Games update - Start May 2021

 

Update at 9th May 2021

Another gaming filled month, with D&D 5e continuing as the dominant game (as my Curse of Strahd game hit its 24th session, putting it into the one or two longest campaigns that I've run since University). There's been a surge in different games being played as one-shots - Dune 2d20, Golgotha and Alien - this month, partly driven by conventions.

I'm enjoying The Yellow King; great players and an interesting take on the Gumshoe system. Unfortunately, my character has read a certain play...

13 May 2021

North Star 2021 - Afterthoughts

My pre-convention advert

This weekend brought North Star, Graham (First Age) and my Science Fiction themed convention. It's the fourth year that we've run the convention, and the second time that it's run online. 

Preparation went a lot more smoothly, and we focused on making sure that we reached out broadly to maximise the reach. Graham did a lot of that. Registration was via Google forms as usual, and we managed GM submissions and game allocation through Google Sheets, which worked smoothly. It's actually the same process that we use normally.

We knew that we'd face at least 25% dropouts based on previous online cons (this is our fourth since the lockdowns started, hopefully the last for now), and so had deliberately pushed numbers for the player base. One of the issues with online cons is that you see this drop out; it's especially frustrating when it happens once you've done game allocation as it's very time consuming. Drop outs before have very little affect. The dynamic to face-to-face is hugely different; if you're at a real location then you're likely to play. If you're online, it's easier not to. Anyway, it is what it is.

I was fortunate that Graham took over the comms once I'd done the initial GM and player allocations, as it gave me space for game preparation. The allocation and numbers are very visible, and it's hard not to bite when you get some 'helpful' suggestions and observations over forums and Facebook. 

Dropouts are especially annoying when someone tells you that they've done it for one reason (probably as they don't want to cause offence) but you then see it was for something else on Facebook or other social media because they're friends of friends. I'd wish they'd be more upfront; we understand that lots of people spend all day sitting in front of screens and also have other lives and opportunities that come along. Ultimately, we're really interested if you'd be there or not rather than the why. We have considered whether we should take a refundable deposit for the bookings; we refund it if you turn up and play, but I suspect that we won't. It will hopefully be a moot point come Furnace in October.

Anyway, the weekend seemed to go quite well. I hope that the after-con reports bear that feeling out.

So, what did I do? I ran two games I'd never run before, on a VTT that I'd not done anything other than test things for Graham on! The games were Golgotha and Dune 2d20, and I used the Role VTT.

Golgotha in the Role VTT, at the point they reached the advertising image

Golgotha is built on the Black Hack engine, and is a science-fiction game of raiding long abandoned relics of alien civilisations. Greg Saunders said that the Revenger series by Alastair Reynolds was an influence, and you can see it. You could play this as D&D in space (the Golgotha - or abandoned alien locations - would be dungeons). I didn't do this; I threw in a wilderness adventure too. I started the game with the players given a mission to find out what happened to another group of scavengers; they found the wrecked ship, which had clashed with one of the big bad alien races and then followed a breadcrumb trail to an O'Neil cylinder where they tracked down the surviving crew member and escaped ahead of the other big bad alien race. They were being hunted. They made it back to base, and then got the follow up mission to complete the first team's objectives. 

The Tergamant heads into space

I cut a section out that I'd planned, because time was tight, and we ended up with the camera cutting away with the party trapped in an ancient alien spacetime warping artefact orbiting a black hole, having managed to shutdown the fractureways used to travel faster-than-light by all the races.

I imagine Sley, Scratch, Dor and Smoooth Eddy are even now sitting in the Tergamant somewhere in the middle of nowhere bickering about whose fault it all is."

The players seemed to enjoy it. The system fades into the background (although I'd not run the game before, I have run The Cthulhu Hack and Heroic Fantasy which both draw on the same background) and was a joy to run. The only element that jarred was that I think that the damage levels for the non-fighter characters are a bit low. Damage done is based on class, so you could have a Ghost (magic user - hacker) doing d3 damage and the Blade (fighter) doing 3d8 at the same level. It felt a little too extreme. However, that was minor and the players seemed to enjoy it and I got some nice comments back.

Dune, Arrakis, Desert Planet

The second game I ran was Dune, the new 2d20 game. I've loved the setting for years (but let's not discuss the non-Frank Herbert bits) and I'd been tempted enough by the promise of a lighter take on the 2d20 engine to try again. I'd bought Star Trek Adventures previously and abandoned it due to the general incoherence of the rules presentation, selling the book after the third attempt to read it. However, I'd subsequently played it at a Furnace and enjoyed it (thanks to Dr Mitch and Paul Baldowski) so I reckoned that there'd be a way through. I pre-ordered the books and read the Quickstart.

First pass notes...

Second pass notes...

On first impression, there was a lot going on! I read the QuickStart twice, taking copious notes. Then I read the final corebook rules sections and it started to click. I've started to tie these altogether into a crib sheet which you can see on Google Docs here. It need a bit of work, but was helpful. Unlike Golgotha, this game has its engine very much in your face and you are playing a much more narrative, metagaming experience. 

My first taste of 2d20 and it went very well.
I could feel the sand in the wind, the heat on my head and taste the Spice.
Marvellous!

I ran the introductory scenario, which was probably dangerous time-wise as it needed lots of conversations (with 13 NPCs) which it proposed tests to be done with for each one! In the end, I abstracted this into groups of engagements with the players, and it worked well. We ended up with a deadly knife fight at the end, between three players and an Assassin.  I did a short wrap sequence, and the characters seemed to have succeeded, protecting the Atreides family from the Harkonnen. Meanwhile, the players looked on, knowing how wrong the characters were. 

The QuickStart could easily be used to set a campaign after the Atreides fall, with the characters guilt-feeling survivors. I liked the game engine and I will dig back into it.

The final new experience for me was Role. Role is an AV first VTT (virtual table top). Graham has long been an advocate of it, and my interest in it has been peaked as we approach Google Hangouts shutdown and Google Meet 45min limit reinstatement. It has great AV, a decent dice roll system, simple asset (maps, graphics, tokens), chat, safety tools and an easy to use visual character sheet builder. It was solid through the sessions and I will definitely use it more!

Overall, North Star was a hit for me, and I look forward to the fifth next year. Yes, we're planning to do it again! Thanks to the players and GMs for a great time.

9 May 2021 

Curse of Strahd - S3E4 - The Cleansing of the Mill

 

The party brutally killed Morgantha, the leader of the Hags that live in the Old Mill on the ridgeline between Barovia and Vallaki, then prepared to head home rather than risk fighting her two sisters without some time to rest.

Our dramatis personae:

Ser Alys de Adon-Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Fighter with a soldier background, currently the leader of the town militia of Daggerford), played by Tom (Guvnor). Lawful Neutral. Imagine a slightly greener take on Grace Jones... Married to Ser Adon.

Ser Adon de Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Paladin, from a knightly background, with two human retainers and a priest), played by Paul (dr_mitch). Lawful Good. Married to Ser Alys.

Kelwarin (Kel) (a half-elf Sorceror flush with the powers of wild magic, an outlander), played by Graham (First Age). Chaotic Good.

Gaddock Teeg (a halfling wizard and former prizefighter), played by Alex (Doggetay), Neutral Good

Afternoon 22nd November 

Having killed Morgantha, the party took her head as evidence, along with her eyelashes and iron-hard nails, and other body items which could potentially be useful to spells. They started back to town, with a young 6-year old boy called Ethan who had been sold to the wyrd sisters in return for a supply of the Dream Pastries and Pies that they made. Ethan rode on the wheeled trolley that he had previously been imprisoned on in a burlap sack. It seemed to reduce the weight of everything placed on it, and items rode in a very stable manner. Although it took nearly five hours, they reached Vallaki without incident despite the wolves howling in the woods that seemed to be tracking them.

Ser Adon called on the Priest, Father Lucian, once again and asked for his help to look after the latest stray he had collected. He talked about the hag they had slain, telling about the terrible suffering that the child had had when his parents gave him away, probably to be fattened up and made into a pie after his bones had been ground down. He managed to shift the opinion of the priest about him, perhaps not moving from the dislike he had garnered through the killing of his nephew and brother-in-law and the casting of his sister out of her house, but certainly earning grudging respect. As he left, he noticed the former Baroness starting to care for the child; perhaps this would be the start of a healing process.

23rd November 

The next morning, they came up with a cunning plan. The party enlisted Rictavio's help in changing Ser Alys' likeness to look like Morgantha. They planned to play the 'I've died and come back from hell' gambit. Gaddock would pose as a child on the trolley, Kel would hide 100ft away and Ser Adon would be invisible.  They soon set off; along the way, they discovered another package of clothes, this time with strict instructions to leave them in place. They did just that. Again the wolves were howling in the distance as they approached the Old Bonegrinder.

Their plan sprung into action; somehow, Ser Alys managed [great roll] to convince the two remaining Hags that their mother may potentially have returned despite her body (less head) being buried in the grave outside the Mill. The grave was marked "Our Ma, and a Beloved Sister, Cruelly murdered".

Enough doubt was there that Bella came out, at which point they attacked. Ser Adon's attempt to freeze her in place failed, but she was caught squarely by Kel's fireball. Rapidly escalating, fireballs rained down, and blades crunched. A dire and evil demon appeared and attempted to attack, releasing a fetid smell. The second hag, partly caught in the fireball blast, disappeared. A lightning bolt transfixed three party members who managed to stand in a straight line, with the hag casting it just managing to disappear into the ethereal plane before they could kill. A desperate fight escalated, with a cat and mouse element as the hags shifted. More demons emerged, choking Ser Adon with their foul stench, only the hasting by Gaddock stopped him from falling out of the fight. A battered Kel cast witch bolts once he ran out of fireballs and sorcery powers. Eventually, the party killed one of the hags. The other phased away.

Ser Adon kissed his wife gracefully, restoring her health only for her to be horrified as he turned into a frog in her arms. Warning the others not to step on any frogs, she stood ready to engage. Eventually, a bag of flour from Gaddock's familiar revealed the hag as she started to emerge; swiftly and brutally, Offalia was killed with a magic missile barrage. As she died, Ser Adon changed back to his human shape, along with a bewildered merchant who appeared in the ground floor kitchen in the Mill from a frog hopping there which had escaped from a jar in the fireball blast.

Searching the Mill, they found two young children (Freek and Myrtle) imprisoned there, being fattened up. They liberated some valuables and found three potions. Gaddock discovered a platinum amulet in the attic, with a red crystal stone set in it. It felt powerful, and the use of the identify spell revealed that it was the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, worn by warriors who sought out and destroyed vampires and long lost. Ser Adon eagerly took possession of it.

The bones and bonemeal flour of the children lost at the Mill were buried with ceremony, and then wood brought and a pyre set in the ground floor of the Mill to burn the bodies of the hags and destroy the nest of evil. The party then set off with children and the merchant, heading back to Vallaki leaving the Mill burning on the ridge, again tracked by wolves. When they reached the Blue Water Inn, Danika Martikov encouraged Ser Adon to take up the holy symbol to help him in his battle against the Devil Strahd. He happily agreed.

GM Notes: mainly a battle, which was good as I was tired after a bad night's sleep. The party came close to failure again, but somehow prevailed. Fortunately for them, Offalia was low on hit points and spells and was revealed by Gaddock's trick. This marks the end of this section of the plot arc; Vallaki is quiet and the evil of the Hags destroyed. A powerful artefact has been found which may well help the party in their plan to cleanse the valley. Of course, the wielder of the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind had been killed in the past, and it was lost. Will they fair better? Next session, we will start towards the Wizard of Wines Vineyard...

5 May 2021

Curse of Strahd - S3E3 - The Ring of Five

  

The party has murdered the Baron, his necromancy practising son, the head of the guard, and one of the town guards. Vallaki stands at a crossroads with anarchy beckoning; can the party complete their coup d'etat and leave a stable refuge, or will the lights go out?

Our dramatis personae:

Ser Alys de Adon-Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Fighter with a soldier background, currently the leader of the town militia of Daggerford), played by Tom (Guvnor). Lawful Neutral. Imagine a slightly greener take on Grace Jones... Married to Ser Adon.

Ser Adon de Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Paladin, from a knightly background, with two human retainers and a priest), played by Paul (dr_mitch). Lawful Good. Married to Ser Alys.

Kelwarin (Kel) (a half-elf Sorceror flush with the powers of wild magic, an outlander), played by Graham (First Age). Chaotic Good.

Gaddock Teeg (a halfling wizard and former prizefighter), played by Alex (Doggetay), Neutral Good

Night of 19th November 2021 until 21st November

The consolidation of power began overnight. Kel suggested that the town guards may look favourably on the new regime if they had some form of transition bonus for their loyalty. Checking the funds out, the party soon had the cold hard cash available and called the guards together. Very quickly, using Ser Alys' acrobatic flexing and Kelwarin's silver-tongued words, the guards fell into line. A message was sent to Lady Wachter:

Dear Lady Wachter

I write as a dear friend. Those that brought pain and confusion to your beloved daughter are no more.

The incompetent Baron and his deviant offspring are no more. I slew the spawn myself after it almost slew my most revered husband with necromancy. The child had already killed two family retainers with it's occult dabbling.

This knowledge may aid you in searching for a therapy for your daughter, but at least you can sleep at night knowing that the slur on your family honour has been erased.

My husband and I remember our agreement with you that we would deal with the Baron and you would support us in the transition to a new stable order. As such we invite you to join us at the former Baronial mansion for the announcement of the new government.

We hope to see you in the morning.

Your Friend and Captain of the Militia,

Ser Alys Adon-Rouge

Morning arrived, and Gaddock slipped out early, using his prestidigitation magic to draw a crowd for an important announcement to the people of Vallaki about the Baron and the succession of power. Very quickly he garnered attention and a large number of people started to gather. 

Meanwhile, Lady Wachter arrived, ready to be announced as the new town Burgomaster. Ser Adon disabused her of the ambition, whilst Kelwarin dropped sly comments that it was really important to watch the words you use in pacts. There was a passing comment that the Baron died in his sleep of a condition related to too much iron being present in his blood, and the atmosphere could have been cut with a knife, just like the one that Ser Alys was deliberately sharpening in front of Lady Fiona. Adon explained the Council of Five plan, and Lady Wachter begrudgingly accepted it, compliant for now, willing - as ever - to bide her time despite this affront to her nobility and tradition. She agreed to stand by Ser Adon when he announced the change of regime.

The Ring of Five plan was that a council of five (quorate of three) would be established. Each member represents a Right

• The Right of Birth, the hereditary right of the Wachter family
• The Right of Might, Ser Adon, who took the Chain of Office when All Was Not Right
• The Right of Divinity, the town priest
• The Right to Work, the Town businesses may vote (with a property and turnover eligibility of course)
• The Right to Law, the Head of the City Guard - now Ser Alys.

Ser Alys swiftly proposed Danika Dorakova, their innkeeper, as the Right to Work representative, something quickly accepted by those present. 

Ser Adon began his announcement; it initially went well as he stated that 'all had not been well', but he started to run into difficulty when Old Mother Steiner started to accuse him of murdering her son in cold blood 'when he was only doing his job' and then leaving him in the street. She started to gain traction with the crowd which started to become restless, until Ser Alys intervened by promising him a hero's burial for doing his duty and that she would receive his bonus and be looked after. She then dispatched Reisen Munin, her newly appointed second-in-command to take care of the old lady in her grief. The crowd were swayed, and initial threats of unrest addressed. 

Soon after this, Father Lucian arrived with his sister at the Baronial Mansion, Lady Lydia, the Baron's wife. He wanted the party to explain why they'd killed his nephew in cold blood, and to demand that his sister be let back into her house. Having decided that the mansion would make a great base of operations, Kelwarin pulled no punches and described the foul and evil necromancy that her son had been doing, sorcery which contaminated the building even now. Battering down the priest's arguments, the Lady was allowed to collect some personal effects and then taken back to the Church to stay with the priest. It was made clear to Father Lucian that he was expected to cleanse the mansion.

Traders arrived, asking for details on any changes to tax and duty; they were told to talk to their representative, but then the party realised that they hadn't asked Danika, they'd just assumed.

Danika refused to take the Council seat when Gaddock asked; she said she was too busy and it would make her family targets. Disappointed, Gaddock headed back with sandwiches for second breakfast rather than his usual fry up at the Inn. 

Jenny Greengrass came to see Kelwarin, lobbying for the Mountain folk and Forest folk to be allowed into town to trade. She then offered to talk to Danika, if Kel would deliver. Kel thought that the irascible old lady wanted him to sleep with her, only later realising that she wanted him to ensure the restrictions were released. Sure enough, she delivered on her side of the bargain. Would Kel deliver on his.

Formal funerals were held for those killed, but they didn't improve the atmosphere much. Ser Adon's heart didn't seem in it; he misspoke some of his delivery (using the wrong phrases) and didn't seem to believe the message that he was delivering.

By the night of 21st November, Vallaki was quiet, and the party planned to revisit the hags, confident in their abilities and that they had a secure base.

22nd November

Heading out early, the party set off towards the Old Bonegrinder. The journey took as long as last time. Along the way, they realised they were being tracked by a pack of wolves, which backed off when they started up into the hills.

Gaddock noticed a newly tilled field and two scarecrows; he went to check them out, and was surprised to be attacked by them. He firebolted one, Kel hit the other and a quick and one-sided fight occurred. The creatures were soon slain.

Approaching the Mill, Gaddock established that there was no obvious magic present (except maybe something in the roof), and Adon established that there were two fiends (the Hags) present. 

The party carried on and set an ambush for the Hag Mother Morgantha. They saw her coming up the slope in the distance. Thinking they'd surprise her. they soon realised she'd seen them all. Plans to cast a fireball were abandoned, as they saw a sack under her trolley which Kel realised may have a child in (spoiler, it did). Before they could act, the Morgantha cast a lightning bolt at Ser Adon, which staggered him and narrowly missed Kel. Ser Adon then Abjured the fiend, freezing her in place right until Kel hit her with a witch bolt. Gaddock cast a haste spell on Ser Adon. Ser Alys used her crossbow and closed distance.

Morgantha used a more powerful lightning bolt on Ser Adon, dropping him to the floor. Fortunately, his half-orcish nature meant he struggled up to his feet after taking hit that would have dropped a human. He laid into her, managing to hit her with his longsword, smiting her mightily. Kel cast another witch bolt, but missed, smashing into the scree alongside. Gaddock launched magic missiles at her, as they desperately tried to kill her before she killed someone. Ser Alys launched a flurry of blows and then managed to get her husband to work with her, decapitating Morgantha just as she started to phase out into the ethereal plane. He died, and silence was all around aside from the sobbing of the child from the sack and the groans of Ser Adon. The two warriors destroyed the body of the Hag in anger and perhaps a little fear.

The party plan to return to Vallaki to recover before moving on the windmill itself, but the night is close to falling and it's at least a four-hour walk back.

GM Notes: I committed heresy today, using a 4e skill challenge style approach, which worked well. The party were looking for 6 successes to ensure that Vallaki was secure. Three failures along the way would have left the town unstable in the short term. In the end, they succeeded 6:2 which was narrower than I expected. Some good team work. Guidance on using skill challenges is here https://www.dmsguild.com/product/259850/Skill-Challenges-in-5e and is definitely worth a look.

The party levelled up once they secured Vallaki, and the jump to fifth level is a key power jump; this really showed in the encounter with Morgantha. She would have phased next time, then used her two level 4 spell slots with lighting bolt at range once she had some distance, returning to the rest of the coven. These would probably have dropped a character each round, starting with Adon and then Kel. They just avoided this outcome. This season will most likely end when they drive the coven off.

21 April 2021

First Impressions - The Dee Sanction (Core Rules)

The softcover version of the rules.

TL;DR The Dee Sanction is a beautifully presented book with evocative artwork, honed to terse perfection, with a light but effective game engine and just enough setting to start your own game quickly. It's refreshingly different in tone from most games that I've seen before, and I look forward to running or playing it. I hope to see some more adventures for the game, perhaps covering the intrigues in England itself. Recommended. 

The Dee Sanction - Adventures in Covert Enochian Intelligence - is a game about the practice of magic to defend England against threats both foreign and domestic. The characters are Agents of Dee, working for John Dee and Francis Walsingham, offered a devil's bargain to serve or die for treason. They find themselves in this predicament because they have been found in breach of the 1563 Act Against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcraft, which made the use of magick to kill a capital offence after an attempt on the Queen's life by Catholic plotters. It also made an offence of using magick to consort with evil spirits, provoke love, seek buried treasure or maim others. 

In 1564 the Queen was persuaded to pass an amendment to Act - The Dee Sanction - which permitted the use of magick in defence or for the benefit of the realm. The Sanction is overseen by the Queen's Spymaster, Walsingham, and her astrologer, alchemist and companion, Doctor Dee. Players take on the role of Agents, persons who have had a stay of execution under the Act provided they work for the state in its defence. They remain condemned, and the game gives no view on the state of their immortal souls.

There is much for the Agents to do; the barriers against the supernatural, long bolstered by the blind faith of generations directed by the Catholic Church, are faltering. The rising conflict between Catholic and Protestant initiated by Henry VIII's severing of ties with Rome has led to the re-emergence of bugs and the Fae, accelerated by the dark and terrible acts that the two sides have taken against each other.

The delightful hardcover version which I backed.

The rules are presented in an A5 format; I have the delightful hardcover version which comes with a ribbon, high-quality paper and a very evocative feel. There is also a softcover version which will become the standard version available once the hardcover sells out. Illustrations are all black-and-white and nicely evocative, produced by Evlyn Moreau so there's a good consistency to the style. They look like period woodcuts. 

This book is beautifully honed, perhaps to the point of being terse, and packs a huge amount of content into the text. My natural style is to skim read, which meant I had to return to sections and cross-reference within the book, but I never failed to find what I was looking for. Keywords and phrases are highlighted in bold, and there is a glossary of terms at the end which is very useful.

History is addressed with a short timeline of John Dee, and background on Walsingham and belief in magic. Two pages give an overview of the periods, and there's a section on enemies of the Queen (temporal and supernatural). There are several pages discussing the Tudor Age and how it can be tailored to what a group demands. Overall, the book stresses that it isn't about pedantry or historical purism; rather, it's about getting a feel for the period ("based on true events"), taking the flavour but not the details. I approve of this approach, as historical games always run the risk that fun will be sucked out of them by the need for perfect realism. There's enough detail to get you away and - for everything else - there's Wikipedia.

The principles of the game are described as "We Don't Need Another Hero", as Agents are:

• Vulnerable
• Expendable
• Amateurs
• Only slightly versed in the supernatural
• Criminals
• Marked for Death
• Conflicted
• Mostly in the Dark
• and Scapegoats if it all goes wrong.

Agents are definitely at a disadvantage, but adversity builds character. Of course, if they die, character generation is swift and effective.

Agents have three resources - Intellectuall, Physicall and Supernaturall. They get six dice steps to assign to these; each step is a jump between a dice size starting at D4 and ending at D12. An average Agent would have D6 in each resource, whereas one that had focussed on a specific area could have D10 in one resource and D4 in the other two. Resources are the core of the game's resolution engine, but more of that later.

Agents create a backstory by rolling or drawing cards for an Occupation, a damning Association and a focus for their Enlightenment. They also have a random Favour of the Angels, which is a minor magickal power. The Backstory will bring together 8 possible abilities; characters get to chose 3 of these. These step-up the resource dice that's being used in the event that they are applicable. 

Characters start with a single fortune token, which can be spent to re-roll any single dice throw; they can gain more if the GM feels that have performed well.

Let's try this out. I draw the following cards - 7 Hearts, 3 Diamonds, 9 Spades - from a deck with the Royalty removed.

• 9 Spades means I was a Messenger (abilities Rumour, Orienteering, Traversing)
• 7 Hearts means I was a member of the Compagnonnage, a society dedicated to unseating the Guilds and bringing about a new order in society (abilities Handcrafting, Devices, Bargaining)
• 3 Diamonds means I understand the Liber Salomonis - the Wisdom of King Solomon (abilities Detect Lies, Purification)

I choose Rumour, Bargaining and Detect Lies as my Abilities as I think my character will be a talker. 

I draw the Ace of Diamonds as my Favour - this is Scent (Curious, Unexpected, Confusing or Freshen).

Once per day I can draw on this; for a moment it makes me consider swapping Detect Lies for Purification.

Agents also have Hits (the harm that you can take) and Unravelling (effectively a measure of your capability to deal with fear and the unnatural). Hits are a number of points, and unravelling has a dice rating like the resources. 

There are a set of random tables to help you finish off the character if you feel that you need them; appearance, clothes, mannerisms, home town and possessions.

Finally, each group of Agents can draw on their combined resources to give them strength in an area of tradecraft. There are six areas available to the group - access, conspiracy, kit, magic, system and vigilance - and they get to chose which one they want for the adventure they're on when they get the mission briefing at the start of the game. Tradecraft can be used as if it is an ability to boost a resource roll. It can also be burned to overcome a Mark. Marks are specific challenges that an opponent may have that need to be overcome to prevail against it. For example, you may need a specific magic item or a way to get to the place a ritual occurs. Depleting your tradecraft allows you to overcome this challenge. If the scenario doesn't provide them with the means to achieve this without the use of tradecraft it may mean that you have to carry out several missions to overcome the threat. Threats can have multiple Marks, and they are recorded using the initial letters of the related tradecraft; for example (ACM) would mean that a means of Access is needed, that some form of conspiracy needs to be engaged, and then magick used to defeat the threat.

The core mechanic of the game is rolling your resource die to overcome a challenge. If you roll a 1 or 2, you falter and suffer some form of consequence. This could be a Hit and/or a Consequence (for example you could take a hit and a broken arm consequence). If you have some form of advantage, the challenge will have the resource dice increased by one step (removing the chance of faltering) to a maximum of a d12; disadvantage works the other way. If your dice is reduced below a d4, you suffer a call to fail where you can back out or automatically take the consequences and only achieve something minor. The example given in the rules is if you are staying in a fight to protect a fellow Agent.

Initiative in combat is determined by 'taking a chance'. This is a fifty-fifty roll; it can be done as a group or individually. If you falter, you go after the enemies, if you succeed you go first. It is re-rolled every moment (turn). Combat is resolved as a challenge; enemies use a Hit Resolution table to inflict damage if you falter on your attack, or you falter when defending. Armour will protect against hits; you roll the armour dice and on a 1 or 2 it absorbs the hits. If you end up on 0 hits, you are dying. You take a chance each moment until someone helps you to stabilise you. If you aren't stabilised and falter three times, you die. Once established, you roll on the out of action table, which gives you a consequence. You really need to rest and recuperate as soon as possible, as any falter marks taken when dying remain until you do so. If you take damage again, the existing falters count. 

The Unravelling mechanic is explained in some detail, which you'd expect in a game that focuses on protecting England from the supernatural. When faced with an inhuman horror or the supernatural, your Agent will roll their Unravelling Die. If they falter, it drops a step and then you roll (or draw cards) to see the impact on your humours. You get an immediate effect and then a longer-term effect that will last until you get a decent rest. The table for this really fits with the period (your phlegm, black bile, yellow bile or blood can all be affected).

There's a short section describing the tools that Agents have at their disposal to defend the Queen, such as the Black Seal, the Hieroglyphic Monad and access to the Stone Houses, and the mysterious Mr Garland. Garland is a disembodied spirit used to brief Agents in the field. This is followed by a short section that describes the enemies of the Queen, both temporal (the Catholic Church; Mary, Queen of Scots; the Holy Roman Empire and the Spanish) and magickal (the Fae of the Great Wood and rival organisations such as the School of Night), in enough detail to use them in a broad-brush way.

The GM Tools section focuses upon guidance and advice on resolving reactions, consequences and hazards such as falling, burning or disease. There's sound advice on how to run the game and also a good list of references if you want more information. There's also advice on how to convert creatures from D&D style games. 

An introductory adventure is presented - "Lost in Translation" - set overseas in Poland during one of Dee's Tours of Europe. The Agents are dispatched to retrieve a relic to allow Dee to impress King Stefan of Poland and perhaps gain him as an ally for England. Naturally, there are complications. It's a good adventure, very much presented as a situational sandbox to explore, and it showcases the darkness that the Agents are there to protect against.

The book rounds out with appendices with names, possessions and mannerisms, and a short - but long enough - bestiary which includes human opponents and more supernatural.

So there you have it; the Dee Sanction. Beautifully presented (especially the hardcover) with evocative artwork, honed to terse perfection with a uniquely light but effective game engine, with just enough setting to start your own game quickly. It's refreshingly different in tone from most games that I've seen, and I look forward to running or playing it. I hope to see some more adventures for the game, perhaps covering the intrigues in England itself. Recommended. 

18 April 2021

First Impressions - Warlock! Three's Company

A trio of adventures for Warlock!

Three's Company is a collection of three adventures, loosely linked into a mini-campaign, for the Warlock!  roleplaying game. It's 91 pages long and presented with the usual trade dress, in a digest-sized hardcover. Written by Eric Brimstin and Greg Saunders, it's suitable for a starting group.

TL;DR: This is a useful collection of adventures that would be equally useful for one-shots or a mini-campaign. Each one is different from the others, but they all give a great introduction to the Warlock! setting. Three's Company is a useful addition to the gamemaster's arsenal and will enable an interesting game to be run with some light preparation. The adventures are presented very theatre of mind style, so some improvisation will be needed if you want maps in the first or final scenario. I recommend this book.

The three adventures will need some preparation from the GM, they're very much written as a framework with ideas and situation for the characters to stumble into. The GM will need to react to events appropriately, determining the NPC's actions dependent upon their individual motivations. This is very much an old school sandbox with converging plot threads rather than a scripted story. It's suggested that the link between the scenarios is that the characters are signed on as caravan guards. 

The first adventure, the Ghosts of Hollyford, is set in a small village halfway between the cities of Rebeck and Westerlan. The village has recently been established, built around the ruins of a fort that was destroyed in the war with the Traitor. The Hollyford Inn is the heart of the community, providing a place for travellers and caravans to stop. The wilds around include forests with ruins from the ancient Golethan Elven Empire. Caravan guards are a necessity with infamous outlaw highwaymen such as the Black Cat and his gang operating in the area, preying on weaker groups for their valuables. The adventure has a d6 table of hooks to draw the characters in, should the GM need them. The Inn and surroundings are described (but there's no map or floorplans), along with notable characters, both local and visiting. There is tension between the villagers and the self-styled 'Baron' Rurk who is trying to enforce a toll on the road.

It's likely that the characters will be drawn into a situation with Edwin, the Innkeeper's brother. He needs recruits to defeat a monster that he found in a ruin with much treasure in the forest. Of course, all is not exactly as it seems and there are plenty of complications before, during and after this mission. It's entirely possible that Edwin may gain alternative assistance and the characters may choose to let them take the risks, only to relieve them of the gains when they've been worn down by battle. The scenario wraps with a set of potential hooks for follow up, and then presents all the key characters and creatures in the format introduced in Compendium 2. 

The second adventure, Vice and Villainy in Verminham, is set in a small city in the West Mudlands to the northwest of Westerlan. The characters will potentially get drawn into gang rivalries over gambling establishments. The owners of the Bloated Boar, a tavern and gambling den fallen upon hard times have aligned interests with the De Broeker syndicate in Westerlan in an attempt to gain an advantage over their local rivals at the Cantankerous Clam. The tension has been escalating slowly and tonight it will come to a head, when a move is made to take over the Bloated Boar's operations, and gain its clientele. At least two different factions plan to make a move, and the characters could end up working for either of them or just caught up in the mess that ensues. There are interesting NPCs, some of whom will be potential allies if the characters engage them the right way. There are a number of events that will take place if the characters don't act, with escalating chaos. 

The Inn is presented as a simple set of maps along with some details of the local streets and sewers. If the characters can show sufficient funds, they may be able to get into the gambling den for cards or dice, or to gamble on the Ratbadger fights. The adventure rounds out with a selection of ways to close and ideas for future sessions. Again, there's an extensive cast list in the Compendium 2 format.

The final adventure - A Red Night in Fair Marenesse - has the characters drawn into the machinations of a secret society after the murder of Master Agris, potentially after they have worked to bring his caravan safely here. One of his journeymen, Kohler, needs them to retrieve some goods which are being stored at warehouses out of town in Seastead Village where some 'associates' (a polite word for smugglers) are trying to renegotiate their fees and leverage the situation to their advantage. Kohler is legally in the right, and he needs someone to retrieve the valuable bags of pepper and take them to the secure warehouse owned by the Count of Fair Marenesse. Fair Marenesse suffered much damage when the Traitor sacked the city, with only the Castle holding firm. Trade is the lifeblood of the city and critical to both its recovery and that of the Kingdom overall. 

Details are presented on the journey to Seastead, the Smugglers and their motivations and it is left entirely open how the characters deal with the issue. Assuming that they can release the goods, they may want to smuggle them into the city as they can avoid pepper tax and pocket the monies they've been given to pay the gate guards. There are further complications that may bring the scenario to an explosive conclusion with confrontations of a messy nature. Once again, there are a few hooks and some detailed NPC descriptions. There are no maps presented in this adventure.

This is a useful collection of adventures that would be equally useful for one-shots or a mini-campaign. Each one is different from the others, but they all give a great introduction to the Warlock! setting. Three's Company is a useful addition to the gamemaster's arsenal and will enable an interesting game to be run with some light preparation. The adventures are presented very theatre of mind style, so some improvisation will be needed if you want maps in the first or final scenario. I definitely recommend this book.

14 April 2021

My other Warlock reviews are here:

My other Warlock reviews are here:

Warlock! Core Rules

Warlock! Compendium 1

Warlock! Compendium 2

Warlock! Kingdom

Reflections on running Warlock!

Warlock! Griff's Vale

Warlock! Goblins!

Warlock! Phantasmagoria

Warlock! Three's Company

Warlock! Black Edition

Bonus: Warlock! VTT sheets for Role

First Impressions - Warlock! Phantasmagoria

 

A collection of fantastic creatures, the descriptions of which may or may not be true.

There have been three more recent releases from the Warlock! roleplaying game over the last few months. Two of them brand new material, and the other is a limited edition compilation of the core book, part of the Compendium and the Kingdom! book. I'll be reviewing the first two. Warlock! Phantasmagoria is an expanded bestiary for the game.

TL;DR: Phantasmagoria is a bestiary with a good selection of creatures presented in a style that inspires ideas and hooks for adventures. Not essential, but very useful.

The book has the usual Warlock! trade dress and layout, and is clear and simple to read. The cover is striking, but not one of my favourites. The blurb describes it as having more than fifty creatures, and I think I count fifty-five. Each creature is presented as a two-page spread; one page for a black-and-white illustration and the other with game statistics and then some annotations.

The book is written as an in-game artefact; a set of notes produced by the Master Magician Dolkepper, describing conversations that he'd had with Strix the Manticore when descended upon his second library. Initially, Dolkepper had assumed that Strix was an annoying and mindless beast that would destroy the works therein, but - instead - he was surprised to find an erudite and entertaining creature who was more than willing to share his experiences travelling across the Kingdom in return for access to library.

The descriptions in the book are Strix's, which are then annotated by Dolkepper who discusses whether he believes the description, along with any supporting lore or evidence that he has found. There are further annotations in the hand of Maegeller the Magnificent, a former apprentice corrupted by an urge for power and the dark arts who has stolen the book. This works really well, as the comments create the opportunity for adventures and uncertainty.

The creatures range from the fantastic (Wyrms) to the tradition (Face Stealer, very much a Doppleganger) to the demonic. They'll give a GM a great selection to draw upon.

In summary, Phantasmagoria is a bestiary with a good selection of creatures presented in a style that inspires ideas and hooks for adventures. Not essential, but very useful. Recommended.

11 April 2021

My other Warlock reviews are here:

My other Warlock reviews are here:

Warlock! Core Rules

Warlock! Compendium 1

Warlock! Compendium 2

Warlock! Kingdom

Reflections on running Warlock!

Warlock! Griff's Vale

Warlock! Goblins!

Warlock! Phantasmagoria

Warlock! Three's Company

Warlock! Black Edition

Bonus: Warlock! VTT sheets for Role

Curse of Strahd - S3E2 - All Has Not Been Well

 

It's early evening, and our 'mostly good' party has taken things into their own hands in the town of Vallaki and murdered Baron Vargas while he slept. Will they follow through with the messy business of regime change and install Lady Fiona Wachter as the new Burgomaster of Vallaki?

Our dramatis personae:

Ser Alys de Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Fighter with a soldier background, currently the leader of the town militia of Daggerford), played by Tom (Guvnor). Lawful Neutral. Imagine a slightly greener take on Grace Jones... Married to Ser Adon.

Ser Adon of House Starbright (a half-orc Paladin, from a knightly background, with two human retainers and a priest), played by Paul (dr_mitch). Lawful Good. Married to Ser Alys.

Kelwarin (Kel) (a half-elf Sorceror flush with the powers of wild magic, an outlander), played by Graham (First Age). Chaotic Good.

Gaddock Teeg (a halfling wizard and former prizefighter), played by Alex (Doggetay), Neutral Good

19th November 2021

The party searched the Baron's library as he lay there on the desk, blood slowly trickling out, dripping to the floor, pooling with that flowing from the bodies of his two beloved Mastifs. Two books turned up which were of interest; one arguing that vampires and other creatures of the darkness were the true rulers of the world and that the gods of the light and goodness were interlopers, and another showing the heraldry of the families that had come to Barovia with the Von Zaroviches. They confirmed that Lady Wachter did have a tentative claim to rule Vallaki, and they also observed that a Lady Anastrasya was recorded in the book, looking near-identical to the very charming woman they'd met at the Wachterhaus.

Leaving the room, they became aware of footsteps approaching from the stairs. Two guards coming around on patrol. Ser Adon put on the Baron's chain of office and declared to the guards that "All has not been well" and "A new dawn is coming to Vallaki". using his force of will to get them to help in the transition of power. One of the guards asked if the Young Master would become Baron, and the party knowingly looked at each other. The guards took them to the master bedroom, which had a ladder to a loft, cluttered with discarded furniture and knick-knacks. 

There was a door with a skull carved on it, and a door handle with a sign hanging on it that said 'All is NOT well!". The guards nervously called out to the 'Young Master', and a petulant young voice told them not to bother him and to go away. They explained that he had visitors, that something had happened to his father, and then Ser Adon spoke up reassuringly. The boy, Viktor, told him to come in, the door is open.

As Ser Adon opened the door, a surge and crackle of electricity erupted from the skull and markings appeared all around it, blasting through the handle into the metal armoured knight. Not even having a chance to say anything, he went down hard, charred and smelling of burning. [Fumbled save vs Glyph of Warding resulting in 10d8 damage and 47hp loss]. Enraged at the fate of her husband,  Ser Alys burst through the door while the guards tried to help Ser Adon. One rushed to find Lady Lydia to help, the other desperately tried to save the knight.

Without hesitation, Ser Alys smashed into Viktor who backed away into the corner of the room, saying it was only a joke. The half-orc warrior ignored him and went in for the kill. Viktor panicked and tried to cast a spell to turn the warrior away but it was no good. The battle-axe clove him in twain and Ser Alys turned around to see a multitude of bone cat skeletons deanimate. She rushed to her husband's side. Gaddock and Kel were soon there and between them all they managed to bring Ser Adon back, using healing potions and some self-help.

Searching the room they found a spellbook, robes, a magical ring and more. They realised that the servants who had gone missing had been used to try out a circle of teleportation that Viktor was trying to get to work, and died horribly. 

Hearing noise downstairs, Gaddock headed down and intercepted Lady Lydia, stalling her until the rest of the party got back. She had brought two friends and a basket of first aid cures to help. She was clearly worried about what her son had got involved in. Ser Adon, drawing on the Lady's faith to console her, broke the news that her husband was dead and her son likewise and that now they would be establishing a council to run the town going forward. Unconsolable, Lady Lydia broke down.

The party went downstairs and got the guards to summon Izek back, telling them to arrest him if necessary, if he resisted. They got drinks and a snack; Father Lucian arrived and was convinced by Ser Adon and Kel that this was for the best. He went to console his sister, offering to help in a smooth transition of power to prevent anarchy and vampires. The town crier was sent out to announce the following:

"Following the sad demise of the beloved baron who passed away last night in his sleep, we the Council of Four, have been beseeched by several citizens of note to manage the transition to stable civic society.

All Has Not Been Well

All laws, property and rights and obligations are protected, as are the rights to worship as previously granted"

Izek arrived, bellowing and challenging the party, about an hour later. They came outside to face his insults with Ireena, who had her rapier at the ready. As he postured and threatened, Gaddock webbed four of his six allies; Izek responded by throwing a bolt of fire at Ser Alys, which she shrugged off. Kel blasted scorching rays at Izek and two of his guards, hitting his henchmen, but being targeted with thrown spears as a result. Ireena ran the guard through and then Ser Alys and Ser Adon joined the fray. Whereas Izek fended off much of Ser Adon's attack, he was no match for Ser Alys' ferocity; together the newlyweds finished off the guard captain, aided by Kel's witch-bolts and Ireena's rapier. As quick and brutal as he was, they were more ferocious, and Izek was finished off cleanly by Ser Adon. Quietly he turned to his wife, saying "So perish all tyrants" and then "Darling, you were magnificent tonight".

The camera cuts away, up into the night and above the roofs of Vallaki, where small pools of light stand hardily in the face of darkness.

--

GM Notes: The escalation continues, with the initial coup completed. Now all they need to do is ensure that power transitions to the new council without chaos descending and Lady Wachter seizing power. It was interesting to see the reaction to Ser Adon's electrocution. Gaddock has found a trove of spells, spell components and some magic items in Viktor's effects, which should prove useful.

The danger of the two half-orc warriors has become very apparent; they can deal huge amounts of damage in a short period, but do they have the staying power for a longer fight?

7 April 2021

Books in March 2021

Steady as she goes

Not a quiet month for reading, but nicely split between gaming and fiction. I do have a couple of zines that should be in the numbers above (see earlier reviews), but I need to add them to Goodreads first.

A Fragile Thing (Kevin Wignall)

The protagonist of 'A Fragile Thing' should be dislikable, but I found myself warming to him. An amoral money man, Max invests on behalf of people who do bad things. It's cost him relationships with lovers and family, but he's rich and respected in his circles and makes point of never breaking the law. Except that one time he sailed very close to the wind. The story follows the death of his parents, and the family repercussions, which coincide with the FBI starting to focus on his affairs to use him to get to his clients. I was surprised how much I was engaged by this. Of course, the story follows Wignall's fast paced style and draws you through. Enjoyable.

Events start small...

The Soldier (Neal Asher)

A return to Neal Asher and the universe of the Polity. The book opens with a nicely balanced situation on the borders of both the Polity and the Prador Kingdom. The Haiman Orlandine has been commissioned by both governments to control the defence of a stellar accretion disc which is heavily seeded with Jain technology. She has a side project where she is considering throwing a small black hole at the disc to destroy the technology there once and for all.

Jain tech has been a recurring menace throughout the Polity books; initially, it will usually appear benign, granting the user access to technology better than that seen in known space. All the while, it is learning about the user, and eventually, it will sequester and subsume them. It is believed that the technology consumed the Jain civilisation and that outbreaks destroyed several other civilisations. It is the kind of technology that will cause governments to destroy worlds with planet-busters to prevent its spread, and trade in artefacts is heavily controlled lest something escape. The disk is also a link to Jain AIs, sitting somewhere in U-Space, believed to have escaped the collapse of their culture.

Orlandine is aided by the Dragon, an enigmatic and massive bio-mech probe deployed by one of the lost civilisations. Dragon has also been a recurring theme in the series, and presently seems focused on trying to understand what is going on in the accretion disk.

Adding to the mix are survivors from the renegade AI Erebus' rebellion and attack on the Polity, and Earth Central Agents acting to investigate.

After all this setup, Asher lights the touchpaper and the story takes us to a place where some Jain tech is released, causing carnage and initiating an event that could change the future of the Polity and the Prador. It's fast-paced, energetic and fun, twisting and turning as it moves along relentlessly towards the reemergence of the Jain after millions of years of dormancy.

It starts to go a bit EE Doc Smith

The Warship (Neal Asher)

In the second part of the Rise of the Jain, it alls starts to go a bit EE Doc Smith in the kinds of weapons being deployed. Orlandine has been forced to use her final solution to counter the Jain threat that emerged in the previous book; however, both Earth Central and Dragon are convinced that she has been tricked into doing something that the Jain AIs wanted. Meanwhile, insurgents are planning to murder Orlandine when an opportunity presents and she is in human time, mostly disconnected from her AI support systems. Tensions rise between the Prador Kingdom and Earth Central as they prepare fleets to take action if a Jain Incursion occurs.

Adding to the mix is the Client, an alien creature from a race the Prador exterminated. The client specialised in weapons design, working with the Polity against the Prador, and had been killed. Its resurrection was manipulated in the first book, and it stole one of Orlandine's massive space defence platforms. Now it's back, seeking to rescue the last survivors of its race who are hidden deep withing the accretion disc now being consumed by the black hole dropped within it.

As the black hole approaches the protostar, it soon becomes clear that something is wrong, and that the physics isn't working as expected...

Enjoyable, accelerating fun, but ultimately the mid-point of the trilogy so slightly less satisfying than the first and last. However, the momentum continues to build and the parts in play continue to shift. Good stuff.

An ancient threat emerges, and an unexpected saviour.

The Human (Neal Asher)

So this is where it gets real. The impact of the black hole on the accretion disc in the previous book destabilised the U-Space technology that had kept a Jain Warship and a Species Warship trapped for five million years. Humanity and the Prador are forced into an existential fight with the Jain, knowing that if they break free then it probably means the end of both civilisations. Both sides are forced to reveal previously wild card technology, but is it enough.

Orlandine, initially assumed dead after the assassination attempt in the previous book, is forced to take a very dangerous path to defend the planet she rules, allowing the Jain technology she has absorbed and controlled to grow to its full potential, perhaps putting what is left of her humanity at risk.

Meanwhile, the Client tries to retrieve its people and an ECS team rendezvous with it, necessary allies. The significance of both the team being Hoopers from Spatterjay is revealed, and one of them will take a key role in defending against the Warship.

The story comes to a great conclusion, with hooks for further adventures, and reveals much about the back history of the setting. Recommended.

--

This is the second Asher trilogy that I've read back to back; I certainly recommend doing them like this, as it's a lot more satisfying.

5 April 2021