Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[Winsling]

One of my coworkers is into miniatures wargaming, but that doesn't make him a bad person. He and his friends started a D&D 4th edition campaign, but were disappointed - it wasn't interesting enough as a miniatures combat game, and didn't promote role playing. I've talked about SW before, so I loaned him the Explorer's Edition to read through. Today's conversation (slightly dramatized):

Me: So, how do you like that? Interested in some of the settings books?
Tim: Yeah... Is there any Wild West stuff? That's my favorite setting. I wrote a game once with cowboys and magic.
Me: You mean like cowboys and indians and undead?
Tim: YEAH!
Me: ...
Me: How have you never heard of Deadlands?

So, I'll bring in Deadlands:Reloaded tomorrow, and running a campaign isn't outside the realm of possibility.

[daran]

I had a similar experience with some <cough> Warhammer <cough> players. One day, the guy with the box of miniataures didn't turn up and another of the guys had some Pirates from a Warband, Mordheim rules I think, and I had my Pirates of the Spanish Main book with me. I talked them through the idea of role-play and ran a skirmish kind of game full of Piratey goodness. The next week they were clamouring for more Pirates, they just loved it. They've tried other SW settings and are now experimenting with their own settings - all of them have SW:Ex and some have started buying setting specific materials.

SW is most definitely FFF as far as they're concerned! More turned away from the darkness and into the light!
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Currently playing:

Shhh! It's a secret!

[shadd4d]

One of the high points (höhpunkte) of my campaign was a mass battle with my players controlling villagers defending themselves from a "horde" of Indians from the Coyote Confederacy. It was one of the best games I've led, and it's all within the game possibilites of SWEX.

Here's the log from that session:

Here’s the image and purpose: Posse confronts 2Knives and receives the 2x Str + 2d4 +1 relic Indian daggers.

This is the wrap up of the campaign leg: it’s finally time for them to take down 2Knives, whom they have pursued since the first session. It seemed a bit fitting that it would be during a massive battle.

Here’s 2Knives’ stats:

2Knives
Attributes: Agl d10, Str d8, Spirit d12, Smarts d6, Vigor d8
Derived Attributes: Charimsa: +2, Pace: 6, Parry: 7(9), Toughness: 6, Grit: 5,
Skills: Twisted Spirit Medicine d12, Guts, d12, Ride d8, Shooting d10, Fighting d10, Persuasion d12, Stealth d8, Swimming d6, Throwing d8, Notice d8, survival d8, Intimidation d8
Hindrances: Vow (Lost Sons)…he’s a villain, do they matter?
Edges: AB: Twisted Shaman, Trademark Weapon (Knives), New Powers and Power Points x 5, Connection: Ravenites, Connection: Raven, Improved Frenzy, Improved Sweep, Command, Ambidextrous, Two-Fisted, Steady Hands, level Headed, Improved Block, Devil’s Hands (Left and Right), Improved Rapid Recharge, Fetish Creator, Charismatic, Improved Dodge
Powers (40 power points): Shapeshift, Visionquest, Zombie (Create monster/summon Manitou), Wilderness Walk, Puppet, Teleport, Windstorm, Fear, Dispel, Boost/Lower Trait, D/C Arcana, Elemental Manipulation (All), Environmental Protection, Entangle, Heal, Greater Healing, Beast Friend
Special Powers: Invulnerable, Weakness: Weapons of the US Cavalry
Gear: Relic Knivesx2 (d8+2d4+1, relics affected by X Hand of the Devil edge)


I’d already played up his hatred of white man due to having the US Cavalry slaughter his tribe, leaving him alone. It sort of fit that he’s the one the US Cavalry sort of missed, so their weapons are all that will rejoin him with his people.

For the battle, I had a cunning tactic, at least I though I did. I used his fetish creator edge to create a talisman which would cast succor. That way, he could teleport in with 3 minions and then be revived from uncoscioiusness by the Indian braves passing around the talisman of wake the heck up!

As an aside, I had bought a case of Tannenzäpfle, I have 2 bottles left after the session and I’m glad that we got together to have fun. Smith didn’t show up, which is probably what he called me about earlier that day, but thanks to the problems in set-up (basically prepping the bookkeeping, Thompson swung by and got into the groove of things).

I had already drawn the town as builidings and stockade wall on the battle mat from the previous in-town fight against the pox walkers. The good guys (my posse) had control of the 9 mercs and 16 townfolk who were armed and divided up between my 5 players. Dr. Z controlled the 9 mercs, while Demetrius had his flock. The rest divided up the citizens.

As the town had basically smuggled in some infernal devices, basically to protect them from the Indian band (who they had "leased" the township from prior to the story events), they group decided to hand the Gattling weapons off to the townsfolk and mercs. Well, it ended up being a case of buying something that sounds cool but was less than useful. Spectacular was the gattling malfunction which resulted in the death of a townsfolk. I think all the gattlings malfunctioned, leaving everyone with the old standby of the Winchester. Their shooting was just too low to really do much.

I started out with 8 Indians as the initial assault, 2 on each side of the squareish town. Well, they got kind of wiped out but were able to soften up the defenses: a couple of townsfolk bought the farm. After 2 rounds, I let 2Knives and his three teleport in.

That move really ratcheted up the tension. I could not believe that Demeterius asked if they had planned for that…nice try, Dan. 2 of the 3 Indians used the talisman to pep up 2Knives while one fired an arrow from behind, killing a merc who had a flamethrower (I think it was something like 20+ damage to the guy). Luckily, the arrow didn’t cause the flame thrower to explode.

Dan sent one of his minions, lucky Young Zeke and two citizens to back him up to try and deal with the evil Shaman. It was then that I showed the power of improved sweep, as 2Knives killed the three persons in one roll, doing something like 25 damage (his mathematical low was 4 against guys with toughness 5…he was going to mow through guys). Second, some citizens got wise and tried to blow him away with shotguns, only to see there be no effect, although he was shaken. Even the flock’s shotguns were of no effect, instead appearing as if the shotgun pellets instantly melted and ran down 2Knives’ back like wet paint. In retrospect, I so should have called for a guts roll. Oh, well.

Well, the posse was now a bit scared. Demeterius was a bit miffed at cheating, until I called for a common knowledge roll. Amazingly, everyone got a raise on this one, which mystified me. I gave them the details of servitor, which mollified them a bit. Then Alec {Vyce} had a massive brainwave and figured out what the weakness of 2Knives had to be (note: it’s always great when they get the clues and figure it out for themselves…I have to admit I’m glad it worked out this way. Plus Alec is really animated. Good job, yo!)

Vyce, who was handling the east wall decided to do something. Running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, he then did a flying leap from the rooftop onto 2Knives (whom I keep typing as 2Knivers for some reason), leading with the US Cavalry saber, and managing to do the first wound to 2Knives. I wish I’d given him a chip for the idea, because he ended up blowing one chip to make the leap from his rooftop to the building next to 2Knives.

It was great to be able to do a big battle and see how the players concentrated on different things and were able to use their extras. Vyce still concentrated on his minions manning the east and south walls, Jackson was able to stay at the wall and use his snakeoil salesman ability to keep guys shaken while the rest were able to keep the Indians at bay.

Vyce ended up being the recipient of multiple buff spells (boost/lower trait) via Demeterius, who also jumped over rooftops to make it over to the battle. His prayers raised Vyce’s fighting and then his strength.

In the next round of fighting, 2Knives was reshaken while his accompanying followers were ground down. Now Demetrius had a really good idea, as he was right on the roof above 2Knives; he decided to do a holy people’s elbow onto 2Knives and disarm him. I gave him a chip for this tactic; I thought it was pretty cool, plus he had a gang-up bonus (+1), the drop literally (+4/+4) and he succeeded in the disarm. His next turn involved him grabbing the knives on the ground and running with them away from the fight to show as a means to stop the fight. This also gave Vyce a bonus as 2Knives was now an unarmed defender (+2 to Vyce’s fighting rolls against him).

Now…here is where things went interesting. Jackson had a great idea. (He should have gotten a chip for this, which made his player ask “what does someone have to do to get a chip draw”? In all honesty, it did partially sound like whining but he did have a valid point in that I didn’t really hand out chips as much as I should. He’s got a point and I’ll need to work on that as the Marshall.) Jackson’s idea was for one of the extras to drag one of the incapacitated Indians over and impale him on the wall of the stockade as a bonus to intimidation. I have to say that is one of the most bloodthirsty tactics I’ve ever heard of…to which the priest was determinedly opposed and tried to run with the knives to try and stop a murder.

Finally, Dr. Z was able to boost Vyce’s strength and he hit again with the saber, now having a decent bonus. 2Knives died, whispering out “Raven, the last son” as his final words before meeting the rest of his tribe…or not (he’s probably a chunk of ghost rock in the Maze or Black Hills somewhere). Based on this clue and a common knowledge of information about the Order of the Raven available from the Tombstone Epitaph in Tombstone Arizona (which would be more likely to give them info than the Souix nations), the posse is pretty much set on heading to Tombstone Arizona, which would fit with my ideas of involving them against Bayou Vermillion…

I quickly brush stroked the town and the tribe making peace, an unnamed merc would become town Sheriff. They managed to lower the fear level after the fight, netting Jackson a personal legend chip as well as another in the pot, bringing it up to 3 in there. I handed out 3xp as well as a free advance for completing this campaign leg. I think I’m going to run with that for the next campaign leg…so they might end up with another free advance after another 5-6 sessions. I need to make a note that they DO NOT get to keep the gattling weapons.

Demetrius’ minions did not level up; they’re not the superbadasses that he believed them to be. Demetrius’ goal is the Champion edge, which does fit with his concept as one of God’s champions against evil in the Weird West. He also has the two 2x Str + 2d4+1 relic daggers.

Vyce increased his guts and intimidation; I think he’s seen the effectiveness of tests of will. He also bought the frenzy edge. I think his ambition is to get some martial arts training and become a kung fu fighter. His cavalry saber has become imbued by the fight, becoming a +2 relic saber and usable as a magic weapon. Maybe I can have a previous owner come back demanding its return in a later adventure.

Smith was not present and suffered two wounds in battle.

Jackson increased his persuasion to d10. With a +6 to all persuasion rolls, he’s probably the best future politician in the weird west. I’ve already figured out what will get his goat up: finding out that his newspaper stories are sold as fiction leading to his recruitment by the Agency or Texas Rangers. Might be interesting.

Dr. Z bought more power points, bringing his total up to 25. He also became skilled in alchemy (Alchemy edge) and is now able to make potion versions of his powers as well as more of them. I can’t wait to see how this works out.

After finishing up this leg of the campaign, I now know that the group is going to head to Arizona. I think I’m going to start the new campaign arc with the Night Train adventure, giving me a reason to get them to confront someone in Arizona and Bayou Vermillion. I can take a suggestion from the original adventure and have the priest, who’s going on leave, kidnapped by Bayou Vermillion agents, and then have him rescued…in Tombstone, AZ.

I’m glad this is working out. Man, I love this game!!

My deepest apologies for language of myself and of my players.

Don!!!
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Don

"But there is a difference between fear and horror. An important difference.
Fear is when you worry about what might be.
Horror is when you are certain." Dannyboy01

[Count Zero]

I think SW's pedigree as a miniatures game is what ropes in a lot of new players. Its very common to hear people coming from wargaming and D&D which both have a heavy accent on the tabletop.
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I'm not an adversarial GM. I am a facilitator of awesomeness. - Dr Rotwang