Zeroes to Heroes - Part 4: Shopping and First Encounter

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

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

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

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

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

"We go hunting," Jaree answered.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jaree groaned. "That leaves nothing for ammo."

"Or a travel pack," Milo added.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First Encounter: 

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

(Event)  "NPC, Obstacle."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"And right there,"  Vina pointed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Let's see if they buy it.)

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

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

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

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

"Well that was easy," said Natrius.

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

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

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.

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.

Returning to Nuts an AAR

I recently received the updated rules for Nuts! a World War II game from Two Hour Wargames.  In addition, I got the Compendium, with covers a number of optional rules, such as ski troops, mascots, weather, air strikes, and urban fights.

After playing the videogame Snipe Elite 4, in which you go through Italy during WWII, I decided to play my own sniper game.  I like this especially because the rules in Nuts allow for unlimited maps and missions.

This will be a Chocolate and Cigarettes game, meaning a game with smaller numbers of troops, as my entire 'team' consists of one lone sniper.  Since I wanted to be a good guy but still a cold-hearted, ruthless killer, I went with a Russian soldier.

Meet Dimitri Kozlov, a Rep 5 Russian Sniper.  Fitness 5, Mental 4, People 3.  Basically, his skills mean he's in incredible shape with above average intellect and average people skills.  Hopefully he won't have to do any negotiating.

For Attributes, I went with the Compendium rules, which allow for a wider variety.  I started with the Sniper Package, which is Sniper Expert and Stealthy.  I then randomly rolled Dim, which means he's a hell of a sneaky shooter, but he really, really doesn't play well with others.

The campaign starts with both sides at Morale 4 and Investment at 4.  As the first Encounter is a Patrol, Investment is a 3.  Using the Compendium rules, this will be a Sniper Patrol, meaning I not only have to reach the top of the map, but I must drop two major opponents, whether they're officers, enemy snipers, ect.

In case you're wondering, no Dimitri is not about to play Twister.  Using my living room as the board, I set Dimitri at Section 9 at the top of a hill.  The orange and green represent the forest at sections 1, 4, and 7.  The red circles are the three PEFs, starting in Sections 2, 4, and 5.

PEF #1 resolves as Nothing.  However, PEF #2 resolves as an NCO and a Rifleman ( I rolled at random because at the time, I wasn't sure how to resolve specific troops).  PEF #3 resolved as 3 Riflemen. 

Rolling Activation, the Germans move first.  This triggers and In Sight Check, with the winner basically getting a free turn.  I rolled Red d6 for Dimitri and Green d6 for the Germans, with 1, 2, and 3 being Successes.  The side with the most successes win In Sight.

Uh oh!  Even though they get a -1d6 penalty for my Stealthy Attribute, they still win and get to go first.  While the NCO has an SMG which doesn't have the range to hit me, the Rifleman has a Bolt-Action Rifle that can, even without a scope.  He's a Rep 4, but I'm at the top of a hill and prone so the chances of him scoring any kind of hit are-

Crap!!!!  Not only does he score a direct hit, but for damage I roll another 6, which is Obviously Dead!  He scored with a head shot to my soldier!

Wait, I still have Star Power!  That means my Star, the character I control, rolls a number of d6 equal to his Rep, and as long as he rolls, 1, 2, and/or 3, he can reduce and even ignore the damage completely.  All he needs are a couple of those rolls and he'll be completely in the clear-

Um, yeah . . .about that . . .

So ends the saga of Dimitri Kozlov.  In his first mission, a lone, lowly enemy soldier puts a single bullet right between his eyes and ends his adventures. 

Luckily, it's not over yet!  I rolled up a new character and the Russian platoon, upon learning of poor Dimitri's fate, has sent another sniper to take his place.  I'm keeping the campaign the same.  Luckily, the Campaign Morale remained the same.  However, since I lost the Patrol encounter, my new character will start his adventure with a Defend. 

But that's for another story.

For now, RIP Dimitri Kozlov.  Dropped before he ever fired a bullet.  And this will go down in history as my quickest RPG adventure yet.

Hopefully, my new character has better luck.

I found Nemo! or rather He found me!

This is not one of my games, but a new game from Two Hour Wargames that I recently received.  I remember reading the novel Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea and watching the films (I think there was more than one; it's been a while.).  However, my fondest memory was the ride at Walt Disney World. 

However, in the past decade or so, that and a number of my other favorites have disappeared, to be replaced by, at least in my view, lesser attractions.  For that reason, I saw playing this game as my revenge against Disney.  Now I understand the idea of out with the old and in with the new; I just choose not to accept it.  As such, a number of characters on my Star's side are named after rides, attractions, and shops at Disney that I loved and now miss. 

Let the voyage begin . . .

I awoken on a cot inside a vessel of some kind.  My clothes were missing, replaced with standard attire for a navel crew.  This was strange.  

Stumbling out of the room, I found myself in a large room with various devices smoking, rotating, and humming.

"So, you're back from the dead," said a voice to my right.  

Turning, I saw an older gentleman leaning against a post with his arms crossed.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"You're aboard the Nautilus," he answered, standing straight and spreading his arms.

"The Nautilus?"  I knew that name.  "You're Captain Nemo!  I thought you were dead."

"Not quite yet," he responded.  "And you are?"

"Jakob Kare," I answered.  "I was aboard the Minne, a passenger ship out of Oslo."

Nemo nodded.  "We found you adrift in a longboat.  It seems your vessel was attacked."

"It was," I said.  "A British ship mistook us for an enemy ship and attacked before we could identify ourselves."

"Unfortunately," he continued, "you were the only survivor.  Did you have any family aboard?"

I nodded, tightening my fists.  "My dog, Merlin.  He and I were rushing for the longboat when he vanished in a ball of fire right before my eyes."  I raised my eyes to his.  "Hey, you're on a mission of revenge against them, aren't you?  If so, I'm in!"

"Actually," Nemo said, "I'm retiring soon."

"But you can't retire!"  I glared at the legendary captain.  "Those cods haven't learned their lesson yet!"

A smirk appeared as he watched me.  "Which is why I'm looking for a captain to replace me.  Now I like your fire, but I don't know if you have what it takes."

"Follow me."

He led me through the corridor and to a room.  Opening the door we entered his personal cabin.  He took a seat behind his desk and pointed to a map.  "I'm want to see, Jakob Kare, if you have what is required to command this ship.  So I'm going to sending you on a series of missions, directing you from here.  Complete these missions to my satisfaction, and this ship will be yours to do with as you please.  Do you accept?"

I didn't even hesitate.  "When do we start?"

"First, I sending you to Kasur to collect food for the crew."

"Food?" I asked.  "I can more prove myself by sinking a ship or two."

He smiled as one would to a student who failed a test.  "Your crew cannot fight on empty stomachs.  Gather food, and then we'll talk next."


Jakob Kare (Star):  Rep 5:  Crack Shot (rolled at random), Quick Reflexes (chosen), SAR.
Mr. Toad (Grunt):  Rep 4:  Agile (Random), SAR.
Mr. Mars (Grunt):  Rep 4: Logical (Random), SAR.


A few hours later, I made landfall in search of food.  I brought with me two of Nemo's crew; a short but seemingly agile man named Mr. Toad, and a tall, thin, introspective man named Mr. Merlin.

While searching, Toad noticed three individuals approaching us.

After studying them, Mars pointed.  "They're Berber Militia."

We tried talking with them, but they ignored us.  Some time later, we had gather enough food and returned to the Nautilus.

"Well done," Nemo said to me.  "Although that was an easy mission.  While we're here, explore the rest of the island.  It might become a useful base."

I set off again with Toad and Mars as we traveled inland from the coast.

It didn't take long for us to run into trouble as three drake lizards charged us.  Toad shot two of them while Mars killed the last.  My shots missed completely, and I grew concerned.  Fortunately, my crew expressed respect for my courage and continued to follow me.

Some time later, we ran into more Berbers.  Apparently they were following us to see if we were a threat.  Upon learning that we weren't, they greeted us and vanished into a brush.

An hour later, we found three more Berbers who were gathering food.  They showed us the best places to extract food, and we thanked them and moved on.

Returning to the Nautilus, I reported back to Captain Nemo.

"The island is inhabited by a group called the Berbers.  They didn't give us any trouble and possibly we can form an alliance with them if we are to use the island as a base."

"Well done," he said.  "But again, an easy challenge.  Perhaps next-"

"Captain to the bridge.  British vessel in the vicinity."

We heard the call Mars and Nemo looked to me.  "You wanted to face a British ship.  Here's your chance.  But if you fail and damage my vessel, I'll bury you in Atlantis . . . alive!"

"Yes sir."

I rushed to the bridge and faced Mars.  "Captain Nemo gave me the bridge.  Report."

"One vessel," he answered.  "It looks like a cargo transport."

I saw it through the periscope.  It looked like it was shipping guns and supplies to one of their many forts.  

Smiling, I turned to my helm officer.  "Charge that ship."

Bringing the Nautilus just below the water's surface, we lunged ahead.  Suddenly, the ship turned at the last second and we flew right past it.  

"Are they fleeing?" I asked.

"Negative," came the answer.  "They're arming cannons."

"Dive, bring us just out of the line of sight and circle them."

Once they lost sight of us we charged again.

Direct hit!  We blew through the ship like paper, and I grinned widely as I watched the hull, along with its cargo, sunk below the waves.

"For you, Merlin."


Afterwards, I rolled Increasing d6 (Since the first two encounters were pretty short, I waited until the Navel Battle before rolling).

Jakob improved to Rep 6.

Toad improved to Rep 5.

Mars did not improve.

The adventure will continue next time.

Adventures with Captain Nemo is available now from Two Hour Wargames.

The Trials of Nihilus - A Future Tales and Star War adventure

I've got a box full of Star Wars miniatures, but the SW mini rules really don't support solo play.  However, THW games do and with the story structure in Future Tales, I had just the set-up.  Bringing back a character I created in the old SW RPG, I decided to blow off some steam by creating my own continuity with the character,

In addition to the rules in FT, I also created an Add-on for using Star Wars characters, etc. in the game, including using the Force.  Adding to those, I'm using Ed's UIC table for challenges and interactions.  However, I'm keeping the opposed rolls for consistency as FT uses them for finding clues.

Finally, I added an ability for Force users called Force Skill.  When performing a Challenge or Interaction, Force users can choose to use the Force to aid them, granting a +1d6 on their rolls.  However, failing results in a -1 to Rep for the rest of the scene.

Now onto the adventure!


Some time after the Battle of Endor . . .

The abandoned star destroyer drifted through space.  Its lone inhabitant, a young man in his early 20's, entered the computer room.  He stood average height and was thin and bald.  In most situations, he could step through a crowd a be forgotten in seconds.  Of if he wished, he could pass through the same crowd and no one would forget!

This was the man once known as Thuun, the son of an Imperial governor who was assassinated not long ago.  Right after that, young Thuun, a stage performer, encountered a mysterious guide who showed him that he had an ability not of this world, and taught him to use it.

Kneeling before the hologram display, Thuun waited as the display lit up.  but instead of revealing a person, it only showed a bright light like a star.

"You have done well," a voice said.  "Thousands of years ago, a Sith Lord known as Darth Nihilus terrorized the galaxy.  But the Sith are no more so that task shall fall to you, Nihilus."

"Thanks," the young man said.

"Consider this your first trial," the voice continued.

An image appeared.  "This is Mas Sechar, the governor of the Imperial world Carsux.  Eliminate him so Imperial control of the world shall fall."

Thuun stared at the image and hesitated.

"Is the a problem, Nihilus?" the voice asked, now addressing him by his new name.

"Are we not on the same side?" Nihilus asked.  "Do we not have the same goal, to defeat the Rebellion and save the Empire?"

"The Empire of old cannot defeat the Rebellion," the voice answered.  "It must be destroyed so that something stronger can rise, destroying the Rebellion and the new Jedi."

Nihilus nodded.  "Then it will be done."  Standing, he wore a dark gray jumpsuit and robe.  Attached to his belt, along with the hilt of his black-bladed lightsaber, was a simple cloth mask that concealed his face completely.  Now he truly could choose to either be forgotten or the substance of nightmares.

Nihilus:  Human; Rep 5; Magic, Charismatic, Brawler; Lightsaber.

This story is a Find Person.  I've also decided the person, Mas Sechar, is also the Big Bad.  5 clues are required to complete this.

First locale:  Urban - Question.

Boarding his personal transport, Nihilus traveled to the planet Corellia.  Arriving in one of the cities, discarded his robes in favor of a normal jumpsuit and entered a club and sought out Orb Corana, a merchant known for successfully navigating both Imperial and free systems.

Calling on the Force, he looked into Orb's eyes.  "Tell me how you entered the Carsux system."

This turned out to be unnecessary as his opponent seemed perfectly willing to cooperate.  "With the fall of the Empire, the planet's defenses are completely disorganized.  While a large ship would be stopped, a freighter could slip right in unopposed."

"I see."  Nihilus thought for a moment and decided against using the Force for the rest of his questioning.  "And what can you tell me about Mas Sechar?"

"Not much," Orb answered, "but a Rebel pilot named Marda Clame originally showed me the route.  He'd know more than I do.  You can find him on the Rebel Ship Quasara."

Leaving the city, Nihilus decided to seek out the Quasara and Marda Clame.

Found 1 clue.

Next - Question; Space.

Note that the Rebel ship is much larger than Nihilus' freighter; it only looks the same size because it's still in the distance.  At least that's the excuse I'm giving!

Nihilus steered his ship through space until her located the Quasara.  Once a Rebel warship, it had recently been converted into a civilian transport, though members of the Rebellion still occupied the vessel.  Boarding the ship, Nihilus explored the halls in search of Marda.

Locating the pilot in one of the offices, Nihilus approached him.  "My name is Thuun.  Orb Corana sent me because he said you could give me more information on Carsux and Mas Sechar."

After showing Nihilus a computer model of the system and various recommended routes, Marda copied the information to a disk and handed it to the man.  "Just don't approach Sechar alone."

"Why is that?" Nihilus asked.

"He may look like some boring governor, but he carries a vibro staff that he knows how to use.  He also, on his belt, has a force field that protects him for threats."

I added those to explain his Big Bad Star Power.

"Thank you"  Boarding his ship again, Nihilus studied the information on the disk.  He would have to make another stop in a nearby system so he could join the convey entering the system and slip in unnoticed.

Gain 1 clue.

Next - Search - Off-Planet - Barren.

Nihilus took his ship into hyperspace, but the ship trembled and entered real space again.  Examining the systems, he noticed the faulty nav computer emitting smoke.  Looking over the star charts.  He noticed the planet Tattoine was nearby.  Better land there and find a new computer.

Unfortunately, the nav computer had also interfered with his sensors.  He was able to land, but he couldn't find any close-by settlements.  He would need to set out on foot and locate the settlements himself.

The Search for this scene is locating a town where he could purchase a new computer.

Keeping his cloak close to him, he traveled the desert for several hours.  His binoculars finally located a settlement in the distance, but he still had far to walk.

Then he heard a weird screech.

Desert Skimmers, as they were called.  Two of these lizard-like creatures raced forward to flank the man.  Keeping calm, Nihilus pulled out his lightsaber and the black blade came to life.

Leaping forward, he swung his blade, slicing the beasts down.  With no more foes nearby, Nihilus finally located the town of Mos Espa and entered the town.

Gain 1 clue.

Next - Rural - Question.

Exploring the town, Nihilus encountered numerous individuals wandering around, though few took more than a moment's notice of the cloaked man, probably because he resembled a simple wanderer (and they couldn't see his lightsaber).  A few of the inhabitants eventually pointed Nihilus to Borga the Hutt, who specialized in selling ship parts.

"I need a nav computer for my freighter," Nihilus said.

"I have a few left over," Borga replied in the Basic language.  "How will you pay for it?"

Knowing mind tricks were useless against the Hutt, Nihilus produced a series of gems from his master's collection.  "Is this enought?"

The Hutt's eyes widen.  "Very much so.  Here, this is the top of the line.  Great doing business with you."

Gain 1 clue.  

Next - Off-Planet - Urban - Search.

Travel Scene!

As Nihilus again trekked through the desert toward his ship, he sensed danger approaching.  Unlike the Desert Skimmers, these opponents chose a more subtle approach - an ambush!

Normally this travel scene would be a space battle or something similar, but I'm keeping it on-planet because I really want to fight Sand People!

Force Skill - Sense - Pass 2d6.

Two Tusken Raiders, aka Sand People, approached from the front while two others attempted to flank him.  Two of them were armed with their gaffi sticks while the other two loaded their slug thrower rifles.

Normally, a roll for How Many would result in no more than 3 opponents, but I increased it to 4 because I really wanted to fight Sand People!

The 4 opponents continued to sneak forward, concealing themselves with the hills.  For a moment, Nihilus considered using the Force to instill terror in the beings, but that would only be a temporary solution, and they might return with reinforcements before he reached his ship.

And also because I really . . . well, you know.

The two on his flank leaped forward and to both sides of him.  Igniting his lightsaber, Nihilus attacked without hesitation.

Striking down both foes, he now turned his attention to the to before him who had their rifles pointed at Nihilus.

The Sand People attempted to maneuver Nihilus between them, and both fired their weapons.  But Nihilus deflected the blasts, sending them into the sand.

Lunging forward, he struck at the closest opponent, slicing right through the creature's weapon and arm.  It collapsed to the ground, blood pouring into the sand.

The lone opponent, showing remarkable courage in the moment, opened fire.  Dodging the attacks, Nihilus leaped forward, landing right in his opponent's face.

A lightsaber swing later, the battle was over.

Reaching his ship, Nihilus installed his new computer and set course for the Onoli system.

A day later, Nihilus reached the Onoli system.  Entering the capital city, he searched for the shipping docks.

He finally reached the docks and found a droid salesman who was already shipping droid parts to the planet Carsux.  The merchant allowed him to help with shipping the parts and thus joining the convoy.

Gain 1 clue.  

Final Scene.  And as the Big Bad is also who I was searching for, I skipped rolling on the Final Scene table and instead just went to the scene itself.

The convoy entered Carsux without problem, and slipping out of the group, Nihilus landed his ship just outside of the Imperial base.  Sneaking into the base, he found himself in a maintenance station.

The d6 represent PEFs between Nihilus and Mas Sechar.  The first one immediately entered the station where Nihilus was located.

Two Imperial technicians entered the room.  "Hey who are you?" the first one asked.

Knowing it was far too early to battle opponents, Nihilus called on the Force.  "I am Admiral Gram.  Carry on."

"Yes sir, Admiral," the two saluted and left.

Next, he encountered three storm troopers guarding a hanger.  "You will let me pass."

FAIL!  -1 to Rep!

"Intruder!"  The three all attacked without hesitation.

Luckily, Nihilus still possessed plenty of fighting ability.  Igniting his Lightsaber, he assaulted and quickly took down all three opponents.

With the foes vanquished, Nihilus took a deep breath and stepped into the hanger, where he sensed his adversary awaited.

Ad this point, I figured all opponents would hear the sounds of fighting, so I resolved all PEFs right there and then.  Fortunately, only one resolved as contact, but then added minions for Mas Sechar.

Nihilus stepped through the doorway to find Mas Sechar preparing to enter the shuttle.  Flanked by storm troopers and Imperial personnel, he ordered the group to attack.

Knowing that he was outnumbered, Nihilus slashed several nearby fuel hoses to keep the shuttle from taking off right away.  Then, sucking laser blasts, he slipped back into the hallway.

The first few storm stroopers raced through the doorway, but Nihilus struck them down, using the Force to lift them up and smash them into the floor (Damage spell).

A heavy trooper approached, armed with a rocket launcher.  Nihilus knew there was no way he could deflect that with his blade, so he'd have to strike first.

Calling on the Force, he held his free hand out, and the trooper was lifted up and smashed against a computer console.  It exploded in his face and he fell to the ground, just as a trooper with twin pistols attacked.

The trooper fired, but Nihilus deflected the bolts right back into the trooper's chest.  With no more opponents remaining, the dark sider stepped again through the doorway.

He found Sechar and a technician standing near the shuttle's ramp.  The tech raised his blaster, but Nihilus sent him flying.  No only Sechar remained.

Stepped down from the ramp, Sechar pressed a button on his belt, and a glowing bubble surrounded him.  Leaping forward, Nihilus swung his blade, but his opponent blocked it with his staff.

Backing into the terminal, he again blocked the dark sider's assaults, but his own strikes were also met with equal failures.

Out of no where, Sechar swung his staff low, sweeping Nihilus' feet.  Nihilus hit the ground and rolled aside (Star Power) and away from his foe.  Calling on the Force, he pushed Sechar away, but his opponent was protected by his force field (Star Power).

"Who are you?"  Sechar asked.  "I'm trying to save the Empire."

"No," Nihilus replied, literally adding Force to his voice (Dazzle), "it cannot be saved.  You have failed and will be replaced."

Thrown off guard by his opponent's words and voice, Sechar hesitated.

And that's when Nihilus struck.

Knowing the staff aside, he stabbed straight forward, his blade cutting into his foe's throat.  Sechar's eyes went wide, then lost all focus, and he collapsed.

His mission complete, Nihilus slipped out before more troops arrive.  Leaving the system, he leaped into hyperspace and returned to his base of operations.  While he had succeeded in his plans, he did make some glaring mistakes and would have to practice more caution in the future.

Nihilus gained Increasing d6 for completing the story, defeating the Big Bad, and defeating opponents.  He gained Decreasing d6 for failing with his Force skill and using Star Power.  Rolling his remaining Increasing d6, I got a 6.  

Nihilus is now Rep 6.  Hopefully this will help him more in his next trial.