Actual Play – A Bandit’s Haul (12/19/2013)

GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Jon Edwards, Tim Sanders, and Soren Ludwig
System: Torchbearer
Module: Temple of Elemental Evil

Picking up after a nasty fight with bandits on the road, the adventurers regrouped, gained valuable information, and went about looting treasure holds!

Prologue

Thommer gave a masterful prologue, all in character. He spoke of his pack, how they fought another pack, and how the weak puppy among them had to go.

Interrogations on Air

Camp!

They needed it. (and we rolled a safe camp at the end of last game)

Instinct – Thommer, with some spices from Thaspar’s alchemy bag, cooked up some rations to feed the group. [Cook Ob 2 (3 with exhausted). Success] It was an extra meaty and thick stew filled with herbs from nearby the camp. Thistle stew! The runt (James) was fed as well. Hungry and Thirsty removed.

Check – Orrin went about trying to recover from the injury he suffered in battle, but the wound did not mend on it’s own. [Heath Ob 4. Fail]. His gut wound looks real bad.

Suck it up – Thaspar wrapped his wounds and sucked it up. [Health reduced by 1]

Check – Thaspar, having given up on his bum leg, set about making a map of the travel between Homlett and the Moathouse. [Cartography Ob 3. Success] The trip from Homlett to the Moathouse is now a safe (or at least mapped) one.

Check – Thomer went to find a stream to clean himself by and then rest next to. He got a nice resting spot in the sun. [Heath Ob3. Success. Exhausted removed] Resting in camp with a full belly. This is as good as it gets.

Check – Thaspar told James that he’s out of his league and needs to go home. He clearly had a concussion, but was trying pretend that he was okay.  Thommer got right up in his face and yelled at him. [Convince conflict. Total victory]. James deflated completely. He gave Orrin the bandages and surrendered. He staggered out of camp, seeing double.

Check – Seeing that his bloody gut wound was going to heal itself, Orrin set about stitching himself up. [Healer Ob 3. Fail] The wound was infected and had to burn that rot out before it spreads. [-1 Rider skill]. Orrin’s llama days are over.

Check (on loan from Orrin) – Thaspar, afraid for his’ brother’s life, helped him get home [Pathfinder Ob 2. Success] James was delivered to the gates of Homllett safely!

Check – Thommer set about interrogating Delmar (custom conflict type, see thoughts below) to find out what he knew about the Moathouse. Attack/Attack/Attack. Bad cop, bad cop, and bad cop. Delmar was beaten down into submission, but he wasn’t willing to do it without some assurances. [Interrogation conflict. Minor compromise, he was set free]. Delmar told them where their loot was left behind and told them how to get it! Then he bolted as they heard wolves howl in the distance.

Orrin prayed to his gods, but they taxed him in the process. With the boon of the spell also came a bane. Orrin received a glimpse into the lords that purvey over the Moathouse and saw his god Pelor far, far away… and gods that rules these lands were held nothing but menace for him. [Afraid condition]

Adventure Phase

The adventures set out and arrived at the Moathouse after dark. Avoiding the puddles they entered the keep. Thaspar lit one of his torches and saw the broken open doors of the Moathouse.

Inside they saw the remains of a brutal battle with the gnolls. Mara was there by the door to their quarters, her throat ripped out. Thommer, in the dim light, tripped over the leg of bandit, the leg only though, no body attached.

Instinct – Orrin, to prevent Mara’s body from being turned into undead by the inhabitants below, prayed over her body and gave her the sacraments of his faith. [Ritualist Ob 3. Success]. Orrin felt a lightness of being and a calm presence and her body was washed over by a pale purifying light. She breathed out one last breath and after that her skin dried out, dead, but preserved.

Rifling through the other corpse, copper was found, and after some inventory shuffling was stuffed in a small sack!

Turn 1 – Thommer worked at picking the lock into the Black Chamber and with effortless grace opened it up. [Criminal Ob 2. Success]

Turn 2 – Thommer looked through the rubble from the crumbled wall but didn’t see any traps there. He then set about pulling the rocks away. [Laborer Ob 2. Fail. Result: Both Thommer and Thaspar were Hungry and Thirsty]. After much work they uncovered a heavy chest under the rocks.

Opening the chest the found copper and treasures! Copper by the backpack load [8 slots, 4D]! The also found two bolts of fine blue linen [1D cash and 1 slot each], a crystal flagon and four matching goblets [2 slots], and four arrows.

Above him Orrin noticed shadows moving above them, some unknown menace.

Thoughts on this Game

I was really tired this game and forgot about some of the changes I had planned for the temple. Suffice to say I made it a bit too easy to loot the bandit’s horde. I’m sure I can make up for that next time!

We had a lot of deliberation in this game during camp. I’m never sure whether I should just tell people to tell me what they do and roll the dice, or if I should let them deliberate. Camp does seems like a good time for deliberation but at some point I think I need to say “what action are you talking?” and then tell them what skill or abilty to roll and move on.

+1 Ob to using healer on yourself seem fair? I can’t imagine healing yourself would be easy.

Taking “The dungeon I’m in-wise” is a brilliant move. Thaspar the scholar changed out his old wise for Moathouse-wise and it has been so useful to him.

Quote: “This is as good as it ever gets…eating and resting… after a successful battle with another pack. This is the high life. I’ve arrived!”

I thought supplied added +1d after halving for beginners luck, but I was wrong. They get halved as well. This seems a bit rough.

Errata: Page 138 says Laborer and Alchemist can help Healer but on page 31 it only lists Alchemist.

Custom conflict: Interrogation. Base Dispo: Roll Manipulator and add Will. Attack/Feint: Manipulator. Defend/Maneuver: Fighter.  Like riddle but Loremaster is swapped for Figther.

When Thommer failed the Laborer roll I should have made it make a lot of noise and attract attention from below.