Cowboys & Dinos II: Session 3

Our adventurers have a good night sleeping at the Dusty Boot, though with all the rain it may be the Muddy Boot. Next morning, they get up and resupply for the trip. At the land office, to check on the status of Hambone's wife's land up inn New Harmony, they find to their dismay that it is closed. It is Saturday and office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 to 4. With an hour off for lunch. Wish I had that schedule...

They find Smitty up at the Grey Stables, sleeping in the loft above Bessie, his mule. Waking him up with coffee and breakfast, they head out towards Fuente's cabin. And this is where I confused the players I fear: this cabin is NOT the 40 acres he sometimes stays at when trying to get away from the wanted posters. Those 40 acres possibly being Hambone's 40 acres in New Harmony. This is a cabin Fuentes sometimes is at when in the Copper Peak area. It is more of a safe house for this area for him. New Harmony is about a week north-north-west of Copper Peak at Puddin' Pace. Maybe a day or so at Volgol pace. One of these days I really need to get all that figured out rather than relying on the speed of plot!

Smitty

Smitty's mule. not everyone rides a dinosaur!

Once that got straightened out, they head up the hills to the northeast of Copper Peak. It is a mining trail, used by miners up in the mountains, and it is an easy ride even as it starts to climb into the mountains proper. A few hours into their journey, they hear the distressed calls of a baby ankylosaurus. Checking ahead, Lee sees a mother has been caught by deadfall, and the baby looks like an easy snack for the T-Rex. And roll for initiative!

The battle takes a few rounds, and to their dismay, with a protection of 6, most of their bullets just glance off the dino's thick hide. No one wanted to risk their dinosaurs into a confrontation with the T-Rex though from a mechanical viewpoint, that triceratops and other ankylosaurus were the only things that could take down the beast. But this group is protective of their mounts and companions. The T-Rex is taking a bite out of the downed ankylosaurus, Hambone misses more than he hits, and Lee, even at close range, misses a few times and does little damage. And Smitty, armed with just a Bowie knife, stays back and tries to keep his mule calm. Which ain't easy with a T-Rex nearby! At this point, seeing guns were not being very useful, Archibald uses his hat of levitation and manages to jam a log into the T-Rex's mouth. Which does cause some real damage finally but makes the dino a bit angry. Leaving the downed ankylosaurus and baby, it charges Molly and snaps at her, fortunately missing. Seeing as the fight would not end well, Archibald, again utilizing his hat of levitation, took a lit stick of dynamite from Molly and attempted to put into the T-Rex's mouth. A bad roll and then a grit point and good roll, and Molly is covered by T-Rex brains and blood.

battle scene

yay, we won! as posted by Molly's player

Hambone manages to stitch up Mama, and with the aid of Puddin', get the logs off the wounded dinosaur. Who bleats a thank you and limps off with her child to escape the carnage.

baby anklysaurus

They manage to cut a good chunk of T-Rex meat for processing later and head away, knowing that carrion eaters and others will be attracted to the carnage. They find a good place to camp later, and Hambone scales a tree and spots chimney smoke in the direction of the cabin, indicating that the cabin would appear to be occupied. 

And this is where we ended this chapter.