Zeroes to Heroes - Part 9 - The Plan in Motion

 So the heroes have their plan. Now's the time to put this plan into motion. But first, they have to locate Perth.

(Q)  To they catch up to Perth?  (Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Does she have a home in the woods?  (Likely)  X-Yes.  

"There they are." Zook pointed as the group moved through the woods. Between several trees, they found a two-story cottage built of bricks, which explained why it looked in excellent condition. Perth's two hired thugs stood outside. "Remember, no matter what happens, stick to the plan."

"Unless the plan goes down the sewers," Natrius added, "then, of course we improvise, or run."

As the group approached, one thug drew is sword while the other pointed his crossbow. "That's close enough," said the second.

"We want to speak with Perth," said Zook. "We're from the village she plans to attack and we want to negotiate."

For this, I'll make a Charisma roll of Zook vs. the second thug (using Bandit stats).

(Ability)  Does Zook win?  (+1 = Likely)  Yes.

"Fine." The thug went inside. A few moments later, Perth emerged, wearing her robes. 

"I am told you have a valid reason for summoning, commoner," she said.

"We are from Briskhill Village," said Zook. "We know you plan to attack it, that's why you poisoned two of our people. We're here to negotiate for our people's safety."

Perth eyed the gnome suspiciously. "And you are?"

"I am Mr. Zook, court wizard," Zook answered.

"And what is that?" she pointed to the glowing amulet around his neck.

"This amulet," he answered, "both detects and enhances magic. It was a gift from my deceased master." He held it for a moment. "Spare our village and it's yours."

 Let's see if she falls for this plan. It's be Zook's Deception vs. Perth's wisdom.

(Ability)  Does Zook deceive Perth?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  Yes.

"Very well," Perth said. "In exchange for your magical amulet, I shall spare your pitiful village.

Natrius watched the woman carefully, wondering if she meant what she said.

Natrius will perform a Wisdom roll to see if he can tell if she's lying. He has +1.

(Ability)  Can Natrius tell if Perth is lying?  (+1 = Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Is Perth Lying?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

Natrius tapped Zook's shoulder, a signal that the old woman had no intention of cooperating after she got the amulet. Noting this, Zook pretended to be nervous.

Perth held out her hand. "Now the amulet."

Zook pretended to hold out the amulet while stepping back in terror.

"For Kor's sake," said Vina, rolling her eyes, "our people are in danger." Snatching it out of Zook's hand, she handed it to Perth. "Here." But as she did so, Vina attempted to steal Perth's bracelet right off her wrist.

Vina will perform a Sleight of Hand (+2) check, again versus Perth's Wisdom (0).

(Ability)  Does Vina succeed?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Does Perth attempt to use her Shocking Grasp spell?  (Likely)  Yes.

Perth has +2 Prof, +1 from her Intelligence for +3 Spell Attack. This is versus Vina's +1 Dex.

(Clash)  Does Perth hit Vina?  (+3 vs. +1 = Very Likely)  Yes.

Vina takes 7 damage and collapses.

(By the way, yes, I'm mixing Mythic and DnD rules. I don't see a problem with it, especially since I'm running the game solo, and jumping back and forth doesn't seem to pose a problem.)

While handing the amulet to Perth, Vina managed to slip the old woman's bracelet off. However, as she did so, Perth grabbed her wrist and hit her with a shock strong enough to send her flying back. Vina hit the ground, her eyes closed.

Seeing this, Solgi snuck around, attempting to retrieve the bracelet.

Solgi will make a stealth roll (+1) vs. Perth and her thugs (+2 total).

(Ability)  Does Solgi succeed?  (+1 vs. +2 = -1 = Unlikely)  Yes.

While the old woman laughed, Solgi snuck over to Solgi, and grabbed the bracelet, slipping it into her pocket.

"Nice try." Perth's fingers traced over Zook's amulet, which glowed. "Now leave my sight before I turn you all into ash."

Natrius rushed over to check on Vina.

First I'm making a Death Saving Throw for Vina. She needs 3 to either stabilize or die.

(First roll):  Fail.

Natrius rushed over and made a medicine roll to help her.

(Ability)  Does Natrius succeed?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  Yes.

Applying some salves, he managed to get her breathing again, but she regain unconscious. Motioning to Solgi, the two picked her up as the group headed for the clearing.

(Q)  Does Perth notice her bracelet is missing?  (Very Likely)  X-Yes.

(Oh boy.)

The group had just reached the clearing when they heard a shriek. The old woman and her thugs approached.

"You have defied me for the final time!" Perth lifted her fingers, which crackled. One thug aimed his crossbow while the other lifted his sword and charged.

(Q)  Is Perth going to use her Bonfire spell?  (Very Likely)  No.

Okay, so she's going for her shocking grasp instead. 

(Q)  Who is she aiming for?  (Rolling 1d8)  Vina.

Vina is currently being held by Natrius and Solgi, making her an easy target. Natrius and Solgi will attempt to make an Escape move.

(Clash)  Does Solgi succeed? (+2 vs. +2 = 50/50)  X-No.

I'm ruling that the Exceptional  result means the old woman is wide open for attacks from the others. Also, for the challenge, I decided she has her Mage Armor activated and has 1 Shield ready to cast. 

I'm also ruling that Ivor is the closest and will attempt to attack Perth with his Great Club.

Ivor has +1 Proficiency bonus vs. Perth's AC of 13.

(1d20 roll for Ivor)  19 +1 = 20.

Even if she uses Shield (+5 AC), the move would hit.

5 Damage. This brings Perth down to 1 HP. She's still alive, but barely.

Reaching the group, Perth sprang, screaming towards the unconscious Vina, thinking she still had the bracelet. "Give it back!"

Luckily, Solgi and Natrius pulled her out of the way. As Perth stumbled, Ivor stepped forward and dropped his great club right over the old woman's head. She fell to all four's, with blood pouring through her hair.

Her two thugs prepared their weapons and attacked to save the old woman.

Thug #1 (Scimitar) will attack (rolling 1d8)  Ivor. Kerri and Milo will try and attack the thug.

Thug #1 gets +3 to attack, while Kerri gets +1, +1 from Milo.

(Clash)  Do Kerri and Milo hit the Thug?  (+2 vs. +3 = -1 = Unlikely)  X-Yes.

Damage:  7 (Kerri) + 4 (Milo) = 11, dropping Thug #1 to 0 HP.

The thug pointed his scimitar and charged towards the cloaked man. But Kerri got there first. Swinging her own club, she caught the man in the ribs, doubling him over. Milo fired his crossbow, catching the thug in the back. He fell over.

That leaves the last thug versus Jaree. Both have crossbows. Thug # 2 has +3 Attack vs. Jaree with +2.

(Clash)  Does Jaree win the Clash?  (+2 vs. +3 = -1 = Unlikely)  No.

Damage:  3 + 1 = 4, dropping Jaree to 0 HP.

Jaree Makes a Death Saving Throw:  1. Fail, 2. Fail, 3. Pass, 4. Fail.

Jaree is dead.

Jaree pointed his crossbow at the thug, who pointed his own. Both fired, but Jaree looked down to see the bolt in his stomach. Dropping his weapon, he collapsed to the ground.

Seeing the former guard fall, Zook pointed his staff and roared. "Now you've done it! Feel the fury from the stars." Muttering gibberish just loud enough to be heard, he locked eyes with the thug.

Zook is attempting to distract the thug, who will use escape to resist it. It's +2 Deception vs. 0.

(Clash)  Does Zook succeed?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  Yes.

This gives the thug -1 on his next roll.

The thug stared back at the gnome, just for a moment, but long enough.

Reaching her feet, Perth lifted her hands at the group. Flames emanated from her fingers and the group prepared to respond. Lowering Vina to the ground, Natrius and Solgi pulled out their weapons to attack. 

This will be a combined Clash. If Perth wins, she casts her Create Bonfire, causing everyone who fails their Save to suffer 1d8 Damage. In other words, near instant death for everyone. 

Ivor, Kerri, and Milo all attack Perth. I'll use Ivor's +2 + 1 for each ally, for a total of +4. This is vs. Perth's +3 Spell casting.

(Clash)  Do the heroes succeed?  (+4 vs. +3 = Likely)  Yes, Random Event. 

(Event)  "Conclude, Burden"

(Q)  Does the amulet explode?  (Impossible, since it's 1 in 10 chance)  Yes.

Before the old woman could cast her spell, Ivor and Kerri both swung their clubs, while Milo fired his crossbow. Perth threw up her shield spell to protect her. All of the attacks bounced off her magical barrier, and she grinned as she faced the group. But then the amulet now around her neck shimmered, and before she could react, it exploded.

Since it's around Perth's neck, and she only had 1 HP, it's instant death for her. However, everyone else in range has to make a Dex save to avoid the explosion. Failure results in 1d6 Damage.

Ivor:  Pass.

Kerri:  Pass.

Milo:  Fail (1 Damage).

The three dove for cover. Ivor and Kerri managed to avoid the blast while Milo fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder. Overall, though, they survived.

Now we're back to the final two. Solgi will use her sling against the final thug. Since he's distracted, I'll allow Solgi to roll without counting her Disadvantage. +1 vs. +3/

(Clash)  Does Solgi succeed?  (+1 vs. +3 = Very Unlikely)  Yes.

Damage:  4.

As the thug was distracted, Solgi swung her arm, launching a rock that hit him in the head, causing him to stumble back.

(Q)  Does the thug flee?  (Likely)  X-No.

(Action)  What does he do?  "Enemies, Start."

Looking at the carnage around him, the thug pointed his crossbow. "I'll make you all pay with your lives. I'll paint the ground with your blood."

I'm going full DnD for this next series of rolls, starting with Initiative.

1.  Kerri, 2. Solgi, 3. Milo, 4. Thug #2, 5. Ivor, 6. Zook, 7. Natrius.

Kerri:  (1d20 Roll)  20!!! Damage:  5 x2 for Crit = 10.

As the thug shifted his crossbow back and forth, he sneered, knowing his opponents wouldn't risk closing the distance. But a shadow fell over him, and he turned to see Kerri standing next to him. Before he could aim his weapon, she crushed his skull with her club, dropping him to the ground.

As the lest opponent fell, the group rushed over to Jaree. Natrius dropped to one knee and checked on him. As the others waited, Natrius raised his eyes and shook his head. 

Ivor stood up. "I shall see that he is honored with a monument at this very spot."

Over the next few days, the group disposed of the bodies of Perth and her thugs. Then they performed a funeral and gave their friend Jaree a grave in the clearing, signaling where he fell protecting his friends. 

After a day of resting and helping to heal Vina and Milo, the group explored the cottage belonging to the old woman, seeing if she held anything of interest.

I'm rolling on the Treasure Hoard table in the DMG, for Challenge Rating 1 for Perth. After all, had she used her Bonfire attack, the battle would've ended in a single turn in her favor.

Result:  60 gp in treasure; 2 Potions of Healing.

"This isn't much," said Zook, "but it'll help us move forward. Too bad the old woman's bracelet broke."

"Speaking of moving forward," said Natrius, "I think we're ready to go home."

"But are we really?" the gnome asked. "There may be other threats out there." Perhaps we should be ready for them?"

Natrius grew nervous. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Zook grinned, "if we can't find adventurers to hire for the future, we should become them ourselves."

So next time, I'll choose 4 or these characters to become adventurers, giving them classes, etc. The other 3 will return home. Just have to decide which 3.

Until then . . . 

Zeroes to Heroes - Part 8 - Unraveling the Mystery

 The eight individuals sat in a tavern together, discussing recent events. 

"So let me get this straight," said Jaree. "An old woman wants to attack our village, but first she tries to get our blacksmith and healer out of the way."

Ivor nodded. "Makes sense. Remove the one responsible for making weapons as well as the one who can heal the injured." When the others glared at him, he held up his hands. "I am not agreeing with the actions, only understanding them."

"But now we need to stop that woman before she attacks out village," said Kerri.

"Agreed," said Jaree, "but first we need to know more about her. There's no way an old woman and two thugs can defeat even our weakest villagers."

"She might be an alchemist," said Natrius. "That would explain her knowledge of poisons."

"She might also have an army," said Milo.

(Q)  Has anyone in town seen the old woman?  (Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Was she only with two men?  (Likely)  X-Yes.

Natrius shook his head. "We asked around, and everyone said she was always seen with the two men. She even bought them weapons from the blacksmith, with the smith saying she talked him into a good deal."

"Did he?" Zook got off the chair. "I'll return after I check on something."

I'm going to have Zook make an Arcana check, with his amulet granting him an additional +1. The Difficulty is Average.

(Ability)  Does Zook learn something from the blacksmith?  (+3 vs. 0 = Nearly Certain)  Yes.

A few minutes later, Zook returned. He leaped back into his chair, sitting all the way back. Gripping his amulet, he stared into space.

"What did you find?" Natrius asked.

"I learned that this amulet glows, not only in the presence of magic, but also if magical residue is present, which it did in the blacksmith's shop." Zook took a deep breath. "We're not dealing with an alchemist. Our village is about to be attacked by a wizard."

(Luckily, she's only a Lvl 1 Wizard, but that's still a threat to Lvl 0 characters. The next part of this session is the planning stage.)

(Q)  Is she still in town?  (Unlikely)  Yes.

(Q)  Where was she last seen?  "Uncertain, Help, Stop."

"Has anyone seen her last?" Vina asked.

"The welcome center," said Zook. "We need to be cautious though."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before we go any further, let's get some information on Perth. After asking Mythic a few questions (and trying to figure out why an old woman would be only a Lvl 1 Wizard), I came up with the following:

Perth

Perth spent her life as a scribe, while her husband made money as an herbalist. After years of watching adventurers come and go through the town, she decided she wanted to become one herself. First, she poisoned her husband to get him out of the way (because that made more sense to her than, I don't know, talking to him.). Then, she invited a young wizard over. She got him drunk and learned all about his spells. Finally, she poisoned him and took his spellbook. After hiring a couple of street thugs to be her muscle, she set her sights on the closest village in hopes of taking it over and making an easy fortune.

Despite being an advanced age, Perth is in pretty good health. She wears a cloak and a bracelet that gives her +1 to spellcasting (I rolled "Delay, Obstacle." I was going to make it an Arcane Focus, but most of her spells do not require a material component.). Otherwise she has a modest amount of gold.

Perth:  Human Female. Level 1 Wizard. Int +1, Cha +1.  Skills:  Investigation, Arcanum. 

AC:  10 (13 with Magic Armor and 18 with MA and Shield), +2 Prof, 6 HP.

Spells:  

Cantrips:  Create Bonfire, Friends, Shocking Grasp.

Lvl 1:  Charm Person, Mage Armor, Shield.

Gear:  Bracelet (+1 Spellcasting)

For the two hired guns, I'm just using Bandit stats, with one using a sword and the other a scimitar.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hearing screams, the group rushed outside. Running down the street, they saw several guards standing over four bodies. The bodies lay on the ground in horrific poses, but what the group found most disturbing was that all four bodies were burnt to a crisp.

Zook turned to one of the guards. "What happened?"

"The old lady," the guard answered. "One minute they were all talking and laughing." He motioned to the charred bodies. "But then these four drew their swords and attacked. They bounced off a glowing wall, and then she called for help and must have panicked because the guys burst into flames."

"Where is she now?" Natrius asked.

The guard pointed to the closest gates. "She and her two friends fled into the forest."

Natrius blinked. "Why didn't you arrest her?"

The guards pointed to the bodies. "They attacked her first. To us, she was just defending herself, even if she got carried away. Probably why that thing on her wrist glowed." He glanced at Zook. "Kind of like the one on your neck."

Zook touched his amulet. "Yes, but this detects magic, and nothing else."

Natrius turned to him. "So what do you think?"

I'm going to make this an Arcanum check for Zook to see if he learns more about her.

(Ability)  Does Zook learn more About Perth?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  Yes.

Finding a bench, Zook jumped on it and stared in thought as the guards removed the bodies from the street. The others stood around the gone, awaiting his answer.

"Well," said Zook, "we now know she can cast a fire spell that hits multiple targets. She also used some kind of mind spell on the blacksmith." He thought for a moment. "I remember the one who I worked for once mentioning a friendship spell. However, when it wears off, the other person gets hostile. That's probably what happened here."

"But why risk it?" Vina asked. "There was no reason to get into a fight."

"Practice, maybe," Kerri said, "and since they attacked her first, the guards thought she was defending herself."

Milo looked around. "So what's to stop her from charming all of us."

Zook shook his head. "I feel we're all too strong for that. And I have a feeling anything she'd ask that would endanger us would break the spell."

Natrius shook his head. "Terrific. So we just have to worry about being set on fire."

"But she's just an old woman." Ivor held up his club. "All we have to do is get in close and we'll put her in the ground."

"Don't forget the glowing wall," said Natrius. 

Zook nodded. "Sounds like some kind of magical shield."

"Well that settles it then." Natrius stood up straight. "We pool the rest of our money together and hire someone to take her out before she reaches our village."

Milo shook his head. "We tried that at the temple. Almost all adventurers are either at some tombs or other cities."

"He's right," said Jaree. "I believe we're on our own for this one."

"You're joking right?" Natrius started walking away, scanning the streets. "There has to be someone who can defeat this woman."

"Natrius, my friend," said Zook, "you sound frightened."

"Me frightened?" Natrius held up his hands. "Not at all. In fact we should march right into that forest an invite the poor woman to a spot of tea. Of course I'm frightened! This old woman just turned four street toughs into charred meat! How can any of you be so calm? I'm scared spitless!"

"We're all scared." Solgi touched his shoulder. "But if we don't stop her, our holes could suffer."

"Which means," said Jaree, "we need a plan."

(Now normally when I'm writing, I wouldn't reveal the plan in case it fails, but this is a game so it works differently. Plus I didn't consider a plan when I created Perth. I just wondered if I could create a Lvl 1 character who could take down an entire village. Now I have to figure out how to stop her.)

Zook sat in silence for several minutes. Then his hand fell to his amulet. "I'll offer her this if she spares our village."

Natrius looked at the gnome. "You think she'll agree."

Vina scoffed. "Not likely."

"It doesn't matter," said Zook. "This detects spells, but I was once warned that in the presence of a lot of magic, it may explode. If we can trick her into casting her spells over and over, she might overload it."

"But if she casts those fire spells in the forest," said Milo, "or worse the village, she'll burn the place down."

"That's why we need to lure her away from both," said the gnome.

(Q)  Are there any plains nearby where fire won't do as much damage?  (Likely)  Yes - Random Event.

(Event)  "Perfect, Expectations."

"There's a big clearing on the opposite side of the forest," Jaree said. "We'll lure her there."

"So how do we get her to follow us?" Natrius asked.

"We steal that bracelet," Zook answered.

Vina nodded. "I might be able to palm it."

Zook nodded. "Good. Try so when you hand her my amulet. One we're in the clearing, hit her with whatever you have." He looked up at Jaree, Milo, Ivor, and Kerri. "Two of you take out her muscle and the rest hit the wizard."

Natrius shrugged. "Well that's it then. I really hated living anyway."

 

Zeroes to Heroes Part 7 - Arriving in Town

 "Well, we're here." Natrius took in the sights as they passed through the gates of Oasic Brook.  They saw brand new buildings with shops and smaller eateries.  (I rolled, "New, Mundane," for a description.)

"Is you friend nearby?" Zook asked.

(Q)  Is Vina's friend close by?  (50/50 because I have no idea)  No.

(Q)  Does Vina have a general idea where she is?  (Likely)  No.

Vina scanned the area, frowning in the process. "She told me she worked in a shop, but that doesn't exactly help us much." Spotting the closest shop, she headed in that direction. "Let me ask around."

"I'll go with you," said Jaree, "in case you run into trouble."

"I'll come too," said Milo. "I'm good with talking to people."

(Detail)  What kind of shop is it?  "Increase, Leave."

(I'm counting the word 'Leave' as in 'Leaves,' like plants.)

The three walked into a plant shop.

(Q)  Is the merchant a male?  (Likely)  No

(Q)  Is the merchant young (like an adult)?  (Likely)  Yes - Random Event.

(Event)  "PC, Harm."

(uh oh!)

(Q)  Is the merchant attacking?  (50/50)  Yes.

(Q)  Is it a case of mistaken identity?  (Likely)  Yes - Random Event.

(Event)  "Strange, Environment."

(Q)  Is the person drugged?  (50/50)  Yes.

As they entered the shop, a young woman spotted them a pulled out a dagger?  "You!" She pointed the dagger at Vina. "Leave!" She charged right at Vina, who stood there in shock.

This Clash has multiple objectives. The woman is attacking Vina, which is called Damage. However, Vina has no desire to fight, so I'll be rolling Escape for her. In addition, Jaree and Milo will try to restrain the woman, which is Effect. I'll use Jaree as the main character, with his +1. He gains +1 from Milo for +2 total. Vina would add +1, but since she's doing something different, it's not counted. The woman gets a +1 to attack.

(Clash) Does Jaree win the Clash?  (+2 + -1 = +1 or Likely)  No. 

Vina suffers a -1 RS.

The woman flew quicker than the two men and stabbed Vina right in the shoulder. Crying out, she stumbled back into a wall. Eyes blazing, the woman charged forward.

Let's try this again. Now Vina's -1 RS does not affect Jaree's roll. However, she can still suffer serious injury, or worse from the attacks.

(Clash) Does Jaree win the Clash?  (+2 + -1 = +1 or Likely)  Yes.

This time, the two men grabbed the woman's arms, holding her back. Stepping forward, Vina wrested the blade from the woman's hand. 

"Why'd you do that?" Vina asked.

"Don't give me that, Suzy," snapped the woman. "You know well what you did!"

Vina shrugged. "I don't even know Suzy."

Just them Zook and Natrius rushed in with a couple of guards, who restrained the woman.

"What happened?" One of them asked.

As Natrius applied a salve to Vina's shoulder, Milo addressed the guard. "She attacked my friend, calling her Suzy and saying she knew what she did." He pointed to the door. "We've been in town only a few minutes.

(Q)  Has this happened before?  (50/50)  No.

"Have you seen anything like this?" asked Milo.

The guard shook his head. "She's usually a sweet young lady."

Raising an eyebrow, Natrius walked over to the plants.

(Time for Natrius to make a Nature check, but I'm going to combine it with a Medicine check, vs. Diff  0.)

(Ability)  Does Natrius discover what caused the woman to snap?  (+3 = Nearly Certain)  No.

(Q)  Do the plants look familiar to him?  (Likely)  Yes.

Natrius shook his head.  "Sorry, none of these plants could cause someone to violently attack a person for no reason."

"We'll investigate," said the guard. "In the meantime, go about your business."

I'm treating the woman as Challenge Rating 0, for 10 xp, which I'm splitting between Milo and Jaree for 5 xp each. I'm also keeping a record of this thread for a future use.

Milo sighed. "Let's try another shop."

(Detail)  What is the next shop?  "Help, Expectations."

(Q)  Is Vina's friend here?  (Likely)  X-No.

The three entered a shop that had an older man sitting behind a desk. "Good morning," he said. "This is the Oasis Brook Welcome Center."

"Oh," said Vina, "I was looking for my friend, Pera."

The man nodded. "Pera Tutor? I just sent her to the city to deliver a correspondence. Is there anything I can help with?"

Milo stepped forward. "Well first, we could use a healer. Our friend is injured. Second, another friend back home for horribly sick from a loaf of bread I had never seen before and we wanted to find a cure for it."

First I'll make a Persuasion check for Milo. I'll keep the Difficulty as 0 because I don't see any problems with it.

(Ability)  Does Milo pass the check?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Location of Healer?  (Very Likely)  X-Yes.

(Q)  Information on bread?  (Likely)  Yes.

Glancing out the window, the man spotted Solgi as the others tended to her. "Oh my!" Leaping out of his chair, he rushed outside to her. "Oh, you poor thing." Turning his head, he whistled. "Brother Romas, over here!" A man in robes ran over and the older man pointed to Solgi. "She needs to be healed."

"I'll take care of it." Romas signaled for another man in robes and they led Solgi away.

"I'm going too," said Zook, "to make sure everything is okay."

"I'll go too," said Ivor. "We'll keep watch."

As they left, the older man turned to Natrius. "Strange bread, you say? There's a specialty bakery a few blocks away. They might know."

"Now, I'm curious," said Kerri. "I've baked for years, but I never saw bread make a person sick."

After the man locked the door to his welcome center, he led them down the road.

(Since Milo passed his check, I'm granting him 10 xp.)

Natrius and Kerri were led to the specialty bakery. A plump man in white clothing greeted them.

"Greetings! May I help you?"

"Did you happen to make any special bread lately?" Natrius asked.

I'm making a roll for Natrius to see if the baker cooperates. I'll make the Difficulty 0.

(Ability)  Does Natrius succeed?  (+1 vs. 0 = Likely)  Yes, but barely.

Cleaning his hands, the man frowned. "I'm really not supposed to give out information about people's private purchases."

"Well," said Natrius, "something in this bread killed one person in our village. The other is clinging to life."

The baker's eyes went wide. "Are you serious? Hold on." He disappeared into the back.

Kerri leaned to watch the doorway. "If he runs, I'll get him."

Fortunately, the man returned a minute later, holding a ledger. "According to this, I was asked to make some bread with Elven Spice for a ceremony."

"Do you still have some?" Natrius asked.

 (Q)  Does the baker still have the spice?  (Likely, as it would make my story easier)  Yes.

"Just a second." Scanning a shelf, he found a pouch that had been place in a basket. "Here it is. Turns out, too much spice messed up the bread so I put the rest aside. She never asked for it, and I forgot about it." He handed it to Natrius.

Natrius opened the pouch, stared at the powder, and sniffed it.

This will be a Nature check with a random Difficulty of -2.

(Ability)  Does Natrius succeed?  (+2 + -2 = 50/50)  No.

"What is it?" asked Kerri.

But Natrius shook his head. "I'm not sure. Let's go talk to the healers. Maybe they know." He looked up to the baker. "Can we take this?"

"Keep it." the baker held up his hands. "If someone died, I don't want anything to do with it. Just know I thought it was a present or something.

"What can you tell us about the woman?" Kerri asked.

Natrius looked to her. "Woman?"

Kerri nodded. "He referred to the person as 'She.'"

I'm going to use the Character Crafter for this.

(Identity)  Intimidating.

(Mind)  Education.

(Body)  Authority.

(Talent)  Knowledge.

(Awesome, I can use my idea for the villain.)

"Oh," said the baker, "older woman, spoke like a scholar, lot of big words."

Natrius looked to Kerri. "Let's go talk to the healers."

I rolled 2d10 to check for a Random Event in between scenes but didn't get one. 

The two entered the temple to find Romas and another priest tending to Vina and Solgi. The two looked better but they still sat with towels over their wounds.

"How are they?" asked Natrius.

"They'll be fine," Romas said.

"Did you learn anything?" Zook asked.

Natrius produced a pouch. "The baker said an older woman gave him this to make bread for a special occasion. She called it Elven Spice." He showed it to Romas. "Can you identify this?"

Since Romas is an NPC, I'm just going to make it a question.

(Q)  Can Romas identify the stuff in the pouch?  (Likely)  X-Yes.

Romas nodded. "This is ground-up Hemlock. If made correctly, it can cause hallucinations, muscular weakness, or worse."

"By worse," said Natrius, "I'm guessing you mean death."

The priest sadly nodded.

"Is there an antidote?" Natrius asked. "Our village healer died, and our other friend is bedridden."

(Q)  Is there an antidote?  (Likely)  No.

(Q)  Does that mean the blacksmith is dead?  (Very Likely)  No.

Romas shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of."

The group sighed, looking to each other in horror.

"Does that mean our friend won't make it?" Zook asked.

"Well, how long has it been since you first saw symptoms," asked the priest.

Zook thought about it. "About a day."

Romas considered this. "Well, it'll probably take a while for him to completely recover, but if he's still alive, then he should survive."

Zook smiled. "That's a relief." He turned to Natrius. "Did you find out where that stuff came from?"

"Apparently an old woman gave it to the baker to make bread for some event," Natrius answered.

"An old woman, you say?" Zook considered this.

"According to the baker," Natrius added, "she was intelligent, but that's all he could say."

"Wait, you said the stuff causes hallucinations, right?" asked Vina. "What about the woman who attacked me?"

Zook nodded. "It's worth a try."

(Checking for another Random Event - None).

Zook and Natrius returned to the florist shop.

(Q)  Are guards still there?  (Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Is the florist there and better?  (Likely)  Yes.

Entering the shop, the two found the florist from before, sitting in a chair while a guard questioned her.

Seeing the two approaching her, she forced a smile. "Oh, my, I am so sorry about your friend. I don't know what came over me. Is your friend going to recover?"

(Q)  Did the old lady give her some bread?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

"She's fine," Zook answered. "Did you meet an old woman recently?"

"Perth?" The florist nodded. "She asked for apple seeds to mix with her Elven Spice recipe. She then gave me some of her bread afterward."

"Was she alone?" Zook asked.

The florist thought about this and then shook her head. "She had two men with her. I just assumed they were her sons or something."

Natrius turned to Zook. "Two men that we assumed were adventurers gave the bread to our friends."

"And she gave some to this woman and allowed the baker to keep the rest." Zook considered this. "I think she hoped they would eat the rest, thus removing witnesses."

Natrius turned to the woman. "Did you eat a lot of the bread?"

She shook her head. "Just a few bites."

"So, that's why she only lost her piece of mind for a few minutes," said Natrius, "and the baker didn't eat any." He rubbed his chin. "So why take out a village blacksmith and healer?"

Zook thought of this, and then his eyes went wide. "She means to attack our village."

Zeroes to Heroes Part 6 - Third Encounter

 We're back for Encounter #3. If our heroes-to-be complete this, they'll arrive in town to search for answers.

Let's break out Mythic to see what happens next:

(Event)  "PC, Enemies."

(Q)  Are these the bandits from before?  (Likely)   X-No - Random Event.

(Event)  "Danger, Gain."

Okay, so at least one of the characters has encountered these enemies before. Can we get a description of them?

(Description)  "Peaceful, Powerful."

(Q)  Are they after Zook?  (Likely)  X-Yes.

(Q)  Is one of them a wizard?  (Very Unlikely - too early for this)  No.

Okay, I'm still a little fuzzy with details, so I'm using the Character Crafter for more.

(Identity)  "Obstacle"

(Mind)  "Block"

(Body)  "Weapon"

(Talent)  "Executive"

That last word gave me an idea. It seems that Zook might have angered someone who sent 'troubleshooters' to have a word with him. 

(Q)  What did Zook do?  "Delay, Competition."

Huh, HA! Got it!

(Q)  Does he have more than one companion?  (Likely)  No.

Okay so one companion. I'll use the Thug stats for him.

(Q)  Does he want the Thug to fight for him?  (Likely)  No.

(Q)  Is he on his way back to the village?  (Likely)  X-Yes.

(Q)  Is the second person male?  (50/50)  Yes - Random Event.

(Event)  "Competition, Delay."

As the group continued on their way, they saw two men approaching. One of them seemed oddly familiar.

"Hey, I remember you," Zook said. "You got disqualified for cheating in the Tops Tournament."

The man nodded. "I may not be allowed to compete, but my friend here can. And he's going to win us all my money."

"I hope you don't intend to cheat," Zook replied.

"Of course not," the man said, "and I was falsely accused the first time."

I feel like they might not be too trustworthy, so I'm going to have Natrius make a roll (+1 Wis)  

against the man's Charisma, which I determined to be +1.

(Clash)  Does Natrius succeed?  (50/50)  X-Yes.

(Q)  Is the man lying?  (Likely)  X-Yes.

(Q)  Does Zook's amulet detect any magic?  (Likely)  No.

Natrius narrowed his eyes. "You're lying. You're up to something."

The man held up his hands.  "What do you mean?"

"You blinked rapidly," Natrius replied. "You also stuttered and glanced at each other before answering Mr. Zook. I've dealt with a few merchants who tried to pull the wool over me before, so I've gotten an eye for it."

"You have no proof!" The man clenched his fists while stomping the ground."

"Maybe not," said Zook, "but I can find out." Wrapping his short fingers around his amulet, the gnome closed his eyes. "Huh. I see. You mean to deceive the good people of Briskhill."

(Clash)  Does Zook succeed?  (+2 Deception vs. +1 Perception = Likely)  Yes.

The man looked to his companion.  "But you, you can't stop me."

Milo stepped forward. "But I can. I'm a member of the village guard, and I'll tell you now, if you try an deceive the good villagers, I'll have you thrown in jail."

(Clash)  Does Milo succeed?  (+2 Intimidation vs. 0 Difficulty = Very Likely)  No.

(Q)  Do the two men seem violent?  (50/50)  Yes.

"Nice try," said the man, "but my companion here is a troubleshooter. He's dropped entire gangs before, and none of you seem like that kind of threat."

His companion stepped forward, pulling out his swords. "And you can't jail us if you're dead."

So a fight it is. I'm using the Bandit stats for the first guy and Bandit Captain for the second. For this battle, I'm going with DnD rules.

So first, Initiative.  I rolled for everyone and got Vina, Jaree, Chet (our cheater), Natrius, Kerri, Solgi, Milo, Ivor, Zook, and lastly (and fortunately) Brute.

Vina goes after Brute.  +1 Att vs. AC 15 (Disadvantage): Miss.

Jaree goes after Brute.  +2 att vs. AC 15: Hit.  6 damage

Chet goes after Zook. +3 vs. AC 10:  Hit.  2 dmg

Natrius goes after Chet.  +1 vs. AC 12 (Dav)  Hit.  5 dmg.

Kerri goes after Brute.  +1 vs. AC 15:  Hit  3 dmg.

Solgi goes after Brute.  0 vs. AC 15 (Dav)  Hit.  7 dmg.  

Milo goes after Brute.  +1 vs. AC 15:  Hit (Critical!)  14 dmg.  

Ivor goes after Brute.  +1 vs. AC 15: Hit.  4 dmg.  

Zook goes after Chet. 0 vs. AC 12 (Dav)  Hit (Barely)  5 dmg.

Brute gets 3 attacks: Vs. Milo.  +5 vs. AC 10:  Hit.   3 dmg.

Vs. Zook.  +5 vs. AC 10:  Hit.  Dmg. 1 (whew!)

Vs. Ivor  +5 vs. AC 10:  Miss. 

So first round has Zook and Milo down to 1 hp.  Ouch.  Next round:

Vina goes after Brute:  Miss.

Jaree vs. Chet:  Hit. Chet is dead.

Natrius vs. Brute:  Miss.

Kerri vs. Brute:  Hit.  8 dmg.  

Solgi vs. Brute:  Miss.

Milo vs. Brute:  Hit.  4 dmg.  

Ivor vs. Brute:  Hit.  6 dmg.  

Zook vs. Brute:  Hit.  7 dmg.

Brute vs. Solgi:  Miss.

Vs. Zook:  Miss.

Vs.  Solgi again:  Hit.  4 Dmg.

Solgi is down to exaclty 0 HP, not dead but out of the fight. Next round:

Vina:  Miss.

Jaree:  Hit.  7 dmg.  

Natrius: Hit.  1 dmg.  (Seriously?)

Kerri:  Miss.

Solgi is out.

Milo:  Hit.  5 dmg.  Brute is dead.

The two opponents swung their swords around, slicing into the heroes. But it was the two guards who ended the fight as their crossbow bolts struck their opponents in the heads, dropping them to the ground.

Solgi lay curled in a ball with blood covering the ground. Natrius rushed over to help her. Pulling out his medicine kit, he applied some cloth and leaves to help her.  

Natrius has +2 vs DC 10:  Failed!

Solgi must now make a Death Saving Throw.  +0 vs. DC 10:  Crit Pass. Solgi recovers to 1 hp!

Natrius' hands started shaking. "It's no use. I can't save her."

Suddenly, Solgi sat up, eyes wide, and gasping for breath. Quickly, the group tore pieces from their clothing to help stop her wound. After several minutes, she shivered but seemed otherwise okay.

"That was close," said Zook, tending to a cut on his own arm.

Kerri looked over.  "What do we do with the bodies?"

"Take what we can," said Zook. "We can use the money for proper healing services once we arrive in town."

Ivor pulled out his shovel. "I'll take care of the bodies."

The group gets the following loot:

x2 Scimitars

Light Crossbow

Dagger

17 gp  (rolled on the Treasure table for Challenge 1/8 and 2).

Chet is worth 25 xp.

Brute is supposed to be worth 450 xp, but i'm dropping it to 225 because I forgot about his Parry ability. That means the group gets 250 xp.

I'm giving 25 to each person since everyone participated.

Milo and Jaree get the remaining 25 xp each for getting the kills.

Milo, Jaree, and Zook have 60 xp each while everyone else is at 35. Once they reach 100 xp, they become Level 1 characters, though I may wait until they finished the quest.

Next time, they arrive in town.

Zeroes to Heroes Part 5 - Second Encounter

After waking up, packing their gear, and eating breakfast, the group started again down the road.

"I hope we run into more trouble," said Kerri. "We could use more experience in dealing with threats."

"Be careful what you wish for," said Zook.

"Yeah," and Natrius, "I'd be perfectly at peace if this were a nice smooth trip."

Standing and lifting her club, Kerri shook her head. "Not likely, and if we aren't prepared, you will be in pieces."

(Time to see what their encounter for today is.)

(Event)  "Enemies."  (Oh really? What kind?)  "Small."

The bushes trembled, and countless rats emerged.

(Surprise Roll) (Did Natrius detect the rats?)  (Likely)  Yes.

(# of Rats)  Same as party:  8.

"There they are!" Natrius pointed.

"Keep calm," said Zook, "we can do this."

(I'll roll for each character so they can get a chance.)

Zook swung his quarterstaff at one rat.

(Zook gets -2 for his STR and had disadvantage vs. the rat's 0 ATT).

(Clash)  Does Zook win?  (-2 = Very Unlikely)  Yes.

(Damage)  Does it hurt?  (Below Ave Dmg vs. Ave AC)  X-Yes.

(Incapacity)  Is it Incapped?)  BA Dmg vs. Low HP)  Yes.

Zook's staff struck the rat in the head. It tumbled and fell to the ground, not moving.

The next rat charged towards Natrius, who nervously readied his staff.

(Clash)  Does Natrius win?  (-1 Att vs. 0 Att = Unlikely)  No.

(Damage)  Does it hurt? (Miniscule vs. Ave AC)  Yes.

Natrius suffers -1 RS.

The rat leaped into the air and caught Natrius in the arm. With a yelp, he jumped back, covering his just below his shoulder.

Vina prepared her sling.

(Clash)  Does Vina win?  (+1 w/ Disadv vs. 0)  Yes.

(Damage)  Does it hurt?  (BA Dmg vs. Ave AC)  No.

She hurled a stone and it just missed the rat.

Solgi prepared her own attack.

(Clash)  Does Solgi win?  (0 w/ Disadv vs. 0)  No.

(Damage)  Does it hurt?  (Miniscule vs. Ave AC)  No.

The rat struck, but Solgi just barely dodged it.

Raising his great club, Ivor prepared for his fight.

(Clash)  Does Ivor win?  (+1 vs. 0 = Likely)  Yes.

(Dmg)  Does it hurt?  (Above Ave Dmg vs. Ave AC = Likely)  Yes.

Rat is now at -1 RS.

Ivor's club struck the rat with a glancing blow. It survived, but started limping.

Kerri was next with her club. 

(Clash)  Does Kerri win?  (Likely)  Yes

(Dmg) Does it hurt?  (Likely)  No.

Kerri's axe crashed into the dirt, but the rat dodged it at the last second.

Milo prepared his crossbow.

(Clash)  Does milo win?  (+1 vs. 0 = Likely)  Yes.

(Dmg)  Did it hurt?  (AAve vs. Ave AC = Likely)  Yes.

Rat is now at -1 RS.

Milo's bolt went through the rat's hide, sending blood splattering.

Jaree aimed his crossbow.

(Clash)  Does Jaree win?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  No.

(Dmg)  Does it hurt?  (Rat's Miniscule Dmg vs. AAve AC = Unlikely)  No.

The rat lunged but its teeth couldn't penetrate Jaree's clothing.

So we're down 1 rat with 2 injured and Natrius is also injured. 

I'm going to try a Combined Clash, where you take the highest attack scores and add 1 for each ally, up to +3. 

We'll go with Jaree's +2 Att +3 for allies, for +5.

For the rats, we have 0 + 3 for +3 total.

(Clash)  Do the heroes win?  (+5 vs. +3 = Very Likely)  Yes.

For Damage, we'll roll for each character)

(Dmg)  Zook + Natrius vs. Rat  (50/50)  Yes - Random Event.

(Event)  "Fight, Danger."

Rat is at -2 RS.

Zook and Natrius flanked the rat on both sides and struck it with their staves. It stumbled, with blood coming from its head.

(Dmg)  Vina vs. rat  (Unlikely)  No (Just Barely)

(Dmg)  Solgi vs. rat  (Unlikely)  No.

(Dmg)  Ivor vs. rat  (Likely)  Yes. Rat is at -1 RS.

(Dmg)  Kerri vs. rat  (Likely)  No - Random Event.

(Event)  "Mundane, Fears"

Kerri swung her club, but the rat hissed. This sound threw off the woman's focus and she again struck the dirt.

(Dmg)  Milo vs. rat  (Likely)  Yes.  Rat is at -1 RS.

(Dmg)  Jaree vs. rat  (Likely)  Yes - Random Event.

(Event)  "Stop, Goals."

(Q)  Do the rats flee?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

The remaining rats vanished into the brush. Natrius tended to those who were injured (although no one was seriously hurt), and then they rested for a bit.

"Wow, our first real battle," said Kerri. "Pretty exciting."

"But we struggled against rats," said an exhausted Natrius. "What good will we do against real threats?"

Zook sniffed the air.  "It's called a learning experience, my friend, and with every experience, we get better."

Rats are 10 xp each, and since everyone worked together, I'm just going to give everyone 10 xp.

Another step closer to Level 1.

Zeroes to Heroes - Part 4: Shopping and First Encounter

 Zook sat at the table, eyes moving to each of the other seven who sat with him. "Ladies and gentlemen, now that we have our group, it's time to talk supplies."

(Oh, really quick, I wonder how long the trip will take.)

(Q)  Will it take more than 3 days to get to Oasis Brook?  (Likely)  No.

"Assuming we don't run into dead ends or detours," said Zook, "it should take us 3 days to reach Oasis Brook." He nodded to Natrius, who pushed small bags to each person. "We have 200 gold, which means 25 for each of us. Now Govi has put together travel packs for us; they cost 4 gold each and include a backpack, bedroll, waterskin, and a few days rations."

"What if it takes us longer?" Solgi asked.

"We go hunting," Jaree answered.

"Right," Zook continued, "now the next matter is defending ourselves. Whether it's wild animals or bandits, we need to be able to fight."

"Fight?" asked Natrius. "I've never so much as balled up a fist.

"Well you better learn post haste," said Jaree. "We can only protect you so much."

Govi approached the table. "I have a few items here." She turned to the gnome. "Mr. Zook, you requested a quarterstaff, so here you go. 2 silvers."

"Thank you." Zook reached into the bag and pulled two silver coins out, handing them to her."

"You have another one?" asked Natrius, getting some coins himself. "I like that it puts some distance between me and anything that can hurt me."

Govi went into the back and returned with another staff. "Here."

"I'd prefer to not even be that close, but I never learned to use a bow," said Vina, pulling out a dagger, "so I'll just throw these."

"Once they run out," said Govi, "you're toast. How about one of these?" She pulled out a smaller staff with a launcher at the end. "Sling shots launch rocks at opponents. It's not deadly but it's something."

Vina took it, paying with some coins. "I'll take it."

"Me too," said Solgi. "I like the idea of striking from the shadows."

Nodding, Zook turned to Ivor. "What about you?"

"Well, I have my shovel," said the gravedigger. "I've used it a few times of graverobbers."

"And I have my rolling pin," said Kerri. "Some fools learned the hard way that just because a woman runs a shop doesn't mean she's defenseless."

"How about these?" Govi handed them large clubs. "They won't break as easily as your tools."

"That leaves us," said Jaree. "Got any crossbows?"

"I do," Govi answered. "25 gold a piece."

Jaree groaned. "That leaves nothing for ammo."

"Or a travel pack," Milo added.

"Tell you what," said Zook, "I'll cover your travel packs and ammo, since you two are the only ones with actual combat experience."

"I'll help," said Natrius, "if you can help us stay alive."

"So that settles things." Zook looked to the group again. "We leave tomorrow morning. Now, my friends, I cannot promise this quest will be easy, but we each have a role to play (That was unintentional, BTW :) ). Jaree and Milo will be our main fighters. Ivor and Kerri will be our walls. Vina and Solgi will keep to the shadows. Natrius will be our expert with finding a cure. And I'll do my best with talking. Now from what I've seen, these quests begin with a blessing from a priest, but since we buried our healer yesterday, I'll simply say good luck.

So our heroes-to-be are preparing for their quest. Here are their current stats. I tweaked a few things since the adventure technically didn't start yet  (Also, I won't count racial modifiers until they reach Level 1):

Mr. Zook:  Male Gnome.  -2 Str, +1 Int, +1 Cha;  AC 10, 4 HP.  Skills:  Arcanum, Deception; Amulet of Magic Detection; Quarterstaff.

Natrius:  Male Human.  -1 Str, +1 Wis; AC 10, 4 HP.  Skills:  Nature, Herbology, Medicine.  Quarterstaff.

Vina:  Female Elf.  +1 Dex, -1 Wis; AC 11, 4 HP.  Skills:  Sleight of hand, Stealth, Prof; Simple Wpns.  Sling shot.

Solgi:  Female Human.  All stats 0.  AC 10, 4 HP.  Skills:  Stealth, Deception, Simple Wpns. Sling shot.

Ivor:  Male Human Variant.  Con+1, Cha -1; AC 10.  5 HP.  Skills:  Simple Wpns, Athletics, Intimidation.  Great Club.

Kerri:  Female Human.  All stats 0.  AC 10, 4 HP.  Skills:  Simple Wpns, Baking tools, Athletics.     Great Club.

Milo:  Male Human.  -1 Str, +1 Cha.  AC 10, 4 HP.  Skills:  Simple Wpns, Persuasion, Intimidation.  Crossbow.

Jaree:  Male Dwarf:  +1 Dex, -1 Cha.  AC 11, 4 HP.  Skills:  Simple Wpns, Lt. Armor, Athletics.  Crossbow.

(Now I know there's some overlap in skills, etc., but remember that some characters may not survive.)

First Encounter: 

(I'm going to roll on Mythic's Meaning Table for the encounter on the first day)

(Event)  "NPC, Obstacle."

(Q)  Are they bandits?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Are there more than 3?  (Likely)  No.

(Q)  Are they attempting an ambush?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

Three bandits hid behind trees, watching the group walk down the road. Seeing them as simple merchants, they readied their weapons to attack.

The bandits will be performing a Surprise roll (+1 for each bandit for +3 total). Natrius, the only one in the group with a +1 Wisdom for Perception will try to spot them, with help from Vina and Solgi (+1 each)

(Surprise)  Does Natrius detect the Bandits?  (+3 vs. +3 = 50/50)  Yes.

"Wait." Natrius held up his hand. "There's something behind that tree."

"He's right," said Solgi. "There's another one."

"And right there,"  Vina pointed.

"Come on out," Zook called. "We know you're there."

The three bandits stepped out with the leader the closest, though they kept somewhat of a distance.

"Greetings friends," said the leader. "You must pay a toll to continue on."

"My friend," said the gnome, "I am Zook the Sorceror, former apprentice to Krospel the Mighty. Allow us passage or I promise you shall regret it." Dropping to a crouch, he spread his arms while making a mysterious motion with his fingers. "Astra Nuolnug!"

"Former apprentice, are you?" said the lead bandit.  "Where's your master?"

"He and I entered a forest years ago," said Zook, "but only I returned." It was somewhat true.

(Let's see if they buy it.)

(Deception)  Does Zook successfully deceive the bandit leader?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  X-Yes.

The bandit leader raised his hands. "Whoa there! Our mistake." He motioned his allies to step aside "We'll make an exception for a wizard."

The group passed the bandits, though Milo and Jaree kept an eye out behind them.

(Q)  Will the bandits attempt a flanking sneak attack?  (Unlikely)  No.

"Well that was easy," said Natrius.

"Don't get too excited," said the gnome. "Our journey has only begun."

Zook gets 25 gp for routing the bandits. Reaching 100 means a character becomes Level 1 and gains a Class. It's a long way to go though.

Zeroes to Heroes - Part 3 - Building the Team

 Natrius and Zook sat at a table at the back of the blacksmith's shop. They sat in silence while drinking from their mugs. A few moments later, they heard footsteps, and Daniel's niece, Govi appeared, taking a seat next to them.

"How is he?" asked Natrius.

"Breathing," said the young woman. "He drank some soup, but that's it."

With a sigh, Natrius turned to the gnome sitting across from him. "We need to move quickly then."

"Very true," said Zook, "but first, we need a team. If we're traveling those roads, we'll definitely need some muscle." 

They both looked to Govi, who was in excellent shape, with defined muscles.

(Q)  Will Govi go with them?  (Likely)  No.

Unfortunately, the woman shook her head. "I'm not leaving Uncle Daniel." She then raised her eyes to the shop. "Besides, someone has to run this place."

Natrius nodded. "We understand." He turned back to Zook. "Who else?"

"Well," said Zook, "the farmer's a big buy?"

(Instead of tying out full scenes here, I'm going to just have a few quick scenes of each interaction.)

(Q)  Does Loffo agree?  (Likely)  No.

Sitting in the tavern, the big man shook his head. "Farm needs Loffo. Loffo no can leave."

Zook nodded. "Well, there's the gravedigger, Ivor."

They found the gravedigger straightening a gravestone. The tall, lanky man in a cloak noticed the two and smiled.  "Gentlemen, what a lovely morning, is it not?" 

"It is," said Zook. 

Ivor nodded to the other man. "Natrius, sir, those dyes of yours worked perfectly for Mr. F'bassio's pigments. Again, my thanks."

"You seem to really love your job," said Zook. "I don't know if I could work around the dead all the time."

"These?" He stamped the ground. "These are but empty shells. When we die, our essence moves on, wherever that may be. My job is to treat the shells, either by shovel or torch."

Zook snorted. "That seems disrespectful to the dead."

"Why? They're dead." Ivor brought his arms wide. "All this is just to serve the living. It's all part of nature."

"Well as interesting as this is," said Zook, "we may have need of your services. Daniel, the blacksmith has fallen ill and we're traveling to another town for help. We could use your physical presence."

(Q)  Does Ivor agree?  (Likely)  Yes.

"Mr. Daniel is sick?" Leaning on his shovel, Ivor thought of this. "I'm afraid I haven't been in many fights, but just tell me when you plan to leave."

"Really?" said Natrius. "You're not bothered we're disrupting the nature of life?"

"Well he's still alive, is he not?" asked the tall man. "If there's a way to help him, then it's best we make haste."

"Thanks," said Zook. "Come by the shop in the morning."

"Well," said Natrius," that's one. Who's next?"

Later, they entered the bakery.

"Kerri!" said Zook.

Kerri, a young woman with broad shoulders and brown hair tied back, smiled. "Mr. Zook." she turned to her customer. "You cake'll be ready by the end of this week."

"But I need it tomorrow morning," said the old lady.

"Madam," said Kerri, "I need time to bake the cake and then decorate it, especially since it's so large."

"So what," said the lady, "you have it when you open tomorrow morning or else. It's not like you do real work here."

The lady stormed out while Kerri kept the smile on her face. "What can I get for you, Mr. Zook? A cake in an hour?"

"Not at all," said the gnome. "Daniel, the blacksmith has grown sick and we're heading out of town to find a cure. We can use some help, specifically your muscles."

(Q)  Does Kerri agree?  (Likely)  Yes.

Staring out the door where the old lady had left, Kerri picked up a rolling pin. "I'm in."

"What about her cake?" Natrius pointed to the door.

Kerri shrugged. "She was going to complain no matter what. I can use the vacation.

Zook grinned as they left the shop. "Perfect. Well, that's half our team. I can probably convince the captain to spare a couple of guards."

Natrius nodded. "That still leaves two slots. So who else?"

Zook rubbed his chin.  "You know, it wouldn't hurt to have a few less than savory fellows helping us, you know, to look out for trouble, pick locks, be sneaky, that sort of thing."

Natrius blinked. "You want to hire thieves to protect us?"

Zook shook his head. "No, not thieves, but a few who are close enough to that lifestyle can help us."

"Spare a coin or three?"

They looked over to see a young woman sitting on the bench.

"Solgi," said Zook, "you break into anymore houses?"

The woman shrugged. "Either the house or a cell. Either way, I sleep under a roof."

"Wait," said Natrius, "you break into houses?"

Solgi nodded and grinned. "It's fun."

The two men looked at each other, and then Zook spoke. "How'd you like to earn a few coin, doing just that, being sneaky?"

(Q)  Does Solgi agree?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

"What do you need?" She asked.

"We're going to another town to help the blacksmith, who's been poisoned. We need someone who's got an eye for the shadows.

"Sounds like fun," she said, "count me in."

(It occurred to me that Vina, the former bandit could be useful as well.)

(Q)  Does Vina agree?  (Very Likely)  Yes - Random Event.

(Event)  "Distant, NPC."

(Q)  Does Vina have a pleasant thought towards this NPC?  (50/50)  Yes.

(Q)  Can this person help?  (Likely)  Yes.

"I heard you were heading to the towns." Vina, the village master of tops tournament approached. "Do you have an actual plan or are you just going to hit each town?"

"What do you have in mind?" asked Zook.

"Oasis Brook," she answered. "I have a friend there who can get us what we need, and she can make sure we don't get ripped off in the process."

Zook held out his hand. "Welcome to the team." He turned to Natrius. "Well, now we just need to get supplied and our quest awaits!"

 By the way, the last two, which I simply rolled up are:

Milo

Not exactly a guard, but more of a village guide who keeps an eye out for trouble, he's better at talking his way through situations than fighting. 

Str -1, Cha +1.  Skills:  Persuade, Intimidate. 

Jaree

A guard in training who's skilled at throwing things, but who jumps way too easily.

Dex +1, Wis -1.  Skills:  Proficiency in Simple Weapons.

Next time, out hopeful heroes go shopping!