Solo 'Through Sunken Lands RPG', a Tilly and Moonwane adventure, session 1

Preamble.

Sometimes with my solo games I get stuck, the game just seems to either hit a dead end or I just cannot find the right path to take the players along, the whole adventure fizzles out.  This past week I have spent evenings trying to put together a game using Beyond the Wall RPG, Bay of Spirits campaign setting and Mythic GM emulator to guide the 5 characters I created for the Blood in the snow adventure.

Three times I started the game, each time I found myself instantly at a dead end, each time I did a little more planning, rolling on random tables for ideas, making new NPC's for inspiration, trying to push the game along in the hope it would work out, in the end it fizzled out.

I am not sure what the problem was, I had may favourite rules, a great campaign setting , five characters I really wanted to play again and whist I had never used Mythic, it is a tried and tested GM emulator, it seemed to be when I mixed them all together they didn't combine for me.  Possibly I was overthinking the games plot, possibly I was struggling using mythic, possibly running 5 characters myself was a little to much, I suspect the biggest issue was I had already built up illogical prejudices and barriers, deciding a while ago that the Bay of Sprits would work better with a different set of rules, deciding that I wanted to run a Beyond the Wall game the way the rules were written, that is to say, building the village and the surroundings from scratch.  The best thing for me to do was something different so for now I have put those books to one side, it was just a matter of still needing a game to play.

And then in front of me was the character sheet for Tilly, the thief from my Through Sunken Lands adventure and I though, lets see what happened to Tilly next, lets give her a new sidekick, Moonwane, a barbarian, no, a sellsword, no no, a cosmic champion, yeh, maybe Tilly has a greater purpose and she just doesn't know it yet and Moonwane, the cosmic champion, is there to help her find her true self, that'll do.

The two characters.

I have already created Tilly, her basic stats are here 

Tilly, a level 3 Rogue.
Base Attack Bonus 1,  Initiative 6
Strength 11, Dexterity 14, Constitution 9 Intelligence 13, Wisdom 12, Charisma 13.
Armour Class 13 (leather armour), Hit Points 18, Fortune Points 5
Skills - Trapping, Deceit, Alertness, Gossip, Stealth
Class Attributes, Fortune Favour, Highly Skilled
Trait - Gifted Climber
Weapons, 2 hand crossbows, dagger, rune sword
A local Aristocrat owes Tilly a big favour.

Moonwane, a level 2 Warrior (cosmic champion)

Using the Cosmic Champion playbook, I got the following for Moonwane.

He starts with a Strength and Wisdom at 10, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence and Charisma at 8.
Rolling for the various table in the playbook I get the following

From what land do you hail - roll d12 = 9, so 'you come from a city state proud of its arms, its wisdom and its lasting alliances.  +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma

where the city state is, and it may not be the sunken lands, is not indicated. 

How did you distinguish yourself as a child - roll d8 = 6, you never met someone who didn't like you. +2 Charisma, +1 Strength,

When you first entered the war between Law and Chaos, on which side did you fight. = roll 1d6 = 2, An alien and incomprehensible warband descended on your homeland.  Determined to save your home, you were unwittingly drawn into a larger conflict.  You strive for balance, that human world might survive the cosmic struggle. You are a champion of the balance.  +2 Strength, +1 Constitution.  Weapon specialization, Battle Axe.

This worked out well, Tilly is Neutral alignment, of the 6 possible outcomes only one is for the balance, (Neutral alignment), the one I rolled.

What brought you to the great city - roll d6 = 3, A priest aligned with you in the cosmic struggle summoned you here and now houses you in the temple.  +2 Intelligence, Skill Cosmic Law.

Besides the other characters, who is your most valued contact or friend in the great city - roll d8 = 6, you are often found in a seedy in near the temple and are friends with the proprietor.  +2 Charisma, +1 Constitution.

How were you most recently embroiled in the cosmic struggle - roll d6=3, you travelled to a distant island and slew an ancient and powerful sorceress. +2 Constitution.  Knack= Fleet.

normally the player (or character) to the right would get an ability bonus here, but as Tilly was rolled up in the last adventure, I ignore that.  Also Moonwane would normally get a bonus from Tilly when her caracter is generated, so that Moonwane does not miss out I roll 1 d6 = 5 so give him +1 to his Wisdom, (1 would = strenght, 6 would = Charisma).

What sign of the struggle do you bear -  roll d6= 2 an enchanted weapon of alien origin. +2 dexterity, a magical battle axe. (1d8damage, +1 to hit by day, +1 damage by night.  When the bearer of this weapon rolls hit die, they can choose to reroll and take the highest result).

Moonwane, a level 2 warrior and champion of the Balance.
Base Attack Bonus 2,  Initiative 3
Strength 15, Dexterity 10, Constitution 12 Intelligence 12, Wisdom 11, Charisma 13.
Armour Class 16 (Chain armour, breast plate), Hit Points 18, Fortune Points 3
Skills - Fleet
Class Attributes, Knack, Weapon Specialization (Battle Axe, +1 to hit, +2 damage)
Trait - Defender of the Balance
Weapons, dagger, sword, enchanted battle axe.
Owns - a token of the balance.

Money - non for now.

Toolkit for this adventure.

Through Sunken Lands and Other Adventures RPG
MUNE GM emulator (its simple and works for me, so for now I will stick with it)
UNE for NPC's
randomlists.com for when I need a random verb or three.

With the exception of having Tilly meet up with Moonwane, I have no idea where this adventure will takes me let just see what happens.

Let the adventure begin

Date - 22nd March

Time of Day - 7.22pm (already dusk)

Weather - windy, dry and a little cold for the time of year

I ask the oracle if we start the adventure in Jundarr, deciding that its likely I roll 2 d6 getting a 4 and a 6, I take the highest roll so that is a 'Yes and' as well as 1 intervention point straight away.

Tilly makes it back to Jundarr on foot, having decided to leave her horse and cart at the 'Tanners Wife Tavern'.  By the time she gets back to her old home, well, its not exactly hers but no one else wants it, its getting dark and there is a rather brutish looking welcoming committee standing watch by the front door. Tilly decides to try the back and see if there is anyone there, maybe she can climb in through the first floor window/

I ask the oracle if there is anyone guarding the rear, roll d6 = 6 'Yes and', a second intervention point, this early on.

I ask the oracle if the brute guarding the back spots Tilly, roll d6 = 3 'No but' 

I ask the oracle if anyone else is there, roll d6 = 2 'No'

I get two random words to see if I can work out what the guard is up to. Festive and Fish, interesting, I guess he is eating and supping ale.

There is just one guard at the back of the house, he has a flagon of ale and a bag of sprats with him, he is on his feet but seems a little drunk and very preoccupied with stuffing his face,

I decide Tilly will try to sneak past the guard and climb up the wall to the first floor window.

Tilly has a dex of  14 and stealth ability, she needs a roll of 16 or less on a d20 to get past the guard, she rolls 19.

As Tilly tries to sneak past the brute at the back, he turns to pick up another flagon of ale, as he does so the spot Tilly and attempts to reach out to stop her and call out for help.

Brute HD 1d8 (5hp)
AC 14
ATTACK +0 to hit, 1d8 damage (longsword)

xp20

I ask the oracle it he grabs Tilly, roll d6 = 4 'Yes but'

I ask the oracle if Tilly can strike him first, roll d6 = 5 'Yes'

The brute tries to grab Tilly, before he can Tilly attacks him with her rune sword, needing 14 or more to hit, she rolls 14 +1 bonus, a hit causing 1d8+2 damage, she rolls 7, killing the guard outright,

Tilly puts her sword away, takes out the ancient documents that she stole from the merchant to whome these guards belonged and stuffed them in the unfortunate brute mouth.

"they proved of no value to me, your master can have them back" she whispers in the dead mans ear, turning she heads off towards the docks of Jundarr.  

Tilly makes her way to the temple of the cosmic balance near the docks.

I ask the oracle if the temple is as it should be, roll d6 = 1 'No and'.

When Tilly gets there the temple is in total darkness and the doors are wide open.

Tilly looks cautiously inside, she realises something is amiss, the temple doors are always kept closed, there is always candles and incense burning, to enter you would need to have the doors opened for you by either the old priest or Moonwane the young warrior and one of her few close friends.

As she cautiously walks in to the temple, sword in hand, the doors mysteriously close behind her, spinning around she sees a figure emerge from the shadows.

"Tilly, its me, Moonwane".

I ask the oracle if Moonwane is alone, roll d6 = 6 'Yes and', thats a third intervention point.

Moonwane steps up to Tilly, he is alone and looks tired and hungry, Tilly asks him where the old priest is.

Moonwane tells her that the priest went to the southern lands, he told Moon to wait at the temple for Tilly, he expected her back 2 days ago, he has no money and not eaten in two days, the priest told him she would return with riches beyond imagination and that they should go to the southern land and find the priest, a ship sails in the morning, they can get a passage on that.

Tilly tells him of her failed adventure and that she has but 16 silvers to her name, not enough for a passage to the southern lands, suddenly there is loud banging on the doors, someone or thing is trying to break in.

"The merchants guild are after you Tilly, and the thieves guild are non to pleased with you, we need to go, NOW!"

He pulls Tilly along with him and heads to the temple alter, it moves to one side revealing some stairs, the pair rush down them and the alter closes over the stairs again, a dim light illuminates the way.

"This leads to the underground sewers, we are safe for now", Moonwane says leading the way, "we just need to work out how to get some money by the morning", 

Part 2 - a journey through the sewers of Jundarr.