A couple of weeks ago I started to play a post apocalyptic game by email. The game has been put together by Heikki, one of my gaming friends in Finland. There are 3 of us in this abandoned house, we got to select our characters who are as follows:
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| Played by Jonna |
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| Played by myself |
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| Played by Karri |
I have no idea how this is going to go but Heikki put together an excellent game with UBoot, so I said why not. We have just completed day 1, so I thought I would post our progress for anyone who is interested. Start from the bottom!
DAY 1 - SCAVENGING STORIES
EMILIA - HOTEL - FAR AWAY, 10 actions
EMILIA arrives at the small HOTEL.
You are carrying in your bag 1 ELECTRICAL PART.
You decide to have a look around the place first.
ACTIONS = 8
NOISE = 1
You find a note nailed to front door:
“Do you want to know how to cheat death? I dug a grave for myself - for my old self, I mean. He is buried deep in the dirt, next to this hotel. These sacred grounds purify and grant you a new life that cannot be seen by the Final Judge.”
You take a moment to listen, to look… no one seems to be around…
You try the front door - not locked, and it opens easy enough with minimal noise +1.
Step inside, take a moment to orient yourself to the surroundings…
You search your memory for what is this place… previously owned by Progoren Travel Agency… you seem to recall the owners fled just before the siege, along with foreign journalists who used to stay here.
Then you remember… yes, oyu heard just recently that someone did move in here - word on the street is that he is willing to barter… maybe he has something useful for us?
( “TRADE 1903” for trading - using 2 ACTIONS, anytime )
ACTIONS = 8
NOISE = 2
EMILIA continues to poke around the hotel…
You hear something… adding 1 action to d10 roll
+ 1 = 6, result guarantees safe approach…
ACTIONS = 7
EMILIA goes carefully down the corridor, sounds get louder… voice of a child and something…
you come around a corner, approach an open doorway to a room…
you see a black haired girl, shouting at her staggering drunk mother. She sounds like she will swallow a nail to spite her mom, cursing her using language a small child would use, who does not yet know adult insults. She sticks out her tongue, then disappears into the corridors of the ruined building, does not care about cracked floor and steel bars sticking out everywhere, not to mention desperate cries of her alcohol-soaked mom. Mother’s apparent resignation tells you such situation must have happened more than once…
Girl looks at you and disappears into dark corridors of the hotel. You can hear steps fading away into distance…
I guess it’s everyone for themselves here… EMILIA continues to search the building.
EMILIA comes to a door in another corridor further down… the door is closed but in place of the lock there just remains a larger hole where the lock used to be, you guess someone needed the lock for their house someplace else… moonlight seems to be coming into the room from some window, perhaps an open window because you feel a slight breeze... no sounds from inside the room, no movement that you can notice
NOISE = 2
ACTIONS = 7
EMILIA pushes the door open…
there seems to be something holding against the door, you have to push harder… raise noise +2.
NOISE = 4
ACTIONS = 6
One room hotel apartment. Inside you can see the window has no glass and part of the wall in the corner is crushed as result of some shelling.
Body of man lying against the door prevented the door from opening. You can see he was dressed like going on a trip, wearing clean pants, old jacket, cap and with a small worn briefcase. This was someone who wanted to create for himself the illusion he was looking his best, what people looked like before the war. Next to his dead hand there is a ticket out of town - ticket provided by the military transport of humanitarian aid.
The date and time of the trip has passed: ticket was for today at 0700 in the morning, departing from the Old Brewery. Looks like a sniper caught the man just as he was leaving his room. He died convinced his unending horror was finally over.
You search the briefcase: some worthless bills, some family memorabilia, some odd documents, 3 CIGARETTES and 1 MEDICINE.
You also search a heap of stuff in the corner of the room. Raise noise +1.
You find 1 MECHANICAL PART, 1 SHELL, 1 WEAPON PART and 1 COFFEE.
NOISE = 5
ACTIONS = 3
EMILIA decides to end the search and go home.
PAVLE - OLD TOWN 12 actions
PAVLE uses 2 actions to do a little reconn of the Old Town area.
ACTIONS = 10
NOISE = 1
Old Town used to be a gathering place of different cultures, with architectural styles and great many restaurants and pubs. Today, military position in the overlooking mountains make this a dangerous place at daytime, but with careful approach you feel you can find supplies here.
There are no people around, surroundings look quite empty at the moment… you sneak around and make observations on some locations.
PAVLE chooses a building with reinforced door… recent boot rpints in front… someone seems to have chosen this building as their refugee shelter before it was hit by artillery bombing.
You are able to force to door open… using 1 ACTION, and raise noise level +3.
NOISE LEVEL = 4. roll for noise (4 or under means someone hears you)
you roll 6 so… everything stays quiet and noise level restarts.
NOISE LEVEL = 1
No one seems to react as PAVLE is listening…? so perhaps no one is home?
PAVLE enters into the house andgain 3 more actions.
You go straight into kitchen and starts searching… accidentally drop a fork onto the floor KLING !
raise noise by +1
NOISE LEVEL = 2
in the pantry PAVLE finds 1 COFFEE, 1 VEGETABLE, and 2 bottles of 100% ALCOHOL.
SPECIAL FINDINGS roll of 7 reveals a bottle of moonshine in another cupboard.
SOMEONE IS HERE !
you clear steps of boots from upstairs… coming slowly down the wooden stairs…
NOISE LEVEL +3 = 5
You rush out of the kitchen… see someone stomping down the stairs with some weapon in hand… he apparently does not like you poking around his house in the night, he takes a swing at you
and HITS… but PAVLE has PROWESS 1 which means he can reroll 1 dice result, and the reroll becomes…
a MISS - you barely miss the blade aimed at you,
you rush out the door into the night and you are gone - heading for home.
PAVLE takes +1 DICE for FATIGUE.
KATIA - CHURCH 14 actions - carries 2 SUGAR
for 2 actions you take your time to look around and orient yourself to your surroundings...
YOUR NOISE LEVEL IS 1.
There is a mark on the wall, along with few scribbled words
"HERE LIES MOXY, THE BEST CAT IN THE WORLD"
Further away, at the edge of darkness, you see someone squatting near the corner, with few large bags.Possible trading companion.
Sneaking up closer, you notice there are actually quite a few people among the ruins of the old church. they are hoping to get something to eat, even just something meager. they bring all their belongings with them, and have with them anything of value, items taht have been in their families for years, or whatever they managed to scrounge in the ruined city.
When the local pries fails to obtain any ingredients to prepare even the most basic soup, these people know who to turn to as last resort: there are several traders lurking about like vultures, ready to exploit the most desperate people.
KATIA has her special skill in smooth talking and manipulating others with speech, so she easily manages to negotiate the trade commission of 2 credits, which you usually must pay just to get into the trading game.
KATIA also manages to exploit her nagging feelings of misery to gain special sympathy of the traders, and is allowed to trade at 1:1 ratio (usually you are required to give 1 credit more than what you take). For this KATIA takes 1 DICE for her MISERY.
KATIA uses 6 actions to trade 1 SUGAR for 2 CHEMS and 1 HERB
She leaves the traders and ventures deper into the church ruins… getting a little tricky to move along… she comes to a place where the only way forward seems to be CLIMB UP along pile of debris and rubble, to get to the other side.
KATIA climbs up the pile of crumbling debris and rubble… you do make it to the top and just as you start to peek over the top to the other side - you feel your foot slipping under some loose bricks… you feel the ground giving away underneath you… rumble tumble down you go and AUCH
but
aside from some bruises and noise, no damage and no wounds. Nothing to brag about.
KATIA takes +1 DICE for FATIGUE.
NOISE LEVEL = 2
On the other side of pile of debris, you can see 2 things:
dark BASEMENT ENTRANCE
another door opening to the side of the church, with an old broken door closing the way, hanging on one hinge, not locked.
KATIA goes through the side opening… the old door squeakes on its rusty hinge… raising noise level +1
NOISE LEVEL = 3
you find yourself in a dusty chamber, with some FURNITURE that you can search…
KATIA pays 2 actions to sneak around quietly.
She discovers 1 MECH PART, 1 ELECTRIC PART, 1 HERB.
with 1 remaining action, KATIA decides to still venture down into the basement of the old church.
Raise noise +3, so NOISE LEVEL = 6,
now KATIA has to roll for the noise (rolling 6 or under triggers noise effect):
and KATIA is surrounded by group of 3 SURVIVORS who have been hiding in the damp dark basement… they are armed with various implements: one has a knife, other has a hatchet and the third one has a pistol. They surround you and act very suspicious but so far are not behaving hostile towards you.
KATIA starts a conversation with the group. Fair enough, they relax a bit and seem willing to tlak to you.
“We have been through this hall already, it’s completely cleaned out - unless you are interested in an old used mattress. Not in very good condition though. Can you give us a smoke? no? ok… has been a long time since we had one… It has been nice talking, but we need to go. Take care. Perhaps we meet again.”
The wayfaring strangers stow away their weapons into their bags and disappear out up the stairs.
KATIA decides to follow the others out of the church, and is ready to go back home.
** END OF SCAVENGING FOR KATIA **
NIGHT - SCAVENGING PLANS
All characters took off scavenging in the night.
KATIA chose the closest location, the OLD CHURCH.
She took 2 pieces of SUGAR with her, for possible trading.
She starts with time to search for 14 ACTIONS.
PAVLE went a bit further, searching around the OLD TOWN district.
He starts with time enough to search for 12 ACTIONS.
EMILIA went furthest, all the way to the SMALL HOTEL.
She took 1 piece of MECHANICAL PARTS with her, for possible trading.
She starts with time to search for 10 ACTIONS.
EVENING
Before nightfall, you must decide who does what.
Assign each character to one of these tasks:
SLEEP IN A BED … oops, you don’t have one yet…
SLEEP ON THE FLOOR … none of you are especially tired yet, meaning none of you have BLACK DOTS yet in your FATIGUE
GUARD DUTY … staying at the entrance hallway A, defending your shelter and your storage from potential attacks during the night. The higher the PROWESS fo the guard the better.
SCAVENGING … going out into the war-torn ruined city in the cover of darkness, to search for stuff, materials, food etc. Higher INVENTORY (black mark on your character) means character can carry more stuff back to homebase. Higher PROWESS means character can perform better in scavenging.
SCAVENGING OPTIONS FOR THE NIGHT
3 possible locations you can go to. FAR away means more time to get there and less time to search the place and look around. CLOSE means you get there quickly and have more time to explore. You have to ALSO get back to your shelter in the cover of darkness, before daybrake.
CLOSE
Old church wherre you have heard possibly other people holding shelter, you more chance of meeting others. From your previous visits to the place you remember there is basement leve, and closed doors that would require lockpick. Also bars that require sawblade. Possibility of special things you can find is presented in the list (d10 roll). A MEDIUM size place so can take fair amount of time to go through, but also there is much to look at.
DISTANT
Old town district you used to love so much… LARGE area so lots of things to explore. being distant means it take fair amount of time to get there. Expect rubble and jammed doors which might take something more than a lockpick to open. Potential psciela findings as indicated in the list (d10 roll).
FAR WAY
Beyond the oldtown district there lies a hotel that you remember. SMALL area to explore so can be done fairly quickly, although getting there will take time. Plenty of rooms or whatever is left of them, I supposed. Potential special findingd as indicated in the list (d10 roll).
DUSK
Sun has disappeared beneath the horizon. Shadows and darkness now rule over the city.
Daily weapon fire from different places has quieted down mostly, some shots can be heard occasionally further away, here and there.
It will be a bit safer to venture out of your safehouse during the ocming night.
But first…
to compensate the toil and trouble of the stressful day:
EVERYONE SHOULD DRINK WATER.
and hey, no drama here, you have 3 WATERS in storage so each of you gets a sip.
Lick your lips.
Done.
( STORAGE UPDATED )
ANYONE HUNGRY ?
to keep your strength up, everyone should eat 1 or more pieces of FOOD.
For your information, here are eating options and their results.
AT THE MOMENT,
you have only 1 PIECE of RAW FOOD in storage.
BUT none of you are even really hungry (no BLACK DOTS on hunger).
so, no need to use that 1 piece of food yet.
EACH OF YOU just takes +1 DICE for hunger, and forget about it.
EMILIA is the only one who should consider her situation more carefully.
She can feel rumble of growing hunger in her stomach (4 DICE on HUNGER) but nothing serious yet. She can either
TAKE +1 DICE for hunger and forget about it for now. No other consequence.
ROLL HER 4 HUNGER DICE
IF there is NO MATCH, she stays at 4 HUNGER DICE, and that’s it.
IF there is MATCH in dice numbers, she takes 1 BLACK DOT into HUNGER which suddenly seems to flare up stronger.
3.ACTIONS
PAVLE starts sorting through the heap discovered in upper floor, behind the bookcase.
His findings include 2 pieces of WOOD, 5 COMPONENTS, 1 SUGAR and 1 WEAPON PART.
(STORAGE UPDATED)
PAVLE sits down to catch his breath, and takes 1 DICE for fatigue / exhaustion
(CHARACTER SHEET UPDATED)
KATIA starts fiddling with the bent lockpick, and manages to straighten it into working condition.
Now the lockpick can be used again.
Feeling impatiently miserable for her failure to pick the lock immediately, KATIA takes 1 DICE for her MISERY. (CHARACTER SHEET UPDATED)
( Since KATIA has PROWESS = 0, she had no ability to REROLL her dice )
EMILIA hauls the heater down to basement and starts working on it, utilizing her lawyery skills of rational organization. She is hungry but no drama, just healthy amount of sweating.
For her hard working efforts, she takes 1 DICE for her fatigue.
SIMPLE HEATER is now installed in basement room NN and will provide heat throughout the whole house. Even sleeping on the floor will not feel quite so chilly anymore.
EMILIA peeks through the rusty bars into the darkness beyond… wandering what the heck is out there…
( see HOUSE, also CHARACTER SHEET UPDATED)
NOTE: with FITTINGS, if you click once on the nametag ( simple heater, deadfall trap… ), it will show you link to FITTINGS page where you find more information on them. Click at the the text of that link and ti will open that page in your browser. Same link is also at top of other pages )
2.ACTIONS
PAVLE started sorting through the HEAP in basement.
His findings were 5 COMPONENTS and 5 pieces of WOOD.
He also discovered rusted locked BARS behind the heap… too dark to see what is on the other side fo the bars (see HOUSE).
EMILIA sorted out the HEAP in kitchen.
Her findings were 1 WATER, 1 ELECTRICAL PART and 3 COMPONENTS.
She discovered some FURNITURE hidden behind the heap, and can discern a LOCKD DOOR behind the furniture (see HOUSE).
KATIA demonstrates her lockpicking skills… decided to live dangerously by burning all her 4 stress dice, and gets result:
the numbers themselves do not matter, we look to see if she gets a MATACH between any two or more dice… and yes, she does: 1 match between the “2”s…
This means that her performance succeeds to certain degree but not quite…
at first the tumblers inside the lock seem to respond well, but then she applies too heavy hand into her twist and the lockpick bends out of shape… lucky for her, it does not break totally.
THE DOOR STAYS LOCKED.
THE AMOUNT OF STRESS DICE FALLS BACK ONTO MINIMAL 2.
KATIA has a bent lockpick and it takes 1 action for her to straighten it into working condition.
HOUSE STORAGE UPDATED.
1.ACTIONS
KATIA goes through the FURNITURE which is a cupboard, and finds:
There also seems to be HEAP of stuff behind the cupboard (see HOUSE)
EMILIA sorts throguh the HEAP and discovers:
KITCHEN (room B) is now at least partially cleared for use.
There seems to be another heap behind the first one (see HOUSE)
PAVLE sets up Deadfall Trap outside into front yard, using 1 RAW FOOD for bait.
( see FITTINGS )
Your STORAGE is UPDATED..
DAY 1 - ARRIVAL - WEATHER: cool and dry
( “2 actions” can be performed by 2 persons together, or 1 person in 2 separate actions )
( it is assumed you have most basic tools, screwdriver wrench hammer etc. )
Katia, Emilia, and Pavle arrive at the house.
You assume it is empty.
It appears to be empty.
At least it is quiet inside.
… discounting the occasional fast scurrying of small feet on the floorboards.
X marks entry/exit, there is a somewhat flimsy door that can be closed and locked.
Hallway A provides access
staircase up to room E
open doorway to room B, where heap of junk is blokcing the way
staircase down to basement MM and NN where heap of junk blocks the way further.
Basement room NN has ladders going down to cellar SS with locked rusted bars blokcing the way, but you can see heal of stuff piled up on the other side of the bars. Why bars? it looks like someone might have been kept living there.
You manage to bring with you FITTINGS: rainwater collector, deadfall trap, crude stove and a simple heater.
Deadfall trap can be set up anywhere (1 action, no special tools required).
Simple heater can be set up into basement room MM (2 actions, no special tools required), or room NN if you wish. It will heat the whole house.
Rainwater collector must be set up in attic (1 action, no special tool required), but access to attic has to be cleared first.
Crude stove should be set up in ground floor room B which seems to be kitchen - but there is a heap full of junk blocking the space, it has to be cleared first (1 action, no tool required).
Your STORAGE also includes: some wood, few components, some water, 1 knife, 1 raw food and 1 shovel.
HEAP and FURNITURE can be cleared and reasched by 1 person using 1 action.
BARS and CLOSED DOOR require special tools to get through.
Each of you can perform 3 actions during the day.
TASK:
Give me the first action that each of you will perform, these will happen simultaneously.
Pavle: Perhaps should start for Deadfall trap because can’t yet install rainwater collector?
