The map is actually a mix of maps from different games, to represent the villains' lair. And while I'm using HM characters, I'm also using the 2d6 rules from Fortunes Won and Lost as I prefer the 2d6 rules. In addition, I roll on the Action table every turn with the idea that the witch can Blink if she wins on the table.
Now, on to the adventure!
It's way too hot out, Kara thought as she swept the sand off the sidewalk near the doors to the inn. While Santa Caliente was a friendly enough town, it felt like it kept getting hotter each year.
"Kara, child, what are you doing outside in this heat," Rosa said, exiting the inn. The older woman called nearly everyone 'child,' even Kara, who looked in her twenties.
"I'm just clearing off the sidewalk," Kara answered.
Grabbing the younger woman by the shoulders, Rosa ushered her in. "Yes, just like you spent the morning cleaning all the tables and mopping the floor. Do you not rest, child"
Kara shrugged. "I'm just trying to earn my keep."
"Oh you've more than that, child. I swear you're as stubborn as your late mother." She paused to gaze over Kara. "And you look just like her. Here have some lunch before we get busy."
Before she could answer, they heard gunshots outside and rushed out.
In the street, they saw people run for cover as several men on horseback fired their pistols into the air.
"It's El Maton and his men," Rosa said, stepping into the street. The men drew their horses back as she approached. "Why are you here, El Maton?" she asked. "We already gave you protection money last week."
"That you did," the middle-aged man with a green sash around his neck said. "I'm here today to find a new wife."
"New wife?" Rosa looked around. "What happened to Clara?"
"Ah, dear dear Clara," El Maton said, in mock grief. "I'm afraid she had an accident. But life must go on. Perhaps I will take you, Rosa as my new bride."
With a gulp, Rosa nodded. "I will go with you, if you swear to never return here."
El Maton thought it over. "No, but I will not return for some time, maybe a year, how is that?"
"Very well." Rosa stepped forward but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"No," Kara said, "I'll go in your stead."
"No, you cannot," Rosa said. "You are young woman, with whole life ahead of you."
"I'll be find." Hugging Rosa, she stepped forward and joined El Maton.
(I know it's a long intro, but I felt I had to build up the story).
Arriving at his home, El Maton led Kara through the courtyard. "Tonight, my men, they want to throw a party for my birthday. Tomorrow, we shall be married. Until then, my men have a place for you to sleep. Oh, and if you change your mind, you will join my other former brides." He pointed to the graveyard just outside the compound. "Perhaps I'll be merciful and kill you first."
(I'm playing a Raid encounter. Note that for this game, Kara is completely on her own. She cannot recruit. Her objective is to wipe out El Maton and his men.)
As he led Kara to her cell, the guard reached for her staff.
(To give Kara a little help as she's alone, I let her use a Casting Tool, but only if the guard lets her keep it.)
"Oh please, kind sir," she said, "you see, I have trouble seeing and I need this staff to find my way. After all, it is not much of a weapon against such strong and armed men like yourselves."
(Rolling on the UIC, I'm treating this challenge as Normal. Even though the guard has a lower Rep, I don't want it to be too easy.)
(Success!)
With a shrug, the guard pushed her into the cell, allowing her to keep her staff.
Later, she heard music and laughing. The party had begun, in multiple ways.
(Time to attempt the witch's Bewitching ability.)
Leaning against the cell door, Kara whispered, "Hello my friend. Will you not bless me by opening this door?"
(Success!)
"I'd love to," the guard said. Smiling, he unlocked the door, and Kara stepped out.
"Now," she continued, "step into the cell yourself." As the guard did so, she closed and locked the door. "You look tired, my friend. Rest now."
Lying on the cot, the guard was fast asleep.
One down, several to go.
This is the map I'm using. The dice represent the PEFs. For this game, I'm using 4 PEFs, with all of them representing possible outlaws of El Maton's gang, along with El Maton himself. Outlaws are Rep 3 or 4 and use whatever weapon the figure is using (chosen at random.
(The first PEF resolves as 'Something is out there.")
Wandering through the hallway, she heard the voices of the men, along with El Maton himself.
"Ah, a sweater," she heard El Maton say, "what a lovely gift. I must ask though why you chose to give me a sweater when it's HOTTER THAN A HORSE'S CULO OUT HERE???"
There were sounds of some yelling and then it soon went back to laughing and music.
Peering out the door, Kara saw she was about to enter the very-open courtyard. Perhaps a little artificial cover would help. Casting an Invisibility spell, she stepped out, not even casting a shadow on the sandy ground.
(In retrospect, Sandstorm probably would've been the better choice, but oh well, 20/20.)
(The next PEF resolved as a single guard. However, the first figure I chose was armed with dual pistols. If he struck first, Kara was in trouble. Time for another Bewitching attempt!).
Seeing a lone guard on patrol, Kara quietly approached him. "Hello handsome," she whispered. "You look tired. Lie down on the soft bed of sand, roll yourself a pillow, and listen as the wind sings you a lullaby."
(Success!)
"Thank you," the man said. "Time to go night night." Falling to the sand, the guard soon began snoring.
(The next PEF moved into the courtyard. As it wasn't close enough for LOS, I moved Kara into cover.)
Hearing voices approach, she slipped behind a barrel and waited.
"Hey Jefe," Another lone outlaw stepped out and approached his unconscious friend. "You got into the barrels early, yes?"
"Not quite," Kara said. Pointing her staff at the outlaw fired a blast a magical energy that struck the man right in the face.
(Damage spell - outlaw is OOF.)
(At this point, only one PEF remained. Since the most it could resolve as was 3 opponents, I immediately created another, resolved both as Contact, and treated them as if 3 men had appeared from each.)
"What was that?" Several men stepped out into the courtyard.
(El Maton, the green figure, is Rep 5. All others are Rep 3 or 4.)
"Look!" One of the men pointed. "She killed Jorge!"
With weapons out, they all began firing.
(At this point, I forgot that the courtyard was actually 3 different sections and instead treated it as one. It gave El Maton's gang a slight edge but didn't hurt the game at all.)
(El Maton's gang won on the Action table. Even though El Maton had the higher Rep, I moved the men from the first PEF first as that PEF had entered the courtyard before the other. The first man scored a hit and OOF, but Kara's Star Power saved her.)
Kara ducked behind the barrel as shots fired all around her. One even graved her shoulder, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.
(The next outlaw scored a hit and OD result, but Star Power saved her again, barely!)
One of the outlaws fired his shotgun, and the top of the barrel exploded right near Kara's head. Scrunching down, she covered her face, protecting it from splinters that covered her hair.
(The remaining outlaws missed or hit with only a Duck Back result. Rolling again on the Action table, Kara won. Time to use Blink!)
El Maton's men approached the shredded barrel and froze in their tracks.
"Where'd she go?"
"She just disappeared?"
"Is she some kind of witch?"
"Time to find out." Appearing behind the men, she raised her staff.
(Damage spell.)
Suddenly, the men dropped their weapons and screamed and they were pulled into the sand. El Maton and his second in command, Trevor, could only watch in horror. One man escaped by grabbing onto a cart. Pulling himself free, he took off running as the rest vanished into the sand.
(I rolled Duck Back for one man; OOF and OD for the rest.)
Spinning around, El Maton and Trevor fired their weapons but missed completely.
(Kara wins on Action table and uses Blink again.)
Suddenly, Kara vanished again.
"Come on," El Maton said, "she can't be far."
(Oops, forgot to to roll on Will to Fight table, so I did it now. El Maton failed on the Will to Fight table, and I decided the outlaw who ducked back had then run away.)
Looking back, El Maton and Trevor saw the young man who had survived running out of the compound. "Coward! Come on, Trevor, let's get that brujah!"
They caught up to the woman in the hallway.
"You should have become my bride," El Maton said. "Now you'll be just a stain on the ground."
(I decided at this point to have a little fun and attempt another Bewitching spell to make Trevor turn on his boss. I chose to make this Difficult for that reason - Success!)
"That's not what you really want, is it Trevor?" Kara asked. "After all, didn't your boss just insult that lovely sweater you made him?"
Tears filled Trevor's eyes. "I worked for weeks making that for you, and you yelled at me? I thought you loved me like a brother!"
(I rolled on the action table for these two, and El Maton won.)
Shaking his head, El Maton pointed his shotgun at his former friend and shot him right in the chest. "Idiot."
Looking up, he then realized he was alone in the hallway. Returning to the courtyard, he found Kara awaiting him.
(I rolled on the UIC for El Maton to find Kara and succeeded. If he had failed, she would've immediately attacked. Instead, I rolled again on the Action table and Kara won. Damage spell - hit, but El Maton Ducked Back.)
As magical blasts struck the ground near his feet, the once-fearless El Maton took off running.
Racing inside. he hid behind the door and peeked out.
(Kara used Blink again and again used a Damage spell. And again scored a Duck Back for El Maton).
Suddenly, he felt a tapping on his shoulder and spun around as a ball of fire struck him, setting his clothes ablaze and heating the shotgun in his hands. Dropping the weapon, he rolled on the ground and out the door.
Reaching the center of the courtyad, El Maton's eyes leaped from windows to doors as he attempted to back away and flee his own compound.
Then Kara stepped out. "What was it you said earlier about burying me alive?"
(Another Damage spell, but this time I scored an OD for El Maton.)
Eyes falling to the ground, El Maton shrieked as his former gang members, now groaning, mindless undead, reached up. Latching onto his legs, his shoulders, his head, they dragged the gang leader into the sand, leaving nothing but his green scarf.
Surveying the result, Kara decided to try and find the money the gang had stolen from the town.
(UIC roll. I chose to make it Difficult and passed 1d6 twice.)
Unfortunately, she found nothing. Leaving the compound, she noticed one of the horses missing. no doubt the lone gang member had used it to escape. Well, she thought, the town is the closest settlement. If he returns there, hopefully he can tell them what happened. Then they'll send people here, and hopefully they'll find the loot.
However, Kara realized she could never return to the town. No doubt the gang member would tell stories, and they would no-doubt realize her true nature. With a sigh, she decided her next course of action. Perhaps, after two centuries, no one would recognize her in Salem.
Very cool! Thanks for the post.
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