Monday, March 17, 2008

The Pirates of Port Dular

I have a regular Savage Worlds game on Saturday nights. It’s been going on and off for years – sometimes on different nights, sometimes with different rules, and a number of different campaigns and genres. Currently it is Savage Worlds (and has been exclusively for the last couple years), on Saturday nights, and the campaign is a sort of fantasy-ish campaign set in a world that very much resembles early to mid 18th Century Earth.

I rarely do game reports of the games we play as often there is actual role-playing going on. When there is action I don’t always have appropriate terrain to use so end up drawing stuff of a vinyl hex matt. Neither of these makes for pretty pictures – and this blog is all about the pretty pictures!

SITUATION

The Characters are in the employ of the Duke of Lafleur – a rival of the Archduke of Rodia. With intelligence provided by Mr. Drake (one of the characters, who was, at one point, a high ranking officer in the court of the Archduke) the group is sailing for Port Dular – a small station operated by the Achduke which is a base of operations for pirates and smugglers in his employ. With them is a unit of Colonial Infantry.

They sailed to the continent where Port Dular is located and found a cove where they could anchor and march overland to the port so as to observe and attack from land when there was a minimum of ships in the harbour – as they were few and this place was the base of operations for MANY. As luck would have it when they arrived there was a single sloop in the harbour – so they planned to attack at dawn the next morning.

FORCES

The Duke of Lafleur’s Men

Arna – Elf Ranger– played by Amanda

Andiel – Elf - played by Darrin

Agnar – a shoe-maker by trade, originally, and the meanest Dwarf that ever lived - played by Andrej

Sir Pwent – a Dwarven knight - played by Lloyd

Lieutenant Laroche – Naval officer in command of the Colonial Infantry.

2 units of Colonial Infantry (10 each)


Inhabitants of Port Dular (in the employ of the Archduke of Rodia)

Jean-Louis Prideau, the Administrator-General

Marc Leclerc – Clerk

The Guard (10)

Capatin Mortimer Noir - Pirate Captain

Pirate Crew

Natives

The Inn Staff

THE GAME

Andiel decided to scout out the town before the attack. He checked out a couple of buildings which were locked (warehouses) then decided to sneak into the Administrator’s compound and take out the two roof-top sentries. He failed to do so quietly and so the alarm was raised and the action began about an hour before they originally intended it to – in darkness, so all the humans were at -2 to do anything!?

Because the Lieutenant was ordered to wait until Andiel returned and was aware that the plan was to attack at first light – he stalled I said he was “shaken” and recovered at -2 (because it was dark!) and his troops would not leave their start positions until he had ordered them to do so. It tooke him three ofr four turns to get them going.

At the sound of the first shot Arna, Sir Pwent, and Agnar all made for town with much haste! Agnar made for the Inn to deal with any pirate crew that might be hanging out there… and if there weren’t any – he would just help himself to some spirits.

Arna and Sir Pwent met some armed natives in the street out front of the Administrator’s Manor – they were quickly dealt with, but in the meantime Prideau was up and awake and had mustered his guard in the courtyard of his Manor.

Arna dashed across the street to help Agnar who was single-handedly battling the crew of the pirate ship anchored in the harbour. Agnar didn’t really need any help, so Arna would quickly return to the manor to help out Sir Pwent and Andiel….

Sir Pwent dashed into the courtyard of the manor.

I started taking pics part way through the game…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


In the courtyard of the inn, Agnar, the meanest dwarf that ever lived, destroys the pirate crew single handedly… well almost. Arna stepped in for a moment and finished off one of the pirates that Agnar had only shaken….


Then Agnar carried on into the Inn killing the captain with a single blow and the remaining pirate in view…


Lieutenant Laroche leads his colonial infantry into the town.


Arna, Andiel, and Sir Pwent fight the governor’s guard in the courtyard of his Manor.


The second division of the Colonial infantry sweeps west of town.


Having heard their mates die below the remaining pirates upstairs (that had been sniping a people in the street) decide to skedaddle! What’s that menacing thumping noise coming up the stairs!?


It’s Agnar! Certain that there had to be more Agnar charged up the stairs to the rooms above in search of more pirates to kill.


They tried to surrender – but Agnar takes no prisoners!


After he sliced one the other two jumped hoping to surrender to the colonial infantry…. One broke his leg falling… Agnar followed. While the colonial infantrymen were perfectly willing to accept the surrender of the pirates – they weren’t exactly about to stand in the way of the raging, bloodthirsty dwarf!


Back across the street the battle continued in the courtyard of the Administrator-General’s Manor!



The Colonial infantry charged in just in time to see Sir Pwent strike down three more of the guards and the governor attempting to make a hasty exit up the stairs.


Arna and the colonial infantry take the surrender of the surviving three.


Sir Pwent and Andiel subdue the post’s Administrator-General.

4 comments:

  1. Wow, that Agnar is a meat-grinder! Is he that powerful, or does he just roll well?

    Gordon

    ReplyDelete
  2. No, Agnar is a pretty nasty piece of work. We used the Fantasy Character Generator tool kit to make these characters. He STARTED the campaign with a d12 in fighting...!!! He's now a Veteran. Big Axe, Improved Frenzy, Improved Block... and vicious. Nothing can touch him, and everything he touches DIES!!! It's kind of hard to generate scenarios sometimes - trying to find that balence between something that will actually be a challenge to Agnar but not wipe out the rest of the group!?

    It didn't come without it's fair share of misery - on the Childhood Events table he rolled 97 - "Spawn of Evil - Your mother always said you had a wicked heart, and she was right. You have Bloodthirsty, Mean, Minor Greedy, Minor Vengeful. You can never be Heroic or Loyal. (If you have these, then they are lost)." He got a "Mean" hindrance again as part of his professional events, so we call him "Meaner" - the meanest dwarf that ever lived.... And, bless his heart, Andrej plays it all - which has caused the others in the group no end of grief....

    I think he got "Ugly" too, somewhere along the way. His total charisma is something like -10! People take an INSTANT dislike to him upon meeting him...

    If you're a Savage Worlds Fantasy Role-player at all, or want to give some Fantasy Showdown Wildcard/Character types some depth - try out the Fantasy Character Tool Kit - it's a Riot!! We had so much fun just rolling up the characters randomly....

    ReplyDelete
  3. Some elves with longbows, or a unit with rifles would do a lot of damage to Agnar, IIRC most of that party are close combat people.

    A nice clear open space and they could use the kaufman retrograde...

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is true... but again balance.... something to cause him trouble but not certain death to everyone nearby....

    ReplyDelete