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.

More Matches - Part 4

 So when we last left our hero, Max the fighter, he lost his first match in a painful first round KO. Now let's see if his luck can improve.

My plan for this session was simple. After randomly generating fighters, I'd run the matches, taking pictures as I rolled. At the end of the match, I'd write down the results. Then, after about a month of fights, I'd go back to the pictures and try to remember what happened, filling in the blanks as creativity as I could.

Only one problem.

After finishing all the matches, I learned a rather important lesson. You see, when you hover your phone above what you want to take a picture of, you have to actually Press The Button, well,  Every Single Time! (Face Palm).

So anyway, I'll do my best to cover the results based on what I wrote down. I'm considering his previous match to be #1.

2. Rep 3 opponent: Win by TKO (2nd rd).

3. Rep 3: Win by TKO (1st rd).

4. Rep 3: Loss by Split Decision.

Now a brief (sorry) recap of what happened.

Matches consist of 3 tables. After winning on the Fight table, the aggressor rolls on the KO table. Passing 2d6 means a knockdown and the opponent goes to the Recovery table. Passing 0d6 results in returning to the Fight table. And Passing 1d6 results in a reroll. Getting Pass 1d6 again is treated as Pass 0d6. I might adjust this to where it's treated as Pass 2d6 if you already scored at leas 1 knockdown, but for now, I'm trying to keep it simple.

For the Recovery table, Pass 2d6 means you stand up, but with a -1 to Rep. Pass 0d6 means a KO. Pass 1d6 is a reroll, but getting it twice means a TKO.

Matches are 3 rounds (6 for major fights). At the end, I check for a decision. However, since these are small-time fights, there are no 3 judge, 10 point systems. Instead, the crowd decides. By THW rules, I'd roll 1d6 for each and add 1 for each knockdown, with ties going to the Favorite (chosen at random before the match). Using Mythic rules, I treat is as a Fate Question, "Did I win?" I'd then adjust the odds depending on the number of knockdowns. The more times you send your opponent to the mat, the greater your chance of winning.

After the last match, I rolled that the month had ended. Unfortunately, I ended up with 3 Inc d6 and 3 dec d6. Since they all cancel out, my character does not roll to improve. But on the plus side, he doesn't  weaken either.

But that's no fun - let's do 1 more match!

I decided to start the new month checking for a Confrontation.

(Q) "Does Max get into a Confrontation?" (Likely) - Yes

After resting for a couple of days, Max got restless and went for a jog. He was just rounding a corner and entering a courtyard when - 

"What have we got here?"

I roll Rep 4. This guy's going to be a challenge. 

Before rolling for Attributes though, I want to know a little more about him. Pulling out One Page Mythic, I roll twice on the Descriptions table and get "Powerful," and "Perfect." Uh Oh.

Standing before Max was a tall and muscular man, clean cut and dressed in bright shiny work-out gear. "Tanner Smith could use a dummy to knock down before his first match," he said, feet spread part and with his fists against his hips.

So, Tanner, who apparently likes to talk about himself in the third person, thinks Max is a tomato to slap around. Let's check out his Attributes.

Here's a pic of the confrontation, using a Battle board from THW, and with green dice for Max, red for Tanner, and white for any bystanders.

Now I borrowed Attributes from Friday Night Fights and other THW titles, with a few tweaks. Nearly every Attribute provides either a +1d6 or a -1 to Rep. Once again, something nice and simple. So rolling for Tanner, I get:

Slow (penalty on Fight table), Bleeder (Penalty on Recovery table).

This doesn't seem right. He's described as Powerful and Perfect. Heck, I even presented him as such. Maybe a Fate Q can help.

(Q)  Were Tanner Smith's descriptions merely a facade? (50/50 because I have no idea) (Also, if I get No, I'm rerolling 1 Attribute. If I get X-No, I'm rerolling both): Yes.

So, Tanner is all talk. Works for me.

The two circled each other, with Tanner raising his fists to chest level  and sliding one foot forward at a time. "Tanner is a methodical gladiator," he said. "He'll take you down, piece by piece."

 First roll on the Fight table: Pass 1d6 more. Max is In Control. Second roll, however is both Passing 1d6. 

Max slammed his fist right between the other man's eyes. Lunging forward, he grappled Max and tied him up. 

(Q)  "Does the fight get broken up?  (Very Unlikely) - Yes

Several men jumped in, separating the two. Surrounding Tanner sSmith, they led him away. "You got lucky this time, punk," the opponent said, "but Tanner will get you next time."

Hmm, that's interesting. I wonder . . . 

(Q) "Does Tanner want a match with Max?" (Likely, I mean why not, right?): X-No

"Anytime!" Max called out to him. "See you in the ring."

"Oh no," Tanner replied. "Tanner only fights those worthy of his time, and you haven't proven yourself yet." He disappeared, along with his apparent entourage.

Since this brawl didn't end in an X-No, Max doesn't gain a Dec d6. Since this is the first encounter of the month, it doesn't end yet, so hopefully, Max will have better luck in the near future.

Until next time . . . 

First Match - Mythic and THW

 When we last left our hero, Max, he had gotten to the island of Rott, gotten into a fight with a man known only as Mr. Flapjack, performed community service, and was shown to a room with a bed and food.

Now it's time for his first fight.

Here is a ring I threw together. The green dice represent Max while the red represent his opponent. The d6 in the corner represents the fighter's current Rep (I tend to lose track of stats easily at times). The 2d6 in the ring will be rolled each time while those outside the ring are bonus dice. Finally, the white dice are for miscellaneous rolls. 

Now Bonus Dice can be added to any dice rolls. For my fighter, I choose when to use them. For Non-Player Fighters (or NPF), I'll roll each BD. On 1-3, it gets used but lost until the next round. On 4-5, it doesn't get used or lost. On 6, it gets used but not counted and is lost.

Our fighters:

Max, as a reminder: Rep 3; Strong Willed.

Nick Twist (rolled at random): Rep 2; Iron Fist.

We start our match.

Max passes 2d6. Nick passes 1d6 and fails doesn't count his BD (though it doesn't get lost). This means Max is now In Control. Rerolling, Max now gets +1d6 to his roll.

Rolling In Control, Max passes 2d6. Nick again passes only 1d6. Max is still in control.

Circling his opponent, Max threw several jabs, which connected with Nick's face. He blinked and shook his head but remained in place.

Now both fighters pass 1d6, ending in a clinch. Now, normally this would burn half the round, but since I'm trying to mix both rules, I'm going to make it a Fate chart question.

(Q)  Does the round end? (I'm starting at Unlikely since this match has rounds): No.

The referee stepped between the two. "Okay boys, step back."

I'm rolling again on the Fight table, but no one is In Control.

Pushing past the referee, Nicks threw a hard hook that caught Max right in the jaw, staggering him.

With Nick passing 2d6 more than Max, he now gets to roll on the KO table to see if he knocks Max down.

As Max covered his face with his gloves, Nick delivered a series of punches to his ribs. Doubling over, Max crumpled to the canvas.

Nick passed 2d6, scoring a knockdown. Now it's Max's turn to roll on the Recovery table. If he passes, he stands up. Knowing this is not the best place to be, I'm using 2 of his 3 BD, rolling 4d6 to stand up. All I need is to pass 2d6, or even 1d6 to score a reroll.

Nevermind.

Max reached for the ropes, but as he stretched, his ribs felt like they had caved in. Gasping for air, he dropped back to all fours. 

Then he heard it. "8, 9, 10. Knock out!"

Unfortunately, Max lost his first match, in a R1 KO to a tomato can opponent. He gains 1 Dec d6 and heads back to his bed hoping to end this horrible night with a rough night sleep.

Sorry, Max. Better luck next time.

Now let's see how much time has passed. I'm altering my previous rule by making this a Fate Question. I started last week at Very Unlikely and moving it up 1 odds after each event.

(Q)  Is the month over? (Unlikely): No.

This month continues, with Max currently at 1 Inc d6 and 2 Dec d6. Let's hope his luck improves in the near future.

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.

Captain Nemo - Unleash . . . Tickle?

August 23, 19-

It's been ten years since Captain Nemo gave me command of his vessel, the Nautilus.  Since then, my friends and I found an island and turned it into our base.  The natives, we befriended, and I ended up finding a wife, a lovely and intelligent woman who picked up my language far quicker than I could learn hers.

We also discovered a baby creature resembling the ones who attacked our vessel years earlier.  This one, the offspring of a much larger beast, watched its mother get slaughtered by British naval ships.  Despite its species' propensity for violence, this little guy attached itself to us once we rescued it.  I named him Tickle, since he liked to tickle my arm with his tentacles.

Now he's fully grown and seeks to help us guard our island from outside threats.  I believe the time has come to put our little friend to the test.

Captain Nemo is a roleplaying game from THW Games Design.  In the base game, Nemo loans you command of the Nautilus and sends you on a series of missions.  If you prove yourself, if ultimately gives you his ship and retires.  These missions vary from collecting food, to fighting opponents, and even attacking naval vessels and sea monsters.

Not long ago, I had finished the missions and got the Nautilus.  However, the game doesn't have to end, and I decided to run the missions as post-quest encounters.

"Captain!"  Mr. Mars motioned for me to look through his binoculars.  "Ship approaching and rapidly!"

I looked through and saw it, a British Cutter.  The natives had told us about soldiers who assaulted other villages and kidnapped their people.  The natives here were our friends, and I wasn't about to leave them to the mercy of the British military.

Perhaps it was time for Tickle's first test.

Captain Nemo contains two types of table for Naval Battles, one for ships and one for sea monsters.  I used the sea monster one with the enemy vessel in place of the Nautilus.  Since this was Tickle's first test, I started him at Rep 3.  Unfortunately, I generated an enemy ship with a Rep 5 captain.  Tickle's first challenge was going to be a tough one!

"Open the gates!"  I called to my crew.  Tickle spent most of his time resting in the giant cave that we converted into the Nautilus' hanger.  With the gates opening, the giant creature sawam out.  Noticing the enemy ship, he bee-lined straight for it.

Despite having the lower Rep, Tickle gained the advantage and struck the enemy ship, causing minor damage.  The ship attempt a ram but missed.  The battle went back and forth for several minutes (real time) until Tickle finally gained the advantage.

Finally, the ship failed its final roll and keeled over (See what I did there?).

We could hear the screams all the way from the shore as the great beast dragged the ship and its crew to the depths.  An hour later, he returned to the cave and slept for several days straight.  We don't know the details of what happened, but I dread the thought.  And although what he did to the ship and its crew may have been horrifying, what those men would do to the natives, I fear, would be worse.  As far as I'm concerned, they're the real monsters!


That ended the encounter with Tickle winning.  Awarding him Increasing d6 (1 for the ship kill and I decided on 2 more for completing the encounter against a tougher foe), I rolled 3d6 and scored 1d6 higher.  Tickle gained experience and increased to Rep 4.


"Captain, soldiers on the beach!"  Mr. Toad pointed and I saw a small group of soldiers appear on the shore with weapons drawn.  Quickly, they vanished into the brush, heading straight for the nearby village, and we hurried to intercept them.  Whether they survived the attack or were dropped off before mattered little.  They sought revenge, and I determined to deny them all.  


I chose a Confrontation encounter for this one, with my group consisting of myself, Mr. Toad, and Mr. Mars.

Rolling for the enemy, I got 4 opponents, Rep 5, 5, 4, and 4 from the British Navy.  Now, usually you don't face the Naval soldiers on a Confrontation encounter, but I decided to make them the enemy after the previous encounter.  That's the beauty of THW games, it only takes a few tweaks to change the variables as you see fit.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the entire battle, so I'll summarize.  We won on the Action table and opened fire.  All of us carried weapons that fired more than one shot, and everyone scored a hit with at least one of their shots.  I hit once and missed the second.  Mr. Toad missed his first and scored with the second.  And Mr. Mars scored with both of his shots.

The numbers represent what I rolled for damage.  We scored kills or incapacitating shots on the first 3 opponents.  The 4th took off running, though I heard the natives found him, and although they didn't volunteer inf on what occurred, I chose not to ask.

My characters were already Rep 7 and above so instead of rolling our Increasing d6, I just kept them to go toward our retirement. 

A short game, but a fun one, especially with my first test of playing as the Sea Monster.

Re-introducing Chain Reaction!

Two Hour Wargames has just upgraded its Chain Reaction rules.  Chain Reaction are a set of sample rules to show you how THW titles are played.  Although THW titles range from wargames to roleplaying games, they all have one thing in common; no Game Master is needed.  You can play each of the games single player, same side, or even head to head.

Here is some sample game play from CR 2018:

While the previous version of CR used a 3 x 3 map for its games, CR 2018 uses a Battle Board, which is an 8"x 10" board.  This can be anything from a printed out map to an ordinary sheet of paper.  You can even buy a set of Battle Boards from THW.

Unfortunately, my printer ran low on ink, so I couldn't print out the Battle Board that came with the game and instead threw together a board from some game tiles.

My group of soldiers are ready for battle.  

Since there's no game master to tell you what's going on, games use Encounters to give you an objective.  I'm playing a Raid, in which my soldiers are attacking the enemy.  The details can be anything I wish.  In my case, my troops are livid after the enemy hijacked a shipment of bathroom supplies that we were expecting.  And if there's one thing I learned, it's never to come between a killing machine and his loofah!

Here's the game board.  It's a little bigger than an 8x10, but it does the job.  Since the enemy is defending, they'll be placed in the building.

In THW titles, your enemy is created using PEFs, or Possible Enemy Forces.  These create a sense of uncertainty for your adventures.  Maybe we'll encounter nothing at all, or maybe we'll face an entire army!

With the 3x3 game maps, PEFs would be placed in random positions, but for the Battle Board, you simply resolve them one at a time.  When one resolves as Contact, you place the opponents on the board.

The first PEF resolves as "Something is out there!"  Nothing appears right away, but my troops see movement in the building and know for sure that it's not empty.  This increases the chance of a later PEF resolving successfully.

Sure enough, this one resolves as contact.  Rolling for how many, versus my group of 4 results in 6 enemies.  Rolling for Who are they results in Mercenaries.  Someone paid these guys to steal our loofahs.  I bet they're holding them hostage in that building!

Now, I line everyone up for battle.  Normally, your Star (the character you control) is in the center and lined up with the enemy leader, but I forgot about this and instead lined them up on the side.  The numbers on the dice represent the characters' Reputation (or Rep).  Rep represents your character's experience, combat skill, health, and (depending on the game) non-combat ability.  Each character also carries certain weapons and has attributes based on their classes.  My troops, who are Military, get a bonus when shooting.  The Mercenaries get a bonus when rolling on the Action table (which determines who moves first).

Despite their bonus, we win on the Action table and go first, with my character starting.

My Star goes first and opens fire on the enemy leader (2 shots) and the soldier closes to him (1 shot).  I kill the leader and incapacitate the soldier.

The next soldier in my group opens fire, missing twice on the enemy before scoring a vicious hit with the third shot.

My third solider scores a hit, but it results in Duck Back, meaning the enemy soldier ducks behind cover, ending his turn if he hasn't acted yet.

My final soldier shoots at the two remaining opponents, causing one to Duck Back and missing the last one.  The last soldier, meanwhile, is now able to return fire, and he causes my soldier to duck back.

He now attempts to shoot again at the same soldier, but luckily he scores another duck back result.  

Now that this round is over, we roll for Will to Fight.  This is a morale test taken by any side that loses troops.  Since they lost teammates, the  two opponents have to take the test.

And they fail, resulting in one opponent fleeing and leaving only one to deal with.

Now it's our turn again.

I let the closest soldier in my group open fire and he scores a direct hit, dropping the last mercenary and ending combat.

But wait, that was only the second PEF and we're supposed to have 3 . . . 

Whew!  Lucked out as nothing else appeared.  We win the encounter and my team goes home knowing their loofahs now safe and sound!

This is a sample of game play that you'll find in other THW titles.  In most games, you'll have a wealth of other options.  Not all encounters will end in combat.  Sometimes, your group will simply wander the town and chat up the bars.  Or maybe they'll stop in and gamble a bit.  but don't drop your guard because a possible brawl is always around the corner!  Other encounters have you defending your group against an enemy attack; possibly a burglary or a fight on equal ground.

In addition, different games give your characters more options.  Maybe they're not soldiers.  Maybe they're knights defending the kingdom from enemy bands or monsters.  Maybe they're pilots flying space ships across the galaxy.  Or maybe they're just average Joes trying to get through a normal day . . . until the zombies attack!  More character classes, attributes, and skills allow you to create all types of characters.

Want to keep playing your same characters?  Most THW titles include campaign rules where your characters get stronger and more skilled as they progress.  Or they might lose a skill if games end badly.  

THE titles cover all sorts of eras.  Talomir Tales cover fantasy worlds of warriors, wizards, and monsters.  5150 covers the future, with space ships and laser guns.  Nuts covers World War II, with supplements and rules to let you play every inch of the war.  And All Things Zombies covers, well, guess!

But if you want to try out the THW rules first, check out Chain Reaction, which you can download for free, at www.twohourwargames.com.

Chain Reaction rules can be found here:

http://www.twohourwargames.com/free.html.

Happy gaming and hope your characters survive!