No battreps for a while

I took a few days off from gaming, in order to paint and sculpture some miniatures . I started with my new Skaven army, so here are the first results:

RAT OGRES

PLAGUE FURNACE AND PLAGUE MONKS

HELLPIT ABOMINATION (work in progress)
Finished model:

Song of Statue Slayers

This is the first scenario from my Song of Statue Slayers solo campaign for Song of Blades and Heroes skirmish fantasy rules. Campaign can be downloaded from SBH yahoo group files.
Warband can be seen on the photo below. Members are:

Elf noble Vuk Dewosteen, Q4, C3, Leader, Giant Slayer, 50 points, personality

Human wizard Chiriba Chiribu, Q3, C2, Magic User, 50 points, personality

Beastmen barbarian Zverka, Q4, C3, Lethal against statues, Berserk, Steadfast, 35 points

Elf scout Lisac Lukawy, Q4, C3, Long Move, Shooter: Medium, 44 points

Dryad Shhhush, Q3, C3, 34 points

War dog Cuca, Q4, C2, Animal, Long Move, 26 points

Human warrior Vitesko Odreda, Q4, C3, Heavy Armor, 30 points

Elf warrior Kopljak Visoky, Q4, C3, Heavy Armor, 30 points

Warband starts from the southern table edge. Their goal is to destroy 3 big statues (Q5, C4, Artificial, Tough) and one huge (Q4, C6, Artificial, Tough). At the beginning of the game statues are in hibernation, and will wake in strict order, starting with the southern one.
I started by sending 4 models deep, to attack Huge statue (No 4) representing biggest threat. Other 4 rushed towards the southern statue (No 1) who will wake first.
Zverka the Barbarian activated with 3 dices, moved with 2 in HtH with Statue 1, and used last action to attack. Using his Lethal and Berserk abilities, he won the fight 11 to 9, and scored first wound. Statue 1 become Q6.
Statue 1 needed 6 to wake, but rolled 1 and stayed hibernated.
Same thing repeated in second turn. Barbarian won combat, this time 6 to 3 and killed first statue. Other models just continued to move.
Statue 2 needed 6 to wake, but rolled 5 and stayed hibernated.
Third turn was characterized with bad dices. Barbarian tried to activate first, but got only one success out of 3, ending the turn.
Statue 2 needed 6 to wake this time, but rolled 3 and stayed hibernated.
Turn 4 again seen barbarian in action, wining the combat against Statue 2 8 to 6, lowering it's Q to 6. Vitesko Odreda also attacked Statue 2 and was partially successful. He won the fight 9:5 (rolling 6). Not enough to kill it, but statue fell! While falling, statue partially covered leader's base, so there was 50% chance for him to be smashed (on 4+), but 1 was rolled, so he managed to jump away from the falling statue.
On the northern side of the battlefield, all models attacked Huge statue, but to no result.
Statue 2 needed 4 to wake, but rolled 3 again and stayed hibernated.
Turn 5 started with another attack from Vitesko Odreda. He won the fight against fallen statue 7:5 and killed it. Others rushed toward statue 3.
4 models on the north continued to attack huge statue unsuccessfully.
Statue 3 needed 6 to wake, but rolled 5 and stayed hibernated.

Human warrior was once more key to success in turn 6. He activated with 3 dices, moved toward statue 3, attacked with last action and wan the fight 7:5 rolling 4. Statue 3 fell!
Statue 3 needed 5 to wake, and rolled 5 so it is awake. It activated with one success, and used it to stand up.

Action on the north finally showed some results in turn 7. Dryad won the fight against northern statue 7:4 rolling 4, so the huge statue fell!
Statue 4 needed 6 to wake, but rolled 1 and stayed hibernated.
Statue 3 attacked elf warrior, but the combat ended with a draw 5 to 5.

In turn 8, Dryad was again successful against fallen statue 11:6, so the huge guy was reduced to Q5.
To the south, barbarian again used his lethal ability to reduce statue 3 to Q6 (8:6).
Statue 4 needed 5 to wake, but rolled 3 and stayed hibernated.
Statue 3 attacked elf warrior again, but lost this combat 7 to 4. Elf rolled 4 so statue 3 fell!
Vitesko Odreda was given the honor to kill statue 3, so he used it. To the north, Dryad had no problem reducing Huge statue to Q6, and then the Wizard stroke final blow ending this scenario with victory in turn 9.

One battle report using second scenario from Song of Statue Slayers campaign can be seen on Bren's Wargaming blog.

The Escort

It's been more than a year since I downloaded free demo rules from Rattrap Productions LLC, but somehow I have forgotten about them. While cleaning my computer few days ago, I found them again, so I decided to give them a try.
Running through the different demo rules, I noticed that full set from one of them, called Gloire, has an introductory solo scenario, so I bought the PDF to test it. Story is modified a bit in order to be used with the miniatures I already have.
Grade 3 philosopher entered the ghost town. He was paid to meet the wizard somewhere between these ruins, and escort him to the specified meeting point.
Hero starts at the middle of the board, while 2 skeleton guards start at the opposite corners. Blue counters represent possible encounter markers (one of them is a wizard), while yellow ones represent possible meeting locations where wizard should be taken.
Philosopher started towards western marker, where he learned about the tunnel below north-eastern house. Moving south, our hero encountered a thief looking for treasures hidden between the ruins. Thief attacked, but our philosopher managed to wound him. Thief lost his nerves and escaped.
Philosopher checked several other markers but they only brought more guardsmen into the meeting location.
At the end, guards caught with the hero. The chase begun.
Philosopher was forced to move fighting, and guards wounded him several times. Most of the times hero was able to hold his nerves, but one wound was to much, and he started running. Fortunately, he was able to rally just 1" from table edge.
Hero found another marker!
And finally, it is a wizard!
Enduring heavy fighting, philosopher escorted wizard to the meeting location.
Once they met with the mysterious stranger, he opened the secret tunnel, and the tree of them descended into underground, leaving the skeleton guardsmen chase party behind...
Playing was fun. Scenario is challenging and well balanced. Hero managed to stand against the horde of low grade opponents, but just barely, staying in defense and receiving one head, 3 torso, 1 arm and 3 leg wounds. I almost lost the game when hero failed guts test. If my goal would be to clear the board of opponents, I would stand no chance.

Encounter at Dwarf Brewhouse

This is one of my first trials of 8th edition of WFB.
Encounter involves 1000 points of Tomb Kings against 1000 points of Skaven (this is new army for me, so it is yet to be painted). I played both sides.
After rolling for terrain, I received 2 hills, forest, sorcerous portal, wyrding well and settlement of order with dwarf brewhouse.

TK take the first turn. Skaven fail to dispel incantation of righteous smiting, so catapult gets to shoot in magic phase. It's a hit and it kills 7 skaven in clanrat horde. Clanrats pass panic test.
In shooting phase, catapult misfires, and loses one crew member.
Skaven march forward. Sorcerous portal casts Speed of light on horde.

TK basically pass second turn.
Both Skaven frenzy unit are in charge range, but they both fail charges. Rattling gun fires 7 shots, but only one wounds chariot unit.
Sorcerous portal casts Wildform on Rat ogres.

In Turn 3, Skaven again fail to dispel incantation of righteous smiting, so catapult gets to shoot in magic phase. It's a hit and it kills 8 skaven in clanrat horde. Clanrats pass panic test.
In shooting phase, catapult fire again, but scatters and kills only 2 ratmen. Clanrats again pass panic test!
Chariots move to flank the horde.
Rat Ogres roll low, so they fail their charge. Plague monks and Gutter runners charge Tomb guard unit. Runners pass fear test (Monks are imune to psihology). Scaven win CC by 3.
Clanrats reform from horde into 6x4 unit and turn to face chariots.
Sorcerous portal casts Plague of Rust on Rat ogres.

In magic phase priest casts incantation of summoning, but only 1 tomb guard is resurrected.
In shooting phase catapult tries to hit rattling gun, but misfires and crumbles into dust, destroyed.
Chariots charge clanrats. Clanrats pass fear test, but at the end lose by 2. They have more ranks so they are Steadfast and use their natural leadership, that is 9 at the moment. But rats roll double 6, so they run (and leave the standard behind! This is the first leadership test Skaven failed so far!). Their flee roll is 7, and chasing chariots also roll 7. Thanks to Scurry Away! rule, clanrats are safe for the moment!
On the right front, gutter runners pass fear test. Assassin calls for challenge, and Tomb King takes it. Assassin attacks first but scores only 1 wound, but then TK scores 2 wounds, killing Skaven Hero. In the end, TK lose CC by 1.
In their turn, clanrats relly. Rat ogres pass leadership (natural 6!) so they march towards chariots.
Rattling gun shoots, but misfires and shoots in random direction. Lucky for them, random direction is straight into chariots, so it causes 1 wound.
Once again, gutter runners pass fear test. And again, tomb guards lose CC by 1. Only the king and guard champion are left standing!
Sorcerous portal casts Wildform on Clan rats.

Rats dispel all magic.
Chariots charge clanrats, who fail fear roll. Clanrats lose CC by 9 and stay with just 1 rank. Flee! Flee roll 4, pursue roll 6 - caught! Ratmen general is dead!
Gutter runners pass fear test. Tomb King calls for challenge, but plague monk champion refuses. Gutter runners strike first by initiative and kill Tomb King. Now both generals are dead! Gutter runners take leadership test for Tomb Kings Curse, and pass!
Plague monks kill remaining guard.
In Skaven turn, rattling gun shoots at chariots and scores 1 wound
Plague monks charge Liche priest. He calls for challenge, and champion has no choice but to accept. Monk scores 1 wound, while priest do not hit. Priest lost by 1, so he dies. Monks reform.
Sorcerous portal casts Speed of light on chariots.

Chariots try to charge gutter runners, but they fail.
Rat Ogres charge the chariots but fail to destroy them.
This is the end of turn 6, and therefore end of game.
At the end, Skaven vs Tomb Kings - 874:701. 173 points more for Skaven. According to the 8th edition rules this is the draw. By 7th edition, this would be minor victory for Skaven....

Two Goats at the Bridge

This is my second battle report of fantasy duels using Red Sand, Blue Sky system.
I added some house rules to this battle to spice things up.
So duelists are:
Hero: Elf Ranger, rep 6, average armor 5, fights with two hand held weapons. This gives him +1 at penetrating armor, and a parry ability. Parry house rule works as follows: once the enemy rolls to see if the armor is penetrated, hero may burn and roll 1D10 parry dice. If the parry dice scores higher then a dice that penetrated armor, blow is deflected and hero goes to maneuver table. Blows scored with 2 successes more are too precise to be deflected.
Enemy: Ghoul, rep 7, unarmored. Poison attacks house rule - character is stunned every time it is hit, even if it is only a scratch. This effect is cumulative, so if ghoul hits hero in the head, hero will lose 2 points of reputation. Once its reputation falls to 0, hero dies. Poison can be shaken off just like regular stun, one point at a time.

Two warbands met approaching the bridge. The duel of their best will determine who will be able to pass...Combatants met on the elven side of the bridge. Ghoul approached and attacked, but both sides rolled 1 success.
Then elf attacked, scored one success more then ghoul, and wounded the belly of the undead.
Ghoul gets initiative, and menages to score 3 successes, while elf gets only 2. Ghoul hits elf's upper left leg. Elf's armor is 5, but ghoul scores 9. Elf tries to parry, but he has to roll 10 to succeed. Elf rolls 7, so suffers a leg wound, and becomes stunned from poison!
Trying to shake of poison effect elf rolls 8, so he will have to fight next round as Rep 5 and burn 1 dice more! Ghoul attacks, but luckily for elf both combatant score 2 successes. In next activation, elf scores 4 and shakes of poison.
As fight continued, elf took initiative and attacked persistently, but ghoul's high reputation often made these attack finish with only a scratch. Yet somehow, elf managed to score 2 leg wounds to ghoul. Still, using average 3,5 dices per turn against ghoul's 2 started to take its toil, so elf was left with 8 dices against ghoul's 21!
Elf decides to go for all or nothing. He dedicates 4 dices, against ghouls 2. Unfortunately for him both sides get 2 successes!
Left with only 4 dices, elf had no other solution but to burn them all. Ghoul again dedicated 2 dices. This time, luck was on elf's side. He scored 3 successes against ghoul's 1! And it is a chest wound! Ghoul rolled on the damage table....
it is 3....
and
......
......
.....
10!
Wound! And more: second body wound! Trusting his sword through ghoul's chest, elf fell exhausted over the dead body of his opponent.

The Ghoul King

This is report from solo RPG session using Mythic GM emulator and Trail of Cthulhu rulebook.

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Before I start, I would like to say something about character generation. First, I generated character using Trail of Cthulhu book, and then I have given a Mythic characteristic to each of them. All tests are performed using Mythic. Build points are used before rolling, to rise your Mythic rank in that ability. Favor points are used as always after rolling, to modify rolling result.

Character: Alex Perich, author, 35 years old, writer of horror novels, still looks for the right story and right publisher who will recognize its genius. Ideas for his writing he often gets from small criminals he hangs with, in the poor suburban neighborhood where he lives. It all happened in your home town, in the dark ages of year 1980, before cell phones, computers and internet… :)

Scene 1, Chaos 4.

Police is arresting Alex because of the murder similar to the one he described in his story...

Chaos roll: 4
INTERRUPT SCENE: Horror - NPC -- NPC action -- Adversity/Energy

In front of Alex one worker from electrical company died while repairing wires

Alex takes stability test for violent death. Can he resist?

Odds: 13/65/94
Result: 10 -- EXCEPTIONAL YES

He has seen people die many times. So he is indifferent to another death. He receives new strength: +1 shift for future tests for death of natural causes.

Alex approached the body. Can he see anything unusual (evidence collecting)?

Odds: 15/75/96
Result: 99 -- EXCEPTIONAL NO

Body as any other fried from electricity. Alex goes home and tries to write.

He can not, because accident left all neighborhoods without electricity. The problem lasts for more than a week and dark streets are getting more dangerous with each passing day.

There is unusual police activity in the neighborhood. Can Alex sense why (Sense trouble)?

Odds: 5/25/86
Result: 20 – Yes

There was a recent murder in the neighborhood. It seems to be good material for a story, so Alex decides to ask around.

Did Alex know the victim?

Odds: 3/15/84
Result: 12 – Yes

Who was it?

Haggle/Plans

Victim was Mayki, local street rat who sold souvenirs, and who often used to offer to Alex map of buried treasure. Alex used to bargain about it, but the seller never accepted price lower than 10.000 Euro, and he never wanted to show him the map, so Alex thought about it as if this was their internal joke. Maybe the map was reason why the Mayki was killed?

Are there any street talks about the murder?

Odds: 7/35/88
Result: 31 – Yes

What?

Deceive/Travel

Few days earlier Mayki told everyone that he will be going on a trip. Therefore nobody was surprised that he was not seen on the corner for some time. But Mayki was found dead in his apartment.

Was he found by neighbors?

Odds: 17/85/98
Result: 97 – No

He was found by special unit of police that broke into his apartment. What are Spec Ops doing in the street rats nest?

Alex decides to check and goes to the murder scene. Place is sealed. Is there a cop in front of it?

Odds: 7/35/88
Result: 59 – No

Mayki used to drive his merchandise in hand pulled box on the wheels. By night he used to park it in front of the building and chain it to the staircase. Is the box on the spot?

Odds: 13/65/94
Result: 72 – No

Are there any evidences that it was removed or destroyed?

Odds: 5/25/86
Result: 31 – No

6 favor points for Yes.

Alex finds part of the chain Mayki used. It seems to be eaten by acid. Alex takes the remaining part. There are no other evidences.

Alex tries to find out if anybody has seen anything in the time of murder. There are D6=6 other families in the building.

Alex nocks at the door No 1. Is there anyone willing to talk to him there? Streetwise, difficulty High.

Odds: 5/25/86
Result: 88 -- EXCEPTIONAL NO

Not only the tenants will not talk to him, but they call the police. Do they arrive soon?

Odds: 5/25/86
Result: 67 – No

Alex nocks at the door No 2. Is there anyone willing to talk to him there? Alex uses one streetwise point.

Odds: 9/45/90
Result: 94 -- EXCEPTIONAL NO

Not only the tenants will not talk to him, but they also call the police. Are they arriving now?

Odds: 10/50/91
Result: 34 – Yes.

Police takes Alex to the station, where he spends the night. Interrogation is scheduled for the morning. Does Alex know interrogating officer?

Odds: 10/50/91
Result: 22 -- Yes
RANDOM EVENT: Ambiguous event -- Control/Military

He knows him from street talk. It is not regular cop, but officer from special operations unit. So Spec Ops are conducting investigation considering Mayki’s murder.

Does Alex have an alibi for the night of the murder?

Odds: 7/35/88
Result: 91 -- EXCEPTIONAL NO

Alex had the writer’s block in the morning before murder, and he tried to solve it with alcohol. Last thing he remembers happen around noon. He woke up next morning in his bad, wet and stinking as if he was dragging through the sewers. He remembers nothing that happened in this 24h.

Are there any other evidences indicating that Alex was involved in the murder?

Odds: 17/85/98
Result: 88 – No

Therefore, cops have nothing to pin on him.

Can Alex learn anything new during interrogation?

Cap Talk test, above average. Alex uses +1 Cap talk point to increase his chances.

Odds: 10/50/91
Result: 99 -- EXCEPTIONAL NO

Cap is extremely careful not to give anything. Something there is obviously marked as Top Secret.

Alex asks for layer.

Since there are no evidences against Alex, he is allowed to meet with his layer. It is Jeff, his drinking buddy who works as layer for petty criminals in the neighborhood. Jeff makes agreement for Alex to be let out without bail, with only condition that he do not leave town.

End of scene 1. Chaos rises to 5.

Looking for any clue, Alex takes peace of chain to another of his drinking buddies, chemic Calvin, who usually works for drug dealers. Calvin has a dream to discover new, powerful synthetic drug.

Chaos roll: 10 – as described.

Can Calvin produce some quick results?

Result: 11 -- Yes
RANDOM EVENT: PC positive -- Overthrow/Pain

Calvin can discover 2 things:

1. Substance which eat chain is organic in nature,

2. Calvin noticed immediately that substance is mind altering. Human who would digest it would become totally immune to pain.

Calvin asks Alex to give him chain for 24h, to perform additional tests. Alex accepts.

Alex goes home. He wants to wait for the night, and then break into Mayki’s place and maybe learn something new about the murder.

Anything happening before dark?

Odds: 7/35/88
Result: 25 – Yes

What?

Remote Event -- Pursue/Evil

With the first twilight, in dark alleys of powerless neighborhood, something started the hunt.

Around midnight, Alex armed with gloves and flashlight goes to the Mayki’s place. Can he arrive there unnoticed?

Odds: 15/75/96
Result: 44 -- Yes
RANDOM EVENT: Horror - PC -- Inquire/Energy

Upon entering the building, Alex turns on flashlight and by accident lights the fuse box for the whole building. All fuses are melted. As if it is not enough that whole neighborhood is left without electricity, someone wanted to be hure that this specific building stays dark. It looks as if the fuses are melted with the same substance as the chain Alex found earlier.

Once he came to the apartment, Alex discovered that someone was there before him. Police line was taken down, doors were broken open, and things inside were in chaos.

Can Alex find some clue inside the apartment?

Evidence collecting, difficulty high.

Odds: 5/25/86
Result: 23 – Yes

What?

Arrive/Riches

On the table Alex finds something that looks like pirate map of buried treasure. Is this the map Mayki was talking about? If it is, why it was not taken or destroyed by the persons that searched apartment earlier?

It is too dark to read the map, so Alex takes it and leaves the place.

On the way home, will he run into the night hunter?

Odds: 17/85/98
Result: 54 – Yes

Alex hears screaming from the adjacent street. He goes there to see what happens (acting according the Drive!). In the moonlight, he can see the body of the woman, and some creature over it. Creature looks like human with a face of the beast, blood is pouring from his mouth. Alex interrupted the ghoul feeding.

This is mythic shock, so stability test is in order. Unnatural creature caused, so difficulty is above average. If failed, there will be loss of stability of – 4 points.

Alex uses 2 stability points.

Odds: 11/55/92
Result: 2 -- EXCEPTIONAL YES

He somehow always suspected ghouls exist. He receives mythic knowledge about ghouls (1) and has no need to test stability upon encountering them. What is the ghoul’s reaction on Alex? Will he continue to feed, paying no attention to the human nearby?

Odds: 17/85/98
Result: 6 -- EXCEPTIONAL YES

Ghoul has no intention to attack Alex. He even moves away, as animal letting pack leader to feed first. Alex feels sudden urge to join ghoul in the feast on the dead body.

Can Alex resist this urge?

Stability test, difficulty above average. If failed, there will be loss of stability costing 6 points.

Alex uses 3 stability points.

Odds: 15/75/96
Result: 10 -- EXCEPTIONAL YES

Alex felt sick from the bare thought to join ghoul, so he turns and runs away. Arriving home, he locked the door, but he could not fall asleep until morning. He was thinking to report everything to the police, but he is afraid that they will not believe him.

Are there any news about murder on local TV station?

Result: 54 – Yes

Morning news is reporting that the local prostitute was killed by a pack of wild dogs.

Alex understands that something he though can only happen I literature just happen in real life (mythic revelation). One of his pillars of sanity falls, and he loses 3 points of sanity.

Punishment: -3

Odds: 10/50/91
Result: 79 – No

Alex looses 3 points of stability.

For a while, Alex just sits, broken. When he finally finds strength to move, a map found in Mayki’s apartment falls out of his pocket. Until this moment, Alex has forgotten about it. Map is written in strange symbols, and Alex understands that it is ghoulish language. Is this true? It is easy language test.

Odds: 16/80/97
Result: 72 – Yes

Alex understands that he can read ghoulish (add it in know languages section). This discovery costs him 1 sanity point.

All this left Alex without breath. He also loses 2 stability points.

Where does the ghoul’s map point to?

Dominate/Travel

If we understand Dominate as:

tower above area: to overlook an area from a prominent and usually elevated position,

It points to the mountains, the famous touristic location Slide, only several kilometers away from the city.

Alex decides to go where the map leads, but not before he is ready. Also, he decides not to leave home without a gun.

Around noon the same day, Alex visits Calvin. Is everything OK at Calvin’s place?

Odds: 15/75/96
Result: 26 – Yes

Calvin deducted that chain was dissolved with the spit of some living being (Calvin describes it as Alien from the movie of the same title). This being is definitely a predator, since its spit contains both acid to dissolve and anesthetic to calm its victims….

He also created a drug that will eliminate all pain if swallowed, but the risk for it is madness (stability test if used, if failed, lose 2 sanity points). Also, if desolved in water, this drug turns to acid difficult to use.

Alex now knows that it is ghoul’s spit that the drug was created from. What if ghouls were not looking for the map, but left it in Mayki’s apartment for Alex to find it?

This thought makes Alex loose 1 point of sanity.

Alex decided to learn as much as possible about ghouls. He goes to public library, trying to find some serious literature about the subject. Can he find anything – difficulty high? Alex uses 2 library points into research.

Odds: 13/65/94
Result: 64 – Yes

Just when he was deciding to give up, Alex found something.

What?

Increase/Benefits

Alex finds a document from the state, claiming that family of late bishop Jonathan Perich from Slide village is free from paying taxes for period of 4 years, for bishop’s merits in banishing evil spirits that were stealing bodies from church commentary.

Have Alex ever heard about Perichs from Slide?

Odds: 10/50/91
Result: 45 – Yes

When Alex was little, his father was planning to take whole family to a small vacation to Slide, where some members of his family live, but this trip never happened, so Alex never met them.

Alex asked some of his older family members to try and connect him with Perich family from Slide.

While waiting to hear from his family, can Alex remember some of his friends who are interested in mythos, and live by fortune telling in neighborhood?

Odds: 18/90/99
Result: 26 – Yes

Alex often spent time in pub with local medium called Ron. Alex used to tell him story plots, and Ron would change them from his „professional” view, and offer new ideas, mostly in cryptic form...

Alex invited Ron to meet in the tavern in the evening. He told Ron about everything that happened to him, taking care to tell it in such a way so that Ron will think that it is a story plot.

What is Ron’s professional advice?

Harm/Investment.

This is a cryptic message from the medium, and it will not be deciphered until Alex decides to use it.

GM note: I am implementing new house rule here. Player is getting advice from a professional. Once the player founds himself in need of this advice, he will decipher the message the way he sees appropriate, and then roll D100. This way the player will find out how valid was the advice (or how well was he able to explain it): 1-10 weak, 11-20 low, 21-40 below average, 41-60 average, 61-70 above average, 71-80 High, 81-90 exceptional, 91-00 Incredible). Ability received in this way player uses for test against task difficulty to see how successful he was.

Did Alex pass out from alcohol at the end of the evening?

Odds: 16/80/97
Result: 48 – Yes

So, next thing Alex remembers is waking up in his bed, stinking on sewers, again.

Did something happen to any NPC that night?

Odds: 18/90/99
Result: 32 – Yes

Who? 6- Ghoul.

What? Communicate/Anger

Alex remembered a dream. Or was it real? Ghoul was standing above his face telling him how angry he was that Alex didn’t joined him at the feast on the street few nights ago.

Alex loses 4 stability points and 1 sanity point. One of his pillars of sanity crumbles: Man is the master of his destiny. He starts to believe that all that happens to him is already written in the stars.

Then Alex gets information from his family, linking him with his cousins in Slide. They own a hotel build upon the basement of a church, where once legendary Jonathan Perich used to preach.

End of scene 2. Chaos rises to 6. Alex receives 10 fate points (29) for learning many new things….

Alex takes a bus and goes to Slide

Chaos roll: 1
ALTERED SCENE

Something happens before Alex’s departure.

What? NPC action (Ron) -- Desert/War

Alex is informed that Ron committed suicide. In farewell letter, he wrote that he has no strength left to fight daemons, so he is leaving to others to continue the war he fought, especially to his friend Alex. Ron definitely knew something about Mythos, and therefore Alex will have +10 modifier when testing for the strength of Ron’s professional advice.

Alex goes to Ron’s house, trying to find some additional clues before leaving to Slide.

Is Ron’s house guarded?

Odds: 10/50/91
Result: 75 – No

Alex enters the house.

What can he find inside?

Bestow/Power.

In Ron’s house Alex feels full of some strange energy. As if Ron’s spirit gave him power to fight evil that surrounds him. He recovers one point of stability, but loses one point of sanity. Also, he gets additional modifier of +10 for advice test.

Alex takes the buss and goes to Slide.

Is there anything happening while Alex is in the bus?

Odds: 19/95/100
Result: 44 – Yes

What?
NPC action -- PC positive -- Inquire/The public

Ron’s letter reached some journalist and was published. Alex has become famous. Perich family in Slide waited for him at the bus station and received him as a hero. They give him free room in their hotel, wined and dined him.

At first Alex was surprised, but then, next morning, he heard some loose stories from local people. It seemed that some strange things are happening in Slide, and locals are expecting from Alex to fix them!

Do problems include missing people and half eaten bodies?

Odds: 18/90/99
Result: 37 – Yes

Alex decides to fulfill his destiny and help people of Slide. His stability goes up one point, but his sanity goes down!

Alex goes to local library trying to find what Jonathan Perich did when he cleaned the village for the first time.

Harm/Advice

Jonathan Perich burned the church filled with daemons, and died in that fire himself.

What more can he learn from local legends?

Malice/Anger

Good bishop changed in his last days, once kind and gentle man became angry and rude towards the ones that loved him. He also started to change physically, his body started to shrink, his face, becoming longer….

This conclude Alex’s second day in Slide. Did anything happen that second night?

Odds: 15/75/96
Result: 97 -- EXCEPTIONAL NO

Actually, last two days were especially quiet. While earlier sightings of ghouls were regular events, since Alex came to Slide none were seen.

In the morning of the second day Alex went to the place shown on the ghouls map.

Is it a cave?

Odds: 15/75/96
Result: 76 – No

Is it a stone altar on the hilltop?

Odds: 15/75/96
Result: 96 -- EXCEPTIONAL NO

So there are no buildings whatsoever.

Is this just a clearing in the woods?

Odds: 15/75/96
Result: 65 – Yes

What clues was Alex able to collect there?

Starting/Good

What?

Assist/The spiritual

Upon entering the clearing, Alex felt that he is at the right place. As if something inside him (possibly Ron’s spirit) told them that this will be the place where all will come to the conclusion.

Alex decided to return to the clearing at night.

He came alone, taking care not to be seen by the villagers of Slide. He also left his gun at home, knowing that firearms will be useless in this adventure.

Entering the clearing, did Alex found meeting site of ghouls?

Odds: 17/85/98
Result: 41 – Yes

Many ghouls were gathering on the clearing, feeding on human bodies. One of them left the group and approached Alex. It was the same individual that Alex met on the city streets.

For the second time in last few days, ghoul invited Alex to join the feast. Can he once again fight the temptation?

Stability test, difficulty exceptional. Alex has no stability points left, so he has to go with natural result.

Odds: 3/15/84
Result: 77 – No

Feeling the urge he could not resist, Alex joined ghouls and started to feed.

In the process he changed, losing his human form, and becoming similar to the other creatures around. Similar, but not the same. For looking at other members of his new race, Alex understood that he had become stronger and smarter than they are. In this feast, he was just crowned the new Ghoul King. Possibilities that were before him were endless. He understood that joining the ranks of Ghouls was a great investment in his future.

But then, Ron’s advice started ringing deep inside his head. Alex remembered why he came to the clearing this evening. He has to harm investment. It will not be easy (difficulty for the test will be hard), even if his assumptions are right. But how right are they (roll D100 + 20): 21+20=41 – average.

Test average vs. high.

GM note: since this is point of no return, I have decided to write both ending, one as if test was successful, other as if was not. Reader can choose one that fits better. So:

GHOUL'S VICTORY

Odds: 5/25/86
Result: 82 – No

But maybe it is not the right time to do it. Maybe he should first enjoy being a ghoul king for a while. He can always change his mind later.

Alex was hungry. One ghoul nearby was eating human leg. Alex just pushed him away, and grabbed his food.

Alex feed first, then Alex attack Slide, then go attack town….

GHOUL'S FAILURE

Odds: 5/25/86
Result: 14 -- Yes

Alex roared at the sky, and the whole ghoul pack gathered around him. Following its leader, the whole horde moved towards Slide. Scared villagers escaped its houses at the very first sign of their approach. Village was empty.

Alex took his horde to the hotel, which once was Jonathan Perich’s church. He entered last, wanting to be convinced that no ghoul was left outside. In the common room, ghouls were waiting for the next command form their king. Alex approached the gas station, and opened the valve. And then, just as good bishop before him, he lighted the mach.

Great explosion was heard that night in the small village of Slide. Gas malfunctioning killed several natives and guests of the hotel, including little known writer Alex Perich. That was official explanation. But the villagers of Slide knew that there will be no problems with daemons in their small community, at least for several generations….