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[pBp][IKRPG] Bitter Medicine - Adventure Over! Thanks for Playing!
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Geth roll 2d6+6
Geth roll 2d6+5 for the BLOODSWEATS
You have a wounded bandit (who really doesn't have a lot of time left) and a missing Doctor who could be your (and Bainsmarket's) only salvation. And a quite distinctive trail of horse and wagon heading up into the mountains. Mounts are available. Some of you have your own, and there are some left over bandit horses milling about sans riders.
What's next?
[/spoilers]
I host a podcast about movies.
"It looks like we've got to seek help, or we've got to chase after the good doctor. I think the chase sounds like the nobler option, and the most likely to succeed in recovering the man while there's still time for him to be of use. There's no sense in riding out of our way to bring back help too late, perhaps furthering the spread of plague as we do. "
He nods respectfully at Sophika and Shael, then also briefly acknowledges the more civilized and less overtly warlike Kaelin, Aidin/James, and Alma.
"I'm sure I won't be riding alone, I see the foundation of a capable company here."
He he addresses the train operators - the engineer, the conductor, such wardens and car staff as still live.
"You seemed familiar with these bandits. Tell us all you know of them, and if you please, can you spare men, mounts or supplies for this errand, the recovery of your passenger and the help he offers the towns you operate in?"
Also, rules query, do you have to spend your quick action every turn to stay in cover, or once you are in cover, like a low wall or something, can you load a single shot firearm and shoot over the wall in the same turn?
I host a podcast about movies.
At least the experienced Train engineer has enough sense to stay calm and get everybody moving. He shouts for the passengers to calm down. He sends some to collect any wayward horses and supplies from the downed Raiders. Others he sends to help his conductors and wardens to see to the train. His subordinate engineers he sends to gather what coal and water supplies they can spare and prepare them to be shipped on horseback. Kaelin's steamjack will need the supplies for the chase.
While food, water, coal, lamps and spare clothing are all being gathered. The engineer kicks at the wounded bandit, eliciting a groan. "These here bastards are a gang of highwaymen and ruffians known as the Wrymwall Raiders. Most of 'em are deserters from the 3rd Army. I thought I heard the name Shanke out there? Yeah, Darvon Shanke, one the lieutenants of the gang. Bad news. The Boss is named Bayton Rookwood. By all accounts a despicable man. A Vinter loyalist, he turned his coat after the Lion's Coup and took most of his company with him. They his villages and mines 'round these parts. Trains too, obviously. Even took on a military patrol once or twice.
"Looks like these fools are all sick too. No doubt they cleaned out my trains of all the medical supplies we were hauling to Bainsmarket. Not that these degenerates could do anything with 'em 'cept rub some dirt on their wounds. But James over there says your Doc was helping patch up his shot-up leg when the Raiders saw that was medically inclined. So they knocked him out and threw him out the door to another man on horseback. Just our luck they found a special, fancy doctor who was going to cure everybody of the Sweats.
Listen, I don't want to die any more than anyone else here. 'Specially not with my blood runnin' out of my eyeballs. I'll get the train fixed up and keep these people safe. You go get us that fancy Doctor back."
Sometime during the conversation, the Raider had breathed his last, and was just another corpse on the train.
"15 crowns to whomever gets this filth off my train.":
So we have consensus? You are all riding after the Doctor? I guess you kind of have to, if you want your PC's to last more than a few months. But if you want, we can say to hell with Dr. Gateau can make those last few months glorious.
re: Cover
I looked it up recently. You really DO have to spend a quick action every round to gain the benefits of cover. It seemed kind of harsh at first, but on reflection it really makes you choose between offense and defense from round to round. In a game that really favours aggression and going out there and kicking ass, hiding behind something has a definite cost. (Sometimes, the benefits of cover are granted such as in a Cloud effect and you don't need to spend the point. But if you are hiding behind a rock, you need to spend a quick action.) I'm not 100% I like how it plays, but I kind of dig the idea?
Another thing to look out for is that it costs separate quick actions to reload a simple firearm. One to dig the bullet out of your pocket and an another to put in your gun. There are mitigating factors, like ammo bandoleers and the Ability to get an extra quick action only for reloading, but still...
I host a podcast about movies.
"I can track these scum into the mountains, I've got no fear of them. I'm used to working on my own, but with the numbers we saw, I'm glad for your help. Now let's move quickly, before more of these folk need saving."
Yeah, quick actions are in hot supply but they're easy to pick up with abilities. If you don't have a quiver or bandolier, you either need multiple weapons or repeaters. I really actually like the action economy of this game. It's fun!
I host a podcast about movies.
ie: Shael is the designated tracker and rolled a 10. If Tavish rolls a 15, then Shael's roll counts as 11.
Seeing tracking going on, Tavish points vaguely in the direction the bandits rode toward...
"They went....that way!"
I host a podcast about movies.
I host a podcast about movies.
Kaelin rips through her suitcase for anything more useful. She snatches up her ammo bandolier and assorted goods she might need. Climbing up on the seats to get her 'jack wrench she nearly tumbled back from the weight of it. She wasn't going to allow her countryman to get kidnapped like that. She owed it to her mother, father, bothers & sisters to do everything in her power to rescue the good doctor.
It was clear that whoever her protecter was supposed to be was a no-show. She was on her own. Well, maybe not completely. There was one problem: she didn't trust any of these people. Especially not the elf or troll. There was only one person she trusted now.
As Kaelin rifles through her things, Aidan grabs her arms and whispers, "Where do you think you are going petite? Do you intend to risk everything we have done to help these people?"
I host a podcast about movies.
Kaelin was stunned that anyone would dare touch her. She then recognized the voice.
"What have we accomplished? Ferried me from hiding place to hiding place? My parents would be so proud, oui?" Kaelin whispered back. She wrenched her arm from his grip as she stood up. "I won't abandon a fellow like my more cowardly kinsmen.
"Dr. Gateau is not your countryman; he is mine" Kaelin said aloud. "I cannot stop you from coming but it is not your responsibility to rescue the doctor." Hefting the large 'jack wrench over her shoulder, she marched to the back of the train to wake up the person she could trust, Monsieur Sifflets.
"Borders are just imaginary things you dig trenches around. He was coming here to help the sick. Sounds like if he's not my countryman he oughta be. I'm bored of trains, anyway."
Tavish begins readying his mount, who seems damn glad to be on solid ground again.
I host a podcast about movies.
Shael and Tavish easily find the trail of the bandits as they converged and retreated back up into the mountains. The deep ruts of the wagon are impossible to miss. The Rider passage has left an unmistakable trail as it cuts west towards the crags of the Upper Wyrmwall mountains.
Climbing the summit of the hill, the landscape gradually transitions from foothills into the rock of the mountains. The obvious trail slowly fades as soil gives way to rock. Ahead, several mountain trails wend their narrow, winding way up into the mountains proper. After about a mile, the horse tracks gather in a large group before separating to fade away entirely.
From what your trackers can make out, the bandits gathered here. Some dismounting, likely for a conversation, before separating into groups and disappearing into the mountains. The wagon, however, could not negotiate the narrow trails and moved off to the south.
You can make another Tracking (a very difficult one at that) roll to try and figure out more information about the horsemen or keep following the wagon's obvious trail.
Also, what do you think about greyed out text for OOC instead of constantly opening spoilers?
I host a podcast about movies.
No idea. I don't even think there is a quick way to toggle colours while on a full browser either, come to think of it.
As you begin to ride out, following the wagon, you see a glint of light reflecting on something partially buried in the ripped up sod. A twisted pair of spectacles, one lens cracked and spattered with blood. Alma lets out a small squeak and dismounts to gather them up. Her face hardens as she remounts her horse. "Lets go. We're on the right trail."
Clearly, she is right. Horse droppings, hooaga cigar stubs, bloody bandages...all these things are found as you follow the trail. These bandits are obviously not expecting anyone to follow them and are not taking even the most simple of precautions. The trail passes through the foothills to the south until it reaches an unmaintained dirt road. Following the road further to the west, you come across an old wooden shack. Any colour to the structure has long been bleached pale by the elements. Narrow shuttered windows on each wall and small enclosure out back for horses. The wagon you've been following is out front, and a pair of horses are in the "pasture". Two Riders are outside grooming the horses, catching sight of your approach they shout an alarm as they run for saddles. Three more Riders rush outside and take to the wagon, trying to bring the stubber to bear. All of them men are swathed in bandages and coughing. And they all have pistols and look ready to use them.
ROLL INITATIVE!
Map:
(Its my first map!)
I know IKRPG doesn't quite use a grid. But we're all familiar with it here. We'll just treat it like 4e, with squares equaling 6' instead of 5'. Base sizes don't quite work out, but we can get over that pretty quickly.
Safe to assume we're in full campaigning gear at this point, right?
I host a podcast about movies.
And sure enough, the trail runs true. Shael lowers her goggles and fingers her crossbow as she sees the Raiders below.
"These cowards will face the same fate as the last ones we fought. Time to die."
Aidan stays close to the impetuous Kaelin. He honestly couldn't disagree with her assessment of the situation
Geth roll 2d6+13 for Initiative
Kaelin hadn't riden a horse for the journey, insteading she had climbed up on Monseiur Sifflets' shoulder pauldron for the journey.
@DrakeRaids057 - Just waiting on your initiative.
I host a podcast about movies.
I know that visually, the Maptools/D&D default of "large sized" and working on a grid doesn't really fit to match a 40mm base size and gridless tabletop that Warmachine uses. So in this case I'd be more inclined to say yes.
As a GM, I'm usually quite flexible and tend to always rule in favour of cool.
Assuming you make the roll, that is.
Also, I should have mentioned/clarified that initiative order came into play in my ruling. In my mind, if you indeed charge you'll be catching that bandit as he is running out of the building towards the cover that the parked wagon provides. If they had gone before you in the initiative order, then I would have said no because he was in cover and you wouldn't have had a clear charge lane. Thoughts?
I'll give @DrakeRaids057 until tomorrow morning to roll initiative before I do it for Sophika and we move this combat along.
I host a podcast about movies.
As a reminder, this is the wagon with the pintle mounted stubber on top of it.
Geth, roll 2d6+13 for Sophika's Initative
The wagon you've been following is out front, and a pair of horses are in the "pasture". Two Riders are outside grooming the horses, catching sight of your approach they shout an alarm as they run for saddles. Three more Riders rush outside and take to the wagon, trying to bring the stubber to bear. All of them men are swathed in bandages and coughing. And they all have pistols and look ready to use them.
ROLL INITATIVE!
Map:
(Its my first map!)
I know IKRPG doesn't quite use a grid. But we're all familiar with it here. We'll just treat it like 4e, with squares equaling 6' instead of 5'. Base sizes don't quite work out, but we can get over that pretty quickly.
Stat Block:
Tavish: 7/3/3, DEF:9, ARM:15, FP:3
Sophika: 6/3/3, DEF:11, ARM:14, FP:1
Wyrmwall Rider(I16): 8, DEF:13, ARM:11
Wyrmwall Rider(K16): 8, DEF:13, ARM:11
Wyrmwall Rider(M16): 8, DEF:13, ARM:11
Wyrmwall Rider(F17): 8, DEF:13, ARM:11
Wyrmwall Rider(G19): 8, DEF:13, ARM:11
Wyrmwall Veteran(L17): 8, DEF:14, ARM:11
Kaelin: 5/4/5, DEF:13, ARM:10, FP:2
Aiden: 5/4/4, DEF:13, ARM:10, FP:1
@Rainfall - You're up!
@JohnnyCache & @DrakeRaids057 - On deck...