Kage Gordain - Chapter 3: Storms A Brewin'

(Read the previous chapter here.)

Game System: Tunnels & Trolls

Tools: rpgsolo.com solo engine; d30 Sandbox Companion

Setup:

One commenter on my last post mentioned that he was interested in a nautical adventure. Well, he’ll get his fair share in this chapter.

A great deal of the gameplay for this chapter involved a lot of dice rolls on various tables, saving throws, oracle questions, on-the-fly rules generation, and other statistical calculations. There was not a lot of story-telling in the bare-bones play. That being said, there is a story to be told and I will do my best to trim down the gameplay elements and find a good balance of rolls/table information vs. narrative. If, for any reason, you want more of the “behind-the-scenes” information, feel free to contact me privately and I’ll be happy to send you this chapter’s notes.

Finally, nearly all the rolls were done at the beginning of each day. For story purposes, I will spread out the information to correspond with the narrative.

[Scene 1]

Day 5 - At Sea

Encounter Roll: 2 None

With nearly two full days of travel left, Kristopher expected that life aboard the Horizon would fall into a routine and grow rather dull. However, with his experience as a slave aboard Frogbeard the Pirate’s personal galley fresh in his mind, he was content with simply sitting back and watching the sailors work. He also watched his companions, picking up as much information as he could about his new found friends.

Dalen spends much of the day sitting on the deck with Lachaidiga, listening to her tales. She speaks of her years learning her magic from the serpentfolk, murder investigations, desert caravans, haunted ruins, a battle with a shaman of deception, and confronting cultists. The dwarf listens with rapt attention, occasionally jotting notes in a worn leather-bound book.

Kelseen, not being one for laziness, eagerly pitches in where she can. While it isn’t expected of the passengers, she gladly assists the other sailors with the daily tasks. Kristopher notes one crewman who seems to take a particular interest in the husky warrior woman, complimenting her on her strength and endurance. While Kris suspects Kelseen would deny any mutual interest in her admirer, he does notice her blush once or twice when offered a kind word that addresses her more as a woman than as a worker.

Sylralei is her usual self, flirting with many of the sailors, yet doing no actual work. While Kris believes she has no real romantic interest in any of the sweaty and gritty seamen and is only playing with them, he does lose track of her a time or two, only to see her later emerge from below deck, closely followed by sailor cautiously looking around to see if he has been noticed. 

The day goes on like this until mid-afternoon when the sky darkens. Winds began to pick up and, just before dusk, the rain begins to fall. It is soon evident that this is not going to be a short squall, but a long drawn-out battle with the heavens. Several inches of rain falls every hour, with strong winds and heavy waves rocking the ship. The crew do their best to control the vessel and limit any damage while the few passengers stay below deck. None of the party venture out except for Dalen who occasionally has to empty a wooden bucket that had been filled by a seasick Lachaidiga. 

The Horizon is tossed about for most of the night until the storm settles down after nearly four hours of continuous rain and wind. When there is a slight break in the cloud cover, the ship’s navigator takes a reading and is surprised to discover that the ship is only a few degrees off-course. A survey of the damage reveals that, despite the terrible winds, the crew did a good job of securing the ship and it is expected that any repairs could be finished quickly, allowing them to on time in Sirisea.

[The d30 Sandbox companion weather roll indicated a severe multi-cell line of storms. The total number of cells was eight with no breaks. The total time of the storm was 3.48 hrs, with rain up to 3.5” every 30 minutes and winds reaching speeds of just under 25 mph.

The navigator automatically failed a L3SR with a roll of  “1” and “2”. Condition modifiers required an off-course roll on the “Heavily Impaired” table. Fortunately, the result was only 12 degrees to port off course.

Is the ship damaged?

(Likely | 7[d10]) Yes

Does the damage take more than one day to repair?

(Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and… Repairs could be made fast enough that they will actually not lose any time.

Did any crew get washed overboard during the storm?

(Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and.. Crew was able to keep damage to a minimum, saving repair time.]

It is soon evident that this is...a long, drawn-out battle with the heavens. 

[Scene 2]

Day 6: At sea, on schedule to arrive in port [Encounter Roll: 5 none]

The Horizon’s revelry is short-lived, however. Just before dawn, another series of storms wash over the ship. While this new series lasts for only about a quarter of the length of the first storm and there are some short breaks in the rain, the wind and savagery are just as strong and any preliminary repairs are undone and structures already weakened break completely. A mast and several of the booms are cracked and need repair. Rope and netting are thrown around and tangled. Even the rudder takes severe damage, making the ship difficult to steer. About the only good news is that, once again, no lives are lost.

[Weather Roll: Severe Multi-cell cluster. 3 clusters of approx. 25 min. each with short breaks between. Wind and rain similar to previous day’s storm.

Is the ship damaged?

(50/50 | 10[d10]) Yes, and… it undoes preliminary repairs and douses any hopes of arriving on time.

Did anyone get washed overboard?

(Unlikely | 2[d10]) No  +Event: Oppress / Travel (this is not so much an “event” as it is a confirmation of the current situation).

How severe is the damage? (d6 roll) 1-2: Light 3-4: moderate 5-6: heavy  1d6=4 Moderate

Each day the crew will need to make a SR against their LUCK ( rolled as 15) to complete repairs in time to make it to port the following day. The level is based on how severe the damages are: L1 for light, L2 for moderate, L3 for heavy. If they fail, they must roll again the next day, adjusting the SR down one level.

Repair Roll: (L2 - Target 25) 11+15=26 Success. They should be able to make repairs and reach Sirisea on Day 7.

The sun rises and the beaten and battered crew assess the damage. They are dismayed at what they find, realizing that it could take the better part of the day to get the ship in decent sailing condition. The party lends a hand wherever they can. Kristopher, Kelseen, and Dalen help the crew with the physical repairs while Syl and Lachiadiga use their magic to tend to any injuries suffered during the storms. [Syl heals 1d6=6 sailors, Lach heals 4, Syl gets Adventure Points (T&T’s XP) for each point of WIZ spent. I will assume she expends an average 4 points per sailor, giving her 24 AP.]

After the two had tended to a couple of sailors, Lachaidiga grows puzzled at Sylralei’s methods. To her, it seems like the elf is either overly concerned about the sailors’ well-being or is mothering them.

“Why do you address each sailor by saying ‘Poor baby”?” Lachaidiga finally asks.

Syl casts the sorceress an incredulous look. “It’s the name of the spell?”

“The name of the spell?” Lachaidiga repeats confused.

“Yes. ‘Poor Baby’ is the name of the healing spell, the same spell you are casting.”

“That’s not what we call it in Anzakàr. We just call it ‘Heal’.”

Syl rolls her eyes as she turns to another injured sailor, muttering, “You Anzakàrians are so dull!”

Elsewhere, the ship’s navigator takes a new reading once the cloud cover clears enough for him to see the sky. To his dismay, he realizes they have been sailing off course by about 90 degrees for the last several hours, thanks in part to the damaged rudder. As if the repairs weren’t enough, this would surely delay their arrival even more.

[Conditions required a L3SR for navigation. The navigator failed the roll. Modifiers dictated the use of the Moderate Impairment table to determine how much they were off-course. The ship was 90 starboard. This was already taken into account when I determined that the ship would be delayed by one day.]

[Scene 3]

Day 7: At sea, scheduled to arrive in port [Encounter Roll: 2 none]

Repairs go well through the remainder of day 6 and the morning of day 7. Spirits are high among passengers and crew when the lookout spots another string of storms heading in their direction. Quickly everyone secures what they can before the waves begin to roll and the winds begin to blow. For most of the afternoon the ship endures a pounding that undoes much of their previous work, as well as creates new damage. Unable to do much to fight the wind or steer with an impared rudder, the ship drifts aimlessly off course.  [Weather: 5 Severe cells with several inches of rain and winds in the mid 20 mphs. Navigator failed a L3SR and the ship was off course by 174 degrees to starboard. While the ship's ability to stay on course is rolled using the navigator’s abilities, I tend to attribute the current results to a combination of poor navigation and impared ability to physically control the vessel. 

An Oracle roll indicated additional damage. Repair SR rolls will begin on day 7, starting at L3.]

[Scene 4]

Day 8: Adrift at sea [Encounter Roll: 3 none]

The damages to the Horizon are much too numerous to fix in one day, and the crew does their best to at least repair the rudder and hoist some small sails in order to keep the ship from drifting too far off course. It would be at least another day before repairs will be sufficient to make any real progress toward shore. Luckily, the weather is much more accommodating with only a few small showers to cool them off and no severe storms to hinder their progress. [Failed an L3SR to repair the ship. Weather was a multi-cell non-severe cluster with a few mild showers.]

In the meantime, Kelseen lends the navigator her Master Crafted Compass. With the aid of the compass, his own tools, and clearer skies, he is able to keep the ship on course for Sirisea.

Meanwhile, in the small country of Sirisea, the Governor, Isabel Mistspillter, grows concerned that Kage Gordain and his associates have not arrived. She doesn’t fear that the hero has absconded with the payment, as she knows they were to arrive on the Horizon and so far the ship has not docked.  Her real concern is that they might be lost at sea. Several other ships that have arrived in the past couple of days spoke of rough seas and raging storms. And of course, there are always the pirates who travel on the ocean looking for easy plunder.

Luckily, Mistspillter knows there is an Orthonian naval ship currently docked at the port. (Orthon being the country that shares a southern border with Sirisea.) She sends word to the ship, requesting that they conduct a search for the missing merchant ship. The captain agrees to make a sweep a hundred miles or so off-shore from Sirisea over the next several days. 

[Is the ship missed at port?

(50/50 | 7[d10]) Yes

Is a search boat sent out?

(Likely | 9[d10]) Yes +Event: Overindulge / Weapons (Navy ship is sent out in case of Pirates.)

The search for the Horizon will be based on a L4SR on LUCK. This roll will start on Day 9. Every day after that will be a L3SR. The first day is harder because the search ship is still close to shore and they have no idea where to look. It is a little easier after the first day due to already having covered some of the area, but a search at sea is difficult, therefore the SR will never be easier than L3.]

[Scene 5]

Day 9: Ocean

Encounter: 6 none

Weather: Single cell, a half hour of less than 1” of rain and 4mph winds.

Navigation: With the Master Compass the navigator easily makes the L1SR with a roll of 35.

Repair Roll: (L2SR) 23=Fail! Try again on Day 10 to have a chance of arriving on Day 11.

Food is beginning to become an issue on the Horizon due to the extra days at sea. Thankfully, the rain has provided more than enough drinking water in the catch barrels, but the Captain decides to institute rationing. To offset this, some of the crew put together makeshift fishing nets and drag them alongside the craft. Everyone’s spirits are raised when they are able to catch several fish on their first day trying. 

[Is food becoming an issue?

(Somewhat Likely | 6[d10]) Yes  (Crew has enough water due to rain, but must start rationing food. Each day crew members will lose a certain amount of strength. They will lose 2 STR unless they catch fish, in which case they will only lose 1 STR. Each day they will fish using d30 Companion hunting tables for coastal areas. Basically, they have 15 out of 30 chance to catch fish. If this goes on long enough so that characters start nearing 0 STR, I’ll figure out what happens.)

Crew Size: d20+20=29 consisting of 1 Captain, 1 First Mate, 27 regular sailors. 

Captain STR (5d6): 16

1st Mate STR (4d6): 19

Sailors (3d6, 10 min.): 15

Fishing Roll: 7 Catch Fish  (STR Tally: Capt: 15, 1stM 18, Sailors 14, PCs Kris: 16, Syl 11, Kel 17, Dal 21, Lach: 9 (I started Lachaidiga at 10. Her original character was created under the Runequest 6 ruleset, which also uses 3d6. I kept her RQ stat, but added 1 STR point to simulate experience in the gap between her written adventures and this one.)

Search Party: LS4SR (Target 35) 7+15=22 No rescue.

[Scene 6]

Day 10: Ocean

Encounter: 4 none

Weather: 1 No precipitation (Yay!)

Navigator easily makes his SR and didn’t even need the Master Compass.

The crew also makes their L1 repair SR, meaning ship will reach shore on Day 11, pending any additional delays.

Fishing Roll: 28 No fish (STR Tally:  Capt: 13, 1stM 16, Sailors 12, PCs Kris 14, Syl 9, Kel 15, Dal 19, Lach 7)

Search Party: L3SR (Target 30)=20 No rescue.

The crew finally finish repairs and the ship is back on course traveling towards Sirisea. The Captain informs the passengers that they should arrive in port on the following day. More at ease, the party takes time to relax. Kelseen retreats to the lower decks to sleep while Lachiadiga resumes telling Dalen of her adventures in Anzakàr. Syl lingers nearby, just within earshot. She attempts to appear uninterested, but Kristopher notices her continual glances in their direction and the turn of an ear towards them, as though she is straining to hear what they are saying.

[Scene 7]

Day 10: Arrive in port.

Encounter: 3 None

Weather: Single cell, insignificant

Navigation: Easy success

Fishing: 25 No fish (STR tally Capt. 11, 1st M 14, Sailors 10, PCs Kris 12, Syl 7, Kel 13, Dal 17, Lach 5)

Search Party: L3SR (Target 30)=1,2 automatic fail.

Four days late, the Horizon finally arrives in the Port of Sirisea. Dockworkers are overjoyed to see them, but not as much as the crew and passengers are to finally be back on land. Wasting no time, Sylralei flags down a messenger and tells (d6 Even M/Odd F=2) him to give a message to the Governor that Kage Gordain and his associates have arrived, but, due to the nature of their travels, will require at least one day of rest. Kage will be in touch when he is ready to continue the mission.

As the other three unload their equipment from the ship, Kristopher asks Dalen about his new found friend.

“I heard some of those stories the Anzakàrian sorceress was telling you,” Kris begins. “Do you think she might be of some help to us?”

“Shhhh!” Dalen hushes the dark-haired warrior and he casts a quick glance in Lachiadiga’s direction to see if she heard. “The treasure expectation for this mission is already pretty low. Do you want to short yourself by adding an extra cut? Besides,” the dwarf continues, motioning Kris’ gaze to where Lachiadiga is lying prone, kissing the ground, “We’re traveling to an island and I don’t believe that girl will be boarding another ship any time soon!”

"I don’t believe that girl will be boarding another ship any time soon!"

Wrap Up:

In addition to Dalen’s reasoning, I’m also not interested in doing a full character conversion, nor hijacking another Solo RPGer’s character any more than I already have. Thanks G.N. for being a good sport!

(Read the next chapter here.)