Conan 2d20 - Playtest Kit v1.5 - Playtest Adventure - The Tavern.docx

Playtest Kit v1.5

The Tavern

“Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat & stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame crimson, and I am content"

GMs Briefing.

This is a pure combat scene.  The premise is that having made their escape from the Red Pit the characters have made it to a small tavern where they can rest restock and spend what gold they have stolen on food and wine.  Characters should begin afresh and ready for the fight. 

Assume they have any recovered armour or weapons from the Red Pit

The scene consists of three parts

Part 1: Banter in the tavern

The First part should serve to recap the Red pit session get the players into the flow of things and introduce the characters to the layout of tavern.  The tavern owner (Yasmah) should be loud and while friendly, GMs should feel free to be as colourful with their language as their table will allow.  As the banter of the table ebbs Yasmah goes outside to greet more customers.

Part 2: The Pelishtim arrive

Part two begins with a Difficulty 2 Observation test from all Characters.

It’s a Difficulty 2 test as the Pelishtim are trying to be stealthy in their approach.  1 Momentum will advise that a large number of riders have arrived, 2 momentum will advise that they have strange “too quiet” dogs with them.  The main advantage to passing this test is that Characters will begin the scene with blades drawn.  The Pelishtim get to make their grand entrance but the PCs should clean house with reasonable ease.

Part 3: The Players escape.

After fighting inside the tavern the party should make a break for the horses.  Pelishtim hounds will block the way but after a few rounds this should turn into a running battle on horseback.

Ending the Scene.

Once the characters have dealt with the riders they have made their escapes and the credits roll.

Pelishtim (Troops)

The Pelishtim of western Shem, with their hooked noses and curled blue-black beards, are famed throughout the Hyborian kingdoms as disciplined fighters and archers without peer. They frequently offer their skills to whatever king or noble rogue can meet their price —for these sons of the South do not sell themselves cheap.

Vigour: 5              Resolve: 4

Soak: Mail Shirt & Half Helm (Head & Arms [CD]2, Torso [CD]3)

Attacks

·         Spear: 1+[CD]5 Damage, Unbalanced, Reach 1, Armour Piercing 1, Unforgiving 1

·         Shield (Targe): 1+[CD]4 Damage, 1Handed, Shield 2

o        A character wielding a Shield may attempt to make parry and Defend Other Response Actions using his close combat skill against ranged attacks as well as melee attacks. Shield also confers all the effects of Parry. The X value is the Soak provided which now applies to both melee and ranged attacks.

·         Steely Glare (scare): Range C, 1+[CD]2 Resolve damage

·         Falchion 1+[CD]5, Unbalanced, Vicious 2

Minions. Minions are not as tough and determined as player characters, and favour fighting in groups for mutual support. Minions only roll 1d20 for skill tests, rather than 2d20, though they can buy extra dice as normal. As soon as a Minion suffers a single Injury or Trauma, he is incapacitated, and can no longer fight. The GM will determine the details of an incapacitated foe – they may be dead, unconscious, cowering, or even fleeing in panic. Minions may group together into Mobs, which act as a single group.

Mob. A group of Minions in a Mob moves and acts as one during combat, taking a single turn instead of individual turns. When a Mob takes a skill test, each member of the Mob after the first adds +1d20 to the test, representing their collective effort. When a Mob is attacked, as soon as one member of the mob is incapacitated (reduced to 0 Vigour or Resolve, or suffers an Injury or Trauma), any remaining damage is inflicted onto the next member of the mob, until all members of the mob are incapacitated or there is no remaining damage to carry over.

Tactics

The Pelishtim prefer to fight in close-knit groups of three where possible, and they will move to aid one another during the fight.

·         Seize the initiative. Individual Pelishtim can act before a player in a turn if the GM pays 1 Threat point for each Pelishtim

·         Regroup.  Lone Pelishtim may merge with other mobs.  This requires a Standard Action, and means that the lone Pelishtim will join an existing mob at the end of the current round.

Pelishtim Tracker (Elite)

He is called Shiruk-lashkar, and although smaller than his brother draws a pack of vicious tracking dogs to his service.  His shaven skull is tattooed with menacing sigils and his eyes burn with revenge