Cowboys And Dinos II: Session 0

We finished up the Battletech game, and our mechs are getting repaired and some new stuff getting added. Of course, I rolled badly for most, but eventually my little Locust mech will be a bit better!

Then we rolled into the 2nd game for Cowboys and Dinosaurs. We have 1 player who left, so Jack Looking Horse has gone back to his tribe, herding their triceratops and other dinos. Let us look at the characters we have so far. 

Hambone Hewiggans has been outlined here already in the player's own words.

 

Lee Soung, Martial Artist

Molly Slade and Vogel, Dino Rider

and our newest recruit, 

Archibald and his triceratops Archimedes

I thought there was to be 1 more player, but think he is ghosting us now. So I had to actually run the start of the game earlier than expected as I had been working with the new player over the week to get him mostly set up. A few questions, and a lot of help from the other players, including a recap, and we were ready to go. 

Fortunately, there was a lot of banter back and forth. I had Hawbone's wife, who died 17 years ago, buying 40 acres up in New Dawn. The letter finally caught up from him from his newly discovered sister-in-law Millie. Along with the deed. Hawbone gets Molly to read the letter as he is not good with reading. After discovering he is a land-owning farmer, they decide that they should go to New Dawn to see what is there. Lee, currently a deputy, needs to see if he has some time he can take as well as check for any warrants in that area. As they discuss this, the train on the BB Grappler line shows up, and Archibald and Archimedes gets off. The group is astounded at the load on the triceratops: used to Puddin's collection of sacks, bags, shovels and tools, the gadgets and tools on that dino. Some brief introductions, and they discover they are heading to the same place: New Dawn!

I need to get better at making fake newspapers!

Lee finds a bounty in that area and gets permission from the sheriff to take some time and go up there to see about getting that bad man

Leaving early the next morning, they start their slow trek (thanks Puddin'!) to New Dawn, a journey of a week or two. They encounter a wounded chasmasaurs, and Hambone slowly approaches the critter. With his animal affinity and an excellent roll, he gets close enough to pet the beast and feed it an apple (Puddin's loves apples, and he has a large sack of them) and notice that there are tribal markings from Walking Horse's tribe. Archibald gets one of the apples and puts one of potions from his alchemist bandolier in it, and Hambone feeds the poor dino. He is amazed at the bleeding stopping, and the wound itself knitting back together. The dino wanders off, no longer limping. They head on and get to the Pony Express Station to stay the night.

Chasmosaurus

And that is where we left the session: everyone met up, we had one encounter which could have gone a lot differently, but the player had the maximum best roll, so we played it that way. I even used my random encounter charts from the last game! And funnily enough the players remembered more of my world than I did. 

I still need to re-read the rules and familiar with its version of save and action rolls, grit points, and how combat will work. And re-read more on the next destination, Copper Peak. As they are heading northwest to where the New Dawn township is.

game map from 1st game

game map for game 2!

I have a week to come up with more details and ideas. I've already started the game 2 bible, and it has several possible game ideas. I just need to get them into place. And have things printed out for immediate reference.