Defaults

We’ll need to set up some normal behavior. This way we can’t cheat the adventure when it comes to secrets (hidden doors, traps etc.). Marching Order: Fighter, Thief, M-U, Cleric Default Behavior:

• Traps: Thief checks for traps
• Doors: M-U or Thief check every door door (listen, check if open?), searches for hidden doors
• Loot: loot everything but if too encumbered, leave “worthless” items
• Monsters: try to parley first
• Being Sneaky: as long as the party assumes that they are undiscovered, they will try to remain silent
• “Morale code”: motivated by self-interest, but the group as a whole will not kill without reason

Let’s Play

Intro

Excerpt from the adventure blurb:

Set in the city of Yahleui, the heroes have only recently come to the continent of Crimhuck, seeking adventure. The heroes are met by a large comely woman in a tavern called the “Winding Trail”, her name is Hilde. She tells them that if they can safely get a magical ring to her employer deep in the sewers under the city they will be rewarded with precious gemstones. She will resort to goading and betting that heroes can’t do it if she has to. The sewers beneath the city are a very dangerous place. Her employer is a sage who lives underground and does strange experiments far from prying eyes. The city is very big and he lives in a section of the sewers that has been cleaned out, and re-routed. The sage is part of a secret order called “The Followers of Sabyl”. They are tasked with subverting the rule of the Shah. The order is not evil, it is however in hiding. Rumours exist of the order, but none of have been proven. The sage and the rest of the order have been working towards the goal of replacing the Shah with a better more religious ruler. They follow the tenants of a long dead demi god called “Sabyl” who is neutral in alignment. Unbeknown to the heroes […]

Let’s Play

Troubling Events is a location-based module with a map.

1. Entrance: The entrance to the sewers is located along a riverbank within the city. Suspiciously there is no sewage or pipes coming out of the entrance.

Tylas, the Thief, lights one of the hooded lanterns. Cete, the Cleric, lights a torch. Famas, the Fighter, has the magical ring (the McGuffin). The party continues to the…

4. Pantry: The door to this room is locked. Inside the room is lined with barrels & shelves containing food stuffs. The room is 15’x 10’.

Tylas realizes that the door is locked and tries to open it using Opening Locks (Thief class ability). [roll of 5 - nope] The party won’t try to break the door (see “default behavior”). At the other side there is a short corridor with another door. Does Tylas hear something through the closed door? (3 in 6 chance) Nope, it is a very sturdy door and there are no loud noises. Tylas tries to open the door.

3. Barracks: This room contains bunks and small chests with equipment for the guards of the sewers. The room is 20’x20’. The room contains four guards. 4 Guards AC 7, HD 1, MV 120’(40’),#AT 1, D 1D6 Short Bow/Short Sword, Save F1, ML 6, AL Neutral, XP 10

Whoopsie! Tylas opens the door and stares into the faces of 2 stunned guards. Let’s use Miso RPG to determine what happens next. Option A: The guards are surprised but not aggressive. They demand that the PCs leave the sewers immediately and will escort them out. Option B: The guards assume that the PCs are criminal scum and will immediately try to apprehend them. I give Option A a d12 and Option B a d8. A: 1 B: 6 Result: Option B.] Playing cards fall down on the wooden table when the four men grab their weapons. “What are you doing here? Drop your weapons!” The guards wait a split second. Tylas calls to Morley: “Make them sleep!” [As the party won’t do that, I’ll roll initiative: guards go first.] Tylas is still standing in the door, so one guard attacks. He grabs him and pulls and pushes him into the room into the vicinity of the next guard [attack roll: 19+1 = 20]. He then takes a step to the side and two guards fire their short bows at Famah [attack: 17+1 and 5+1 - one hit: 1 dmg]. Morley casts Sleep and puts three guards down. Only the first guard which was near the door, is still awake. Tylas whips around and slashes with his sword [roll: 10 - miss]. Famah steps into the room and rains down his battle axe [roll: 3 - miss]. Now both Morley and Cete can enter the room, too. The remaining guard wants to defend himself against the onslaught [roll of 1]. So the party make short work of the remaining guard and knock him out. They take some rope and tie all of them together and gag them, too.

S&W Light doesn’t disappoint. And Miso RPG is a sturdy companion. P.S. Want to see more of Miso RPG in action? Solospelunking has a series of posts about a Star Wars Apocalypse World game with Miso RPG here.