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!

Zeroes to Heroes - Part 2

 Zook stood in the village court, watching as Chief Notty dealt with case after case that morning. Or rather, it seemed as much even though only a few cases were brought before the chief. It was just one of those slow weeks.

"So let me get this straight," said the chief to the man in cuffs standing before him, "you were cheating in the tops tournament by using a metal top instead of a wooden one." He turned to glance at Zook, who merely shrugged. Then he addressed the man again. "You realize the spent more making your little toy than what you would've gained from the prize money, right?" When the other man didn't reply, Notty sighed. "Fine, you forfeit your entrance free and are hereby banned from few tournaments. Oh, and pay a 5 gold fine for wasting my time. Guards, get those cuffs off of him and get him out of my sight."

The chief turned to the gnome standing beside him.  "What's next, Mr. Zook?"

Zook stared at the parchment before him. "It looks like Solgi was brought in again for squatting in an empty house."

Notty rolled his eyes. "She gets money from begging and spends it in this village. Can't we do something to help her?"

Before Zook could reply, a man burst into the court. "Sire, I need your help."

Zook looked to the man. "Natrius? What's wrong?"

Grasping his chest and wiping the tears from his eyes, Natrius addressed the two. "It's Daniel."

Hearing the gnome gasp, Notty turned to Zook. "Who?"

Zook raised his hand high above his head. When the chief stared at him, the gnome made a muscular pose attempt.

"Oh," said Notty, "the blacksmith."

Welcome back!

Last time, we learned that our uber-muscular blacksmith named Daniel has an embarrassingly low strength. Well, a few people on the Mythic Discord suggested to turn it into the plot of an adventure, and I think that's a brilliant idea. So this will be about a group stepping out of their comfort zones to help a friend. 

Just a warning though, if you're expecting an action packed, hack and slash adventure, you might be disappointed. Remember, these are Level 0 characters. They have a ways to go until they become heroes. Not only that, they can't even walk into a shop and buy thousands of gold in weapons and armor. They'll have to move a step at a time to succeed.

And that's assuming they survive in the first place.

So let's get to it.

I'm not sure what happened to Daniel, so I'm going to let Mythic help me.

(Q)  Did Daniel get injured?  (50/50)  No.

Okay, so it's either a disease or poison.

(Q)  Was it caused by a person?  (Likely)  Yes - Random Event.

(Random)  "Strange, Help."

Sounds like it wasn't completely deliberate.

"It's food poisoning," Natrius said. "Evidently, when a group of merchants came through a couple of weeks ago, they traded some food from their home. I looked it over and found out they use a spice native to their land that can be poisonous if you don't slowly build up a resistance to it." Pulling out a small sack, he revealed pieces of multi-colored bread. "Daniel was one of two people who tried it, and it just took effect. This morning, while bending a piece of metal, he collapsed and has been unconscious ever since."

Leaning forward, Notty eyed the other man. "Tell me, Natrius, how do you know all of this? I thought your skills were limited to dying fabrics."

"More or less," said Natrius, "but I've worked with my share of dangerous plants and even learned a bit of medicine, just in case."

"How bad is it?" asked Zook.

Natrius covered the bread again and returned it. "According to my studies, he won't last more than a couple of weeks. His size and health are the only reasons he's lasted this long."

"Wait," said Notty, "what about our healer? Can't he do anything?"

Natrius shook his head. "I'm afraid he was the other who ate the bread. He wasn't so lucky."

"So what do you suggest?" asked the chief.

"We need either the antidote," Natrius answered, "or a really strong healing potion."

"And I'm guessing neither are in supply here," said Notty. 

"I'm afraid not, sire," said Natrius, "but we have to do something. Daniel is my closest friend."

"Well that's easy!" Zook perked up. "We just hire a group of adventurers. They're always looking for quests like this."

"Normally, I'd agree with you," said the chief, "but the problem is every adventurer is elsewhere, exploring dungeons, hunting dragons, and the like. We haven't had a group in this village in weeks."

Zook then got a sly grin on his face. "Then we'll do it."

Notty furrowed his brow. "You'll do what?"

"I was once a hireling," Zook answered. "I'll put a group together, and we'll travel to the next town to find either the potion or the antidote."

"The roads aren't safe though," said the chief, "and we can't spare a lot of guards. That would leave us open to attack."

Zook moved his hand aside. "Not a problem sire. I've got the skills we need."

The chief frowned. "What skills? You don't know any spells?"

"Give me a chance," said the gnome, "I can do this."

(Q)  Does Chief Notty agree?  (Likely, just to get the adventure going)  Yes - but BARELY!

Notty sighed. "Something tells me you'll go anyway." He paused in thought. "Fine, you may form a group of 8 individuals; you and 7 others." He looked up. "Make that 6 others, plus you and Natrius."

Natrius looked up.  "Me, sire?"

"Yes, you," said the chief. "Mr. Zook'll need your skills with medicine."

"But I don't know how to, what do you call it, adventure?" He held up his hands. "Last time I left the village, it was in a carriage with three guards."

"Best I can do for Daniel," the chief said.

"One other thing," said Zook, "we could use some money for supplies."

"I'm afraid we don't have much with business being slow.," said Notty. "I can't do much."

"We'll take whatever you can spare," said the gnome, "but the more you give us, the better chance we have to succeed."

Let's see if Zook can convince the chief to offer some gold.

(Q)  Does Notty give some gold for supplies?  (Zook's +1 vs. Notty's +3 = -2 or Very Unlikely)  Yes.

"Fine," said the chief. "I'll open the coffers and give you 200 gold." As the gnome's grin grew wider, Notty held up a hand. "That's total, to be divided among your group." He then jabbed a finger. "But once you're done, Daniel owes me a sword that'll cut through an anvil. Am I clear?"

"You got it!" Zook jumped up, tapping Natrius on the back and leading the reluctant other man out of the court.

Next, we build the team.

Zero to Hero - Maybe!

 

I recently read the book, NPCs, by Drew Hayes, which is an awesome book, by the way. It starts with a group of adventurers who enter a tavern, get some drinks, and drop dead. Learning that the king is expecting this group (and this king gets rather cranky when he feels ghosted), four background characters step forward and take the group's place. However, since they're not skilled at adventuring, they have to learn as they go, and they even end up switching roles as they learn more about how to adapt their skills to fit their roles.

I decided this seems like a fun way to run a Dungeons and Dragons game. I'd fill a village full of Commoners, each with their own skill sets and personalities, let the players choose the characters, and once they reach Level 1 (assuming they survive), assign them classes, etc.

Unfortunately, I don't have the time to join or even start a group as I don't have the same nights off each week. It just wouldn't be fair to a group to cancel because suddenly I have to go into work at 4 the next morning.

Because of this, I'll use Mythic to run a solo game, with my controlling all of the characters.

Here's how it works:

I created a village with a bunch of Level 0 characters. These characters have no class and at times no race (those with a race don't get any modifiers). Each also gets 4 Hit Points and Armor Class 10 (+/- and modifiers). Abilities average at 10, with 0 for +/-. That means if a character has a + for an Ability, they have a - elsewhere. Also, I don't know if I'll play exclusively D&D for game rules or use it and Mythic (I know Mythic will be used for the story though), but luckily, jumping back and forth is relatively easy. While D&D mostly resolves events by rolling 1d20, Mythic uses Percentage Dice. Converting one to the other won't be a problem. 

Finally, each character will have 2-3 Skills or Proficiencies in certain areas, while receiving a +1 bonus to those (and only those) areas. 

Hopefully by the end of the quest, I'll get 4 characters who can take the roles of heroes. Hopefully they survive.

So let's get started!

This adventure starts in the village of Briskhill. Here's a map to give us an idea where we are (Pleas ignore the descriptions. I realize my handwriting is less than legible.  (Okay, I've had instruuctors turn my papers upside down while trying to read them):

Briskhill Village lies in a valley, between roads that lead to a number of towns and cities. Originally created as a trading post, it developed its own community and acts as a stop for adventurers traveling to larger locations. Also, since it lacks mines, trading occurs quite often. 

To the south of the village is Glimmer Forest. While the trees don't grow very tall (Most are as tall as the average human), they regrow rapidly. And while the residents don't understand why, they do take advantage, using the lumber for structures, objects, and even trading for metals. The wood from the lumber itself doesn't show any magical properties, though it is quite sturdy.

In the center of the village is Central Pond, where residents fish while gathering around the bank for different events.

One event that takes place every few months in the village is Tops Spinning. Anyone wishing to enter the contest pays and Entrance Fee (5 sp). In return, they get a block of wood that they can carve in whatever shape for their top that they choose. Competitors then spin their tops on one of the selected tables, tournament style. The winner gets 25 gp while the runners up get 10, 5, 2, and 1 gp prizes. In addition, people gamble on winners.

Briskhill Village is run by Jerey Nottbary, a halfling former merchant who helped established the village. While too old to work a normal job anymore, he does give advice to merchants who wish to start their trade in the village. Generally cheerful and charming, he's known as Chief Notty to the people who live in his village.

(Going by the Lord British Postulate), I'm only assigning him basic stats:

+3 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma. Skills in Persuasion, Insight, and Perception.

Now let's look at some of the other residents of this village (They'll be more later on). Hopefully, a few of them will become heroes in the near future. In most cases, I used a combination of D&D's rules and Mythic's 1 Page Character Crafter to create them, with 1 Page Mythic filling in the blanks. Note that if an Ability isn't listed, it's treated as 10 (0 modifier)

Mr. Zook

Zook (The villagers call him Mr. Zook) is a halfling who serves Chief Notty as Court Wizard. However, he possesses no actual magical ability. Instead, he has an amulet that glows in the presence of magic. Also, he has knowledge of magic and a a bit of showmanship, throwing his hands in the air to try and tricks others into thinking he's casting a spell. Mostly, he tries to protect the Chief while also making sure people don't cheat in the tops tournaments.

(Deciding that Zook is my main character, I wanted to know more about him so I made a few rolls. First, since I couldn't decide on a clan name, I decided he didn't have one, but I wanted to know why.)

(Detail)  What happened to Zook with his clan?  "Emotion, Deception."

(Q)  Did this have something to do with a female?  (Likely)  "Yes."

Zook was banished from his village after things went very bad with a woman he was trying to court (He never mentioned the details, but apparently, he thought highly of her at the time).

(That helps. Now I want to know about his history with magic.)

(Detail)  How did Zook get his amulet?  "NPC, Control"

(Detail)  What happened?  "Nature, Harm, Fight."

(Q)  Was this harm deliberate?  (Likely)  "Yes."

Needing a way to survive, Zook served a wizard for some time. At one point, the wizard tried to burn down a forest so he could get his tower constructed. The wizard entered the forest, but screams were heard. Zook rushed into the forest but only found his master's bloody cloak and amulet. After getting the cloak cleaned and fitted for his size(It's not magical), he donned it and the amulet and eventually found his way into the court of Chief Notty.

Mr. Zook.  Male Gnome.  -2 Str, +1 Int, +1 Cha. Skills:  Arcanum, Deception.

(Zook's amulet can Detect Magic up to 10 feet. However, every time it detects a spell, roll 1d10. Rolling equal to or less than the Spell Level causes the amulet to explode).

Govi

Govi has lived in Briskhill all of her life. Her parents died when she was very young, so now she lives with her uncle Daniel, the village blacksmith, and works as his apprentice. Govi is in excellent shape and works hard, but outside the shop, she tends to trip over her own feet. Also, she doesn't like verbal interaction much and can be terse, blunt, and brutally honest.

Govi:  Human female. +1 Str, +1 Con, -1 Dex, -1 Cha.  Skills:  Athletics, blacksmith tools.

Vina

Vina is a former bandit who's trying to get away from her former life. Unfortunately, a life of impulsive decisions and knee-jerk reactions didn't go well for her. Trying not to stand out, she lives by sweeping and cleaning shops. However, she earns most of her money competing with her top, which is shaped like a crystal shard. Having won a number of tournaments with it, she calls it her lucky charm.

Vina.  Female Human.  Dex +1, Wis -1.  Skills:  Sleight of Hand.

(Vina also possesses her top, which she named Thresher. It gains a +3 when she's gaming.)

Natrius

Known by his friends as Nate, Natrius is the village dyer. An expert on using plants to create different colors, he supplies the villagers, usually for buildings, signs, and even writing ink for the court. Natrius learned (the hard way) which plants also are useful and dangerous, a side effect of his profession.

Natrius:  Human male.  Str -1, Con +1.  Skills:  Nature, Medicine.

Fara

Fara is the bartender of the village's only tavern. Having watched a few tops tournaments, she got an idea to increase business. When traveling merchants and adventurers enter her tavern, she's play to their pride, encouraging them compete, while conveniently leaving the details, such as that it's not fights or athletic contests. She also collects wagers, so she does her best to get newcomers to compete, knowing they usually lose in the process.

Fara:  Human female.  Str -1, Cha +1.  Skills:  Persuade, Insight.

Loffo

Loffo is Fara's closest friend, whom she sees as a younger brother. He works the farm, where he spends most of his days. While not very bright, he does know how to grow crops quite well. However, he also helps Fara in another way. Being a huge, hulking person, he tends to intimidate anyone stepping out of line in the tavern. But Fara also points to him when convincing outsiders to compete in the tournament, though they don't realize until too late that he has his own set of tops. Loffo doesn't mind this as Fara keeps him fed and lets him sleep in one of the bunks for free.

Loffo.  Male (unknown race):  Str +1, Int -1.

Hollyn

Hollyn is an orc who works as a woodcutter. 

(That's all I've got, so far).

(Q)  Did something bad happened to her in her past?  (Likely)  "Yes."

(Detail)  What happened to her?  "Competition, Setback, Harm."

When she was younger, Hollyn hunted with her clan. Several others tried to sabotage her, and in her anger, she killed them. Deciding that was the perfect time to see new sights, she traveled until settling in the village.  She gets along with the other villagers pretty well, though when not doing business, she keeps to herself.

Hollyn:  Female orc:  All stats 0.  Proficiency:  woodcutter's ax.

Oskar

Oskar is the tavern cook, working for Fara and sleeping in a bunk for free. 

(That's all I've got. Let's see what else I can come up with)

(Mind Descriptor)  "Insight, Old."

Oskar is middle-aged but still in good shape. He's learned a variety of cooking recipes over the years, and his delicious foods have made him quite popular. Knowing he brings in business, Fara pays him well and gives him a lot of freedom with his cooking.

Oskar:  Male dwarf.  Con +1, Dex -1.  Skills: Perception, Proficiency:  chef's tools.

(This next one threw me through a loop.)

Daniel

Daniel is Govi's uncle and the village blacksmith. A huge man, he's quite skilled at shoeing horses, making weapons, and shaping armors. 

When I rolled up this character, I got the following Descriptors:

(Identity)  "Strong"

(Mind)  "Social"

(Body)  "Strong"

(Talent)  "Strong"

(Sure sounds fitting for a blacksmith, right? Weeeelllll . . . )

Daniel:  Human Male:  Str -3

(Yep, -3! So what does that mean? Well thanks to several people on the Mythic Discord, I came up with an idea, which is where are adventure starts.)

Well, next time . . .