They stay a few days in Lostora waiting for Nona to complete her mission. During these days they train. To find space for the training they go outside the city where they find an open space that's almost perfect for training. As they spend the day there a snobbish mouse with about ten mice following him appears. He claims to be the owner of the land and orders them to leave his park immediately. Gaius says that they're from The Pretorian Guard and outside the cities they are the law and they are training to do their important missions that he should be grateful for. The maybe-owner of the land doesn't back down and for a while it almost seems like Gaius will order his patrols to deal with the maybe-owner and his followers but he hold himself back and they leave the area and return to the city.
The city's palestras are cramped and in the search for somewhere to train and exercise they find out that the militia has an exercising area outside the city that's quite big. They ask and are allowed to do their training there. After a few days Gaius decides that they can't wait for Nona and they leave a message for her and march towards Rustica. The second day their camp is swarmed by mites and they have to scare them off to not catch any nasty bugs and to have their food for themselves (Obstacle: Fighter versus 4D, Passed).
They march on and they feel that they have lost time waiting for nona and when not finding that much information in Lostora. gaius have them to keep a high tempo (Obstacle; Persuader, Succeed with Condition Sick) and so they arrive to Rustica (End of GM's Turn).
Arriving in Rustica they find it hard to get somewhere to sleep for eleven patrol mice. As they search the city for a place Gaius at least get his patrol lots of food and they are all full and satisfied (Check; Resources, Passed). Lucius tries to put his hardships behind him but fail and remain undisciplined (Check; Remove Undisciplined (Angry), Failed). Gaius on the other hand feels quite satisfied that they arrived in time without anyone getting to much hurt and now their stomachs are full (Check; Remove Undisciplined (Angry), Passed). Finally they find a place where there's room if they divide themselves among one room and the dinner room. Gaius and the patrol leaders take the room and the other patrol mice get the dinner room. During the evening Dekia spend time for herself and reaches out to her forefathers to explain and to listen and manage to get back on good or at least neutral terms with them (Check; Remove On Bad terms with the Forefathers, Passed).
Gaius leads the search for information about The Miller but there's nomice called that in Rustica but seeds to get bought to a greater extent than before and the seed is transported away somewhere. Since no other goods like tools, hunting gear, weapons, and other stuff has been sold to a greater extent it's very improbable that the seed is for groups of mice. Groups of mice would need lots of other stuff too (Check; Find information about seed selling and whether The Miller is in Rustica, Passed). So The Miller is not here but someone is trying to affect the seed market in a way that will hit the southern cities most (End of Player's Turn).
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
SPQM c1s14b
When the trial continues the next day Dekia goes there to follow it and see if there might be any connections to the strange behaviour of the goods of seeds and meal. Meanwhile Gaius and Lucius walks to the harbour to ask about goods (that doesn't reach Asylum).
Gaius and Lucius talk with traders who say that there's no shortage but that they have gotten a better price from local buyers. It seems obvious that someone is buying seeds for something (Check; Persuader, Passed).
Decia listens to the last part of the trial and the local merchant is probably getting it. The defender of the merchant can't fight the very carefully applied accusations. The jury will gather again tomorrow to feliver their verdict; guilty or not. If guilty the judge will deliver the sentence, probably ostracisation or worse. Afterwards Dekia discusses the matter at hand with an assistent to another merchant who has nothing to add but thinks it's important to show that the city doesn't tolerate this kind of behaviour.
During the afternoon exercise, wrestling, the patrol exchange information and discuss what they know and don't know. Later all patrol gather at the inn. Noone has found anything spectacular but bread has apparently become expensive. In hte evening just as Gaius is about to explain the further plans Nona explains that she must go about with her secret mission and can't be part of the regular missions since her secret mission, as stated earlier, is more important. Gaius is frustrated, as are the rest of his patrol, but can't say anything since the secret mission is sanctioned by The Senate and The Mice People.
Suddenly Faustus remembers that one of his patrol memmbers is guarding a thief they caught that needs some flogging. Gaius is uncertain what's the correct thing to do according to the law (Check; Administrator, Fail with a Twist). In the morning they all march with the thief to the forum where they flogg him and let him go. Then they go to the temple of the city to honour the forefathers.
Later the jury finds the accussed merchant guilty. The judge delivers the sentence ostracisation, that the merchant should be denied water and fire within 400 (mice) miles for the forum of Lostora. An interesting effect of this is that the area stretches into the jurisdiction area of Asylum and the patrol feels a little insulted that the Lostora administration thinks that they can decide what should or shlould not be in Asylum. The merchant's body guard who is found guilty of contacting and training the bandits is sentenced to death but since he witnessed he gets the honourable death of decapitation instead of the very dishonourable regular strangling.
During the day Gaius engages in a lot of eating to get his strength back (Check, Buy food, Resources Ob 1, Passed, Condition Hungry & Thirsty is removed).
They continue their investigations by asking work leaders of day workers in the storage area and it seems that no more seeds are leaving hte city by the harbour than before but more caravans might be transporting seeds from the city. Seems that someone is buying discretly and maybe storing for some purpose, like feeding bandits or rebels. Dekia is asking around about The Miller but finds no information but hears that the exciting city around here is Rustica in the north. THere one can find voles, mice with just one leg in the middle and mice with their face on their belly and other strange and unusual things.
One of the other patrols has been searching the archives for records on arriving ships but hasn't found anything unusual which supports the theory that the caravans are the ones transporting the seeds away.
The troop of several patrols is suffering from each of the patrol leaders wanting to be the leader. Since the tribunes of The Pretorian Guard has made it clear that Gaius is the leader for the operation they fight over the post as second in command. Gaius convince them that rotating the second in command post each day is a good and the only solution (Check; Persuader, Passed). As the days are getting very hot and food often gets bad very quickly they get sick during the Mite Days (Twist; Health, Failed -> Condition Sick). That can't stop them though and they struggle on (End of Player's turn).
Gaius and Lucius talk with traders who say that there's no shortage but that they have gotten a better price from local buyers. It seems obvious that someone is buying seeds for something (Check; Persuader, Passed).
Decia listens to the last part of the trial and the local merchant is probably getting it. The defender of the merchant can't fight the very carefully applied accusations. The jury will gather again tomorrow to feliver their verdict; guilty or not. If guilty the judge will deliver the sentence, probably ostracisation or worse. Afterwards Dekia discusses the matter at hand with an assistent to another merchant who has nothing to add but thinks it's important to show that the city doesn't tolerate this kind of behaviour.
During the afternoon exercise, wrestling, the patrol exchange information and discuss what they know and don't know. Later all patrol gather at the inn. Noone has found anything spectacular but bread has apparently become expensive. In hte evening just as Gaius is about to explain the further plans Nona explains that she must go about with her secret mission and can't be part of the regular missions since her secret mission, as stated earlier, is more important. Gaius is frustrated, as are the rest of his patrol, but can't say anything since the secret mission is sanctioned by The Senate and The Mice People.
Suddenly Faustus remembers that one of his patrol memmbers is guarding a thief they caught that needs some flogging. Gaius is uncertain what's the correct thing to do according to the law (Check; Administrator, Fail with a Twist). In the morning they all march with the thief to the forum where they flogg him and let him go. Then they go to the temple of the city to honour the forefathers.
Later the jury finds the accussed merchant guilty. The judge delivers the sentence ostracisation, that the merchant should be denied water and fire within 400 (mice) miles for the forum of Lostora. An interesting effect of this is that the area stretches into the jurisdiction area of Asylum and the patrol feels a little insulted that the Lostora administration thinks that they can decide what should or shlould not be in Asylum. The merchant's body guard who is found guilty of contacting and training the bandits is sentenced to death but since he witnessed he gets the honourable death of decapitation instead of the very dishonourable regular strangling.
During the day Gaius engages in a lot of eating to get his strength back (Check, Buy food, Resources Ob 1, Passed, Condition Hungry & Thirsty is removed).
They continue their investigations by asking work leaders of day workers in the storage area and it seems that no more seeds are leaving hte city by the harbour than before but more caravans might be transporting seeds from the city. Seems that someone is buying discretly and maybe storing for some purpose, like feeding bandits or rebels. Dekia is asking around about The Miller but finds no information but hears that the exciting city around here is Rustica in the north. THere one can find voles, mice with just one leg in the middle and mice with their face on their belly and other strange and unusual things.
One of the other patrols has been searching the archives for records on arriving ships but hasn't found anything unusual which supports the theory that the caravans are the ones transporting the seeds away.
The troop of several patrols is suffering from each of the patrol leaders wanting to be the leader. Since the tribunes of The Pretorian Guard has made it clear that Gaius is the leader for the operation they fight over the post as second in command. Gaius convince them that rotating the second in command post each day is a good and the only solution (Check; Persuader, Passed). As the days are getting very hot and food often gets bad very quickly they get sick during the Mite Days (Twist; Health, Failed -> Condition Sick). That can't stop them though and they struggle on (End of Player's turn).
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Roma obscura, a change of rules
So far we have in the Roma obscura campaign run the Mouse Guard rules but this doesn't fit well with one of the players that think it's to much rules and some strange effects as lingering Conditions or too much effects bound to rules rather than pure role playing. Therefore we decided to try the rules from the swedsih game Magneter och mirakler.
The rules in Magneter and mirakler are quite simple and very much based around everything important having aspects that can be used sometimes, quite often or often depending on the level of the aspect. To this is added a system for story conflict resolution where the antagonist and protagonist use an aspect if they like to. If one of them do, that one decides the outcome, if both do, it's a even call and the conflict is escalated. In an escalated conflict the two parties can use as many fitting aspects as they want and then they roll a six sided dice each and add their bonuses. The one with the highest result decides the outcome.
The rules has some more details as aspects having both negative and positvie sides and a rule for making the gamers use both negative and positive sides of their characters to make the game more interesting.
This is the characters we ended up with (Mouse Guard originals can be found earlier in the blog):
Mettia Equitus Hirrus:
Game setting: +5/-5
Rationally convincing: +2/-2
Social: +1/-1
Honestly outspoken: -+1/-3
Childhood in a senatorial family: +1/-1
Tactics-wise tribune: +2/-1
Has greek enemy: +1/-2
Cares for her own integrety: +2/-2
Intrigued by Inspired Ones and Meta-Physis: +1/-1
Trained fighter: +2/-1
Atia Lucius Quintilius:
Game setting: +5/-5
Seasoned legionary leader: +2/-1
Action takes precedence before status: +2/-2
Pedgogical retor: +1/1
Disciplined: +2/-1
Conscientious administrator: +1/-2
Conflict-filled order of duty*: +1-3
Military tactician: +1/-1
Cartographer with field experience: +1/-2
Doesn't waste time: +3/-1
* Rome -> Family -> Forefathers -> Me
Expected to be Rome -> Forefathers -> Family - Me
We also set some themes for the campaign, this part of the campaign:
- Roma's plan for Achaea
- Atia's and Mettia's mission
- Roman brats in Achaea
- The Inspired Ones
- Greek honour
- Greek conflicts
All aspects and themes are translated from swedish and might therefore differ some fom what's intended and will be used in the game.
The rules in Magneter and mirakler are quite simple and very much based around everything important having aspects that can be used sometimes, quite often or often depending on the level of the aspect. To this is added a system for story conflict resolution where the antagonist and protagonist use an aspect if they like to. If one of them do, that one decides the outcome, if both do, it's a even call and the conflict is escalated. In an escalated conflict the two parties can use as many fitting aspects as they want and then they roll a six sided dice each and add their bonuses. The one with the highest result decides the outcome.
The rules has some more details as aspects having both negative and positvie sides and a rule for making the gamers use both negative and positive sides of their characters to make the game more interesting.
This is the characters we ended up with (Mouse Guard originals can be found earlier in the blog):
Mettia Equitus Hirrus:
Game setting: +5/-5
Rationally convincing: +2/-2
Social: +1/-1
Honestly outspoken: -+1/-3
Childhood in a senatorial family: +1/-1
Tactics-wise tribune: +2/-1
Has greek enemy: +1/-2
Cares for her own integrety: +2/-2
Intrigued by Inspired Ones and Meta-Physis: +1/-1
Trained fighter: +2/-1
Atia Lucius Quintilius:
Game setting: +5/-5
Seasoned legionary leader: +2/-1
Action takes precedence before status: +2/-2
Pedgogical retor: +1/1
Disciplined: +2/-1
Conscientious administrator: +1/-2
Conflict-filled order of duty*: +1-3
Military tactician: +1/-1
Cartographer with field experience: +1/-2
Doesn't waste time: +3/-1
* Rome -> Family -> Forefathers -> Me
Expected to be Rome -> Forefathers -> Family - Me
We also set some themes for the campaign, this part of the campaign:
- Roma's plan for Achaea
- Atia's and Mettia's mission
- Roman brats in Achaea
- The Inspired Ones
- Greek honour
- Greek conflicts
All aspects and themes are translated from swedish and might therefore differ some fom what's intended and will be used in the game.
Roma obscura session 5a (c2s5a)
As the weather gets better but the winter's not formally over competitions between the cohorts are held and in the end of the winter a winner is coroned. It's Atia's cohort that takes home the most victories and the final total victory. During the games the centurions have showed their well known engagement in their units and if they keep that spirit up when it comes to battle they might be as spoken wnd written about as Gaius Julius Caesar's famous centurions.
At the first day of Early Summer they celebrate the Rosalia signoris where the standars are decorated and honoured and then they march northwards toward Delphi. Atia resumes the correspondance with the brats and for someone being able to read between the lines it seems that she's actually trying to deceive them into behaving in the most brattish roman way one might imagine, probably to help spark the conflict in Sparta they think Rome wants.
As they march on they hear rumours about pirate fleets but reckon that they wont attack two full cohorts and also they are often marching not so close to the coast as to worry. Mettia also starts to have weekly meetings with all her centurions in addition to the regular meetings with her, Atia and the centurio senior (the leaders for the six maniples). Besides trying to get a better general contact with her cohorts she's trying to get some response on why her cohort didn't win the games.
Since the first harvests not been done yet the food is still taken from diminishing winter storages and is therefore a little expensive. They try to get as much fish as possible since that food isn't as dependent on the season as the otherwise used (and normally cheaper grains). They hold on to the existing money to make it last until they ge more funds from Rome via Athens. A part of this is to transfeer some money rewards to free time rewards and to not have too much effect on the security by not having enough guarding personell they also spread the free time out so it doesn't always come in direct connection to the action that led to the reward (Obstacle, Administrator, Passed).
The coast seems safe and quiet although the rumours about pirates.
They haven't been starting to feel safe a long time when scouts return like hunted and tell that they have seen an anchored war fleet, presumably pirates. As Atia and Mettia discuss the matter at hand more scouts arrive and tell them that the pirates has left the ships and is moving for an attack.
The attack is quite well prepared and well started but the good roman legionaries and Atia's and Mettia's leadership is holding them off and slowly pushing them backwards. Now the pirate start to retreat and actually do a mostly organized retreat and then flee which give them the possibility to get away from the legionaries and are only floowed by the quite few cavallerists in the troop which much minimizes their losses (Obstacle, Complex; Militarist for preparations for battle and Militarist for the actual battle, Passed).
The attack seemed to have been well prepared and obviously they have had good knowlegde of where the cohorts have been and that the weak point is the baggage train in the middle and it seemed they were specifically going for the part with the money for wages and supplies.
Neither the cohorts nor the pirates suffer any great losses but quite a bunch of pirates fell for the persuing cavallerists. They iterrogate villagers in the area but they dont seem to have cooperated with the pirates and seem quite scared for the pirates (and the romans).
After clearing up the area they march away some to get away from the good ambush area wich seem to be appreciated by the villagers (End of GM's Turn).
At the first day of Early Summer they celebrate the Rosalia signoris where the standars are decorated and honoured and then they march northwards toward Delphi. Atia resumes the correspondance with the brats and for someone being able to read between the lines it seems that she's actually trying to deceive them into behaving in the most brattish roman way one might imagine, probably to help spark the conflict in Sparta they think Rome wants.
As they march on they hear rumours about pirate fleets but reckon that they wont attack two full cohorts and also they are often marching not so close to the coast as to worry. Mettia also starts to have weekly meetings with all her centurions in addition to the regular meetings with her, Atia and the centurio senior (the leaders for the six maniples). Besides trying to get a better general contact with her cohorts she's trying to get some response on why her cohort didn't win the games.
Since the first harvests not been done yet the food is still taken from diminishing winter storages and is therefore a little expensive. They try to get as much fish as possible since that food isn't as dependent on the season as the otherwise used (and normally cheaper grains). They hold on to the existing money to make it last until they ge more funds from Rome via Athens. A part of this is to transfeer some money rewards to free time rewards and to not have too much effect on the security by not having enough guarding personell they also spread the free time out so it doesn't always come in direct connection to the action that led to the reward (Obstacle, Administrator, Passed).
The coast seems safe and quiet although the rumours about pirates.
They haven't been starting to feel safe a long time when scouts return like hunted and tell that they have seen an anchored war fleet, presumably pirates. As Atia and Mettia discuss the matter at hand more scouts arrive and tell them that the pirates has left the ships and is moving for an attack.
The attack is quite well prepared and well started but the good roman legionaries and Atia's and Mettia's leadership is holding them off and slowly pushing them backwards. Now the pirate start to retreat and actually do a mostly organized retreat and then flee which give them the possibility to get away from the legionaries and are only floowed by the quite few cavallerists in the troop which much minimizes their losses (Obstacle, Complex; Militarist for preparations for battle and Militarist for the actual battle, Passed).
The attack seemed to have been well prepared and obviously they have had good knowlegde of where the cohorts have been and that the weak point is the baggage train in the middle and it seemed they were specifically going for the part with the money for wages and supplies.
Neither the cohorts nor the pirates suffer any great losses but quite a bunch of pirates fell for the persuing cavallerists. They iterrogate villagers in the area but they dont seem to have cooperated with the pirates and seem quite scared for the pirates (and the romans).
After clearing up the area they march away some to get away from the good ambush area wich seem to be appreciated by the villagers (End of GM's Turn).
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