The continuing adventures of Anselm the Mystic (Ratcatcher), Findulas the Waywatcher (Hunter), Hans the Acoltye (Apprentice/Apothecary) and Krieger the Initiate of Sigmar (Soldier), following on from the events of Mind Your Manor
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=165&efcid=3&efidt=411221

Renamed “The Young and the Restless” from "Edge of Night" because it’s more about rich and ambitious people jockeying about than about murder mysteries (the old Edge of Night soap). I’m also channelling Victor Newman for Graf von Jungfreud (no body beats me, “you got that”, make it happen I don’t care how).

The heroes have met Lord Rickard von Aschaffenberg and Graf Siegried von Saponatheim already (as described in Mind Your Manor). From these dealings their favour with Aschaffenberg is 3 and with Saponatheim 0 (-1 really, so a coach for my mother is like unto a cart for dead rats is it?).

22nd Advance is earned.

Some character-driven free form activities take place in Ubersreik before the events leading up to the Masquerade Ball really begin.

In addition to the map, I set up Ubersriek on the table as a series of location cards - dwarven bridge in middle, on one side wharf, rowdy tavern, magnus tower, on other marketstrasse, noble mansion(s), 3 temples (Verena is essentially Scribe Shop), inn (home base), some homemade ones for dwarven quarter and guild houses, then "generic" ones for alleys, broad streets, sewer entrances. This worked fairly well tracking movement around town and giving effects at various locations.

Findulas tries to see Lorin Silverleaf to ask if there is news of interest to his kindred but she is busy (giving a social poetry reading or something). Findulas purchases some herbs in market but antagonizes the herbalist who tells him as an elf he should be off in the woods finding them.

Anselm tries to find an excellent pie shoppe He's looking for one with the sort of mechanical benefits I gave Keila Cobblepot's pies - locating a benefit like this is going to be a 3D check . Anselm quickly recalls (as a native of Ubersreik) that one of the problems finding the best pies is that every pie shop in town has the same name “the Stoutheart Pie Shoppe”, as they are all operated by the Stoutheart Clan of Halflings – you can’t go 6 blocks without seeing two of them. He doesn't find anything (no success/boons) but does find out that Knox Stoutheart, Grand Piemeister of the Clan, is very superstitious and a mystic could get along very well with him (up to player to leverage that). there was a comet on the side

Anselm also locates a noble who might teach him how to shorten up his vowels and a few other things, but does not immediately gain his cooperation. Anselm needs to undertake some task to win Konrad von Mahler’s help. Konrad impoverished and bankrupted himself with a combination of an expensive wife and an expensive hobby (experimenting with blackpowder weapons). The task: Konrad wishes to recover two model bombs he was working on that are in the basement of his former mansion (when he was dispossessed it was mansion and contents seized, he’s pretty sure the models are still in the basement, each is the size of a whiskey jug, this is all part of this work on better muskets etc. by studying explosions and blackpowder properties). The dwarven money lender, Arik Ironhaft, is renting the manor to Baron Manfred von Holzenauer – one of the nobles jockeying for position in town. Yes, it's the manor for the ball that has homemade bombs in cellar.

Krieger goes to the temple of Sigmar, meets the high priest Gunthar Emming and prays. He does not distinguish himself well enough ( failed Piety check ) to impress anyone (Lord and Lady Aschaffenberg happened to be passing).

Hans pursues his personal story, his missing mother Ishild (longish bit of backstory player created that is fun) and the "down on his luck" noble she ran off with having possibly been in town. Asking around, and eventually enlisting his friends to help visit "a rowdy tavern" he learns Ishild and Ralf von Anwulf were working in the Gibbet, a rough tavern on the western waterfront among warehouses. Run by a disreputable fellow named Horst, it is a gathering place for criminals. A good place to find some shady employment (if you “know” someone and can get introduced), it is also is a good place to buy illegal goods or arrange to buy back something stolen – if you don’t mind the occasional raid by city watch rounding up everyone in the place for questioning. Anwulf was providing "useful documents" to people. Anwulf is really a forger/charlatan etc. sort not a noble, but a good partner for a womaon on the run, see next

He learns a female bounty hunter named Ursula Kopfgeld was looking for them and they left town leaving no trace of their next destination. His comrades had met her at the Three Feathers (during a "Rough Night" ) but he never had. The player's character from that adventure died in the Gathering Storm. His friends recall she was the one who arm-wrestled with the judicial champion - a formidable woman.

He also learns the pair were questioned by the Watch at one point, there is a probably a record of whatever they said for themselves at the Watch Barracks near Magnus’ Tower (if one had a noble family as Patron one could likely access those records...). bit more motivation to earn patronage.

The heroes hear that a Witch Hunter, Tobias Bach, has arrived fresh from Stromdorf where he routed out witches and mutants (Hildrette Krass is no more, the last of the Holtzes gone, and a few peasants from around Tempest Knap who were affected by the magical vortex) [reminder, had heroes tidied up some things faster in Stromdorf a Witch Hunter would not have been called in].

While investigating backgrounds of possible noble patrons, Hans and Findulas went to the Temple of Verena. Leaving it they encountered the Witch Hunter Tobias Bach demanding to enter to "audit" its library and being resisted. Hans tried to intervene, suggesting to Heinrich Gutenberg (the priest of Verena) that it would be best to cooperate - though he was not persuasive. The situation is diffused without incident (and without heroes being responsible) by the arrival of the Lector of Sigmar and some of his burlier acolytes who persuade Bach to back off. Hans' behaviour here and a Chaos star later at the Verenan library make him persona non-grata there and with the priest Gutenberg.

I decided that the witch hunter would be in town rather than having just left it as he offers too much fun potential, trying back to Stromdorf. I used a slightly weaker version of the witch hunter in Witch's Song and depending on how things go Bach might become that one when we play that adventure. I made this a 4 round track rolling a challenge die each round - on a chaos star Bach would have assaulted Gutenberg and situation really gotten nasty.

Anselm manages to get hired as temporary help at the Holzenhauer manstion for the night of the masquerade. Spontaneous idea by player, fun, he roleplayed using the letters of commendation they've gotten, which have Aschaffenberg's name on one - this actually gave him 2 black die on his check but he made it. Player figures as a servant he will have easier time to get into basement to find his friend's property)

The Masquerade Ball of Baron Manfred von Holzenhaeur is announced on Vorgeheim 26, for Festag the 9th of Nachgeheim. Geheimnistag is before then.

On the Day of Mystery itself, the heroes encounter a father and son struggling to get grandfather's body to Morr's Garden before sunset (it being unlucky to have an unburied body around this night). They lend a hand moving their cart along (and not getting caught out after sunset) and this good deed reflects well on them in the eyes of the pious Aschaffenberg.

Geheimnisnacht (the night) actually passes without great incident in Ubersreik - it is not till the next night when Morrslieb remains in the sky and its dire astrological effects are felt that the tension in town begins to build.

As rumours and tensions mount in town, military, temples, watch, nobles and town council all try to maintain order and the heroes do their part.

I created a tracking meter with spaces for the "rumours" that would come out and 'events", 9 long as there are 9 days till the Ball. One token represents the time and advances automatically, the other represents building tension in town and advances +1/day and further for particular bad events.

They dispell a rumour that "the dwarves are going mad and will kill us all" by finding out a single dwarven slayer who was the self-appointed Geheimnistag guardian of the dwarven quarter went berserk and severly wounded a couple of dwarves. No one was killed.

This is a much re-written "over the edge"

Visiting the dwarven slayer at the Shallyan temple, Hans' Insight manages to get some recollections from the last "sane moments" the dwarf had when he fought some creature and killed it, its body falling in river. The dwarf is angry he didn't die and talking about the moon laughing at him, about shadows with knives and throwing stars, poisons.

Interacting with dwarves I was alert for chaos stas and gave an extra challenge die representing risks but none came up - no dwarf spotted that Krieger is walking around with Korden's Hammer still - the player has not reacted at all to the "book of grudges" reference on the item card, so sooner or later a dwarf is going to spot that item and when they do....

The heroes get this news out and see Lord Aschaffenberg, who is glad to know the dwarven rumour has been put paid. They are not quite far enough along to be invited to ball yet but he is glad to see them and know they are still fighting chaos etc. A wizard could be helpful figuring out what's going on with Morrslieb ~ Hans allows as he is not that kind of wizard (Celestial Order) whereupon Lord Aschaffenberg muses that isn't there a Celestial Wizard up in Stromdorf...

The heroes later find a mob gathering in the square across from von Bruner mansion, muttering about apples and trees and where there's one there's more and generally building towards violence. They intercede to delay, using social approach.

They are successful but in the course of intimidation (Findulas standing on steps of mansion and threatening first to move with arrow) and appeals to reason (Hans pointing out people who mob nobles always get hanged later regardless of whether the noble deserved it) and to coreligionsists (Krieger) etc., several chaos stars result in Tobias Bach showing up to egg the mob on and then a flaggelant of Sigmar also being drawn to the hub bub - he does not exort against the Bruner's so much as rant generally and raise tensions.

I explain the Witch Hunter as extending his writ as far as he can make stick, with the hard limits being he can't arrest/interfere with nobles unless he has backing of other nobles/higer ups unless the noble is caught in flagrante delecto, so here he could stir up the mob but not be first one through the door.

The climax comes with Anselm sending Sir Bitey to grab the hat off Bach's head and distract him and the mob with antics long enough for soldiers to arrive to set up a cordon. The mob and Bach melt away and only the ranting flaggelant remains.

This earns favour with all the nobles in town and by this time Aschaffenberg is willing to get an invitation to Masquerade for the heroes as part of his entourage. The von Bruners (cultists or not) are doubtless grateful too.

However, it is likely that Tobias Bach now bears ill will to some of the heroes such as Hans. Yet more good reason to have patronage of a noble for protection...

The heroes later hear of "monsters in the river", one having washed up downshore. They put this together with the dwarf slayer's story killing something that went into river. Having washed up out of town, the matter was likely military so they go to the Precinct/Magnus Tower and ask around and find out that a giant rat was found by some boatmen and a patrol burned it. It being standard that any mutant or chaos thing be burned, living or dead, as the way of cleansing chaos. They also learn that Kurt Groffnung the Agitator Anselm met earlier was looking into this and was upset that the body had been destroyed.

They are left pondering what to do regarding public tensions (giant rats being alarming too, such things not being "natural" but obviously "mutant"). They decide they will look around again in the wharf area of the dwarven quarter where Thrimm the slayer had his confrontation.

It is of course not a giant rat, but a skaven corpse, the skaven having been killed by the slayer Thrimm. Thrimm is mad through exposure to skaven throwing stars and other warpstone effects from his patrols trying to protect neighbourhood - and on Geheimnisnact - he built up Corruption and per the corruption rules, as a dwarf he went mad instead of mutating.

I found the “lead in” to the ball very weak and it required a fair bit of GM work to line up how it would work. Part of that was dissatisfaction with the way the rumours were set up. I revised the rumours so in each case there is "free information" that comes out starting it and giving heroes a reason to make inquiries and "roll dice" rather than "rolling dice out of blue".

No edit feature after you've gone and come back, so must clarify here that "Sir Bitey" (Anselm's dog) should be "Senor Bitey" actually. A slip I make frequently. So the Tobias Bach's ire equally that he was mocked by a dog and by an Estalian.

23rd advance earned.

Anselm the Mystic (Ratcatcher), Findulas the Waywatcher (Hunter), Hans the Acoltye (Apprentice/Apothecary)Krieger the Initiate of Sigmar (Soldier).

On the afternoon of Nachgeheim 4th, a market day, the heroes search the area of dwarf Thrimm the Slayer’s encounter for signs of rats, particularly giant ones. The only “peculiar” finding was of a large swarm of rats passing, which was followed in to the sewers by Anselm. The heroes quickly purchased a lantern and headed down into the muckstench.

Findulas managed to find signs of their passage as the heroes proceeded through the brickwork tunnels. Krieger slipped in the muckgained a misfortune die to all checks till such time as he gets thoroughly clean (challenge die to social) . They encounter a swarm of normal rats which attacks them. The heroes kill enough of the rats that the swarm disperses, Findulas’ “hunter” skills serving well against the beasts. They continue on to find the rat's origin.

I used the Swarm Card in addition to Swarm of Rats monster - which mostly just makes them disperse a bit faster but that's fine, they run out of bonus dicebecome less interesting as fight goes on. There's nothing special about the where the swarm is from but if they want to poke around sewers who is to say no .

As they come to a crossing of passages, Anselm realizes they are heading towards the area of the sewers where his “mentor” as a rat-catcher (an unpleasantcriminally minded man named Werner) vanished – being pulled under the muck by something (Anselm fleeing) – he finds this particularly stressful.

This was something Anselm's player described as part of his character history, that his mentor "was grabbed by something"vanished while they were working. His mentor was a cruel man with criminal connections involved in smuggling, which Anselm took over (how he met most of the PC's) but two menacing men have been appearing wanting to talk to Anselm as the inheritor of this business.

Several heroes smell swamp gasthey realize they must douse the lantern’s flame (or else face a new “special” boom effect on chaos star) – it’s 3 misfortune dice for humans, 1 for the elf now. They proceed down the passage in the weak light filtering from streetshed by strange luminescence in the water.

The heroes discover Werner’s bane, a thing Hans' Education recognizes as a Chaos Spawn – likely a human (not a dwarfelf) so mutatedcorrupted by chaos they have turned into this constantly shifting mass of skin, tooth, eyelimb. It’s a terrifying encounter (KriegerFindulas both get Stressed). The heroes battle the chaos spawn in the darkdefeat it though not before both KriegerHans acquire temporary insanities (both recovered from at end of act)Krieger suffers a strained muscle that leaves him slowed. Krieger also passes out briefly from the stress, being rendered incoherent by it, though a moment’s respite returns him to (still stressed) consciousness. Anselm actually recovers a point of stress seeing this “bogey man” of his past destroyed.

Krieger's player earned an extra fortune die in fight with imaginative description of character actions, describing how his attack with his hammer was hammering in further an arrow from Findulas. I added the Chaos Spawn as a suitable critter for "something's sending out corruption, driving dwarves nuts, mutating others etc." effect, inspired also by the player's pc background which is weaving into this adventure.

The heroes decide to take the spawn’s remains to the authoritiesmanage to manhandle it up into the streetshead off to a town guard watch station. A challenge die is rolled [just because I'm that kind of GM] a chaos star comes up – oh oh, it took them longer than they thought, the moons are up,in Morrslieb’s light the spawn still seems alive (it’s not)townspeople who are hurrying home are shockedterrified by the sight (+1 to the town’s tension meter).

[turning in a dead monster etc. to the guard watch also reduces tension by 1, but with the above event it's a net zero, so tension is trailing "day" by 1]

At the watch station, Serjeant Dunkel feels this is above his paygrade,calls for Captain Andrea Pfeffer (the tough but attractive red-headed no-nonsense commander of city watch). Krieger presents the chaos spawn, the heroes’ theory there is something up in the sewers mutating things into spawngiant ratstheir plan to return into them to find it.

An (in this circumstance) Easy Charm check finds the Captain still not particularly excited by this report. Ah well, another chance to impress a useful NPC who can push money your wayblame another way passes by.

Captain Pfeffer is well aware of the tendency for mutants to hide in the sewers if they don’t flee into the woods, seeing a chaos spawn as being more likely some wizard who tinkered in sorceryended up taking refuge in the sewers rather than evidence of source of chaos corruptionmutation down there (e.g., in this weirdness she doesn’t see more than the expected level of weirdness in the Old World). She gives a perfunctory thanks to the adventurerssays she will pass on that the watch is not to trouble them for going inout of sewers (the city does have a problem with smugglers using them at times so normally the watch would be asking questions of such activity – Anselm is studying the ceiling with his best blank look as she says that).

The spawn’s remains are burned by the watchthe heroes retire. They rest, recovering less rapidly than normal under Morrslieb’s effects (only getting first aidresilience check bonus healing, no baseline To=Wounds healing) . They decide to rest the next day (5th) as wellanother night passes.

On the 6th, in the morning they realize that they need to get some costumesgo to Madame Beaumarteau’s the next morning. “Everyone who is anyone eezz buying ze costumes pour le grande partay” They pass up the 5 gold karl style of costumer favoured by heads of noble housessuch,the 1 gold karl style favoured by less prominent nobles,go for the 20 shilling style favoured by merchantsothers of silver class (which will give a misfortune die on interactions with nobles but is till enough to convey some anonymity, the cheaper servant brass style of simple mask not giving as much anonymity).

Each player is to note what they are going as, Anselm is going as the Pied Piper.

They have the afternoon of the 6th left to continue their explorations.

Anselm’s “servant employment” at the mansion is to be on the 7th8th (if he plans to be there as a servant during prep but attend as guest during event) - anything he does with his pals on those days will have to be in the evening under the welcoming light of Morrslieb.

The Masquerade is the evening of the 9th.

This is all sounding really interesting too. Can't wait for the next installment. And will have to come back to these posts for some ideas on running this (when I finally do). Keep up the good work!

Thanks for kind words, sorry about spacing issues in the last session update, cut and paste from our private group message board and something wonkky happened.

Rob

24th advance earned

All heroes "on deck".

After obtaining costumes the heroes rested up for rest of day, still slowly recovering wounds under Morrslieb’s influence. Findulas is going as a tree, Krieger as a woodsman with an axe from a folk tale (something about wolves and grandmothers), Hans' costume is "to be announced". Anselm arranges for a "rat costume" for Senor Bitey to accompany him in his role as Pied Piper.

I don't think the players actually cottoned on to fact one will be dressed as a tree and one a wood cutter - now if only they can get drunk/insane enough...

They heard the new rumours circulating in town, spread by handbills (which the more literate townsfolk are reading to the less so, such as Hans reads it to his comrades) that warn of the “Rat Men who plot to destroy the empire”. Ordinarily these ridiculous stories would gain no traction but under the current conditions the townsfolk are fertile ground for any conspiracy nonsense. The heroes suspect that they know who is behind this, the agitator Anselm met earlier.

This is recalled by other players not Anselms - having other people remember something your character should is worth +1 to Party Tension meter, to 2.

The handbill was a handout from an earlier edition adventure that is cool, image of skaven-death figure, and lots of rhetoric about the evil rat-men etc. (doesn't name them skaven).

Anselm goes to the Marketstrasse and successfully spreads word of the Senor Bitey and friends having destroyed a chaos spawn and swarm of rats that was lurking in the sewers, making Ubersreik safer (reducing town tension a bit). Anselm does not detail information about the specific identities of Senor Bitey’s friends, which is later to cause some difficulty.

The following day, the 7th, Anselm goes to report for day labour work at the Holzenhauer’s rented mansion.

The rest of the rested group of heroes decides to return to the sewers and see if they can find the source of the corruption they suspect lurks there. Avoiding the area where they met the chaos spawn (and where swamp gas made lanterns risky) they head “up sewer” towards the south. They encounter simple booby traps (boards with nails in them) and Findulas spots the minute detail of a crude triangle marked secretively near it. They find two more such and deduce the mark is a warning to those who know to look for it.

Hans’ Education further recalls this is also a mark used by a cult to a lesser Ruinous Power, the Horned Rat. An obscure sect, they are mostly known to wizards because they hunt for wyrdstone, or warpstone as most call it, which is of course supposed to all be collected by College Wizards to be turned into the Hans’ Order of Light for safe containment.

Heading further up this sewer they come to a metal grill blocking it, with a chained and padlocked gate in it. They deduce this marks the sewer territory near to Graf von Jungfreud’s Castle Blackrock which is at the southern end of the town (off the main map). Findulas uses a dagger to pick the padlock (the improvised tool imposing 2 misfortune dice on his Skulduggery and a chaos star then damaging dagger enough he will later replace it). Continuing on, Krieger hears voices ahead – guards apparently alerted by sight of their lantern, sending an alert and preparing to investigate. Findulas wants to flee but Krieger hails the guards to explain themselves instead.

Krieger explains they are the ones who defeated the chaos spawn and they are searching the sewers for more evil, rat men. He realizes this foolishness, actually having misspoken for he meant to say “giant rats” of course, but the damage is done (rat men, what nonsense, +1 challenge die to being believable). The guards are not impressed and the heroes are “taken along” to meet Captain Erhlich of the Red Axes. He is also unimpressed, for one thing if they are the heroes who defeated the chaos spawn where is Senor Bitey? They are doubtless some over-eager rag tag band of “adventurers” (bound for a witch hunter’s pyre or a beastman’s gullet in all likelihood) but he ends up holding them rest of day and until morning to sort it out and teach them a lesson.

The “you’re not them, where’s the dog” due to Anselm not describing party except as his dog's aids (elf, Sigmar initiate, etc.) episode is worth another +1 party tension (3 now) but the “rat men, oh no, giant rats I meant” is worth a party fortune point (3 now).

Anselm’s day labour in the meantime, found him unable to “sneak off” and locate the homemade “hobbyist” bombs his friend, the former manor owner Konrad von Mahler, had asked him to find. Dice rolls worked out that way.

The next day, the 8th, Anselm was relieved to see his missing comrades turn up in the morning. He went off for his second day labour (by the way, Anselm earns a princely 20 brass pennies each day) and managed to find his friend’s two bombs but couldn’t smuggle them out successfully. He ended up stashing them upstairs in the manor behind some flower pots to avoid being found wandering around a noble’s manor with improvised explosives.

His comrades returned to the sewers and explored a different direction (up towards dwarven quarter, away from river), starting from the “booby trapped area”. Findulas overcame difficult odds to find a trail – someone had “reset” the trap and he trailed them to a side passage and a wooden ladder up to a trap door. Hans searched for traps and found one (chaos star) unfortunately catching his hand on the “trigger” such that disarming it becomes rather important. He had previously observantly noted acid marks on the brickwork here and deduces the nature of the trap is some sort of acid spray. Findulas manages to disarm the trap safely and leads the way sneaking up through the trap door.

The three heroes manage to stealthily get up through the trap door without making enough noise to alert the men they hear talking in the warehouse it comes up into (though a bit of stress is suffered with a close call). The heroes stealthily approach five men who they at first think are talking but then realize are engaged in some ritual where at times they are squeaking. Some of them wear “head dresses/masks” that make them look like man-rats – ah hah, the Cult of the Horned Rat! The heroes are sure enough of their identification that they launch an attack on the surprised quintet.

A melee ensues in which the heroes suffer few wounds, discover that one of their foes is a mutant with rat-like face/teeth and another is some sort of magic-worker whose false blasphemies are quite stressful to be targeted with even if the heroes benefit from being Skeptical. Hans suffers a miscast which temporarily sees him filled with Khorne’s own bloodlust and Krieger ends up suffering enough stress and fatigue that he also gains a temporary insanity (mental mutation). The cultists are quickly dispatched.

Hans magical sight locates a “mysterious flask” with strange markings on it that his Education understands to mean “healing potion” in the cult-language of the Horned Rat (or literally “heal-heal special drink”, Hans knows of course that normal healing draughts aren’t magical at all, magical sight wouldn’t find them). Hans has yet to try using his magical sight to actually “understand” the mysterious flask’s potion.

Krieger locates a secreted stash of coins, finding 2 gold karls and 40 silver shillings but while doing so stumbles into an “eddy” of chaos energy (this being a place where cultists have worked their foul rituals – 2 chaos stars!) and gains a point of corruption (his 2nd). Hans recovers from his temporary insanity but Krieger does not, the mental mutation becoming a long term issue for the Initiate.

First pemanent insanity!

The corrupting nature of the location suggests to the heroes they have found the “source of corruption” they searched for and also found, and hopefully accomplished means of ending, the source of rat rumours and stories about “rat men” (it being cultists wearing rat headdresses etc.).

They go to summon the city watch they dealt with before.

I added the small cult of the horned rat sect as a group being manipulated by the skaven, an intentional “fall guy” cover basically. It also gave the PC’s something to find in their certainty “there’s something to find in the sewers” without finding the Skaven (they weren’t actually searching part of the city sewers that would be relevant for that). Using the creature cards I pulled a cultist leader, cultists and mutant and gave them their standard actions plus a couple – with cover-slips over the cards I can use a dry-erase marker to track wounds on them directly etc. The encounter was more about targeting fatigue/stress than wounds.

The impromptu cultist warehouse lair had the following effects:

- from Bandit Camp, it was so cluttered with boxes, sacks etc. that it takes an extra manoeuvre to move every range (this contributed to Krieger getting fatigued and then ‘strained’)

- from Cursed Ruins, 2 chaos stars give a point of corruption (which almost didn’t matter but came through at the very end) which seems appropriate for a place of chaos worship etc.

The money was an impromptu “you’ve been spending a bit, let’s give you some cash and make the accomplishment you’ve just had more positive for you (takes the edge of it being part of falling for a trick)”. GM wise just having PC’s fall for tricks and acquire permanent insanities etc. when they “win a fight” is a bit de-protagonizing so here was something positive.

The “mysterious flask” was an impromptu find, it’s a warpstone-enhanced healing draught – roll an expertise die + 4 fortune dice and comet you cure all stress and fatigue, however it counts as an exposure to corruption and requires a Hard 3D Resilience check if consumed to avoid 3 corruption (+1 per Chaos Star).

Very nice! All sounding like good fun!

A question though - do your players know about the skaven? I.e. do they know the Warhammer world at all? Are they just roleplaying a disbelief in skaven, or do they genuinely not know that they are a significant faction/enemy?

I'm not really sure how I want to handle this, but I do know all my players know all about the skaven!

The players don't know much about the warhammer world.

One has played the "Chaos in the Old World" boardgame so knows the 4 great ruinous powers (which has lead to fun, spontaneously recognizing the blood god being referenced to leading to in character suspiscion at table, 'hmmm why do you know his name..."). Another seems to have a bit of knowledge, I suspect maybe having read an earlier edition of rules long ago or similar (he was the one who said "ratmen, oh, no I mean giant rats").

None of them have used the word "skaven" for example.

I think they know "we're going to meet ratmen, but the GM will see the world is not kind to us if we let on we know that..."

They are innocent of the mechanics of game beyond the core rules I've explained and provided summaries on including racial and Empire backgrounds. For example, they don't know how much corruption it takes before mutation hits etc (I've told them they're safe at least to their toughness and then a bit)., or that a dwarf/elf would go insane etc.

They also don't "study up much" on stuff away from table.

valvorik said:

That's interesting. I thought it'd be almost impossible to find anyone (let alone a whole group) willing to play WFRP but not knowing anything about the setting (even just from walking past a GW shop). You're lucky!

I anticipate fudging things a bit. My players will roleplay not knowing about Skaven perfectly well, but I want to make it a bit more interesting for them. I don't think the official line is very plausible (or get why people find giant ratmen implausible but orks and dark elves fine). I think I'm going to make it that people just don't recognise 'ratmen' as a faction distinct from beastmen and mutants. I'll also be sure to make sure that there are plenty of 'ratty' beastmen encountered by the players before they meet any real skaven, and also that 'themed' groups of beastmen are not uncommon (so, gangs of beastmen with lots of dog features etc).

Well, I'm looking forward to the next installment!

I have some thoughts in house rule forum on "there's no such thing as skaven" and was using some of them (the extra challenge die, all pc's backed the silly declaration so no party tension there).

I agree and think that's used in various earlier products, "just a mutant, must have been peculiar beastman" etc.

My take on it is that just because you know there are x, y and z things that exist that "we find fantastic and unbelievable" doesn't mean that you don't still find m, n and p things just as unbelievable - after all the witch hunters and wizards etc. would have found them by now. People of the Empire are no more likely to believe in giant technologically advanced rat people than are we, basically.

There is the awkward question of too many bodies etc. but that's where burning buildings, acid vats and explosions etc. need to play their part, not to mention the skaven habit of collapsing tunnels to cover their tracks even at cost of their own followers etc.

The final skaven fight in the module needs to be dressed up with those "evidence destroying factors" a bit.

25th advance earned.

All heroes on deck, though starting with Anselm finishing his day’s labour helping prepare the mansion Hozenhauer has rented and others reporting their destruction of a cult of the horned god cell to Captain Blucher of the Imperial Garrison.

The heroes chose the Captain for they were suspicious of local civil authorities and possible influence of Graf von Jungfreud. Captain Blucher approved of their actions but was a bit mystified why they were reporting to him on a matter within the city walls, and sent them off to Captain Andrea Pfeffer.

The heroes did better impressing her this time than last (cumulative effect of their endeavours 2 fortune dice on the charm roll to see her reception). The warehouse is examined, Sigmarite clergy summoned to see what sort of cleansing needed, the area cordoned off, remains taken in to be identified (families may need to be questioned) and then burned. Captain Pfeffer pays each of Findulas, Hans and Krieger a 20 schilling reward.

Hans determines that the mysterious flask of "heal heal drink" is a warpstone-enhanced healing draught of great potency but also potentially corrupting influence. No hero is interested in relying on it but as it contains warpstone Hans holds onto it to sent to his College for containment. Hans is considered the best to hold it in terms of "explaining this to a witch hunter".

As word of the revelation, and destruction, of a horned rat cult sect spreads this eases tensions about “rat mysteries” in town and advances the heroes’ favour with all the noble families by 1 space (1 short of Patronage now with Aschaffenberg).

That’s it for the 8th of the month, the heroes rest and on the 9th during day some go shopping to buy various items. That evening, Hans as Judge Eckhardt the Brave (a local folk hero in Ubersreik), Krieger as a woodsman of fable, Findulas as a tree and Anselm as the Pied Piper (with Senor Bitey as a large rat) arrive at the ball at 7:15 with Lord Aschaffenberg, his wife, and his mischevious nephew Maximillian (in his faux-Bruner family mutant costume).

The heroes help Lord Aschaffenberg advance his cause among the guests, as others keep arriving and accomplish various other tasks along the way: Findulas manages to save Lord Aschaffenberg from drinking a doctored wine though he also antagonizes some dwarf brewery works on a delivery quite badly, Hans intimidates the lecherous Florian Pfeiffraucher (Pfeiffraucher by name, Pfeiffraucher by nature) to save poor Shallyan novice Marianne Hetzlich further embarrassment at his hands, and eventually the heroes detect shenanigans aimed at the latest delivery of beer from Borgun’s Brewery.

I modified how advancing family interests worked. If interested I will post. Roleplaying here was fun.

The social pressures of the evening combined with difficult observation checks out under the sickly light of Morrslieb (spotting shadowy figures coming out of wells etc.) is quite stressful for some heroes though they manage to Assess Situation and benefit from various minor blessings and spells to manage stress down.

Finding that the ale has been tampered with, laced with a powerful warpstone additive (determined by Hans’ magical sight I think I had to prompt a bit for this, won't so much in future) - and showing this to Borgun (who is outraged and now well disposed to the heroes, except the Elf, for saving him from serving sabotaged product – think of the liability claims, or in Old World terms, think of the what Witch Hunters would have done…), and then telling Lord Aschaffenberg the heroes give their just-now-becoming-patron-because-you-have-done-so-well friend the ammunition he needs to “out” Lord Holzenhauer publicly over the poor security here at his ball.

Lord Aschaffenberg does a quick “head count of who is in who’s camp”, sees he’s essentially “won” (hmm, not quite to dim after all it seems) if the night ends now and so… the ball dissolves with Lord Aschaffenberg having a clear majority of those backing anyone in his camp, Holzenhauer having a couple of supporters and Saponatheim having none.

Specifically, Lord Rickard von Aschaffenberg has the support of Alfred Karstat (merchant guild), Fritz Langenhorn (boatman’s guild), Johann Brass (metalworker’s guild), Captain Blucher, Marianne Hetzlich (temple of shallya, her views will carry those of the high priestess of temple) and Schadrach Burke (Morr’s Garden). Ironically, he does not have the support of the Temple of Sigmar.

Holzenhauer has the support of Captain Andrea Pfeffer, Commander of the City Watch, and Christophe Engle the Grey Wizard. Wolfgang von Falkenheyn (a lesser noble) was revealed to part of his faction.

Saponatheim has no supporters and Florian Pfeiffraucher, part of his faction, made an embarrassment of himself to boot. Heroes may recall Florian had been absent earlier when they returned to Ubersreik (having paid his fine for killing a peasant at Three Feathers), having gone to Bogenhafen for festivities there ~ Bogenhafen being within Saponatheim’s sphere of influence.

Over the course of the politicking the heroes also learned that Graf von Jungfreud still has supporters (agents at ball working against anyone coming out ahead – Margrave Reinhart von Macksen) and that Lord Justice Heismann von Bruner truly has a dislike now for the Aschaffenbergs despite his neice's marriage into family.

The warpstone-laced ale is a serious danger and is to be secured at the Temple of Sigmar pending transfer to Altdorf (efforts to reduce it down to save on volume for transport may be made, Hans may be called on the help as a Hysh user and part of the Order of Light responsible for containing such things).

Captain Pfeffer plans to have militia explore down the well to see where that figure came from, though when the heroes offer their services she is quick to note their previous accomplishments under the city and asks if they will take on the task. They agree, though leave briefly to change and get their regular gear (e.g., Krieger trades the axe of his costumer for the dwarf warhammer he otherwise carries).

The players were slow to go in hot pursuit of shadowy figures etc.

By 10:00 pm, they will be back at the manor ready to go down the well. During the to and fro, Hans helped Anselm get his friend’s two experimental bombs out of the mansion.

By 10:00 pm, the manor is surrounded by militia and the guests gone,; only Holzenhauer and his household, Gunther Emming the Lector of Sigmar and Captain Pfeffer remain. Captain Blucher has gone off to strengthen Imperial guard patrols around the city (these chaos plots often come “in teams”, one inside and outside so to speak) and put his troops on alert.

There is general uproar among the nobility and well-to-do, the effrontery of cultists, plotting to taint the entire ruling class of Ubersreik ~ imagine the horror if that had happened, who could possibly be behind this (the heroes’ gazes turn to Castle Blackrock, home of Graf von Jungfreud – the poor Graf, so misunderstood).

-- the history of Graf von Jungfreud and Auerswald's difficulties (see elsewhere in this GM forum) is reviewed with PC's

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=165&efcid=3&efidt=470968

We break.

valvorik said:

Yes please!

This sounds like a really fun adventure. I'll have to read it through properly in full.

It's a long time since I've read any of the older WFRP books, so are there any in particular which contain information which ties in with all the political family background of Edge of Night? Presumably Heirs of Sigmar does. Any others?

I'd hate to prepare for or run this adventure and then find I'd missed the opportunity to tie it in with a lot of other cool (and existing) background material.

Okay here's what I did. Don't underestimate the work to make the first part useable and value my players' input had in engaging etc.

I haven't seen many sources on info, there's only a wee bit about Ubersreik in Heirs of Sigmar though I do find that a useful book overall.

Masquerade Ball Tracking System

NPC’s are won over by checks (put a family’s crest token on one of their cards). A family will have to be in the lead and equal or surpass the score of both others to “win hands down”, e.g., of the 11 NPC’s to win favour with, have 6

Each 15 minute slot, key NPC’s who have arrived act, unless they are doing something else by the timeline.

The family heads all roll Charm: 2 blue 2 green 1 white 1 yellow each time (noble with the noted skills etc). Other nobles who are acting don’t include the yellow and are 3 blue, 1 green. I actually pregenerated strings of these rolls with only the challenge dice and any situational white/black dice to add to keep things moving quickly.

Generally, any well-roleplayed skill use that is logical in the situation should be permitted without simply “waving in” whatever skill someone wants to rely on - this is to avoid it being Charm-Charm-Charm all the time for PC's.

Specific NPC’s can be swayed by other checks, in addition to Charm, in all cases roleplaying it in the dialoge (e.g., a Folklore check might demonstrate knowledge of markets, sources of raw materials to a guildmaster). Different NPC’s also respond favourably to various career-traits:
Captains Pfeiffer and Blucher respond to Leadership, a Combat or Military-trait in career gives a fortune die.
Christophe Engle responds to displays of Education, an Academic or Arcane-trait in career gives a fortune die.
Schadrach Burke, Marianne Hetzlich and Heinrich Gutenberg respond to displays of Piety, a Devoted career trait gives a fortune die, as does being a known supporter of the faith (e.g., attended the temple etc. previously).
Guildmasters respond to Folklore and give a fortune die to anyone with Urban trait in career.

The check is Easy (1D) if target is unaligned, Average (2D) if they have already been claimed. Competing checks are made if multiple actors target the same NPC at same time. A triple success impresses enough to add a misfortune die to any effort to sway them away later.

Delay for NPC means they get no action the next 15 minute slot. Chaos Star for NPC means they lose an existing NPC who simply changes their mind.

The specific actors are:

- Noble Family heads check as seems best to them. As first choices, Aschaffenberg targets clergy, Holzenauer targets the Captains and women, Saponatheim targets guild masters (3 preferred targets each). They gain another fortune die targeting their preferred group. This can be adjusted for who is in same room etc.
- Wolfgang von Falkenhayn and Pfeiffraucher support variable families (per text), they are both Reckless and roll 1 red not 1 green
- Lord Heismann and Mackensen make checks to “unalign” someone in whichever camp is leading, with Heismann when in doubt after Aschaffenberg, they both act as an Independent Faction. Improved successes and comets on their efforts mean they have made another NPC particularly resistant to joining any faction. Heissmann just thinks "you're all not good enough" and Mackensen is actually a von Jungfreud supporter.

Heroes can make their own influence checks, try to sideline NPC’s for a turn or even concoct a stratagem to “negate” the future influence of an NPC by creative roll playing and opposed rolls etc. (e.g., send them from the Ball), and various events may do that as well.

The embarrassing events that "set back progress" (e.g., mutant costume, dwarven money collectors, lecherous supporters - 1@ for each faction) instead impose a misfortune die on the next round all checks for that family and fortune die on all checks against it if that event happens.

This can lead to good roleplaying, for example Hans knew that letting the lecherous Pfeiffraucher continue his actions vis a vis the poor Shallyan novice would hurt the Saponatheim interest but intervened out of principle (whereupon I indicated that could make her either pro-Aschaffenberg or pro-Hans, he chose pro-Aschaffenberg).

26th advance earned. All heroes on deck.

Down the well the heroes went to pursue the perpetrator of this foul plot against Ubersreik’s elite.

Findulas' player remarks, "oh a dungeon"?

They soon found themselves back in the sewers – strangely relieved to be out from under the light of Morrslieb. Skill at tracking noted more than one set of tracks (biped) recently and magical sight spotted residual traces (likely that warpstone though Hans did not look so hard as to be sure) and Senor Bitey smelling something familiar as the heroes are all part of the heroes finding their way through the sewer to a set of “passages” dug out from side of it. In such unfamiliar environs, Findulas’s senses failed him and he fell prey to another simple booby trap ( Fade to Black critical, 4 fatigue ), though Hans avoids falling in to the mire and muck.

Findulas went ahead down the passage to scout things out and found himself at the entry to a medium-chamber with a sickly green illumination and with five rat-men in it! He passed a Fear 2D check seeing this impossible sight but the rat-men were alerted and melee began (with Findulas shooting and backing away). The heroes joined (all having to make and most passing the check). They narrowly avoided warpstone throwing stars as they fought the 5 foes, who were joined shortly by another 3 (1 gang of henchmen) who some chittering in another room had driven into a frenzy, and then by a immense rat-featured monstrosity, what Findulas called “a rat ogre”.

The player honestly didn't know that this was what the monsters are called in warhammer!

The rat ogre was a deadly foe, dealing almost his full wound score to Findulas who was knocked (free manoeuvre) down passage, dealing a Fade to Black (3 fatigue) critical to Hans. The heroes had difficulty wounding the hardy creature, Krieger’s hammer being damaged ( chaos star on attack roll, using the additional range of variant options in GM hardback ), but they gradually defeated the other rat men or Skaven. However, a new foe appeared, the shadow shielded-warpstone snorting-adorned with dire trinkets Rasknitt who is cursing man-things for interfering with his plans.

Finduals avoided warplightning and shot him, whereupon the Skaven vanished away (Anselm noting really back into the chamber beyond). Hans uses the magic of Hysh to temporarily blind the rat ogre.

The fight breaks as Rasknitt reappears, healed of injury, with only the Rat Ogre still standing in the chamber (Rasknitt to act then new round, with a Skaven token at top of initiative order).

...AND?

Oh, the suspense!

27th Advance Earend. All Heroes on deck.

Rasknitt the Skaven reappears, healed of all wounds and a potentially fearful sight (though not throwing much scare into anyone), he summons a swarm of rats to attack Anselm and Senor Bitey.

His rat ogre seizes upon Krieger and mangles Krieger’s good right arm (Mangled Limb critical). Hans manages to suppress that critical wound with First Aid and Krieger uses Sigmar’s own fury channeled through his warhammer to stave in the creature’s skull (killing wounds with a good 3 criticals at once as well).

Findulas rapidly fires a stream of arrows into the skaven seer (3 hits), killing him outright! OUCH my poor villain, well thankfully that warpstone filled chamber is bad ass enough on its own.

After a couple of rounds the heroes manage to disperse the rat swarm and survey the area. Hans’ magical sight confirms the seer had several magical items but all have a menacing greenish cast to them and Hans doesn’t even want to know what they do – they are poked into a bag using a stick and tied to the end of it (so it can be carried like a hobo bundle, away from person).

Hans goes to look into the next chamber, which radiates green light and sees a shrine to the horned rat, caclination chamber and apparatus, sacks of something and a strange orrerry. He realizes the orrerry has a warpstone Morrslieb poised over Ubersreik and figures out it has “stalled” Morrslieb in its path over the city. He uses a cantrip to carefully adjust the orrerry and send Morrslieb on its way, though simply being close enough to the room to see all its contents had forced him to endure a Minor Corruption check which he failed for 2 Corruption.

The players, particularly Hans', wanted to know about lead lined suit level precautions for dealing with warpstone etc. and I explained that about two white dice worth of precautions was it.

The heroes reported back to the well entry, seeing the area was now controlled by Reiksguard, recognized in their red and white livery, with black “iron cross” – white skull centre, under Field Marshall Seiber’s personal command (Ubersreik’s odd situation having 80 of the Emperor’s personal guard in it being noted). The Reiksguard take control of the creature’s lair (labelling the rat ogre “the biggest rat mutant they’ve seen” … but not a skaven/rat man of course).

The players recognize this as "the FBI/men in black showing up to take control of the crime scene."

It is confirmed the town bounty on rats is per rat not by weight (much to Anselm’s chagrin as he eyes the rat ogre corpse).

Heroes turn in (end of Episode fatigue/stress recovery, then Night’s Rest recoveries and into an Interlude).

Interlude - Nachgeheim 10-16, 2521

I am using the formal interlude rules, only one or two on screen actions. No stress fatigue recovery after 1st night (really you would only have any then if you had exceeded twice your stat). You don't have to spend time (just money) to buy pentiful or abudnant items, or to buy an item on career card you're out of (e.g., arrows for a hunter), or an item you had as part of starting weatth and don't have one of (e.g., if you started with healing draught).

The next morning after the Masquerade Ball, heroes are invited to lunch with Lord Aschaffenberg, where he makes the formal offer of patronage that they graciously accept. (We say that Anselm's advance spent on Charm benefits from the free Diplomacy specialization this provides).

Lord A. is pleased with heroes actions against cults, defending noble mansions from mobs etc. This is just the sort of thing that Ubersreik, the Reikland, why the Empire itself, needs and depends on. Vern Hendrick hands each a blue purse with the 20 shilling stipend for the month of Nachgeheim.

The heroes do their best to make a good impression on the patron over lunch, each having one "role" to play in doing so and making one "roll":

- Krieger's intuition confirms Lord Rikard's piety seems genuine and that he's not actually all that taken in by the obsequious praise Anselm heaps on their new patron, in fact seems a bit sharper than his public image.

- Hans impresses Lord Rikard with the heroes' judgment and ability to be trusted, speaking of the dark cults that seem to threaten Ubersreik and the College of Light's role in such matters. Lord A. permits Hans to wear the actual Aschaffenberg crest (golden eagle on blue field) and Hans would be able to become an Agent of the Aschaffenberg family (career transition) with 1 less advance (a bit tricky to balance that with being a College Wizard, would likely have to become Exeat Wizard and no longer advance in wizard career). The heroes' judgment is well enough trusted they can, if warranted, interrupt Lord Rickard in social engagements or middle of night and get an audience.

point out to amusement of table the deep conspiracy in the warhammer rules from start, the Agent Career card illustration shows a man wearing the Aschaffenberg family colours and crest.

- Findulas impresses Lord Rikard the hunting enthusiast with his talk of elven hunting techniques and training, so much so that the heroes have access to Aschaffenberg stables, this refreshing apolitical talk does impose a misfortune die on the next roll however (two banes). Findulas does unfortunately for him get asked to check out some areas around city for hunting (essentially using up an Interlude action on errands for patron, Chaos Star) and rolls a second Chaos star that folds into Anselm's check.

- Anselm employs his newfound Charm to schmooze Lord Aschaffenberg, complimenting him on his many wonderful traits etc. Though he has a misfortune die for being Brass Tier and two more for the gap between his Fellowship (4) and the worst of his friends (it's harder to be successfully charming when you've got less charming friends along), another from the transition (Findulas roll impacting his).

Still Anselm charms the Lord Aschaffenberg who explains his plans for next couple of weeks (socializing with potential allies, firming up that we all want the right things for Ubersreik etc), he may go to Altdorf if the Emperor doesn't send a Plenipotentiary to judge situation (perhaps the heroes might come along, no rush, several weeks before that's an issue), and what's more the impression is favourable enough that Lord Rikard (seeing several heroes suffer critical wounds) advises Vern Hendrick to tell his physician, Doktor Hermann Neubaum of the Physiks Guild to render care to them and not overcharge them like the common herd.

What's more, seeing the heroes are dressed a bit shabbily (mostly brass tier) he tells Vern to set them up with referrals. The heroes are invited to join Lord Rikard on a hunting party in a week or so.

However, (that last chaos star), Lord Aschaffenberg is suddenly struck by a wonderful idea (beware patrons with wonderful ideas), his nephew Maximilian is a bit of a loose cannon, the lad means no harm but he's at loose ends. What he needs is to be sobered up a bit. Thought of seeing him in the military but that's not a good idea before he sobers up. It would be grand for him to accompany you for a bit. He can see the serious side of life. Lord Rickard does not wait for response before summoning Maximilian and informing the bleery eyed (apparently he hasn't been up long) young man of his decision.

This is the opposite of the Serjeant Balthus card I used in Gathering Storm, Maximillian isn't a NPC who takes actions etc., he's a card with special effects and features, mostly trouble-making.

Ratmen or Skaven are not brought up much, Lord A sticks to the public line it seems: Madmen, mutants and cultists more like. Rat-men living underneath every town and city in the Empire, that's the sort of nonsense story this leads to - think of the panic man, why what would we have to pay the ratcatchers. Would appreciate it if you kept stories like that to yourself.

Lord A does think that attempt to slip something into his drink was a bit duplicative with poisoning everyone's ale. Lord Aschaffenberg says this could be either one of his rivals being over-exuberant in their competition or something darker, would appreciate heroes keeping an eye out.

Net Patronage Effects after Lunch

- baseline 20 shillings a month (lunch start of month and receive)
- baseline train Charm, get free Diplomacy specialization (the example and influence of your patron)

The rest were gained with specific rolls from the Lunch (I made a point that in this world you get ahead by knowing the right people or robbing them, not by killing beastmen and goblins) .:

- when in blue and gold (wearing colours of Team Aschaffenberg) gain a fortune die on interactions with other A Team supporters in Ubersreik: merchant guild (importers), metalworkers and boatbuilders.
- Hans' privilege of wearing crest gives an additional fortune die with A Team in Ubersreik.
- Borrow riding horses from Aschaffenberg stables for up to 8 days at a time.
- Lord A's physician, Doktor Neubaum provides medical care at 50 shilling rate rather than the 1 gold karl starting asking price.
- Getting Vern Hendrick's recommendation makes luxury goods easier to find - when shopping for goods that cost at least 1 gold karl and getting Vern's recommendation, the difficulty of locating them is reduced by 1 challenge die.
- Maximilian is along with the heroes no (not a benefit really).

In the following days:

Krieger decides to find a dwarven smith to repair his warhammer by referral through the Aschaffenberg-friendly metalworker's guild. There he manages (Easy Charm) to be told that Korden's Warhammer fine dwarven craft that it is, would be regarded as clan property and grudge worthy (rather like it says on the card - the Player never caught on to this) if not returned etc. (avoiding a Charm 4D check to talk his way out of just walking into a dwarven smithy with it). Instead, he returns the hammer to the dwarven community, via the respected smith Hargin Sternhelm. The return is appreciated and Krieger gains a dwarf friend fortune die when interacting with dwarves in Ubersreik and with Hargin Sternhelm personally he can obtain items Hargin makes at one less difficulty level in chance of finding (Krieger immediately places an order for a superior warhammer, costing 2 karls, 50 shillings, he will likely be able to get that his next interlude).

Findulas runs errand for Lord A and otherwise hears some strange music in Ubersreik, like a elven voice in song, but even though he tries waiting until dark when town quieter he fails to track the eerie sound to its source (it is not a one-time sound, it continues). This is a little wood elfy mystery I created to play out at its own pace.

Hans distils the tainted ale from the Masquerade, with aid of dwarf brewmaster Borgun Foambeard (still outraged about his prize beer- Old Subterranean- being tampered with), at the request of Holy Father Gunther Emming, Lector of Sigmar. He successfully avoids corrupting mishaps and reduces the volume of tainted material down to the sediment, which can be packed up in some not too obvious caskets for eventual transport to Altdorf and the College of Light's containment facilities. No banes or chaos stars on his roll to do this, I was disappointed as they would have been oopsies and chances for more corruption, currently Hans has 2 and Krieger has 2.

While working at the temple, Hans overhears Lector Emming worriedly asking initiates for news of Holy Father Holstein, and being told there is none. Finding a moment to inquire, he learns Holy Father Richter Holstein is the Sigmarite priest in the mining village of Hugeldal some 20 miles or so south of Ubersreik. At the start of month, he lead some militia and dwarven miners to deal with a report of beastmen in the region and he's not been heard back from (over 2 weeks now). Hans relates this to his friends, Krieger being interested. Staring the lead in to Horror of Hugeldal.

Hans also enlists Anselm's aid to try to access watch records about his mother and Ralf Anwult's arrest but they do not manage to get access, the watch being under Captain Pfeffer who is not on Team Aschaffenberg. Easy roll with 2 black dice but failed anyway - this is part of PC's personal story.

Anselm spends time learning to pass as Silver tier from his acquaintance Konrad Mahler (the down-on-luck noble explosives experimenter). He does suffer a mild concussion while accompanying Konrad on a testing expedition to blow up some old buildings outside town (he recovers from this before the end of Interlude).

During this time the heroes also heard random rumours - I created a "deck of them" 3 general information/theme of setting; 6 information about the situation in town tying into current/past/future adventures; 4 personal story oriented.

They also went before the town council one day to be voted a reward of 15 schillings each for averting the poisoning of most of the town's notables (indeed all of the council was there except for the head of the Carters' Guild - Hans gives the fellow a hard look).

The big matter on the agenda that day is the proposed ordinance banning sale of pie from pie cards during Pie Week next month (being advocated by the Stoutheart clan of the Stoutheart Pie Shoppes and bitterly opposed by the Greenthistle clan, operator of the pie carts popular with lower classes). Kurt Groffnung (agitator) is acting as advocate for the Greenthistles, the Stouthearts have a cadverly looking lawyer working for them. The two factions have to be kept apart by town watch in the council foyer. After the heroes leave, the council passes the ordinance amidst an uproar.

Kurt Groffnung takes to the streets to denounce the council, If this is what we can expect from the Freistadt, bring back a noble! (He had previously been a freistadt guy).

The town council's recognition means they are public heroes and gain a fortune die on all Social checks in Ubersreik until end of Ernetezeit (cumulative with Team A bonus where applicable).

Next, the Episode of Lord Aschaffenberg's Hunting Party

Brilliant. Sounds really fun. I love your interludes.

I'd like to see more detail on what the Maximillian NPC card does if/when you've got it sorted out.

Ask and you shall receive:

MAXIMILIAN VON ASCHAFFENBERG

• Once a session provide a Gold Tier introduction or similar benefit – open a door or get past some officialdom difficultly.
• Cursed Brat - In each encounter, adds a floating challenge die (like a point of corruption) which is +1 Party tension if it doesn’t come up blank.
• Comets can be allocated to “Maximilian learns something” (instead of a normal benefit), but only once an Encounter (if he learns 4 things he’s an improved man and ready to move on) and avoid the Challenge Die for that encounter if it hasn't been used yet.
• Chaos Stars that aren't directly allocated by action cards or location cards become “oops, critical for Maximilian” (4th kills him) (not a happy patron there)

sir,

you are a constant inspiration.

what are these formal interlude rules you refer to?

edit: scratch that ... i found them in the house rules section.

Dear Valvorik,

I can only agree with New Zombie in that the way you handle this gamesystem, is real pleasure to read about. I am shamelessly going to steal (having actually already done so a couple of times) a lot of you ideas. I look forward to the next installment of "the young and the restless" (hmmm... never thought I'd say that), and I sincerely hope that you will keep up the good and inspiring work that you do in this community.

"...he's a card with special effects and features, mostly trouble-making."

This made me chuckle

It's like a used car-dealer trying to sell a car: "Lovely paintjob, brand new tires, but the engine is broken..."

I want to gather all your installments in one booklet, would make a fine read.

Thanks for the kind words.

The "Interlude" rules are in Tome of Adventure (and GM Guide), for Tome of Adventure see page 37 for the Step 1 through Step 5 list of Interlude stuff including that "most Interludes allow time for one activity" and the list of suggested ones.

Oh, and yes Maximilian is a card, mutant costumes of relatives only the start, funny hats, bad impressions of the person you're talking to behind their back etc, I imagine him as the brattiest English public school boy etc....

valvorik said:

Excellent! Although I don't quite understand how this works. Is this a challenge die that you as GM can choose to add to a roll once per encounter? Or a die you add to every roll? Or a single, one-die roll that you roll every encounter to see if there is any ill-effect? Do you roll it separately? If not, how do you know if that die came up blank, and not a different one?

I love the way you deal with these NPCs. It seems like a great way to introduce lots of NPCs to the party in a really simple way, while not distracting time and attention from the players, and still giving the players a big role in what happens to them.

It's one roll per encounter, as soon as I see the opportunity for Max to foul things up, "here's an extra challenge die on that action PC, and party stress if it's not blank". Yes, I roll it on its own so we see what he's managed to foul up.

valvorik said:

He he. Awesome. Have you used him yet? Only one dice per encounter seems like not a lot... I'd be very tempted to make him more of a burden than that...