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Aardappel
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(Date Posted:07/24/2007 04:15:20)

So, I thought I'd post a bit about the game I am currently running, called... "As Tears in Rain."

If any of you happen to be players in the game, stop reading now. Go find something else to do.

Part, the First: Las Paredes de la Fortaleza Desafiante
The player characters are a mixed bag to be sure.

Jonas Weber, an Eisen doctor and archer
Luc Creste, a Montaigne Musketeer
Alonzo Carpacci, A Vodacce sailor and scoundrel
Zhenya Radlov, An Ussuran sailor and whaler (part owner of the ship)
Salvador Cortez, A dispossessed Castillian Noble
The Countessa, A masked Castillian vigilante
Severiano Bolivar, A Castillian Swordsman and Sailor (captain of the ship)
Cristoph Koch, Eisen pastor and soldier (deceased)

Chapter I
The story begins with Avalonian Lord Roger Kent's discovery that his father still lives. Ten years ago, Lord Alastair Kent was siezed by the inquisition while on an archaeological dig in Montaigne. The Inquisition refused to provide any information on charges or whereabouts and the Kent family had no choice but to assume him dead. In the mean time, the young Roger Kent secretly searched for his father.
One day, a sailor appeared at his door and barged in to see Kent. He bore an unsealed letter swearing he could not read it as it were in Castille. The letter was a secret communique from Verdugo instructing the Bishop of Avila to order the elder Lord Kent's execution. The letetr was captured from a Castillian ship by Avalonian privateers who delivered the letter as quickly as possible.
The sailor, William Steerman,w as offered a position with Kent, which he accepted.
Kent summons the player characters to his home in order to secure their help in rescuing his father from the Las Fortaleza Desafiante near Avila in Castille. It's an inquisition installation on the coastal cliffs near the harbor town (I made a map of it viewable in the artwork forum)

Chapter 2
The Obman, a modified Barkantine whaler and gunship, is owned by Lord Kent and Zhenya Radlov (who inherited the craft from her father). The characters are loaded aboard for their voyage to Avila (16 days or so). After 8 days at sea, the craft comes within site of San Ramon, an occupied Catillian town. On the water they spy distant sails which tell them a ship approaches. As they get nearer, they can clearly distinguish a Montaigne Man 'o' war. The ship signals them to stop. After a short discussion, they decide to stop and allow communication with the much larger, more heavily armed ship. The warship sends over a small contingent of soldiers and an officer. Once aboard, the officer speaks with the captain and demands they surrender their cannon and arms.
Our Montaigne musketeer waves a letter from his Ambassador and proclaims the officer must allow them passage and leave the ship at once. After a quick review of the letter, he takes the musketeer aside and declares him a traitor. You see, the Musketeer was a spy. He was given orders by his ambassador to aid Lord Kent and to assess Catillian coastal defenses with the aim of gathering intelligence for the war effort.
As half the Obman's crew were Castillian, Luc was endangering himself and the ambassador by waving incriminating evidence around. For whatever reason, the feisty musketeer got uppity with the officer and tried to storm away. At this time, the officer drew his pistol and ordered the musketeer to stay put. Instead, the musketeer whirled and tried to shoot the officer... guess what happened next...
Yep. all hell broke loose. Cannons roared, muskets barked, swords clanged. They're still in the midst of the battle, but already Luc is 1 DW away from unconsciousness, the Countessa is KO'd, The Eisen Doctor has fled below decks, the Obman's crew lies mostly KO'd on the deck and Cristoph Koch is dead (player dropped out so his character died)... Oh, and there are 20+ montaigne soldiers on the Obman.
Zhenya has tried to get Captain Bolivar to stop fighting, but he insists on continuing despite the terrible odds they face. Now I just have to figure out how to salvage the crew after the battle is over. I don't see them winning this one...
minos
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(Date Posted:07/24/2007 12:27:58)

What was this encounter for in the first place?
Aardappel
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(Date Posted:07/25/2007 03:41:20)

First, it was a potential encounter. I let them know they saw the ship from a long way off and had the opportunity to run for it or wait to see what happened.



Second, it was to add tension to the situation. They were stopped by a desperate officer who needed a doctor to tend to the injured captain and he needed to replace his damaged cannon. This well-armed merchant flying the enemy's flag was a good target of opportunity to possibly solve two problems.



Second, if they chose not to run, it was to give the Musketeer an opportunity to raise his standing in the group by securing safe passage.



When the musketeer acted unwisely then chose to attack, there was still the opportunity to get through unscathed by allowing the two Montaigne to fight it out. But the captain chose to join the fight. At that point it would have been unrealistic for the Montaigne to respond in any other way.



I like to allow my players the freedom to fail. In other words, I don't like forcing anything on them. They saw the ship and could have run for it. They could have been wiser in how they handled the officer, they could have been wiser about joining combat with a ship that clearly outclassed them. Personally, I think I've given them more than ample opportunity to get through the situation with a little creativity. You can't solve everything with swords and guns.



Now, if the game survives this scenario, I'll have them bargain a compromise with the officer and he'll send them off to complete a task for him while holding the musketeer and doctor.
Mr Big
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(Date Posted:07/25/2007 18:05:27)

Sometimes you just have to give your players time to think too.  I find that when they rush into combat it's usually because they panic and think they have to make a decision before time runs out.  But from what you described guns had all ready been firing so there may not have been much that could be done.
danar
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(Date Posted:07/25/2007 18:25:17)

Ouch, they've gotten themselves into a bad situation. i'd suggest a couple different possible results. one is that a castillian ship appears on the horizon. the two sides probably don't even notice as such while they're fighting, but as it comes closer, they can see it is flying the flag of the inquisition. at this point, go ahead and have the two crew either stop fighting so they can both attempt to flee or decide to join forces to defeat their real opponent. if the heroes can make the difference in defeating the inquisition, then the montaigne might forgive them and allow them to go. (you can also do the same thing with a kraken if you prefer a supernatural touch or a pirate ship for more nautical feel.



a second possibility is to have the montaigne beat them to unconsciousness. they wake up hours later and find themselves in the montaigne ship's bridge. they look out the porthole and see the montaigne transferring guns over to their ship. the montaigne finish and sail away. the heroes can see their own ship blow up (the montaigne left a fuse in the powder room). that should convince the avalon noble to be careful of his toys. let a few weeks pass of bad food and horrible conditions (so they can heal from their wounds) until the heroes escape and take control of the montaigne ship. this allows the hero who bought the ship with hero points to get a ship, a better ship, back.



a third possibility is for the montaigne to win, take the heroes' guns and escort them back to montaigne. the musketeer must deal with his superiors while the others lose valuable time. (but get to heal a bit). if you want to speed the matter, allow the montaigne to bring the heroes back to montaigne via porte for speedy resolution. i would suggest that the heroes not be too badly punished for this. even the musketeer shouldn't be yelled at too long. it might be a good time for the heroes to take on a short mission on behalf of the person deciding their fate.



a last thought is to have a massive storm blow in. almost supernaturally fast. (vestenmanjavenar pirates perhaps?) the heroes didn't notice it until now because they've been busy with all the fighting and such. the montaigne disengage to deal with the storm, allowing the heroes to escape.



hope some of that helped.

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Check out the website www.plaidchameleongames.com for role playing suggestions and puzzles.
Aardappel
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(Date Posted:07/25/2007 20:08:46)

Thanks for the comments. The game is PbP, and it took them about a week of real time to decide to stick around and see what the Montaigne would do.



At the outset, I had the NPC ship owner tell the captain he thought this was a "family matter" for the two Montaigne to resolve, but the captain decided to fight.



The Montaigne officer was made aware of their mission and was planning to let them continue, but the musketeer's cheek and his waving the incriminating evidence precipitated the fight. I had all the Montaigne soldiers aboard take defensive positions to make it clear they were not the aggressors.



Twice during the fight, the Montaigne officer has said he has no quarrel with the rest of the crew, only with the musketeer, but again they won't listen.



My plan now is to have the players beaten and to have the Montaigne officer send them on a mission (probably something he was ordered to do). He'll hold the Eisen Doctor and the Musketeer captive. The doctor because his own is dead and he needs someone to tend to the growing number of wounded. The musketeer because he will have sent a porte messenger back to court to decide the musketeer's fate. Either the musketeer can convince someone to help him escape or he can await the word of his empeurer.



I was considering a slightly ruthless case for the doctor. Here this officer is ordering him to save the life of the wounded montaigne captain, but then telling the doctor that the captain must die or the doctor will die in his place. A sort of power grab using the doctor as a pawn in his grasping for power.



The mission the Montaigne will send them on is either going to be:

1. stop bandits raiding the local community of San Ramon

2. steal a religious/syrneth artifact

3. kidnap a local maiden (Mayor's daughter)

4. kill the mayor (to avenge a family vendetta)
danar
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(Date Posted:07/26/2007 16:42:51)

Of the missions you've listed, only stopping the bandits is really all that heroic. with the others, i'd be tempted (as a hero) to perform the letter of the mission and then use it to completely screw over the captain. (such as kidnapping the local maiden, bringing her to the captain's quarters, goading him into confessing that he's going to deflower this beautiful maiden for his own sadistic lusts, and then revealing that the also grabbed the local bishop/admiral and left him just outside the cabin where he could hear it all. now they've completed the mission, gotten their doctor back, saved the girl and completely hosed the captain. it is a good day.

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Check out the website www.plaidchameleongames.com for role playing suggestions and puzzles.
Aardappel
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(Date Posted:07/26/2007 22:05:24)

Danar,



That is precisely what I had in mind. Don't suppose you'd be interested in joining the game PbP? It's over at plothook.net where I am known as DM Junkdrawer. Seriously, I could open a spot for you. I like the way you think!



Again, my intent is to give them the opportunity to be heroes. I don't like to "force" my players into doing anything. I prefer to give them a situation, load it with options and allow them to decide how to handle it.



Of course, my stories have "key" points the players are steered toward, but I find it more enjoyable for everyone (generally) when the players solve problems in unexpected ways.
 Welcome to The Collection of Flashlights!Wolf-eyes ,your eyes break the darkness!
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