Bramble Cat: (Poisonous, Sneaky) A cat made of living poisonous brambles. Long ago, it might have been some mage's experiment-- or a druid's? Something made by the gods? Well, for now, you've got one, and it won't attack you or any other rebels-- though it'll try to scratch and poison anyone else.


Next, you find a room that would be very useful-- except that it needs some stuff to start being usable.

WHICH OF THESE DO YOU FIND?

--Barracks: You can pay light cost to automatically recruit the following helper types:
grunts - raiders - scouts. These fresh recruits also function as a creature equal to your
base tier.

(❖ Grunts (Smash - Command) are best when in the thick of battle. They have a defense against wounds.

❖ Raiders (Smash - Scan) are best when finding and pillaging targets. They have a defense against surprise.

❖ Scouts (Sneak - Scan) are best when patrolling areas and scouting. They have a defense against problems scouting an area.)

--Bestiary: You always have fresh mounts, which come with an edge (choose one): aquatic - armored - fast - flying - intelligent - magical - terrifying. Your mount can help out on a roll, but you risk losing it.

--Fighting Pit: You can choose two combatants (helpers, creatures, or prisoners) to fight, rolling their tier or an action in opposed fortune rolls. Which side do your helpers cheer for? If that side wins, take +1d to calamity, and helpers regain all morale. If it loses, the PCs each gain a Heart. On a tie, everyone wins!

--Smithy: Each of your helpers gains the deadly edge as you equip them with dangerous weapons. If they already had it, they take +effect when attacking.

(❖ Deadly: Take +1d when attacking something.)

--Armorer: Each of your helpers gains the armored edge as you equip them with armor. If they already had it, they gain it again, becoming heavily armored.

(❖ Armored : Gain a defense against wounds.)

--Prison: You can hold prisoners for ransom.

I think the barracks makes the most sense given that this place was once a fort, though the smithy or armorer would work well too.

Any other opinions...?

I also agree with Barracks.

Yeah, I want raiders, so I agree with Barracks as well.  Makes the most sense for our keep.

Got it. You find a room that's ideal for a barracks, but there's nothing in it-- you'll either need to steal the stuff, or else you'll need to steal money to buy the stuff... we'll come back to that.

You do find a usable minor room, though.

(Me: ... (Goes and looks up what the original game called "major rooms" and "minor rooms")
Me: ...Oh! Okay...)

Choose one of these:

Delving Tunnel: A long excavation, usually around 10 squares. After building or finding it, the GM makes a new discovery roll and takes +1d on the roll.  

Guard Post: A single helper assigned to the room will give invaders a -1 on the next 1 or 2 rooms (1d2 will be rolled to see which) they invade (the helper will run from the room at the first sign of trouble, to spread alarm...

Helper Station: You can assign a single Helper that is stationed in this room. They take advantage while defending the room.    

Prison: A room with up to 4 cells in it for holding prisoners. Each cell door has a tier 1 lock.    

Storage room: A room filled with crates and boxes, perfect for ambushes. Helpers can roll   engagement when fighting in the room, taking +1d on the roll.    

Interrogation Room: You take +1d when interrogating prisoners here.

Storage is where I'm leaning.

Any other opinions...?

Sure, storage sounds good.

I also agree with storage.

You also find a room that's trapped! (But you don't set it off yourself!)


You get a Tier I trap, read below (and then someone tell me what it's like...)



Traps
Traps are static, well-hidden defenses rated from tier 1 to tier 3 that are meant to surprise and maim the unwary invader wandering your halls. A trap’s sole purpose is to injure invaders. Each trap has two parts - a mechanism and a trigger.

When a mercenary group comes across the trap, the player in charge of that trap rolls its tier to see how effective it is. The mechanism and trigger help the player then narrate the results of that roll.

When a trap hits, the GM chooses which mercenary it hits. Trap rolls represent how much damage and frustration it took to overcome the trap. On a critical or a success, you can roll again against another merc and can continue like this until you roll a mixed or a failure.

When you roll again for a trap, it means that the trap is hitting multiple invaders at
the same time. Wait until your roll finishes to narrate exactly what this looks like. A
failure might mean that the invaders didn’t trigger the trap or that they did, but completely avoided any damage.

When you get a new trap, choose or make up a mechanism and a trigger, then detail to the GM what you are trying to accomplish. The GM decides what tier the trap is based on its likelihood of hitting multiple targets. If you want to build higher-tier traps, you’re going to have to come up with deadlier mechanisms or cleverer triggers.

example mechanisms
alarm - blades - collapsing roof - darts - falling rocks - fire - gas - magical - moving walls - nets - pit - poison - spears - spell - spikes

example triggers:
disguised base denizen - false door - hidden sentry - item usage - item removal - magical detection - pressure plate - sound - tripwire

❖ Tier 1 traps are simple and effective, but fairly easy to avoid. They are likely
to only hit a single target.

Turning a door handle stabbing a hand with a blade, too much noise releasing scorpions from the ceiling, a false door leading to a 10-foot drop.

When invaders reach the trap, the GM will call out the

Invaders trigger traps that they stray near to. There’s no need to be precise-- movement through the base isn’t tracked square by square. As long as they’re in the same room as the trap, they’ll trigger it.

Since we're in a desert, near a source of water, what do you guys think about quicksand?

I like quicksand. I think its very thematic.

Groovy, but we need a trigger-- it's not JUST quicksand-- it LOOKS fine, and then after something is DONE, the threat becomes apparent... So I'm thinking a concealed trap door that drops them into the quicksand if they don't notice it.

Sound good?

--YES! Nice one, GM! I will tell you to officially add that to The Sandstone in my next post!

--NO! I have another idea, and I will tell you what that idea is in my next post!


Presuming for the moment that the answer is Yes, let's move on:


You find a good room for a Trick!


Tricks
Tricks are subtler than traps - their purpose is to change the situation or force the
adventurers into taking certain actions. A trick allows you to control events during
base defense. They create advantageous situations for your base.

When a trick is triggered, a fortune roll is made using the trick's tier to see how effective it was against the invaders, using the result to narrate how it was triggered and how effective it was at its intent. The GM can step in to scale the effectiveness up or down to better match the result if needed.

When building tricks, each has an intent and a trigger. The intent is what you want
the trick to accomplish and the trigger is how you go about doing it. Tricks are judged
by how likely they are to work and the tier is decided by the player.

Example Tricks:
❖ A pool of water that fools adventurers into taking off their armor to get through.
❖ Pixies clanging together pots down a tunnel leading invaders toward them.
❖ A winding maze that splits up the invading group.
❖ A beautiful statue that captivates them and gives an opening for helpers to snatch their weapons.
❖ Moving lights from around a corner make the invaders snuff torches to avoid getting seen--thereby losing their own ability to see.

If a trick leads an adventurer into a situation that they can’t escape, it instead just frustrates them after some time has passed... if enough time passes, they could just get frustrated and give up on invading the base. These types of tricks buy you time or an
advantageous situation, but they’re temporary. Remember that mercenaries are incredibly crafty, and even if they’re stuck down a pit trap or chained to a wall, given a bit of time, they’re likely to find a way out. You can never trick an mercenary away from invading your base once they've started... but you can add to their frustration, and that can do the trick eventually... (They'll be back someday, of course, but...)


(I know that since there's no actual map, it's hard to see how Tricks help, but I'll make it worth your while, trust me.)

For a trigger on the quicksand, how about a floor panel that triggers liquefaction, so a section of floor a little bit ahead that was just dirt/sand before now becomes quicksand.

I don't have any ideas for good tricks right now.  How about you guys?

Okay, time to take stock.

I'm not only back, my schedule is finally starting to stabilize.

But where are we?


1. I realize it can sometimes be hard to get back into a game experience when it's lost momentum.

2. I realize it is hard to concentrate on a game with a virulent global pandemic going on (that was most of the problem that caused #1).


SO. Do each of y'all:

A. Want to continue?

B. Want out? (This option also covers "I WOULD like to continue, actually, but I am kind of overly stressed by the life-changing effects of a virulent global pandemic going on to actually commit to doing so.")

C. Want out of this game, but want to try playing something else? (Something simpler?)


Sound off and let me know which. If it is B, there will be no hard feelings toward you on my part.

Bashar has already privately chosen B, and I reiterate that I absolutely understand that.

A. I want to continue. Life has gone a crazy, but I should actually have more time to post.

Then help Dr. Mindermast come up with a Trick for The Sandstone...

...If Dr. Mindermast wants to stay and continue...?

Sure, if we're back on then I'm totally in.

Okay then, one of you come up with a Trick. Feel free, for all I care, to just choose one from the example list.

Example Tricks:
❖ A pool of water that fools adventurers into taking off their armor to get through.
❖ Pixies clanging together pots down a tunnel leading invaders toward them.
❖ A winding maze that splits up the invading group.
❖ A beautiful statue that captivates them and gives an opening for helpers to snatch their weapons.
❖ Moving lights from around a corner make the invaders snuff torches to avoid getting seen--thereby losing their own ability to see.

How about vines that pull weapons off balance and snatch away small objects like potions and keys away.

I'll take it.

Next: one Lock... This one's easy...



Locks
 Locks are used to buy time while defending to set up proper defenses, maneuver around your base, or beat a hasty retreat. They also serve to push mercs away from sensitive areas.   It’s best to remember that locks won’t keep mercs out forever-- given enough time and   determination, mercs can push their way through any lock in front of them.

You need a descriptor for the door materials and the lock mechanism.    

door   materials:
iron   -   iron   bars   -   portcullis   -   wood    

lock   mechanisms:
bar   -   bolt   -   heavy   object   -   padlock
 

❖ Tier 1 locks are the simplest locks, with limited reliability. A wooden bar holding a   door shut, or   a   door   with   the   handle   removed   and   jammed   shut.


When invaders encounter a lock while pathing their way through your base, the GM rolls the   lock’s tier and sees if the lock repels the invaders.

door   materials: iron

lock   mechanisms: padlock

Seems reasonable enough.

Any chance we could also get a decoy lock to distract invaders by making them think an empty room is actually important?

Got it.





You can have it now, if you want... Let me know.

But for now...

That's it!

Right now, the rest of The Sandstone is just
--a stairway leading to the sanctum.

And then: Level 2:

--A Sanctum-- the big room where you rebel leaders will make your stand against any invaders who get that far

--The Hoard

--And a private room leading off from the sanctum for each of you.


So it's time for what's next!

--PCs!

KingJawa already made a Shaman... KingJawa, you stickin' with your Shaman, I presume?

And Mindermast, I believe you wanted to make a Mage?

Need any help with that?

If so, let me know.

If not, make a Mage PC!