End of April Review

Yeah, a "filler" post as this has been a busy week, and I've not had much time for game stuff.

Oddly, my last post on the cardboard crafting is one of the most popular for some reason. Not sure if it is the amazing sharpie work I did, or my working on the Cowboys and Dinos game. Regardless, it has had a lot of hits (okay, a lot is entirely relative. Over 60 which for any single post is a lot). Or perhaps I've just left it as the most recent one that shows on other blogs, and so there has been more time for exposure. 

Our 2nd session of Jackals hit a bit of a bump as a couple of us had a hard time figuring out how the valor part works. From what I understand, you basically have 2 sets of hit points which are the same number of points. The first "layer" is getting the wind knocked out of you sort of thing: you get that back after the combat is over, and you take a few minutes to dust yourself off, scrape off the blood. But once those are exhausted, the "real" damage starts. Those points are actual physical damage and take time and real healing. If that was all there was, I'd be good: the 1st set is a sort of shield, then you take hull damage after your shields fail. But, the character sheet has 3 rows which have markers for the damage. There is this valor value that is calculated based on the number of rows you have that are open, that is, all the damage pips are not hit. For Zandakar, I have 3 rows of 5, or 15 points for each level. So I can take 15 points before the "real" damage starts. I start of with the 15 x 3 or 45 valor points. When I've taken 5-9 point of damage, my top row is filled, and I know have 15 x 2 or 30 valor points. But that valor level is not used from what I can tell: there are no game mechanics tied to the calculated value. Another player with apparently a math degree was having a hard time as the GM was saying he now has these valor points that do not match the table. There was a fair amount of frustration. I've a feeling that there is something we're supposed to be able to do with those calculated valor points but no idea what.

One cool feature I do like is clash points. This is the number of actions you have. It can be adjusted by a few things, but allows you to perform actions that take clash points. Like action points in many other games, better characters and skills may translate to higher clash points so you can do more. You do want to save a point to be able to dodge, though! Reminds me of a few Traveller games, such as Snapshot, that has action points based on (I think - it has been a decade+ since I last played!) dexterity. So a more dexterous character can do more. The Fantasy Trip also has something like this, where high dexterity archers can shoot twice per combat round, once at the beginning (as they will have the highest dexterity most likely!) and again after all have gone. If you add in weapons expertise, an archer just won't miss unless he rolls 16+, depending on the distance. And hmm, TFT also has Toughness which acts like armor in a way, allowing your character to shrug off damage by rolling with the punch. You get up to Toughness two, and layer that with armor, and you have the makings of a good tank!

But after that first side trip into the rules minutia, we decided just to play it out. I've a feeling it would have gone more smoothly at a table as we could look at the character sheet. Even though we are playing via Skype. we do not have cameras on. While I think that would help the game, not everyone has a webcam so we don't play that way. Though screen sharing may also help. But hey, we've been doing it this way for a year now and it is mostly working.

Speaking of: I get my 2nd shot next week, and the Fantasy Trip group I think all have their shots. So I've reached out to see if we can get back to face to face gaming. Real live people! What will I do? Not sure about the main Asheville Gaming Group: where we play has not opened the gaming rooms yet. Hopefully soon. Here is a link to The Wyvern's Tale - if you are in Asheville drop on in & say hey. I've not been in there since last March or so, maybe I should drop in as well!

As it is a weekend, I hope to get a bit of game stuff in: maybe continue my Lamia's Labyrinth solo play, perhaps more Traveller solo. And I have a bit more background on Zandakar's people from the GM that I need to read and incorporate into that character. 

I also finally got back on my old motorcycle, a 1984 Honda Knighthawk (this is not mine but looks identical). I replaced the battery a month ago and then that was as far as I went to getting on it. I bought it in 1987 or so, my first vehicle! I had to go to the office today to get a key card, even though I'm not likely to need that as they are trying to sell the office, and I work out of my basement. I have ridden my other bike, a 2011 (I think) Honda Shadow Spirit over 200 miles this year already as it was in front of the other motorcycle so easier to get out. It too is just black and chrome - apparently I have thing for black motorcycles.

Knighthawk

Shadow

They ride differently. I got the 2nd when I thought the 1st was not going to get working again, but it turned out to be something in the fuel line that was causing it to die. It just took a while to get that figured out. And as the insurance is so cheap, I just have both. My wife rides a Honda 919 and that one scares me: it wants to go really fast. I'll stick with my cruisers.

Funny thing is my car is a 1991 Toyota MR-2 (my 2nd vehicle I ever bought, and still drive). All my vehicles offer nothing should I get into an accident. Perhaps I am more daring than I thought! I did get a Honda Odyssey van when my son came along, so I do have one "safe" vehicle at least!

Ahh, review went off those rails. Friday. Let's see, anything other than work too much and still not get enough done? Not really. 

Cheap Dungeon Crafting - Cardboard. And More Cowboys and Dinos

There are a lot of people out there who can do some amazing things with just cardboard, a sharpie and scissors. In my case I also added an hobby knife and pen. I may have to get some fine-tipped Sharpies.

Anyway, saw these docks someone made from cardboard, and having some cardboard from the Fantasy Trips Kickstarter available (I don't save off the shipping boxes. While I sometimes veer to being a completist, I try not to carry that to the shipping containers!), decided to give it a whirl. For 5 minutes or so of work, it was easier than the craft-stick version. And for larger scale things, it may be more than good enough!

On the left, craft sticks, the right, our cardboard dock

I've also been downloading some papercraft models. Maybe some cottages, inns and gates. Of course, putting then together will be a bit challenging so I'll start off with something fairly simple. But all this presupposes I get back to a table. Here's hoping!

I've also been doing some work on the Tumbleweeds and Dinosaur game. I'm thinking of adding 4 attributes to the dinosaurs, and at least two have direct game mechanics. I'm using the Tumbleweeds microlite 20 game as the core, and adding the dinosaurs. I still have to define how you link to the dinosaurs, and I am heavily leaning to the Dragonriders of Pern idea: You have to be there at the hatching to impress on a dino. You can only impress on one at a time, though I think a higher level of dinowrangling may allow for more. 

And I need more details on the dinowrangling: going with not everyone can do that, so it is a chosen class per the rules, just a new one. 

Dinosaurs

Dinos have 4 additional qualities:

Size: this is the dinos base size.

Small: These are smaller than your character, from mouse sized up to large dog sized.

Medium: These dinos range from 100 to 300 pounds or so. Not capable of carrying people, but they are useful for hauling goods.

Large: These are the horse sized and a but larger, 300 to 1000 pounds or so. Generally ridable and able to haul wagons.

Huge: Anything larger is huge, 1000+ pounds.

Speed: this is the dinos top speed.

Slow: A cowboy can out-walk this dinosaur.

Medium: You may have to run to keep up but a cowpoke can go as fast.

Fast: As fast as a horse at a good cantor or gallop.

Very fast: a galloping horse may be able to keep up if it was a very fast horse.

Extremely fast: You ain’t seen nothing move that quick!

Mulishness: just how stubborn is this critter.

The AC is the roll to make to get the dino to do what you want. If you are bonded to the dino, add in your dinowrangling skillx2, else just the skill.

(the x2 may be too much at higher levels: maybe dinowrangling +2?)

Very mulish: it won’t listen and does its own thing in its own time. AC 18-20

Mulish: stubborn but will do what you want it to with enough encouragement. AC 15-17

Listenin’ : the dino will do what you want, though you may get some side eye in there.AC 12-14

Puppylike: the dino tries its best to please you! AC 8-11

Empathy: how well your connection is.

The AC is the ability to be able to share your senses: if you need the dino to come to you, or you need to get to your dino. You may add your dinowrangling skill for your bonded dino.

A success allows you the basic control as below. The higher the success, the more “in-tune” you are with the dino. For those highly connected, you can often feel each other’s pains as well.

This affects how well the dino listens and will obey you, as well as how much you can share in the senses.

Low: You just can’t get through without contact, such as reigns or hand signals. AC 18-20

Medium: a hi-ho Silver, and your dino comes romping up to you within hearing distance. AC 12-17

High: you can complete each other’s thoughts it seems at times. AC 6-11

Dinowrangling and your dinosaur

The dinowrangling skill is affected by the mulishness and empathy of the dinosaur.

Jackals: A Bronze Age RPG

We've switched over to Jackals. From the DriveThruRPG description:

Inspired by the myths, cultures, and history of the Ancient Near East, and by such ancient texts as the Iliad, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Old Testament, Jackals is a Sword & Sorcery roleplaying game set in a Fantasy Bronze Age. With mechanics based on the popular OpenQuest system, the game places players in the role of Jackals – adventurers, explorers, sellswords, and scavengers – and sends them out into the peril-filled land of the Zaharets to make their fortune… or perhaps fulfill a greater destiny…

I am playing Zandakar, a desert tribesman borrowed stolen from Karen Mitchell's Godspeaker trilogy  (of which I am only halfway through the 2nd book). The first was a very harsh reading: full of a strong and violent religion that suffuses the war lands there. While in the first book Zandakar is a war lord by the end of the book, the story is not really about him but his mother, Hecat, and her path from slave to warrior to empress, and her quite possible path into psychosis. It was a good if hard read at times!

Anyway, my take on this character is that he is from the harsh deserts of Trauj, a Alkitar, or Hate Spitter. They are ritualists or magic users. The character creation is interesting: a set of basic stats, then you can add additional values. Non-ritualists only have to split the additional 17 points across 5 characteristics, whereas as a ritualist I have a 6th that gets a share of the points. So the others are definitely bigger and have better base stats. But I have magic! Normally in a new game I try to not pick magic users, but as no one else did (okay, there are actually just two players right now due to scheduling conflicts) I thought I would try. Normally magic tends to be a bit complicated to use, so I generally pick the tank as a character for unknown games. Just hitting things is easy.

In translating Miller's Godspeaker stories, my version of Zandakar does his hortas, a fighting/dancing/almost religious series of exercises. Think of a much more deadly version of tai chi. As I have the desert rager talent, I fight with two scimitars, and that is part of the dance as well. So while I did not pour a lot of the extra points into strength, I did pick deftness to reflect that skill with the swords and the poetry of the hortas. He is also religious, though I am waiting to hear about the gods of the desert to see how to intertwine them with how I see this character. I do need to remember to use a few of the catch-phrases: I am in the eye of god, you are a weak people, that sort of thing. Coming from such a harsh environment, his people think others are pretty weak and pathetic. They also have a foe, some sort of monsters of the desert. 

Fortunately his travelling companion is a giant of a man, even taller than Zandakar. Which is quite unusual as the desert people "come from the race of giants" and are quite tall, while the rest of the world, most people average a bit under 5 1/2 feet tall. Zandakar is 6 1/2 feet, about average for his people. Theocolese is over 7 feet tall if I recall, almost 2 feet taller than the average of his people.

There was a bit of an info-dump at the beginning and I don't have it all straight in my head. The game seems to have a pretty rich world based on Bronze Age societies with a fantasy twist. Our session 0 was mostly getting the characters set up, and getting started on the first actual excursion after meeting Edani, another Jackal. She was our introduction to something we may want to do. I did at least remember to call the fat headman we met later soft and overly fed. This character will be a bit of a stretch for me, as he is harsh, unforgiving and will have a few bloody rituals and things that, being a half-assed vegetarian, will be somewhat difficult to play. But hey, I need to stretch my role playing as well as my game mastering and world building!

I do have an image in my head, something of a cross between all of these images. None are quite right but I think are heading in the direction in my head. I think the bottom two are the closest so far.

Lamia Labyrinth - A Death

After picking up the dragon egg, they return to main circular room. Of course someone grabs the book on the pedestal. Rolling a d4, 3 traps are reactivated: spiked traps, 3 giant snakes, and a razor pendulum. While three of the characters managed to avoid the pendulum, the one with the book did not make their dexterity roll, and took 4 points of damage. Accosted by the snakes, the battle was fierce: giant snakes have a -3 to hit due to their writhing around and, while 1 hex creatures, are still harder to hit. Only half of the characters have an adjusted DX greater than the snakes 12. Our arrow-slinging fighter, with her adjDX of 16, actually can shoot twice. She manages to do 5 points of damage to the ST 12 snake, which is slithering closer to her. With a deft swing of a morning star, another snake takes 11 points of damage while our other fighter is moving behind that snake. The snakes strike, and while the armor keeps our morning star fighter undamaged, our poor razor pendulum fumbling fighter, holding the book, dies from a snake bite on top of her injuries already sustained! The second arrow does minimal damage to the snake fast approaching our archer. The next round, the arrow does more damage, leaving that snake with a single ST but still adamant in the attack! Our morning star fighter manages to finish of his snake. The snake that killed a fighter has no one to fight this round. The snake between the two fighters again manages a bite that does a bit of damage - 4 points but his armor absorbs two points. The third round, the archers snake is charging the lone archer, and the snake without a target moves towards the morning star fighter. The archer misses the snake, and I'll allow her to use her high dexterity to drop her bow and grab her sword (yeah, technically next round she should not be able to fight, but if she has two arrow shots by dint of her dexterity, I could for a player allow a 2nd action. Probably not legal, but hey, my game!) In what turns out to be the next to last round, the sword bearing ex-archer finishes off her opponent, as does the morning star fighter. The one remaining snake actually missed, and next round was finished off;

So, I actually had a character die in the play test here. Several things come to mind. First, a high dexterity is the best thing a person can have: they get to attack first and have a much better chance of hitting. Armor is also important as a damage soaker: our fumbling, snake-killed fighter actually had cloth armor but that did not protect a whole lot due to high damage rolls. Oddly those with heavier armor got light damage rolls. And finally - in my games part of the pre-payment from patrons are healing potions. The Fantasy Trip is pretty deadly and no magical resting heals you. Though I did try to make a cleric laying on hands spell in this post.

Why did it have to be snakes?

And finally: got my first COVID shot this week, the next in a few more weeks. I am hoping that, as the people I play TFT with will have their shots completed by then, we may be able to get back to face to face gaming! He has a workshop in his backyard and a large table I believe. I just need to make sure I bring over the stuff I need to play! It is not 100% positive: the wife is very protective of her children (I play with the father and his 2 sons; the daughter played a bit but as I think I said before, getting a game that applies to 8 year old girls through 13 year old boys is not easy...) And the final say is always the family.

And speaking of: that's why I did that one shot last Monday as family needs came up. Gaming is fun, but family should come first. Of course, easy for me to say as my wife is usually gone fishing and our son is at college. So I have plenty of time to game. But it looks like our stalwart GM may need to focus on his family a bit, so we'll be swapping games. Not sure if I'll be continuing the Brass Rings game, doing Traveller, or if one of the other players will start a new game. I am in the fortunate position of being in a game group where everyone want to referee a game!

And I need to get back to the Cowboys and Dinosaur game. I've got it roughed out, but it is lacking some details and at least a bit more minimal world-building as a framework on how the cowboys and dinosaurs interact.

Endkeep Station

So this was created on the fly from the Brass Rings game, but it could be plopped into any game I think with a bit of adjustment. While 1.2 miles is a long way for mice, for human-sized characters just make it 15-20 miles as I was wanting the mountains to be to a day's journey by foot. Thus letting them choose a mode of transportation. 

For Traveller, a low-tech world, maybe TL 4-6 or so. For a fantasy game, drop the rail and make it a caravan route and adjust the ornithopter option to fit your game (Traveller 5 & Mongoose both have ornithopters, so it works for that game!)

Going through the Spectacular Settlements, Endkeep Station is a small village at the end of the current expansion to the Royal Rail. With less than 100 critters in the village and surrounding farms, it is a hearty village. Well-built, the smell of fresh carpentry and paint permeate the village when the steam train is not in motion. There are only a few buildings in the town so far. It is a corporate township in that the Royal Rails built the station and warehouse, and it is a staging area for continuing the line into the open area to the east.

Located about a day's hike from the mountain range, the Station is on a vast plain, the soil rich and yielding excellent crops. Most of the farms wrapping around the station have their own small houses. The crops are the major export of the town, going back west via the railway. Equipment and manufactured supplies come in, crops go back on the train. The train runs weekly into the town, and stays 1-2 days depending on what needs to be unloaded and loaded. There is a turn-around track to get the train heading back west. There is almost half a mile of rail further to the east, and a hand-driven track car is used to carry the rails and workers as they extend the rail.

The town's population is about 50% Mice, 25% Rat, 15% Squirrel and 10% a variety of Bugs. Most of the population is fairly neutral: there are a lot of transient workers at times. Law enforcement is handled by the single King's Man, who maintains a small office and a pair of jail cells. (I was thinking of Sheriff Andy Tailor & Mayberry for the jail cells, so perhaps Bernice Longtail has knitted bed covers for the cots in the cells, and Mr. Nibbles brings over the food). Crime is rare in Endkeep Station. The most common injuries and dangers are from the rail work and laying tracks. The Cicada Gang usually attacks the train but has been known to make an occasional raid on the warehouse next to the station.

The town itself is maybe two dozen buildings. The train station is a large building, complete with the town meeting hall, a detached warehouse usually storing supplies for extending the rail past EndKeep. There is a small train office and waiting area for ticket purchases.

The Eastern Hostel is run by Bernice Longtail, a genial Rat. She has almost a dozen rooms available and serves breakfast daily.  Workers for the line usually stay here. Across the street is the sole restaurant, The Grande Gouda Cheese Emporium. Mr. Nibbles, an elderly Mouse, runs the place with an almost distracted air, but has excellent local and imported cheeses, teas and foods. His brood of 7 children help run the place and run errands about town.

There are two places you can get local transportation. Pinky Rat's Ornithopters and Tori Greyfur's Flight Fancy, where you may rent trained birds for flight. She has three pigeons and a duck that is often difficult to control but can carry more.

There is a carpentry shop run by "Bushy" Chitters, a grey Squirrel. He has built most of the houses in the town, and on occasion hires trained workers to assist his single assistant when larger projects need more paws. 

A small shop (to be detailed with Remarkable Shops and Their Wares perhaps, though that does lean a lot more to fantasy than steampunk mice! But we'll see) is run by Ophelia Whiskers, a Guinea Pig who has a lot of adventuring equipment sold at 50% more than standard costs. Her rations and locally produced goods are at the regular prices, but she has to import the things that cannot be made in Endkeep Station. She can order goods as needed and they take 2-3 weeks to show up as communication is also via the railway.

Access to Endkeep Station is by the single rail line coming in from the west. It is often attacked by the Cicada Gang, a gang of Locusts with their own steam car. They live on the plains to the west of Endkeep, near the mountains.

The mountains themselves are rumored to have Forerunner Caverns. More than one Mouse or Rat has gone missing in searching for the fabled treasures.

(map generated by the Medieval City Generator)

Brass Rings: Steampunk Mice On the Rings of Saturn

Yet another Kickstarter RPG that blossomed beyond their initial pitch. We're going to run a one shot tonight due to some scheduling issues with our current game master. 

 The mechanics are a little bit blurry to me but hopefully we'll figure it out during play (and this post may well include post-game updates). 

The basic premise is that the rodents and other critters are left over from the Forerunners, near mythical beings who left the stations behind for some unknown reason. Not sure how they made the F-Ring of Saturn habitable, but I can go with large enclosed rings: basically they started with various habitats, and have connecting rail lines between pods. The pods over time expanded and more more the ring was habitable. So if I get around to making maps, I can use them for Traveller as well (just scale up from the rodent sized trains!)

So, next day...

We ran the one shot. We had Bucky Bridgewater, a plucky thrill-seeking Mouse. Highly athletic with combat armor and a revolver. Miss Fay Meadowheart, a sneaky, espionage Mouse with a high charisma and excellent espionage skills. They were approached by Dr. Crackers in the Sweet Dreams Are Made of Cheese restaurant. His nephew, Brie Parmesian, had gone missing a few days before. Wanting to find his wayward nephew, his initial offer was doubled due to the wiles of Miss Fay, along with pre-paid tickets to Endkeep Station.

Boarding the train, our Mouse adventurers enjoyed the sites as the train rushed to Endkeep Station. While dining on some fine biscuits and tea, an approaching steam car gave chase to the train. The Circada Gang was attacking the box cars, full of equipment and goods for the station! Three of the Locusts managed to jump to the train, the other not quite making it. Hearing shots from the caboose, our adventurers rush through the first box car. Our initial fight was rewound after reading the rules: turns out that Fay, with only a single die to roll for combat due to her physical stat being one (the default) and no fighting skills, would need an 8 to hit the Locust. While 6s are exploding in this game, we decided she could use her espionage skills to sneak up, and I would allow for 2 dice due to the sneak attack. With that, she actually did roll an exploding 6, so damage was significant. Normally damage is just 1 point each time, but I decided with that much overkill I'd allow a clean headshot and she killed the Locust. The other Locust, realizing what was going on, was getting ready to attack when Bucky attacked with his sword. Having a 2 physical stat he got to roll 2 dice, and adding 1 for his fight skill, he managed to hit the Locust. The Locust first shot went wild. A short fight ends up with the Locust knocked out, and the caboose engineer, having taken care of the remaining Locust, rushes in to find our heroes and the unconscious Locust. Miss Fay, charming as always, manages to get a possible dinner date with Michael Furryhanunches, the train engineer, at the Grand Gouda Cheese House when they get to Endkeep.

Once at Endkeep Station, the last on this line, they find the Eastside Hostel. The genial hostess, a Rat named Bernice Longtail, helped them check in, and allowed them to search Brie's room. There they found a map case with a map. The proverbial X marks the spot indicated a spot 1.2 miles distant, in the mountains. After a dinner with Mr. Furryhaunches where Miss Fay managed to get some general information, they turned in to sleep. Next morning, knowing that a trip of that distance requires transportation (they are mice!) they find there is Tori Greyfur's Birds, and Pinky Tail's Ornithopters. They chose the ornithopter, and Pinky, a one-eyed rat with a good part of his tail missing, and a penchant for chewing tobacco, flew them to the site. 

A quick hike up the mountain and they find the perfectly circular access to inside the mountain, Cautiously climbing through, they find and bypass a strange red light beam stretching across the tunnel. Coming to a Y, they notice the initials BP on the left fork. Following that, the see light at the end of the tunnel, but also the sound of scurrying feet. Peering out of the tunnel, they see a huge room, and a bunch of cockroaches being chased by a mechanical spider! Up on a table, nearly 5 feet high, they see a cage with a Mouse in it. Bucky, seeing the mechanical spider is occupied with the cockroaches, rushes over and with a deft swing, gets his grappling hook in the bars, leaving the rope for Miss Meadowheart to clamber up. Doing so, she quickly springs the lock with her lockpick set as Bucky goes back to the access tunnel, which is too small for the mechanical monster. Fay and Brie make their acquaintance as the spider, seeing Bucky, rushes over to the hole in the wall. Fending off the probing arms, Fay and Brie decide to attract the spider's attention. Pushing a large box off the table, with papers fluttering all over, the spider comes to the base of the table to investigate. Dropping a bottle of acid on the spider, it spins out of control as sparks then a puff of smoke signal its demise. Hearing a siren, Miss Meadowheart and Brie clamor back down the rope, and get Bucky's grappling hook. Brie manages to grab one of the papers, trying to fold it as the room starts to rain and the sound of more mechanical spiders is heard!

Making it to the tunnel, they rush down to the exit, water starting to flow into the pipe. They miss seeing the red light, and hear a smaller spider rushing down the tunnel after them! Fleeing this new monster, they come into the fresh mountain air. Bucky fires a flare pistol, waking up Pinky. Seeing them rush out of the mountain, he quickly gets the ornithopter started up as Bucky, Miss Meadowheart and Brie jump into the back of the 'thopter and take off, leaving the spider and a running waterfall behind.

We ended up recreating the Indiana Jones first movie a bit there at the end. It went well enough considering I made up the adventure on the fly based on some of the material from that Kickstarter. It also opens it up for another round: we now have a Forerunner "dungeon" we could explore. I've created a small, western-style town at the end of a line of the Royal Rails, complete with a hostel, restaurant and a few businesses. Brie made off with some paper that may have some high-tech applications. I may even try to expand out the town using the Spectacular Settlements book: it could be transferred to my Fantasy Trip universe or even a low-tech Traveller world. Sort of like the old Thieves Guild boxed supplement that came out decades ago and worked the rules for a variety of RPGs, including Traveller. I was big into the Thieves World shared universe a bit, and I think it flavors my game thoughts now.

Mechanics-wise, I liked the game. You have the number of dice to roll based on the abilities characteristic, and modified by skills. So for our Mr Parmesian, any test that uses intelligence he would roll 2 dice, and then add in any appropriate skill as a DM. Investigation, for instance, he would roll 2d6 + 1. And with the exploding 6, there can be more cinematic results. I would like to have them better link which skill falls under which ability but it is pretty simple to decide. And when we did our initial combat, it turns out that Locusts have an armor value of 8, meaning you need to roll an 8 or higher to hit them. Our Miss Fay had no fight skill, and her physique is 1, meaning she would only roll 1 d6 to see if she hit. She would have to roll a 6 then at least a 2. So that's why we did our rewind to give her a slight 1 time advantage sneak attack. In the future I am not sure I'll keep that in play, but probably will just to give her at least 1 shot that has a chance to hit.

Another interesting game mechanic is the player's goal for the session. Roll 2d6 and there is a goal and what it means. If they meet that goal, they get an advancement point. Both Bucky & Fay managed their specific goals, and I gave an additional AP for good role playing. This allows them to level up a bit, either adding new skill pips, or for 2 AP, bumping up an ability. There is not really a lot of room for advancement, but this is supposed to be a sort of one shot game. I think we may revisit the Brass Rings in the future as I think we all had a good time.

The only thing I had a hard time keeping up with is scale: mice are small! That's why that 1.2 mile hike would have taken them all day and they took an ornithopter (at the sort of request from the players: they mentioned it in passing so I added it in). 

And finally, some metagaming. The tunnel into the Forerunner "dungeon" is a drainage pipe. The red light is a sensor for the cleaning bots to check for debris or vermin. The smaller pipe spiders would be a bit less tough than the bigger ones. Destroying the mechanical spider caused the fire suppression system to kick on, hence the rain in the room and the need for the drainage system our valiant Mice used.

MTU: Montca

One of the worlds my solo game may go to next. 

Montca / Yontin 1107 A639997-C

It has an A4 V star. An A star:

The surface temperatures of A-type stars range from 7,400 K to about 10,000 K; lines of hydrogen are prominent, and these stars are white.

Montca is the 8th planet in a system with no gas giants nor planetoid belts. It is also the only planet with any hydrogen, liquid or otherwise, making it the sole place to visit in this system.

The extensive class A port follows most of the League's standard design patterns: a central hub with a multitude of concourse spread out over several miles. There is a a significant Space Patrol presence: a Type 1 Bureau, which has extensive facilities both at the ground and high ports, as well as stations for their Lancer Class Cruisers. Standard rates are applied for berthing. The low port Athena is located on the Graastle continent and uses the Deep Sea for its fuel source.

Moving through the rest of the UWP:

The size 6 planet has about a .81G gravity system, and orbits almost 10AU from the hot, white sun. It's day is 29.45 hours, and a year is 7,455 days, or about 20.4 standard years. 

The 3 atmosphere is very thin, averaging about .23 standard atmospheres of a standard oxygen/nitrogen mix. Generally a cold planet, the nights can reach -50C in some latitudes. 

Almost 90% water, it is not a frozen ice ball due to an active molten core and copious underwater thermal vents. The underwater life is more varied and plentiful than the sparse flora and fauna of the few land masses. A majority of the foods produced on Montca come from vast undersea farms. Additionally, there is some weather control to warm the planet up a bit - large mirrors are used to reflect additional light, often causing for multiple shadows during the day.

The population is just over 2 billion people. The largest city of Maqua has almost 800 million inhabitants, and sits on the southern continent's northern shelf. A large portion of the city is on and under the water, next to several large underwater farms. With the high population, robots and automation are not allowed, and manual labor is the base of their currency. Imperial currency is not accepted, but the port carries money changers, and cargo bought and sold is via the Credit. Outside the port, however, credits are not generally accepted. The legal age is 1 year, or just over 20 standard.

With an impersonal bureaucracy and several councils, the world is governed by an almost caste system. Most people tend to ignore the government as their lives are wrapped up in the day to day living. The port has its own Port Authority security, which is backed up by the Space Patrol. Outside the port, each city maintains its own police force under the auspices of world-wide police council with its own staff.

With a tech level of C, life is pretty easy on Montca. Basic needs are met easily and the average work day is 6 hours. Seafood is a specialty and cooking and preparation of various sea life are family traditions. 

I'll expand a bit more later. I do like undersea farms though :)

Other Blogs

I do read other blogs, though to be honest, I go from the stats page here to see where some of you are coming from, then find all sorts of neat blogs. And I am also sure I've done a similar post in the past. But hey - this is my mid-week I really should post something post...

Anyway, this post from Lich Van Winkle shows that Traveller may have had the first d66 table! So that is pretty cool.

I get a lot of hits from alea iactanda est as I am on his blog roll.

Of course I cannot ignore Michael's blog the Traveller Adventures, that got me started on the January challenge! I see him on occasion over on COTI where I also get a few people from, as it is in my signature there. A great resource!

Alesmiter has some interesting posts. And I like the name!

And Spinward Scout's Way Station is full of Traveller goodness.

And while not a fan of video blogs (I like to read, videos just don't work for me for some reason), Shawn Driscoll is doing some interesting things as well.

And someone else likes indices! Here's an index to the JTAS from Mongoose over at My Traveller Universe.

Anyway, just a wordy post - if you want me to add you to my blog role (see the right column, no, your other right :) ) I can add that. I've not mentioned all the blogs on the right as they are already posted (as are some of the ones I've mentioned here), but I was digging through the stats on my blog as it is always interesting to to see where people are coming from. Well, interesting to me at least.

And a later update: found this solo Traveller game blog from COTI; adding to my blog list on the right there.

Traveller Solo - Meet the New Engineer, "Egg"

Oeg "Egg" Aghdzoksdhaekhsfudzzong is a 3 term ex-Navy and Naval University graduate who somehow ended up on Tryonas. This was actually an NPC for a Traveller game that will never get back into play for a variety of reasons sadly. I was digging through existing characters I had already generated by the RPG Suite character generator to see if one fit, and this one seemed interesting. Now, we'll have to come up with a story as to how Egg ended up in the League of Planets, and I am leaning the our good Captain may be spying for the Imperium just a bit, and having an ex-Imperial Navy Lieutenant on board may be either a plant or something just innocuous.

Oeg "Egg" Aghdzoksdhaekhsfudzzong, ex-Imperial Navy Lieutenant

788D58, age 34

Athletics-0, Engineering (Jump-1, Life Upport-1, Man-Drive-1), Flyer (Rotary-1, Wing-1), Gun (Slug-1), Gunner (Turret-1),Language-0, Leadership-1, Mechanic-1, Melee (Blade-1), Pilot-0, Recon-1, Vacc Suit-0

Born on Louzy, Oeg learned early on he was a lot smarter than most of his pack and family. Wanting to gain credibility among the Imperial, at 16 he made the journey to Efate, and after two years of hard work, applied and got into the prestigious Imperial Naval Academy of Efate:

You gain wide-ranging recognition of your initiative and innovative approach to study. Increase your SOC by +1 You proved yourself one of the best of the best. You graduated from the Naval Academy with Honors! The sky's the limit. You have graduated for the Naval Academy with HONORS! An opportunity awaits you in the Navy. If you choose to enlist now you will be able to train 3 of your service skills to rating 1, and get an AUTOMATIC commission upon entry. Will you join the Navy? [Accepted] After 4 years at the Naval Academy you graduated with honors and immediately entered the service.

Moving on to the Navy, his first term he worked hard, but did not manage to gain a promotion. Here he picked up the blade skill, and due to the nature of the posting, picked up the recon skill:

Your vessel participates in a diplomatic mission. Gain one of Recon 1, Diplomat 1, Steward 1 or a Contact. Sorry, you were passed over for promotion this term. It's time they start respecting you for all your hard work!

His second term was better, and, while gaining an enemy, also prevented a mutiny and got promoted:

You foil an attempted crime on board, such as mutiny, sabotage, smuggling or conspiracy. Gain an Enemy, but also gain a +2 DM to your next Advancement roll in the Navy. You were promoted

His final term in the Imperial Navy Egg picked up some advanced training, and his brightly painted air/raft. Which he still does not know how drive yet.

You are given advanced training in a specialist field. You were promoted Mustering Out Benefit: Edu +1 Choose between a Personal Vehicle or Ship Share (1) Mustering Out Benefit: Int +1

Egg was teased as Egg-Head for many years, and as his name sounds like that to begin with, he decided to take it in stride and live up to that nickname. His enemy, starport administrator Frank Liaos, at the edge of Imperial space somehow managed to board him on a freighter that ended up on Tryonas. While his air/raft is in storage, he started looking for gainful employment. Having made many friends over the years, he and Captain Laux came to a deal with Egg having a share of the profits. Unknown to the rest of the crew is that Egg and Laux knew each other years ago, and have a shared secret tying them to the Imperial government. 

While "my" character I primarily play is Malik, our intrepid reporter who is now the comms operator, there are other threads I've not really thought through. I do want some tension between my League and the Imperium. Secrets on both sides. Laux is covertly gathering some data where he can, and now has another agent in Egg, who is essentially on covert extended duty from the Navy to explore the League's own Naval resources. The League has its Space Patrol. but the Imperium fears there may be a larger force, and unknown technologies at play. The League is known for its medical technology, and fear of a super soldier is a running thread in some Imperial circles. 

Now we've a 2nd engineer, and I still need to figure out the actual ship costs per jump and month. 

However, from our last entry, we did pick up some high-end electronics, and we'll be loading freight at the standard costs. And it would probably be a 327 standard container:

As we're taking up 5 tons of space, and have to fill the rest of the cargo with freight. And I cannot find my re-worked No Refunds stats. Originally I had it at 300 tons, but thanks to finding that .2098 x registered tons = Traveller dTons, we find the ship is a 650 tonner! I'll try and rework that and verify I have the correct crew (though that does vary by version of Traveller; but I felt I needed another engineer and Egg does have gunner, and we'll need to add a turret at some point I feel). 

Traveller Solo: Tryanos visit

Note: I do notice that the Traveller blogs get more visits, at least according to the stats I look at. And yes, this was originally purely Traveller but like most gamers, I am a polygamer and play a lot of games. Anyway, just a note to let my readers know I do see where most of the hits are, and I will be making this mostly Traveller. You may note that when I ref a game there are a lot more Traveller posts, so I'll see about running another Traveller game ASAP. I am starting to itch to run a game again.

And now, back to our story in progress...

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The walk back to the No Refunds was quiet, neither the captain or first mate talking as they led Malik back through the short corridors. Malik paid a bit more attention, noticing the security checkpoint at the elevator terminal, the bit of grime here and there from the passage of many boots. He managed to bump the same elbow in the transition between grav systems. Even the second security check outside the ship's gangway seemed more ominous for some reason.

Back on board, Laux rechecked the refueling with the engineer Dietgard, and Malik overhead that they really need to hire a bit more crew, that the systems needed at least another engineer for proper maintenance. Laux indicated they would post a help wanted at the downport. Rechecking the comms and sensors while waiting departure, Malik saw that a military cruiser was approaching high port. Checking the call signal, it was a Space Patrol vessel from the League, and in fact the Wyvern (see one of the way early solo sessions here) Hailing the ship, Malik got a curt response back (rolled a 4 reaction) and that yes, both Chief Investigator Hunter was aboard, but that Corporal Lucas was on another patrol and no longer assigned to the Wyvern. During the brief conversation with Lt. Bartley, Dietgard indicated that refueling was completed. Switching channels, Malik contacted high port.

"\No Refunds prepared to disengage and approach Tryonas Ground Port. Awaiting confirmation." The response was quick: "You are cleared for disengagement. Port linkages disconnected. Please land at pad D45. Follow attached flight plan." The board registered a flight path that Captain Laux reviewed, and accepted into the ship's nav system from the bridge. With an audible clank as the No Refunds docking systems closed back up into the ship, the No Refunds drifted away from the port and with minor adjustments to the maneuver drive, headed down to the low port, sitting on the edge of the dark sideof Tryonas.

The landing seemed a bit rougher than normal (rolled a 4, +3 for Laux so 7; not quite the 8 I was looking for!) as the ship settled down. The dim red sun cast long shadows against the port buildings. Similar the the port on Krim, it was laid out with a large central control and processing building, and concourse with multiple gates spread out. Pad D45 was further out, and there were a few other traders landed nearby. The difference in this port were the warehouses in the section the No Refunds was in were large, boxy affairs. After setting down, our high passengers disembarked and headed to the terminal via the boarding ramp attached to the port airlock. Malik and Ewo shut down their boards as the captain leaned back in his seat. "Well," he said, "now to see if we can find another engineer while you two see about selling those fine vehicles you've been ogling all week."

Ewo started the bidding process for autonomous vehicles, and we managed to pull in Cr288,000 (rolled a 6 on the resale value, and +2 for a rich world for the advanced vehicles from the Mongoose v1 trade rules, and no brokerage, so we sell for 80% of the cost. That table really wants you to have a brokerage skill and sadly there is only Brokerage-0 for our Aslan first officer). But as those vehicles did not cost us anything, it was pure profit other than ship fuel, and after the ship costs we're still ahead with (and I really need to get back to the expenses which include maintenance broken down) Cr270,000. Captain Laux insists on having a reserve for emergencies, and we're up to KCr35 now. Perhaps he is saving up for some weaponry...

While working the port and in talking with the buyers, Ewo got ill with Ungra's Flu, something that seems to be a local version of the flu. Fortunately, Dr. Teag figured it out, and she was back on her feet the next day, ready to search for our next cargo (rolled a 7, and +3 for medic 3 means it was a successful roll. It was an interesting world encounter roll)

Now in looking for trade, I'm generally using the Mongoose rules (and v1 and v2 seem about the same, though they combined the trade goods into a single chart). From that you can actually get anything that is available based on the world trade codes. I'll have to look at how Cepheus handles trade and perhaps compare the various trade systems (still not liking T5 trade!). But per the solo rules, we're going to go a bit adventuring to get a -2 bonus on the purchase price. We'll also do another world encounter just because...

We went to Ifron, a small city closer to the terminator line of the dark side. The only time shadows moved was as we moved - it was strange to be on a tidally locked world with the dim sun hovering near the horizon. Having no immediate contacts on Tryonas, it was odd to actually be invited to a posh function: turns out the passengers we had were establishing the local branch of Psziz Inndustries Automotive and were having a gala. Talking amongst the rich and famous, we seemed to strike a cord with Madame Anne Defencra. She was CEO of Defencra Electronics, and from her we managed to find she had 20 tons of electronics that would make a good cargo for us. (and it turns out the Mongoose actual value table is a 3d6 table, not 2d6. So our selling price was low, but I'll leave it as is as I fluffed over the ship costs. So rolling 3 dice I get 11, +2 for the Solo DM for a 123 so we can get the electronics for 75%, or MCr1.5. Err, we are far short of that, but having also a 10 on the reaction roll, I'll bump it to 70% for MCr1.4. So, err no. But we could get 5 tons for Cr350,000. And then take freight for the rest. So going with that. We'll load that in a 337 cargo module - there will be a bit of spare room.

(yeah, another Kickstarter from 0-Hr. He has some standardized cargo containers, so will start to use those. I've got some cardboard, perhaps I should see if I can make some cargo containers for my cheap dungeon crafting!)

Okay, we've managed to get a few things done, but I am not yet done with this system visit. I need to roll up an engineer (or see if I have one in my 31 day challenge!) and Captain Laux may be up to something.