith couldn’t help him in his task to defeat evil, and he had to resort to swords and violence.

    Session Background: I enjoyed this episode so much! Even though I made more than a few mistakes, especially as the mechanics increased in complexity with every step of the way. At some point I expected a TPK, even with the random assistance from the neighbor, but the priest had luck on his side. Unfortunately my protagonist perished by a disease (it was the creature’s power according to SSSS).
    Following up, I intend to clean up and write the ruleset as well as an adventure summary detailing tools used and what worked and what didn’t.

     

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