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Silverlode 1908
Examples... |
Silverlode 1908Example Combat 1 Characters
Setup Sylvia has enlisted the aid of J. Robert Hinkley to help her infiltrate the Lair of the Frog King, deep within the land of Faerie. Young Hinkley has managed to acquire a mail-order map of the compound and the two plan to enter through a partially submerged sea-cave in the rear of the complex. Both characters are wearing minimal clothing as they paddle their kayaks into the cave. Both Sylvia and Hinkley have prepared in advance, though the exact nature of their preparations has been unspecified. Pre-Combat GM: You are as far into the sea-cave as you can go without light, what do you do? Hinkley: I'd like to have brought an electric torch with us. Is that possible? GM: You didn't specify it, but you have done advanced preparation. I'll call it a Simple dramatic effect. Make a TN 5 roll against Compulsive Consumer of "Mail Order Miracles" and you'll have one handy. Hinkley: (Rolls 3d6)8. Just made it. Anyway, I turn on the torch and look at the map that I purchased. Sylvia: Hinkley! What are you doing? The guards will see us? Hinkley: Well, I can't very well see in the dark. Anyway, if we can consult the map we may be able to commit the next section of caves to memory. What does the map say? GM: That map that that you purchased does show several more bends in the cave before a partially submerged guardroom. You're not sure if you can remember exactly. Also, the map shows four guards in that room, all in the water. Hinkley: It does that? Brilliant! Sylvia: Let me see that map. (She takes the map) Ok, Hinkley has the memory of a sieve. Can I memorize the map so we can turn off the light? GM: It'll take a TN7 roll vs. Pulp Archaeologist. (It would be TN 17 for Benandanti Witch and TN 27 for Werewolf so there is not much point in giving her the other options) Sylvia: (Rolls 3d6) 9. Ok, that's done. Now, let's talk plans. Hinkley, do you have any ideas for how we're supposed to get past the guards? Hinkley: Well, it would be cool if my preparation included "Human Fly" gear that would allow me to come in on the ceiling quietly. I'm thinking special gloves, kneepads, and maybe some boots as well. GM: Well, I'd say that was an Ordinary TN10 dramatic effect... with the caveat that additional effects based on prior preparation are going to be harder for you. That's a lot of gear to carry in your kayak. Hinkley: (Rolls 3d6) 9. Oops. What does that mean? GM: I'll let you know later. But you have your "Human Fly" gloves. (The GM decides that Hinkley's "Human Fly" gear is not as silent as he would hope. The guards will stand a good chance of detecting him and he'll be in a awkward position should they succeed). Sylvia: Sounds dubious. I'd like to have special sleeping potion prepared to take out the guards when I pour it into the water. GM: That would hog the scene a bit, so TN15 to take them all out. Sylvia: No way I'm going to roll a 15, even if I pump. No, how many can I take out on a TN10 roll? GM: Definitely one, or possibly two. Your choice. Sylvia: Ok, here's the deal. I'm pumping my Benadanti Witch cliché and will try to take out two. I'll explain the double-pump as a loss of hard to find herbs that I need for most of my effects. GM: Ok, you're not in combat so your pump only gives you an extra die. (Without a Double-Pumped cliché she wouldn't be able to Pump at all outside combat). Sylvia: (Rolls 3d6) 12! Whew. I assume you'll tell me what happens when I release it into the water? GM: Yes. Now, what do you do? Sylvia: Hinkley, you go ahead and feel your way along the roof of the cave. I'll proceed quietly by kayak and release the potion as I enter the room. GM: All this proceeds according to plan. Hinkley, you are making fine progress, though you're having a hard time remaining quiet. As you enter the guard room from above, you detect faint torchlight in the far side of the chamber. The light is illuminating a dry ledge with an entrance into the rest of the complex. You also detect a faint splashing. Just then, a Frog Man leaps from the water and throws his spear at you! Combat has begun. Round One Sylvia: Am I there yet? GM: No, not just yet. Hinkley has to go first. Actually, he needs to deal with the attacking Frog Man. Hinkley: I don't suppose I can use Unflappable Self-Improvement Success Story to remain calm and continue climbing as I hope for a miss? I can spend a Lucky Shot to pull it off. GM: Hmmm... well, you've never used that trick before. Provided you don't overuse it, I'll allow it. But only if you use that Lucky Shot. Roll 'em. Hinkley: (Rolls 4d6, 3d6 for Unflappable, 1d6 for a Lucky Shot) 14. That's not bad unless these guys are buff. GM: (Rolls 8 on 3d6 for the Frog Man) Well, you beat him. But he's not going to lose any dice because you didn't attack back. Now, it's you're turn before the others get to go. Hinkley: I'm going to make every effort to get off this roof and onto the dry ledge. To cover my movement, I'm going to drop a smoke bomb. Hopefully, it will disorient the Frog Man as well. GM: A smoke bomb in the water? Hmmm... you're really reaching there. Hinkley: Yeah, I saw it in a magazine. It's a special substance that produces noxious fumes when it reacts with water. Better yet, they're small enough to carry in my belt. GM: Ok, the Frog Man is going to try to avoid the effect and meet you on the ledge for some hand-to-hand combat. Specifically, he'll try to grapple you and throw you into the water. Roll 'em. Hinkley: (Rolls 3d6 for Consumer of "Mail Order Miracles") 11. How's that? GM: (Rolls 10 on 3d6 for Frog Man Guard) Your noxious smoke bomb lands in the water and explodes in a localized cloud of stinky green smoke. You awkwardly come down off the ceiling just in time to see a gasping Frog Man emerge from the smoke. (The GM deducts 1 die from that Frog Man Guard). Now, another Frog Man emerges from the passage to the rest of the compound. He tries to stab you with his spear. What do you do? Hinkley: I use my Self-Improvement Success-Story to gracefully dodge the spear and then kick the guard into the water as his momentum carries him by me. GM: Roll. Hinkley: (Rolls 3d6) 8. That's no good. GM: (Rolls 17 on 3d6) Not at all. He beat you. What happens? Hinkley: Well, I do manage to dodge the spear, but the ugly brute didn't fall for my trick. Instead, he followed his thrust with a slash of his spear. It's not very sharp but it still cuts my belly and causes me a bit of pain. (Hinkley deducts 1 die from Self-Improvement Success Story) GM: Ok, Sylvia, you're turn. You hear the commotion before you paddle into the cave... and smell Hinkley's gas-bomb as well. The smoke obscures things a bit, but you can make out two Frog Men breaking the surface of the water as they try to get to the stairs. Sylvia: Ok, time for my potion. I unstopper it throw it at the two that are heading up the stairs. GM: (Rolls 13 and 6 on 3d6 for both Frog Men... their target is TN15 since Frog Men isn't directly useful for resisting magical poisons) One of the Frog-Men is instantly overcome, while the other turns and tries to get his spear pointed at you. But you see his eyes close as he falls asleep before he can get close. Round Two GM: Round two. Hinkley, you're first. Hinkley: I don't want to fight the guy that just stabbed me. Instead, I'm going to duck under his spear and bull-rush the one that I hit with the smoke bomb. I may have a chance against him. Anyway, I intend to put him back into the noxious smoke with Self Improvement Success Story and a Lucky Shot. GM: The Frog Man will try to meet your charge and hit back hard with his rubbery limbs. Roll. Hinkley: (Rolls 3d6, 2d6 for the reduced Success Story, 1d6 for Lucky Shot) 8. Crap! GM: (Rolls 7 on 2d6 for the reduced Frog Man Guard) Well, it's just enough. The Frog Man is not able to meet your charge and instead falls back into the nasty smoke. He's gasping and retching in the water. (Deducts 1 more die from the Frog Man) Sylvia? Sylvia: A paddle up to the struggling Frog Man and finish him off with my knife. I'll use my Pulp Archaeologist cliché. GM: Slitting throats isn't really part of your cliché description. But it does include fighting, so I'll assess a Proper Tools penalty. Sylvia: What if I whack him with the pommel of the knife? Pulp Archaeologist covers two-fisted action and the Frog Man is unarmed. GM: I'll buy that. The Frog Man will try to hear you coming and overturn your kayak. Roll. Sylvia: (Rolls 3d6) 9. GM: (Rolls 2 on 1d6) You got him. He's down to zero dice. What happens? Sylvia: Simple, he's cold-cocked and floating in the water. GM: Hinkley, you have one more Frog Man behind you. He'll try to spear you again. Hinkley: Uh-oh! I turn around just in time and try to get under the spear to land a good punch in his gut. I'm using Success Story and my last Lucky Shot. (Rolls 3d6, 2d6 for the reduced Success Story and 1d6 for the Lucky Shot) 17! Sweet! GM: (Rolls 9 on 3d6) Wow, your move comes off just as you described it. Furthermore, you're blow is extraordinarily powerful. The Frog Man drops his spear in shock and bends over in pain (Reduces the Frog Man's cliché by 1 die) Round Three GM: Round three. Hinkley, you're first again. Hinkley: I follow-up my last move with a series of body blows to it's face and stomach. Then I grab it's head, slam it into my knee, and toss him down the stairs towards Sylvia. GM: Very Bruce Willis. The Frog Man will try to recover and respond in a similar matter. Roll. Hinkley: (Rolls 2d6 for the Reduced Success Story) 3... uh no! GM: (Rolls 5 on 2d6) Uh no indeed. The Frog Man takes a couple of your progressively more ineffective blows and then gets a second wind. Describe your loss of cliché. Hinkley: When he stands up he just hits me with the mother of all punches. I tumble back and fall to the ground just on the edge of the water. (Removed one more die from Success Story) GM: Sylvia? Sylvia: As Hinkley mentioned, I was already coming up the stairs. After he goes flying, I come in with a powerful right hook to its face. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" GM: The Frog Man will try to soak the blow and recover enough to grab you and throw you into the water. Roll. Sylvia: (Rolls 3d6) 9. Uh, I hope that's ok. GM: (Rolls 7 on 2d6) It is. Your blow sends him to the ground and he's seeing stars. (Deducts one more die from its cliché) Of course, he'll try one last attack from the ground, most likely by trying to pull you down by the legs. Sylvia: Not if I can help it. I step back, grab its head, and slam it against the wall. (Rolls 3d6) 8. GM: (Rolls 4 on 1d6) He's done. What happens? Sylvia: It's light's out for Mr. Frog. Post-Combat GM: Hinkley, you can roll your current Unflappable Self-Improvement Success Story to see if you recover any dice right away. Hinkley: (Rolls 1d6) 5. Excellent. GM: Yes, you recover one die as you realize you've been mostly just roughed up a bit. However, you still have the belly wound to deal with. Sylvia: I try to patch it with some Benandanti Herbs. GM: That's TN 5 and you only have one die left in that cliché. Sylvia: I know. (Rolls 1d6) 4. Nuts. GM: Yeah, you just don't have the herbs to really deal with the situation. But at least you've stopped the bleeding.
This example was developed before actually running Risus face-to-face. In practice, I found that it is usually easier for the GM to describe round-by-round combat results. Of course, players still get to dictate terms if they reduce an oponent to zero dice.
Created: 8 October 2004 / Last modified: 13 December 2005 |
