Session 0 Gear Discussion

[Enoch]

Comment and discuss what you intend to bring on this thread. It's important to make sure the crew has sufficient light, food, etc.

[BillTheGalacticHero]

Well, my choices here are limited. One of the trade offs of getting to start with a horse.

WARHORSE
Saddle blanket
Saddle
Bridle
Bits and spurs

HEAD: - Helmet
NECK: -

HANDS (worn): -
HANDS (worn): -
HANDS (carry): - Lance
HANDS (carry): - (ditto)

TORSO: -
TORSO: -
TORSO: -
SATCHEL: - 2 torches
SATCHEL: - 1 preserved rations
SATCHEL: -

BELT (pouch): -
BELT (weapon): -
BELT (skin): - Water
FEET: -

[Enoch]

Yeah, one of the balancing factors of the Ridder is that you don't really get a choice in starting gear!

The Alpha (wolf) is also not really able to carry anything (he gets a head and neck slot and 2 torso slots and can wear leather armor and a helmet, though he doesn't start with either). He can also carry a rider, if you can convince him to do so.

[Stirling]

Where are we going first? How far away is it and how do we get there? By boat? We have to role play pinching one!

That might determine ration count. What do we know of the place? Is there a tavern rumour mill or just a map with lots of potential hooks.

[drpete]

Well, step one should probably be to figure out the (initial) groups. The group with the cook, then, might need less food, or want to carry fresh rations, etc. We also want yo try to balance the groups, if possible.

As a fighter/ dungeoneer, I planned to bring a satchel, so not a lot of room for gear. I put one preserved ration, a rope, hammer and iron spikes, and small bags, but no torches, because I've got a crossbow.

I suppose I could fill up a bag with food to take along, if we want. I'd drop it when we got into a fight, of course.

[Marullus]

Deciding initial groups is a good idea. We have some natural groupings based on the linked backgrounds:

Group #1:
- Ganna (Red Riding Hood)
- Big Bad Wolf
- Grimm the Dwarf
- ?

Group #2:
- Haar the Halfling (both from Sorcerer Tower)
- Rumple the Gnome (both from Sorcerer Tower)
- ?
- ?

Need aligning:
- Tancred the Forsaken Ridder
- Clough the Thief (Potential connection to Rumple through Metropolis enemy)
- (Dwarven Oathbreaker)

That's not a bad parsing of skills, either.
- Both Ganna and Haar can cook.
- Clough, Rumple, and the Oathbreaker have Cartography.
- Tancred and the Oathbreaker both have Pathfinder (and the wolf has Nature)
- Ganna, Haar, and Rumple all have Alchemist and/or Healer for helping conditions

Thoughts? How do Tancred, Clough, and the Oathbreaker want to divide up?

It looks like we lost Paladin, and we don't have eight players to make two groups of four. Does anyone mind if I play the Wolf in one group and Rumple in the other? (I won't if anyone prefers not.)

[Marullus]

As for gear...

The Wolf doesn't really get to carry anything to start, so he is very unhelpful at this juncture.

Rumple the Gnome has a smaller pack (tiny stature!) but he doesn't need to carry a spellbook and he can cast the Light spell every Adventure phase so that'll mean a lot less need for torches (but still some for emergencies). So, he's good to help carry things.


Here's the total list of what we can choose as starting characters to fill our slots:

Starting Gear List.png (76.81 KiB) Viewed 1708 times

[drpete]

Do we still have rossik/ the oath breaker? There hasn't been much movement there in a week+.

I could see some logical ways to split the group. I think Clough belongs opposite Rumple (cartography) and Haar (criminal).

Tancred helps round out the combat capabilities of the little people, putting 2 fighter 3's in that group.

Grimm ends up in a group with 2 humans, which will torture him.

[shroomofinsanity]

My group will roughly always have food, the possibility at least. And I was thinking of grabbing a lantern, if for no other reason than having an excuse for carrying oil around. But I've kept myself packed light to fill in gaps.

[Enoch]

It looks like we lost Paladin, and we don't have eight players to make two groups of four. Does anyone mind if I play the Wolf in one group and Rumple in the other? (I won't if anyone prefers not.)

I stated previously that everyone will start with one character. If you want to revisit that decision, please bring that to me, not to the other players.

[shroomofinsanity]

Important note for newer players, there are differences in types of light.

Candles: 1 person for 4 turns

Torch: 2 people for 2 turns

Lantern: 3 people for 3 turns

Candles and torches are rather easy to store, while lanterns need bulky oil and the lantern itself. That's why I was considering a lantern, as I have other uses for flammable oil than just light, and it fits my character pretty well.

[drpete]

So, for the experienced folks... do people generally operate with some in dim light, or work to keep everyone in good light?

Im thinking a group of 3 is easier to light than a group of 4, which needs 2 people holding light.

If Grimm and the wolf don't hold lights, then we need red and Clough to do so (if they are in our group). If Grimm holds a light, he needs a serious weapon downgrade.

[Marullus]

It looks like we lost Paladin, and we don't have eight players to make two groups of four. Does anyone mind if I play the Wolf in one group and Rumple in the other? (I won't if anyone prefers not.)

I stated previously that everyone will start with one character. If you want to revisit that decision, please bring that to me, not to the other players.

My apologies for misunderstanding. I'll just plan on the wolf for now, in that case.

[Marullus]

So, for the experienced folks... do people generally operate with some in dim light, or work to keep everyone in good light?

It is always nice to keep everyone in full light. In a practical sense, the torchbearer can move over to light the work of the person who's doing a test in most normal, non-combat circumstances. When there's a "combat" situation (not always a fight), everyone involved must be included in making tests and that's where some will take a penalty for dim light and others won't.

[BillTheGalacticHero]

So, for the experienced folks... do people generally operate with some in dim light, or work to keep everyone in good light?

It is always nice to keep everyone in full light. In a practical sense, the torchbearer can move over to light the work of the person who's doing a test in most normal, non-combat circumstances. When there's a "combat" situation (not always a fight), everyone involved must be included in making tests and that's where some will take a penalty for dim light and others won't.

If the torchbearer is providing light to a test-taker, but not actually "helping" other than negating the -1D for Dim light, would he/she/it still be affected for any consequences?
This could be validly answered both Yes and No.
"Yes" - they are "close" enough to the action to provide light that if anything goes belly-up they are in the "blast radius".
"No" - since they are not providing dice to the tester then they are not helping, so they could not use a Check to earn credit for the test themselves.

What does the majority think?

[Stirling]

Is the radiance of light enough light for three people. Does that take in to account we are all man-sized? maybe the gnome and Halfling can squeeze up as the light isn't drained, just the radius it sheds?

Clough can carry a lantern and store some oils in his pack. He will fill his satchel pack with some preserved rations and a tinderbox. He can coil the rope around his torso. That just leaves one hand free to carry anything.

[drpete]

Stirling,

Light is handled in a somewhat abstract way. A certain number of people can get full use out of it, but others get only partial use... they are in dim light, and rolls are made more difficult for them.

On other questions... packs, satchels, armor, rope... all can take up "slots" in your inventory. The challenge is in the compromise of what can you fit in your slots.

It would be useful to try to engage the rules on this. The equipment list is up, and the cost of things in slots.

[Stirling]

yes but a gnome and halfling stand together should be able to take the space of a human and thus benefit from using full light together not one be pushed into dim light?

[Marullus]

That's a non-issue - the gnome isn't allowed to enter play yet.

The answer is also "No." The game is deliberately mechanical. As Enoch said earlier, we engage the mechanics first, then role-play on top of that. This is a shift from more freeform styles.

"No" - since they are not providing dice to the tester then they are not helping, so they could not use a Check to earn credit for the test themselves.

This, for the same reason, I think. Engage the help and consequence system as written. (Rules don't penalize adding role-play.)

Also worth noting that Enoch was considering the house rule that help always counts for advancement (without spending a Check.) Not sure his final decision.

[drpete]

This game does not work that way.

This is a very "mechanical" game, almost like a board game crossed with an rpg. Prepare for the mechanics to be somewhat unfamiliar, and to play a big role.