Sat, 09 Apr 2011
- Campaign Notes
- #1: 2009-12-04 — Shipwrecks, Savages, & Giant Monkapes (writeup by M.A.H.)
- #2: 2010-01-14 — Sharks, Pirates, & Commerce (writeup by B.MC.)
- #3: 2010-09-13 — Salvage, Pirates, & Enterprise (writeup by C.A.H.)
- #4: 2010-10-21 — Razorwings, Giant Octopus, & Octopons (writeup by M.A.H.)
- #5: 2010-11-04 — Pirates, Salvage, Healing (writeup by B.MC.)
- #6: 2010-12-22 — Back to the Whip Islands (PENDING writeup details by C.A.H.)
- #7: 2011-02-24 — (PENDING writeup by M.A.H.)
- #8: 2011-03-30 — (PENDING writeup by B.MC.)
Wed, 30 Mar 2011
This is an actual play report from the Savage Worlds 50 Fathoms plot point campaign from Pinnacle Entertainment Games. These actual play reports are available in html with atom and rss feeds from T.K.B.'s blog.
Attending
Clockwise round the table, starting with the GM:
- T.K.B. — GM
- B.MC. — playing Azrulektos, a Kraken warrior/wizard
- C.A.H. — playing Karl Kroc, a Masaquani treasure hunter and navigator
- M.A.H. — playing Moorumah, a charming but rather dim Grael
B.MC. took notes. [Writeup pending]
Introduction
Actual Play
Aftermath
Each PC each got +3 XP.
Thu, 24 Feb 2011
This is an actual play report from the Savage Worlds 50 Fathoms plot point campaign from Pinnacle Entertainment Games. These actual play reports are available in html with atom and rss feeds from T.K.B.'s blog.
Attending
Clockwise round the table, starting with the GM:
- T.K.B. — GM
- B.MC. — playing Azrulektos, a Kraken warrior/wizard
- C.A.H. — playing Karl Kroc, a Masaquani treasure hunter and navigator
- M.A.H. — playing Moorumah, a charming but rather dim Grael
M.A.H. took notes. [Writeup pending]
Introduction
Actual Play
Aftermath
Each PC each got +3 XP.
Wed, 22 Dec 2010
This is an actual play report from the Savage Worlds 50 Fathoms plot point campaign from Pinnacle Entertainment Games. These actual play reports are available in html with atom and rss feeds from T.K.B.'s blog.
Attending
Clockwise round the table, starting with the GM:
- T.K.B. — GM
- B.MC. — playing Azrulektos, a Kraken warrior/wizard
- C.A.H. — playing Karl Kroc, a Masaquani treasure hunter and navigator
- M.A.H. — playing Moorumah, a charming but rather dim Grael
Introduction
Partial session report from e-mails provided by the GM. The notes on the setting and system background were provided for a friend who isn't playing in this campaign, but was interested in what happened this session.
C.A.H. took notes. [Additional details pending, to be provided by C.A.H.]
Actual Play
Setting Background
We're playing the 50 Fathoms campaign using the Savage Worlds rules; it is a fantasy pirates game, in a world that was flooded by the evil magic of a trio of witches, now called the Sea Hags. The Sea Hags flooded the world making a magic connection to the seas of earth, letting in a flood of water and sometimes sailing ships from various eras, which come through in an area called the Flotsom Sea, in the center of the map of the world.
The players were exploring the Whip Islands, where wreckage from the Flotsom Sea often washes up, and had found a small chest of silver ingots (1000 pieces of eight worth) underwater amongst some wreckage of a ship. Their Spanish pirate crewman, Senor Miguel Figuroa, said that it was likely from the wreckage of a Spanish treasure galleon! They couldn't find any more on the inside of the reef, so they left their ship anchored in the cove inside the reef and took their ship's boat outside the reef and began exploring underwater. (B.MC.'s character, Azrulektos, and one of their crew are fully aquatic and can breath underwater; another NPC and M.A.H.'s character, Muroomah, are semi-aquatic and can stay underwater for more than 15 minutes; and Azrulektos had cast a spell on C.A.H.'s character, Karl Kroc, that lets him breath normally underwater.) (Actually, I think A. cast that on Muroomah as well, so she could stay underwater longer.) They found another small chest near a large part of the bow of the ship, but noticed something large moving behind the bow section. They fastened a rope around the chest, and yanked the rope to signal the two crew in the boat to pull the chest up. Unfortunately, the underside of the chest had been chained to a spike driven into the rock of the seabed, and wouldn't come up, and a giant octopus appeared from behind the bough. Muroomah charged forward and with her new and very fine great ax killed the giant octopus with one blow. [The GM is afraid that this was the second giant octopus she's killed with one blow.]
Muramah Sez
Mooramah kill eight armed thing with one blow! Ugh! Moormah want to find other sushi to kill. Dis fun.
Unfortunately, a bunch of octopons appeared around the bow of the ship, and everybody decided to flee the obvious trap.
Upon arriving at the surface they found another group of octopons already surrounding their small ship's boat. The two crewmen in the boat fired their two pistols at the octopons, but missed. At least they had alerted their crewmates aboard their ship, anchored 1/8 of a mile away, behind the reef, in the cove. In the mean time, it was a melee in the water. Muroomah did massive damage, attacking all the adjacent octopons with her ax and sending them dead and bleeding to sink into the sea. Azrulektos stunned and damaged octopons with his magic. Karl Kroc attacked bravely. The NPCs were unable to hit anything. However, the octopons kept coming, with new pods of them showing up when the originals had been disposed of.
Things had gotten to a grim point. All the PCs were wounded, a couple of the NPCs and Muroomah were unconscious, and Azrulektos was out of spell points.
System Background
In Savage Worlds the player characters (and some non-player characters) have "bennies", which they can spend to reroll Trait rolls (Attributes like Strength, and Skills like Fighting or Boating), but not damage worlds. They can also spend them to stop being shaken (a stunned condition in which they cannot act, often the result of minor damage), or to attempt to Soak (get rid of) wounds which they have just taken.
Death!
After fighting waves of octopons, everybody was out of bennies, and Azrulektos had two wounds. Each would gives the player a -1 penalty to all Trait rolls. Azrulektos drank a potion to restore some power points, and rolled 2d6 to see how many were restored, and got snake eyes: 2. He was out of bennies, so I said if he took another wound I'd let him reroll, and he did, getting 7 power points back. Then something else happened and he rolled badly, and I said I'd let him reroll that, if he took another wound. That would make his fourth wound, which would mean he'd have to roll on the Incapacitation table. He accepted, made his reroll, which wasn't any better, failed his roll on the Incapacitation table, which meant he was Bleeding out, and had to make Vigor roll to stabilize, and rolled a critical failure (snake eyes - ones on both his Vigor die and his Wild die), which is instant death.
Stupid GM's House Rules :-(
After game reasoning: So, a badly thought-out house rule and a bad run of dice "killed" Azrulektos. My mistake was overestimating how helpful the rerolls for additional wounds would be, and underestimating how deadly the results of those wounds would be. I won't be using that house rule again. Since I was very dissatisfied with the results of my mistake, I went looking for a different in game result that could be plausible.
In game he drank a potion, and a couple of rounds later keeled over dead without any physical attacks on him. Reasoning from the in-game events led to me to think that the mana potion must have been magically cursed, which lead to the idea of a coma, rather than actual death.
Back to the game. Anyway, the other crew brought the ship up, and fired a volley of muskets at the octopons, scaring them off, brought everybody on board, and fled to Baltimus, and a healer. (Azrulektos was the company's healer, too, unfortunately.)
Aftermath
The GM suggested that, unless someone thought it was a bad idea, we should recton [1] the game mechanics interpretation and in-game result slightly, since there were no in-game physical wounds for those last two wounds. Instead of there being actual wounds, the potion that Azrulektos ingested (discovered in an Octopon treasure chest, if I remember correctly), in addition to restoring mana points (the bait), was also cursed and triggered a delayed magical attack on the imbiber, with the end result that a couple of rounds after he drank it it wounded him and put him into a death-like coma. A successful Natural healing roll will bring him out of the coma. An application of the Healing spell will enable him to continue to survive in the coma for five days. Since Grimnar found a good healer when you all arrived in Baltimas, all that is needed is time and money.
B.MC. thought that would work fine, and nobody objected.
| [1] | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retroactive_continuity |
Each PC each got +3 XP.
Thu, 04 Nov 2010
This is an actual play report from the Savage Worlds 50 Fathoms plot point campaign from Pinnacle Entertainment Games. These actual play reports are available in html with atom and rss feeds from T.K.B.'s blog.
Attending
Clockwise round the table, starting with the GM:
- T.K.B. — GM
- B.MC. — playing Azrulektos, a Kraken warrior/wizard
- C.A.H. — playing Karl Kroc, a Masaquani treasure hunter and navigator
- M.A.H. — playing Moorumah, a charming but rather dim Grael
Introduction
[Session report by B.MC., lightly edited]
Actual Play
Here Be Loot!
After escaping with the only serious injury being Azrulektos's burnt and useless arm, our adventurers sorted through the booty captured. Mooramuh forced open the chest and we found a magic ring that made the wearer feel better about sailing (a [Captain's Ring] which gives a +2 bonus to Boating) which was given to Karl Kroc, a yellow potion (restores power points) and $4,375 ($3,938 after 10% salvage fee).
A Sad, Sad, Day!
On the 8-day voyage back to Baltimus to find healing for Azrulektos’ arm, we happened upon the black pirate ship, a sloop known as the “Red Fox”, attacking the crumbster ship named “Windfall”. We defeated the pirates, saving some of the Windfall’s crew, and captured the pirate captain. Unfortunately, Mooramuh accidently threw her beautiful mallet far, far away into the ocean never to be seen again. The Fox had been chasing the Windfall for two days. We found $1,070 in general loot on the Fox and also found a pair of thieves slippers (+1 climbing and stealth) which Azrulektos took.
A Happy, Happy, Day!
We were given a $6,750 salvage bounty for the Windfall and $10,000 bounty for the Red Fox when we reached Baltimus. We sold our skiff for $5,000 and bought the Red Fox for $20,000. We found, through amazing, stupendous luck, that there was a very powerful healer named Benga Mamoto in the village of Tulago. He was from an Earth slave ship. We also bought Mooramuh a 2-handed great axe ($500) with a strap ($100) to replace her mallet. She subsequently bought a formal gown ($268) and went on a date with the weaponsmith Grimnar, having a wonderful time talking about our adventures.
Moorumah the Shark Killer!
We hired two privateers and two novice sailors to help sail the ship and also resupplied for the trip to Tulago. We also repainted the Red Fox sea green and the sails blue before leaving port. Our ship was attacked a half day from Tulago by a giant shark that was almost as large as the ship. Azrulektos pummeled the shark with screaming water bolts and Mooruamuh jumped to its back attempting a killing blow. Unfortunately she missed and the shark began to swim to the depths with her holding on. Azrulektos fired another volley of bolts and stunned the fish which sank to the depths.
Healing
We easily found Benga and he agreed to heal Azrulektos’ arm for $1000 and the promise that we would search for his brother Machawi (~410 lbs and 7’8” tall), who is larger than an elephant (whatever that is), and was last seen on the slave ship the Black Prince. The healing took one week during which time the crew relaxed and Mooramuh worked lifting heavy things and making $35 spending money. We ended up having $2537 after paying crew, repairs, supplies and various trading and fees.
Aftermath
Each PC each got +2 XP. B.MC. submitted a session report, so Azrulektos got a bonus +1 XP. (Azrulektos has 15 XP, Karl Kroc has 14 XP, Moorumah has 14 XP).
Thu, 21 Oct 2010
This is an actual play report from the Savage Worlds 50 Fathoms plot point campaign from Pinnacle Entertainment Games. These actual play reports are available in html with atom and rss feeds from T.K.B.'s blog.
Attending
Clockwise round the table, starting with the GM:
- T.K.B. — GM
- B.MC. — playing Azrulektos, a Kraken warrior/wizard
- C.A.H. — playing Karl Kroc, a Masaquani treasure hunter and navigator
- M.A.H. — playing Moorumah, a charming but rather dim Grael
Introduction
Session report kindly provided by M.A.H., and lightly edited.
Actual Play
We have $3663 and a Letter of Marque, which allows us to attack pirates and get a percentage of the value of the ship and cargo. We paid the Letter of Marque, and then headed out 4 days out to Knells rock and 4 days back. Before heading out, we go to our stash first. Azerlectos notices that around the chest on the floor of the ocean are a bunch of dead fish men. Kahena like to eat Doreen. We loaded up on food and headed back to Baltimore. We received a total of $1800 profit.
Mooramuh was trying to see if there are any pirate ships, and there were some observed in the Sea of Pirates in the area ast of Balkus and Calib's rock. We filled up one cargo space with provisions, which cost $500. We decide to go to the third island from the South in the Whip Islands. Before we go, we buy one canon for $200, which takes up one cargo space, plus ammunition and grapeshot. We end up buying 10 grapeshot, 10 chainshot, and 200 shot for a total of $300.
Off to the Whip Islands Again
Then, we are attacked by swarms of bird-like creatures. [Razor Wings] We defeat these swarms, but some crew members are lost. John Smith has perished, and Caras also died. The dead were buried at sea. After some expert navigation from Karl, we arrive at the island, where we search for treasure. We do find treasure, worth $80, plus gold and silver items worth $1000. We also find a very ornate short sword which is obviously not just an ordinary short sword.
Octopus Pie!
Then, Azrulektos notices a snake-like creature coming out of the ocean towards us. Actually, it's huge, and there's more than 1. It turns out to be an octopus. Yay! We defeat the octopus and make calimari. We then descend down into the dark, watery pit from which it came... Octopii travel backwards, with their tentacles first, and then their head wth the eye following behind.
Octopon Caves
We encounter a large tunnel that splits into smaller tunnels. One of the smaller tunnels opens up into a 20-30 yard wide chamber, with part of the chamber being above water. There are a lot of ledges here, some above and some below water. Lots of mermen statues are here, some with swords and some unarmed. We conjecture that this is some sort of gathering place for a cult that worships the octopus. Then, on one of the ledges, we spy a small golden glint. The glint turns out to be a small, golden triangle.
In addition to the several ledges, there are a large number of tunnels leading from the chamber. We also see a throne at the far end of the gloomy chamber.
Mooramuh goes to investigate the throne. She sits on the throne and commands all creatures to follow her and bow before her. Then, something grabs her from the murky water below and pulls her underwater. A large battle begins, with mermen creatures coming up from tunnels seen and unseen. They party takes refuge on the throne ledge, and then Trix finds a secret passage behind the throne.
Riches and Wounds, Not In That Order
We retreat into the secret passage, with some brave members of the party retreating last to cover the others' departures. Then, we proceed with great haste to flee the island. We escape to the boat, with 8 of the mermen in close pursuit. Azruleektos loses the use of one arm from having been seriously injured by fire and acid in the underground chamber. We finally make it back to the boat, with only a few Klingons.
M.A.H. gets a benny next session for shuffling.
Everyone gets 3 experience points, and everyone gets an advancement since we all passed 10 experience points.
Aftermath
Each PC each got +3 XP.
Thu, 16 Sep 2010
We're using the Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition for our main rule book.
We're using any of the edges and hindrances from Pirates of the Spanish Main (also known as PotSM) and some of the updated ship rules as well.
We're using the Knowledge (Navigation) skill from PotSM for navigation (instead of 50 Fathoms's Boating), but using the Boating skill for all other ship handling.
Ships wishing to sell found treasure need a 1000$ Salvage license.
Privateers get a bounty of 50% of the value of a lawfully captured prize.
(In unusual circumstances, head money may be offered.)
Mon, 13 Sep 2010
This is an actual play report from the Savage Worlds 50 Fathoms plot point campaign from Pinnacle Entertainment Games. These actual play reports are available in html with atom and rss feeds from T.K.B.'s blog.
Attending
Clockwise round the table, starting with the GM:
- T.K.B. — GM
- B.MC. — playing Azrulektos, a Kraken warrior/wizard
- C.A.H. — playing Karl Kroc, a Masaquani treasure hunter and navigator
- M.A.H. — playing Moorumah, a charming but rather dim Grael
Introduction
C.A.H. contributed the (lightly formatted) actual play report for this session.
Actual Play
After an extensive recap of what their previous adventures had been 8 months earlier, the party set out to make their fortune by any and all ways (at least the mostly legal ways). The overall plan was to sail north from port to port, making enough profit as a merchant to keep themselves fed, and hopefully purchase a salvage license before heading to the Whip Islands where vast wealth can be found.
But first we had to await boat repairs in Swindon. Moorumah decided it was best to wait in the shade, or perhaps underwater, so she set out to find the "shadiest dive" she could. While she found shade there, there was no swimming, only beer. There was also apparently no arm wrestling allowed. Disappointed, she left the bar, but shortly afterwards a young Doreen girl challenged her to a wrestling match for the contents of her purse. Unsuprisingly, the Doreen was no match for a Grael. Defeated, the Doreen ran off to the docks and disappeared into the water (apparently she enjoyed dives, even if they are not shady). Azrulektos decided that he would like to help the Doreen out. After a few rounds of catch with Moorumah's net, he hid by the docks to wait for her to emerge from the water. When she eventually emerged, he presented her an employment opportunity (and decided that using a fishing net was perhaps not the best recruitment tool when seeking crew). We learned the Doreen's name is Trix. We took her on as a lookout.
A few days later we topped off our provisions ($56) and finally set sail. Karl and Azrulektos worked out a merchant plan to maximize profit while sailing up the coast. Our first destination was the fishing village of Bristo where we planned to take on food cargo. However, 1 day out, our new lookout proved profitable when she spotted a possible ruin 80 yards down. We stopped, and set up a diving operation with Azrulektos, Moorumah, Karl, Trix, and Mongrel. Eight hours later we had found $625 in coins and treasure, and decided to keep working. This proved to be a good decision, as we found a mansion containing lots of loot -- $5625 and a sealed vial containing a yellow liquid. Miguel continued to display hidden talents, and directed us to the ship's hidey hole to store our newfound wealth. We continued on to Bristo without further incident.
In Bristo we had no difficulty finding and securing 4 cargo spaces worth of food from the harbor master Thomas Crane for $440. We did not stay over, as there was nothing much to do (other than clean up Moorumah's rat hunting), and the crew was eager to get to a large port (Baltimus) to spend their earnings (our first big profit since our original shipwreck nearly a month ago). However it was not to be an uneventful trip.
Three days out we cleared a fog bank to find ourselves on the scene of a very recent act of piracy. Indeed the pirates had not yet vacated the area, as they seemed to be engaging in a drunken revelry over their recent profit. Moorumah followed her usual course upon encountering a battle scene and cannon-balled into water and began to swim to the nearest boat. The pirates were so engaged in their festivities that they failed to notice her, or even our ship (until it was too late). We loaded the cannon with grapeshot, and "crossed the T", killing nearly half of them outright. We then pulled along side them and prepared to board, while Moorumah climbed up from the other side. Partying pirates were no match for a partying Grael, who began pulverising them one by one, howling with victory after each kill. Azrulektos's water bolts and Karl's pistols and rapier were equally deadly, and the combat was over in three rounds.
We now find ourselves in possession of a black sloop, 4 storage units of iron, $1700, and a whole lot of guns. As well as two seriously injured victims of the pirates (whom we healed to the best of our abilities). We decide the best course of action is to leave half the guns and money (kept $800) on the pirate ship to reduce suspicion of looting, and sail it behind our own boat into Baltimus. Just out of site of the port Azrulektos hides our salvaged goods in a chest underwater. Upon arriving in port, we are greeted by many soldiers and cannon, who are suspicious of the known pirate vessel (The Black Falcon). We convince them we are not pirates and that we have killed the pirate captain Patrick Triloni [Patrik Trelawany, to be precise — GM] (Moorumah helpfully displays his corpse). We express interest in aquiring a Letter of Marque, and also in upgrading from our boat to the captured boat. The harbormaster tells us there are some legal issues to work out, and it will take a few days, we decide we will use the time to take a cargo of Goods up to Calib's Rock, and then return with another load of Food. But first we sell our current load for $1200, pay the crew their long awaited wages of $350, buy a salvage license for $1000, a compass for $500, and spend $70 restocking our rations. As well as some time and money carousing.
Funds:
| $414 | start |
| ($56) | rations |
| $3125 | salvage (+$3125 in non cash) |
| ($440) | buy Food cargo |
| ($15) | 3 grape shot |
| $800 | pirate booty |
| $1200 | sell food cargo |
| ($880) | buy Goods cargo |
| ($350) | crew wages |
| ($1000) | salvage license |
| ($500) | compass |
| ($70) | rations |
| ($28) | Moorumah's carousing allowance (need similar for Karl and Azrulektos) |
Final assets:
- $2198 (+$3215 in our "offshore account")
- Yellow vial
- Cargo full of 4 Goods
- salvage license
- 10 muskets (ammo and powder?)
- 12 pistols
- 2 remaining grapeshot
- 10 cannonballs
- 9? charges of powder
- Unknown profit from pirate sloop capture/pirate bounty.
- +2 XP for everyone (+1 XP to C.A.H. for journal)
Cargo plans:
(subject to change if we change boats or pick up a second cannon)
- Goods to Calib's Rock for $1200, buy food for $440
- Food To Baltiums for $1200, buy goods for $880
- Goods to Calib's Rock for $1200 (If double run is possible)
- Buy Goods in Tuck for $440
- Goods to Caresia for $800
Aftermath
Each PC each got +2 XP, and Karl Kroc got a bonus +1 XP for C.A.H. writing up an actual play report.
(Azrulektos: 9 XP, Karl Kroc: 9 XP, Moorumah: 9 XP.)
Privateers
When the PCs brought in their capture, I wasn't sure how to handle it. The 50 Fathoms rules, on p. 35, essentially say that privateers must first buy a letter of marque for $15,000, and then they get a 25% bounty on captured ships. That commission is much, much lower than typical historical amounts. Moreover, if someone captures a pirate ship without a letter of marque they get a token bounty of 10%. I decided that I'd look into the historical values, and decide what to do before the next session, and in the meantime the authorities told the PCs there were some legal details to work out.
C.A.H.'s Research
C.A.H found the following online, in the paper Privateering and National Defense: Naval Warfare for Private Profit, by Larry J. Sechrest:
Once the ship was declared a “lawful prize”, the court issued the decree of condemnation, and she and her cargo would be sold at auction. However, the gross proceeds from that sale were not received by the privateer. Three deductions first had to be made. As payment for their services, small percentages went to the auctioneer, the marshal, and the clerk of the court. A further, much larger deduction was also necessary. Since the goods that made up the prize’s cargo now represented “imports”, customs duties were imposed. Although the magnitude of these duties varied with the nature of the goods, Garitee estimates that during the War of 1812 such taxes usually reduced the revenue accruing to American privateers by 30-40%. The owners of privateers protested so angrily against these high duties that, in August of 1813, Congress reduced the taxes on “imported” prize goods by one-third.
British and American prize courts operated in very similar ways even after the American Revolutionary War. And yet, during the earlier period of letter of marque activity, British privateers---including of course those outfitted in Britain’s American colonies---were confronted with deductions from the gross prize proceeds that included not only court costs and import duties but also a share for the crown. This share varied from one-half to one-tenth. Due to the growing economic importance and political influence of privateers, the crown’s share was gradually reduced and, in 1708, eliminated altogether. As a result, privateer profits increased by as much as 30%.
Decisions, Decisions
So, with the 50 Fathoms rules, the sloop and its cargo are worth $23,200, but the bounty for someone without a letter of marque is only $2,320, and if they get the letter of marque it leaves them in the hole by $12,680.
I was originally tempted to go with something closer to the real-world values: say, 1% fee for selling the ship and cargo, and a 25% tax on the value of the seized ship and cargo. That would mean that the sloop and cargo would net the PCs $17,168, minus $15,000 for the letter of marque, leaving the PCs with $2,168.
On the other hand, handing over this much money to the PCs might make the trade economy in 50 Fathoms go crazy.
In Pirates of the Spanish Main (PotSM), judging by the discussion on pages 70 and 207, a letter of marque costs $1,000 and privateers must pay 50% of their spoils to the crown. That means that the sloop and cargo, minus the cost of the letter of marque, would leave the PCs with a net of $10,600. Ouch. That seems too much.
If we combine the 50 Fathoms letter of marque cost of $15,000 with the PotSM bounty of 50%, that leaves the PCs owing the Baltimus authorities $3,400. That seemed reasonable to me.
But it's not that simple. The PCs want to keep the sloop they captured, and sell the skiff they have.
If the authorities let them substitute the skiff for the sloop they'd still have to pay the whole tax on the sloop and the cargo, $11,600, and they'd have only the sale price of the skiff and the cargo, $13,200, and they'd still have to pay for the license, which would leave them owing the authorities $13,000.
In the end, the e-mail discussion lead the players to choose Option 3.
As was mentioned in the e-mail discussion, there wasn't a specific bounty for Patrick Trelawany.
C.A.H. said: “We left $4800 worth of firearms + $900 in cash on the sloop”. Ok, the PCs get 50% of the cash, $450, and 25% of the firearms, $1200.
Reflections
It was interesting to see that even with Karl Kroc's d10 Knowledge (Navigation) there were at least two occasions where C.A.H. had to resort to bennies to keep from running off course.
Thu, 14 Jan 2010
This is an actual play report from the Savage Worlds 50 Fathoms plot point campaign from Pinnacle Entertainment Games. These actual play reports are available in html with atom and rss feeds from T.K.B.'s blog.
Attending
Clockwise round the table, starting with the GM:
- T.K.B. — GM
- B.MC. — playing Azrulektos, a Kraken warrior/wizard
- C.A.H. — playing Karl Kroc, a Masaquani treasure hunter and navigator
- M.A.H. — playing Moorumah, a charming but rather dim Grael
Introduction
B.MC. contributed the following actual play report.
Actual Play
Our story continues with our band of intrepid adventurers sailing their hastily repaired skiff from the Savage Land to the pirate haven of Brigandy Bay to sell the lumber salvaged from their initial shipwreck. Along the way we happened upon the remains of a battle, finding wreckage of a ship floating in the water with a large portion of the stern section bobbing in the ocean waves. We saw a man and a Scurilian standing on the stern yelling for help which Murumah was happy to oblige by diving into the water to swim over. Luckily Azrulecktos and Karl Kroc noticed the large great white shark making its way to Marumah and Azrulecktos killed it using his screaming water bolts. We learned that the ship that Black Bear (human) and Equias (Scurilian) were on was attacked by the dread pirate Windy Jack Windham. We were able to salvage one keg of brandy, one keg of whiskey and one keg of gunpowder.
We continued on to the questionable port of Brigandy Bay to find a buyer for the lumber we had salvaged from our shipwreck on the Savage Land and to buy provisions to travel to the larger port of Swindon. We were able to sell three loads of lumber to Lessa Larune for 900 pieces of 8 but Muramah had to perform a rapid offloading of material (knocking would be pirates back) to keep our unscrupulous buyer’s crew from stealing our skiff. Murumah was able to find eight Grael that paid us 400 pieces of 8 (1300 total) for passage to Swindon. Twelve days of provisions for our trip to Swindon cost 216 pieces of 8 (1084 po8 left) and the addition of a cannon and 10 cannonballs for protection another 250 pieces of 8 (834 po8 left). There was also another cost of 280 pieces of 8 (554 po8 left)…not sure what for but I think it was for papers to get us into Swindon with our passengers.
Karl Kroc’s skillful sailing helped us make the trip to Swindon in 10 days, saving 2 days worth of rations, and avoided possible attack by Windy Jack (a well known pirate) when we spotted smoke on the horizon, assumed to be a plundered ship. We had a tense moment when we were boarded by the East India Company but Murumah and the other Grael came to the rescue with their wild and raucous singing which convinced the East India Company captain to let us go.
Once we arrived in Swindon we proceeded to look for rumors and repairs to our ship. We found both in a tavern called The Gallows in the person of Garrin Glut. He agreed to repair our ship for 140 pieces of 8, ½ up front and ½ after the repairs were completed (take 3-6 days). Garrin also pointed us in the direction of the Whip Islands for treasures…
GM Notes
During their visit to Brigandy Bay, Miguel Figuroa proved surprisingly knowledgeable about the ways of pirates.
Aftermath
The PCs each got +2 XP, and Azrulektos got a bonus +1 XP for B.MC. writing up an actual play report.
(Azrulektos: 7 XP, Karl Kroc: 6 XP, Moorumah: 7 XP.)
Fri, 04 Dec 2009
This is an actual play report from the Savage Worlds 50 Fathoms plot point campaign from Pinnacle Entertainment Games. These actual play reports are available in html with atom and rss feeds from T.K.B.'s blog.
Attending
Clockwise round the table, starting with the GM:
- T.K.B. — GM
- B.MC. — playing Azrulektos, a Kraken warrior/wizard
- C.A.H. — playing Karl Kroc, a Masaquani treasure hunter and navigator
- M.A.H. — playing Moorumah, a charming but rather dim Grael
Introduction
M.A.H. contributed the following (lightly edited) actual play report.
Actual Play
After an extended character creation session (made longer due to C.A.H. being an HOUR late -- BAD C.A.H.), our 50 Fathoms campaign is off to a great start.
It all begins upon a ship, and with three particular sailors aboard. Azrulektos, a squidy-looking thing, could summon great skull-headed bolts of water and enjoys participating in Fight Club With Giant Creatures (one-on-one, of course). Then there is Karl, who looks almost human, except that both his hair and skin are some undefinable color, but let me tell you its a doozy of one. Karl is a Warrior, highly trained in the art of Shoot First And Spend Two Rounds Reloading Later. Finally, there is the lovable, but dumb-as-a-stone (and heavy as one too) Moorumah a walrus-looking being who speaks loudly (and innanely) and carries a very big club, and also occasinally trees. They are a lovable band of misfits (Azrulektos is Highly Curious, Moorumah has a Big Mouth, and Karl is equally Noticable, but in a way that I have forgotten).
Anyhoo, it all starts on a ship and with two elements. Fire and Water. A big storm made the water, and our inept now-deceased cook provided the fire. These forces combined to create a ship broken in half, and a lot of sailors drowned or beached on an island. Also, of particular worry to Moorumah, there are logs floating all over the ocean. The same logs she spent so long carrying back and forth onto the ship, with one long log under each arm.
The captain assigns the trio to look for food, and they promptly return with Moorumah carrying a 'Nana' (banana) tree. As this takes care of only one of the four food groups, the captain sends them out again. This time, they manage to kill a small dinosour, and take it back to the beach.
LITTLE DID THEY KNOW that the Red People (the savage Ugaks) had attacked the beach while they were gone. All the other sailors are gone, as are the nanas! What is a trio of (mostly) semi-aquatic beings to do? They follow the tracks of the Ugaks down the beach in hope of rescuing the other sailors. Along the way they find a small boat but broken on the other side of a reef, and materials to make a sail and other necessary components so that a makeshift boat is feasible. But, then they notice tracks going off into the jungle, and decide to follow.
The tracks end in a huge clearing, with a few scattered Red People surrounding a large pool of red goo. A huge statue of a Giant Monkape looms prominently behind the pool. There are 6 sailors lined up next to the pool, tied up next to a shaman who is directing proceedings.
Azrulektos sneaks around to flank the pool, and effectively neutralizes the shaman, while Moorumah charges into the scene like a charging bull elephant, and Karl fires off his one shot before sitting down to reload for two rounds. Unfortunately the dying shaman pushes one of the prisoners into the pool of red ooze, and a Giant Monkape rises from the ooze. There is a great deal of combat which takes place in slow motion shakey-cam. Azrulektos goes one-on-one (see previous note about hobby) with the Giant Monkape, and ultimately defeats it with a little help from some escaped sailors. The other foes are handily defeated by the trio.
In the end, we get many pieces of eight, as well as 4 experience points each. The DM bribed M.A.H. with the promise of an additional experience point if she would write up a summary of the session's events.
She does so, despite having forgotten all the characters names.
Ding - 1 xp for me!!!!!!!
Aftermath
Each PC each got +4 XP, except Moorumah who got a bonus +1 XP for M.A.H. writing up an actual play report.
(Azrulektos: 4 XP, Karl Kroc: 4 XP, Moorumah: 5 XP.)