[Duty & Honour] Sergeant Hanz Finkauf

Sergeant Hanz Finkauf
Player: S
(Hanoverian, Protestant, Soldier, Dragoon)
13th Light Dragoons

Experiences: 5 (1 background/4 military)

Guts 4
Discipline 4
Influence 3
Charm 2

Skills: Awareness +2, Command +4, First Aid +2, Intimidate +3, Intrigue +3, Riding +6, Soldiering +5

Wealth: 4, Imperial Cross badge (+2 Intimidate), Cavalry Sabre (+2 Sword)

Reputations: Personality (Col. Lord Wintergreen) +1, Institutional (Hanoverian Rifle Club) +1, Institutional (Rank & File) +3, Institutional (13th Light Dragoons) +2

Traits: Literate, Second Language (English), Second Language (French), Natural Rider, Known around the Camp, Blameless, Hard as Nails.

Personal Mission: Restore family honour
Number of Challenges: 4 - success!
Deadline: [ 4 ]
Reward: +1 to influence, +1 to Hanoveran Aristocracy reputation
Failure: Hanoveran Rifle Club reputation is maimed
Mission Challenges:
1. Embarrass rival Lt. Seinheit, 30th Northumberland [Y]
2. Bring the Beast to bear [Y]
3. Rally the 30th Northumberland [N]
4. Repair Rank & File Reputation [Y]
5. Confrontation with Lt. Seinheit [Y]

S created a German sergeant who was from a disgraced noble house. His personal mission was to restore his family name, which he succeeded in doing, but in the process earned the undying hatred of the 30th Northumberland.

[Duty & Honour] Lt. Richard "Rick" Hardrick

Lt. Richard Hardrick
Player: X
(English, Without God, Merchant, Dragoon)
13th Light Dragoons

Experiences: 8 (7 background/1 military)

Guts 2
Discipline 2
Influence 3
Charm 2

Skills: Command +6, Courtesy +1, Diplomacy +3, Haggle +5, Intimidate +4, Riding +3, Scavenge +3, Soldiering +2

Wealth: 5, Fancy Hat (+1 Romance), Monocle (+1 Haggle), Hunting Horn (+1 Command)

Reputations: Personality (Lady McFaine) +2, Personality (Monsignor O'Flaherty) +2, Personality (Col. Lord Wintergreen, 13th Light Dragoons) +3, Institutional (East India Co.) +2, Institutional (Bank of Surrey) +2, Institutional (Baker Rifle Co.) +3, Institutional (Officers' Mess) +2, Institutional (13th Light Dragoons) +1, Institutional (Horse Guards) +1

Traits: Literate, Swimming, Second Language (Spanish), Second Language (French), Officer Patron (Col. Lord Wintergreen), Educated, Cosmopolitan, Letter from London.

Personal Mission: Find the French Spy Durand (before he escapes with the battle plans)
Number of Challenges: 4 - success!
Deadline: [ 4 ]
Reward: +1 to intrigue, +1 to influence
Failure: Officers' Mess reputation is maimed
Mission Challenges:
1. Impress Lady McFaine for information [Y]
2. Learn about two suspects [Y]
3. Set-up duel for clue to the spy's identity [Y]
4. Unmask Durand [N]
5. Running battle with Durand [Y]

X made Lt. Hardrick as a merchant, first and foremost, looking to increase his family's influence. His personal rival is Lady McFaine, the scion of an enemy merchant house.

His personal mission was to find the French Spy Durand and stop him before he fled with Wellington's battle plans. He succeeded but Durand escaped, and Hardrick and the 13th Light Dragoons gained a personal enemy that day, an enemy that will show up again to bedevil them in Spain.

[Duty & Honour] The Best Laid Plans

If my campaign doesn't end like this, then I'm not doing my job as a GM!

"But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!"

- To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough 

by Robert Burns

As I mentioned last time, I started a Duty & Honour campaign for one of my game groups and we're having a good time. I had originally planned on a different genre game all together but, like the poem says, "the best laid plans" and all that.

It sounded like the perfect name for a campaign, so I'll be posting the characters, missions and situations that my players get themselves into for your enjoyment.

The Ring Vaults

Hey Folks,

It's been over three months since I last posted and, boy, have I been busy.

I've been gaming steadily with my various game groups and writing bunches of stuff and drawing maps, lots of maps.

I've been running Duty & Honour with one of my groups and it's going smashingly! The 13th Light Dragoons are defending a bridge in Spain from the French. And one of the PCs was nearly killed by a ... I'll tell you later, don't want to spoil the surprise! No worries, you'll see stuff on it soon.

I've been playing in a Savage Star Trek game and we're about to perform a board action on a hostile Klingon Bird of Prey. Once we kill the crew and take the ship, we'll chase after the Andorians who attacked our ship (the U.S.S. Ramirez) and stole secret Federation science data.

I've floated a Dresden Files weekday game via Google+ to a few people but it's still in the negotiating stage (with the others and the significant other).

I played a session of Eclipse Phase, a very interesting %-tile based system. I made some PCs with little experience with the system but realized later I should have made an Octomorph (coolest PC concept EVAR).

I've also been doing a lot of writing - some of which will appear here and some elsewhere.

And, while I haven't even come back to this blog full time, I started another called The Ring Vaults. It's going to be my take on the mega-dungeons. And it'll have maps. I've gotten a few posts up but check them out.

So don't be blue - more Asshat Paladins to come!

Year Two and Changes!

I've been writing this blog for two years now and I've been posting every day, covering a wide variety of topics, games and campaign settings. I am very proud of all that I've written.

And I think that I've done a good job. I have some followers (thanks guys and gals). I have a list of blogs that I really like. I've done two D20cembers and a September of Short Adventures where over 20 blogs participated to generate more than 300 adventures.

I've had a bunch of campaigns, like my Distinguished Flying Cross Savage Worlds pulp game, my 1938: A Very British Civil War Isle of Man game, and my Ashford Valley Labyrinth Lord game, in addition to other campaigns I've run.

I wrote up a bunch of characters, monsters and gaming resources. Once a week, I had my Atomic Thursday. And I also told y'all about my game collection.

And while I'm happy with the results, after two years of blogging daily, I've decided to change things up a bit.

First the schedule: I'm no longer going to post every day. When I started the blog, I wanted to keep a schedule and post daily. The plan was to do so for at least two years. But now, I find that I want to try some different things while still including blogging into the mix. And those things may be game related, so you'll hear all about them.

Second, I'm ending a bunch of previous categories: Like Atomic Thursday. I really enjoyed finding stuff for that but I think it's time has past. I probably won't come back to it unless I start a post-apocalypse game. And 1938. I've presented 38 posts on it. A bunch of other things I'm going to stop as well. No worries, you'll figure which ones they are.

Third, and finally, this isn't goodbye. I'm not deleting the blog and taking my posts with me. Nothing along those lines. This isn't going to be a dead blog. It may be a slow breathing blog but it'll should still have plenty of life (or unlife) to interest you.

So I hope you stick around.

[Resources] The Lottery

The Lottery was a short story written by Shirley Jackson. Published in The New Yorker on June 26, 1948, it concerns a ritual that a fictional small American town performs each June 27th. Basically, through use of a lottery system, one inhabitant is chosen to be stoned to death (the text is here).

The story was shocking to the sensibilities of the time. Between the cancelled subscriptions and the hate mail, the story struck a nerve.

What do you think would happen if some player characters came into a town with the same tradition? And if the town, seemingly rational enough, where the PCs had developed relationships (including romantic ones), suddenly went nuts. Would the PCs stop it? Would they participate?

[Characters] The Balrog Brothers' Companions

The Balrog Brothers' Companions consisted of their elven cousin, Zareth, a dwarf named Mikto and a halfling named Boinger.

Zareth Balroginesti
Elf; Ranger, Level 1, Wizard, Level 1; Alignment: Neutral Good; Abilities: Strength 16, Dexterity 16, Constitution 12, Intelligence 18, Wisdom 12, Charisma 12. Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, leather & buckler); Hit Dice: 1d10+1d4+2, Hit Points: 13. Attacks: longsword (+4, 1d8+3, 19-20/x2), dagger (+4, 1d4+3, 19-20/x2), longbow (+4, 1d8, x3, range inc. 100 ft); Initiative: +3; Fortitude: +3, Reflex: +5, Will: +3; Languages: Common, Elvish, Gnome, Orc, Sylvan, Draconic; Feats: Point Blank Shot; Skills: Concentration +3, Hide +4, Jump +4, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Knowledge (nature) +6, Listen +5, Move Silently +5, Ride +8, Search +8, Spellcraft +11, Spot +5, Survival +3, Use Rope +4; Special Abilities: Elf (Immune to magical sleep, Low-light vision), Ranger (Favored enemy: Orc, Track, Combat Style, Wild Empathy), Spells (3 0-level, 2 1-level per day prepared), Wizard (Scribe Scroll).

Mikto Stonewanderer
Dwarf; Cleric, Level 1, Druid, Level 1; Alignment: Neutral Good; Abilities: Strength 15, Dexterity 12, Constitution 16, Intelligence 14, Wisdom 16, Charisma 12. Armor Class: 13 (+1 Dex, leather); Hit Dice: 2d8+6, Hit Points: 22. Attacks: heavy mace (+2, 1d8+2, x2), dagger (+2, 1d4+2, 19-20/x2), heavy crossbow (+1, 1d10, 19-20/x2, range inc. 120 ft); Initiative: +1; Fortitude: +7, Reflex: +1, Will: +7; Languages: Common, Druidic, Dwarven, Giant, Goblin; Feats: Extra Turning; Skills:  Handle Animal +3, Heal +8, Knowledge (architecture) +3, Knowledge (nature) +7, Knowledge (religion) +7, Profession (blacksmith) +5, Ride +4, Survival +5; Special Abilities: Dwarf (Darkvision, Stonecunning), Cleric (Alignment Aura, Spontaneous Casting, Turn Undead), Druid (Spontaneous Casting, Animal Companion, Wild Empathy), Spells (Cleric: 3 0-level, 2 1-level, 1 1-level domain per day prepared; Druid: 3 0-level, 2 1-level per day prepared).

Boinger of the West Midlands
Halfling; Bard, Level 1, Rogue, Level 1; Alignment: Neutral Good; Abilities: Strength 10, Dexterity 20, Constitution 14, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 16, Charisma 14. Armor Class: 19 (+5 Dex, leather & buckler); Hit Dice: 2d6+4, Hit Points: 11. Attacks: short sword (+1, 1d6, 19-20/x2), quarterstaff (+1, 1d6/1d6, x2), dagger (+1, 1d4, 19-20/x2), sap (+1, 1d4 nonlethal, x2), javelin (+6, 1d4, x2, range inc. 30 ft), sling (+6, 1d3, x2, range inc. 50 ft); Initiative: +9; Fortitude: +3, Reflex: +10, Will: +6; Languages: Common, Halfling, Orc; Feats: Improved Initiative; Skills: Balance +6, Bluff +4, Climb +3, Decipher Script +2, Diplomacy +4, Gather Information +3, Hide +11, Jump +4, Knowledge (history) +2, Knowledge (nature) +2, Listen +7, Move Silently +10, Open Lock +6, Perform (sing) +7, Perform (flute) +5, Perform (bagpipe) +3, Perform (lute) +2, Perform (chant) +2, Ride +7, Search +2, Sense Motive +8, Spellcraft +3, Spot +5, Use Magic Device +5, Use Rope +6; Special Abilities: Halfling (Small), Rogue (Sneak Attack +1d6, Trapfinding), Bard (Bardic Knowledge, Bardic Music), Spells (Bard: 2 0-level per day).

[Characters] The Balrog Brothers

When I started this blog in 2010, I mentioned why I chose Asshat Paladins as a blog name. One of the characters from that D&D 3.5e game was a paladin, one of three brothers, the Balrog Brothers.

The party, including the Balrog Brothers and a few of their friends, were given the opportunity to homestead a wild countryside just outside of a kingdom. The rules were simple: the frontier was open for colonization and if anyone carved out a section of it and kept it under control for six months, then the king would grant that land to the holder(s). A large number of prospective homesteaders spread out across the frontier and the PCs joined them.

The PCs wandered through the wilderness for about a week. One night, they spotted a fire in the distance. The next day in that direction, they found a ruined tower. The first floor was empty. On the second floor, they found a wounded bandit, filled with terror, not of the PCs, but of the thing in the tower above him.

The bandit quietly explained that his crew left him there to die after they fled the tower and the horrible monster on the top floor. He'd been stuck there for nearly a week, trying to remain quiet and begged the PCs for help. They healed him, left a sword for him to use, and proceeded up the stairs to fight the monster.

On the top floor, they found a flaming giant spider. Combat was long and intense. To the players surprise, the bandit charged up to help the PCs out, striking a definitive blow and the party killed the beast.

After the defeat of the spider, the party moved into the tower and started repairing it. The bandit remained as their first follower and the group passed their first hurdle to securing their own section of land.

The game was a lot of fun and it was only a one-shot. There was a plan of continuing it but unfortunately, we never got back to it.

Here are the three Balrog Brothers, one human wizard named Richard, a half-orc paladin named Vrilg and a half-elf ranger named Willow.

Richard Balrog
Human; Wizard, Level 2; Alignment: Neutral Good; Abilities: Strength 12, Dexterity 14, Constitution 16, Intelligence 18, Wisdom 14, Charisma 12. Armor Class: 12 (+2 Dex); Hit Dice: 2d4+6, Hit Points: 13. Attacks: dagger (+2, 1d4+1, 19-20/x2), longbow (+3, 1d8, x3, range inc. 100 ft); Initiative: +2; Fortitude: +3, Reflex: +2, Will: +5; Languages: Common, Elvish, Gnome, Orc, Sylvan; Feats: Martial Weapon Proficiency (longbow), Skill Focus (Spellcraft); Skills: Concentration +5, Decipher Script +9, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (architecture) +6, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +9, Knowledge (history) +7, Knowledge (nature) +5, Knowledge (religion) +5, Knowledge (planes) +5, Profession (cheesemaker) +3, Ride +4, Spellcraft +14, ; Special Abilities: Spells (4 0-level, 3 1-level per day prepared), Wizard (Scribe Scroll).

Vrilg Balrog
Half Orc; Paladin, Level 2; Alignment: Lawful Good; Abilities: Strength 18, Dexterity 16, Constitution 14, Intelligence 14, Wisdom 12, Charisma 16. Armor Class: 18 (half plate & shield); Hit Dice: 2d10+4, Hit Points: 22. Attacks: longsword (+6, 1d8+4, 19-20/x2), dagger (+6, 1d4+4, 19-20/x2), longbow (+5, 1d8, x3, range inc. 100 ft); Initiative: +3; Fortitude: +8, Reflex: +6, Will: +4; Languages: Common, Orc, Bugbear, Draconic; Feats: Point Blank Shot; Skills:  Diplomacy +5, Handle Animal +4, Heal +6, Knowledge (religion) +6, Ride +8, Sense Motive +4; Special Abilities: Orc (Darkvision), Paladin (Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil, Divine Grace, Lay on Hands).

Willow Balrog
Half-Elf; Ranger, Level 2; Alignment: Neutral Good; Abilities: Strength 14, Dexterity 16, Constitution 18, Intelligence 14, Wisdom 12, Charisma 12. Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, leather, buckler); Hit Dice: 2d10+8, Hit Points: 23. Attacks: longsword (+4, 1d8+2, 19-20/x2), dagger (+4, 1d4+2, 19-20/x2), longbow (+5, 1d8, x3, range inc. 100 ft); Initiative: +3; Fortitude: +7, Reflex: +6, Will: +1; Languages: Common, Elvish, Orc, Sylvan; Feats: Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot; Skills: Climb +3, Concentrate +5, Diplomacy +3, Gather Information +3, Handle Animal +3, Heal +3, Hide +8, Jump +4, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Listen +4, Move Silently +5, Profession (woodsman) +2, Ride +8, Search +6, Spot +5, Survival +4, Swim +3, Use Rope +4; Special Abilities: Half-Elf (Immune to magical sleep, Low-light vision), Ranger (Favored enemy: Orc, Track, Combat Style, Wild Empathy).

[Monsters] Animated Bearskin Rug

Nicely done vid.

Watching the walking bearskin rug got me thinking of a new monster!

Animated Bearskin Rug

Agility d8 Spirit d10 Smarts d6 (A) Strength d12+2 Vigor d10
Parry 6  Pace 6 Toughness 9

Edges: Berserker, Improved Frenzy, Improved Sweep.

Special Abilities: Bite/Claw Attack (STR+2), Size +2, Alertness, Quick.

Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d6+2, Climb d6.

[Atomic Thursday] Into the Valley

Into the Valley

Black Out for a Free and Open Internet

I support the English Wikipedia anti-SOPA blackout.

[Distinguished Flying Cross] Captain Columbus Darwin Smith

The 91 year Yangtze River Patrol was performed by the U.S. Navy from 1854 to 1945 to protect American interests in China. Although disrupted during WWII, the river patrol resumed for a short time after the war, until the Chinese Civil War brought it to a formal close.

When the Japanese invaded China in 1937 at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the patrols petered out. By December 1941, the two remaining U.S. Navy gunboats, the U.S.S. Wake and the U.S.S. Tutuila, were stationed at Shanghai and Chungking, respectively.

The U.S.S. Wake, captained by Commander Columbus Darwin Smith since March 1941, was captured hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The night before, one of the Japanese officers that Smith knew called him with a bogus story about delivering some turkeys for him and his crew. The Japanese wanted to know where they were in Shanghai.

After Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Japanese seized Shanghai and the Wake. When Smith was informed of the attack, he raced to the gunboat, only to find it under guard by the Japanese Army. There is at least one website that described the capture (and destruction of the British Royal Navy vessel HMS Peterel).

Commander Smith and his crew became prisoners of war. After an early failed escape attempt, he was interred at the Ward Road Jail, the high security prison in Shanghai. He managed to escape in September of 1944 and traveled on foot across nearly a thousand miles of Japanese-occupied territory to safety. The amazing story is presented here and Amazon has the book written on the incident here (a crew list is here).

Columbus Darwin Smith was familiar with China and served there for many years. He was a daring and courageous individual, perfect for a contact with PCs in my Distinguished Flying Cross campaign. Since he served along the Yangtze River, the PCs can meet him anywhere in China.

I decided not to stat him up because I don't think it's necessary. As a contact, friend or even a (friendly) rival of one of the PCs, he'd provide ways for the player characters to interact with both sides of the conflict in China.

[Resources] Interconnection

Relationship map from Love Actually

The movie Love Actually (2003) has a rather complex relationship map but not really when it comes to gaming. I ran one of my Aftermath! games with a pretty complex map, linking together a large number of organizations that included the player characters and NPCs within those organizations. As the campaign wound along, the map changed quite a bit - some groups were wiped out by other groups, others formed alliances with each other, and others still pursued their own agendas even amidst the chaos of the post-apocalyptic landscape.

The Smallville RPG has relationship maps built right into the character creation. Perhaps that's the way to start - with character creation, instead of kludging it on later.

[Books] The Zenta and Matsuzo series

Lensey Namioka has written a series of seven Samurai tales about two ronin named Zenta and Matsuzo.

1. The Samurai and the Long-nosed Devils (1976)
2. White Serpent Castle (1976)
3. Valley of the Broken Cherry Trees (1980)
4. Village of the Vampire Cat (1981)
5. Island of Ogres (1989)
6. Coming of the Bear (1992)
7. Den of the White Fox (1997)

The stories are excellent and are a must for a ronin-inspired game. A brief query on RPG.net about stating up the characters unfortunately lead nowhere (1), but maybe I'll take some time when I finish reading the series again to see if I can come up with something.