Rules-Light Games Make Me Jealous (but I still can't play them)

I started playing D&D in the 3rd grade, got into AD&D shortly after that, and started running Traveller soon thereafter. I diced through the heady 80s with games like Fantasy Wargaming, Espionage, Rolemaster and Aftermath. The late 80s and much of the 90s was dominated by various incarnations of HERO games and at one point (4th edition, I think), I vowed I would never play anything but HERO. In the late 90s, when I decided I would write Runebearer, it was (and still is) an unholy combination of HERO, Rolemaster, Aftermath, Jorune, a bit of AD&D, and yes, Fantasy Wargaming (but simpler, honest). My biggest gaming regrets are never having run Bushido or Space Opera.

Basically, I dig rules-heavy games. Generally, I think that puts me in the majority (Pathfinder, D20 and D&D4th are pretty rulesy), but in the forums and internet circles I follow, it is all about Savage Worlds, FATE, OSR and Apocalypse World... definitely lighter fare than I am comfortable with.

I admit, this makes me a tiny bit jealous for two reasons. The first reason is simply that as I get older, I cannot escape the growing feeling that the gaming world has passed my by. The second reason is that I do sometimes enjoy the idea of NOT worrying if a system is working, or if such and such rule is balanced. Every so often, "pick up and play" seems like a neat idea. I would love to love light games.

But ultimately, I feel these games lack something. After a few sessions, all of the characters in a Savage Worlds (or FATE) campaign look the same to me and most OSR games look just a bit too much like Basic D&D -- a fine game, but one I quickly discarded for a game with more crunch. I realize that nowadays, my go-to rules-light game is ... 5th Edition HERO!?!

For me, one of the main draws of heavy games is the joy of interacting with a system. I enjoy seeing players sweat the trade-offs during character creation. I enjoy watching how different skills and talents interact to make characters powerful. I enjoy seeing a tactical situation develop and knowing that the players' actions (and luck) THIS ROUND will decide the whole fight. I love the fact that with just the right amount of complexity, things become nuanced, balanced and beautiful instead of complicated, clunky and slow.

So, this article ends the same way any "heavy vs. light" article has to end -- we all like different crap. Where do you fall on that scale? Tell me what level of crunch you enjoy in your rpgs. What draws you to those games?

I Swing My Sword... Again -- Encouraging Tactics and Movement in Combat

I was browsing reddit the other day and I saw a post that described a situation in which the players were fighting a drake and even though the GM had put out some cover for them, they just charged up to the beast and swung their swords until they won. The GM was asking what he could to to encourage his PCs to do more in combat than "I swing *roll*."

The first thing I thought when I read this post was that the players acted as players often do -- they took the most economical route to victory. They didn't dully swing their swords until they lost. They pounded away until they won the fight. This tells me they didn't need to do anything but swing their swords to win the fight. All of the cover the GM put down was wholly unnecessary... and I will go one step further and guess that if the players had acted as the GM intended, they would have decreased their chances at victory!!

Now, I don't know the specifics of the drake, or the fight. Perhaps the cover was there to protect the PCs against the drake's powerful breath attack, or his eye beams, or whatever -- I don't know. What I do know is that in nearly all rpg tactical combat systems, the most efficient thing to do to win fights is to DO DAMAGE. It could be big damage every couple of rounds, or it could be small, steady damage each round. It doesn't matter. You just need to dish it out.

I realize that I sound like the sports announcer that says, "The team that will win today is the one who scores the most points!" as though it is some sort of deep analysis. And yet, I think GMs often forget how our rules systems create incentives for certain types of behavior... and how well our players know and use those incentives.

So, I am GMing an encounter with a drake and I put down lots of cover. I expect players to use that cover because it will allow them to avoid the damage of the drake's breath attacks. But I fail to realize that, based on the balance of the encounter, if both sides just do as much damage as they can each round (minus the occasional heal from the PC cleric), the players will win handily with no need move or use cover, or any tactics at all...

The thing is, if you want cool action in combat, you are going to have to create it. How can you do that?

Minions!! -- Minions, mooks, lackeys, scrubs... all words for the same concept: a low-grade enemy that is really no challenge to the PCs and tends to drop in one or two hits. How do these types of enemies help make combat more dynamic?

The main thing minions do to make movement more important is that they make it harder. Battles with single big bad guys tend to quickly stagnate into the PCs and the baddie running toward the middle of the battlefield and slugging it out. Minions clog up the battlefield and block the PCs from getting to their master. You can't do damage unless you can reach the master enemy. Reaching the master means you have to move and because movement is no longer easy, movement powers, or powers that can clear the way, become infinitely more useful.

The second thing minions do is they do damage to the PCs. For PCs to do damage to the main enemies, they have to stay alive so again, tactical movement becomes critical. You don't want to be flanked and mobbed by a half-dozen minions because you will drop before you reach the big bad. Perhaps even more important is the fact that minions do way more damage than they should for the amount of staying power they have. (I call this the "Destroyer Effect" -- any old Star Fleet Battles players here will likely know why.) Savvy players will realize that mitigating the incoming damage of the minions is key to winning the battle and so killing, crowd-controlling, or otherwise avoiding them becomes a priority. All of this requires using tactical options other than standing in front of the bad guy and just swinging.

Move the Enemies -- Sounds silly, but one thing GMs tend to forget is if the enemies aren't running around, flanking and using terrain, then the PCs aren't likely to do so either. Have the enemies run to the top of a nearby hill to get the bonus for high ground. Make them duck behind wagons for cover against the PCs' arrow fire. Make them split up and try to encircle the PCs. Have the evil wizard fly to a nearby ledge so he can rain death on the PCs from a safe distance. Your players will have to use their heads to either counter these moves, or copy them in later battles.

If you have trouble thinking of how to move your enemies in the heat of combat then...

Have a Script -- For your next big battle, try writing a script for your antagonists. Plan out their first 2-4 rounds of combat. "Bandits A & B will charge up and try to net the rogue, then they will draw their weapons and harass the mage. Bandits C & D will form up and protect the evil priest who will cast Bless, then Flame Weapon on them. Once they have their buffs, C & D will charge the fighter."

It doesn't even have to be a good plan. Having any plan helps you make sure your NPCs aren't just target practice. It will get you thinking about how to move your combatants and use the battlefield and that will get the PCs thinking along the same lines.

Change the Objectives -- Way too many battles in fantasy rpgs come down to who can slaughter whom to the last man the fastest. That scenario lends itself to each side charging the other and putting down damage until one side dies.

What if the PCs have to protect one building from being burned by a band of roving goblins? In this case, it is unlikely the goblins will simply charge the PCs and fight until dead. It is more likely that a line of skirmishers will move up and harass the PCs while a second rank throws torches and oil at the target structure. Maybe they stay at range and shoot flaming arrows, or roll a wagon full of burning debris down a hill at the building.

Having an objective for the battle besides "kill 'em all" opens up a ton of tactical options. Do the goblins stay at range and pelt the target with fiery missiles? Do they try to lure the PCs into a pitched battle so that another group can safely torch the house? Do the PCs charge the would-be arsonists, or do they stay close to the objective, buckets in hand? What about spells and special abilities? In this case, a wall of force might be more useful than a fireball? What about the ability to control the weather and conjure up a nice soaking rain? Can you cast Resist Fire on a whole house?

Make Them React -- The idea of "changing objectives" is really a subset of this concept. Make your players react to the changing situation on the battlefield and you will get more action in combat. A simple example is the PCs coming into a room full of hostile bandits. This is going to be a simple "fight until dead" combat. That is, until one of the bandits makes a break for the alarm on the far wall of the room.

Now the players have to react. It isn't enough for them to wail away at the enemy in front of them. Now the rogue has to tumble through the crowd, or the mage has to cast Hold Person, or the fighter has to Bull Rush to make a lane for the cleric to knock the runner senseless.

How about in the middle of a mundane battle, the leader of the enemies yells, "Ok boys, we got 'em pinned. Now kill that mage!" and a group of archers appears in the distance and starts pelting the wizard with arrows? Now the players have to react. At the very least, the mage has to cast some defensive spell, or take cover, or nuke the archers. If that isn't possible, then the group is going to have to take some risks and make a move or two to deal with the new threat.

Terrain -- I think of terrain as being grouped into two categories: mundane and exotic. Mundane terrain is stuff like hills, trees, walls and streams. There is usually mundane terrain on every battlefield. The key to using mundane terrain in combat is to know your game's rules (or house rules) for it , have the NPCs use it, and to make the modifiers for using it clear to the players. Have the orcs take the high ground before they throw their spears and tell the players you are giving them a bonus to their range because of the terrain. When the PCs try to charge up the hill, tell them you are penalizing them because they are fighting uphill. When the PCs take cover to avoid the spears, tell them the AC bonus they are getting because of their caution.

Exotic terrain is stuff like lava, pools of acid, a swaying rope bridge across a 100-foot deep chasm. Exotic terrain is sometimes about modifiers, but just as often it is about avoiding an instant and painful death. If you have a pool of lava on the battlefield and the fight ends without the threat of someone being thrown in... you should definitely start questioning your life choices.

Using exotic terrain means having the combatants trying to knock, throw or force each other into it. Have your NPCs use combat maneuvers like Press, Bull Rush or Grapple to try to push PCs into the acidic lava chasm. Allow generous saving throws and ample opportunity for characters to catch falling comrades, or help them with spells... instant death sucks, but narrowly avoiding it is great fun!

Tweak the Balance of Your Fights -- One thing to consider is that offering modifiers for terrain and advantages for clever play is a great idea, but if your fights never hinge on those advantages, don't expect players to take them. In the original example, a GM was concerned that his players didn't use all the cover he provided in their fight with the drake... and yet they won... and no one died. That tells me that the drake wasn't really that dangerous in the first place.

If you want players to move and use tactics in combat, the combat has to be balanced so that it is important to do so. If there isn't a risk of losing, or dying, or being too depleted to go on, then why bother? If your encounters aren't dangerous to begin with, start amping them up a little bit, but make it clear that there are ways to get advantages -- namely by using the terrain provided.

What if the drake in the example did double damage with his breath weapon, but taking cover gave a bonus to the saving throw and totally mitigated the damage on a successful save? Now, instead of taking 1/3 of their hit points on a breath attack, they take 2/3. The breath attack becomes way more dangerous now, knocking players to within another round or two of being knocked out. If the attack hits multiple characters, it may well overwhelm the healers and spell the doom of the group! Unless, of course, they take cover whenever the drake breathes.

Except, your battle ends in a complete party wipe because...

Does Your Game Support Doing Stuff -- You might need to take a look at your game and make sure it supports the type of action you want to promote. For instance, in the fight with the fire-breathing drake, my fighters charge up and start hacking at it. Now, I would like them to take cover when the creature breathes, but how can they? When the drake's turn comes up, it breathes. Can the fighters react out of turn and dive behind cover?

Some games allow characters to "abort" their next action to take a defensive move like diving behind cover, but not all games do. If you are playing a game that does not allow defensive reactions, then you should consider just how you expect the PCs to take cover. Perhaps you can house rule in a "tell" a round in advance to warn the PCs of the impending breath weapon attack. Now the breath weapon becomes a decision for the fighters. Do they waste a round of damage to avoid the breath? Meaningful decisions are always good!!

Alright, this post has gone on long enough. Hopefully, this has given you some ideas for your next epic combat.

Tabletop Minigames

My Tuesday group is participating in a series of athletic contests this coming game. That got me thinking about how to handle contests in a dramatic and mechanically interesting way. I could just have the PC test against one of their attributes, or against the most relevant skill, but boiling it all down to a single die roll seems anti-climactic.

Don't get me wrong, I like when a tense combat all comes down to a single die roll, but that is different. Combat is a long series of actions, reactions and die rolls. It is cool when those events converge at a single, critical point. But, if combat just started as a single die roll... well then where's the fun in that?

On the other hand, most of these games will involve only one, or maybe two, of the PCs at a time -- unlike combat. So, I don't want something that is so involved that everyone else tunes out.

What I have decided to do is create a few mini-games to represent the various athletic events. These games will involve at least one decision and a number of die rolls, but each game will take maybe a minute or less to resolve. This way, the games are mechanically interesting, require some player decisions, and are still quick to finish so the spotlight doesn't stay on one person for too long.

Here are three examples:

Javelin Throw

Step 1: Running up to the line -- The player decides on the difficulty for an Agility test. If they fail the test, they fault and score a zero for that throw. If they succeed, they score "points" equal to the difficulty they chose for the test.

Step 2: Throwing Skill -- The player picks the highest from their skills combat: throw or combat: spear and rolls 1d12 - 1d12 (-11 to +11). They add the die total to their skill and add that to their score.

Step 3: Strength -- The player rolls their Strength Damage Die and adds it to their score.

The final score is their "distance" for that throw. Each participant gets three throws and their best is kept.

Archery

Step 0: Generate the Course -- The GM determines the difficulty (armor class) for 6 targets. Each participant will follow the same course and they know all the difficulties in advance.

Step 1: Choose how fast a shot to take -- The player decides how fast a shot they will take in "ticks".
A one-tick shot takes a -1 penalty to hit, and these penalties accumulate for each subsequent one-tick shot the player takes. A two-tick shot takes no penalty and resets the penalty from one-tick shots. A three-tick shot gets a +1 to hit (and resets the penalty from one-tick shots). A four-tick shot gets a +2 to hit, etc.

Step 2: Shoot -- The player rolls to hit the target, accounting for the difficulty of the target, and the penalty or bonus given because of the shot they decided to take.

Step 3: Repeat -- The player then repeats the process, choosing a time and rolling. They have to hit all 6 targets and so if they miss, they have to shoot again.

Once all 6 targets are hit, the total number of ticks they took for their shooting is their score. Low score wins.

Gunfighting

Step 1: Intimidation -- If either gunfighter has the Intimidate skill, they can test this skill against their opponent's Willpower. A success gives their opponent a -2 to hit in the coming gunfight.

Step 2: Bid Accuracy/Fast Draw -- Each gunfighter secretly bids for how fast they want to draw. Each -1 taken to accuracy gives a +1 to their fast draw test in the next step.

Step 3: Fast Draw -- Gunfighters make opposed fast draw rolls with the bonuses they bid for last step.

Step 4: Faster Gunfighter Shoots -- The winner of step 3 shoots first with whatever accuracy penalty they bid in step 2. All damage and wounds are resolved.

Step 5: Slower Gunfighter Shoots -- The loser of the draw now shoots. However, if they were hit in step 4, they take an additional -4 penalty to accuracy.

We'll see how it goes this week. Does anyone else use the idea of mini-games for certain types of contests?

Video Game Achievements for Your Tabletop Game

One thing I am trying in my latest campaign is to award the PCs video-game style achievements as they progress. I had toyed with this idea before, and imagined lots of wacky conditions for unlocking the achievements. As I started compiling lists of conditions like "Medicine Man -- Healed 100 people (+1 to heal effects)" I realized how terrible this idea would be in practice. It would require way too much bookkeeping, would be just a bit too immersion-breaking and it would reward silly behavior...

"Leon, why exactly did you charge the dragon head on?"

"I wanted the Trial by Fire badge -- take 1000 points of fire damage (+2 to save vs. fire). Only 921 points to go, baby!!!"

So, that idea got shelved. Still, I liked the idea of individualized perks for each PC based on notable things they did during the campaign, and so I took the idea off the shelf for this latest game and repackaged it a bit.

After 5 sessions, my players have finished the first stage of the campaign. What I did was I went back over the game notes from those sessions and jotted down the interesting things various characters did. Then, I attached small titles to each, as well as mini-bonuses. This coming session, I am going to present each character with a list of achievements they are eligible for and they can record one and get one of the bonuses.

So, for Anatoli, the defensive fighter who has held his ground against no less than five opponents at one time, but whose damage leaves a lot to be desired, I offer him "Desperate Fighter -- +1 damage when facing 2 or more opponents by yourself". To the fighter/acrobat that has been dropped in the last 3 combats, I offer "Pincushion -- +3 hit points". To the characters who were paralyzed by poison, I offer "Rasputin -- +2 to save vs. poison". To the stuffy professor who is continuously spouting off about his credentials (and is appalled that the rest of the group is not properly certified in their respective fields) I offer "Certified -- Once a night you get a +2 to a roll for which you can somehow claim that you have proper credentials".

I figure to make up 2-4 achievements that each PC is eligible for and at least 2 that everyone is able to choose. That way, everyone has a decision to make and something unique to get. Once the next phase of the game is complete, I can add a few more to the existing list and allow another selection.

We'll see how it goes.

Chris and the Giant Tick

The box had been sitting under the bookshelf for several months. One of my aunts bought it for my dad one Christmas because he had read The Hobbit once.

I would occasionally pull it out and stare at it. I marveled at the sinewy dragon sitting atop his mountain of gold. I wondered about the heroes, who in my mind stood somewhat shakily at the entrance to the dragon's chamber. What hardships had they come through to be standing face to face with almost certain death? Why were there only two of them? Certainly it would take more than a single fighter and a single wizard to take down such a tough looking dragon. What if the dragon breathed fire? Could the fighter's armor save him? Did the wizard know any spells that would allow him to bring the beast down? Drop that torch, man, and start casting!!!

And inside the box? Well, this was like no "game" I had seen. There was no board, no pieces, no spinners. Just a blue book, another booklet labeled "In Search of the Unknown (Dungeons & Dragons Module B1)" and some dice. No let me rephrase that. There was just a blue book with lots of arcane tables and charts and descriptions of elves and dwarves and warriors and wizards and wands... and a set of what looked to be the COOLEST DICE IN EXISTENCE.

I badgered my parents (8-year olds are pretty good at badgering if I remember) and at some point, between the guilt of having consigned my aunt's gift to collect dust under a bookshelf, and the need to shut me up, they agreed to play this very new, very odd game. So that weekend my father, my mother, my uncle (I think he was 16 at the time) and I all sat down to play. My father had read the rules over the course of that week, so he would be Dungeon Master. The rest of us grabbed some 6-sided dice (neither my parent's Yahtzee, nor their Risk sets would ever be the same) and started rolling up characters.

We spent probably the next 2 hours creating characters. I was an elf because I thought the idea of fighting and casting spells was cool... though if I recall correctly, I didn't get a spell at 1st level, either from the rules, or my father's misreading of them.

Oh well, my mother the magic-user would certainly handle the spell casting duties for our group. "Really Mom? Read Magic?" *facepalm*

My uncle made a stalwart fighter... with 3 whole hit points.

Believe it or not, most of our time was spent outfitting our fledgling expedition, going down the price list and discussing in detail what we would need for an extended trip underground. A lot of thought and deliberation went into managing our meager equipment budget. This was serious business and we were prepared for anything!

I wish I could regale you with a detailed tale of our misadventures, but it was a long time ago and I don't remember much. I remember the now famous room of pools, but I am pretty sure we were too cautious to go randomly drinking murky water in such a dangerous environment. I remember my uncle and I meticulously mapping the halls and rooms of the dungeon, determined to be able to find our way out when we were tired and carrying armfuls of loot.

Of course, that all went out the window when we fell into the pit trap! For some reason, everyone at the table found our tumble hilarious and we laughed, holding our sides and tearing up, for 10 minutes straight.

From that point, we continued our expedition, injured, wet and relieved of much of our equipment, trying to find our way out of the dungeon. As we stumbled through the caves we were beset upon by a most horrible beast, the infamous giant tick!!

At this point, my mother and uncle dived behind a rock, both having 1 hit point. My 8-year old self, with a whopping 3 hit points left was like, "Let's Do This!!!" and I charged the foul insect.

We traded ineffectual blows for a bit, but then the tick hit me. My dad frowned as he rolled the d6 on the table for everyone to see... I breathed a sigh of relief. Only 2 points of damage. I countered, hit, and maxed my damage, slaying the beast.

And then we called it a night.

And never played again. We never escaped Module B1. Somewhere, my uncle is still hiding behind that rock. My mom's mage is still waiting for her chance to cast Read Magic.

And I am still the valiant Tick-Slayer, hit for 2 points of damage and 35 years of enjoyment.

Runebearer 3rd Edition

My game, Runebearer, has been around for over 15 years in one form or another. Though I have been mostly ignoring it for quite a while, I recently reworked and tweaked the rules, adding a few subsystems, removing others and generally making things work better. So, I am happy to announce that Runebearer is now getting its 3rd edition. Here is the draft. I am not quite done yet -- there is still some editing to do, but it is very playable. Hopefully, some of you will at least enjoy the read.

Word (.docx format) -- Runebearer RPG Draft

Runebearer Session Two -- Basement Dwellers

If you missed the First Session, go check it out.

The Doctor Is In

Or PCs start the second session in the house of Ingrid, the town baker and sometime hostess. They discuss what to do about the four weepers stuck in the basement. Their first inclination is to dispatch them as quickly and painlessly as possible, but but because one of the creatures was Ingrid's mother, they revisit the idea of trying to cure the creatures.

The chance is slim. Sylvanus will require parts from a local still, some medicinal herbs and whatever medical supplies remain in town and still the odds are better than even that the townsfolk will remain mindless ghouls. Still, there is a chance, and Anatoli convinces the group that this is the right thing to do. The townsfolk are overjoyed to hear that there is any chance of saving their kin and they go about helping "Doctor" Sylvanus prepare while the rest of the PCs deal with capturing a test subject.

Ghoul Wrestler

A bit of quick planning finds CJ heading into the basement alone, while Darrington waits by the door with a net in hand. The rest of the group is nearby in case CJ needs moral support... or more likely, in the event something goes wrong.

CJ opens the door and warily creeps in. The basement is lined with crates of food and barrels of drink. The back wall is webbed in cracks and oily, black, fetid water seeps in. One ghoul laps at this nastiness, but the others are nowhere to be seen. CJs takes a few steps before she starts to notice some movement out of the corner of her eye -- they are surrounding her.

The next few moments are a whirlwind of punches, kicks, teeth and claws. The weepers come at CJ from all sides. She sidesteps one attacker and blocks the next, but the third scratches her with his claws. She backs toward the door, hoping to lure them closer to Darrington's net. Another set of attacks. This time, CJ gets the upper hand, grabbing one of her assailants and using him to "block" the others.

By now, the others are calling to CJ to get out of there, and so she tosses her ghoulish shield out of the door and flees. With only a few bumps and scratches, the group has Sylvanus' patient.

Medical Miracle

Meanwhile, after a bit of searching around town, Sylvanus has prepared a makeshift surgery for administering the cleansing agent to the weepers. The agent is a powerful alchemical concoction designed to burn clean areas that are infected with the Black Rain. It is not meant for use on living patients and administering it "raw" will likely kill the weepers. Sylvanus will use his herbal knowledge and physician skills to administer an counter-agent that will weaken the cleanser and make it just caustic enough to do the job, but not enough to kill the afflicted. This is all highly experimental, and so Sedgewick is nearby, watching every moment and taking copious notes, hoping to produce an academic paper on the experiment... he promises himself to mention Sylvanus when he speaks at the university... as the medical assistant, of course.

Before the treatment is applied to the first victim subject, Sedgewick uses his Virtues of the Mind rune on the Doctor, clearing his mind and allowing him to better concentrate on the task at hand.

Peaceful Mind -- Your mind is clear and you get a +1 to all skill checks outside of combat.

In addition, Sylvanus prays and petitions St. Alice to aid his endeavors.

St. Alice 
Born to a poor peasant family, Alice was bedridden with leprosy while still very young. She lost the use of her arms and legs, and then lost the limbs themselves. She became known for her holiness and devotion to Aestra. When a temple to the Mother was built next to her home, she had a window cut into the wall so that she could attend services with the priestesses. She later trained to be a priestess, but never attained the rank of Learned Sister. Nonetheless, it is said her touch could heal. Before her death, she was cured of her disease by the grace of the Mother.

 Praying to St. Alice can give a physician a +1 to any checks that involve diagnosing and curing disease.

The prayers and preparations pay off and the procedure is a success! Everyone cheers and Sylvanus is the man of the hour!

The Other Plague

Now that Sylvanus understand the technique required to heal the weepers, he can adjust how much cleansing agent is used so as to be able to treat three victims with a single kit. Still, that means once the pool behind Ingrid's house and the final weepers are purged, the PCs will have run through all of their alchemical cleansers. Sylvanus sends word back to Wallace at the docks and spends the next several days in Roth tending to the afflicted.

In the meantime, the group talks to the village reeve, Bordas about the ratlings that have taken residence in the manor. Bordas knows very little about the rats and their doings. He sent a couple of spies who indicated that they had seen a dozen or so albino ratlings and a troop of captive brown ratlings digging all over the manor grounds.

The PCs figure they have little to fear from the captives, but the albino ratlings give them pause. Rumors say that the albino ratlings are always seeking out ancient magics and devices. What could they want at Rothchild's manor? At this point, both Vitro and Sedgewick offer up the rumors they know about Rothchild having been a mage... perhaps the ratlings' presence has something to do with some magic that Rothchild possessed?

Ultimately, the group realizes they will have to drive these ratlings from the manor and claim it for Lady Riga. A dozen seems like too many to fight, especially behind the manor's walls. So, the group agrees to head up there, scout, and perhaps talk with the invaders and see if they can learn what they are up to.

Upon reaching the manor, the group boldly heads the gate to parley with the rats and try to get a meeting with Grimjaw. The rats agree, but will not allow weapons or spell casting within the walls. After a bit of a discussion, CJ and Vitro decide they won't agree to the ratlings' demands and will remain outside, while the rest of the group heads in.

As the PCs are led into the manor, they see 25 or 30 captive ratlings wearing some kind of metal collar with what looks to be a lock on it. These captives are digging holes, both by the manor house and behind the chapel, in the graveyard. The villager's assessment of about a dozen albino ratlings in charge seems correct, with about 4 of them on the walls at any given time, and the rest milling about overseeing the prisoners.

Grimjaw is an imposing ratman wearing impressive armor and sporting a bit of an underbite. He sits on Rothchild's throne, embellished with totems and fetishes, most certainly placed there by the ratling leader. Sedgewick leads the PCs in the discussion. Grimjaw is polite, but dismissive to the PCs and obviously believes he has the upper hand. The gist of the conversation is as follows:

o    Why are you here? – We are here because for years we have lived like common rabble, in ruins or burrows, content to simply seek shelter from the sky. My mistress has declared that we shall live as a people free of such fears. This land was ours generations ago, before the Borakki and the grunj forced us away. We are here to reclaim it. 

o    What happened here? – I cannot say, but this place was abandoned by your kind long before we arrived here. The only thing left here were corpses. Disease, I imagine. Your kind are so very fragile. 

o    Church/Priest – (nervously) There were no human priests here when we arrived and we have not defiled your church in any way. If you like, as an offering of peace, I will allow you to enter your church to reclaim any religious relics left behind. 

o    The dead – Burned or buried. I mourn the loss of your brothers and sisters. 

o    Digging – Digging? Digging? Oh, that is none of your business, human. Let us just say that I want to plant a garden and leave it at that. 

o    Rothchild – I knew of your Lord Rothchild, but never had the pleasure of meeting him. I have heard rumor that he died on an expedition far north of here.

Albino ratlings are notoriously superstitious and the PCs pick up on Grimjaw's nervousness in talking about the church. They take the offer to reclaim the relics from the church. A group of rats escort them there, but refuse to enter. The PCs are able to search the small chapel and connected rectory in peace.

The Church

The church is quiet and dusty. No one has been here for many weeks. The PCs search and find little until someone wanders behind the altar. On the floor, meticulously scrawled in blood are a set of runes. It is no language anyone knows, and so the scholars copy and study them to see if they can piece together any meaning.

Meanwhile, Darrington is scouring the rectory for anything of value interest. After ransacking the priest's chamber, he hits paydirt in the form of a journal. Most of it is mundane, but the last few entries shed some light on the mystery of Rothchild.

o    “The lord has returned from his latest expedition triumphant. This is good, since I need to talk to him about hiring some laborers from Roth. Both the roof and windows are in need of repair…”

o    “…when I entered his chamber, he was in a heated discussion with Dr. Ombras. Something about an old book, which was seemingly too important for my eyes, as they rushed to close and hide it as I entered. Their concern was strange, since the only glimpse I caught was that of two blank pages. Still, something about that whole scene makes me uneasy.”

o    “I have been meaning to discuss these blasted windows with Rothchild for well over a week now, but Ombras has been turning me away. Father forgive me, but I cannot stand that man. He is behaving well above his station. I will see the lord in spite of him, but he seems to never leave the lord’s chambers, so I will need to be patient.”

o    “Father, please save us! I set out to discuss the chapel repairs with Lord Rothchild and so I waited for an opportune moment to sneak into his chambers. I wish now that I hadn’t, for when I entered, I was greeted with the sight of both Lord and Lady Rothchild in bed, deathly pale, and covered in a patchwork of bandages, ointments and salves. All of this to treat a myriad of horrible, bleeding sores that have appeared on their skin. It was horrible.”

o    “Even more terrible was the surprise return of Ombras, who had gone only to get even more bandages from his office. He chided me for not heeding his warnings and told me that the Lord had contracted some sort of malady, probably from his contact with the Ghost Grunj during his last expedition. But Ombras had been on that expedition as well. Why wasn’t he sick? He showed me his arm, covered in the same sores as poor Lord Rothchild. Ombras was ill too, and when he saw the horror in my eyes, he laughed at me and said I may be infected now as well.”

o    “As it turns out, I have not fallen prey to the same malady as Rothchild and Ombras. Thank the Father. However, the pox have spread to his hands and face, so Ombras is no longer fit to be seen. That means I am in charge of nursing them. I do wish we had a priestess here. They are not recovering. If anything, their skin is getting worse. Indeed, I am alarmed at the amount of blood seeping from their wounds each day. They live, but they are wasting away.” 

o    “One of the soldiers made a disturbing confession today. When he was with Rothchild on his latest excursion, they came across a village of grunj living deep in the wilderness. Rothchild and Ombras were looking for something there and when negotiations failed, the boy said the soldiers were given the order to destroy the village and kill any who resisted. If they found the book, they were not to touch it for any reason, but to tell the lord. The entire village was wiped out, down to the last child.

o    “I knew the end of this story, but I asked the boy anyway because I had to know for sure. What of the book? He saw it, and it was as I feared, a blank book. Rothchild and Ombras killed an entire village of grunj in their search for some relic. And now they are cursed with these sores that will slowly bleed them to death. Am I wrong to be relieved? At least the rest of us will be spared the horror of their disease. But, what else does the curse have in mind for us? I will save this manor by disposing of these three wretched souls and their confounded book.”

o    “My mission is even more critical than I originally thought. Once they passed, their bleeding stopped and the scabs on their skin fell away. They’re not covered in sores. They’re covered in writing… beautiful”

o    “There is an old crypt hidden away in the woods to the north of here. I think it is Borakki in origin. They bodies won’t burn. The book won’t burn. A feeling of unease has come over me that I cannot adequately describe. I must hurry.” 

o    “It is done. I collected the boy and a few of his fellow soldiers and told them it was time to redeem themselves for the murders of the grunj. We broke the seal on the Borakki crypt and threw the bodies of Lord and Lady Rothchild and Ombras inside. Then, we sealed it as best we could. I am seeing them in my sleep. This place feels like a prison. I am not sure how much longer I can remain here. Father bless us all.”

Also, peppered throughout the last several pages of the journal are the same symbols found on the floor of the chapel...

The PCs conclude that Rothchild was likely a mage who got himself into some nasty mess with some grunj relic, and that Grimjaw is here searching for Rothchild's body and the book mentioned by the priest, all of which is fortunately holed up in some borakki crypt which lies somewhere to the north.

Umm... Are You Sure About This?

The discussion of what to do about the ratlings flares up again and this time, the group is certain the invaders must be dealt with now. Vitro, who has been listening to the proceedings using his rune, The Vault, contacts the group inside and a plan is formulated.

Eavesdrop -- You can listen in on a conversation up to 40 meters away regardless of how quietly the participants are talking. Only magical means can hide the conversation from you.

Far Whisper -- You whisper a message that travels on the wind to a target up to 100 hexes away. The target hears the message as though you whispered it directly into his ear and he will know from who the whisper came, but not necessarily where unless you wish him to know.

Vitro figures he can use his portals to get the group back together in the church if he can get onto the wall for a moment. Then, an ambush can be made by luring Grimjaw inside the church. Perhaps if they say they found Rothchild's body and a book, the ratling leader will be convinced to enter the church regardless of his superstitions. He can then be dispatched and the rest of the rats will fall into disarray!

They implement their plan at night. Vitro and CJ manage to scale the wall unseen and portal into the church. The group informs the ratling guard of their find and ask that Grimjaw come at once. He does, but when Sedgewick tells the ratling that they found Rothchild's body and book, Grimjaw simply instructs them to bring them to the manor and turns to leave. After a moment or two of indecision, CJ and Anatoli make a command decision and engage the ratlings.

Damn Overpowered Math Professors!

The combat is frantic. Anatoli and CJ hold the door of the church against Grimjaw's bodyguards. Grimjaw backs away and shoots bolts from a hand held crossbow. Darrington leaps through one of the church windows, flanks the ratlings and pelts them with arrows. Sylvanus struggles to get a clean crossbow shot off. Vitro summons a giant rat. Sedgewick taps into the First Equation and buffs the heck out of the fighters.

Blur -- +3 to your defenses. Creatures that don't rely on sight to target are unaffected.

The group is pretty defensively minded to begin with and this buff just sends them over the top. The ratlings aren't landing many blows, which is a good thing because if one of the front-line fighters drops, everything will crumble. With their shields and buffs, the fighters manage to hold the door. But time is ticking. The alarm has been raised and in a few short combat rounds, 5 more ratlings will show up and defensive buff or not, that will be a mess. A few have already run down the length of the walls and have started shooting down into the fray.

Not able to shoot through the combat to help out front, Sylvanus heads to a side window and puts a bolt into a ratling. Darrington fires another arrow, but then decides to get a better view of the battle and uses his climbing and acrobatics to get to the roof. Grimjaw gets an idea, quaffs a potion and heads around the side of the chapel. CJ doesn't like the looks of this and indicates she is going after him. Sedgewick will have to take the line... he gulps, but then remembers he was intermural fencing champion back at the university, buffs himself and then steps into the fray.

CJ and Grimjaw meet at the side of the chapel and trade ineffectual blows. Neither of them can land a decisive hit. Toli and Sedgewick have managed to drop a couple rats, but more are coming. Vitro sends his summoned rat to intercept, but that will only stop one or two for a brief time. Darrington shoots at the archers on the wall, and they return fire. Sylvanus loads his crossbow and runs over to help CJ take down the ratling leader.

Finally, both Sylvanus and CJ land telling blows on Grimjaw. The albino ratling is bleeding and hurt. He won't take another round like that. He pulls a jeweled dagger with a rat's head carved into the pommel... then stabs himself in the belly and collapses into a pile of 100 rats, all which scatter. His underlings turn and flee as well. The PCs hold the battlefield!!

And then, before the group can mount any pursuit, they hear a popping and clicking from within the compound as all of the captive ratlings grasp at the collars on their  necks and fall to the ground, choking.