The Message Part 6 - Nothing but the Facts

Previously

I decided to just take pictures and write down results, let them tell the story. Here goes!

 

 

Star Army Size Comparison and Others in the Range

Here are pictures for size comparison. Sorry, don't know the manufacturers. Figures in  second row from our upcoming Razor Gang Line.

The Message - Part 5 - 3 Card - A Night on the Town

 Part4

As Arthur stews in jail, Dion has a night on the town with his new friend Paulina.

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Here's how we got to to where we are. One of the PEFs resolved during the duel was a single Mover. Another roll, a Nobleman's Wife. I had Dion take a People Challenge and he rolled really well, her really bad, and she was swept off her feet. This meant she could be Recruited so I decided to have her husband away on business and an excuse for another Encounter. 

I rolled up the where at, etc. and got the Docks Area. I decided to play a little cards, so Dion and Paulina made their way to the Bawdy House for an evening of gambling. Here's the table, PEFs, and how they got there. Note that I'm using Power Point and the Easy Table Rules.

 I took into account that with the annual New Market Round being run, many more people would be in town, mostly higher social types (Movers Shakers, and Exotics.) This accounted for the higher class of gents playing with Dion. I rolled for the number of NPC players, rolled their Stats, and noted them in the History I keep for Arthur and the boys. Any work I can do ahead of time, I do, and keep it, as it can eliminate doing it again in future Encounters.  

Here's a quick rundown on 3 Card.
All players ante up 1 Coin d6.
Each player is dealt 1 card per point of Rep, but no less than 3 cards. Lucky Bastards get 1 additional card.
The Players, not NPCs, build the best poker hand with three cards. Extra are discarded. They can choose to fold if they have a crappy hand or bet 1 more Coin d6 if they want to continue.
After all players have built hands and bet,  the NPCs have their hands built.
If they have an Ace or higher they stay in and bet 1 more Coin d6. If, not they fold.

This means the players build their hands without knowing what their opponents (NPCs) have. There's a chance of an NPC cheating, but in this case, none of them did.

 Dion wins with a 3 card straight, all the NPCs stayed in as they all had pairs.

 Next hand Dion won with 2 Aces. The Gentleman stayed in but went light on the pot. He lost so owes Dion 1 Coin d6. He's a gentlemen so Dion took him at his word.
 The two other NPCs had bad hands so didn't make a second bet.

 Here's the table after the Gentlemen left.

 Dion one again. Three hands; two three card straights and a pair of aces? Okay, he really wasn't cheating, but it looks like it. As for the other NPCs commenting on Paulina? That was game driven. I rolled 1d6 at the start of the game to see if Dion had met these guys before, he hadn't. But then I thought, let's have them roll for Paulina, to see if they knew her. Well, Hudson did. She was rolled up as the wife of a merchant that is in Hudson's Circle of friends,

Hudson wouldn't fight a duel with Dion, he's not crazy. But he could possibly get revenge. If Dion has a Travel Encounter in New Market, and it comes up Confrontation, Hudson will be behind it.

90% of the whole Encounter was generated by the game mechanics.  And it may not be over, the pair have to exit the table and there are three PEFs floating around outside. Plus those that win at gambling in seedier areas have the possibility of being robbed.

95th Cover - Skirmish Combat for Naps and ImagiNation Games

The Message - Part 4 - Duel in the Street!

Parts Two and Three

Arthur, Carl, and Dion make their way to the Cathedral. Arthur is introduced to Anton the Bishop while the other two wait in the foyer. Anton reads the Letter of Introduction from the Cardinal and tells Arthur what he must do. 

(I won't tell you what the Mission is, so as not to ruin the upcoming supplement, New Market Round).

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After leaving the Cathedral the trio enter the crowded street. Suddenly Arthur is pushed from behind and into a tall Gentleman. Before words can be exchanged he throws off his cape and demands an apology from Arthur. The crowd backs away and gives them room to fight.

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Dueling in By Savvy & Steel uses different mechanics than other THW games. It's closest to Friday Night Fights and Alien Fight Night, two boxing games that allow for the ebb and flow of each duelists' attack. But seeing how we use swords it's much deadlier.

Each duelist has five Dueling Stats - Swordsmanship, Aggression, Quickness, Power and Stamina. Fighting starts on the En Garde Table then moves to the Dueling Table, to the Taking Control Table and finally to the Killing Stroke. By combining different Stats on different tables the duelists go back and forth from table to table as first one, then the other, gains an advantage. 

On paper, Arthur is the better of the two, even though his opponent fights Sicilian Style, with sword and dagger. He has a distinct advantage in Swordsmanship and Quickness. I don't use any Bonus Dice and the opponent does, just to stay even. Arthur is wearing him down.

  After four rounds, Arthur has him up against a wall and goes in  for the kill.

 And I roll crap dice! The opponent scores a chance at a Killing Stroke and I have to commit to using lots of Bonus Dice as the opponent will as well (this is determined randomly but the odds are greater of their use on the Killing Stroke).

 This time the opponent rolls average and I roll very good! Luck is in Arthur's favor as he scores a wound to his opponent...who should yield. But he doesn't. Instead he gets us back to the En Garde Table which mans roll for intervention. This is taking much too long and that increases the chance of ...

Here's the dilemma. Looking at the rules, the Watch has arrived. I can attempt to run,  but that will make Arthur a fugitive. Fighting the Watch is crazy.

I decide to allow Arthur to be taken into custody. He will go to trial in the morning but I have Carl and Dion.. Rolling for their reactions to see what they will do, I see they have decided to explore other delights tonight while Arthur sits in jail. True Gentlemen. But tomorrow is another day!

This leaves only 4 more days to solve the Clues and fulfill the Mission.

The Message - Part Three - A By Savvy & Steel AAR

Part One

Part Two

Well I got sidetracked but I'm back. Here's the continuing adventures of Arthur, Carl, and Dion in New Market.

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The next day, Friday, Arthur, Carl, and Dion needed to deliver the message to Anton, the Northern Bishop of Edenstein. Just to recap:

·        Arthur - Rep 5 Star - Gentleman with a pistol and sword.

·        Carl - Rep 4 Grunt - Gentleman with a pistol and sword.

·        Dion - Rep 4 Grunt - Gentleman with a pistol and sword. 

I'm using the upcoming New Market Round scenario book and the Area Movement system as found in 5150 Urban Renewal, NHC PI, and Free Ports. Here's the map.

Arthur and the boys have booked a room at an Inn in the Commercial Area. The Bishop is at the cathedral in the Government Area. After breakfast they head towards the Cathedral. When moving between Areas there is a chance (1) of an involuntary Travel Encounter. I roll 1d6 and score a "3". No Encounter.
They enter the Government Area. Looking at the map I see that there will 5 PEFs and an Activity Level of 4. Normally I'd set up the table and move figures about, etc. but I've been using the new Easy Table Rules.

Here's my setup after Arthur and the guys enter in section 9 and PEFs are placed.

Activation is rolled and the PEFs move first. Activity Level of 4 will create a bustling downtown environment. Some PEFs move and one is resolved as "Increase Activity Level by 1" - now it's 5!

Turn 2 and Activation Dice are rolled.  PEFs go first again. The first PEF moves into section 8 and is resolved. a solitary Gentleman. Rollin g on the NPC Gentlemen List in BS&S I see he is Rep 3, has Initiative and is Agile. I roll 1d6 and score a 2, if a 1 had been scored, he would have been someone previously met.

Arthur and Rep 3 take the People Challenge found in the upcoming New Marker Round. Arthur engages him in  conversation and scores a Pleasant Response. I put his info in Arthur's History Sheet for possible future use. The rest of the PEFs move but do not come into sight.

Arthur and the boys move to section 4 and resolve the PEF. Four Gentlemen, led by a Rep 5. This could be trouble (?) but the People Challenge is Exchange pleasantries, noting more. I add their info on Arthur's History...just in case.

Turn 3 - So far the table hasn't been set up, no minis pulled  activation is rolled. Arthur moves first and heads to section 1, where the Cathedral is located. The PEFs activate, one moves away from Arthur, the other says still . The trio enter the Cathedral and the Defining Moment (PEF) is resolved. 

It's a Doctor, one of the new Professions for BS&S, about 50.

Maybe Arthur bumped into him or something, but the man gave him the Cold Shoulder. Definitely have to write this one in the history.

So far the game has taken15 minutes of actual time.

Time to meet Anton, the Northern Bishop, friend of the Cardinal.

 

Sergeants Wee: a 95th AAR

Having sent 95th (working title Baker Rifle) off to the publisher, it is time to have some fun and play some games.

The following is the first in a campaign arc I've been working on for sometime. The game takes place in Halflingland, and uses the Brawl encounter from 95th.

Sergeants Machutney, Quatar, and Balifine are, as usual, visiting the canteen. An altercation has broken out between our heroes and members of a Joccian battalion stationed in the area.

Some say the Joccians called Balifine's parentage into question.

Other say Machutney made an ill advised comment regarding kilts.

However we know it all has to do with the gullible Quatar having purchased a treasure map off of one of the rats. Machuntey rightly feared his friend had been swindled and tried to force the rats to take their map back.

Fisticuffs ensued.

Initially each halfling squared off against two Joccians. The halflings are all Rep 5, while the Joccians have two Rep 5 and four Rep 4 figures.

The Sergeants won the first initiative and they each charged the toughest looking rat of the two facing them.

Quatar bull charged his rat and sent him flying over the balustrade.

The unfortunate Joccian landing with thump on the table below.

Meanwhile Machutney knocked his target down but the rat was fast up on his feet again.

Balifine flailed at his foe but to no avail.

On their activation the remaining rats charged.

Quatar held off his assailant. 

Machutney brought down both of his foes.

Balifine went down under a flurry of furry blows.

The second turn initiative roll saw the arrival of the Provosts!

The Sergeants were frog marched off to face the wrath of Captain Giglamps.

Little did they realize that the Captain had sent the Provosts looking for them.

There was a very dangerous job to be done...

That's it. A very short game and very enjoyable. Unlikely the Provosts should have shown up so soon but I was hoping they would put in a quick appearance to lead on to the next game..."Finding Faccia da Rospo".

Thank's for dropping by!