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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9034757" data-attributes="member: 16069">LETTERS FROM THE OLD WORLD.The continuing adventures of the usual bunch of miscreants this time playing Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play 4th edition, and The Enemy Within Campaign, of course.SESSION #07 Slow Barge to Weissbruck.The PCsFergus McClean, Dwarf Scout (Guide) played by Bear.Looks Like: Rough and ready-for-anything Dawi- a bit unkempt; constantly muttering and grumbling at Seamus his imaginary dog.Sounds Like: Northern 'I wur down t'mine', although taciturn, and always grumpy.[spoiler= Backstory]Fergus is a short embittered (divorced) Dawi from the mining village of Schwartzstein in the foothills of the Grey Mountains. That is until he discovered his best friend Seamus with his wife Cherrie. Fergus left his village and his old life behind and set off in search of adventure, eventually taking up Scouting as a living. He has business in Altdorf and is at present journeying with three Manlings he has come to trust who are also on their way to the capital.[/spoiler]Frederich Hass, Human Witch Hunter (Interrogator) played by Jim.Looks Like: Thick-set, tall with a resting angry face, never too far away from a snarl, otherwise well turned out.Sounds Like: Whispering menace, accusatory- probing, but charming when he wants to be. Accent is brooding (intelligent) cod-Russian (like a clever but menacing Daktari). Note he sees the hand of the Ruinous Powers behind every untoward event.[spoiler= Backstory]Frederich and his brother Olek watched their parents burned alive, prior to this a normal childhood was in progress. The Cult of Sigmar (with the help of the state) who burned Ma & Pa Hass then took the newly orphaned pair in and raised them to be model citizens. The orphans are Sigmarite through-and-through, Frederich the crusader, he likes the power that it brings; Olek the instrument (or else Prophet) of Sigmar. They're not zealots, not warped and broken inside, no... not at all.[/spoiler]Lothar Jurgen Muller, Human Witch Hunter (Interrogator) played by Kev.Looks Like: Neat, tidy, clean-cut, perhaps even a little dashing- the boy next door, but doable- and always with a smile on his face, and often in his eyes. Lothar carries his own embroidered place mat with matching knife and fork. Manners and civility are so important.Sounds Like: Civil, polite, formal, caring- and entirely without menace. He's a Paladin doing Witch Hunter, which may yet prove amusing.[spoiler= Backstory]Lothar is a baker's son from Ubersreik that just happened to become a Witch Hunter, he didn't just drift into it, he has a plan (perhaps). Lothar however came to Witch Hunting with the thought that he could perhaps be of help- to the Empire, to his family, to the poor wretches that have fallen into corruption, and possibly to help himself (a little) along the way. He is resolutely nice in a world full of foetid stink and terror.[/spoiler]Olek Hass, Human Artisan- Blacksmith (Apprentice) played by George.Looks Like: Seven (plus) feet tall, and not too skinny with it- lithe and muscled, he's a giant- with wild eyes.Sounds Like: A camp Nazi constantly unfolding, expounding, and explaining the mystery of ongoing events, and seeing the presence of Sigmar everywhere.[spoiler= Backstory]Olek and his brother Frederich watched their parents burned alive, prior to this a normal childhood was in progress. The Cult of Sigmar (with the help of the state) who burned Ma & Pa Hass then took the newly orphaned pair in and raised them to be model citizens. The orphans are Sigmarite through and-through- Frederich the crusader, he likes the power that it brings; Olek the instrument (or else Prophet) of Sigmar. They're not zealots, not warped and broken inside, no... not at all.[/spoiler]Hmmm…It’s an odd one this one, a very good session, in part, but… at times they’re still not getting WFRP, they keep playing D&D. They think a trip to the inn is downtime.You’ll see.I had a long chat with my bro (Kev, playing Lothar) after the session and it was him that brought it up, to paraphrase he said something like-“We’re still not getting it, we arrive in a scene and… don’t really get on with it, we just do our own thing. We need to start treating scenes like combat in D&D, we need to have a plan- and to recognise earlier that there’s stuff we need to get done, that there’s something to achieve.”We’ll have a chat in game in the next session, which is on the 30th, and remember it’s a late start because Kev is driving back from York.And so…Here we go again.JAHRDRUNG, 2512.From Altdorf on the Weissbruck Canal.SCENE 1. The Roadwardens.So, the PCs are aboard the Berebeli, having been hired by Josef Quartjin (Uncle of Olek & Frederich) to help him transport a variety of fine wines to the Schaffenfest, in Bogenhafen. However, the adventurers are keen to leave Altdorf, this because of the fracas the previous evening in the Boatman Inn, or else whatever happened after that on the docks- at present Olaf the Giant (Olek Hass to his friends) is being sought by the Altdorf Watch for the murder of a young noble last eve.He didn’t do it of course, but that’s really not the issue.As I say, the PCs are keen to be elsewhere.[ATTACH=full]286527[/ATTACH]The Empire map shows the PCs journey so far- all the way from Ubersreik, although we only catch up with their story on the road to Altdorf.There follows ten minutes of scene setting as the Berebeli moves through the Reiksport, and then onto the Weissbruck Canal proper, the PCs are keeping busy on the boat- although there’s not much for them to do yet. Josef will be teaching them how to Sail the Berebeli (if they make the checks) in the next scene.However, soon after on the Weissbruck Canal, Josef spots horsemen approaching along the towpath- Olek makes himself scarce, hiding below decks, and… Roadwardens, lots of them- at least a dozen, all on horse- all armoured and armed, and they are all tough looking SoBs.[ATTACH=full]286528[/ATTACH]Particularly the Road Captain, Heinrich Steele, who quickly introduces himself.Josef and Heinrich pass the time of day for a while, note the PCs (all of them except Olek, he’s hiding) are busying themselves about the boat.I asked them repeatedly while the conversation between Josef and Heinrich was going on- “What are you doing?” My attempt to get at the essence of ‘busying’.‘Busying’, for Lothar & Fred, involves endlessly and repeatedly coiling a (singular, although one each) length of rope- really really neatly, they are in competition it seems- neatest coiled rope wins.Fergus meantime is walking his imaginary dog ‘Rufus’ around the barge.Just to note Fergus has developed over the last few sessions a marvellous new way of obfuscating anything he says, he employs this technique particularly when he is replying to a would-be interrogator, and particularly someone like Heinrich Steele, someone in authority.His marvellous new method?Everything he says sort of makes sense but is, mostly unintelligible, the listener must strive to fathom out his answers, and yet even then…Remember bluff northern accent.“I wer’ sayin’ yer, but a meant- nah, if yer get me? It’s comp-li-cated, but at tha’ same time, not- but nah simple. If yer get me?”In between his mile long mean nothing answers he weaves his secondary formula for success (or else incomprehension)- he just replies “yer” or “nah”, and often says both in a way that leaves the questioner still unsure as to whether Fergus was agreeing or disagreeing with whatever was being said/or else asked of him.And so, Heinrich Steele, Road Captain is very keen to pass the time of day, with Josef and with his crew- who are (eventually) introduced to him.The Road Captain is obviously keen to learn how this motley crew- including a Burner, most odd- came to be travelling on a barge down the Weissbruck?It’s a good question, or else a series of good questions, as Heinrich has other queries.Note, Heinrich is garrulous, and polite, and well-spoken, although his gimlet eyes burn holes, silently, in those being interviewed.Heinrich further reveals, casually and in passing, that he’s aware of the bad business on the Altdorf docks last night, including the murder of three folk- two burghers of the city (To me… To You) and more importantly a fine young noble in the prime of his life, Georg Somethingorother.The PCs begin to fret, as does Josef.Note, throughout the chitter chatter so far the PCs are doing the following-Fergus- answering questions but not making a lot of sense, see above.Frederich- being as nice as pie, courteous and considerate- very helpful, and very respectful- he loves a bit of proper (nasty-ish) authority does Fred, he aspires to be like these people, I think.Lothar- much more relaxed, off hand- like he belongs here (he’s a Boatman now).Olek- terrified and in hiding.The chatter goes on, with the dozen or so Roadwardens tracking the barge, that is until Heinrich asks to come aboard.Just him, and again- it’s all very polite.And so it comes to pass, at the next docks/jetty the Berebeli gets close enough for Heinrich to leap on to the deck.The tension goes up a notch as the conversation continues, although a little later Heinrich is clearly enjoying himself when Josef allows him to take the tiller, under instruction he makes a good show of steering the vessel. Impressive.But the chatter goes on… and Heinrich is very much about wanting to know where exactly the PCs were on Altdorf docks last night, and when. Note, they put themselves in the frame earlier on in the chatter.Also, every now and then and throughout this conversation Heinrich, repeatedly, asks Frederich for his full name. The Road Captain even makes Fred spell his second name, at least twice.“Hass, you say? H-A-S-S. Yes, I have it now. Good. Sorry, citizen- I interrupted you, you were saying…”Eventually the conversation turns to bribery (it didn’t have to- there were other routes), although Frederich has been trying to steer the chatter in this direction for quite a while now.It seems a Roadwarden’s lot is a tough one, and a little wine to wash away the dirt of another day spent in the saddle… Josef is as keen as the PCs to get Heinrich off his barge, and so a case of the good stuff is shuttled to the riders on the towpath.Then, at the next jetty along Road Captain Steele is let off, his last words.“Say farewell from me to your brother Olek”, are whispered in Frederich’s ear.Well, here’s the thing- there was more to be had from this scene but, the PCs missed it.Here’s a clue.Over the course of the scene Heinrich asked maybe a dozen questions, more or less everything he said was a question, or else required reply.What questions did you ask?It was a difficult one, I’m happy to admit, but… you missed it.There’s always a point to a scene, and the point is usually something more than just what’s going on. You have to figure it out, or else ask questions…Questions are always good.This is the second time you’ve missed the point of a scene.The other one you missed?The baggage thief in Altdorf, again it was a difficult one, but- you missed it.What was the baggage thief scene for?To steel a bag?Nope.We’ll have a brief chat about this next session.SCENE 2. Slow Barge to Weissbruck.Check this out-[ATTACH=full]286529[/ATTACH]That’s right- a worksheet and instructions, ex-bloody lecturer wouldn’t you know it.So, here’s the deal, I didn’t think anyone would change career to Boatman (Lothar surprised me) but regardless I wanted to show the PCs how they can go about learning a new Skill, in this instance the Advanced Skill- Sail.It’s three days on the Weissbruck Canal to… well, Weissbruck. Then a stop to unload/load the Berebeli, then- four more days on the River Bogen to… well, Bogenhafen.The PCs have seven days on the barge and the opportunity to garner one free point in the Sail Skill.Note, the initial reaction to this was groans, and laughter, and then…They really started to get into it.I mean they really started trying- even spending Fortune Points to re-roll skill checks.I believe at least one individual spent all of their Fortune Points for the session doing this.So, the PCs need to accumulate five successes (at various tasks) to get a free point in Sail.The PCs can attempt a variety of things/skills to gain a success, but each attempt takes six hours of hard honest work. So, six hours on watch, six hours foraging/fishing etc. These activities can account for three successes maximum.They each however also need to accumulate at least two successful Sail tests, although none of them have Sail right now so that’s a plain old Agility test.Note, for Lothar this is his intro to the Boatman career, and thus he has not been allowed to spend any XP on his new class skills yet including Sail.So, spreadsheet update time, and keep in mind by the time we get to Weissbruck several of the PCs (Frederich & Fergus) are doing 18-hour shifts trying to stack up the required 5 successes.Note, for other DMs I treated learning a new skill by mixing up Skill Challenges (4e D&D and elsewhere) with Endeavours (WFRP 4e).[ATTACH=full]286530[/ATTACH]That’s Weissbruck in the background, and the spreadsheet is complete, and at the halfway stage of the journey-Olek has accumulated 2 successes so far, both in Sail- the reason, his other skills are shot, his Agility (for the Sail check) is much better than any of the others he could try to attempt. He needs three more successes on the trip on the Bogen, in any applicable skill, although the likelihood is he’s just going to keep on trying to Sail the damn barge.Fergus has also accumulated 2 successes so far, alas neither of them in Sail (his Agility is something like ‘19’). Why this is more remarkable is the Dawi has a couple of useful skills in the 50s, he just keeps on rolling high, and even when he Fortune Points it… he rolls high again. I think he made five checks in in a row that were all 80+. He needs three more successes on the trip on the Bogen, in any applicable skill. Note Fergus also has two points of advantage on his next Sail check.Frederich has accumulated 4 successes, including one in Sail. He needs one more Sail success on the trip on the Bogen, and with that in mind he also has one point of advantage on his next Sail check.Lothar has also accumulated 4 successes, including the required two in Sail. He just needs one more success in any applicable skill during the remainder of the trip.Just to note, each evening on the Weissbruck Canal the Berebeli is moored at a canal-side inn, supper is taken at the establishment, although Josef is no longer paying and so the fare is much simpler; also, the PCs get a chance to snoop around for hot gossip.Lothar, as usual, also manages to learn a new rumour, they only need one more now to get the full house.SCENE 3. Hey that’s…The Berebeli makes its way through the last lock and onto the River Bogen, and from there across to the docks at Weissbruck. The barge is just approaching its mooring spot and…Three of the PCs are taking in the sights- the bustling docks with stevedores hard at work, and beyond the cobbled streets leading up and into the town proper. A short way up the throughfare the PCs spot the Black Gold, a dockside inn that Josef has told them about, he plans to eat at the inn this evening.However, one of their number has seen something else.Fergus spots a thickset fellow in the doorway of the aforementioned Black Gold, it’s the guy with the scar around his neck- the Man in Black that the PCs are looking for, and… their eyes meet. The thickset fellow swiftly turns and enters the inn, the last glimpse showing the big man’s crossbow. This is the same fellow, and that was the same weapon, that Fergus saw (and only Fergus) in the dockside alley back in Altdorf.He’s certain.And…Fergus lets his comrades know- and that he’s certain that this was the same guy from the Konigsplatz, and the same guy that shot and killed the two would-be cultists on the docks in Altdorf (To Me… To You), just standing in the doorway of the Black Gold watching them arrive.The PCs chatter/bicker/stew for… well, maybe fifteen minutes.The Berebeli has moored and is in the process of being unloaded by the time the PCs decide what comes next, which is- to get their fighting trousers (and all other arms and armour) on, and then head for the Black Gold.The module book presumes the PCs, on spotting the bad dude, will immediately jump ship and go after him, but…Not so much.The PCs get to the Black Gold, order drinks- and in the case of Fergus meet and then get talking to a group of Dawi miners that are already ensconced within the bar. In short order, and by his own volition, Fergus has failed three Consume Alcohol checks. Then, only a short while later- as the hard drinking continues, he fails another, and he has to roll on the Bad Drunk table, or whatever it’s called, and ends up capable of only performing either a Move or an Action on a Turn, but not both.The other PCs… I can’t really remember what they did.I can remember what they didn’t do.They didn’t have a look around the bar- for the bad guy, and they didn’t really ask any questions about the guy that Fergus just saw, the guy that they just had a meeting about, the guy they are looking for.Fergus, having established a rapport with the dwarf miners, well… asks them how they are.The PCs settle in for dinner.Oh, and Olek went off into town to find the Temple of Sigmar.I realise that according to the book I should have tried to shoot and kill Olek at this point but… I just didn’t have the heart to do it, the stuff in the bar was going so badly I just thought- do you know what, they’ve not figured out that they are in a scene and… they need to be doing something.The PCs were just- roleplaying, relaxing. They’d forgotten, or else weren’t that bothered about the guy that Fergus spotted.I didn’t get it at the time, I don’t really get it now- I can make it much more overt, which I had to do in the end- in this session, but you are going to have to be smarter than this.I set up the scene- bad guy spotted.I made sure you had connected the dots- that you knew that this was the guy that you were after.I said you were in a scene, and…You collectively chose to do something else, or else nothing else.It’s a little frustrating to watch. I kept saying things like- ‘are you looking around the bar?’, ‘is there anything you want to ask the barman?’But it wasn’t until I said something like- “think of this as a sort of skill challenge…”, and then suddenly you were up and at ‘em.To the Players-WFRP requires (at least the version I am trying to get going here) a bit more thought, possibly also a bit more discussion.And a bit more risk.So, as above- I set up the scene, there’s the bad man.You had a chat with each other- and went around the houses, trying to figure out who this guy is looking for- Olek the Giant, or else Lothar/Kastor, and this chat went on for a while.You seem to like chatting about what you think you know, a lot.Why not go and ask the feller?To be clear, if you had got off the boat and gone after him as soon as you saw him- then there was a clear and distinct chance that you would be able to find him.But you missed it.Then, here’s the thing- you spend five minutes tooling up, which I get- cautious.But ask yourself why you are being cautious- because the man you are after is very tough, he shot two guys down while you watched on.Then you go to the bar and… don’t ask, or look, for the guy- he was the reason you were there, right? The reason you all got tooled up…So, incredibly cautious.Then one of you gets drunk, and so drunk that he is not going to function well at anything else- chatter or combat. Fergus is -30 on everything atm.I don’t understand.You do something incredibly (incredibly) cautious and then you risk it all on a random roll, or three.Also.Do you remember me getting you to make lots (and lots) of Perception and Intuition checks while what followed in Weissbruck went on, when you were moving from bar to bar- trying to follow various leads.Why do you think that was?I did this repeatedly.And I do mean repeatedly, at least a dozen rolls for Perception between the four of you, and nearly as many Intuition rolls.Why did I keep doing that?I think WFRP is harder to play than D&D, because you have to clever a lot more of the time, or else you’ll just miss it.I have regrets, I truly do.I should have shot Olek when I had the opportunity, that would have concentrated minds.I will try harder next time.I promise.Back to the scene.So, eventually the guys start asking questions- this soon after I had explained that it would be judicious to ask questions if you want to find out the answers, or else if you want to locate the Man in Black.And so eventually the PCs learn after buying drinks and questioning a number of folk in the Black Gold that the Man in Black is called Adolf, and the scar around his neck was from when someone tried to hang him.Furthermore, the feller has been in Weissbruck for a day at least already, and that he seems to be on the look-out for someone, always hanging around the docks. Then the breakthrough- the PCs learn that the Man in Black is staying at another tavern in the town- The Happy Man.Just to say- once you got into it, finding things out, it was glorious to behold.I’m not just being an arse here, I just don’t understand what you are doing at times, and from observation neither do you.It’s the same every time (in every scene), if you don’t know- have a chat (even OOC is fine with me, WFRP is harder/cleverer) and come up with a plan. It is your job to make sense of what’s going on- this story is happening to you.And I get that some people may think that they are roleplaying, but they’re really not- they are making things harder for their PCs to play a part in the game.WFRP is a hard enough game already, you are expected to die- or to suffer, don’t make it any harder for yourselves, pretty please.But again- when you get going you are superb, a delight.And so, the PCs head to The Happy Man- which is a nicer, a more local sort of bar, and there they spend a little more money and time, doing more of the same- Gossiping, and Charming, and chatting to various folk, and in some cases Intimidating them into telling them what they know, and it works beautifully.Once it gets going it really is great- with PCs backing each other up, helping with the use of supplementary skills, and lots and lots of great roleplay.You are great at this stuff, you got through the challenge in double quick time, and even with Fergus having to be propped up, or else sat down and/or left slumped in a corner.Anyway, in the Happy Man the PCs learn that Adolf, if that’s his name, is- several folk here think, travelling from Altdorf to Bogenhafen, the same as the PCs. Odd that.It’s all going very well when a fellow drinker in the Happy Man declares that he heard that ‘Adolf’ was staying at the Black Gold, and so now the PCs are getting suspicious- they figure, because they are very clever, that ‘Adolf’ has laid a trail for them to follow. Therefore, after another discussion and more chatter with the locals they learn that the only other proper tavern in Weissbruck is a place called The Trumpet, which is a bit more up-market.The PCs are going to take a short cut.Genius.They head to The Trumpet to continue their enquiries. The Trumpet, as it turns out, is much more expensive, and has a restaurant with a maitre’d and liveried waiting staff, and… the PCs get a table and straight into action anyway.Frederich scores highly by speaking very slowly, and in a menacing whisper while all the while looking like he is moments away from putting whoever he is addressing on a pyre. This works well on several of the waiters, and a couple of the garrulous merchants dining here.And again (this to the players), you are very good at this stuff- you should probably try to do it more often.So, more info is learned, although pointedly not where ‘Adolf’ is staying in Weissbruck, the PCs however are made aware that the fellow has been asking around a lot on the docks- talking to lots of folk there and has been seen conversing with some of the rougher and/or shadier sorts.The PCs eventually head back to the Berebeli, it’s getting late- and Fergus is a mess, however it’s at this point that they actually succeed at a few Perception and/or Intuition checks, and… they’re certain that someone is following them.Or else the checks just got easier for some reason.An ambush is prepared, like back on the Altdorf docks, and… a fellow is caught in their trap, although the fellow is definitely not the guy that they are after- it’s not ‘Adolf’, the Man in Black. It’s one of the waiters from The Trumpet, and this fellow has more info- and the desire to trade what he knows for ready coin.The PCs buy in and learn from the waiter, Ruprick, that the Man in Black/’Adolf’ is actually a fellow called Adolphus Kuftsos, and he’s a very nasty piece of work.Years past, so Ruprick’s story goes, Adolphus and his travelling companions (on a coach) were held-up and captured by bandits- robbed, beaten and abused, and then hung, only Adolphus didn’t die- he escaped with his life. From then on, he made it his life’s purpose to hunt the bandits that hung him down. Which he did, and he killed every one of him- and received the reward for each, it was at this point that Adolphus became a Bounty Hunter, but that was some time ago. Since then… well, Ruprick speculates- he’s just got tougher, and nastier, and even better at his job. Ruprick, as it turns out, worked alongside Adolphus a few years back, although he didn’t know at the time that he was an undercover Bounty Hunter- he got his man then too. It was only later, after Adolphus had moved on, that Ruprick picked up the rest of his story.The guys are… I think a mixture of things, intrigued- certainly very way, and more than a little bit relieved.Adolphus may be one of the good guys, but now they really do want to talk things through, and so back to the Berebeli and straight into their cabin for much more chatter.SCENE 4. Burning Man.We’re on the Berebeli, it’s gone midnight- everyone else is in bed asleep, and yet the PCs are very much not for sleeping, they have much to talk about.The mystery they are trying to solve is why Adolphus is after them, if indeed that is what he is doing.There are a variety of explanations offered, some of the PCs think that Adolphus is following Lothar (or else Kastor Lieberung) while some others thing that the Man in Black is after Olek, for killing (not) the noble in Altdorf.The discussion gets lengthy and has more than a few brief moments of tetchy.Then Fergus, remarkably, and a few of the others spot that the smoke from the boiler in their cabin is no longer escaping up the chimney, it is instead spewing into the room.Note, this was a difficult Perception check (-10) more remarkably three of the four PCs made it.Then Lothar hears footsteps, there’s someone moving around on the deck above the cabin (where the chimney is), and someone else moving around on the deck of the boat proper- they’re just outside of the door to the cabin in which the adventurers sit, Olek thinks.Moments later big man rushes out of the door and onto deck.[ATTACH=full]286531[/ATTACH]It’s at that moment that a weaselly fellow, just ahead of Olek, hurls what looks to be a burning bucket of pitch at the giant man, only- well he doesn’t. At all.Six failures on that check.The idiot intruder windmills the bucket and while doing so connects with a stack of crates by his side- the burning bucket’s rotation is swiftly curtailed, the container splits and breaks, and showers the weaselly guy with burning pitch.He’s on fire.His screams bring the rest of the PCs running, or else they will at the start of the next session, which will probably be the last for a while as we are going back to D&D, just as soon as we get the guys to Bogenhafen.The final XP table for this session is below.<table style='width: 100%'><tr><td>PC</td><td>Rumours</td><td>Roadwardens</td><td>Finding Adolf</td><td>Session XP</td><td>Total</td></tr><tr><td>Fred (Jim)</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>4</td><td>45</td><td>51</td></tr><tr><td>Fergus (Ben)</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>40</td><td>44</td></tr><tr><td>Olek (George)</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>40</td><td>45</td></tr><tr><td>Lothar (Kev)</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>40</td><td>46</td></tr></table>Stay safe and well.Cheers goonalan et al.</blockquote>

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