OOC

A note on the first scene. I had intended for you all to be working together already. Your cell, a hive of activity as you try to piece together the hows and whys of missing persons reports, kill monsters and clean up the streets.

That might not work for some concepts, though I think the game assumes you are all at least months into this thing.

If the opening scene works best as an individual scene for some, then we can work with that! :)

Fate has intervened. How will you travel to the Noose? Galaine’s van? On foot? Garbage truck?

We can be loosey goosey with location, if it’s easier for people to imagine.

For some reason, I’m imaging the ex-cop walking the route, while the other three jump in the Mystery Mobile.

Walk and public transportation for Brydon. He has a car, but it's gathering mothballs.

Van's fine, and Galaine doesn't have to, or want to, drive.

Got it! Posts incoming then!

Both groups actually rolled a random encounter. While it might detract from the main ‘mission’, I thought it was a nice way to flesh out the city a little, too.

Woo!

Had Saturday work today and then craft time with the kids. Will get a post up for our detective in the morning, and move the others along to the Noose.

Apologies, all! Have a great Saturday!

Ha! That was exactly the kind of van I had mind for the scene! Fits the city nicely!

I've been waiting 30+ years to use that van in a game!

Busy Saturday! Will get a post up in the morning to move us along! Thanks for being patient! Really enjoying the game so far!

Same! Wonderful cast of characters, and the setting is really intriguing.

It’s a good old fashioned bar fight, folks! What you do is totally up to you! Flee into the night with Martin as intended. Mix it up with the best of them. Or maybe pick a side and start slicing?

Take it where you will!

Gah! That willpower role was mighty close! While I’m not hint hinting, it is a good time to familiarize ourselves with our concept, positive and negative Dice (advantage and disadvantage), and Luck!

Not a huge fan of named initiative in PbP. So if it’s lame, we’ll discard it quickly!

"Named" initiative? Looking at it, I see Diogo has applied his whole "floor and ceiling" method to that d20 roll, with the floor being the HD of the opponents. Needlessly fiddly, IMO — but it should still result in [batch of PCs might go] [foes go in HD order] [PCs go.] Not *that* bad, is it?

While I’m here, some other things:

We need to keep "pushing the roll" in mind — it’s a core part of the game:In the current scene, to make sure I have this right:

Galaine just took 5 damage. His leather armor offers DR1, so that’s 4 damage, dropping his vitality to 10 from 14. Ouch!

The vamp going after Xavier had a Negative Die on her attack — from Galaine’s defense of Xavier on the prior round?

Big question: do we know if we’re way in over our heads with vamps or not? Feels like we’d have some experience with them. Is this a complete lost cause, or would we feel like we had a shot? Also, lore-wise, do we know what myths are true and which aren’t? Mirrors, running water, being invited in (evidently not), holy water, holy symbols, stake in the heart, decapitation + holy wafers in the mouth, burn in sunlight, can mesmerize, turn to bats, turn to mist… you get the idea. (Really trying to determine if standing and fighting is ludicrous, or just dangerous.)

For ease of play, we’ll say that all the usual tropes apply regarding how to kill the various monsters. Otherwise it would have people trying to lean into a genre and getting no reward for it.

The vampire brawling in the street called the leader a Youngblood. A clumsy way to denote that maybe these vampires are recent turns or fledgling vampires. Possibly deadly, of course, but there’s more of you than there are of them. Well… there were!

You can take them, I’ll say that much. Will you take them, the dice will decide!

I will say though, we are playing fast and loose with the rules (such as they are!). The enemies don’t have stats or abilities as such. They have maybe one thing they can do that stands out. But there’s no stat block with a leap ability, a claw attack, etc etc.

So it’s loose. The vampires can do some stuff not on the ‘sheet’ for narrative effect. Equally, when the vamp goes the 0 HP, feel free to dispatch it in a way that seems cool and appropriate and we’ll call it good.

Cool. Not trying to peek behind the curtain, just want to act in accordance with how dangerous these things are in the setting.

I’ll try to give some clearer indications on enemy power levels. You’ll most likely meet some stronger goons eventually. Good to know!

No, it is part of the Nimble class, they are difficult to hit because they're nimble so it allows me to give enemies negative dice=level per combat.

As an aside, I hate pushing the roll mechanics. I think it's why I'm not a hue fan of YZE game mechanics. It has the taint of retcon since it happens after you already roll once, and there's no extra reward for pushing but there is a huge downside. With my Physique score I only have a 30% chance of success. I would never push because that means I have a 70% of a disastrous consequence. Those aren't odds I've ever bet on.

Certainly a better gamble when your chances aren't 30%, though.

You need to get to the gym, brah.

About to bench press some vampire corpses!

Hey, all!

Absolutely hectic weekend here. (When isn’t it?)
Going into the thread now, meaning to get a handle on this!

I should note:

If anyone every wants/needs to pull me up on something, feel free too. I’m liable to forget stuff, or overlook stuff. Don’t feel shy about telling me I missed something, or to remind me that you’d like to work towards something.

Or that you ain’t digging it. No need to disappear. Just giving an open invitation for commentary!

Yeah, same :D Just finding my footing with the system.

Enjoying it. Just thought we had to wait on Xav.

Also just noting here, if not clear I'm playing it as Luci still getting use to her powers/not yet quite knowing their source or how to trigger them intentionally, so they do their own thing.

Xav and Galaine are probably vaguely aware of this though she will try and play off she has more control than she does.

side note, sorry about leaving Luci outside with that older vamp. I don't think there's a shadow of a chance any of could take that guy, and I'm really banking on the idea that he doesn't have any interest in us.

I love the image of busted up Martin in the back, spilling all the details, while Galaine drives and everyone else gets fucking smashed.

Luci nursing a bloody nose, Martin a bloody face, and Xavier a bloody suit. Galaine’s got the bloody sword, and Brydon pocketed the bloody tooth!

And they’re getting blood all over the shag rug interior!!

This is the real crime

Should hopefully have the steam to put up a post after my private class when I get home!

When someone opens the door, they’ll find the classic ‘secret armory’. Perhaps it’s in similar shape to the rest of the apartment, full of junk and random ‘how would this help?’ items.

Or perhaps it’s the one thing that Martin keeps in order, a stark contrast to the rest of his life.

You can find whatever you want in there, in terms of mundane gear.

You can also each find one ‘Big Dumb Thing’ in there. A crossbow that shoots wooden crucifixes. A holy water grande launcher. You know… dumb monster of the week shit.

Nothing that will break the game, just a bit of fun and flavor!

Garlic and wood shrapnel bombs?

What might Demonbane do? Would it be satisfying for you to find it in there? Or does that require looting a vampire lord’s personal stash?

Brydon's big dumb thing: (am I thinking too small?) a sawed off shotgun with an assortment of shells - some filled with iron, some with silver, some with garlic-infused rock salt. Under-barrel rail w/ UV flashlight attached?

In my headlore, it just allows Galaine to actually hurt demons and vampires. But we've already established we can do that to some degree with mundane weapons. Let's leave it for a bigger find, but maybe I'll have Galaine find a real medieval sword so he can dump the mall version he's using.

Okay for Galaine to end up with mundane weapons and armor? Sword, dagger, shield, mail?

Absolutely! All the ideas seem great so far!

Harrigan hinted (I think) that he wanted to enact the rule of invitations with vampires, so I’m running with that.

You can refuse this whole deal and try find Michelle another way. But… isn’t it a good deal? ;)

Hope everyone is still having a decently good time!

Yep, hinted, but obvs you’re not bound by Galaine’s antiquated ideas…

Absolutely having a good time! Sorry I was away for the last couple days, playing catch-up now

Dark City is extra dark after class, but far less so during the day. Well… not far less so! You could take a day to investigate some things, if you thought that might be useful?

Or jump back out into the night?

Seems like certain vampire investigations would be easier during the day?

Great question. What seems the most compelling to people? I’m leaning towards being confined to a lair during the day. Not necessarily unconscious, as that would make it too easy. Weakened maybe, despite being underground or some such.

Open to ideas? Any particular version that people like?

I like that. I would prefer they still have a fatal reaction to sunlight if in the sun, start burning and such. If they sleep during the day, maybe more due to boredom, waiting for the sun to go down, rather than out of necessity. I'm good with their power being diminished a little during the day and they stay cloistered up in their hideout during that time.

I like the UV rays are the problem and they can even wear sunblock during the day to move about but they suffer a little pain and are tired because they are supposed to be sleeping.

Fine with all of these ideas. I do think it’s a core part of what makes a vampire a vampire for them to fear, and be eventually destroyed, by sunlight.

The UV torch on Bryden's new shotgun agrees with this 100%

Going to get to this, folks. Hectic, hectic week. Have very limited bandwidth!!

Like a 56k modem!

56k was luxury!

We’ve got a six! Which means something will complicate the scene in my next post. Will have a think, or maybe put it to a random table. Have an idea or two floating! Thanks for sticking with it, folks!

A roll!

Oh! I like where this is going! Maelgarus…

What’s the plan, Harrigan? Call him out and announce your arrival? All eyes on you, maybe?

Attack out of the blue? Headlong and forwards!

Or try to stealthy?

Waiting to see if the gang stops him. I think it's a terrible idea to just confront him now, head-on, but Galaine has his own ideas...

I'm all for bad ideas making interesting stories lol. Letting it ride.

I mean Luci is trying.. But Luci is also as effecting as stopping people as a paper bag :p

Brydon?

Got it.

I’ll let Harrigan play it out another post before jumping in. Suffice to say that if you don’t go now, he’ll go through the doors and you’ll have to go about the plan with his crew in mind.

Sneaking in the back?

Posted!

Just a note to say that lm mighty sick this weekend. Will try to get to my player duties before my DM duties, if I even manage that. Sorrry all.

Oh no! Feel better quickly, KCC!

It’s been a woeful couple of days, folks, I won’t lie! Hopefully it doesn’t take the steam out of the game! I’ll get us chugging along again soon! On the mend, I think.

Get well, KCC, and take your time!

We’ll put Light down for a yes!

I’m not the sentimental type, folks! So don’t be shy!

I've been quite enjoying the setting and our rag-tag group, but I understand if others don't feel the draw any longer.

Why are you putting Light down as a yes?

I can go either way. Like C1NDER I dig the PCs, but if KCC ain't jammin', well, that might say it all.

In the end down to you. If you're not enjoying it not going to force you.

Sorry if you felt that way about me. Have Ben enjoying the game. I have been squiffy recently, but then with Lucille being watching with Galaine was waiting for the others at the door before posting, apologies.

No need to apologize, Light! That’s a totally fair assessment of where things were! Hope things become less squiffy (if I’m interpreting that word correctly!)

Yes, as for slowdown - I think it just bottlenecked a bit. I've checked here every day waiting to post, but I felt like I needed to wait for the attack against the door guard to complete before Brydon did anything further.

Here as well, was just waiting for the door activity to resolve.

I suppose it's fair to assume we're done here. Was very fun while it lasted, sorry to see it end. I will surely and gladly see you around the boards :D

Cheers folks, great playing with all of you!

Same, see you in other games!

Thanks for playing, folks! Sorry it fizzled out. I think I’m not all that cut out for this GMing craic. Gonna take an extended break, I think!

Hope to see all around, with me as a player in your games instead! :D