Actual Play – Kobolds in Arms (11/21/2013)

torchbearer-rpgGM: Sean Nittner
Players: Josh Curtis, Lindsay Nix, Dylan Nix, and Jon Edwards
System: Torchbearer
Dungeon: Under the House of the Three Squires

Holidays are the bane to gaming. Cons are the bane to my scheduled games. What that means is that by October, maintaining a campaign game online is nearly impossible. But we did it [Ob 4 Steward roll successful].

Last session they had just won over the male kobolds of the Red Claw clan, yet things were far from safe. The only member of the party who could communicate with them was the Dwarf Allen, who hated kobolds with a passion! The kobolds themselves didn’t want to fight, at least not under these circumstances, but they are far from trusting of the adventurers, even if one of them is their new chief.

Torchbearer on Air

Prologue

Allen recounted the heroic rescue of Amare from the bottomless crevasse, down the waterfall, into Kobold camp, and a mighty argument that resulted in a new chief: Alexander the Righteous!

Turn by Turn (or in this case Check by Check)

Inside the kobold warren, our adventures sought safety to make a camp. Allen pilfered through the corpse of Saw Back and took both his headdress [Head 1] and the four candles hidden under his scales [Pack 1].

He then threatened the Kobolds to bring them treasure or Chief Chous would kill them. The kobolds raised up their spears to go get treasure. “But first we must map!”

Turn 19 – Allen tried to buy time for the adventures to make camp. He started barking out orders to the Kobolds, preparing them to fight for them! [Steward Ob 5. Result: Success]. Grumbling but complacent, the kobolds set about preparing themselves while the adventurers rested.

Instinct – Amare, ordering the kobolds around secured the camp from danger [Survivalist Ob 2 (increased because of exhausted condition). Result: Success]

Camp

Moleslin’s pets (a giant rat) pilfered through Amare’s pack and ate a bundle of her rations, but they were otherwise safe.

Check – Allen wanted to free Ronwald from captivity, so he took the stick from a kobold that was beating Ronwald with it and “accidentally” beat the kobold to death with it [Fighter versus Test: Result: Success]

Check – Amare, angry she had lost her shoes, went about gathering scraps from the camp to bind and protect her feet. Some of these scraps were the skin and scales of Saw Back [Scavenge Ob 3 (increased because of exhausted condition). Result: Fail. Twist: The kobolds all witnessed Amare mutilate their dead for shoes. They all thing she is a psychotic barbarian)

Check – Allen prepared to make food for the party, and talked with Ronwald over the campfire. Ronwald told him some of his terrible story. How he tried to buy time to keep his friends and family alive. Ronwald was appalled by Allen’s callousness, but surrendered that the adventurers could take his belongings if they could get him and the other captives free. [Cook Ob 2. Result: Success]. The party is fed! [All remove Hungry and Thirsty]

Check – Astrafell sad in sagely meditation to reflect on the events that passed and calm herself [Will Ob 2. Success. Angry condition removed] Allen told the kobolds she was summoning a demon… and then got a bit further away from her.

Check – Alexander drank from his wineskin and filled his belly with the Sour Beer, and sharpened his blade ominously [Will Ob 2. Success. Angry condition removed]

Check – Amare drank from her wineskin and sang baudy evlish songs   [Will Ob 2. Success. Angry condition removed, randy condition gained ;)]

Check – Astrafel nodded off and got a good night’s sleep.  She was protected from the kobolds by their fear of an invisible summoned demon. [Health Ob 4 (increased from casting spells). Result: Success, Exhausted condition removed]

Check – Alexander, chief of the Kobolds, declared it was time to rest, and rest well he did [Health Ob 3.Result: Success, Exhausted condition removed]

Check – Amare kicked off her new shoes and asked Allen to massage her feet. Allen gleefully accepted the offer and got to rubbing feet with his dirty, blood-stained hands. [Health Ob 3 (using Seduction-wise). Result: Success, and a hot success it was].

Check – Alexander set about mapping the progress they had made so far. [Cartography Ob 3. Result: Success] They now knew their way all the way back to the inn!

Check – Allen took the pole the  kobolds were going to roast him with and Saw Back’s dagger to forge a spear. [Armorer Ob 1. Result: Fail. Twist: The spear is finely made, but when he set it down, it was sabotaged by Moleskin’s rate, who chewed through the wrappings]

Instinct – Astrafel checked on Ronwald’s injuries and realized they were worse than he had let on. [Healer Ob 3. Result: Fail. Twist: Ronwald’s leg is infected and he’s going to die of this injury, and soon! He needs to get out of her and get real medical attention in a clean bed, or to have his leg amputated]. The question was asked “What’s more important to you guys? This guy’s life or treasure?” Unanimous answer was “Treasure!”

Check – The party agreed that the solution was to amputate his leg, burn the wound, and kill the infection. Allen barked orders a Kobolds to hold him down [Helping with kobold-wise]. Astrafel got to cutting. [Ob 3. Result: Success. Ronwald’s leg amputated at the knee, cauterized and wrapped cleanly]. Ronwald screamed a blood-curdling cry and then passed out.

Check – Allen set about mending Amare’s cloak, by sewing his handkerchief (with his initials) into her cloak. [Nature (Crafting) Ob 2. Result: Success] Amare’s raiment has the sign of their burgeoning love.

Adventure awaits!

One of the kobold sentries ran into the camp in a panic and yelled “She’s coming! Move!” The entire camp was alarmed and looked at Chief Chous with terror!

Thoughts on this Game

Phew, that was a long camp phase, but it worked out well. They had plenty of checks handy and removed all conditions. Probably a good thing considering what’s coming next.

Amputating Ronwald’s leg was awesome. So happy for that twist.

Must remember – Allen’s spear is sabotaged and will backfire on him.

Must remember – The kobolds watched Amare mutilate their old chief and they despise her. They will turn on her any chance they get.

Kobolds of note (that are still alive): Lizard Funk, Broken Egg, and Mole Skin.

3 thoughts on “Actual Play – Kobolds in Arms (11/21/2013)”

  1. Awesome game! I had a lot of fun as usual. I keep trying to figure out how my belief will come into play with the other characters. Torchbearer states that camp is the time to have inter-player conflicts. But in our case, Allen’s belief of “The only good kobold is a dead kobold” should be put to the test with Alexander as the new chief of the Kobolds. But that hasn’t happened. And it seems appropriate that it will come up when we go to war with the other clan… But that is during the adventure phase. I want to see the “conflict” in Allen having to work with the kobolds. So far Allen has just ordered them around or killed them. It seems like there should be an Allen vs. Alexander argument but that didn’t happen in camp. But it feels like it should happen.

    1. Absolutely. Had I been more on the ball I should have done two things during that camp.

      1. Prompted Alexander to push forward his belief. Convincing someone (maybe Allen) that people can change.

      2. Prompted the entire group that having Allen murder kobolds and Amare make shoes out of their hides meant that the kobolds were all whispering about you behind your back. Following you now, while it served them, but ready to betray you at a moments notice, and given you the opportunity to do something about that.

      Interestingly, Torchbearer plays fine if people do very little role-playing, and it requires using up resources (camp checks) to make those role-playing moments really have weight (No conflict = no meaningful change).

      I should probably do a better job rewarding players investing in their beliefs by being more conservative with the Artha awards for beliefs (and embodiment) and really pose it at an important choice to peruse material gains/safety or to push for your beliefs.

  2. Good points. It comes to mind that I should have perhaps used a check to have Allen try and convince Alexander to lead all the kobolds into an untimely death in some way. Or to set up a trap to kill them all or something. I beat one to death sure… but did I really try to push my kill them all attitude? Probably not. Of course, checks are so important for recovery that it takes a lot to use one for such things.

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