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."

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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.

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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 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.

Lego Binds the Galaxy Together! - Mythic and Star Wars

 I know I haven't done Part 2 of the Adventure Crafter yet, but I'll get to it eventually. Maybe. But first I wanted to play a Star Wars game.

I bought Lego Star Wars the Skywalker Saga not long ago and am having a blast. You know there's a lot to the game when you complete all 9 movie missions, but the progress bar reads only 33% complete. The rest is completing side missions, unlocking characters and ships, finding collectibles, and running/flying around while exploring.

So this is a blog post about the video game, right?

Correct.

But, wait, Mythic is in the title. So is this about a video game or Roleplaying game?

The answer:

Yes.

Mythic Magazine #37 has an article on adding roleplaying elements to your videogames. I was originally going to try it with Skyrim. However, after playing Lego SW, I came up with ideas that I wanted to try out after exploring a bit. So I'll be jumping back and forth between the video game and roleplaying.

Now I have the old SW RPG d20 rules, but I wanted something simpler. So my plan was to tweak my Discworld rules to fit in SW. Once again, I'll use Mythic for combat, story-telling, and skill resolution, and my rules for characters themselves.

A quick recap and summary of the tweaked character rules:

- There are 3 Abilities:  Do (anything physical, including combat), Think (anything mental, including computer use and sneakiness), and Talk.

- A Zero is considered average for an Ability, with higher numbers being better.

- Characters get 2 Ability Points per level, plus 1 additional point at Lvl 1 for Race (I play fast and loose with this).

- Level 0 characters have a total of 0 for their Abilities. So if one Ability is +1, another must be -1.

- Level -1 Characters are similar, but their Abilities must total -1.

- Force Using characters have a fourth Ability: Force, but the same number of Ability Points. Force, however, is added to other abilities for Force Powers. For example, Force + Mind for levitation.

- Successfully completing a Clash or Ability check results in gaining a Saga Point. SPs can be spent to gain a bonus on any future rolls, but once they're spent, they're gone.

- After gaining 3 SPs, a character can roll to level up. The Difficulty is the next level. So for a lvl 1 character, the Difficulty is +2 or Very Unlikely. SPs can be used here as well.

- I'll get to ship rules later.

So let's get started. This takes place near the ending of Episode IX, The Rise of Skywalker. Spoilers ahead.

Inside the Sith Temple on Exegol, Snoke paced the cave. Staring at his limp arm, he found he could only raise it by using the Force, but that only brought more pain.

Hearing a shuffling, Snoke looked up and saw a figure approach. The figure, like so many others in the temple, wore a black robe with a black robe concealing his face.

The figure stopped before Snoke and bowed. "A'hil un 'krii inSnuuk t'e."

Snoke stared at the figure while tilting his head.

Seeing the other's reaction, the figure gave a nod. "Apologies, Snoke. I forgot you speak not the language of the Sith."

The figure in black is my PC. In the game, he is referred to as a Sith Acolyte, one of the robed figures you see watching the final fight at the conclusion of the film. However, with the upcoming series having the same name, I'm instead using the term Sith Cultist.

My plan is to see if I can take this character and turn him into a hero. Now in the game, the cultists spend their time either tending to Palpatine or conducting experiments. I'm going with the latter for this character.

Using Mythic 2e, I rolled for his name and got, "Kha + Sa." Sith cultists tend to have hyphenated names, so Kha-sa makes sense.

He is Level 1 and not (yet) Force user, so he has 3 Ability Points. I'm keeping his Talk at 0 because he's spent most of his life within the temple, so while he is polite, he is not the best in social skills. That means either a 2 Do and 1 Think or 1 Do and 2 Think. Since he's a scientist, the latter seems likely.

(Q) Does Kha-sa have a 1 Do and 2 Think?  (Likely)  No.

Okay, so 2 Do, 1 Think, and 0 Talk.

The figure bowed his head. "Greetings to you, Snoke, my name is Kha-sa." He then noticed the other's arm. "You are injured."

Snoke groaned. "I emerged from the vat like this."

"I see." Kha-sa stepped for and examined the arm. "Possibly an imperfect experiment."

Seeing where this was going, Snoke pulled slightly away. "And what usually happens to these imperfect experiments?"

"They tend to be destroyed." Kha-sa lifted the arm and turned in his black-gloved hands.

 Kha-sa will attempt to repair Snoke's arm.

(Q)  Is the Diffuclty +1?  (Likely)  Exceptional No.

This means it's only -1.

(Ability)  Can Kha-Sa repair the arm?  (+1 Think vs. -1 Diff = +2 or Very Likely)  Yes, Random Event.

(Event)  "Control, Increase"

I'm interpreting that rather loosely.

Reaching into a bag that hung from his shoulder, Kha-sa, pulled out some cloth and a long rod. Placing the rod against Snoke's arm, he wrapped it with the cloth. Finally, he used a pin to keep the cloth in place.

"There," said Kha-sa, "I would suggest you move your arm as little as possible, but it will now heal correctly."

"You don't believe in destroying imperfect experiments?" Snoke asked.

Kha-sa closed his bag and shifted it back under his robe. "How can we learn if we destroy everything that fails to meet our expectations." Hearing murmuring in the distance, he motioned to the other to follow. "Come, it sounds as if they begin soon."

Snoke followed him. "What begins?"

"Palpatine has invited the Jedi to a final confrontation," Kha'sa answered. "The arena is already filled with people."

As they walked through the cavern, Snoke thought for a moment. "Tell me, Kha-sa, I was born with knowledge of thousands of worlds, of countless languages, and untold generations of wisdom in the Force. Yet I know nothing of the Sith. Why is that?"

Kha-sa didn't even seemed surprised by that question. "For reasons we've yet to understand, Snoke clones, their bodies, and most importantly their minds are incompatible with Sith language and wisdom." He glanced at a shattered portion of a wall. "We learned that in a rather unfortunate manner."

Seeing his reflection in one clear rock, Snoke stopped, turned,  and studied himself. "So I am a recent clone then." He turned slightly. "That must mean I am a vast improvement over the original Snoke clone, wouldn't you say?"

But Kha-sa said nothing, at first. Having never met the original Snoke clone, he lacked the basis for comparison. However, the last thing this clone needed was an existential crisis. "In time." Passing a room, he slipped in and quickly returned with another robe. "Here, put this on, at least for the moment."

Snoke put on the robe so that he blended in. They then entered the arena, where countless others in similar robes awaited in the stands.

Now, in the film, Palpatine's death (I warned you of spoilers, remember?) also destroyed much of the arena, killing nearly all the cultists. Somehow, Kha'sa needs t survive, but how? 

Time to ask Mythic.

(Q)  How did Kha-sa Survive?  "Help, Fight."

Well, Kha-sa, being a lvl 1 character, is nowhere near a help in any Sith fight. However, I remembered in the game that cultists spent a lot of time stabbing each other in the back (sometimes literally), so I went with that.

"Kha-sa, a moment."

Kha-sa turned as another figure in black approach.

This figures needs a name, so back to 2e's Name Generator:  "Location + Va."

For the location, the first thing I thought of was Necropolis (given the temple), so I chose to make his name Nek-Va. It sounds like another cultist name.

"Nek-Va," Kha-sa said. "What is it?"

"We're needed to guard the lift in case the Jedi brought allies," Nek-va answered.

"Or course." Kha-sa turned to Snoke. "I'll return soon." He followed the other back through the tunnel.

I now need stats for this new character.

(Q) Is Nek-va Level 1?  (Likely)  No.

So he's Level 0.

(Q)  Are any of his Abilities +1?  (Likely)  No.

So, Nek-va has all 0 for his 3 abilities. To allow him a slight edge, I'm giving him a knife, which adds +1 to Damage.

 Exiting the tunnel, they approached bridge that passed over a chasm. 

Kha-sa stood at the edge of the bridge. "Do you think they'll enter from this end, brother?"

"Oh, I can assure, brother, that something shall end." Standing behind Kha-sa, he pulled out a knife and lunged forward.

Nek-va is performing a Damage in the Clash, while Kha-sa will attempt an Escape to avoid damage.

(Clash)  Does Kha-sa win the Clash?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  Yes.

This explains Kha-sa's +1 to Do. He has a lot of experience in defending himself from sneak attacks from the others.

Kha-sa easily dodged the attack, spinning around to face other other. "Our brothers attempting to strike at each other surprises me little. Yet, I always find astonishing that you prefer to all speak first and then attack."

Nek-va growled. "A mistake I shall not replicate, as I know enough to destroy mine."

Kha-sa tilted his head. "Is that what this is about, my sparing a Snoke clone?"

"You were to destroy failures," Nek-va snarled.

"I violated no law," Kha-sa answered.

"But you showed weakness," Nek-va responded, "and by destroying weakness, I shall grow stronger."

For this Clash, Kha-sa will fight back, though he's unarmed. I imagine his fighting style is a mix of throws and escapes combined with basic strikes.

(Clash)  Does Kha-sa win the Clash?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  Yes.

Nek-Va suffers a -1 Rank Shift.

Nek-Va lunged again, but Kha-sa blocked it with his forearm. He then struck with his other open palm, causing his opponent to stumble back.

In the distance, they heard Palpatine's cackle, followed by lightning slashing above.

"We're missing the event," said Kha-sa. "Should we continue this at a later time?"

"This event belongs to me," said Nek-va. "Today, I shall become one of greatness."

(Clash)  Does Kha-sa win the Clash?  (+2 vs. -1 = Nearly Certain)  Yes.

Since, even unarmed, Kha-sa's Damage is 3 ranks higher than Nek-va's Toughness, Nek-Va must roll for Incapacity to see if he's dead.

(Incapacity)  Is Nek-va incapacitated?  (+2 vs. -2 = Certain)  X-Yes.

Nek-va growled and lunged one more time, but Kha-sa dodged it. Tripping on a wrong, the other cultist tumbled over the edge, and disappeared into the chasm.

Kha-sa shook his head. "How unfortunate." He then jumped as he heard Palpatine's voice again. But this time, instead of a cackle, he heard the Sith master screaming in agony. Suddenly, there was an explosion, and gusts of debris shot through the tunnels. 

Ducking behind a statue, Kha-sa braced himself as the entire temple shook. Even the statues began to crumble. He tried to avoid them, but something slammed into his head, and he fell to the ground. 

Waking up some time, later, Kha-sa found himself in near darkness. Wandering through the temple, he found nothing but silence. Entering the arena, he saw no sign of Palpatine, and among the ruins in the stands, only torn robes and burnt bodies.

 "Master?"

Mythic Supers - Session 0

 For Session 0, I'll be introducing my characters. I have 2 main heroes, and I'll be jumping back and forth between them. For the first, I already have a backstory for because I used him in a Marvel RPG years ago, along with TWERPS. This game will basically be his early years.

For the other, I'll use Mythic to create his backstory and everything.

Since these are street-level super heroes and villains, we'll stick with Level 0 and 1 characters, with one exception. Starting characters are Level T for Training. They start with 3 Ability points and no Skills.

One other note: I don't distinguish between how a character gets a power. a +2 to Heart for electricity is the same whether it's in the person's blood or from a weapon.

1. Vyper - Level T Hero; Body: 0, Agility: 0, Mind: +1, Talk: 0, Heart: +2.

So named by the media because of his dark green clothing and mask, Vyper can control force fields in manners such as using force fields, flying, turning invisible, and pushing opponents away. The unwilling product of an illegal experiment, he seeks to destroy the company and stop any others created in similar ways. While not a genius, he is smart enough to figure out his powers, not to mention genre savvy and street smart.

2. Mr. Flex - Level T Hero; Body: +2, Agility: +1, Mind: 0, Talk: 0, Heart: -1.

A former college wrestler who was infused with superhuman strength. He tries his best to be a hero, protecting the weak from the bad in the city.

We'll start with Flex's background. I'm going to use the Backstory Generator in Mythic Variations to create his background.

Here goes: 

Number of Backstory Events: 1 (Hmm, a rather simple fellow).

Backstory Focus: PC Negative (Well, we have to start somewhere.)

"Excitement," and "Love."

So let's see . . . 

Brad Muggs loved wrestling in college and hoped to either compete in the Olympics or in pro wrestling. After suffering a severe injury, Brad volunteered for experimental treatment, not realizing his was nothing but a lab project. After recovering, and noticing his superhuman strength and reflexes, Brad realized he'd have an unfair advantage when competing. Wanting to help others, he began calling himself, Mr. Flex.

I'm curious.

(Q)  Does Flex keep his identity a secret? (Likely) Yes

Wearing a mask to protect his loved ones, he became a superhero. He also believed that criminals would fear Mr. Flex more than they would Brad Muggs.

There we go, a few rolls and we have our first hero, created from the ground up.

Now let's add a villain.

Zapman - Level T Villain; Body: 0, Agility: 0, Mind: +1, Talk: 0, Heart: +2.

(Q) Does he wear typical hero/villain spandex? (Very Likely) Yes

Wearing black and yellow spandex, along with a mask, this young man was another subject of illegal experiments. The only difference is he embraced it for a life of crime. Cocky and sinister, he delights in harming others and thinks nothing of the consequences.

(Q) Does he have any other ability than firing his zap bolts? (Likely) No

Still getting used to his power, Zapman can fire short bolts of electricity, stunning and possibly injuring others. 

I figure we also need basic people for them to fight:

1. Cop - Level 0 Hero.

Body: 0, Agility: +1, Mind: 0, Talk: 0, Heart: -1.

These are your basic street cops. They're skilled with firearms but have little to no defenses against powered individuals.

2. Crook - Level 0 Villain.

Body: 0, Agility: +1, Mind: 0, Talk: 0, Heart: -1.

Street thugs who can take down threats with a pistol but find themselves vastly overwhelmed against superheroes.

For Session 0, I'm going to run a few scenes to test out the rules while hopefully giving my characters easy starting fights.

1. Zapman

Zapman wants to test out his new powers so, watching from an alley, he looks for a victim.

(Q)  Is there a cop nearby? (Likely) Yes

(Q)  Is he alone (Likely but hopefully not) Yes

Zapman notices a lone cop wandering through the area. Stepping out into view, he holds up his glowing fist. "Get ready to confront the wrath of zappy zappy!" (Hey, I didn't say the guy was great with words).

Zapman will be firing his zap bolts at the cop, which requires using Heart. The cop, on the other hand, would be pulling out his gun and firing. This requires Agility. So it's Zapman's +2 for Heart vs. the Cop's +1 for Agility. I'm choosing to roll for Zapman.

(Clash) Does Zapman win the Clash? (+1 makes it Likely)  No

Zapman spends too much time grandstanding. Pulling out his pistol, the cop opens fire.

Damage from the cop's pistol is +2, vs. Zapman's Body of 0. Since the damage is equal to or higher, Zapman suffers a -1 RS.

Furious that his victim would dare defend himself, Zapman tries again, but the cop is already firing again.

This time, the -1 RS reduces Zapman's Heart to +1, vs. the cop's +1 Agility. 

(Clash) Does Zapman win the Clash? (50/50)  No

Again, the cop stops Zapman's flashy assault with another bullet. At this point, our villain begins to think that living to fight another day is a better idea.

This time, instead of Damage, Zapman will be using the Clash roll to Escape. Maybe he's zapping the lights to blind the cop. Unfortunately, with -2 RS, his Heart is now 0, vs. the Cop's +1 Agility. The cop, meanwhile gives chase, hoping to tackle and arrest this electricity-shooting weirdo.

(Clash) Does Zapman escape? (-1 makes it Unlikely)  No

The cop tackles Zapman and tries to restrain him.

Now, Zapman is at -3 RS so we roll on the Incapacitation chart. The Cop is using his physical strength in a nonlethal manner, so we'll start with 0. Zapman has a 0 for Body for his toughness, -3 RS. This actually makes it a +3 for the roll.

(Incap)  Is Zapman Incapacitated?  (Nearly Certain)  Yes

"You won't stop me, copper!" Zapman holds up his hands, fingers shimmering.

The cop though punches him right in the face, knocking him cold. After slapping cuffs on the villain, the cop calls for back-up to take the villain away.

Not the best start for our villain's career.

Now onto our next character.

2. Mr. Flex

Flex is walking to the gym to hone his new skills. On the way, he sees a crook in an alley threatening a young woman. "Leave her alone!" he shouts.

The crook turns his pistol on our hero. "Make me!"

 This time, for brevity, I just created the scenario instead of rolling for it. 

The crook wants to fire his pistol at Flex (Damage). Now Flex is too far away to fight back, and his has no way to attack from a distance. He could duck behind a wall, but I think it'd be more fun for him to throw caution to the wind and race towards the crook. If the crook wins, he scores a hit. If Flex wins, he avoids the shots and ends up right in the villain's face.

The crook has an Agility of +1, and so does Flex.

(Clash)  Does Flex win the Clash?  (50/50) Exceptional Yes!

Sprinting forward, Flex reaches the crook before the shocked man can fire.

Now since Flex was going for an Effect instead of Damage, he doesn't cause harm to the crook, but he does gain a +1 RS to his next roll. 

The next Clash will be a hand-to-hand fight between the two. The crook has a Body of 0 while Flex has +2, +3 with the RS boost.

(Clash)  Does Flex win the Clash?  (+3 makes it Near Certain)  Exceptional Yes again!

Flex pummels the hapless criminal, who drops his gun and covers up.

Let's look at the Damage. We'll start with Flex's Body, which is +2. This is higher than the crook's Body of 0 so he suffers -1 RS. However, he scored an X-Yes, so that's another +1 RS. Finally, the previous roll's +1 RS actually brings his Body to +3. Normally, I wouldn't do this, but since it's melee combat, I'm saying Flex gets a boost from charging forward. This brings the crook's RS to -3, requiring him to roll for Incap.

(Incap)  Is the crook Incapacitated?  (Near Certain)  Yes - and Random Event.

I'm ruling that Flex used nonlethal damage. A punch to the ribs ought to do it.

With one single punch, Mr. Flex caught the crook in the stomach, sending through the air and crashing into the far wall.

That's not the end of it though. We now have a Random Event to roll for. Normally with One Page Mythic, you’d roll on the Discover Meaning chart once, maybe twice, or as many times as needed to generate an event. I tend to roll twice no matter what, rolling more only if needed  

So let’s see what I roll:

“Uncertain,” and “Move.”

To Flex’s surprise, the crook immediately leaped to his feet. Raising his trembling fists, he glared, but at nothing specific. “Is that all you - ” 

Before he could finish his sentence, he collapsed, face-first to the ground.

So both characters had their starting, 'training' scenes. Since this post is pretty long, I'll give my third character his own post. So one more Session 0.

Part 5 - The Big Showdown

 A few months passed, and Max continued with his fights. He lost a few but won most of them. Finally, he started to gain experience and become known to others on the island.

One new rule that I added is inspired by Ed's (at THW) idea for time, an alternate to the way I've been running rounds. Starting at 0 Time at the beginning of each round, every time I return to the Fight table, whether it's from a tie, Passing 0d6 on the KO table of 2d6 on the Recovery table, I roll 1d6 vs the number of Time Points. Passing 0d6 (rolling above the number) results in adding 1 to Time and playing normally, while Passing 1d6 (rolling equal to or lower than Time) ends the round, and both fighters recover their Bonus Dice. 

With that in mind, here are the results of Max's matches:

1. Rep 4, Rage, Resilient: Win by Decision.

2. Rep 2, Iron Fist: Win by KO (R2).

3. Rep 2, Rage: Win by KO (R3).

BRAWL: Rematch with Tanner; Again broken up.

4. Rep 2, Bruiser: Win by Decision.

5. Rep 2, Charismatic: Win by KO (R2).

BRAWL: Rep 3, Resilient: KO.

6. Rep 3, Resolute: Win by Decision.

7. Rep 3, Agile: Win by Decision.

Max is now Rep 5. Rolling for his second Attribute, I get Agile, which grants +1d6 on the Fight table, when no one is In Control. but there's still some unfinished business.

After asking a few other fighters, Max went looking for Tanner. Twice the man got into his face, only for his goons to pull him off. And yet he kept telling people about how he dominated the upstart Max. He needed to get a lesson in humility.

(Q)  Does Max find Tanner outside? (Likely): Yes.

(Q)  Is he alone? (Unlikely): No.

(Q)  What's he doing? "Communicate, Control."

Max found Tanner by the docks, talking to some off-the-boat newcomers.

"If you want to succeed here," said Tanner, "you'll need leadership. Pay me enough and I'll show you how to succeed. Refuse and I'll show you suffering."

 "If he'll show you anything," Max said, "it'll be how to run."

(Q)  How does Tanner react to Max's appearance? "Peaceful, Feeble."

Tanner slowly turned. Seeing Max, he held up his hands. "Look, you and I don't have any beef. There's no reason for you to be here."

Max snorted. "That's funny because twice you got into my face, but as soon as I fought back, your goons jumped in." He pointed to the building. "How about an actual match? No goons, no bare fists. Just a regular fight once and for all.

(Q)  Does Tanner accept? (I'm saying Likely because I want this match.): X-No.

Tanner shook his head. "You're too angry, and you're not worth my time. I've got better things to do." with that, he walked away.

Well that didn't go according to plan. Time to try something else.

Max entered the arena and looked around.

(Q)  Does Max find an official? (Likely): Yes

(Q)  Does he seem like he'll cooperate? (50/50):  Yes.

Max found a short, portly man going over a list of matches, crossing out some names, and replacing others. "Mr. Wartz," he said to the man, "can I talk to you for a moment?"

The man looked up and smiled. "Hi Max, what can I do for you?"

"Tanner Smith's in my face," Max said. "I tried to challenge him to a match, but he turned me down, saying he didn't have to fight."

Wartz nodded. "Mr. Smith has that in his contract that he can pick and choose his opponents."

"Is there any way to get a match with him?" Max asked.

(Q)  Good question. How about it, Mr. Wartz? (Likely, for the same reason as before): Yes

Not only that but I rolled Doubles, resulting in a random event; "Deceit, Surprise."

"Actually, I've got an idea." A slow smile appeared on Wartz' face. "Just be ready tomorrow night."

The next night, Tanner Smith walked to the ring. Seeing Wartz, he leaned closer. "So this is a sure thing, you said?"

"Absolutely," the older man said. "No doubt in my mind."

He got into the ring and then his opponent walked out. And Tanner's eyes went wide as Max entered the ring.

"I thought you said it was a sure thing?" Tanner said to Wartz.

The other man shrugged. "I meant the match itself, not your chances of winning. Of course, you can leave if you want, unless you'd rather get paid."

Before the match, I made one more roll.

(Q)  Did Tanner Smith improve since we saw him last? (Likely): No.

So still Rep 4, Slow, Bleeder.

The match begins . . . 

Tanner uses his Bonus Dice early on, getting Control and throwing a number of punches. He even makes it to the KO table but Passes 0d6. Max fights back and scores a knockdown after powerful cross. Tanner gets up, and his Rep drops to 3. He covers up for the rest of the round.

Note: To Cover Up is to protect yourself from an opponent's attack, either by blocking or dodging. Non-players Cover Up when their opponent rolls 3 or more d6 than they roll. To Cover up on the fight table, the fighters gains +1d6 but can only Pass the same number as his opponent. 

In Round 2, Max came flying out of the corner. Tanner tried to drag out the match but failed. After a flurry of punches, Max landed a hook that sent Tanner to the mat again. Passing 0d6, he was out cold.

The match was over, and Max stood tall, finally shutting up his tormentor from the last few months. As his opponent was led out of the ring, Max left as well, looking forward to dinner and a well-deserved night sleep.

One month later . . . 

Max sat on the dock's railing as a group of new fighters exited the boat. He smiled and waved to them. Some waved back while others kept their eyes glued to the dock. A few others even looked at him and smirked. Some time ago, this would've riled up the young man to hurl himself at the perpetrator. But now, more seasoned, and slightly wiser, Max simply shrugged it off.

They'll get their chance.

Part 2 of the Saurian Scholar

Here is the next Encounter for my character, Drastica Trembletoes, a Saurian Rep 5 Caster, exploring land in search of the fabled City of Dreaming Books. Now normally, an Explore Encounters is immediately followed by a Raid. However, I decided to run another Explore instead, this time in a town. In addition, I made it a two-part Encounter; one part during the day and the other at night.

For the Day part, I tweaked the Who Are They table. Anything not an Elf, Orc, or Dwarf would resolve as Men. However, on Doubles, I'd play normally. Also, the board is one of several that you can buy at Twohourwargames.com.

Here we go.

Drastica entered the town around noontime and started down the street. Around her, people went on with their day, and while some noticed her, others did their best to ignore to lizard-like sorcerer.

First PEF resolves as a Rep 4 Shooter with the Slow Attribute. Friend or Foe Test resolves as Foe. Out of curiosity, I took the Meeting them again test and got a 1. Since she hadn't met a Shooter yet, I improvised.

"You! Lizard Breath!"

Drastica paused to see a man pointing a crossbow at her. Freezing in place, she glanced around. "Do I know you?"

"I was sent by Sir Ender," said the man. "It seems you dishonored him in the forest."

"Dishonored?" Drastica tried to remember. "If you mean the knight I met, I meant no disrespect. In fact, he insulted me but I simply walked away."

"Exactly!" The man waved his hands around dramatically. "By not cowering in fear, you dishonored the great Sir Ender and his courage, and he sent me to exact revenge."

This puzzled the sorcerer. "Well if he's so courageous, why did he send you instead of confronting me himself?"

The man opened his mouth but then paused. Lowering his weapon, he rubbed his chin and stared into space. Then with a grumble, he raised it back up. "That's it! I'll teach you to confuse me with logical arguments!"

I rolled a tie on the Action table, but since Drastica had the Advantage, she went first.

The man pointed his crossbow at Drastica's head, but she quickly raised her hands.

Hit with a Damage Spell, resulting in OOF.

Firing a magical bolt spell, she caught him square in the chest. He flew back and fell to the ground out cold. 

The next PEF resolved as a Rep 3 Soldier with the Slippery Attribute. FoF resolves as Friend.

Guards dragged him away and one approached Drastica. 

"Am I under arrest?" she asked.

"No," he answered. "The law in town is that anything goes if you're defending yourself in a fight, as long as you don't harm anyone else."

She nodded. "Fair enough." Then she had a thought. "I'm trying to reach Zamonia. Have you heard of it?"

But he shook his head. "Sorry, and I know this country well."

"Well if you know this country well," Drastica replied, "perhaps I could hire you as a guide."

After some thought, he nodded. "This guard job is only part-time anyway, and I'd love the adventure."

Since the Soldier was friendly, I ran an Interaction and Drastica succeeded. I then ran a second and managed to recruit him.

The next PEF resolved as a Caster and 3 Soldiers. These also resolved as friends.

Some time later, the two met a man in robed, followed by three armed troops.

"A fellow spell-caster," Drastica said. "I greet you."

He responded with a simple nod.

"I'm in search of Zamonia," she said.

In response, he simply nodded and continued on his way, while his guards simply shrugged.

I scored a tie on the Interaction table; no fight but no friendliness either.

Here's where things got interesting.

As the sun started to set, Drastica and Thom Slipblade (I forgot he had a name) heard screams. Rushing down the street, the two saw a couple of trolls tossing people around (Trolls again, huh?).

Seeing her, one of them pointed. "It's her! the one who hurt my sister!"

"You mean my sister!" roared the other. 

"But she can't be both our sister cause then- Oh let's just go smash her!"

The PEF resolved as 2 Trolls, Rep 5 and 4. Drastica won on the Action table.

Before anyone else could react, Drastica launched fire arrows at the trolls. The first took an arrow in the face and fell dead, the other caught one in the chest and doubled over.

Thom clapped. "I can't wait for my chance!"

This ended the Day part of the Encounter. Now onto Night.

After catching a meal, the two continued to wander through the town.

The first PEF resolved as 2 Orc Shooters. FoF resulted in Friends so I decided they were traders.

Seeing a campfire, the two approached and found two orcs in a discussion. 

"Greetings," Drastica said. "How are you this evening?"

"We're off the clock," said one. "Talk to us in the morning. We run the smithing shop around the corner."

Interaction ended as a tie.

The next PEF resolved as a Rep 4 Shooter and a Rep 4 Thief. FoF resulted in Foe.

Seeing movement in the shadows, the two approached and saw a man attempting to pick the lock to one of the shops. 

"Excuse me," said Drastica, her hands up defensively, "but I believe that's illegal."

"Great," said another voice. "Someone can't mind her own business." Another man emergedm pointing a bow at her head.

The opponents had the Advantage but Drastica won on the Action table.

Before they could react, Drastica threw sparkling lights at their faces.

The other man pulled out a dagger, but Thom charged him. The two exchanged blows until the thief slit Thom across his stomach. 

As the two thugs turned their attention to Drastica, she blasted them both with magical bolt spells, dropping them both to the ground.

I started combat with Drastica casting a Dazzle spell so Thom could get some action. Unfortunately, the soldier choked in his first fight and went OOF. At least he recovered afterward.

And the last PEF ended up being a doozy!

Hearing screams again, Drastica sighed. "Oh please, no more trolls." 

Be careful what you wish for.

Racing to the source, they saw four vampires, munching down on people. Seeing the two, they stalked forward.

Two of the vampires lunged at Thom, nearly tearing him apart. Drastica set the other two on fire before blasting the two and saving Thom.

All four went OD and Thom went OOF but recovered afterward.

"Thanks," he said. "Maybe i'm not cut out for this. I think I'll go back to guard duty for a little longer."

"I'm sorry," Drastica responded. "Best of luck to you."

With that, she continued on her journey.

Drastica improved to Rep 6, but Thom dropped to Rep 2. For his safety, I cut him loose.

Maybe Drastica will have better luck with an ally in the future.

Return of the Saurian Scholar - AAR for Swordplay

I haven't played many fantasy games in a while, so I thought I'd start with Swordplay, the base fantasy rules, which are free to download from Twohourwargames.com. Later, I'll probably upgrade to Talomir Tales, but for now, I figured I'd keep it simple.

Years ago, I read a novel called, The City of Dreaming Books, by Walter Moers, and it has become one of my all-time favorite novels. Moers created a fantasy world called Zamonia and filled it with creatures of every shape and size. But what I love most is the city in the novel, Bookholm, a city devoted 100% to reading, writing, creating, etc. books. Even coffee shops make pastries in the shape of books. It even has adventurers, called Book Hunters, risking life and limb to explore underground cities for rare and valuable tomes.

But since I don't want to run my games there, yet, I figured I'd start in Talomir and work my way there, but using the world for background. I'm also borrowing from Edd's Pub, another game from THW.

Let's get started with my Star.

Drastica Trembletoes is a Saurian (race from Edd's Pub), a lizard-like race. However, unlike her people, she dislikes violence and prefers to spend her time reading and writing books. Eventually, she learned about magic and began training in the mystical arts. This dedication to scholarly pursuits didn't sit well with her otherwise war-like people, so she ran away. Then, upon learning about Bookholm, the City of Dreaming Books, she decided to seek out this city, in the land of Zamonia. first though, she entered the portal at Edd's Pub and entered Talomir. To reach her goal, she must find her way through Talomir, hoping that her adventures eventually help her locate the legendary city of books.

Since Saurians aren't listed as races in Swordplay, I rolled at random and got Rage. This fits since her people have rather sharp claws, but doesn't help her much as she prefers to catch spells. For her random Star Attribute, I rolled Resilient, which allows her to survive some vicious attacks.  Finally, she enters Talomir only with the robe on her back, and it isn't even magical.

For my figure, I took a dinosaur figure and wrapped it in tissue paper. For everyone and everything else, I'll use the cut-outs that come with Swordplay.

Drastica Trembletoes: Rep 5 Saurian Caster; AC 2; Rage, Cast Spells, Resilient.


The first Encounter is an Explore, with 4 PEFs. Upon entering Talomir, Drastica found herself in a forest at the edge of a mountain range. Noticing bones under some trees, she decided to stay on her guard.

The first PEF resolved as a Troll (Rep 5/AC4).

Hearing a crunching sound, Drastica did her best to avoid it. But while attempting to maneuver around a tree, she found herself face to stomach with a troll, who was munching down on . . . something, that had worn armor. Seeing Drastica, the troll dropped her meal.

"You interrupt me, petty creature?" roared the troll. "Then you become next!"

Combat begins with a roll on the Action table. The Troll, having the Slow Mover Attribute, suffers a penalty. Drastica goes first.

Drastica hated violence, but the thought of getting consumed, her bones chewed to powder, sent a shiver up her spine. Raising her hands, she whispered some words and launched a Magical Bolt right at the creature's chest.

The bolt struck the troll, sending her backwards. She smashed into the tree and collapse. And while she still breathed, the creature would be out cold for a while.

Drastica scored a hit, and the Troll went Out of Fight. Drastica gained 1 Increasing d6.


Now on to the second PEF.

I rolled 3 Men; 1 Knight (Rep 5/AC 6) and two Soldiers (Rep 4/AC 4 and Rep 3/AC 2). The Knight and first Soldier have the Resilient Attribute while the last Soldier has Slippery.

An hour later, Drastica came upon three men who sat around a campfire. All three were visibly armed and armored. One of them, the leader, stood up and approached her.

Taking the Friends or Foes test, I got no confrontation. So I went with an Interaction.

"Who are you?" asked the knight, his hand falling to his sword.

"My name is Drastica Trembletoes," she answered.

He eyed her. "You're a Saurian?"

She nodded. "I escaped my people because I prefer the study of knowledge to violence. I'm seeking the city of Bookholm. Have you heard of it?"

Unfortunately, I failed on the Interaction. However, and fortunately (because Drastica was outnumbered), no fight occurred.

The knight sneered. "Books here are for the weak. Try sitting under a tree to read out here and you'll find yourself giant food. Now stop wasting my time." He returned to the campfire.

Drastica gained 1 Decreasing d6 and ended that PEF.

Now onto the third PEF.

A few hours later, Drastica found herself in a clearing. Thank goodness, she thought. Now I'll have an easier time watching my back.

"You, you hurt Tonnie!"

Turning to the voice, Drastica found herself facing another troll, but this time a male.

"We were supposed to go out to dinner tonight! Now you're dinner!"

The Troll was Rep 5/AC 4, and this time he had the Advantage, meaning he'd win on a tie on the Action table. Luckily, Drastica won and went first.

Raising her hands, Drastica fired off another Magic Bolt. Just like the first, this slammed into the troll, knocking him to the ground. He rolled down the hill and vanished from sight.

Another hit and another OOF result. Drastica gained another Increasing d6.

One PEF left.

Some time later, Drastica heard a roar. Suddenly an ogre burst through some trees and towered over her.

Tonnie and Byde be friends of Gur," he growled. "You pay big now!"

This time, the PEF resolved as a Rep 4/AC 2 Ogre, and again he had the Advantage. Fortunately, Drastica again succeeded on the Action table and rolled first.

The ogre may have gotten the jump on her, but if the past few hours had done anything, they had greatly improved Drastica's reflexes. Not even hesitating, she raised her hands and fired another magic bolt spell.

The bolt struck the ogre between the eyes and he fell to the ground, taking down a tree with him.

Direct hit and another OOF result. Drastica gained 1 Increasing d6.

Seeing a town in the distance, she decided to make a beeline for it, hoping for a little rest and safety.

This ends the Encounter. Drastica came away with 3 Increasing d6 and 1 Decreasing d6, result in 2 Increasing d6 total. Rolling, I got a 3 and 5; she did not improve her Rep. At least not yet.

The next Encounter is supposed to be a Raid, but i'm thinking of doing another Explore, but this time in a town so she can recruit and get some help.

Nuts AAR - No Way in Hell!

I've been away for a while after moving last year. And with a 1 br apartment being our only option, most of my games and figures went into storage, I had to wait until we upgraded this year. Now I can finally play games again, though with unpacking becoming a slow process, I had to make due.

This game I played is Nuts, a World War II wargame from Two Hour Wargames. Now in the base game, you get your choice to play as forces who are American, British, German, or Russian. However, the Compendium, which includes loads (and I mean LOADS) of options, allows you to play as other forces. For my game, I went with Norwegian forces, and my game is based on the Norwegian resistance.

Quick history lesson. When Germany began taking over countries all over Europe, very few just sat around and accepted their rulers with open arms. Most fought back in subtle fashions, making life miserable for their occupiers. And Norway was no exception. In fact, when you try and control the descendants of Vikings, don't expect a happy ending.

I went with a slightly alternate history here where the resistance was even more violent and vicious. In my game, the Germans not only landed on the southern coast but also the north-west region and are trying to move south. This means passing through the village of Hell. And while the name normally means something like 'cliff,' this time it's going to take on a less-than-innocent meaning.

Now games from THW require no Game Master, and in fact, everyone can play on the same side if they wish. I'm playing solo, and I'm playing the Chocolate and Cigarettes version of the game, which is more squad based and with more RPG elements.

My first game will be a Defend Encounter, since I felt it fit the story the best. The goal is to hold off enemy forces as long as possibly and, if possible, drive them off the board. You can use any board or figures for the game, so I found an old generic board to use and army men figure for my troops. Norwegians are Blue and Germans are Green.

I placed my squad at the bottom of the board and lined them up so I could remember which soldier was which. Each soldier has a Reputation (Basically functions as character level, hit points, combat ability, etc.), which foes from 3-5. In addition, soldiers have Skills (Fitness, Savvy, and People) and Attributes.

Here they are in order:
Boss: Rep 5; Fit 4, Sav 3, Pep 5; Self Rally, Charismatic; SMG.
Shaggy: Rep 4; Fit 2, Sav 4, Pep 3; Wussy, Dim; SMG.
Punt: Rep 3; Fit 3, Sav 1, Pep 2; Knifeman, Rage; Bolt-Action Rifle w/ bayonet.
Bull: Rep 4; Fit 4, Sav 4, Pep 2; Crack Shot; BAR.
Smiley: Rep 4; Fit 3, Sav 2, Pep 4; Plucky, Smooth; SMG.
Scrooge: Rep 3; Fit 1, Sav 2, Pep 3; Greedy, Logical; SMG.
(S) Vyper; Rep 3; Fit 2, Sav 3, Pep 1; Touch, SMG specialist, Fit; SMGs (x2).

Vyper is my Star, the character I control. Usually the highest Rep is your Star, but I decided to try something different. Also, I gave him dual SMGs, which means he has a 1 in 6 chance of scoring a hit. Hopefully firing 6 shots a turn will almost guarantee a hit each time. Hopefully.

The red d6 at the top are PEFs, which stands for Possible Enemy Force. These could be enemies, civilians, for nothing at all. And until we find out, they move around the table, just as if they were alive.

Now let's gets started!

Rolling for Activation (initiative), we go first. I'm using Green d6 for us and continuing to use Red for the enemy.

I split my forces into 2 groups: Boss, Shaggy, and Punt are the first group, while the rookies are in the second. Boss takes his group up the west side, hoping to flank the enemy. My group, meanwhile heads up the other side of the buildings.

Now it's their turn.
One PEF moves away from everyone. The other two move toward my rookie group, stopping in an alcove.

Group A continues north, inching along the outer walls of the buildings. Group B meanwhile rushes ahead, sopping behind a wall. PEF A inches forward, while PEF B retreats. PEF C though remains in place.

Finally, one of the PEFs emerges and it's 4 German troops, patrolling the road. Another PEF slips in behind it, but it's not a threat at the moment.

This immediately triggers an In Sight Test (sort of a Surprise check). We win, with Bull and Smiley dropping all 4 opponents.

Back to Group A, they spot 3 German troops through an alley and attempt to sneak up on them.

Success! My team wins its In Sight test and opens fire for 3 easy kills. By the way, the bottom trooper only fell out of sight; he was well within Shaggy's crosshairs before the shot.

Only 1 PEF left. And Group B is ready for anything.

Scratch that - they're ready for Almost anything. You see, in addition to enemies and civilians, sometimes PEFs resolve as Random Events. In this case, I rolled Artillery. And Bull and Smiley  are right in the LOS.

I rolled damage for all 4, since Shorty and Vyper, while behind cover, are still in the Blast circle. The d6 represent damage. If they're equal to or higher than Rep, you're Out of the Fight (meaning incapaciated but alive. If it's a 6, you're Dead. Bull takes two hits and gets knocked unconscious, but Smiley and Scrooge aren't as lucky. Vyper however gets singed but survives.

Vyper remains standing, and had this been an actual opponent, combat would continue. Fortunately, the Artillery is off the map so he is able to rescue Bull and reunite with the others.

That what the last PEF and my squad survived, so this Encounter is a success. The Germans were driven out of the village of Hell for the time being, but a group of them, with a really big gun, sit somewhere outside the village. We'll have to find them another time.

After the Encounter, I rolled to see who improved his Rep or Skills. Only Boss did though, moving up to Rep 6. At least our leader is still strong for the time being. But we're down two troops and the enemy is nearby. Will they take our beautiful village?

Hell no!

Nuts is available from Two Hour Wargames and can be found here, along with the Compendium:

https://twohourwargames.com/ww2.html

You can also find a number of scenario books covering battles from all over the war.