Band of Blades: The Road to Skydagger Keep (Inactive)

Game Master Douglas Muir 406

DMDM Dom't we get a reward for succeeding in the mission (with zero losses, I would point out)? Or is it jsut that we survived to fight another day?

Oh, you get Experience! We need to do Experience!

Remember Ettenmakr Does anyone have ideas they want included in this?

About the only thing that's fixed is that it was a crushing defeat; the armies of humanity lost, the Cinder King won, the Legion was decimated and you lost all your stuff. Beyond that, you can retcon in all sorts of hooks. I'm going to leave the details up to you guys, but just thinking out loud:

-- consider the Infamous in the book. Could one of them have been involved? (Makes it more interesting when/if you meet them again.)

-- what unexpected powers might the Cinder King or the Broken have displayed to turn the tide of battle?

-- was any kind of magical item involved -- an artifact, relic, whatever -- on either side?

-- what if there was a traitor -- in the army generally, or the Legion specifically?

Experience!

In BoB, you gain EPs by surviving missions. You then use those EPs to buy two things: Special Abilities, and Action dots. You get these by filling out the clocks on your charsheet -- if memory serves, it's a 6-clock to get a dot, and an 8-clock to buy a Special Ability. So, how many EPs do you get? Let's consult page 56!

-- Surviving the mission. No matter how the mission goes, each character learns something. EVERYBODY GETS 1 EP.

-- Your playbook-specific xp trigger. For example, the Heavy’s is “if you helped your squad through might or fortitude.” To “help,” your character should attempt to overcome a tough obstacle or danger. It doesn’t matter if the action is successful or not. You get xp either way. YOU DECIDE IF YOU GET 1 XP.

-- You used a heritage trait. If you invoked a heritage trait during the mission, you can gain xp. You get this xp when you use the mechanical benefit of your trait. For instance, if you gain +1 sway from your Orite Connected trait, and you rolled sway to gain information from reluctant nobles, you can mark xp. You might also bring cultural aspects of your heritage into the story, such as swearing a Zemyati blood oath or giving someone a Bartan necklace charm. These scenes should be memorable and poignant. Either way, feel free to tell the group what you remember when you mark xp. YOU DECIDE IF YOU GET 1 XP.

-- You struggled with issues from your traumas. Mark xp if your trauma conditions caused you trouble during a mission. N/A (yet, heh heh heh)

-- Per threat of the highest threat opponent. For example, if the highest threat of opponent you faced was threat 3, then you gain 3 xp. EVERYBODY WHO FACED EATER GETS 3 XP.

Related: Doyen filled his "It's All Really Getting To Me" clock. Way back on page 1, we agreed that this would result in some sort of breakdown -- something more than Level 1 Harm, but less than Trauma. (Doyen, I notice that you filled the clock entirely by interacting with Old Hans!)

I can assign something, but do you want to give it a try instead? What happens with Doyen?

Marshall!

Protective! Bold! Cautious! Stylish! Crisp!

I'm modeling him largely on Field Marshall Montgomery mainly because that's the first name that comes to mind when I hear 'Marshall'.

EVERYBODY GETS 1 EP.

-- Your playbook-specific xp trigger. For example, the Heavy’s is “if you helped your squad through might or fortitude.” To “help,” your character should attempt to overcome a tough obstacle or danger. It doesn’t matter if the action is successful or not. You get xp either way. YOU DECIDE IF YOU GET 1 XP.

Through GLORIOUS COMBAT and fortitude, I did indeed overcome many obstacles.

-- You used a heritage trait. YOU DECIDE IF YOU GET 1 XP.

I did indeed portray my Stoic manner.

-- Per threat of the highest threat opponent. For example, if the highest threat of opponent you faced was threat 3, then you gain 3 xp. EVERYBODY WHO FACED EATER GETS 3 XP.

I overcame both the Oak Knights and had a hand defeating Eater.
XP = 6

questions.

1) on recruit advances, how do they get multiple special abilities if the first one they have to pick promotes them to soldier?

2) Do all the grinning ravens get 6xp? are they all soldiers now?

3) is there a purpose to the sniper having two pistols? is there any benefit over having one? do you get extra potency for using two fine weapons?

4) as Marshall am I suppose to name and stat out each squad?

DMDM Dom't we get a reward for succeeding in the mission (with zero losses, I would point out)? Or is it jsut that we survived to fight another day?

Initial legion values Does anyone who's played this before have preferences on what options I shoud cross out?

Remember Ettenmakr Does anyone have ideas they want included in this?

The bonus to the characters we played are already covered-- we'll probably want to decide which of the characters (e.g. Leon) are officially part of the Legion. If Leon isn't, could we consider giving XP to one of the rookies who took part in the mission?

The Legion definitely benefited from cutting off the bridge. From memory, our morale is better than it would have been if we lost, and our starting time seems better than I remember my other campaign (which was the Horned One mission). There may have been some other effect.

For legion's values, in my F2F campaign, the first mission involved a Devil's bargain, that we had to fetch a postal cache as a secondary object to that mission. As a result, I as lorekeeper decided that that legion was originally a logistics and mail delivery organization, and so valued integrity, and so crossed out all options that involved a legionnaire stealing from the legion. I'd suggest coming up with some value or thematic element that you want to overlay on the legion, and run with it. For instance, you can play up the military discipline of the legion is remove any choice that goes against that sort of discipline, or emphasize the tension between those who are under Shreya's sway (conscious or not) and those who value the legion's independence, and remove options appropriately.

For remembering ettenmark fields, I'd like to know how many were in the Legion originally, and it would be cool if we can incorporate the characters, especially if there are command staff that got recently promoted after the prior ones died. For the record, I'd like The Quartermaster to be an old character (so predated the Battle of Ettenmark Fields), and am inclined to consider One Eye to be relatively new to being a specialist, but was not battlefield promoted.

Related: Doyen filled his "It's All Really Getting To Me" clock. Way back on page 1, we agreed that this would result in some sort of breakdown -- something more than Level 1 Harm, but less than Trauma. (Doyen, I notice that you filled the clock entirely by interacting with Old Hans!)

I can assign something, but do you want to give it a try instead? What happens with Doyen?

How about Lvl 2 Harm, Severely Depressed?

Also, the Doyen took some key shots, so 1 XP for that.
The education and family of the Doyen were mentioned, so I am taking 1 XP for that.

Adding in 3 for threat and 1 for surviving, and I get 6 XP. I am going to put 5 in prowess to increase Shoot to 3 and bank the last XP in the ability clock.

questions.

1) on recruit advances, how do they get multiple special abilities if the first one they have to pick promotes them to soldier?

2) Do all the grinning ravens get 6xp? are they all soldiers now?

3) is there a purpose to the sniper having two pistols? is there any benefit over having one? do you get extra potency for using two fine weapons?

4) as Marshall am I suppose to name and stat out each squad?

Every player can have one of the characters they play get XP. So, the Grinning Ravens won't be getting XP-- though I asked for an allowance if Leon the medic gets stricken from the record.

Also, keep in mind that it is an 8 tick clock to get an ability, such as promotion. Getting another tick to an ability is easier.

Also a note, anyone who did a desperate action gets an XP for that attribute. For example, the Doyen gets 1 XP for prowess for his desperate action across the bridge (which he failed and twisted his leg).

The sniper having two pistols adds to the fiction, which in Forged In The Dark style can and should influence the Position and Effect, which effects the mechanics that way. If a sniper has the Akimbo specialist ability, they will get potency for using two pistols automatically. Also, consider that if you have two pistols, then it is less painful if one blows up due to a devil's bargain...

As the Marshall, you should name them (if only so that we can see what cultures are represented in the Legion) but should probably *not* stat them out. You can totally add small backstory elements if you feel like it, and can even stat out a couple if you are really inspired, but often the player who gets selected to play out a rookie will want to stat out the rookie or at least make small alterations. You also get to set up what the role-playing relationship between the squads are, if you are so inclined. For instance, the marshall in the other campaign I'm in decided early on that two Zemyati rookies on different squads were best friends, and so when one of them died on our second mission, his friend was the one who gave the eulogy. Often, when the lorekeeper sets up a back at camp scene, they'll ask the marshall for a rookie that matches a certain profile for the scene.

1) on recruit advances, how do they get multiple special abilities if the first one they have to pick promotes them to soldier?

See pages 101-102. Once rookies have earned an SA -- any SA -- they are no longer a Rookie and are now a Soldier. Soldiers can keep gaining XP -- adding dots, more special abilities, and so forth. Soldiers can choose to become Specialists, but don't have to (and in fact, a non-Specialist Soldier can be quite effective).

2) Do all the grinning ravens get 6xp? are they all soldiers now?

If I'm reading this right, NPC Rookies get 2 xp per primary mission. So, it'll be a while before they level up. It goes faster if a PC plays them.

(Bedtime here in Europe, more tomorrow.)

Here are some Long Term Project ideas, from a variety of sources. I am not going to suggest clocks or story prerequisites, but might suggest potential mechanical effects. Mechanical effects are suggestions, though I will submit to your judgement if you want different mechanical effects, and also whether laborers can work on the project in question. Also, I encourage anyone in the troupe to make suggestions, though I reserve the right to choose which ones actually get worked on.

Long Term Projects that Laborers can help with

Crafting a supply cart-- When done, add 1 supply cart to the Quartermaster's assets.

Crafting a ballista-- When done, add 1 siege weapon to the Quartermaster's assets. Not especially good against scale, when brought into the field, comes with 3 blackshot or iron-tipped bolts.

Crafting a cannon-- When done, add 1 siege weapon to the Quartermaster's assets. Can use cannonballs which have potency against armor.

Carcass shot-- When done, allows cannons to fire carcass shot, which contains an incendiary fluid.

Tuber farm wagons-- When done, every time an advancement time clock gets filled, the Legion gets a box (as if a campaign action were performed) of food.

War Wagon-- I don't have a real proposal in mind, just a big fan of Hussite War Wagons. Maybe something with say 3 uses, can be used like horses for pressure reduction or can be used in a mission for narrative bonus as portable fortified bulwarks?

Pleasure Wagon/War Memorial-- Increase the max morale that the Legion can have by 1 or 2 (so have 11 or 12 be max morale instead of 10).

Portable Still-- Increase the stress relief of Liberty by 1

Mobile Surgical and Recovery Wagon-- Every time that Time Passes, add 1 tick to harm recovery for any character that was not on a mission.

Long Term Projects that require Specialists

Officer's School-- As a campaign action, allow two characters to gain one ability advance. Intended use is mostly to promote rookies and soldiers.

Sign Language-- Educate the Legion in the use of sign language, allowing effective quiet communication on missions.

Alchemical Long Term Projects

Fox snuff-- Upon discovery, gain 3 uses, and after discovery, 3 further doses can be created by an alchemy acquire assets roll (no roll needed for project ticks, but roll needed for gaining corruption). Each use gives enhanced mental acuity to the user. They gain 1 die to the engagement roll, but take lvl 1 harm (mental fatigue).

Blackshot grenades-- Anyone who can take grenades (i.e. grenadier, officer channels) can instead take grenades that spread blackshot. Potency against undead.

Reverie-- Upon discover, gain 3 uses, and after discovery, 3 further doses can be created by an alchemy acquire assets roll. A distillation that when heated with the brains of an organism and consumed, gives the user visions from its life. If used on something before a mission, get 3 bonuses of +1d to a roll, and explain how the visions have helped you. If used on something sentient outside of a mission, possibly gain valuable knowledge (narrative stuff, recipes/progress for long term projects, or sometimes Intel). Using this on corrupted people or fauna will bring the user corruption equal to the target's threat level.

Fire oil-- As described in pg. 366

Orite grapnel-- As described in pg. 366

Hey all. I got DM_DM's invite and have been reading a bit more to get up to speed. Happy to be jumping in to give this a try.

For now it seems like it might be easiest and useful to the group to take over your Medic PC. If that fits, then I'm happy to do so. Also open to a different role if there's need. I've not played this system before, so any suggestions/advice is appreciated.

DM: Looks like you're in the middle of tallying XP, if I do take over Leon, then what kind of XP would he get?

Continuing to dig in here. It looks like we don't have anyone in the Spymaster campaign role, so I would gladly fill that unless it is taken and I've just missed it.

Brother Attero Dominatus wrote:

1) on recruit advances, how do they get multiple special abilities if the first one they have to pick promotes them to soldier?

See pages 101-102. Once rookies have earned an SA -- any SA -- they are no longer a Rookie and are now a Soldier. Soldiers can keep gaining XP -- adding dots, more special abilities, and so forth. Soldiers can choose to become Specialists, but don't have to (and in fact, a non-Specialist Soldier can be quite effective).

I knew this question would be more complicated than I thought.

I mean, look at the Rookie Special Ability of "Home Cooking". How could any rookie possibly ever get that if they are only allowed to promote to a Soldier as soon as they can advance?

DM_DM wrote:

Related: Doyen filled his "It's All Really Getting To Me" clock. Way back on page 1, we agreed that this would result in some sort of breakdown -- something more than Level 1 Harm, but less than Trauma. (Doyen, I notice that you filled the clock entirely by interacting with Old Hans!)

I can assign something, but do you want to give it a try instead? What happens with Doyen?

Adding in 3 for threat and 1 for surviving, and I get 6 XP. I am going to put 5 in prowess to increase Shoot to 3 and bank the last XP in the ability clock.

Can you please tell me where it says how we spend XP? I'm not getting any of this. It keeps talking about XP clocks, but I don't know how much what costs to advance what to where.

Here are some Long Term Project ideas,

I like the ideas of the Tuber Farm Wagons, the Portable Still, and the Recovery Wagon.

Yay, XP

1 for surviving.

Did I help the squad with stealth/foresight? I would say yes to both. 1 more XP

Heritage trait: loyal. We do not leave our peple behind, even if they're dumb enoough to put themseleves in a place where they have to jump off a bridge. 1 XP

3 XP for facing Eater

Also a note, anyone who did a desperate action gets an XP for that attribute. For example, the Doyen gets 1 XP for prowess for his desperate action across the bridge (which he failed and twisted his leg).

Ahah! 2 desperate shoot actions and 1 desperate maneuver action.

9 XP total. I'll put 6 into Prowess and get another dot in shooting. Katya is now one of the finest shots in the Legion. I'll put the other 3 dots into gaining another special ability.

Can you please tell me where it says how we spend XP? I'm not getting any of this. It keeps talking about XP clocks, but I don't know how much what costs to advance what to where.

Aterro, if you look at my character sheet then you can see where the "clocks" are. I've filled my Prowess one so it's now empty and I have another dot in Shotting. My special abiity clock has 3 points in it.

Ze Quartermaster wrote:

Here are some Long Term Project ideas,

I like the ideas of the Tuber Farm Wagons, the Portable Still, and the Recovery Wagon.

I agree. Cannon and ballista could come in handy as well.

Aterro, if you look at my character sheet then you can see where the "clocks" are. I've filled my Prowess one so it's now empty and I have another dot in Shotting. My special abiity clock has 3 points in it.

Thank you.

Mind you, if stats are a 6-clock, I'm still confused on how Doyen increased a stat with 5?

Mind you, if stats are a 6-clock, I'm still confused on how Doyen increased a stat with 5?

Yah, same. Pretty sure they're six-clocks?

Continuing to dig in here. It looks like we don't have anyone in the Spymaster campaign role, so I would gladly fill that unless it is taken and I've just missed it.

Welcome Tareth. Right now, one of us is playing the Lorekeeper, and a campaign can have either Lorekeeper or Spymaster. Right now, the one command officer position available is Commander. It actually tends to involve a bit less work than the other positions, and the rest of us can definitely help spell out the likely consequences of various decisions, and help with the role in general-- in fact, the game specifically encourages everyone to pipe up with the recommendations,

DM_DM wrote:

Brother Attero Dominatus wrote:

1) on recruit advances, how do they get multiple special abilities if the first one they have to pick promotes them to soldier?

See pages 101-102. Once rookies have earned an SA -- any SA -- they are no longer a Rookie and are now a Soldier. Soldiers can keep gaining XP -- adding dots, more special abilities, and so forth. Soldiers can choose to become Specialists, but don't have to (and in fact, a non-Specialist Soldier can be quite effective).

I knew this question would be more complicated than I thought.

I mean, look at the Rookie Special Ability of "Home Cooking". How could any rookie possibly ever get that if they are only allowed to promote to a Soldier as soon as they can advance?

All characters, on generation, get one ability, so all rookies start off the bat with one of the special rookie abilities. The rules are written so that you can't stay as a rookie and get a second rookie ability.

Also note that whenever a character promotes to a new playbook, they get a free special ability from that playbook.

Karina Zayatevya wrote:

Aterro, if you look at my character sheet then you can see where the "clocks" are. I've filled my Prowess one so it's now empty and I have another dot in Shotting. My special abiity clock has 3 points in it.

Thank you.

Mind you, if stats are a 6-clock, I'm still confused on how Doyen increased a stat with 5?

Ok, I reviewed the book, and XP advancement is legitimately confusing as printed in the rulebook.

The key is that there is (referenced in pg. 7 of the book) printed sheets available at https://www.evilhat.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2019/BoB-sheets.pdf which are mandatory references to the game. I must admit that I used roll20 character sheets, so was not aware of where these came from until just now.

If you look at these character sheets for each playbook, you'll visually see each of the advancement clocks, three 6-clocks for the three attributes, and a big red 8-clock on top of the abilities section.

The Doyen earned 1 Prowess XP for making a Desperate maneuver action. So, he had one already filled in, and just needed to add 5 more.

Also, I am pretty sure that characters not played by players don't get XP, so the rookies on the mission don't get XP. On secondary missions (which we haven't seen yet), all specialists get 2 XP, but non-specialists generally don't get XP.

Tareth wrote:

Continuing to dig in here. It looks like we don't have anyone in the Spymaster campaign role, so I would gladly fill that unless it is taken and I've just missed it.

Welcome Tareth. Right now, one of us is playing the Lorekeeper, and a campaign can have either Lorekeeper or Spymaster. Right now, the one command officer position available is Commander. It actually tends to involve a bit less work than the other positions, and the rest of us can definitely help spell out the likely consequences of various decisions, and help with the role in general-- in fact, the game specifically encourages everyone to pipe up with the recommendations,

Oooo. Seeing as how Tareth would be much much better at doing Marshall than me, I'll roll into Commander so we can be regaled with a plethora of high quality squaddies.

Welcome Tareth. Right now, one of us is playing the Lorekeeper, and a campaign can have either Lorekeeper or Spymaster.

Well that sucks :(

Allso, boo to rookies not getting XP. One of them killed a Hound with only a spade. A f****ing spade! (Yes, bf got me to watch John Wick, too. Though i told him he was on his own for the seqeuls).

Hi Tareth! Welcome, and don't feel you have to go with medic just becase we lost ours. Also it seems only fair you should get 6 XP so you're level with us. Although DMDM has final say, obvs.

I'll go ahead and give Medic a go. It seems like there will be plenty of opportunity to switch if it just doesn't fly for me. Seems like it might be easiest to just generate a new PC/Alias with 6XP added on rather than trying to maintain continuity with Leon's character since I don't have a good sense of his background and limited time to weed through all of the posts.

And either Commander or Marshall is fine with me. I guess I just assumed Commander was taken. :) Although I will likely need a bit of help tracking all the things with Marshall.

REMEMBER ETTENMARK

My predecessor, and theirs, and thiers before them, have instilled in me that sense that writing these records does not come from the heart, nor the head, but from duty. Which is as well, for duty does not falter, does not give into despair or horror. It simply does, as it must.

What then can or must be said of Ettenmark? The bare facts, dry statistics, tell a grim and bloody story: of the 1,000 proud soldiers of the Legion who marched out to war, fewer than 50 now live - and most of those are raw recruits, surviving because they were behind the line of battle, out of immediate harm's way. I have recorded the names of all who were lost that day, but for many of them all that can be said is 'Missing - presumed killed in action.' For the fortunate ones, death at least came swiftly.

The Legion is flesh, blood, grit, bone and steel - the finest fighting force to be found anywhere in the known world. In pitched battle, it has no equal. But it was not battle that we faced. The undead were many, so many beyond counting and they do not fight - they consume. Driven by hunger, and powered by an alchemy that we do not understand, they rolled over our ranks. Strategy and tactics count for little against a foe that can dissolve a soldier with its bile, or tear through steel plate as though it was tissue paper. Byt the time we realised what we were facing, it was already too late. A third of the Legion was lost in the first 10 minutes of battle. The remainder regrouped. Not once did discipline falter. Let that mcuh be said and recorded. Soldiers of the Legion held the line, giving their lives to allow our allied forces to flee, which they did. No blame can attach to them. They are not the Legion. With black shot and sword and musket, the line held at great cost. But that cost was the Legion, or almost all of it.

We few who remain alive do so because those who died gave us the time and space to retreat.

Marshall!

Protective! Bold! Cautious! Stylish! Crisp!

I'm modeling him largely on Field Marshall Montgomery mainly because that's the first name that comes to mind when I hear 'Marshall'.

The Quartermaster is hoary, grizzled, and not remotely well groomed.

The Marshal is the opposite. He's clean, he's pressed. Everything shines. He has a small, perfectly trimmed mustache. Nobody has ever seen him in need a shave. It's really not clear how he's managed this despite forced marches, defeat, rout and flight, but he has.

Okay...here's a quick background for my Medic, Nicholai. I'll get an actual sheet posted later today or tomorrow.

Nicholai the Noose: No one really knows where he hails from although his Zemyati features are clear enough. He doesn't talk about his past. "What happened before don't much matter." Is his usual response to any question on the subject. "Before" meaning before the Legion recruiter came through and cut him down from the gallows in the back water burg of Noginskya before he was good and properly hung.

No sense letting good fodder go to waste. Was the scarred 'recruiters' laughing response to any objections from the local Burgomaster.

Once in the Legion, it was discovered he had a knack for plugging holes in people, doling out Orite alchemy without spilling a drop, and even managing a solid twenty percent survival rate among any amputee who had the pleasure of meeting his saws. All that and the fact his mentor had connections that could acquire the foul smelling cigars he prefers led him into the medical core.

His blood stained Angel Wings of Mercy hang from a thick strand of the rope he was hung with. A somewhat gruesome reminder of his beginnings with the Legion and the obvious origin of the name given to him by his fellow soldiers and patients who typically remember the dangling rope as the last thing they see. That and the cigar fumed words..."Hold still, it's just going to hurt more if you make me start over."

For legion's values... I'd suggest coming up with some value or thematic element that you want to overlay on the legion, and run with it. For instance, you can play up the military discipline of the legion is remove any choice that goes against that sort of discipline, or emphasize the tension between those who are under Shreya's sway (conscious or not) and those who value the legion's independence, and remove options appropriately.

Good suggestions!

-- Lots of posts to catch up on! If I don't get to them all tonight, I will tomorrow. Meanwhile, let's get ready for next steps!

The bonus to the characters we played are already covered-- we'll probably want to decide which of the characters (e.g. Leon) are officially part of the Legion. If Leon isn't, could we consider giving XP to one of the rookies who took part in the mission?

Someone said that NPC Rookies don't get XP? I don't see that in the book. In any event, I don't think giving them 2 XP each is going to be a very big deal -- they're unlikely to level up until a PC plays them.

The Legion definitely benefited from cutting off the bridge. From memory, our morale is better than it would have been if we lost, and our starting time seems better than I remember my other campaign

The flip side is, you have no intel and no stuff.

How about Lvl 2 Harm, Severely Depressed?

I like it! RP it if you're playing the Doyen next time. (Unless we get our Harm fixed, of course.)

Here are some Long Term Project ideas, from a variety of sources.

Wow, lots of good ideas here. Of course, you have only two actions this cycle (unless you want to spend resources) so you'll really need to pick and choose.

Also, keep in mind that it is an 8 tick clock to get an ability, such as promotion. Getting another tick to an ability is easier.

Yup. As you can see, a typical mission will probably earn a PC 5 to 8 xp (if you live). So, to get a Special Ability, you generally want to throw a point or two at that clock so you can fill it up next time.

As the Marshall, you should name them (if only so that we can see what cultures are represented in the Legion) but should probably *not* stat them out. You can totally add small backstory elements if you feel like it, and can even stat out a couple if you are really inspired, but often the player who gets selected to play out a rookie will want to stat out the rookie or at least make small alterations.

I would agree. -- Note that the Ravens now have personalities, so that's a thing. But their dots and Special Abilities have been left deliberately vague for now.

Also: designing rookies as NPCs may be a bit different from designing rookies as PCs. So, for instance, the Home Cooking special ability can be *amazing* under the right circumstances -- if you're on a mission that will take more than a couple of days, Home Cooking can potentially *remove all the Stress from everyone*. That's pretty huge! So if you're the Marshal, and you're putting together a squad for such a Mission, yeah you want to specify that one Rookie has Home Cooking. But if you're a PC playing a rookie -- especially if it's on a mission that won't last so long -- you'd probably rather have Devil's Own Luck. Double especially so if you're planning to play that Rookie again, because that's a SA with long-term benefits.

You also get to set up what the role-playing relationship between the squads are, if you are so inclined.

Yup! Note that not every squad may like every other squad...

Okay, so here's what we've got:

-- Everyone has XP, woo!
-- Everyone has a role, woo! (The Commander still needs to be defined; see page 117).
-- The Quartermaster has decided that Sonia stays. Okay! (Quartermaster, you need to decide what alchemical project she'll work on.)
-- The Loremaster has remembered Ettenmark. (Loremaster, you can expand or add more scenes any time if you feel like it.)
-- Back at Camp scene, done. (Anyone who wants to add anything, or interact with Shreya at this time, can do so over on the gameplay thread.)

Any questions about any of this before we move on?

The Noose is stated out. DM let me know if you see anything that's wrong. I went ahead and assigned 6XP, but if you'd like me to go with 0, that's fine as well.

I suppose Utilities might change depending on any intel we get for the next mission. At least I'm assuming we have the opportunity to change. If not, then I guess I'll stick with what I've got. :)

I'll go ahead and try to stat out a Commander. If it ends up that Aterro and I switch roles, that's fine but at least we'll have something in the works. :)

The Noose is stated out. DM let me know if you see anything that's wrong. I went ahead and assigned 6XP, but if you'd like me to go with 0, that's fine as well.

The Noose looks good! In-fiction I guess we're retconning that he was there instead of Leon all along? Okay then, assign xp accordingly.

I'll go ahead and try to stat out a Commander. If it ends up that Aterro and I switch roles, that's fine but at least we'll have something in the works. :)

The Commander has a big decision coming up (mission focus) but you'll probably want to discuss that with the team.

Here's Kaviya's alias and stats. I think I need Time and Pressure stats still. And yes...certainly want input from others on next decisions.

Excellent!

@Kaviya: Yes, go ahead and take Marshall. Not only do you have more creativity, intellect, skill, charisma, writing acumen, cleverness, good judgement, imagination, intuition, and talent than me, but I'm pretty sure you have more time. =) Go ahead and take Marshall and I'll make sure to get everyone's expectations up for a myriad of colorful backgrounds and NPC interactions!

Just go ahead and Copy and Paste the data in Varus' sheet. I think the only number you need to track is moral, and right now that's 8, which is good.

All the 6 squads are there, with their bonuses. We've taken the Ravens out for a spin and I've made some notes on their established fiction. As you role play them, try to keep them in mind.

Someone said that NPC Rookies don't get XP? I don't see that in the book. In any event, I don't think giving them 2 XP each is going to be a very big deal -- they're unlikely to level up until a PC plays them.

Imma concur with this. For people to go on a mission and not get any advancement of any kind ever would seriously rock my suspension of disbelief.

A Commander is supposed to ask the GM:

Initial pressure. Ask the GM how much pressure remains after the
first mission.
Initial time. Ask the GM how the first mission affected the time you
have left to make it to Skydagger.
Initial intel. ...you seem to indicate this is zero.

I looked over the places/options, and right now I'm thinking our plan could be the long Northern road. Since Pressure resets at every movement, it seems that moving more often will keep the Pressure lower. Also, at fat, rich cities, the temptation would be strong to sit and wait for too long and then get nabbed.

A Commander is supposed to ask the GM:

Initial pressure. Ask the GM how much pressure remains after the first mission.

Pressure starts at zero!

Initial time. Ask the GM how the first mission affected the time you have left to make it to Skydagger.

Start with two ticks (this will increase soon, in the first cycle). When you reach 10 ticks and then 20 ticks, the Broken chasing you get more powerful. When you reach 30 ticks, time is up, everybody dies. So you need to reach Skydagger Keep before that.

Initial intel. ...you seem to indicate this is zero.

Yup.

I looked over the places/options, and right now I'm thinking our plan could be the long Northern road. Since Pressure resets at every movement, it seems that moving more often will keep the Pressure lower. Also, at fat, rich cities, the temptation would be strong to sit and wait for too long and then get nabbed.

The team discusses, the Commander decides. Team?

Meanwhile:

Time Passes

We add one tick to the Time clock: Time is now 3.

We increase Pressure by 1: Pressure is now 1.

We now go to

Campaign Actions

Okay, this is a big one! You get two Campaign Actions. Campaign Actions are described in detail on pages 137-139. Here are your options:

-- Acquire Assets. Get stuff (like horses, laborers, or wagons). Find an Alchemist or a Mercy.

-- Liberty. Decreases everyone's Stress.

-- Long-Term Project. See above.

-- Recruit. Get more Rookies!

-- Rest and Recuperation. Reduce Harm. (This is normally the only way to reduce Harm.)

You also have two Supply. Supply is basically abstracted money. You can spend 1 Supply to gain an additional action, or you can spend 1 Supply to enhance an action -- make Liberty reduce all stress, get more Harm reduced from R&R, acquire better assets, whatever. So, if you spent both your Supply, you could take three actions and enhance one of them. Of course, then you'd be all out of Supply. You can gain more Supply by doing Supply missions.

So: what two Actions do you want to take? Everyone can discuss, but the Quartermaster decides.

Uh, where are we? On the map, I mean. Some places are better at some actions so knowing that would help before I make suggestions.

I looked over the places/options, and right now I'm thinking our plan could be the long Northern road. Since Pressure resets at every movement, it seems that moving more often will keep the Pressure lower. Also, at fat, rich cities, the temptation would be strong to sit and wait for too long and then get nabbed.

I don't like the long road option very much, although it's not my call. Supply options there look really poor to me and that could be a realy problem. Maybe spend a couple of turns at Plainview to boost our resources before we head off? I know that increases pressure but everthing is a tradeoff.

Uh, where are we? On the map, I mean. Some places are better at some actions so knowing that would help before I make suggestions.

That's actually a good question. The first location on the map (p. 372) is Western Front. However, you're not at Western Front until you advance -- and advancing comes after campaign actions.

I'm going to handwave and say your current location is "The Chaos of Retreat", with an Asset Rating of 1 and no Mission Types.

I don't like the long road option very much, although it's not my call. Supply options there look really poor to me and that could be a realy problem. Maybe spend a couple of turns at Plainview to boost our resources before we head off? I know that increases pressure but everthing is a tradeoff.

You are correct -- the northern route has advantages, but it's definitely worse on supply options, especially once you're past Plainview.

HOZELBRUCKE BRIDGE

I found in the Legion's Annals some years back a record of a campaign long lost to most historians. The Lorekeeper at the time remarked that "Before the battle of Der Almagne, we never had a victory. After Der Almagne, we never had a defeat." Hozelbrucke Bridge is our first victory of this campaign. We shall see whether I will be able in time to make the same boast. Be that as it may, let these records report that the remnatns of the Legion have not lost their edge, or their courage under fire. Despite being assailed by waves of knights of the Black Oak, and swarmed by vile Hounds and the infamous creature known only as Eater, the Grinning Ravens and their accompanying Specialists accomplished the total destruction of Hozelbrucke Bridge, with no losses. A great boost for morale, as well as a significant strategic advantage. Without the bridge, the undead will have to find other paths forward across the great river.

The exact method by which the bridge was destroyed is difficult to report. Suffice to say that the Legion's alchemist gave his life in the most painful possible way in order to produce the explosives needed to achieve such a feat. Of all the hurts the Broken have inflicted upon humanity, the corruption of the noble Orite art of alchemy is surely among the greatest of thier sins.

Addendum: further enquiry has suggested that the alchemy in question was not an explosive. Much is unclear. After questioning his surviving assistant, I am none the wiser.

Special citations for valour above and beyond the call of duty must go to Brother Aterro Dominatus (Heavy), Doyen One-Eye (Sniper) and Karina Zayatevya (Scout). In addition, a metnion in the dispatches would be appropriate for private Alisa of the Grinning Ravens, who by all accounts single-handedly killed a Hound with no more than an entrenching tool. It is my duty to ensure that these Annals reflect fact rather than legend, so you may be sure that I have investigated this matter closely and questioned all who saw it. I am therefore confident in entering this deed into the records.

What our Quartermaster makes of this (mis)use of issued equipment is not a matter for these recorrds.

We now go to

Campaign Actions

Okay, this is a big one! You get two Campaign Actions. Campaign Actions are described in detail on pages 137-139. Here are your options:

-- Acquire Assets. Get stuff (like horses, laborers, or wagons). Find an Alchemist or a Mercy.

-- Liberty. Decreases everyone's Stress.

-- Long-Term Project. See above.

-- Recruit. Get more Rookies!

-- Rest and Recuperation. Reduce Harm. (This is normally the only way to reduce Harm.)

You also have two Supply. Supply is basically abstracted money. You can spend 1 Supply to gain an additional action, or you can spend 1 Supply to enhance an action -- make Liberty reduce all stress, get more Harm reduced from R&R, acquire better assets, whatever. So, if you spent both your Supply, you could take three actions and enhance one of them. Of course, then you'd be all out of Supply. You can gain more Supply by doing Supply missions.

So: what two Actions do you want to take? Everyone can discuss, but the Quartermaster decides.

I believe we should do a liberty action, as we can use both the morale and the stress relief benefit. If there are enough injured, we can do a rest and recuperation action, but not sure if that is needed right now. Normally I'd ask the Marshall to give a report on stress and harm to Legion members, will they want help with compiling what happened at the bridge?

Given that my guess is that we do not do R&R, I am inclined to work on a Long Term Project.

Factoring in feedback from the other members of the command staff and my own preferences, can I have clocks and expected benefits of the following projects:

Tuber Farm Wagon
Supply Cart
Ballista

Officer School

Foxsnuff
Fireoil

Karina Zayatevya wrote:

Uh, where are we? On the map, I mean. Some places are better at some actions so knowing that would help before I make suggestions.

That's actually a good question. The first location on the map (p. 372) is Western Front. However, you're not at Western Front until you advance -- and advancing comes after campaign actions.

I'm going to handwave and say your current location is "The Chaos of Retreat", with an Asset Rating of 1 and no Mission Types.

Quote:

I don't like the long road option very much, although it's not my call. Supply options there look really poor to me and that could be a realy problem. Maybe spend a couple of turns at Plainview to boost our resources before we head off? I know that increases pressure but everthing is a tradeoff.

You are correct -- the northern route has advantages, but it's definitely worse on supply options, especially once you're past Plainview.

I'd prefer not to do the central path (through the Duresh Forest) as that is what my prior campaign did, and honestly it is kind of a compromise between the northern path and southern path-- poor supply situation without the mystical payoffs of the northern temples. It only worked out well for us because we doubled down on the Horned One in the Talgon Forest, about to stay there for a third time. I personally would be happy with either the northern and southern path, and do not have a personal preference between the two.

I've heard from past Lorekeepers and from some old ledger records from my predecessors that the temples at the end of the Old Empire pilgrimage roads have special mystical significance. It is a longer, more harrowing road but we might gain knowledge of our adversary there.

Nonetheless, it is my recommendation as The Quartermaster that we take the Southern roads. The southern road is the faster path We will have access to plenty of resources, for Eastlake and Westlake are some of the richest cities in Aldermark. We may also have some opportunity to attempt to rouse the militias in those cities to coordinate military action against our enemy.

No matter which path we take, I would like an extended stay in Plainsworth to resupply.