[Actual Play] To Find A Way, or Make One

[Carriker]

The warships have as main ability awareness,marskmanship and fighting. I suppose that these abilities refer to those who "drive" the ship, so they also fight...am i wrong?

No, you are correct. Although the troops that are assumed to "come with" the fleet ships are sailors who tend to the needs of the ship - they're there to keep the ships moving and repel boarders. Which is why you'd need something like the sailor/infantry marines.

Now come the other part of the issue, What is the sailor/infantry unit for?

They are utilized as marines: naval assault crews perfectly capable (and indeed, intended to) leave the ship and take the fighting to the enemy when needed.

If the fleet that transport them is attacked, they will fight beacause sailors...right?
what happen if they weren't?Do they still fight?

Do keep in mind that we don't have any real solid ship-to-ship engagement rules yet. They would technically just use the standard Warfare rules, but there's still a lot of questions attached to how that would exactly work.

My intent with those units is to reflect a unit of hand-to-hand fighters who are also skilled sailors, capable of filling in the losses in any crew who may fall in battle in order to get the ship back to White Harbor when the battle is done.

Basically, stacking unit types (Infantry + Sailor) simply gives a broader range of Abilities on which to spend the individual unit members' Experience, reflecting their broader scope of training.

In both cases, How the unit transported fight?(sum the abilities with the warship crew or everything else?)

No, they should fight as two different units: the sailors of the fleet, and the marines. This, of course, makes attacking one of the Manderly ships a bit on the dangerous side.

[Carriker]

Sorry this has taken me so long, folks.

Without further ado: Story Five: A Bastard Reclaimed, of To Find A Way, or Make One.

http://oakthorne.net/wiki/index.php?title=Find-A-Way05

Enjoy!

[Eisen]

Silly players, don't they know never to trust a complete stranger telling them to do something stupid and or massivly illeagal? Classic move Carriker but you should have really turned the skrews. Instead of Old Tal attacking them, he should have laied back and told Ser Mallister about 'their' plans, thus the Night Watch catches the vile rappers red handed trying to escape their just detainment and hopefully they hang from the wall before the raven from Winterfell arives

There's nothing I as a GM love more then a character who'll trust too easily. Just makes my job fun and easy Reminds me of a time I convinced my group in L5R to burn down a guard station because the kindly old man in the weapons shop spun them a yarn about corrupt guards in a protection racket. Needless to say the town guard was there to catch them in the act and several excutions for arson followed.

All things considered it looks like the heroes made out pretty well. They got their bastard back, a new knight and a buxom serving girl! Enjoy the victory while you can PC's Let's hope the next trap you bumble into won't be so forgiving...

[Paedrig]

Eisen
I would be carefully with baiting players in such a trap. They can get the impression that you (as the gm) play "against them" and react very pissed of (and i mean out game) - especially if they where 'socialized' so to speak with other rpg systems where the chars act more as 'heroes' and the situaiton is not so grey...

I would at least let a possibility to escape the worst case scenario.

[Eisen]

At the risk of going on an off topic tangent...

Eisen
I would be carefully with baiting players in such a trap. They can get the impression that you (as the gm) play "against them"

In this specific situation the players have nobody to blame but themselfs. The trap would never work if they don't walk right into it. Carriker's players should know better then to act against the Night Watch at the urging of a stranger.

I come from the Hackmaster school of GMing, it's a little harsh for most but I love it! The philosophy there is that the GM is activly out to get them just like you said. It's the philosophy of the Sith, you either get stronger and smarter or you die and make room for others Without competetion how is the GM supose to have any fun? Hippy shared story hour may work for some people but it just doesn't do anything for me

Now I don't think ASIFP was designed with this cutthroat style, but the setting certinally is. Heck, the books are a slaughterfest with main characters droping like flies! Always rember... "In the Game of Thrones you win or you die"


For more Hackmaster fun check out these webstrips, you might get a laugh out of them
http://www.kodtweb.com/2011/09/13/57th-level/

[Carriker]

Ultimately, for me, I'm much more of a "Narrator Character realist." I don't really set up "traps" or things for my players, but they do interact with characters who don't like them, are invested in seeing them destroyed, and do their best to accomplish this.

Yes, my player characters could have made better decisions. It didn't help that one of the characters who was present, Bory, is a wildling who escaped across the Wall and was accepted into a lord's service before the Night's Watch could catch him. His wife was killed by crow arrows as they crossed, so he's already deeply inclined to mistrust the Night's Watch as it is, and his interactions with the other characters helped color that.

I don't see myself in competition with my players - that's a meaningless concept, to me, given that as the Narrator, I can just decide to drop whatever I want in their way. It renders competition moot. I do like to present the sorts of challenges that the setting's characters might put to them, however. I also don't like to predetermine how they get out of those situations - I like player innovation in that regard. It's half of where I get my fun in gaming from: not being able to anticipate what the players will do, and watching them do it.

Story Five: A Bastard Recovered was the end of the first story arc for the game, so in addition to the XP and Glory their exploits earned them, I also awarded each player a Destiny Point, which they could assign to whichever of their characters they wanted.

[Carriker]

Hello, all. Unfortunately, due to some things like players moving away and the like, I am having to wrap up my chronicle earlier than intended. In the interest of laying bare of what was going on behind the scenes, I've decided to include a run-down of the plotting of House Balinger, the defeated but not destroyed enemies of House Wisent.

Keep in mind that this was their in-character plan, rather than what was necessarily going to happen in the game. At any point, the PCs could have messed up parts of this plan, intentionally or otherwise. Still, here is what they'd planned:

The Balinger Plot
Nearly fifty years ago, during the rule of Lord Krovan Wisent, the long-running feud between House Wisent and House Balinger finally came to a close with the destruction of House Balinger's forces. Lord Talfyr Balinger was permitted to take the black, but Lady Adia, his wife and Randyll, his newborn heir were never found. Even Lady Adia's birth family, House Fayral - Ryswell bannermen - had no idea what had happened to her.

In truth, Adia fled to House Fayral's keep along the coast, and from there took sanctuary with a girlhood friend, Richelle, now married to Lord Radulf Farwynd, of Lonely Island. Her son Randyll grew to manhood there, learning the reaving arts from Lord Radulf and eventually marrying his second daughter Asta. He was raised with his mother constantly whispering in his ear, telling him of his legacy and the ill-deeds done to him by House Wisent.

For many years, Randyll Balinger was content with his lot. An able ship captain, he soon was made second of the Farwynd fleet based out of Lonely Island. He raised several children with his beloved Asta, who were also raised on stories of the Wolfswood that was rightfully theirs and the perfidy of House Wisent. Everything changed, however, with his mother's death from old age. On her deathbed, she demanded that he secure his birthright once more, or she would curse him from beyond the grave.

Though Asta is fearful, Lord Randyll, pauper lord, is now putting a plan into action. The Wisent scandal with House Dustin has provided him with the opportunity he needs. He has put his four children into play as his operatives:

• Talfyr Balinger, aka Morys, his oldest son (25). Captain of the Night Beacon, Talfyr has taken his crew, along with some other ironmen, and established a base for themselves in a set of old First Men ruins in the heart of the Wolfswood.
• Jocasta Balinger, aka Jocasta Ryswell, his oldest daughter (23). Jocasta has been placed as a cousin of the family in House Ryswell. She is charming and strong-willed, and quickly maneuvering to ingratiate herself with the heir of House Wisent, in hopes of securing a marriage proposal from him. Failing that, she will attempt to secure a marriage with Ser Danyk Blackhorn.
• Raunlyr Balinger, aka Raun Snow, his second son (22). Captain of the Blood Wave, Raunlyr works with his brother, appearing as the Knight of the Wolfswood at the Tournament.
• Saria Balinger, aka Jonelle Branley, his second daughter (18). Saria is posing as the daughter of a knight by the name of Jonelle Branley in Barrowton. She finds a way to get herself accepted as a lady of the court at Torrhen's Square, after ostensibly betraying Serise Dustin's trust.

Goals
The goals of the Balingers are fairly simple: to shame and ultimately destroy House Wisent, while remaining hidden at their work. They wish to foment war between Houses Wisent and other Houses, particularly Dustin and Tallhart (if it can be managed).

Stage One
• Talfyr begins by increasing bandit activity against Wisent and Blackhorn lands.
• Raun attempts to make an impression as the Knight of the Wolfswood, a hedge knight, hoping to find a way into their service. At the Tournament, however, he kills the Braavosi man, and kidnaps the Midnight Diamond.
• Jocasta runs a harder game, seeking to impress the heir Ayrant sufficiently to secure a marriage proposal from him.
• Saria, posing as the orphaned daughter of a dead Dustin knight, seeks to get herself taken in by House Wisent as a lady-in-waiting for Kaila, and from there married into the House as well. She is also working at making inroads at ingratiating herself with their new maester, in hopes of coming to control their lines of communication at some point.

Stage Two
With everyone in place, they all go into motion.
Story Six
• With the defeat of his bandit plans, Talfyr comes to dwell in Barrowton, desiring to swear his sword to House Dustin, posing as a member of House Farwynd. He offers to help them establish a powerful fleet of ships for the river they are on, and possibly more. Once there, he seduces Serise Dustin and the two become lovers.
• Jocasta remains with House Ryswell.
• Jonelle remains a lady-in-waiting to Kaila. She uses her placement among House Wisent to keep her siblings informed.

Story Seven
• Raun remains in the service of House Wisent; failing this, he seeks out service with House Tallhart. He continues to keep the Midnight Diamond imprisoned in an old Balinger dungeons, with some of his men to guard her.
• The Houses travel to the Highgarden Tourney. Once there, Talfyr kills Ser Obart Myrrow by by Braavosi blade, blaming the death on Ayrant.

Story Eight
• The Houses return from the Highgarden Tourney. Jocasta claims to have been raped by Ayrant and goes into hiding in the midst of Houses Dustin and Ryswell. Furious, they appeal to House Stark for justice, claiming that they will go to war with Wisenwood if they do not get their justice. House Stark sends an inquiry. There is a convenient fire where she is held, however, and many die; everyone assumes that she is among the corpses. The inquiry leads to a Trial by Combat.

Story Nine
• Jocasta flees to the old Balinger hold where she undergoes deprivations, so that she appears to have been being held there.

Stage Three
Now, with Houses Ryswell and Dustin champing at the bit to go to war with House Wisent, they touch flame to the oil.
Story Ten
* Talfyr is betrothed to Serise.

Story Eleven
* Talfyr becomes a strong ally of Valdan Dustin, and arranges for the rape and murder of Kaila. Serise finds out, however, and flees just ahead of being murdered by Talfyr herself, disappearing. House Dustin immediately suspects that Serise was taken by House Wisent, and goes to war.

Story Twelve
• In truth, though, Serise shows up weeks later at Wisenwood, begging them for help. She admits to Ayrant that she still loves him.
• In response to her arrival, Jonelle sends a raven to House Dustin, claiming that agents of House Wisent have kidnapped and imprisoned Serise.

Story Thirteen
• Jocasta leaves the Balinger dungeons and finds her way to Torrhen's Square. She comes to House Tallhart, claiming Serise Dustin was holding her prisoner, and that Valdan Dustin saw to the capture of Kaila, having her raped by his men before killing her. She begins to heal and recuperate in Maester Telben's tower.
• Jocasta sends a message by rider to House Ryswell, claiming that this message was smuggled out by a compassionate guardsman. She claims to be being held by House Tallhart on behalf of House Wisent. She also sends a message by rider to Jonelle, telling her that the time is now.
• Jonelle sneaks up late one evening and poisons the ravens.

Stage Four
Now, with House Ryswell and House Dustin infuriated with House Wisent, and House Tallhart willing to go to war with House Dustin, war breaks out.
Story Fourteen
• In the meantime, Talfyr insists that House Dustin let him lead his troops up to rescue Serise. He also convinces Lady Barbery Dustin to contact her father (Lord Ryswell) for help. In doing so, they find that House Ryswell is up in arms against House Tallhart, and plans are begun for war. Troops are loaded into Ryswell and Dustin ships, and sent up the Rillwater that leads to the lake of Torrhen's Square. They make quick time up the river. Valdan and Talfyr disembark outside the gates of Torrhen's Square to deploy their men to Wisenwood.
• When this happens, Jocasta poisons Maester Telben, his manservant and his ravens as well. She then gives herself a dose of the poison, so that it will seem that someone poisoned much of the tower's food.
• In the meantime, Valdan and Talfyr's armies march on Wisenwood.

[Mat]

Nice Plot!!!

It is a pity that you were forced to end up it earlier!

But I have some questions...In all these affairs...where are the liege Lord Stark?

and...of course players pilot the story with their actions but how do you manage the success/fail of NPC's plans?
I mean,if players do not intervene giving a strong mark to a certain course of events...How do they evolve?

[Carriker]

But I have some questions...In all these affairs...where are the liege Lord Stark?

Therein lies the difficulty, of course. It's why the Balinger kids plotted to poison the ravens of both Torrhen's Square and Wisenwood, for example. It's about taking those actions before the Warden of the North can become aware of them. It's easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission when the other guys has (hopefully) already been wiped out.

The Ryswells and Dustins, of course, were basically assuming there was no way they'd get anything like a fair shake from Lord Stark. After all, he'd already forgiven Ayrant's egregious past. It was time to do what the Houses do when they feel they have no real recourse: war. Justice to the victor.

and...of course players pilot the story with their actions but how do you manage the success/fail of NPC's plans? I mean,if players do not intervene giving a strong mark to a certain course of events...How do they evolve?

Well, players can undertake actions of their own. For instance, if the PCs had undertaken to investigate the backgrounds of any of the Balinger children, they would have found holes in their stories, and outright falsehoods. I was also ready to allow PCs who decide to take actions for themselves that would logically ruin their plans to come into play. If they'd decided to follow the Dustins at the tourney, for instance, they could have been on hand to stop Ser Obart Myrrow from being stabbed, and Ayrant accused.

In addition to "player stumbles into the middle of their plot" kind of things, I was also willing to let certain other things fumble up their plot. For instance, if Ayrant had actually proposed to Jocasta, and treated her well, she might have gone over to his side. She, like all the other children, have no real investment in Wisenwood, other than helping their father fulfill his oath. Jocasta would have gone from one family that was responsible for plotting another's downfall, as exiles two generations old, to being the wife of the heir of a House filled with genuinely good people. It's not the sort of thing that I'd guarantee would happen from the beginning, but if the roleplay suggested it, I'd go with it.

That's the thing. I don't assume that I know what my players are going to do. Sometimes, they're not dynamic, and they're going to get screwed by those who are more cunning and deceitful. Other times, though, they'll take actions that completely throw a wrench in the works. So I've stopped trying to know what they're going to do, and simply allow things to unfold along lines that I consider probable and reasonable.

[Nirnaeth]

That's a really interesting campaign you had going on there, and a nefarious plot indeed.

I'll try and get my girlfriend interested in playing by having her read your account of the game sessions.

A quick question though: did you plan this all before starting playing, or did you just have a broad idea of what was going to happen and then adjusted the course of action to steer it into a direction once you knew more about the plot?

[Carriker]

A quick question though: did you plan this all before starting playing, or did you just have a broad idea of what was going to happen and then adjusted the course of action to steer it into a direction once you knew more about the plot?

I established a history for the House based on what the PCs generated when they created the House. They got a Conquest result for one of their House History rolls, and I fleshed that out, putting in another House they'd destroyed - a clear opportunity for plots.

It wasn't until the second game session that I developed a larger plot. I usually just put together my ideas for the first few game sessions, to see if anything crops up that looks good during play. I had a Braavosi rival in there, an interaction with House Manderly and House Waterman, and a bandit encounter. They really latched onto the bandit encounter, wondering if there was something bigger going on, so I decided to run with that.

It was probably the third game session before I had an idea of who the chronicle antagonists were going to be, and I decided to make them Intrigue-heavy antagonists because the PCs were so clearly adept at Combat.

[Nirnaeth]

Did you share the details of the plot with your players, after it had become clear your group couldn't go on? If so, what was their reaction?

[Carriker]

Did you share the details of the plot with your players, after it had become clear your group couldn't go on? If so, what was their reaction?

I did, indeed. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth, and some name calling.

It was grand.

[Nirnaeth]

Brilliant. Can't wait to have enough experience to run my own game!

[DaimosofRedstone]

Brilliant. Can't wait to have enough experience to run my own game!

Well, the only way to get that kind of experience is to run your own game(s) (and maybe **** up really badly once or twice).

[Nirnaeth]

Brilliant. Can't wait to have enough experience to run my own game!

Well, the only way to get that kind of experience is to run your own game(s) (and maybe **** up really badly once or twice).

Well, I've had bad experiences with other games (only two players, DM without previous experience), so I'd rather at least familiarize myself with the system before I try my hand at mastering.

[Carriker]

Well, I've had bad experiences with other games (only two players, DM without previous experience), so I'd rather at least familiarize myself with the system before I try my hand at mastering.

Good idea. One of the things I really like about the SIFRP system is how compartmentalized it is. Learning the basics is easy, and then you can focus on sub-systems (Combat, Intrigue, Warfare, etc) that you'd like to learn one at a time. Plus, once you're good with one of those systems, the others become easier by degrees.

So, grab some of the pregenerated characters, get some folks together and run some "fight club" style stuff to begin with.