Part III: Saturday Afternoon
After a quick wander down to Broadway to pick up some munchies I headed back to the convention to set up the next game.
Saturday Afternoon was the first of two Savage Worlds games that I ran. The Savage Worlds games were, by far, the best attended games I organized for he weekend. The one on Saturday afternoon was a Rippers: the Horror Wars, a skirmish game of Victorian horror. I had six participants! Jeff C., Jeff P., John Burt, CVT, Keith, and Darrin. Some played characters they use in my regular game others used ones I had on hand. Jeff C. brought along his own. Each player had a Wildcard Ripper and a unit of extras under their command. I played all the "bad guys".
Darrin played his regular character Dr. Albert Osbourne, a chemist of note and distiller of monster essences. He also had with him a unit of four "irregulars" (or “agents”, as I prefer to call them). Jeff P. had Lt. William Armstrong of the local Regiment and four Soldiers of the Queen under his command. Keith played Jock McGurn the famed Scottish monster hunter and four Highland Clansmen. John Burt played Sir Albert Plunkett, Gentleman Explorer and four Wolfenjagers, Chris played a holy man simply known as "the Choir Master" who brought along with him 8 choirboys. Jeff C. brought along an Explorer, whom I think was named Klaus, and four hired guns.
The Heroes were gathered from a number of Lodges, by some very important members of the Rippers organization, to go on a very important hunt. A large pack of werewolves had been terrorizing a small town in rural England for some time and this full moon that was to end. They were known to gather in a clearing just north of town. The hunters spread out around the area and at sundown and closed in to "tighten the noose". They were in for a little more that they originally bargained for. In the clearing, on the night of this full moon, there were more that just a pack of werewolves. A number of Cabal members had gathered there for a meeting.
In the clearing were all the monsters that I was running. They included a rather nasty Vampire; the Countess Mariana de Rouge and her four Cossack Guardsmen, a quartet of Nosferatu that she also brought along, Simon de Loupe a Werewolf (what's with all these Frenchy monsters in a rural English village...?), Four wolfmen, a pack of six wolves, Dr Jekyll, and an invisible man.
To start off, as the players moved in, I had them do group stealth rolls versus my monsters notice rolls whenever the monsters cards came up to see how close they could sneak up. By the middle of the second turn, however the "choirmaster" had charged out of the woods and tried to hack down one of the wolfmen with his sword, immediately thereafter the highland clansmen let off a volley from their flintlock pistols and all the sneaking about was through.
My first monster card to come up after that was the Werewolf; Simon de Loupe. Because I had too many cards to keep track of and I wanted to get things going I charged him into contact with the Highlanders... instead of baying at the moon which would be the normal thing for him to start off with (causes all opponents to make a spirit check or be shaken..!). The wolfmen attacked the choirmaster and his young apprentices. A couple of the Wolves went after Klaus and his hired guns but after a couple of them were shot down before they could even get there they joined the wolfmen in some easier game. The Nosferatu made for the woods between the choir and the highlanders hoping to make a break for it. Jekyll and the invisible man headed for some woods at the other end of the clearing hoping to make for town and escape. The countess turned into a cloud of mist and the Cossack guardsmen exchanged shots and advanced towards the soldiers.
The Agents attempted to come to the aid of the choirboys but bumped into the Nosferatu coming out of a stand of trees. The highlanders all ganged up on the Werewolf and took him down in a turn or two.
The Choirmaster is fighting a wolf, here, in the foreground. His Choirboys are being eaten by wolves and wolfmen behind him, further back is Dr. Albert Osbourne and his agents fighting the Nosferatu. Most of the figures are from Westwinds Vampire Wars line, Dr. Osbourne is from the Foundry's Old West English Gentlemen pack and the Choirmaster is an Essex (I think..?) ECW puritan preacher.
The Countess, realizing there was little danger to her from these hunters, and that she could get away quicker on foot than in mist form she turned back and followed her Cossack Guardsmen. Jekyll hid in a stand of trees as he saw the Wolfenjagers approaching from the town, but the invisible man pressed on. He attacked Sir Albert as they passed each other on the bridge. The Wolfenjagers quickly came to Sir Albert's aid and surrounded the invisible man, though still had difficulty landing a good blow (him being invisible and all!).
Sir Albert and the Wolfenjagers leave the town and are attacked by the invisible man on the bridge. Plunkett and Wolfenjagers are Westwind, the invisible man... well that's a Games Workshop LOTR figure "Frodo with ring", only $15.99... no I'm only kidding it's just an empty base…
The Cossacks and the soldiers mostly did each other in. The vampire rushed in and finished off the Lieutenant and the last of his men. Klaus and his hired guns were moving in that same direction and shot up the last of the Cossack guard.
Sir Albert left the Wolfenjagers to finish off (or at least keep busy) the invisible man, and after ducking the invisible mans free attack headed off for the copse of wood occupied by Dr. Jekyll.
The Choirmaster held his own against a group of wolves and wolfmen that surrounded him but he could not save his choirboys. The agents and Dr. Obsourne continued their fight with the Nosferatu. The Highlanders, moving through the woods, came to their aid.
Jock McGurn and the Highlanders charging through the woods to aid the agents. Agents are again Westwind, the Highlanders are Old Glory ECW Highlanders.
The Vampire, having finished off the soldiers charged into fight the hired guns quickly striking one of them down.
The Highlanders and Agents finished off the Nosferatu and moved on to rescue the last (of eight) choirboys that hadn't yet been devoured by wolves and wolfmen.
Sir Albert caught up with Dr. Jekyll (who after a dozen turns STILL hadn't been dealt a face card which would turn him into Hyde...!) and shot him down with his impaler. Jekyll soaked it, but then Sir Albert just chased him down and did him in with his sword.
The invisible man being wounded by now and unable to give anywhere near as good as he had gotten decided to give the wolfenjager the slip. Ducking four free attacks he made his way back across the bridge and down the country lane.
The Choirmaster, the Highlanders and Agents finished off the last of the wolfmen and wolves and made for the melee in the woods on the other end of the clearing between the vampire and the hired guns. Realizing the situation was quite hopeless the vampire turned into a mist again and floated up into the dark sky. Some swore they hear a groan on the wind that said "next tiiiiiiime......"
The survivors converge on the Countess Maria. The Countess in from the Foundry Swashbucklers line. The explorers/hired guns she is in battle with are the figures Jeff brought along with him and I'm pretty sure they are Foundry as well, the rest in the background I believe I've already mentioned.
An overall view of the clearing in the woods and the town across the river and happy players at Hero's Gambit V. From Left to right; Keith, Darrin and Chris.
More happy players; the Jeffs.
Stay tuned for The Hero's Gambit Report Part IV: Saturday Evening!
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