Sortie 1: The Cave of the Bree-Yarks

[GreyWolfVT]

Just point me in a direction and tell me what if anything I need to roll.

[Q.Q Elf]

Sounds like it will be a Maneuver action for the Dwarf.

In terms of a Convince Crowd conflict, your goal as a speaker is to shift the topic of conversation to a place where your group has steadier ground.

You are redirecting the conversation from one argument to another in order to "win" the debate. So, taking marijuana legalization as the topic, it might be like taking the debate from a talk about the high cost of the war on drugs, and shifting to a discussion on the medical benefit of marijuana on patients who cannot take traditional pain killers.

Your goal, as a role-player, is to describe how your character is trying to maneuver the topic of conversation.

(no, I do not smoke, but I'm using this as an example)

[Q.Q Elf]

So we are set with the following:

Player Actions

• Volley 1: Horris IronBeard: Maneuver
• Volley 2: Erinas: Defend
• Volley 3: Ahmad: Feint

Goblin Actions

• Volley 1: Bodyguard 3 (Gobloz Stinknose): Feint
• Volley 2: Bodyguard 4 (Ganbalg Dogcatcher): Attack
• Volley 3: Bodyguard 5 (Gerzin the Dim): Attack

I'm thinking maybe I will just embed my script in a Spoiler tag next time. Then I don't feel pressure when things come up "good" for my side (even if I don't have a side, and I don't care if you beat up the goblins).

Next steps (for the sake of GreyWolfVT)... we have Volley 1 queued up.
GreyWolfVT, please describe how Horris IronBeard is trying to move the conversation (see my post above).

You will roll 3d6 to test for "Manipulator" (a skill Horris does not have), using the following "Beginner's Luck" formula...

• Will 3 divided by 2, rounding up for a BASE of 2 dice.
• Character Condition (Fresh) for +1 dice.
• Dim Light (Obstacle increased by 1, i.e. no dice impact)

Your "goal" is to roll dice over 4. Each individual dice that rolls 1-3 is a "Scoundrel" (i.e. not a successful roll). Each dice that rolls 4-6 is a "Success!" Count up the number of successes on your 3d6.

Rules note (as I read the rules): Maneuver (Horris) versus Feint (Goblin) is Independent. Normally, the Obstacle is 0. However, due to Dim light for Horris, the Obstacle is 1.

[Q.Q Elf]

Since Maneuver versus Feint is independent, I will post my Goblin's actions since the results operate independently of GreyWolfVT's results. This may very well be academic at this point...

A grey-skinned goblin with a large nose steps forward.

He gestures to the audience, saying, "Goblins! How strong can 2 Manlings, a Dwarf, and an Elfy be? These hidey-fort hiders are no help to Goblins! Goblins will suffer if we listen to these outsiders! Bree Yark!

"We demand that they give tribute to great King of all Caves! We demand! Then we let them leave, and we not kill them. For we are strong Goblins! We do not listen to Manling, Dwarf, or Elfy!"

The Goblin audience in the room begin to stamp their feet with excitement...

Testing Feint vs. Obs 0 (Independent).
Goblin Nature 3 + 5 Helpers = 8d6
Results: 4, 3, 4, 5, 2, 6, 6, 5
6 Successes!

I think it's a win for the Goblin side.
What lovely tribute will you lay before Zlatkul, the King of all Caves?

[Keehnelf]

I was waiting to hear from Simon before finalizing, but we can go with that since victory was a long shot with those numbers.

For the future, any group with base stat numbers roughly equal to ours who outnumber us are always going to have a huge advantage we'd need incredible luck to overcome. A solid but not terrifying challenge is one where the opponent can muster about our number of dice total. Of course, part of that was us entering a conflict without the needed skills so we couldn't really help one another, but even if we had done a drive off of something we would have been in a similar situation.

Considering sacrifice options...

[Q.Q Elf]

Yeah. I just went with 5 Goblin bodyguards because that's what the original module said, but it clearly needed a bit more tailoring to move over to Torchbearer. Oh well. It'll help inform the action in the next cave, anyway.

[Keehnelf]

Lots of stuff especially in the Oper-style modules requires a lot of tweaking for TB to be sure. Even the size of D&D dungeons is pretty large by TB standards. Huge, even.

[Q.Q Elf]

OOC: Oh, yes, I tweaked the layouts & the physical aspects (traps especially). I've redrawn the Kobold, Goblin, and Bandit caves so far. I'm not touching the other caves yet.

It's the strength of the inhabitants that were unexpected. I can hand-wave the non-combatant types, and treat them as "color" (like in Burning Empires... no in-game effect)... but the numbers of guards need fixing, it seems.

I'll have to reconsider who lives in what cave, and who might be out on patrol instead of staying at home...

[GreyWolfVT]

[1d6] = 3 [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 4

honestly all I can think to do is roll dice and I have no idea what to "RP" IC to be saying to try and change the topic.....I'm really not getting the hang of this game.

[Q.Q Elf]

Yeah, the Conflict could have gone better, and I can try to lay it out better beforehand, taking the example of a Kill Conflict (where you kill the enemy or be killed).

Mechanically, it all operates similarly. There are 4 basic moves, and it's all abstracted from those moves... but I'll try to describe it in one of the other threads.

[Q.Q Elf]

Chief Zlatkul raises his greasy hand to signal his people to silence. He licks his lips with delight at his victory.

"Yes, I, Zlatkul, King of all Caves... I am the great master! And I will have a great feast in my honor! Yes, a feast!"

Looking at the party, the Goblin Chieftain says, "Your King needs goodly foods and drink to satisfy the great Goblin peoples! I, Zlatkul, King of all Caves... I demand that you provide me with good drink, or tasty foods. And then you can be on your way, to fight in name of the great Zlatkul!"

The Goblins begin to cheer and stamp their feet again at the prospect of a feast.

...

GM Voice: Okay, so this is my "solution". As tribute, the Goblin Chief wants your supplies.

First, he wants alcohol. If you have a skin or bottle full of an alcoholic beverage, that's what the Chief wants. Cross it off your inventory.

Barring that, he wants food. You need to sacrifice an inventory slot full of food. Does this make sense?

It does in the moment. Anyway, I hope it helps us to get the game unstuck.

[GreyWolfVT]

Horris "Bah what do goblins know Elves and Dwarves been round longer than goblins. Who are you goblin to be spouting our history ya don't even know bout? Me ancestors watched the birth of yer race. We know what really is said in them scrolls an books."