Hello
Hey! I have some questions about personal gear...
I'm assuming that walking around carrying swords or guns, or wearing armor, would immediately draw the attention of Royalist soldiers? If not, are all the standard SW Core "medieval" types of armor available? And can chainmail be worn under everyday clothes?
And, if you're being super-realistic for the time period, I would assume that a woman wearing armor or weapons would draw a lot of attention?
What about horses? Would only the modest-to-very wealthy own them? If we're living among the peasants, wouldn't a horse stand out? Or are horses common enough that even relatively poor folk can own one? And if so, I'd assume there are public stables to house them when we're not using them?
Just trying to visualize what our day-to-day environment is like...
This is the 19th century. People generally did not wear armor in those days. It is a port city during the Napoleonic wars so a woman wearing a pistol or a knife or dagger would be appropriate. As a criollo, there was a lot more lee-way. Having a horse was pretty commonplace in New Granadan society.
Elena
How she appears to locals
To the people of Buenaventura she would seem:
Too fashionable for this swampy frontier,
Too confident,
Too well-spoken,
And unmistakably foreign to the region.
Her Caracas accent was sharper, her clothing cuts more Caribbean-influenced, and her standards of comfort much higher than those on the Pacific coast. Even if she tried to blend in, people noticed.
But her cover story—visiting family, meeting merchants, following up on business shipments—was easy to accept. The port constantly had people coming and going under vague pretexts.
Morning: A Woman With a Purpose
She wakes before dawn, trained by coastal heat to do anything important early.
But unlike local criollas, she is:
Actively writing letters,
Reviewing cargo manifests,
Listening for rumors,
Sending servants with messages to customs officers or clerks.
Her real mission might be:
monitoring contraband shipments,
arranging a private meeting with a ship captain,
scouting the Pacific route for her family’s cacao or añil (indigo) trade,
or quietly observing political shifts (e.g., royalist or independence sentiments).
From Caracas she was used to a fast-moving, Caribbean-facing, mercantile world. Buenaventura feels slow, wet, and behind the times, but also perfect for hiding.
Someone on a secret mission would find this port extremely convenient:
remote, poorly supervised, and always full of excuses.
Midday: Isolation, Suspicion, and Quiet Influence
As a “respectable foreign lady,” she cannot wander too freely—but that restriction helps her.
People visit her:
wives of small officials,
merchants’ partners,
curious townsfolk eager to hear news from the Caribbean.
She learns more by pouring chocolate for them than she ever could on the streets.
Meanwhile:
A clerk mentions a ship from Guayaquil arriving early
A merchant’s wife whispers about unusual activity on the docks
A servant overhears a discussion about hidden crates
Buenaventura is a gossip engine, and she knows how to tune it.
She spends the hottest hours doing domestic work as expected, but behind the façade she is:
organizing coded correspondence,
checking whether the paper seal on her chest of “family supplies” has been disturbed,
or sorting documents she’ll pass to a trusted courier.
Afternoon: A Woman Out of Place
Her differences become more obvious here.
1. Social expectations
Criollas in Buenaventura were accustomed to muddy paths, informal manners, and a mixed-race society.
She, in contrast:
dresses more finely,
expects predictable hospitality,
reacts visibly to the insects, mud, and oppressive humidity.
People talk about her.
She knows the gossip; she calculates it into her cover.
2. The environment
Caracas is vibrant, breezy, and urban compared to Buenaventura’s:
stagnant mangrove smells
omnipresent mosquitoes
thick river mud
thunderstorms that shake the windows
dense jungle pressing in from every direction
She keeps a perfumed handkerchief near her face constantly.
3. Suspicion
Her polite reason for being in town raises just enough curiosity:
Why travel from Caracas to such an isolated port?
Why alone?
Why now, when unrest is spreading across the colonies?
She deflects with ease:
“My uncle’s partner has interests out of Guayaquil.”
“My family wished me to check on a delayed shipment.”
“I am only passing through.”
These answers are technically believable, but everyone senses there is more.
Evening: Storms, Secrets, and Ships
Evenings are when her real work happens.
She might:
meet discretely with a ship captain on the pretext of “discussing a letter from my brother,”
bribe a low-ranking customs officer with a bit of Caribbean rum or a beautifully folded envelope,
review the night’s cargo movements from her window,
listen to distant drums from Afro-Pacific communities while waiting for a coded signal.
Thunderstorms help—no one questions lantern light or movement during a storm.
Isolation and danger mean she sleeps lightly:
rats in the rafters,
wind pushing water under the doors,
the constant fear of disease,
and the knowledge that she is in a place where accidents happen easily.
But beneath all this discomfort lies the strategic advantage:
No one in power is watching closely.
Overall: What Makes Her Life and Experience Unique
She is outwardly fragile, inwardly calculating.
Her “delicate Caracas sensibilities” give her the perfect mask.
She uses social expectations as camouflage.
A respectable criolla woman isn’t expected to be in the center of political or economic maneuvering—so no one suspects her.
She is always balancing discomfort with opportunity.
The mud, the insects, the storms—she hates them.
But the privacy of Buenaventura is worth every drop of sweat.
She is a foreign presence in a liminal place.
Her polished Havana-imported fan looks absurd in the mangroves, but also powerful.
Her days are a blend of household routine and covert intent.
Tea and needlework on the surface; secret accounting and political observation underneath.
I do not remember if I listed equipment in the recruitment thread or the interest thread. But I could do that if you guys wish.
Thanks for all the background ideas, but in my mind I kind of pictured her as giving up all her family's well-to-do ways when she ran away from home, and was pretending to be more of an on-her-own peasant (she held on to her papers in case she was ever stopped by the Royalist guards). She could have learned to change her accent and speech while with the previous resistance cells. I'll look over your ideas in more detail tomorrow and get back to you.
I don't remember any equipment lists, but I figured it would be the low-tech stuff from the SW Core rules - leather/chainmail/plate armor, swords, and flintlock rifles and pistols.
Yeah, by the 19th century, no one was wearing armor, except some traditional cavalry units in Europe but that was for the parade ground. In South America with its tropical climate, would not happen.
Here is an equipment list:
⚔️ WEAPONS OF THE INDEPENDENCE WARS (SWADE-Ready)
All weapons are flintlock era, mid-quality colonial manufacture unless noted otherwise.
► Melee Weapons
Weapon Damage Notes
Infantry Saber / Hanger Str+d6 Standard Spanish colonial sidearm.
Cavalry Saber (Heavy) Str+d8 +1 damage when mounted at a gallop.
Machete Str+d6 Common among militias, llaneros, Afro-descendant troops.
Bayonet Str+d4 Can be attached to musket but cannot fire while fixed.
Lance Str+d6 +2 damage on a successful charge; iconic for llaneros/gauchos.
Knife / Dagger Str+d4 Concealable.
FIREARMS
All weapons are unrifled flintlocks unless marked otherwise.
Reloading a single-shot firearm typically takes 1 full action (SWADE standard).
► Muskets
Weapon Range Damage RoF AP Notes
Spanish Infantry Musket (Model 1757/1792) 12/24/48 2d8 1 1 Military standard. Unreliable in rain (+2 to critical failure in storms).
Militia Musket / Hunting Fusil 10/20/40 2d6 1 0 Common among irregulars.
Rifled Musket (rare) 15/30/60 2d8 1 1 Long reload (2 actions); possessed mostly by foreign volunteers or wealthy officers.
► Pistols
Weapon Range Damage RoF AP Notes
Flintlock Pistol 5/10/20 2d6 1 — Cavaliers typically carry two.
Officer’s Pistol (fine) 5/10/20 2d6+1 1 — +1 to Shooting rolls (Fine Quality).
► Shotguns (Escopetas)
Weapon Range Damage RoF AP Notes
Double-Barrel Escopeta 5/10/20 2d6 1 — Can fire both barrels at once for +d6 and recoil penalty (SWADE rule).
SPECIAL WEAPONS
Weapon Stats Notes
Grenado (Hand Grenade) Str+d6, MBT, AP 2 Very rare; mostly siege use. Misfire on 1 on Athletics roll.
Cavalry Carbine 10/20/40, 2d6, AP 0 Designed for horsemen; reload awkward on horseback.
Blunderbuss Cone Template, 2d6 Devastating at close range; useless beyond 5”.
️ ARMOR (Very Rare)
Armor was almost nonexistent in South America in this period.
Armor Protection Notes
Leather Vest / Buffcoat +1 Common among gauchos, militia, or officers wanting light protection.
Cavalry Helmet (metal or leather) +2 vs head Rare, mostly ceremonial or imported from Europe.
Cuirass +3 Extremely rare; only European cuirassiers and almost never seen in South America. Usually ceremonial if present at all.
GEAR & ADVENTURING EQUIPMENT (Historical + SWADE)
Item Cost Notes
Powder Horn 5 Essential for firearms; up to 30 shots.
Bullet Mold 10 Allows creation of ammunition if lead is available.
Flints (bag of 6) 2 Each flint lasts ~20 shots.
Bedroll / Hammock 5 Hammock ideal for jungle/lowlands.
Canvas Poncho 3 Rain protection; can be used as tarp.
Spyglass 50 Expensive but common among naval officers.
Throwing Rope (Lazo) 5 Llanero/gaucho lariat; Athletics to trip or disarm.
Small Drum or Horn 10 Used for battlefield signals.
Horse Tack 10 Saddle, reins, blanket.
HORSES & MOUNTS
South American warfare relied heavily on mounted troops.
Mount Pace Notes
Criollo Horse (standard) 10 Small but extremely hardy; thrives in heat.
Llanero Horse 12 Fast over open plains; +1 to Riding in plains terrain.
Mule 8 Preferred in Andean terrain; ignores difficult mountain terrain penalties.
️♂️ SPY EQUIPMENT (Independence Wars, 19th Century)
(SWADE-friendly descriptions + historical accuracy)
CONCEALABLE COMMUNICATION TOOLS
1. Invisible Ink Kit
Cost: 20
Game Effect: Notice –2 to detect. Opposed Smarts to decode without the key.
Materials: Lemon juice, vinegar, copperas (iron sulfate), heat lamps or candle flame.
Used by royalist and patriot couriers.
2. Cipher Wheel (Portable)
Cost: 25
A small pair of rotating wooden or brass discs.
Game Effect: Requires Smarts roll to encode/decode; +1 if proficient in Cryptography.
Captured wheels can shift faction balance.
3. Book Cipher (False Book)
Cost: 10
Normal-looking book with a page-reference cipher.
Game Effect: Anyone without the key suffers –4 to decode.
Ideal for merchants, priests, or educated women.
4. Hollow Quill Message Holders
Cost: 3 each
Feather quills with micro-scrolls hidden inside.
Game Effect: +2 to smuggle past inspections.
Real technique used in Europe and the Caribbean.
5. Wax Seal Molds (Forgery Kit)
Cost: 25
Molds for copying official seals: Cabildos, military units, merchants.
Game Effect: +2 to Forgery rolls involving documents.
Risky — possession can mean execution.
INTELLIGENCE GATHERING TOOLS
6. Miniature Spyglass
Cost: 40
Small, pocket-sized version used by officers and smugglers.
Game Effect: +2 to Notice at long distances.
Mountains and rivers make this extremely valuable.
7. Compass + Secret Map Case
Cost: 20
Map case with a false bottom.
Game Effect: Notice –2 to detect hidden compartment.
Great for agents posing as surveyors or engineers.
8. Listening Cone
Cost: 8
A tin cone to amplify sound through thin walls or shutters.
Game Effect: +2 Notice to overhear conversations.
Common in ports and governor residences.
9. Night Lantern with Shutter
Cost: 12
Lantern with a metal slider to send coded flashes.
Game Effect: Allows communication up to 1 mile line-of-sight in darkness.
Used heavily in coastal and river operations.
10. Powder Sniffer Box
Cost: 10
Small wooden box with chemical paper to detect gunpowder, indicating soldiers nearby.
Game Effect: +2 Notice to detect armed patrols before they arrive.
Used by smugglers and guerillas.
️ CONCEALABLE WEAPONS
11. Sleeve Dagger / Stiletto
Cost: 8
Damage: Str+d4
Notes: –2 to detect during search. Perfect for couriers and female spies.
12. Muff Pistol (for women)
Cost: 30
Tiny flintlock pistol hidden in a hand muff.
Damage: 1d6+2
Notes: Short range; +2 to Conceal.
13. Boot Pistol (single-shot)
Cost: 20
Range: 3/6/12
Damage: 2d4
Notes: Not standard military issue; popular with smugglers.
14. Covert Razor Knife
Cost: 5
A straight razor used as a weapon or for cutting open crates/letters.
Damage: Str+d4
Notes: Common among “respectable gentlemen” and officers.
DISGUISES & COVERT IDENTITY ITEMS
15. Traveling Disguise Kit
Cost: 30
Wigs, spectacles, shawls, false beards, simple dyes, altered clothing.
Game Effect: +2 to Persuasion or Performance when pretending to be someone else.
Perfect for moving between royalist/patriot zones.
16. Merchant Papers (Forged)
Cost: 15
Bills of lading, trade letters, family correspondence.
Game Effect: +2 to Persuasion when posing as a merchant or agent.
Essential in port cities like Buenos Aires, Guayaquil, or Cartagena.
17. False Rosary Case
Cost: 5
Holy rosary with a hidden capsule for micro-messages.
Notes: Nearly impossible for soldiers to question without offending clergy.
Game Effect: +4 to smuggle messages.
18. Surgical Kit (For “Doctor” Covers)
Cost: 50
Doctors and barbers moved freely across faction lines.
Game Effect: +1 Persuasion when using healer cover.
Excellent identity for a spy.
SPY GADGETS WITH HIDDEN COMPARTMENTS
19. Hollow Shoe Heel
Cost: 10
Stores small items like rings, coins, or tiny notes.
Game Effect: +2 to conceal small contraband.
20. Double-Layered Fan (For female spies)
Cost: 12
Folding fan with thin paper inside for coded markings.
Game Effect: +2 to deliver messages unnoticed during social gatherings.
Used in Caracas, Lima, Bogotá, and Buenos Aires.
21. False Bottom Saddlebag
Cost: 15
Created by gaucho and llanero craftsmen.
Game Effect: Notice –2 to detect.
Perfect for hiding pistols, letters, or gold.
22. Hollow Cane
Cost: 20
Used by priests, elderly men, merchants, or “injured” travelers.
Carries documents or a thin stiletto.
Game Effect: –2 to detect.
23. Smuggler’s Tea Tin
Cost: 5
Common household item to hide keys, seals, or coins.
Game Effect: +2 to hide small items in a house search.
❗ SPECIAL OPS ITEMS (Used by elite agents)
24. Slow Match Coil
Cost: 5
Glowing cord that can time-delay gunpowder ignition.
Use: sabotage supply depots, set fires to ships or warehouses at night.
25. Lockpicking Set (18th–19th century)
Cost: 25
Skeleton keys, hooks, picks.
Effect: +2 to Lockpicking.
26. Signal Whistle (Military)
Cost: 2
Used in jungles, plains, or mountains.
Effect: Allows coded whistle signals (GM defines patterns).
27. Oilskin Document Wallet
Cost: 5
Protects letters from rain, swamps, river crossings.
Effect: Prevents damage to maps and papers.
28. Concealable Monocular Mirror
Cost: 6
Small angled mirror used to peek around corners or over obstacles.
Effect: +2 to avoid ambushes or detection during infiltration.
OPTIONAL: CONTRABAND & BRIBERY ITEMS
29. Spanish Doubloons (Hidden)
Cost: varies
Used to bribe soldiers or port officials.
30. Foreign Trade Goods
Cheap but valuable items for bribery or covert diplomacy:
English sewing needles
French perfumes
Caribbean rum
Indigo cakes
Silk handkerchiefs
Game Effect: +1 to Persuasion with officials or officers when offered discreetly.
Having thought it over, I'd imagine that if she were to present herself as a well-to-do Criolla, she'd have to have at least the Rich Edge, which I don't want to change my build for. And she'd always have to be sneaking out of her living quarters to go on missions, usually at night, and in her "mission garb" which would look very suspicious if she were noticed.
I'm going to stick with her pretending to be an on-her-own peasant (she held on to her papers in case she was ever stopped by the Royalist guards). She could have learned to change her accent and speech while with the previous resistance cells.
But thanks for the day-in-the-life workup, you are very creative!
I don't see any prices in your equipment lists for firearms or some bladed weapons. The Bayonet, Lance, and Knife/Dagger exist in the SWD Core manual, so we can get prices for those.
You mentioned encryption in the items list, but didn't mention it in Recruitment, so I doubt any of us has the Cryptography Skill. Is this going to be a problem in-game? Could decryption just be rolled into Spycraft? Also, FWIW, *any* book can be used for a book cipher, as long as both parties know what it is - and it's virtually un-decryptable without knowing what book was used to encrypt it.
GMEDWIN - I've never played an espionage game before, and so I'm floundering around a bit. Off the top of my head, if we choose to intercept the governor's correspondence, we could :
1. Get jobs inside the mansion in order to be in a position to intercept it. This would require papers for cover identities, hoping that there *are* positions open to be filled, and succeeding in the interview process. Then hope that our jobs would put us in a position to be near the correspondence to intercept it. I'd assume that the most important documents would have a wax seal on them, so first we'd have to see it and then have a duplicate made (and I doubt a legitimate seal-maker would copy a government seal, so we'd have to find a crooked one). Then we'd have to a)take the documents somewhere inside the mansion where we could read them in private, b)re-seal them afterwards, and c)hope that they're not missed while we're doing this. All very convoluted and elaborate. And the more papers we intercept, the better the chances that we'd be caught. Complicated, time-consuming, and risky.
2. Hope we can meet the courier in a public place, like a bar. Strike up a conversation, build up a friendship over time, and *hope* that he's not a loyalist, or else he'd turn us in when we ask to "just take a peek" at the governor's private correspondence (which would also require getting a wax seal made). If we're successful, we'd have access to multiple packets of correspondence over time, but time-consuming and risky.
3. Learn the courier's route, intercept him along the way, and hold him up. Hope there's a place along his route where we *could* hold him up without being seen, and hope he doesn't fight back (don't want to kill an innocent). That would give us only one packet of correspondence, which we'd have to hope contains something indicating the governor's leanings, and then we'd be actively hunted for. Even if we cover our faces, the courier could describe our general appearances. Only one chance to view some correspondence hoping that there's something relevant in it, *and* we've made our presence known to the government.
I can't see any really good options, and with all the die-rolling involved, there's a good chance we'd fail or get caught. This isn't like a typical adventure game, where we can act with impunity in the open, and all we have to do is kill anything that attacks us. Having to remain in the shadows is a completely different mind-set for me.
ALL - thoughts?
Hi, I understand your concerns. This first mission is a good one for your characters to try out spying where it is a bit more forgiving. The political situation is not yet explosive. People are playing a double or triple game, so stakes are not necessarily death. You may be turned or used for now.
I have a couple scenarios pre-planned but I can quickly improvise a new one that fits how you guys want to approach the problem.
Santiago, Carlos - what are your thoughts about accomplishing what we've been asked to do?
Elena, thank you for all the effort in devising options. I like the idea of number 2 best. Let's try to devise a way to read the correspondence without being discovered. In this era, everything was time consuming. Travel, manufacturing products, and the spread of information/education.
Learning the courier's route is a very good plan B.
Getting jobs inside the mansion may be difficult for all of us. Carlos is a poor aristocrat, but he's probably known to a few people who may go to the Governor's mansion on business or socializing.
Another idea is we could spread rumors that the Governor is supporting the rebels. Maybe part of a letter from a rebel claiming the Governor is helping him is discovered by a newspaper publisher/pamphleteer.
Santiago?
Carlos - I like plan 2 the best as well. But it would take a while to implement in game-time, which I hope we could fast-forward thru IRL.
GMEDWIN - could you maybe give us some short outlines of your pre-planned scenarios in order to give us some more ideas?
Hmmm...haven't heard from Santiago in over 2 weeks...
Option A: Intercept Correspondence
Option B: Seduction & Salon Politics
Option C: Physical Infiltration
Option D: Follow the Money
Option E: The Confessor & the Fever Ward
What of those 5 do you guys like? Or do you have another idea? I am game for anything.
I like what I called my "Plan 2" above the best, but can you explain a little more what your "Option E" entails? I can guess the rest of your options...
Someone part of the governor's trusted lot falls ill...
Santiago decided to leave the game. We will continue without him.
I have reservations about trying to run this kind of game, especially in PbP, but I'm willing to see how our first mission is handled in-game...
Yeah, I want to get some real spy thriller stuff.
It may be easier to plan and accomplish things with two players. I don't remember playing in a two person party before.
Just some rambling thoughts : my concern with an "espionage" type game is that one bad roll of the dice can ruin everything. If I had failed my Agility roll, the courier might have been alerted by the ruckus that Elena bumping into people caused. Then he'd get an Opposed Roll next time we rolled, which makes it even harder for us to Succeed in our rolls. Eventually (depending on the dice) he might spot us, and what then? Now he not only knows he's being followed, he's seen our faces. What do we do then?
I know this is the worst-case scenario, but the dice in SW are so "swingy" that there's a good chance it could happen.
Same thing regarding trying to sneak around in an area - one bad roll and then we've been spotted, mission over.
A random thought just hit me - how about if we get more Bennies than normal per scene? Maybe 5 instead of 3. That way, we can at least try to re-roll our way out of trouble...
You know, maybe handling it as a Dramatic Task might work better - a Failed Skill roll doesn't end the task, it just doesn't move it forward. Altho I'd suggest ignoring the Complications aspect - a single failure there means a failure for the entire task!
Counter-thoughts?
This is a really fair concern, and you’re not wrong about how swingy Savage Worlds can feel if every roll is treated as binary success/failure. That’s not how I’m planning to run espionage scenes.
A failed roll doesn’t automatically mean “you’re spotted and the mission is over.” Most of the time it means loss of position, loss of information, or increased pressure—not exposure. Couriers in a crowded port city expect chaos; someone bumping into people isn’t instant suspicion.
I’m also not treating NPCs as jumping straight to certainty. Even if something feels off to them, that doesn’t mean they know who you are or what you’re doing. Suspicion escalates gradually.
Structurally, I’m thinking in terms of clocks rather than tripwires—bad rolls narrow options or add wrinkles rather than slamming doors shut.
I do like the idea of being generous with Bennies in surveillance/intel scenes, and Dramatic Task logic is a good mental model here. Failures slow things down or complicate them, they don’t nuke the whole operation.
Bottom line: one bad roll won’t ruin everything. Espionage is about friction, not perfection.
Just a side note, one thing I will flag is snake eyes. That’s the one case where the fiction really commits. It doesn’t mean instant exposure or violence, but it does mean something sticks — a face remembered, a name noted, a pattern broken. You can recover from it, but you don’t just walk it back with time or a reroll. It’s how the world quietly pushes back.
Remember this 1810, everyone has a kind of wait and see mentality about independence, the French and the King. No one really wants to shoot at this point. Also, making an inaccurate deduction is not the end of the campaign, it can lead to a different scenario or set of adventures :)
Thanks, it really helps to know how you're going to run the game!
I hope the GM doesn't mind my posting this here, but I'm recruiting for a Cleric or Paladin to join the SW for Pathfinder game I'm running. We're running the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path. Click HERE if you're interested.
Sure, you can have those advantages.
GMEDWIN - thanks! I'm assuming 4 Advancements, please let me know if you meant only 2.
Carlos - please read my last Gameplay post for the Skills I think will be needed in this espionage game. I'd suggest at least a d6 in every one for us to be semi-competent. Since I'm upping my Persuasion Skill and taking the Streetwise Edge, you don't have to, but having two chances to persuade someone of something couldn't hurt, either...
I think 3 is best.
Carlos - I'm boosting my Persuasion, and taking the Streetwise Edge. Not sure what I'll do with the third Advancement yet.
Since one of us needs to be good at Research, I'd like to suggest that you put two Advancements into it, so it'll be a d6, which is at least decent.
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Thank you for the advice about Research. In story, Carlos will transfer the skill he used for years in compiling and organizing (and researching) information about various lost cities of gold, treasures, and legends. GMEDWIN if that doesn't feel appropriate, I can change it.
Elena, your opinion please. For the third Advancement, which is better: increasing Spycraft to d6 and persuasion to d6 OR increasing Notice to d8? I'm leaning towards increasing Spycraft and Persuasion, but I wonder what you think.
I think in this kind of game, it's better for us to have all the "espionage" type skills (Spycraft, Persuasion, Research, Notice, Stealth, and possibly Thievery) covered between us. And d8's would obviously be better than d6's. But I've got Persuasion covered - with my Advancements I'll have Persuasion at d8+2. And I just now realized that with my third Advancement I could get my Spycraft up to d8. So maybe making your Notice a d8 would be best? Just my thoughts on the subject, not telling you what to do...
P.S. - I was looking over your build to see what Skills you have, and noticed that you only took 2 Hindrance points, but the system allows you to take 4. So you could take two more Minor Hindrances, or one Major one, and bump both your Stealth and Spycraft (important espionage skills) up to d6's.
And, having done that, now you could make either your Stealth or Notice a d8 with your third Advancement.
GMEDWIN - FWIW, Google told me that coffee consumption in colonial South America started booming around 1800-1830, so I figured coffee shops were a reasonable "thing"...
Please roleplay Carlos Montoya for the next few days. My dad's health took a sharp decline yesterday.
Sorry to hear that, take your time...
Thank you Elena!
I'm back and should be posting with my normal frequency.
My dad is stable for now. His health has degraded significantly in the past five months. In short, a urinary tract infection is surprisingly scary in elderly people, especially if dementia from Parkinson's disease has developed. Also, last month, the malignant neoplasm in his right lung x-ray was confirmed to be cancer. It's hard to understand how an non-smoker gets lung cancer. Can second-hand smoke from the 1950s really be the cause? Monday we have a meeting with the oncologist and should learn about treatment options (immunotherapy?) or the possibility that treatment isn't a good decision given his other health concerns.
Wow, that's a lot going on - hang in there!
GMEDWIN - I don't know the history of our setting at all, and I don't know how accurate your world reflects the real history. Can you give us some insights about whether Napoleon is the current emperor, what King is being referenced, and what I would know about what navy currently protects us? Thanks!
It is in the campaign description. Basically, Napoleon conquered Spain, the Spanish king is in exile and Spain was ruled by Napoleon. The colonies are in a political limbo. People are thinking, do we want the king back, should we support Napoleon or go for independence. The King who is in exile is Ferdinand VII.
I assume that the Spanish navy maintains a presence in our ports? For protection from foreign nations, or to keep us in line, or both? Do they follow Napoleon faithfully, or are they of divided loyalties as well?
For the Spaniards at the time, the Pacific fleet was either concentrated further south near or near the Phillipines or further north on what is now the Mexican coast. The French and Spanish fleets were decimated at the Battle of Trafalgar. There was a legitimate fear the British would gobble up Spanish Americas.
Carlos - I hadn't filled in my equipment list, because living in town didn't seem to need one. But if we're going off into the wilds, we should at least have some basic "camping" equipment. I've noticed you don't have any equipment either. You can look at my character sheet for ideas, and since you have a d8 in Shooting, you might want to buy a gun and some "shot" ammo (page 68). You start with 500 pesos. Sorry if you know all this already, I don't know how much you know about SW and its equipment.
GMEDWIN can correct me, but I think the black powder flintlock was the kind of gun available at the time, and a flintlock pistol only costs 150 pesos.
Also, I just noticed that neither of us has the Healing skill, which just *might* come in handy. ;) I can only get it at d4 with my last unused Advance. I can't tell if you've applied all your Advances and your 2 extra Hindrance points yet as we discussed above, but if there's any way you could get Healing at d6, that would be great!
I forgot to reply to your excellent suggestion! I didn't take the two Hindrance points like we discussed. I'm not sure what appropriate ones would be. If taking two allows for Healing at d6, I'm willing. Two of these seem promising: Phobia, Quirk, Jealous, Ugly, Hesitant, or Suspicious?
With your d6 in Smarts, 2 Hindrance points will get your Healing up to d6.
I don't want to suggest a particular Hindrance, because they are up to the player and their concept of their PC. But you can also factor in how they will affect your PC in gameplay - a Phobia might paralyze you at an inopportune moment, Ugly will affect your Persuasion rolls, Hesitant can also paralyze you from acting. Jealous and Suspicious are more up to the player to role-play in their posts.
I understand not wanting to suggest anything. I'd probably say the same if our roles were reversed.
I like the idea of Carlos being Jealous of wealthy people.
I think a Phobia like spiders, ants, or panthers would be fun. Let's go with spiders.
So, GMEDWIN, a Hindrance of Jealous and a Hindrance of Phobia (spiders), is fine to add to my character sheet? And also Healing d6 of course.
yes