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Iron Heroes: A Saga of Might
- Thread starter Dr Simon
- Start date
Frozen Messiah
First Post
""Dis is what I like ta see in a crew, everyone pitchin' in. Sa I'll be takin out dat guard der as quietly as posible den we will figure out wat ta do when we are all free o' dis occursed bondage." Wade says as he wipes away the plan that he had, "any questions before dis gits underway?"
Walking Dad
First Post
Defense 12 (FF12), HP 18/18, F +4,R+3,W+3; Ini +2 ; Fury Pool 0/11; DR 1d4
"Better distraction than bringing this down?" Olmar asks, pointing at the rickety-looking gentry system of the catwalk.
[sblock=ooc]
Fine with either plan. Can I stoke Fury just before running to bring the one gurd down? Historic berserks did it, biting into a shield etc. Olmar will do something like that anyway, even without any actual benefit
----
Club (gripped with both hand and Power attack 1):
1d20+3 - 1d6+6
In berserker rage:
1d20+4 - 1d6+8
[/sblock]
"Better distraction than bringing this down?" Olmar asks, pointing at the rickety-looking gentry system of the catwalk.
[sblock=ooc]
Fine with either plan. Can I stoke Fury just before running to bring the one gurd down? Historic berserks did it, biting into a shield etc. Olmar will do something like that anyway, even without any actual benefit
----
Club (gripped with both hand and Power attack 1):
1d20+3 - 1d6+6
In berserker rage:
1d20+4 - 1d6+8
[/sblock]
Dr Simon
Explorer
As Wade sizes up his target, Xoria channels magical energy and forms the elaborate shapes and connections in her mind. She gives her companions a curt nod to be ready and then unleashes the mana.
At the far end of the cavern, away to your left, a deep roar of some strange hunting beast echoes from one of the tunnels. Ur-man and and slave alike turn in surprise.
The catwalk guards are distracted. Vela, Olmar, Xoria and William run through the gap behind the shack and the cavern wall, towards the black tunnel where Olmar believes you will find escape. Wade, spear in hand, darts towards the lone ur-man guarding the shack.
[sblock=OOC]
Channelling check 17+2=19, success. Bluff check 10+5=15, enough to distract the guards.
I haven't resolved Wade's attack yet - he's got 3 execution tokens against the guard (Sense Motive 20+7=27 as a full round action gives you 2, plus the standard 1 per encounter), so I wanted to see if you wanted to spend them.
[/sblock]
At the far end of the cavern, away to your left, a deep roar of some strange hunting beast echoes from one of the tunnels. Ur-man and and slave alike turn in surprise.
The catwalk guards are distracted. Vela, Olmar, Xoria and William run through the gap behind the shack and the cavern wall, towards the black tunnel where Olmar believes you will find escape. Wade, spear in hand, darts towards the lone ur-man guarding the shack.
[sblock=OOC]
Channelling check 17+2=19, success. Bluff check 10+5=15, enough to distract the guards.
I haven't resolved Wade's attack yet - he's got 3 execution tokens against the guard (Sense Motive 20+7=27 as a full round action gives you 2, plus the standard 1 per encounter), so I wanted to see if you wanted to spend them.
[/sblock]
Frozen Messiah
First Post
[sblock=@ Dr.Simon]
I don't beleive that I will e using any execution points on this attack because if I do my job right than he shouldn't be able to r8un at all
[/sblock]
I don't beleive that I will e using any execution points on this attack because if I do my job right than he shouldn't be able to r8un at all
[/sblock]
Dr Simon
Explorer
The ur-man looks round at the last second as Wade closes the distance and slams his spear into the creature. It is thrown back by the blow, but still on its feet. As it tries to bring its own spear around to bear, Wade withdraws his spear and stabs again, right throgh the chest. The ur-man is dispatched.
Meanwhile the other four escapees have reached the tunnel mouth. Most of the other ur-men and slaves are still distracted by Xoria's illusion, but one of the catwalk guards turns around almost idly, then spots the prisoners. It barks a warning.
[sblock=OOC]
Wade spear attack (charge) 11+1+2=14, hits for 1d8=6 plus 1d6 sneak attack =5.
Initiative:
Wade 20
Ur-man 8
Wade, spear attack 20+1=21, confirm 8+1, no critical. Damage 1d8=4 plus sneak attack 1d6=5. Ur-man is down.
Wade can enter the store shack, and you can grab pretty much anything you think might be found in a mine - tools, rope, lanterns etc. However, the more items you take, the longer you will take and the more likely it is for pursuit to be organised.
Distance to the guard on the catwalk who has spotted you - about 50 ft.
[/sblock]
Meanwhile the other four escapees have reached the tunnel mouth. Most of the other ur-men and slaves are still distracted by Xoria's illusion, but one of the catwalk guards turns around almost idly, then spots the prisoners. It barks a warning.
[sblock=OOC]
Wade spear attack (charge) 11+1+2=14, hits for 1d8=6 plus 1d6 sneak attack =5.
Initiative:
Wade 20
Ur-man 8
Wade, spear attack 20+1=21, confirm 8+1, no critical. Damage 1d8=4 plus sneak attack 1d6=5. Ur-man is down.
Wade can enter the store shack, and you can grab pretty much anything you think might be found in a mine - tools, rope, lanterns etc. However, the more items you take, the longer you will take and the more likely it is for pursuit to be organised.
Distance to the guard on the catwalk who has spotted you - about 50 ft.
[/sblock]
Xoria curses the group's luck. It had been too much to hope for. Still, perhaps she can still buy them some time.
She concentrates again, recalling pictures she had seen in texts of the frost wyverns of the northern mountains. At her bidding, one leaps from the alcove where moments before the great roar had been heard. It sweeps low, terrorizing a hapless chain gang but staying just beyond reach of the overseer's scourge.
[sblock=OOC]
Phantasmal forces, 1 hex (Frost wyverns are fierce looking but not that large).
Mastery level 1 illusion
Mana cost: 1
DC: 6
Roll 1d20+2 (Illusion Mastery 2)
By the way, the frost wyvern business is a "player contribution" to the world; IH seems to want those. Is this acceptable for peripheral creatures and places, or should I run things like this past you in future?
[/sblock]
She concentrates again, recalling pictures she had seen in texts of the frost wyverns of the northern mountains. At her bidding, one leaps from the alcove where moments before the great roar had been heard. It sweeps low, terrorizing a hapless chain gang but staying just beyond reach of the overseer's scourge.
[sblock=OOC]
Phantasmal forces, 1 hex (Frost wyverns are fierce looking but not that large).
Mastery level 1 illusion
Mana cost: 1
DC: 6
Roll 1d20+2 (Illusion Mastery 2)
By the way, the frost wyvern business is a "player contribution" to the world; IH seems to want those. Is this acceptable for peripheral creatures and places, or should I run things like this past you in future?
[/sblock]
Dr Simon
Explorer
[sblock=OOC]
The frost wyvern is a fine idea. Although I've got a (very) rough idea of the immediate area of the game world I wanted, with this one, to have lots of blank space for player input. About the only big rule I can think of is that there are no hordes of evil humanoids (the ur-men are a major exception), otherwise pretty much anything that you'd find in a Conan-type story will do.
From Mastering Iron Heroes, which covers the kind of things I'm hoping for:
CREATIVITY ON THE FLY
Sometimes, working out all the details of the game world before you start stunts your creativity. Rather than commit to the details of a region before the game starts, allow the players to flesh out their characters’ homelands in response to actions in play. This can lead to unexpected developments, especially if the players pull details out of thin air without thinking about
how they fit into the world as a whole, but it also makes the game far more flexible. Sometimes, interacting with others in a shared creative environment spawns ideas that are more fun and interesting than when you work in a vacuum.
When players create ideas on the fly, they should ensure that the new details are germane to the action. For example, the weapon master Mbenga and his thief companion Darla sneak into the gardens outside a baron’s palace. There they spy a panther stalking through the trees. Mbenga stops in his tracks. “Panthers are sacred to my people,” he whispers. “I cannot
raise a weapon in anger against one, even if my life is at risk!” This example is a bit extreme, but it illustrates the type of cultural detail you can add to a game as play progresses. Mbenga’s player might note further that his people consider panthers to be heralds of their god of war. What was a simple encounter now becomes more challenging, because violence is no longer an option. This scene makes the important traits of Mbenga’s culture more compelling and memorable.
In comparison, if you as the DM created that detail ahead of time, it would be up to you to work it into an adventure. With all the other preparation needed for the game, the detail might have been lost in the mix. Giving the players more narrative control lets them contribute to the game in new and imaginative ways. Remember, though, that with such narrative power comes the responsibility to keep the game enjoyable for everyone. It might be fun
to declare that your character can’t take on a particular opponent, but it also could make the game less fun for the other players and the DM. When you add an element to the game, make sure it doesn’t bring the action to a screeching halt. In the example above, Mbenga’s player might wait to see if he can get past the panther without violence. The peaceful path might be riskier or harder than simply attacking the animal, but the game can continue. However, if the DM had expected Mbenga to fight the panther and hadn’t prepared for other courses of action, the player’s choice could derail the game.
This option isn’t for every group. It’s best suited to players and DMs who are used to coming up with ideas on the fly. Everyone should feel comfortable dealing with a sudden change in the game. This sort of creativity works best if the players aren’t self-conscious about breaking the game. Finally, consistency is still important under this model. As players flesh out the PCs’ backgrounds and homelands, they should take notes. The DM and other players might build on what one person creates, and it isn’t fair to change facts without telling them. You might reveal that a detail was a lie or myth, but don’t do so after a player added another feature to the game under the assumption that your detail was true.
[/sblock]
The frost wyvern is a fine idea. Although I've got a (very) rough idea of the immediate area of the game world I wanted, with this one, to have lots of blank space for player input. About the only big rule I can think of is that there are no hordes of evil humanoids (the ur-men are a major exception), otherwise pretty much anything that you'd find in a Conan-type story will do.
From Mastering Iron Heroes, which covers the kind of things I'm hoping for:
CREATIVITY ON THE FLY
Sometimes, working out all the details of the game world before you start stunts your creativity. Rather than commit to the details of a region before the game starts, allow the players to flesh out their characters’ homelands in response to actions in play. This can lead to unexpected developments, especially if the players pull details out of thin air without thinking about
how they fit into the world as a whole, but it also makes the game far more flexible. Sometimes, interacting with others in a shared creative environment spawns ideas that are more fun and interesting than when you work in a vacuum.
When players create ideas on the fly, they should ensure that the new details are germane to the action. For example, the weapon master Mbenga and his thief companion Darla sneak into the gardens outside a baron’s palace. There they spy a panther stalking through the trees. Mbenga stops in his tracks. “Panthers are sacred to my people,” he whispers. “I cannot
raise a weapon in anger against one, even if my life is at risk!” This example is a bit extreme, but it illustrates the type of cultural detail you can add to a game as play progresses. Mbenga’s player might note further that his people consider panthers to be heralds of their god of war. What was a simple encounter now becomes more challenging, because violence is no longer an option. This scene makes the important traits of Mbenga’s culture more compelling and memorable.
In comparison, if you as the DM created that detail ahead of time, it would be up to you to work it into an adventure. With all the other preparation needed for the game, the detail might have been lost in the mix. Giving the players more narrative control lets them contribute to the game in new and imaginative ways. Remember, though, that with such narrative power comes the responsibility to keep the game enjoyable for everyone. It might be fun
to declare that your character can’t take on a particular opponent, but it also could make the game less fun for the other players and the DM. When you add an element to the game, make sure it doesn’t bring the action to a screeching halt. In the example above, Mbenga’s player might wait to see if he can get past the panther without violence. The peaceful path might be riskier or harder than simply attacking the animal, but the game can continue. However, if the DM had expected Mbenga to fight the panther and hadn’t prepared for other courses of action, the player’s choice could derail the game.
This option isn’t for every group. It’s best suited to players and DMs who are used to coming up with ideas on the fly. Everyone should feel comfortable dealing with a sudden change in the game. This sort of creativity works best if the players aren’t self-conscious about breaking the game. Finally, consistency is still important under this model. As players flesh out the PCs’ backgrounds and homelands, they should take notes. The DM and other players might build on what one person creates, and it isn’t fair to change facts without telling them. You might reveal that a detail was a lie or myth, but don’t do so after a player added another feature to the game under the assumption that your detail was true.
[/sblock]
Dr Simon
Explorer
A small, white-scaled draconic creature swoops down on the ur-men and slaves, causing chaos all round. Of the two catwalk guards, the one who spotted you turns to glance at the frost wyvern, then turns back and looses off a bolt. The shot is hasty, and goes nowhere near the runaways. The other ur-men seem focussed entirely on the wyvern and the slaves for the moment.
[sblock=ooc]
Not particularly waiting, but I thought I'd see if anyone else had any input.
Channeling check 5+2=7, just made it!
You've bought another rounds worth of grace.
[/sblock]
[sblock=ooc]
Not particularly waiting, but I thought I'd see if anyone else had any input.
Channeling check 5+2=7, just made it!
You've bought another rounds worth of grace.
[/sblock]
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