A smoky bar, in a run down colonial town, somewhere in Africa. Inside, a grizzled soldier of fortune and a gentleman adventurer, both somewhat blood soaked and worse for wear, raise a glass of malt in a toast.
"He was brilliant."
"And a surprisingly good shot for an academic!"
"Yeah, God rest him, he died doing what he loved."
"Watching Surrey avoid the follow on after a heavy night drinking and dancing at the Ritz?"
"No, serving Queen and Country"
I was very kindly invited round to Graham (Sunjester's) G&T room for a game, and was delighted to find he had set up his Victoriana/Steam-Punk version of Sellswords and Spellslingers, a very fun game that his blog already has a write up on!
My gang, the Professor, a Soldier of (mis)Fortune, and something of a dandy adventurer. They had been tasked by a representative of HM Crown to recover a large, blue, glowing stone from a set of ruins that held 'interesting properties'.
The Prof was allowed a choice of four 'inventions' from the deck, two for me, and two for Graham. I looked long and hard, as Graham suggested that some would be more useful than others. I plumped for a bottle of Ms Liliane Pink's Restorative Tonic, as my Prof did not have healing whereas Graham's did, and a pair of motorised roller-skates (for that inevitable quick get-away).
For Graham I chose an automaton to follow and protect his Doctor, and a net gun.
I suspect Graham would have preferred something that went FLASH and BANG loudly, to scare away nasties.
Graham's beautiful table. A mighty jungle. In the top is the item we require, but the Evil Pasha and his cronies is also searching for it, and have reached there first, The table has several groups of Ottoman lackies and flunkies, as well as several irate Pygmy tribesmen, armed with potentially toxic blowpipes. Also lurking were two Dervish assassins, particularly nasty in close combat.
So welcome to the jungle!
The Pasha and associates searching the temple, guarded by two Dervishes.
A group of Ottoman snipers take shelter behind a ruin, while their sword armed comrades waits for orders.
On the right, another group of Ottomans, assisted by a blowpipe armed native, wait impatiently.
Graham's group enters, heading straight for the pillar blocking the path, which also conceals a native with a blowpipe.
Who is shortly dispatched by Graham's huntswoman.
My first activation, and two failed roll (you need 8+ to achieve a successful activation), I would see a lot of failure this night! Each failed activation produces a random result from a deck of cards, so you'll be seeing plenty of those...
My first failure attracted two gorillas, irate at the noise into the jungle.
The second moved a mob of Ottomans towards Graham.
My second character activates, and rolling 3 dice on 8+, fails two again...
This triggered an ambush, right on top of my Gentleman explorer!
Who was instantly offed with a short, sharp, sabre blow.
Thankfully, my Prof was a little luckier. (Don't worry, it won't be shaky photos of dice in every shot, just the first few turns as I explain the mechanics of the game to myself).
We saw a lot of this card early in the game, as it being a rather moist rainforest, conditions underfoot were atrocious.
Graham achieves a solid advance with his half of the party, and starts eyeing up the Ottomans that are approaching.
Whereas, I trigger another ambush, and have to drag back characters to take it down.
The Prof is wounded, but the soldier dispatched the ambushers with ease.
The next activation was even worse, three fails.
Graham shows how to do it properly. The dice hate us!
Another ambush springs out, wounding the huntress in Graham's half of the party.
While locals and Ottomans both close on my half of the party. We haven't even made the half way line yet!
A gentleman cannot leave a huntress in distress, rushing back to deal with the dastardly ottoman.
More natives arrive just next to the great apes. It's getting a bit busy round here.
But behind my part of the party, a giant and furious silverback arrives, obviously annoyed that we are in his territory. This caused my party to leg it towards the centre line quickly!
My soldier moves to get a clear shot on the assassin, hoping he does not close on us too quickly.
A veritable horde of natives, irate at our imperial bombast, appear on our baseline, right next to the gorilla!
Ohh, he's not happy about that! He goes on the charge!
STRIKE!
The assassin takes two wounds, but is still coming. As are more natives, and behind them, their boss, determined to make a point. A sharp point.
Everything on Graham's flank starts moving, except for the three Ottoman snipers hidden in the ruins.
The Dervish assassin moves, and the Gentleman, in sheer desperation, let's loose with his pistol, which promptly jams.
Graham's huntress unleashes a deadly fusillade into the approaching natives, downing two of them.
While another assassin leaps out at Graham's gentleman, causing a wound.
The gorilla has another go at the natives. Meanwhile another native appears behind him and gingerly walks past the ensuing carnage.
The Prof, unskilled in shooting, closes his eyes, summons the spirit of Eduado's sword, and lets loose with three shots at the Assassin. 'HELP! HELP! HELP!' Three successful activations. BANG! Bang! BANG! the final shot fells the assassin, and the other look at him in amazement.
One of the interesting event cards. Erm... yessss, not sure what to make of this when it boosts one of the natives hit points.
Down in the jungle, Graham's gentleman has upset the Ottoman snipers by getting too close who break cover and charge him.
Well, they didn't last long!
Oh COME ON! Just as I was getting somewhere, I fail three!
The gorilla takes out more of the locals. This is caused by an all monsters activate card, and the lone native sneaks past.
While the locals break cover near me, charging in towards the Prof.
While the remaining assassin, the great apes and natives all make a bee-line for Graham's chaps in the centre.
While the Pasha and assistants descend from the ruined temple, shaking the very earth with their feet.
The Prof downs one native, but it's not the big one.
Both the Soldier and the Gentleman rush back to assist, dealing with the great one. Who is that emerging from the bushes? Oh no, not another failure by the Prof sees him down to one wound. He desperately tries to open the bottle of Lilly The Pink's most efficacious medicine, but the child proof cap is beyond his great brain!
ANOTHER ambusher leaps out from ambush corner, and downs the Prof, who did not even get a chance to try out his skates!
What could have been...
One gorilla is stopped, but the other makes it in over the ruins towards Graham's team, followed by Ottomans and natives, it was all getting rather tense. Graham's Doctor tried to use his net launcher, but it fumbled!
The automation steps forwards to protect his master, flooring an ambushing Ottoman (really, they are everywhere)!
The local chief, determined to exact revenge for the slight caused upon him, charges in. The soldier of fortune stops him by explaining that the offside rule in Rugby Union is subtly different to that of Association Football, and this disarming conversation reduces his hit points by two (along with clubbing him over the head with a rifle butt, repeatedly, natural 20s in combat are great).
It was that effective. This was enough to finish off the chief.
The Pasha is a sneaky one, he had planted a cunning booby trap, a smoke gas bomb, which knocks everyone sideways, including the camera man.
The automaton plunges forwards, doing his best impression of the silverback bowling over natives, to save his master.
Ottoman reinforcements arrive, right next to the silverback. Morechallenges fun targets for the great ape.
The bodyguard of the Natives boss, upset by his demise, sprint towards the remaining members of the party, only to be gunned down by my irate remaining team members.
My gentleman hefts the Prof over his shoulder and heads towards Graham's Professor in the hope his healing skills will help.
It's moving so quickly that Graham's hand blurred in, especially as it started hammering down. Well, it is a rain forest!
I managed to get my Soldier up to the temple steps, and a shooting towards the Pasha and the lackies, but the rain obscured his aim.
Graham's Doctor took one look at the Professor and declared him dead. The characters rifle his pockets and help themselves to The Medicinal Compound, toasting the spirit of their departed friend..
Dumping the Prof, my Gentleman headed through the jungle towards the Assassin, gun blazing, removing a wound.
Joining the silverback, now wounded, are two inquisitive juveniles, barging aside the Ottoman troops.
And another native arrives, this corner is getting crowded. I guess we can stack vertically?
Just coz it looked cool. Careful where you stick that mate!
Anyway, back to the action, the hordes descend on Graham's position, threatening to swamp him. At least five natives and three Ottomans vs two brave chap (and a chapess, and an automaton).
In a vain attempt to delay, or even halt the Pasha and associates before they leave the game and cost us everything, my Soldier of Fortune barges in on a triple move, causing a wound to a loyal suspect. He moved so quickly that the Pasha did not even get to use one of his nasty gas bombs. My gentleman, after finishing off the Dervish Assassin, draws a bead on the Pasha, wondering if he can get a shot off from here.
Oh, and it suddenly stopped raining!
Graham brings forwards his scientist, who twiddles some knobs, makes some measurements and obviously has a plan. My gentleman is standing there thinking 'What in the name of the MCC selection board are you thinking?'
What he's thinking is that net launcher has the perfect diameter for this moment. He rolls a natural 20, a critical success! About time, things were going badly. We just needed to get someone over there to force their surrender before the wily Pasha and flunky break free. Time was of the essence.
The Pasha might be about to have the last laugh, as Graham's gentleman inadvertently sets off an enormous man trap! Strange, at least four characters had been through that patch before...
Another native arrives, well away from the action! He's not moving from there!
Graham's huntress, rushing to aid the gentlemen, is cut down by ANOTHER ambush, and it's the trapped gentleman that has to deal with the foe.
My Gentleman adventurer moves as quickly as he can to the net, hoping that he can swing things his way.
A native dives in on the Gentleman, stopping him from aiding the Huntress, she's bleeding out here. It's like an episode of ER!
My gentleman cocks his pistol to the Pasha's head. "Hand it over, and you'll live to see another day!"
Somehow, the British agents had grasped victory from the jaws of defeat! We got seriously lucky with Graham's net shot, and it all worked out in the end.
Apart from losing the Prof and the Huntress, and now we need to get out of here, there's an awful lots of baddies still out there, but that's another tale for another day!
Fantastic game, a huge pleasure to be invited round, and I look forwards to another day.
Maybe with better d20s...
"He was brilliant."
"And a surprisingly good shot for an academic!"
"Yeah, God rest him, he died doing what he loved."
"Watching Surrey avoid the follow on after a heavy night drinking and dancing at the Ritz?"
"No, serving Queen and Country"
I was very kindly invited round to Graham (Sunjester's) G&T room for a game, and was delighted to find he had set up his Victoriana/Steam-Punk version of Sellswords and Spellslingers, a very fun game that his blog already has a write up on!
My gang, the Professor, a Soldier of (mis)Fortune, and something of a dandy adventurer. They had been tasked by a representative of HM Crown to recover a large, blue, glowing stone from a set of ruins that held 'interesting properties'.
The Prof was allowed a choice of four 'inventions' from the deck, two for me, and two for Graham. I looked long and hard, as Graham suggested that some would be more useful than others. I plumped for a bottle of Ms Liliane Pink's Restorative Tonic, as my Prof did not have healing whereas Graham's did, and a pair of motorised roller-skates (for that inevitable quick get-away).
For Graham I chose an automaton to follow and protect his Doctor, and a net gun.
I suspect Graham would have preferred something that went FLASH and BANG loudly, to scare away nasties.
Graham's beautiful table. A mighty jungle. In the top is the item we require, but the Evil Pasha and his cronies is also searching for it, and have reached there first, The table has several groups of Ottoman lackies and flunkies, as well as several irate Pygmy tribesmen, armed with potentially toxic blowpipes. Also lurking were two Dervish assassins, particularly nasty in close combat.
The Pasha and associates searching the temple, guarded by two Dervishes.
A group of Ottoman snipers take shelter behind a ruin, while their sword armed comrades waits for orders.
On the right, another group of Ottomans, assisted by a blowpipe armed native, wait impatiently.
Graham's group enters, heading straight for the pillar blocking the path, which also conceals a native with a blowpipe.
Who is shortly dispatched by Graham's huntswoman.
My first activation, and two failed roll (you need 8+ to achieve a successful activation), I would see a lot of failure this night! Each failed activation produces a random result from a deck of cards, so you'll be seeing plenty of those...
My first failure attracted two gorillas, irate at the noise into the jungle.
The second moved a mob of Ottomans towards Graham.
My second character activates, and rolling 3 dice on 8+, fails two again...
This triggered an ambush, right on top of my Gentleman explorer!
Who was instantly offed with a short, sharp, sabre blow.
Thankfully, my Prof was a little luckier. (Don't worry, it won't be shaky photos of dice in every shot, just the first few turns as I explain the mechanics of the game to myself).
We saw a lot of this card early in the game, as it being a rather moist rainforest, conditions underfoot were atrocious.
Graham achieves a solid advance with his half of the party, and starts eyeing up the Ottomans that are approaching.
Whereas, I trigger another ambush, and have to drag back characters to take it down.
The Prof is wounded, but the soldier dispatched the ambushers with ease.
The next activation was even worse, three fails.
Graham shows how to do it properly. The dice hate us!
Which causes the game objective to be found, and as Pasha twiddles his moustache, his minion cackles with delight at the ease of this mission.
Another ambush springs out, wounding the huntress in Graham's half of the party.
While locals and Ottomans both close on my half of the party. We haven't even made the half way line yet!
A gentleman cannot leave a huntress in distress, rushing back to deal with the dastardly ottoman.
More natives arrive just next to the great apes. It's getting a bit busy round here.
But behind my part of the party, a giant and furious silverback arrives, obviously annoyed that we are in his territory. This caused my party to leg it towards the centre line quickly!
My soldier moves to get a clear shot on the assassin, hoping he does not close on us too quickly.
A veritable horde of natives, irate at our imperial bombast, appear on our baseline, right next to the gorilla!
Ohh, he's not happy about that! He goes on the charge!
STRIKE!
The assassin takes two wounds, but is still coming. As are more natives, and behind them, their boss, determined to make a point. A sharp point.
Everything on Graham's flank starts moving, except for the three Ottoman snipers hidden in the ruins.
The Dervish assassin moves, and the Gentleman, in sheer desperation, let's loose with his pistol, which promptly jams.
Graham's huntress unleashes a deadly fusillade into the approaching natives, downing two of them.
While another assassin leaps out at Graham's gentleman, causing a wound.
The gorilla has another go at the natives. Meanwhile another native appears behind him and gingerly walks past the ensuing carnage.
The Prof, unskilled in shooting, closes his eyes, summons the spirit of Eduado's sword, and lets loose with three shots at the Assassin. 'HELP! HELP! HELP!' Three successful activations. BANG! Bang! BANG! the final shot fells the assassin, and the other look at him in amazement.
One of the interesting event cards. Erm... yessss, not sure what to make of this when it boosts one of the natives hit points.
Down in the jungle, Graham's gentleman has upset the Ottoman snipers by getting too close who break cover and charge him.
Well, they didn't last long!
Oh COME ON! Just as I was getting somewhere, I fail three!
The gorilla takes out more of the locals. This is caused by an all monsters activate card, and the lone native sneaks past.
While the locals break cover near me, charging in towards the Prof.
While the remaining assassin, the great apes and natives all make a bee-line for Graham's chaps in the centre.
While the Pasha and assistants descend from the ruined temple, shaking the very earth with their feet.
The Prof downs one native, but it's not the big one.
Both the Soldier and the Gentleman rush back to assist, dealing with the great one. Who is that emerging from the bushes? Oh no, not another failure by the Prof sees him down to one wound. He desperately tries to open the bottle of Lilly The Pink's most efficacious medicine, but the child proof cap is beyond his great brain!
ANOTHER ambusher leaps out from ambush corner, and downs the Prof, who did not even get a chance to try out his skates!
What could have been...
One gorilla is stopped, but the other makes it in over the ruins towards Graham's team, followed by Ottomans and natives, it was all getting rather tense. Graham's Doctor tried to use his net launcher, but it fumbled!
The automation steps forwards to protect his master, flooring an ambushing Ottoman (really, they are everywhere)!
The local chief, determined to exact revenge for the slight caused upon him, charges in. The soldier of fortune stops him by explaining that the offside rule in Rugby Union is subtly different to that of Association Football, and this disarming conversation reduces his hit points by two (along with clubbing him over the head with a rifle butt, repeatedly, natural 20s in combat are great).
It was that effective. This was enough to finish off the chief.
The Pasha is a sneaky one, he had planted a cunning booby trap, a smoke gas bomb, which knocks everyone sideways, including the camera man.
The automaton plunges forwards, doing his best impression of the silverback bowling over natives, to save his master.
Ottoman reinforcements arrive, right next to the silverback. More
The bodyguard of the Natives boss, upset by his demise, sprint towards the remaining members of the party, only to be gunned down by my irate remaining team members.
My gentleman hefts the Prof over his shoulder and heads towards Graham's Professor in the hope his healing skills will help.
It's moving so quickly that Graham's hand blurred in, especially as it started hammering down. Well, it is a rain forest!
I managed to get my Soldier up to the temple steps, and a shooting towards the Pasha and the lackies, but the rain obscured his aim.
Graham's Doctor took one look at the Professor and declared him dead. The characters rifle his pockets and help themselves to The Medicinal Compound, toasting the spirit of their departed friend..
Dumping the Prof, my Gentleman headed through the jungle towards the Assassin, gun blazing, removing a wound.
Joining the silverback, now wounded, are two inquisitive juveniles, barging aside the Ottoman troops.
And another native arrives, this corner is getting crowded. I guess we can stack vertically?
Just coz it looked cool. Careful where you stick that mate!
Anyway, back to the action, the hordes descend on Graham's position, threatening to swamp him. At least five natives and three Ottomans vs two brave chap (and a chapess, and an automaton).
In a vain attempt to delay, or even halt the Pasha and associates before they leave the game and cost us everything, my Soldier of Fortune barges in on a triple move, causing a wound to a loyal suspect. He moved so quickly that the Pasha did not even get to use one of his nasty gas bombs. My gentleman, after finishing off the Dervish Assassin, draws a bead on the Pasha, wondering if he can get a shot off from here.
Oh, and it suddenly stopped raining!
Graham brings forwards his scientist, who twiddles some knobs, makes some measurements and obviously has a plan. My gentleman is standing there thinking 'What in the name of the MCC selection board are you thinking?'
What he's thinking is that net launcher has the perfect diameter for this moment. He rolls a natural 20, a critical success! About time, things were going badly. We just needed to get someone over there to force their surrender before the wily Pasha and flunky break free. Time was of the essence.
The Pasha might be about to have the last laugh, as Graham's gentleman inadvertently sets off an enormous man trap! Strange, at least four characters had been through that patch before...
Another native arrives, well away from the action! He's not moving from there!
Graham's huntress, rushing to aid the gentlemen, is cut down by ANOTHER ambush, and it's the trapped gentleman that has to deal with the foe.
My Gentleman adventurer moves as quickly as he can to the net, hoping that he can swing things his way.
A native dives in on the Gentleman, stopping him from aiding the Huntress, she's bleeding out here. It's like an episode of ER!
My gentleman cocks his pistol to the Pasha's head. "Hand it over, and you'll live to see another day!"
Somehow, the British agents had grasped victory from the jaws of defeat! We got seriously lucky with Graham's net shot, and it all worked out in the end.
Apart from losing the Prof and the Huntress, and now we need to get out of here, there's an awful lots of baddies still out there, but that's another tale for another day!
Fantastic game, a huge pleasure to be invited round, and I look forwards to another day.
Maybe with better d20s...
Excellent write up Will!
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