Other Dust solo - Part X : Ghouls

Sandra and Ewa keep getting too far ahead of the two over-burdened farmers, and are constantly stopping and waiting for them to catch up. Sandra can barely contain her irritation, and even Ewa is showing signs of annoyance.

"This is getting really rather old," huffs Sandra as the two farmers lumber up to them.

"If you guys can't k--"

Ewa doesn't finish her reproach, but suddenly raises her rifle and points off inland, at the high grass. Sandra changes her grip on her monoblade and calls out, "Who's there?"

[the journey back will be handled by a Waylay (BOLD): 2d10=easy foes

% of way back? d%=35

1d6=4 ghouls (AC 6, Move 20, HD 2, Atk 2 claws at +2, 1d6+poison*, Skill +2, Save 14+, ML 9, special: -2 to all rolls in strong light)
   *A ghoul's poison is quick and nasty, soon turning the afflicted into a shivering mess. It can be fatal in 36 hours: Toxicity 8, Virulence 3, Interval 12 hours, With each failed save the sufferer gains first the Feverish, Shaking, then Delirious negative conditions, and dies if a fourth save is failed (see rulebook p.44).

Surprise: the party's Perception  vs. the ghouls' Stealth: 2d6-1=9 vs. 2d6+2-2=6, no surprise; encounter range = 30m]

The four crouched shapes are barely visible, but the moving grass gives them away. They begin to spread out as they advance toward those who have strayed into their hunting grounds. They stay low in the grass [soft cover, -2 to be hit] but as they get closer their shapes are unmistakable. "Ghouls!" gasps Nev.

The ghouls are feral, humanoid mutants who will eat any meat or carrion, but seem to take a special delight in hunting down humans. They have slimy, mottled green skin and are completely hairless. Their eyes are so small as to give the impression that they haven't any; their face is mostly given over to their grinning, fanged jaw. Ghouls are not thought to have intelligence, but do possess a predatory cunning.

[Round 1 : initiative E6 S7 ghouls 8,7,4,1, Mo 8, Nev 7]
Mo and Nev start backing up, more afraid of turning their backs on the ghouls than they are walking backwards towards the cliff. The ghouls all advance [20m] to within pouncing distance, keeping low in the grass. Ewa squeezes off a shot at one of the advancing monsters, and is pretty sure her aim was off -- that, or they don't feel pain [she did, in fact, miss].

[Round 2]
One of the ghouls leaps onto the path and straight at Ewa, and a second at Sandra. Sandra fends off its attack with her blade [they both miss], but Ewa is too slow in bringing her rifle about. A single claw leaves a bloody tear in the side of her neck, and she can feel the poison burning like acetone in the wound [1 damage puts her at 5hp]. The ghoul tries to grab her rifle, but she twists it in its grasp and fires, blowing a hole right through its torso. It falls back into the dirt, twitching [2HD damage kills it]. A second ghoul attacks [1-2 Ewa, 3-4 Sandra, 5 Mo 6 Nev] Ewa whilst she's distracted, raking claws down her arm [2 hits, 0 & 2 damage leaves her with 3hp]. The last ghoul pounces on Mo, and nearly disembowels the hapless mutant, who collapses in the long grass. [For suffering their first loss, the NPCs in the party must check Morale: 2d6=4, they fight on.]

[Round 3]
Sandra swings her monoblade in a fierce arc, decapitating her opponent. The ghoul's headless trunk falls back, spurting a fountain of greenish ichor [4HD damage kills it twice over]. Ewa turns her rifle on the remaining ghoul facing her, and fires a round into its chest [2HD damage], killing the monster. The last ghoul turns to leap at Sandra. It's already gory claws rake down her back, but do not take her out of the fight [2 hits for 1HD each puts her at 4HD].

[Round 4]
Ewa shoulders the rifle and readies her crowbar as Sandra and the ghoul feint back and forth. Sandra's blade draws a long, frothing cut across its torso [1 damage drops it to 1HD], whilst its claws barely break her skin [1 hit for 0 damage].

[Round 5]
Ewa swings her crowbar, but the ghoul hops backwards out of the way. Sandra rushes forward and skewers it, and it slide off the end of her sword, expiring messily.

[Both Ewa and Sandra need to make Physical saving throws against the ghouls' toxin: E 18, ok; S 9, fail.]

Ewa runs to the fallen Mo, and finding him not past all hope, slaps a stim patch on him. He jerks back to the land of the living, then he and Ewa set about binding their wounds [Ewa regains 2hp, Mo 1HD, but he fails his Physical save against the ghoul toxin]. Sandra merely crosses her arms and glares at Nev.

"Can we still make it there before dark," asks Nev, "or should we turn back?"

"Drop some of your gear and we'll make it," says Ewa.

"But..."

"I'm not getting caught after dark with only five bullets left!"

[friendly NPC reaction=5, Bribeable]

"But this is all we own!"

"A bunch of weapons you didn't even use," growls Sandra.

"We're farmers, not warriors."

"OK, how's this for a deal?" says Ewa, "Drop the gear, and I won't tell you stole it. I'll even help retrieve it later."

[Q: Acceptable? 50/50 (4+): O4 C6 - yes]

Nev and Mo find some bushes off the path a ways to stash the bulk of their haul, then they all continue apace to the Coast Guardian Station. The Guardians usher them into a small and sterile meeting room, where the Commander soon joins them, eager to hear their report. After an hour's cross-examination (which seems to Ewa to last five times that long), the Commander finally makes a pronouncement: "We must find out where they are coming from, and put an end to this menace."

"I'd say you need to draw them out again," says Ewa. "Send a detachment to the lighthouse to wait, and have a lone tracker follow them to their lair. That's what I'd do, anyways."

"So good of you to volunteer!"

"Volun-- wait, I didn't mean... Shit. OK. But I really need some ammo off you lot this time...."

[friendly NPC react=8, Quick consent]

"Absolutely," smiles the Commander. "I can't have my scout disappearing before we've had our intel. And if you survive, I'll even let you keep the ammunition as a token of my esteem."

[Q: Will the Commander send additional troops? 50/50 (4+): O1 C3 - No, but... he requisitions more backup from the Castle
Q: Is there another NPC wanderer amongst them? 50/50: o6 C7 - yes. 1d2=catgirl
Q: Can/will Niamh heal Sandra's illness with her mutation? 50/50: O1 C8 - No.]

Ewa, Sandra, Nev, and Mo are given cots to sleep on in the mess hall; the coast Guardians are not used to entertaining visitors. An armed guard watches over them, to make sure they don't stray through the installation -- or eat all the stores. In the morning, Sandra and Mo have succumbed to the ghouls' toxin, and are sweating and shaking with fever. Ewa says a silent prayer of thanksgiving to the Archangel Wojtyla for sparing her from this grisly fate.

Three more 'volunteers' arrive from castle, Niamh the catgirl and two locals in scrap plate armour. Niamh is saddened to see Sandra laid low by the poison, and doubly so since her powers of healing are ineffective against the toxin.

The little band are sent out almost immediately, with Ewa leading the way.


Scene 17

Chaos: Out of Control (d8)

Setup: find ghouls' lair

NPC List: -

Threads: the Quest, mission

[The journey is once again handled by 1 encounter check (d6=4, no encounter), and 1 BOLD waylay: knowledge - occult - grim]

"So," says Ewa to one of the taciturn locals, practically yelling to be heard over the wind, "where's this 'entrance to hell' then?"

"Gimme them binoculars of yours when we get to the top of this hill. I'll show it you."

Ewa hands them over, and the young [d6=] man scans the cliffs ahead. "There!" he says, pointing. "That old brickwork structure. Gives me a fright just looking at it. Take a good look all you want, this is as close as we're getting."

Ewa peers at it for a time. It's a small, regular structure like the foundation of an old building, nothing more. She certainly doesn't shudder with superstitious dread like the local did when he first spied it. Ewa hands the binoculars to Niamh for a look. The catgirl shrugs.

"I really want to scout it out," says Ewa. "Maybe it's called the entrance to hell because the monsters live there. Please tell me I'm not the only one who's thought of that? Anyone else coming?"

The two locals shake their heads in furious refusal.

"Fine," says Ewa. "Be that way."

"I'd go too, but I think I'd best stay with these two," says Niamh. "Keep an eye on things back here."

Ewa clambers down the path, pausing often to look back. Somehow the catgirl watching through her binoculars makes her feel slightly less alone. For as much as she saw nothing untoward about the structure, the closer she get to it, the more she finds her mind straying back to the pictures of hell in that old book the vicar had, with the demonic mutants devouring the naked people and the atomic fires and giant skeleton floating above it all, and she wonders if she, too, is a miserable sinner, and hell is waiting to gobble her up, and she'll burn in the radioactive flames and be gnawed upon for an eternity until the horn section plays for the last judgement. Maybe, she muses, she shouldn't have been so shitty to Junemay after all.

She makes a quick circuit of the structure to reconnoitre, and instead of the jaws of a hideous dragon, finds merely a green sheet metal door at the bottom of a short concrete staircase. So probably not a hellmouth.

[She needs to roll Wisdom/Perception 8+ : 10-1,success]

The door is slightly ajar. Moreover, there is an obvious track over the dirty concrete, as if many people have been back and forth, and quite recently.

All is darkness beyond, though when Ewa's eyes adjust she sees light emanating from a door at the far end of the downward-sloping entrance corridor, a few dozen metres distant. Ewa props the outside door open with a stone for a little more light, and creeps inside a few paces.

[Q: What does she find? Trick / Technology :  a trap...

I rolled one from a random Mutant Future adventure map key (generated via http://wizardawn.and-mag.com/tool_hexcrawl.php):

BUILDING TRAP: A bomb explodes that causes 1d10x2 damage to all of those close to the central spot of the area. They only take half damage if they save for energy attacks.

Wis/Perception 10+ to notice the IR "tripwire", 2d6-1=fail. She also fails her saving throw. 2d10= 1,4; 1hp damage only.]

Ewa has only gone a few metres down the long concrete corridor when she blunders through an infrared beam. Breaking the beam sets off an ancient plasma mine which has been affixed to the wall. The blast fills the corridor before her, but Ewa is fortunately spared the worst of it. The pressure knocks her back a few steps, and she steadies herself against the wall for a moment.

But then she snaps into a defensive stance, as her acute senses pick up an undercurrent of impending danger. Moments later she can hear claws clicking against the concrete floor, as [1d6=] three ghouls come scuttling out of the darkness towards her.

[Initiative: Ewa 5; ghouls 1,1,4]

Ewa fires a short burst from her combat rifle [13+1+2+6=hit; 4+2=6 damage, killed]. The bullets tear through the lead ghoul, but [Morale 2d6=7, fight] its companions continue right over the gore bespattered corpse.

The first one leaps right at Ewa, reaching out with a sinewy arm to drag its claws across her shin [one claw hits for 1d6=2, 1hp damage. She saves against the toxin]. The other ghoul cannot reach her in the narrow corridor.

[Round 2]
Ewa fires another burst as she retreats slowly towards the gleaming daylight. The lead ghoul drops. [4hd damage kills it. Morale 2d6=10, fail]. The other ghoul scurries back into the darkness.

Ewa runs 30 metres from the structure, then hurriedly bandages her wound. Luckily it isn't deep and, more luckily still, she doesn't feel the sting of poison. She goes back to rejoin the others, pausing often to cast a nervous glance back at the entrance to hell, even though her danger sense assures her no ghouls are following behind.

"They're in there," Ewa says. "They set a trap... they're smarter than they look."

"We should go back and report," says the local.

"Are you ok?" asks Niamh. "Your leg..."

"I'll live," says Ewa. "But our friend's right: we ought to go back and report."

[Q: Do they make it back without incident? Likely (3+): O5 C8 - Yes
Q: Is the mission at an end? 50/50 (4+): O2 C3 - No, but... just one more task.


But first...

XP:

So, at some point around scene 16, I realised I hadn't been doing anything about awarding XP. The Scarlet Heroes XP system is too deterministic for my tastes, but the Other Dust one doesn't quite jive with my playing style, either.  I'll be using it as a baseline in lieu of a better idea, since the combat & treasure model of most OSR games is an even worse fit for this campaign.

I am perfectly happy to give Ewa 1000xp for her adventure to Hastings (counting it a as single "session", even though it took two to play through). From her first meeting with Tansy & Shelly to her arrival at Dover -- essentially a wilderness adventure though punctuated by a couple enclave visits -- 1000xp seems a bit high.

She should probably have earned 2000xp total by the end of this scene... but I hadn't come to any real decisions about it yet. As I am writing this now, I've actually played 2 more scenes, which include some fairly momentous events. I should probably give her 2nd level retroactively between scenes 17 & 18; she hasn't had time to train any skills yet, and the extra hit points are a non-issue since (spoiler!) she doesn't die.

But it speaks well for the game that I played this far without even caring if my PC was advancing or not. If only I had gotten my notes typed up nicely before now...]

Other Dust solo - Part IX : To the Lighthouse

Scene 16

Chaos: Out of Control (d8)

Setup: station mission

NPC List: Sandra, Niamh, Krish

Threads: the Quest, mission

The next day, Ewa and Sandra are let out and their equipment (minus food) is returned. A warband leads them on a 45 minute trek up dusty old roads to a flat, paved area with a ruined building, not far from the edge of the white chalk cliffs. Past the building is an ancient wooden fence. "This is where we leave you," states the war leader. "Go through the stile and follow the path along the cliff top until you get to the installation. You can't miss their tower."

Once Sandra and Ewa have passed through the gate-- "Close it behind you!" shouts the war leader, pointing to the corroded, ancient sign. "Can't you lot read?"

Once Sandra and Ewa have passed through the gate and closed it behind them, they set off down the path. The war party hastens back to the safety of their castle.

After about half an hour of muddy, overgrown paths, they spot the tower, a tall, metal structure with a revolving radar dish on top. As they draw nearer to it, they come upon a herd of horses grazing on the hillside.

A unit of guards comes down the hill towards them. They are all clad in light blue, Old Terran armoured jumpsuits [equal to Harmony Armour, AC4] emblazoned with an ancient device on the chest, and carry laser weapons. The in-built helmets and large, red goggles give them a uniformly anonymous look.

"Surrender your weapons and come with us."

Ewa and Sandra have no choice but to comply with the command, but Ewa can swear she sees Sandra roll her eyes at the pronouncement. They are led under heavy guard up the hill to the installation, which presents an awesome sight to the eyes of the two wastelanders; the tower ever turns, lights blink and flash, and machinery hums. They see no signs of damage to the small complex's structure, ancient or otherwise.

"What is this place?" asks Ewa.

"It is Her Majesty's Coast Guard Station. And we are the Coast Guardians. Now wait here whilst I fetch the Officer on Watch."

The guardian disappears into a door in the side of the complex. Ewa and Sandra both crane their necks to snatch a brief glimpse inside the structure to know what wonders it may contain, but all they can really see is an exceptionally clean corridor.

The Officer comes out, wearing a similar uniform distinguished only by a braided epaulette. He wastes no time in getting down to the briefing.

"There is an ancient lighthouse a ways down the cliff top. It is used as a guard tower for the small farming enclave nearby, as it overlooks their fields. They are a part of our protectorate here. We lost radio contact with them three days ago, so we need to send out a party to see if there is a real problem. There are bands of savage, cannibalistic mutants that live in the hills round here, and we've seen an increase in attacks lately. We fear that this may be part of the problem. Can either of you operate a radio?"

"I can probably figure it out," says Ewa. [Int/Postech skill total of +1]

"Good. Get it working if you can and make your report post haste. If not, come back in person. But don't travel after dark, whatever you do. And mind the perimeter fence around the lighthouse grounds. It should be electrified."

"I, uh, noticed you have a lot of gear," says Ewa. "I don't suppose you got any ammo I could have for my combat rifle?"

[SH, Friendly NPC reaction roll=6, Persuadable

Charisma/Persuasion (-1), need 7+: 7-1, failure.]

"Ammunition is in short supply, so we can't spare any. This is a reconnaissance mission, not a combat operation, so if you do your job right you won't need it. If the place is crawling with mutants, we don't expect you to go in -- just bring back an assessment of their numbers and situation."

"Right..."

"And this isn't a salvage mission. Don't stray, and don't go poking around anywhere you come across on the way. Avoid the old tunnels at Fan Bay... they lead straight down into hell."

"We'll do that, boss," says Sandra. "But you want to tell us why they sent us from the castle and didn't come themselves?"

"Because they're ruddy cowards, is why! Anyone at the castle who proves their mettle gets taken up here for training when the call comes. Only the select few have what it takes to keep this station running. We have a job to do here. It is our sacred duty." [scheming - negotiation - knowledge]

"What job is that?" asks Ewa.

"None as need concern you, outsider."

Their weapons are returned, and they are on their way.

[The journey is handled by 1 encounter check (d6=6, no encounter), and 1 BOLD waylay: party - misunderstanding - proficient]

The dirt path continues in a meandering fashion along the cliff top. There are occasional branches, but only one obvious direction of travel. The fierce wind makes progress slower than expected. Some of the bushes are bent double under its force; in fact, they appear to have grown that way.

"So," screams Sandra to be heard above the wind, "you're good with technology, I take it?" [the waylay]

"Not really," yells Ewa in reply. "I just learnt a bit about postech when I used to go scavenging."

"So you, like, couldn't help us out getting into an installation...?"

"A what?"

"An installation!"

"That really depends on what's keeping you out."

The footpath winds ever along the top of the cliff. Ewa and Sandra are careful not to get to close to the cliff edge. One good gust could send them over and into the rocky sea. After a while, the white tower of the lighthouse can be seen in the distance. Ewa and Sandra pause to look at it through Ewa's binoculars, but there is no movement, and nothing to see.

"I don't like it..." mumbles Sandra.

"If it looks bad, we can go back," says Ewa. "They said so."

[Q: Any obvious exterior signs? 50/50: O5 C3 - Yes, but...
Wisdom/Perception roll (7+): 3-1, fail]

"You see anything?"

"No. You?"

"Nothing -- and that's what worries me."

"We'll keep our eyes open then," says Ewa, "and make sure we don't miss anything."

They continue on their way, weapons held ready. They hear nothing but the roaring wind, and see no one in hills and waving fields of grass. Save for the lighthouse visible in the distance, they could be all alone in the world. At one point Ewa feels something crunch beneath her foot, but assumes it's just a branch; had she bothered to look, she would have seen that she'd just trod upon a human jawbone, with shreds of meat still attached [the failed Perception roll from above].

The perimeter fence encloses a wide area round the old lighthouse. Ewa and Sandra leave the path and clamber through the high grass to approach it. Sandra seems inordinately concerned that something is lurking in the clumps of large shrubbery situated here and there in the fields, but Ewa tells her she's just being paranoid; if there were danger about she'd know.

[Q: Is the fence still electrified? 50/50: O4 C8 - Yes.
Ewa needs to roll 8+ on Int/Postech to defeat the fence: 11+2=success]

Ewa plucks a long, green stalk and tests the electric fence. "It's still live," she says.

"Better be careful how we get in," says Sandra.

Ewa ignores the repeated admonition and starts rummaging through her gear for some tools and wires, and less than a minute later has rendered a section of the fence inoperative. Sandra looks on as she works, but doesn't let herself trust in Ewa's handiwork until Ewa has climbed the fence and leapt over onto the other side. Sandra follows quickly after.

[Q: Are there survivors inside? Unlikely (5+): O5 C6 - Yes. 1d6=3 survivors
stats as Enclave Dweller, each 50/50 M/F, 20% mutant as usual.
Q: Are the party spotted by a lookout? Unknown d6=3+: O1 C1 - No, and... the lookout is either dead or unconscious: needs to make a save or die of wounds/toxins... d20=failure.
+Event: NPC action - Procrastinate / Travel]

They walk once round the building, but see nothing out of the ordinary, save that the structure seems to have been well-maintained: a true rarity. There are a few shutters missing, and the ground floor windows have all been boarded up from within, but there is nothing unusual about either of these findings. Ewa tries the front door carefully, but it doesn't budge. She shrugs, then knocks loudly. "Hey! Anyone in there? We were send by the coast guardians to check up on you! Hello?"

[Reaction roll (SH NPC Stranger): 2d6=6, Qualified refusal]

"Who are you?" comes a hesitant voice through the door.

"We're travellers... conscripted to come check things out."

"How do I you're not raiders?"

"The coast guardian officer sent us. Said you've not contacted them on radio."

[new reaction roll=11, Helpful consent]

"OK. Guess you aren't raiders then if you know the radio's out. Go over to the tower. We'll lower a rope and you can climb up. Take too long to unbarricade the door."

The promised rope is thrown from the first floor window, and our heroines climb inside. They are greeted by a pair of men: a null-strain human of English descent and a mutant with mauve skin and a tree-trunk like head.

"It's just us who's left," says the human. "Matty up in the lookout tower didn't make it."

The mutant just looks dejectedly at the floor.

"Who're you, then?" continues the human.

"I'm Ewa. This is Sandra. We're not from round here."

"I'm Nev. Me purple friend's called Mo."

"What happened here?" says Sandra nervously.

"Our farm enclave nearby was overrun by ghouls. Usually only attack stragglers at night, but this time 'twas a whole wave of them. Fought our way here but they got in. We hid up the tower. In the morning, they were gone. Took all the bodies too. Place was well smashed up. Got the fence back online, but the radio's had it. Seen a few ghouls walking by day, checking us out maybe. But we boarded it up and they haven't broken back in. Been too afraid to go for help..."

"How many farmers were there?" asks Ewa.

"Not many. Maybe 50. Just enough to work the fields and send food to the Coast Guardians -- both here at the lighthouse and at their main facility. Sometimes they let us borrow their horses, and--"

"Ok. Great," says Sandra. "Will you come back with us?"

"To their base?"

"Yeah.  They'll want to hear your report."

"Sure we will. But we need to collect our things first." [the Event from above]

....

Nev and Mo clamber down the steps to the main building. Ewa sits back against a wall and closes her eyes, hoping to catch a little rest. Sandra looks out the window, scanning the countryside with a pair of binoculars.

About 45 minutes later, they hear heavy, plodding footsteps coming up the stairs. Nev and Mo appear half a minute later, panting and sweating beneath the heaps of gear each has collected. Ewa can barely suppress a laugh.

"Ummmm..." begins Sandra.

"We should still have time to get back," says Nev.

"With all that stuff? You're having a laugh! You can come back for it when this is settled. You'll slow us down."

The ensuing argument lasts almost 20 minutes. Ewa closes her eyes again and does her best to ignore it. In the end, Sandra cajoles them into leaving half their load behind -- though they can still barely walk at a normal pace [3/4 movement rate]. Ewa climbs halfway up the lighthouse and looks out the window, scanning the countryside with her binoculars. She can see no creatures moving about, though the wind blowing the long grass makes signs of movement rather more difficult to detect than she'd like.

Arms at the ready, they set out across the cliffs.

Other Dust solo - Part VII : Back into the Wastelands

The heat of summer always makes me dig out my post apacalyptic games. So, after a long gap, it's time for more of Ewa's adventures in Other Dust. The game picks up as Ewa bids goodby to Tansy, Shelley, and the podborn mutants, and heads east from their enclave in hex 2.

(The campaign began here. The last post was here.)

Toolkit:

• Other Dust for the rules
• Mythic GME with my MCSV for the oracle
• UNE & BOLD for NPCs and events
• possibly Gamma World (2nd & 4th ed.) and Mutant Future for extra salvage and monsters
• Wizardawn for some random post-apocalyptic generators
• Google maps since this is set in the future of planet Earth
• Heromachine for N/PC portraits
• Scarlet Heroes

Scene 15

Chaos: Out of Control (d8)

Setup: back into the wastes

Threads: the Quest

[Back to the SH Wilderness Adventure tables. I reset the die thresholds for Events and Features since she stayed so long with the mutants.]

Day 1

[back to hex 1, no encounters/features/events]


Day 2

[travel to hex 3.
Feature = ethnic enclave

Random enclave--
Size: average, ~400adults
Government: technocratic
Core: small town (Robertsbridge)
TL 1
Tags: secret masters, trade hub
Complication: rival enclave seeks their ruin]

Ewa travels north east for a day. She finds a small hollow in a grove to sleep in, and the night is so warm she doesn't even need the blankets the friendly mutants sent her off with. The next day she heads off again, this time without travelling back in a circle. By early afternoon she comes upon a town with signs of life.

The town was obviously bigger before the collapse. Now a tall brick perimeter wall has been erected around the new town. An old sign from the times before is hung above the gate, but Ewa can't quite sound out the name upon it.

A pair of guards in metal armour watch over the gate. They lower their poleaxes to for a barrier as Ewa walks up to them. [Reaction=5]

"Who are you, stranger?"

"Just a traveller passing through," says Ewa.

"Uh-huh. Where from?"

"The south coast." [Wis/Perception 8+ to detect leading questions: 8-1=7...]

"South coast is pretty big," sneers the guard.

"I used to live in Eastbourne. You know it? No, can't blame you. Then I left, and I ended up staying with some podborn mutants, helping them get on their feet a little. But now I'm back travelling."

"Yeah, alright. You got summat to trade?"

"I might do. I could use some supplies."

"You can enter. But be on good behaviour! No fighting in the streets. We got a peaceful town here."

Ewa wanders round the town to have a look at the market, which is mostly an agglomeration of stalls in the village square.

[She's not planning on having a full blown Scarlet Heroes Urban Adventure, so I just grabbed the Midkemia press Cities book for random encounters; post-apocalyptic towns are close enough to fantasy ones that it works ok.

Town encounter result: d4=1 beggar/thief/urchin bumps into and tries to rob the character
d6=f, d10=null strain human, 2d4x5=~30years old

random possession=water ration

The thief's Dex/Profession:thief vs. Ewa's Wis/Perception: 3+1 vs. 10-1.]

Ewa is having trouble finding both someone with ammunition to trade and someone who might have a use for power cells. She gets distracted looking at a food stall, when she feels a sudden shiver go up her spine. She looks quickly round to see a woman trying to take the canteen off the back of her pack.

"Oi! let go of that!"

[Q: Do they get away with something? Unlikely (5+): O3 C4 - No, but... they struggle

Str vs. Str. The thief has 3d6=14 str also; contest rolls are 8 vs. 7]

Caught out or not, the woman does not intend to let go. Ewa just barely prises her fingers off the canteen. "Try that again and you'll be spitting teeth," she growls.

[reaction roll - Unfriendly NPC: 2d6=10, Qualified consent]

The thief backs away slowly, then runs off into the crowd.

[Q: Does the commotion draw any attention? 50/50 (4+): O5 C8 - yes.

UNE--
NPC Relationship: hostile
insane - confusion - the character]

An angry man comes out from behind his stall. "Damn thieves, always trying to get things that don't belong to 'em. They're the real threat to this town, if you ask me. Are you hurt? No, didn't think so. Maybe if you weren't walking round like a whole damn shop yerself these things wouldn't happen. I don't know who's worse, you lot with your salvage or them damn thieves or them damn raiders. At least the raiders is honest! And how do I know you aren't the criminal here, with your guns and your blue face... Why, when I was younger..."

Ewa backs away slowly, then runs off into the crowd.

[Q: Can find someone willing to trade for a power cell? Unlikely (5+): O3 C7 - No

One more Cities encounter: local character. This one is suppose to be defined by the GM, as all towns are different. I decided to roll randomly amongst the enclave Tags to see who it is--
50/50 for either Tag: trade hub
50/50 for Friend or Enemy: Friend
1d4 to determine which of the 4 options: Naive tribal

UNE--
NPC Relationship: peaceful
Conversation Mood: forthcoming
prejudiced - bias - equipment]

Ewa finds a long street lined with stalls that leads out of the square. Perhaps, she thinks, she'll have better luck there. As she's looking, she hears a voice call out behind her.

"Wow, you certainly got a lot of fancy kit!"

Ewa tenses, and then turns slowly about. She is disheartened to find that her interlocutor is exactly as she'd feared: young, wide-eyed, a bit scruffy, and wearing leathers that had obviously been made for someone with a sturdier build.

"Hardly," she says.

"For this town you do. Where'd you get that rifle?"

"This one? Found it. But it's nearly empty. Know anyone who sells ammo round here?"

[Q: Does he? 50/50 (4+): O2 C1 - No, and...]

"That sort of thing isn't generally for sale. We're a peaceful town. There's even raiders what just come here to trade for food and supplies."

"Huh," observes Ewa.

"So you're like a great heroine of the wastes, then?" [prejudiced - assessment - the character]

"Hardly! Whatever gave you that idea?"

"You look the part."

"I look like I slept in dirt. Cuz I did. So if there isn't any ammo stall in this village, maybe there's at least a bathhouse. And a launderer."

The young man's enthusiasm for the Magnificent Heroine of the Deadly Wilderness shows no signs of abating, though her mood towards him becomes ever more curt. He does at least lead her to a lodging house where she is able to trade three flasks of lamp oil for food, a bed, and a bath. She needs to wash her clothes herself, but can dry them by the fireplace for free.

[Q: Uneventful rest of stay? Likely (3+): O4 C4 - Yes, but... can't ditch friendly tribal
+Event: PC negative - Befriend / Weapons]

Try as she might, she can't seem to ditch her would be Squire -- for she must certainly be a Knight. He could be ever so useful, especially if they found a mount. And he can fight -- he's made his own spear!

Ewa finally gives up on the silent treatment, and tells him he needs to stay in his enclave, and that she can't be stuck with a liability. To illustrate the outside world is too dangerous for him, she tells story of the  skewmen ambush, and Assia's betrayal, and ends her speech with a  graphic recounting of the  killer robots and their corpse pile.

[SH Reaction roll to get him to agree to stay home - Friendly NPC  (but -2 penalty: he really wants to go)= Pleased consent]

When Ewa is finished with her tale, she sits back and looks at him pointedly for a moment. "Well?"

"Maybe home sounds nice after all."

Day 3

[travel to hex 4

event: deadfall falls for 1d6= 1hp damage, to 7hp. I rule that this is damage beyond the 2hp you can heal after being injured, otherwise this would be a non-event.]

The next day Ewa sets out from the trading village. She makes good progress at first through the overgrown countryside and forests, but gets caught in a deadfall she was clambering over instead of going round. And this after all her lectures on the dangers of the wilderness!


Day 4

[travel to hex 5

encounter: 2d4=4 Wolfman hunters on the prowl (AC 6, Move 20’, HD 1, Atk: +1/1d6 spear, Skill +1, Save 15+, Morale 8)

reaction=4, hostile]

The next day she proceeds more cautiously. Around mid-day she starts to feel she's being watched, and unlimbers her combat rifle. Moments later, four wolfman mutants appear behind her, and throw their crude spears as she is wheeling about. She takes a minor scrape on the arm [only one hits for 1hp damage] and then fires off a quick burst at the one she hopes is the leader.

[She needs to roll 7+ on Wisdom/Perception to pick the right one: 2d6-1=7, success; her attack hits for 2HD damage]

The creature yelps once then collapses. The other three hesitate for a moment, then turn tail and lope off into the forest.

[Morale 7 (8-1 for losing their leader): 2d6=8 failure]

"Pack mentality," thinks Ewa, as she binds the cut on her arm [regaining the lost hit point]. "But still, they aren't just dumb brutes."

Ewa does her best to disguise her trail for the rest of the day, walking through as many streams as she can come across [wisdom/Survival check of 9+ is required: 8+1=success, so I won't need to consult the Oracle to see if they were following or not].

That night she sleeps with sodden feet, but for all that she sleeps soundly.


Day 5

[travel to hex 6]

The next day is just another slow journey overland. She skirts the edge of a necropolis [Ashford], even though her scavenger's instincts tell her there must still be treasure cached within.


Day 6

[travel to hex 7

1d8= a Feature

Feature: ruin-fortress
Reason built: Stronghold
Past event: Massacre of locals

Current state: Partially buried
Contents: trove type c1 Minor Hidden Treasure

The Treasure Types don't match up between Scarlet Heroes and Other Dust, so I went with G14 Ruin, Single Building (3d6 Random Loot, 1d4 Random Loot+10, 20% chance of Random Loot+20, 1d6 TL4 Parts).]

Well away from the necropolis, Ewa stumbles up on a ruined fortress of some sort. It seems to have been built before the collapse, but shows signs of more recent construction -- and more recent devastation. Most of it seems to have been buried or washed away by a flood, but there is one building still standing.

Divesting herself of her pack, Ewa is able to squeeze inside and dig through the loose soil. Amongst some bones and shreds of ballistic cloth, she finds a small treasure trove:

laser pistol (lightly damaged -1hit/dmg)
TL2 binoculars (worn)
climbing kit (worn)
power cell B (shoddy)
TL4 electronic components x5

She can't carry (or even identify) it all, but she takes the laser, binoculars, and power cell, brushes off as much dirt as she can from them, and stows them in her pack.

That night she eats the last of her rations.

Day 7

Ewa decides to spend the day foraging for sustenance before moving onwards. She collects a decent amount of probably edible food. She doesn't immediately die from eating it, so it must be fine.

[A Wisdom/Survival roll of 8+ yields 1d3+survival skill level worth of rations. Spending 8 hours allows a +1 on the roll. Her Weak Smell mutation gives her a -2. Characters who are "less fussy" are allowed two rolls, but all rations found are Dirty, and eating them gives you Toxin Points. Ewa isn't fussy (though she ought to be; her mutation doesn't help with resisting toxins form eating contaminants on purpose, as I had thought).

Her total modifier is +0 (+1 (skill), +1 (time), -2 (mutation)); she makes both rolls and finds a total of (2d3+2=) 4 dirty rations.

Eating 1 ration that day gives her 1 toxin point. As she's neither hungry nor thirsty at the end of day, she gets a Physical save  to remove one toxin point, but she fails the roll.]


Day 8

[travel to hex 8

Event: weather - Get lost; next movement is random]

The next day there is a sudden cold snap, and a dense fog moves in. Ewa eats more of her tainted food. She thinks it tastes ok, insofar as she can taste much of anything, but that heartburn can't be a good sign...

[+1 toxin point; failed Physical save, so 2 toxin points total]


Day 9

She's not sure which way she's going in the fog, but hopes it's generally the right way.

[random movement is due North]

She soon comes across an ancient road [the A2] in excellent condition, and follows it for a way. It's certainly easier going than tromping through overgrowth, but she can't seem to shake a bad feeling about it; someone or something must be maintaining the road for it to be in such a good state.

[Feature: ruined village

Great Past Event: Outside conquest
Current State:  Surface is in ruins
Contents: roll 2 encounters

Traders seek to reach their hidden stash: AC 5, Move 20’, HD 3, Atk: +3/1d8 Revolver, Skill +2, Save 14+, Morale 9

3 wanderers with PC classes of level 1d4+1 are plundering this wreckage.

Reaction roll between the two groups: 7, neutral]

After a while the road passes through the remains of a village. The surface buildings have been flattened by fire, and possibly worse. Ewa decides to have a look round; it's not such a big place, and might afford decent shelter for the night.

Before long she comes upon a trio of armed and armoured human(oid)s wearing heavy coats, facemasks, and goggles, making a careful sweep of the area. They turn towards her as she approaches them, and she finds herself at gunpoint. "You better keep moving, matey! This is our rubble, innit. Wouldn't want an accident to happen to yous." [Reaction=5, hostile; UNE: insane - accident - the character]

Ewa keeps her hands where they can see them and backs away. She ducks round the first corner she can in the ruined street, and thus it is she happens upon a second group. The five of them -- two mutants and three null-strain humans -- are much less threatening than the others.

"There's some dangerous sorts picking over the rubble," says the lead trader. "They already threatened us if we got in their way. We just want to recover some of our things and get back to civilisation. But we daren't whilst they're still here, lest they try to overpower us and take it themselves. You're more than welcome to stay with us. It'll be safer."

[Reaction=11; UNE: prejudiced - difference - antagonist]

But... Ewa's Mental save against paranoia: 1d20=1...]

The five of them look so innocent: soft faces, tattered travelling garments, only a few visible weapons. It is certainly a trap. No one is that harmless-looking unless they are trying to sucker you into their ambush. Why is the one-eyed mutant staring at Ewa like that? Could she be a psychic? Oh shit, she must know Ewa is on to them!

"I really need to be getting home soon," says Ewa, backing away again. "I strayed too far from my enclave, and I absolutely must get back before dark."

[Wisdom/Survival check 9+ to find safe (and hidden) bivouac in the ruins: 3+1, failure. Normal night-time survival check: 10, success.]

Ewa gets out of the ruined village as quickly and as quietly as she can. She makes a cursory search for a place to hole up for the night, but nothing looks remotely secure. She finds a copse of trees a little way out of the village, and clambers into a hedge to sleep.

[+1 toxin for dirty rations, another failed save puts her at 3 toxin points; she won't get sick until she hits 10.]


Day 10

Ewa decides to spend more time foraging as she has just enough food to last the day. She crosses the road and looks on the opposite side, well away from the ruins. She finds a moderate amount of food, but has eaten half of it by the time night falls.

[8 hours foraging for the +1 to her roll, but she rolled a 12 anyways. 1d3+1=2 clean rations, of which she eats one. She fails her Physical save, so doesn't lose any toxin points.]


Day 11

Ewa follows the road south east [to hex 9]. She still feels suspicious of its good condition, and takes care not to get too close to it. She almost loses sight of it once or twice, but manages not to stray too far.

That night she finishes the last of the tainted food, and, after another night of acid reflux and strange dreams, resolves to be more careful in the future.

[last of the dirty rations; +1 toxin point, but she finally made a Physical save, so still only has 3 toxin points total.]

Other Dust solo - Part VI : The Good Life

Scene 13

Chaos: Out of Control (d8)

Setup: get Tansy home
2=Altered

NPC List: Tansy, Shelley, scavengers

Threads: the Quest, escape Eastbourne, see Tansy Home

"So," says Ewa as they are walking at a leisurely pace up an overgrown dual carriageway [the A22], littered with the stripped remains of burnt-out vehicles, "now that you're reunited -- and we're certain no one's still following us -- what are you planning on doing?"

"Gotta finish what we started," says Tansy. "We didn't set out into the wastes to go rambling, y'know."

"What were you doing, then?"

[the Alteration: she isn't going home until she completes her own mission.
Adventure Template: Privation - The water supply has become contaminated. Tech must be found to purify it.]

"Something's wrong with our water supply. I went out looking for something to purify it again. I thought maybe the coastal areas would be a good place to find water reclamation gear."

"Not bloody likely! If it's around, it'll either be in use or too big to move."

"Oh..."

"What's the source of the contamination? Where are you getting your water?"

[Q: Does she know? 50/50: O3 C3 - No, but...
+Event: Close a thread - see Tansy Home - Deceive/Environment]

"I don't know. It comes from a well. Gilbert can tell you more."

"How far is it."

"A couple hours on foot."

"I could use more food before I move on, afterwards."

"It's a farm."

"Let's go then."

[I rolled a random enclave, and it all made sense the first time so no re-rolling was necessary. Since Ewa doesn't know about it, it had to be small and/or recently founded. Briefly--
Size: ~50 adults
Government: caste
Core: farm estate
Tech: TL1
Tags: podborn, educated

I made a Reaction Roll to see how the community receives Ewa, at +2 since she's coming with Tansy: 2+2=4, hostile]

Tansy's enclave is a very small farm on the grounds of a former manor house, which looks to have been ancient (if well-maintained) even before the bombs fell. The fields do not look healthy, even to Ewa's inexpert eye. Many are just dirt, and those that harbour plants seem to be mostly fellweed. The farm appears to have no livestock, and the farmers are forced to pull the ploughs themselves. Ewa looks at Tansy quizzically.

"I know what you're thinking," says Tansy, "but I refuse to yoke Shelley. He's a good guard dog, but no work horse!"

The farmers are all clad in identical, pastel green jumpsuits and matching slippers. Each is emblazoned with some Old Terran symbols, or maybe writing; Ewa can't tell the difference. One of the farmers stops ploughing when he sees them, and walks up to Tansy.

"Why have you brought this... mutant?"

"She helped me save Shelley. And she said she would help with the water."

"It's bad enough you keep that weird cow thing here."

"I've told you a million times, not all mutants are bad. You got the wrong first impression, is all. My old village was full of mutants, and--"

"And nothing. She can't stay. Get her gone before the Masters find out what you've done."

"Ewa, maybe you'd better go. Wait back by the road. I'll get you some food for your trouble. Sorry."

Ewa goes back to the road and sits in the shade of a tree, wondering if Tansy is actually coming back. She watches through her binoculars, and sees her soon come back out of the great old house and set off across the fields, Shelley following behind like a puppy. Ewa doesn't want to come too far out of the tree line in case it's some sort of trap, even though she's mostly certain Tansy can be trusted.

"Sorry," says Tansy when she has found Ewa in the shade, "when they came out of their pods it was kind of hard for them to adjust."

"So that's why they're all dressed the same!"

"Yeah. They're not so bad, really. Just terribly naïve.  Here, I've brought you some food." [d6=4 rations]

"If I happen across any purification equipment I'll send a message or something."

"Yeah, OK. Sorry. Bye, I guess."

"Bye."

[NB: the water isn't any more contaminated than the rest of the farm, which is tainted with low-level radioactivity (Deceive/Environment)]

Scene 14

Chaos: Out of Control (d8)

Setup: into the wastes

NPC List: -

Threads: the Quest

Ewa sets out into the wastes. She doesn't have a definite plan other than 'get to the coast', and she's never been out this way before. She decides to travel northeast until she reaches the water.

[This is my first go at the Scarlet Heroes wilderness adventure solo tables. I've played through a dungeon and two urban SH adventures before, but neither of those has been written up to post (yet).

I have a very rough map, made by importing a screenshot from Google Maps into Hexographer and overlaying a blank hex map, which after a little jiggery-pokery I sized to fit the scale (6mi/10km hexes -- the hex height was set to 113). I exported the map as a PNG, and cropped it in Paint (which I am also using to annotate it). I may go back and make a nice map, I may not. I'm much more interested in the coast than the interior, but Ewa needs to get there first.

I'm using the SH wilderness tables mostly as written, though some of the Feature results will need to be altered to fit the setting, and I'll obviously be using the Other Dust encounter tables.

Per Scarlet heroes, a character can explore one hex per day. There is a 1-in-6 chance per day of an encounter, which may be either during the day or at night (even chances). There is also a chance for a Feature and an Event. These each start at 1-in-8, and increase by 1 for each day until the roll is made.

House Rule: Even when my PC is moving through previously explored areas, I still make the encounter & event checks once per day. And if they care to search more, there might even be a second feature -- 6 mile hexes are pretty spacious.

Also, she needs to make 2 skill checks each day. First, she needs an Intelligence/Navigation roll of 8+ in order to move in the right direction; failure indicates a 1d6 roll to determine the direction she travels (which may coincidentally be the right way). Each night she must make a Wisdom/Survival roll of 5+ to find suitable shelter (it's summer, but she doesn't have a  tent or even a proper bedroll). Failure will give her the negative condition Fatigued (-2 to hit, -1 saves & skills) for the next day. I won't be mentioning these rolls unless she fails them.

Part of the fun of post-apocalyptic gaming is watching your stores of food, ammo, and medicine slowly dwindle and wondering just how desperate things will get before you find more. However, I kept track of all this on scratch paper as it's much easier than doing it in my game notes .txt file.]

Day 1

[travel to hex 1]

The journey proceeds more slowly than she would have expected. She doesn't want to rush, as travelling the wastelands alone is usually considered a suicidal move. She must be ever alert for danger, and she doesn't want to miss anything interesting besides. If she's to unite this ancient land, she ought to at least have an inkling of what's in it.

She passes through weed-choked fields and hillsides, the occasional overgrown patch of forest, and crosses the crumbling, ancient roads of Old Terra. Small clusters of ruined buildings and destroyed vehicles dot the landscape, but none appear to offer any promise of good salvage.

That afternoon, as Ewa is refilling one of her canteens in a stream, she feels her skin tingle in that way it always does when enemies (or anyone, really) are near. She drops the canteen on the bank and snatches up her new combat rifle as a pair of twisted skewmen burst out of the long grass towards her.

[encounter: 2d4=2 savage Skewmen seek prey (AC 8, Move 15’, HD 1, Atk: +1/1d4 club, Skill +1, Save 15+, Morale 8)

No surprise, Ewa wins initiative.]

Ewa turns quickly round and fires a single shot from her combat rifle at the advancing mutants, but hits neither. And then they are suddenly upon her, striking out with rude clubs. One gives her a nasty knock across the shin [1 damage], the other hits her so weakly in the stomach she barely feels it [0 damage].

[round 2]
The skewmen's unfortunate physiology makes them low to the ground. Ewa fires another shot carefully, hitting one right between the shoulders. The other hesitates a moment to see its companion felled, but shouts a vile curse then feints toward Ewa [Morale roll, 2d6=6, it fights on. But it missed.]

[round 3]
The skewman is scuttling from side to side in a furious war dance. Ewa fires again, but the bullet just buries itself in the soil where moments before the creature had been. But it dares not get too close. [miss/miss]

[round 4]
When it thinks she is just about to fire, it dodges left then springs. But Ewa was waiting for such a manoeuvre, and she shoots it down in mid-leap.

The rest of her day passes without incident.

[The rolls for Feature and Event both came up naught, so the threshold of each increases to 2-in-8 for the next day.]


Day 2

[Ewa's Navigation roll failed; she moves [1d6=6] towards the northwest, to hex 2.

No encounters, no feature, no event. The thresholds go up to 3-in-8.]

Day 3

Navigation check fails again; she moves back to Start hex. But as she's coming from a different direction, she doesn't realise how near she is to Tansy's farming enclave.

Ewa has spent a day and a half unwittingly travelling in a circle. She has barely seen another living being beyond the occasional flying creature in the distance, and the omnipresent insect vermin that devour -- or are devoured by -- the local flora.

As the evening sun is lighting up the sky in a dazzling array of colours, beyond even the wildest palettes of an expressionist painter as its vespertine rays pass through the clouds of radioactive dust which blanket the globe.

[1d8=2, this hex contains a(nother) Feature!
Feature=dungeon type (thus, a Ruin)

Random ruin generation tables produce--
Origin: mandate base
Destruction: raiders
Inhabitants: exiles from nearby enclave

Tags--
Exiles (enclave tag)
Cryo pods (ruin tag)

The dice made it really obvious what she's found.

Q: Is there activity outside? 50/50 (4+): O3 C3 - No, but... signs of recent activity
+Event: Introduce a new NPC - Betray / Dispute]

As Ewa sees her shadow stretching out before her over the hillside, she spots a glint of metal coming from the grass on the next hill over. She looks through her binoculars to see the entrance to an ancient installation peeking out of the summit. The trans-steel windows look out of a darkened interior, but there is a still-smoking fire pit on the ground before it.

Ewa makes her way up to it, as cautiously as she can on the grassy, but otherwise featureless hillside.

[Her Wisdom/Stealth (+0) vs. their Wisdom/Perception (modifier of 1d3-2= +0): 11 vs. 12, she's spotted.

Reaction=11]

Though she can see no one in the dark interior of the installation's entrance, a voice calls out to her. "Hey! Hey there! You're one of us!"

"Hello?" calls Ewa. "One of you? What do you mean?"

"A mutant."

"Well, obviously. You seem surprised."

"I'm coming out now. Please, don't shoot."

Ewa shoulders her rifle as the mutant comes out of the installation. [1d6=] He has greyish skin, and seems to be more fungus than human, like a walking, bespectacled mushroom. He is wearing tattered green coveralls and no shoes, and carries no weapon.

[Easy (5+) Intelligence/Perception check: 2d6+0=7]

Ewa recognises the colour and patterns of the coveralls. "Are you from the farm?" she asks. "I thought they didn't like mutants."

"They don't. We... we woke up like this, and they refused to take us with them to the manor. We've tried to eke out a living here, but we have few weapons and there is a band of outlaws who seem to take especial delight in tormenting us. We can usually make it inside and lock them out, but they've learnt how to get past the front door now. It's only a matter of time before they can get the emergency stairwell open. I wish we could be at the manor with the others."

"They're not doing so well. Their water is contaminated and they don't know what to do about it."

"Serves them right, turning us out like that. I'm sure Doctor Cartman could determine the cause of the problem."

"At least you have a medic," says Ewa.

"A medic? Ha ha! No, you misunderstand. Jeanette -- Doctor Cartman, has a Ph.D. in microbiology. She used to lecture at Imperial... this doesn't mean anything to you, does it?"

"Sorry."

[Q: what do they want? Adjourn / Legal matters]

"What we need to know," says the mutant, "is where we can appeal for justice. We have as much right to the manor as do they, and we'd like to bring the case before a judge for settlement. Amaya's a solicitor, so she can represent us. Where is the nearest Crown Court?"

"You're kidding," says Ewa. "Oh... you're not? Look, all that's the past. Every enclave makes its own laws. Even the raiders, I hear, have some sort of laws. Or at least inviolate customs, else they couldn't function together."

"Oh. Oh, dear me. This isn't good. This isn't good at all. We're on our own, then?"

"That's the way of things."

"I don't suppose you'd stay on to help us understand this... this brave new world?"

"I can't. I'm trying to get east, to the coast."

[SH Friendly NPC reaction: 2d6=8, Quick consent]

"I see. But the night is coming. At least stay here tonight, and tell us of this world."

[Mental save to overcome Paranoia succeeds]

"I'll try. But it'll cost you a meal."

"A meal... I-- oh, of course! That's the first lesson, isn't it?"

"You catch on quick. I think you'll be ok after all."

The fungus man, Professor Thaddeus Oberlinde-Sharma, leads Ewa into the ruined installation to meet the rest of the podborn mutant community. Ewa really intends to leave in the morning, but she is so moved by the pitiful and helpless state of the mutants that she ends up staying a fortnight, helping them shore up their defences and learn to hunt and forage better, and telling them of all the myriad horrors and dangers of the new world.

[Q: Does anything untoward during her stay? Unlikely (5+): O4 C2 - No, and... the exiles are eager to listen and learn.]

She also confides in them about her Sacred Quest. Though fully half of the mutants were members of the Old Terran intelligentsia, none of them can find it in their hearts to tell her she must be chasing after a half-remembered story or myth.

One of them does take pity on her, and teaches her the rudiments of writing the alphabet, and even gives her a child's phonics book with which to practice [to justify spending skill points on Literacy when she reaches 2nd level].

[Q: Any events during her stay? Certain (2+): O2 C7 - Yes - 1 event:
PC negative - Ambush / Weapons]

One day. When Ewa and Prof Thaddeus are out hunting, they are ambushed by raiders. The four raiders are mad and desperate, and fight to the death. The professor is visibly shaken for hours after the event, but Ewa is all smiles, and especially pleased that she can present their swords, spears, and breechloading rifle (with 13 bullets!) to the community for its defence.

[Boring combat redacted. Over 6 rounds, the raiders hit Ewa once for 1 point of damage. Thaddeus wasn't injured at all.

I also rolled 14d6 to check for random encounters at the enclave. Weirdly, I only rolled a single 1.

Encounter: 1d8=2 tribals from nearest enclave
Q: Is it Tansy and Shelley? 50/50 (4+): O6 C8 - Yes]

On the tenth day, Tansy and Shelley arrive at the installation. They've left the manor for good, as the Masters had begun to get vicious. The mutants are more than happy to have the pair live with them, and Ewa is glad that someone born into this world is going to be there to see the community through; she had feared her conscience wouldn't allow her to leave for months.

Four days later, Ewa says it's time for her to depart. She, the mutants, Tansy, and, in his own, strange way Shelley, say their fond farewells. Ewa is given a bundle of food and some blankets before she goes, and told she will always be welcome back.

Ewa's adventures continue here.

Other Dust solo - Part V : the people one meets in ruins

Scene 11

Chaos: Out of Control (d8)

Setup: into the wastes

Threads: escape

Ewa walks away and up through an overgrown field (once a golf course) following Kaz's route. But instead of turning left towards Eastbourne, she turns the opposite way. She follows an old motorway for a while [A259/Eastbourne road], then looks for a ruined house to camp out in overnight, as dusk is beginning to settle.

[1d6=no encounters
Q: Is anyone following? Doubtful (6): O6 C4 - Yes, but... someone new
Q: A single follower/pursuer? 50/50 (4+): O6 C1 - Yes, and... with no allies nearby
Q: Intelligent? 50/50 (4+): O4 C7 - Yes

1d10=3, human
class 1d4=slayer (as a Wanderer in the bestiary, 1d4+2= 3rd level; using average stats)

Dex/Stealth (+1dex, -1 no skill) vs. Wis/Perception (-1 no skill): 10vs5, Ewa does not detect them.

reaction=6, neutral

Q: What does her pursuer do next? Imitate / The physical just keeps following

Ewa's Wisdom/Survival 7+ (+1 skill) to find good place to "camp": 6+1, success.

Pursuer's current greatest desire (1d10, p184): Cure for a sick or crippled friend

Q: Does (1d6=)she attempt to make contact overtly when Ewa finds a house? 50/50 (4+): O2 C5 - No.]

Ewa finds a small house that looks reasonably intact, and makes her camp on the top floor. She is a little worried that there may be soldiers sent to hunt her down, but reasons that she'd probably wake up if anyone came in the house. She is soon sleeping soundly.

No one does try to enter the house, though Ewa has been being watched. Her unknown pursuer is more curious than bold. They slip a dry branch through the front door handle so it can't be opened without making noise, and find a place to sleep across the street.

[but! 1d6=1, night encounter: Patch of Radioactivity -- this area is still suffering from an ancient atomic generator leak or some such, and is bathed in low-level radiation. Saving throws are required, so Ewa heals 1d6=3, 1hp (from her Radioactive Vitality mutation. The stranger fails her save, and loses 1pt of CON (reduced to 10).

Q: Does she have any System Strain? 50/50 (4+): O4 C6 Yes - 1d10=6pts.]

The next morning, a groggy Ewa wakes up and quickly consumes some food. She wants to set out as early as possible, just in case there was someone sent to find her.

She finds front door stuck, and struggles to get it open. At last she puts her back into it, and it opens with a loud crack. At first she assumes it was just old and got stuck after being closed for the first time in decades (or longer), but then she notices that someone had barred it with a stick. [6+ Wis/Perception check: 8-1, success]

"What the hell?" thinks Ewa, as she ducks back into the house and raises her rifle.

[Q: Doe the stranger make contact now? Likely (3+): O6 C8 - Yes]

"Hey!" cries a young woman's voice from across street. "I want to talk to you!"

[To agree to this, Ewa will need to make a Mental save against her Paranoia defect; 1d20=14, success.
And does she see who's talking? Int/Stealth (+1 bonus for hiding spot) vs. Ewa's Wisdom/Perception (-1): 9 vs. 11.]

Ewa peeks round the doorframe, and can see a vague silhouette in the house across the street. "Come out, then," she shouts. "We'll talk!"

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because I see you up there and haven't aimed my rifle at you yet."

"Maybe you're just afraid I'll shoot first."

"Getting my attention before shooting makes for a pretty shite ambush, dont'cha think?"

"..."

"Well?"

"OK, I'm coming out."

Ewa shoulders her rifle and walks out into the street. The mystery woman emerges and meets her in the middle. She is young and bright-eyed, and clad in a colourful mix of Old Terran clothes. She also seems to have collected a fair bit of Old Terran technology.

"I'm Tansy. Sorry I had to be so roundabout getting to talk to you, but I needed to know you were out here on your own and not part of a bunch of raiders or summat. Or one of those crazies from the shore fort." [UNE: mysterious - conundrum - last action]

"So, Tansy, here we are. I'm Ewa. And I'd like to avoid those crazies from the Fortress as well. Now, what do you want?"

"I need help."

"And I need to get away from here."

"So do I. But I can't abandon my poor Shelley."

"She's hurt?"

"Shelley's a he. I named him after an old poet in a book I found. We were sheltering in a building not too far from here. There was a collapse, and I think his leg's broke. I couldn't pull him out to check."

"Um... what is Shelley?"

"He's a redhorn [mutant carnivorous bovine]. I know! but he's different than all the others. Maybe on account of I raised him from a calf, back when I was a kid and lived in a farming enclave. An' he's the sweetest, most docile thing to them as is friendly to him. And he's saved my life from the raiders who burnt down my home. No one else survived, so we just have each other these days. Well, we found a new farm what took us in, but... I can't leave him to die."

Ewa points. "He's somewhere in that direction?"

"Yeah. How... how did you know?"

"Because, m'dear, that's the opposite of the way I want to go..."

"So...?"

"I got a weird feeling that I sort of have to do this." [Ewa's Paranoia save to agree was a 19!]

"Really? You'll help me just like that? Why? I mean I'm grateful, but..."

"I can't explain it. Maybe the Vicar told me too many old myths. This just sounds like a test or something legendary, like Kahuna and the Cattle Raid of Ulster. So, lead on. But if we run into any scavengers from Eastbourne, they can't see me, ok?"

"Yeah, OK. How come?"

Scene 12

Chaos: Out of Control (d8)

Setup: rescue the redhorn
1d8=1, altered

NPC List: Tansy, Shelley, scavengers

Threads: escape, rescue

[I wasn't immediately sure what the Alteration would be, so I put it to the Oracle--
Q: Are there scavengers around the building? 50/50 (4+): O5 C8 - Yes.
Q: Do they know there's a helpless food source in the ruins? Unlikely (5+): O6 C5 - Yes.
Q: How many scavengers? 1d4+2=5 +1 soldier
Q: Anyone Ewa likes? Unlikely (5+): O3 C4 - No, but... no one she hates, either
Q: How many scavengers are armed? 1d6-1=0 (they have knives and clubs, though)]

Tansy leads Ewa back towards Eastbourne proper. They turn a corner into a long, broken street filled with wrecked vehicles and less identifiable detritus, and tansy stops short. "Oh, no," she says.

Some [2d6x10=] fifty meters ahead, a small group of scavengers is picking through piles of twisted metal in the street. Ewa and tansy crouch behind some plasticrete rubble, and Ewa peers at the group through her binoculars.

She hands them to Tansy, who sees one of the scavengers talking to a soldier and pointing at a certain building. "Shelley!" she gasps.

Ewa takes aim at the soldier. "Get [1d6=] his attention, tell him he's dead if they don't all surrender right now. I've got him in my sights."

Tansy, her submachinegun in hand, strides out to do as she's bid.

"Stop!" she yells. "We have you surrounded. We mean you no harm, so please cooperate!"

Ewa winces.

[Scarlet heroes has great reaction tables for getting NPCs to agree to things. The soldier counts as an Unfriendly NPC.
2d6=3, Anger/Violence]

The soldier says nothing, but raises his combat rifle to fire...

[Initiative: E (+3 bonus) 7, T 4, soldier 5.
Ewa rolls 16+1+7, hit. 1d10+2=12, 4HD damage]

...but Ewa's shot drops him before his gun is quite level with the ground.

[The scavengers' Morale is 6. 2d6=3, they don't run, but don't fight either
Q: Does Tansy start firing? Unlikely (5+): O2 C5 - No.]

"No one move!" screams Tansy. "I don't want to hurt any of you. Just put your hands up and we can talk about this like reasonable people. Please!"

Ewa is hurriedly reloading her rifle. "Get the gun away from them," she says, "or it'll start all over again. I'll cover you."

Tansy edges forward. She snatches up the rifle and slings it over shoulder. "Someone look after him."

One of the scavengers scurries forward as Tansy retreats a few paces.

"He's dead!"

[(normal OSR)reaction roll=4]

The scavengers are getting tetchy, but none are willing to be the one to start the fight. Ewa moves up under cover, hoping to remain unseen [Dex/Stealth vs. Wis/Perception: 10 vs. 5, success]. She gets to within [1d6x5] 10m of Tansy's position, seemingly unnoticed.

"What do we do now?" asks Tansy, hazarding a look over her shoulder. "You still there?"

"I'm here. Tell them to get on the ground, face down."

"You heard her! What? She said to get down on the ground... face down. Do it!"

[SH reaction, Unfriendly NPC: 2d6=7, Considered refusal]

"Why should we?" says one of the scavengers. "So you can shoot us more easily? Face it, you might have a gun, but you're outnumbered. And the more you shoot, the more chance somone'll hear and come running."

"He's bluffing," says Ewa.

"We're wasting time!" shouts Tansy. Still no one moves.

"Tell him you'll start shooting if they don't cooperate," says Ewa.

"why don't you talk to them?"

"I told you why. Say it!"

"Fine," says Tansy, defeated. She takes a deep breath, then tries to sound as stern as she can. "We'll start shooting if you don't listen to me. I'm going to count three. One... two... th--"

[Q: What happens? (1d4) 1 scavengers attack, 2 T shoots, 3 both sides attack at once, 4 no one moves.
1d4=3

Only one of the scavengers beat Ewa and Tansy's initiative]

[Round 1]
One of the scavengers throws a knife at Tansy [10+1+AC6=miss] but it sails clear past her. She responds with a burst from her submachinegun, killing the scavenger. Ewa's rifle barks, and a second scavenger falls bleeding to the street.

[ML check due to losses: 2d6=8, fail]

The other three scavengers turn tail and run.

"Why does this always happen every time I leave the farm?" says Tansy, still in shock.

"We should hurry," says Ewa. They probably won't be back... but if they do, it'll be with reinforcements."

"I understand."

They rush into the building where Shelly is trapped beneath a collapsed girder. Tansy checks desperately to see if he is still alive.

[Q: Well? 50/50 (4+): O5 C1 - Yes, and...]

The huge, gaunt, mutated bull snorts and stamps when it hears strange footsteps coming up behind it. He tries to rise but his front hooves just struggle and slip on the slick floor. He looks back over his shoulder, and Ewa shudders when she sees the sharp horns and bared, awful fangs. But the animal's face softens immediately when it sees Tansy. She pats his head and whispers comforting words before turning back to Ewa.

"I think his leg might not actually be broken," she says hopefully, "but he still can't move."

"I've got to be able to rig something out of all this junk," muses Ewa.

[Ewa needs to roll 8+ on Strength/Postech to improvise a lever to shift the beams: 11+1=success]

Ewa finds some serviceable carbon-steel pipe and a pile of solid furniture enough to make a lever. She can only raise the fallen beam about half a metre, but it's enough for the redhorn to slip out, and stand shakily on all four feet.

Ewa offers a stim patch to Tansy. "Here. This should help with the pain. But you should probably be the one that applies it."

"You can do it," says Tansy. "He knows you helped him, so you've nothing to fear."  [1d20=14, Ewa rolls a successful Mental save vs. Paranoia]

"OK..." says Ewa. She fully expects a disaster when she slaps the patch on, but the redhorn's tail merely twitches a few times. Then the beast turns to face her with its big, soulful eyes and snorts quietly in what Ewa is sure is meant to be gratitude.

"See?" says Tansy, "He's a big softie."

[Shelley is now at 1d2+1(for the stim)=2HD.

Q: Does the captured combat rifle have a full magazine? Likely(3+): O1 C7 - No. d30-1=16 rounds (out of 30)
Q: Does anyone come back before they get away? Uncertain odds: 1d6=5, Unlikely: O5 C5 - Yes
+Event: PC positive - Attract / Exterior factors

Ewa's Perception 9-1=8 vs. their Stealth 2+1=3]

But the touching scene is cut suddenly short. "What's that noise outside?" says Ewa, picking up the combat rifle. "It sounds like voices."

She pads over to the entrance and peers to into the street, where a number of distorted, twisted, once-human savages crawl about on all four limbs, shouting amongst themselves in their horrible voices.
"Skewmen!" whispers Ewa. "Is there a way out the back of here?"

"I think so," says Tansy, hopefully.

[Q: Is there? Uncertain odds: d6=3, Likely: O5 C7 - Yes]

The three make their way out to the back of the building slowly. As they are about to leave, they hear gunfire round the other side.

"They went for reinforcements!" says Ewa.

"And they're fighting the skewmen instead of us!" says Tansy.

"Run!"

They break into a dead run down the back street, and the sounds of gunfire get further and further away. They turn up several side streets to put as much distance and rubble between them and the other parties as they can. By the time they can run no more, they have found a narrow, partly obstructed alley (just big enough for a redhorn to pass) in which to hide. Listen as they might, they can hear nothing above the blood rushing in their ears.

[Q: Do they get to safety? 50/50 (4+): O4 C2 - Yes, and...]

to be continued...