[Mercenary, Liberator, Tyrant] Tyche's Favourites

Well, one of the player characters is an accomplished siege engineer too. If nothing else, they could hire out their engineer to other people who really need it (making a substantial amount of money in the process). But I could definitely see a siege or two in their future.

I cannot begin to express my raw delight at reading this! I hope you all have a fantastic campaign.

Thanks for making it such an easy sell to my group! I really do appreciate being able to chat various things through with you to arrive at something that works well.

And to the meat, the podcasts themselves. This was a rather more improvised session than I might normally do, I basically didn't have much prep done yet. That will be different next week, so less of the halting gaps and me rolling on random tables!

 

Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 1 – Part 1

It is 300BC, shortly after the Battle of Ipsus and the bowl of the world is once again in turmoil as the players in the great game to control Megas Alexandros’ empire change positions. A band of mercenaries and their retinues have been engaged by the Latin agent Septimus, on behalf of a Massilioi aristocrat to present themselves at that settlement. Travelling land and sea, they make their way from Asia, westwards across Macedonia and Greece, northwest along the Illyrian coast and turning west once more into northern Italia. We pick up the story on the final leg of a journey to Massalia, somewhere in the lower valley of the Padus river. The party arrive at the hall of a local Insubri chief, Bolgios, where they are invited as guests of honour to a feast.


Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 1 – Part 2

Having parted on good terms with Bolgios (and Rhyanidd making formal ties of guest friendship) and with a trio of Keltoi traders in tow, the column leaves the lands of the Insubri and attracts attention from a small bandit party. The journey proves eventful with bandits, rumours of warring tribes on the road ahead, accidents and hazardous river crossings. There is also time for hunting, competition and feasting. They haven’t arrived at their destination, but already there are ominous speculations about the local political situation and just what their erstwhile employer intends to do with them.

Some of you may have noticed the music featured on the beginning and end of the podcasts, and perhaps wondered what it is. I can’t claim credit for what is not my work; it comes from the Rome: Total War modification, Europa Barbarorum, which was itself a major inspiration for the game. All the music therein is written/composed by Morgan Casey, Nick Wylie, Musica Romana, Prehistoric Music Ireland and The Persian Cataphract. Specifically, the music used is the main theme (which you can also hear on YouTube), one of many tracks which are modern takes on ancient music. It is used with the permission of the Europa Barbarorum production team, for which I’m extremely grateful.

I haven't really posted on here with any sort of commentary as to why I've made all sorts of sweeping and wholesale changes to both underlying assumptions and mechanics in MLT which creates numerous differences with ACKS as written.

One of the stark differences which will be immediately apparent to anyone who's looked at the PCs on the wiki is how competent they are.

Firstly, I started them at 5th level. I wanted to avoid the random crapshoot you get at lower levels of older D&D where a lucky blow will kill a PC. Not only that, I wanted them to be leaders in their own right, and have meaningful retinues right from the start. That meant a higher level, and 5th seems to be in that sweet spot of entering the leadership phase (everyone gets a henchman-morale-boosting feature from their class) but where they are still able to participate personally and have some risk. Hit points are in the 20s to 30s range (and non-random) so a single blow, even with damage dice doubled, won't take them down.

Secondly, I immediately binned 3d6 in order. For a number of reasons. Primarily, because it produces low stats where you don't necessarily want them. Also because the whole point was that the PCs were exceptional people picked out by Fortune for great things. We as a group like to approach a game with a concept, then build to that, not roll the dice and try to work out what we have. Furthermore, there was real concern about the possible range of competence within the party - ie one person rolling really well while another rolled badly. We fixed that by having everyone roll to generate an array, but that anyone could use anyone else's array. The method for PCs, to ensure they got some good numbers was to make seven rolls and take the best six. They were: 1d6+12, 2d6+6 twice and 3d6 four times.

We got the following arrays:
17, 17, 15, 15, 11, 9
18, 14, 12, 12, 10, 8
17, 14, 13, 12, 11, 11
17, 16, 15, 15, 11, 9

I also allowed moving 2 points, so everyone went for the first one, though not everyone got used that to get 18s (one PC went for the maximal modifier spread of four 16s). Lastly, in keeping with taking the random out of chargen, they all got max hit points for 1st level, then half-HD for every level thereafter.

I'm not tracking XP, and after some discussion the players said they were actually quite happy with levelling when it made sense to do so without any book-keeping. All the classes were modified so that their XP progressions were roughly equal, so that levelling at the same time wouldn't advantage anyone. They ended up all choosing something based on the Fighter frame; Explorer, Fighter and two homebrewed (not by me!) classes the Diplomat and Warlord (Aristocrat).

I've also changed the Proficiencies progression, which is no longer linked to class, but simply level. Everyone gets a new General Proficiency at every even-numbered level, and a Class Proficiency at every odd-numbered level. This intentionally made for more competent characters, and also a much broader range of variety between them. The Diplomat, with his 18 Int, ended up with an obscene number of them, and what I like is that everyone took things that rounded them out. So for example Rhyanidd has Prophecy and Theology (Druidic) - she's an actual priestess as well as warrior-princess and has prophetic dreams (cue GM being able to make up cryptic foreshadowing stuff) and Performance (Rhetoric). If you were really short of slots, those aren't the sorts of things you'd prioritise.

I've also changed the base numbers for aging slightly, adding some variability as to when it kicks in, and factoring physicality. Two PCs rolled theirs to find out when they'd get their first aging penalties.

Then to henchmen. Everyone went with their maximum number, I don't think they're that concerned with having to share their spoils. Not only that, we agreed they'd be the pool of "backup characters" from which new PCs would be drawn (equalised to the level of everyone else, should that happen) and I think they wanted as many choices as possible. I generated the henchmen using a similar process to the PCs, though they were done individually, rather than with an array for their ability scores. They also used a slightly less generous 2d6+6 twice and 3d6 five times, drop lowest and assign at will with 2 points of re-assignment. Though that still produced a few henchmen with better stats than the PCs, though most were much more normal. Again the notion was that exceptional people tend to attract similarly exceptional people to their retinues. Given the mercenary pasts of most of the PCs, anyone less-than-stellar would probably have been killed off anyway.

What they got was one 3rd level, two 2nd level, and everyone else is 1st level. They also came with their basic equipment, but if the PCs wanted to buy them extra stuff, that raised their morale. I also assumed they had gotten all their levels with the PC, which led to some having extremely high morale when combined with Proficiencies (I think the highest is +6). It's notable how they've each got their own unifying theme or signature.

They're a pretty massive mob of NPCs right now, but I expect that to change when they arrive in Massalia and break off to do various things. I'm hoping we might get to experiment with some troupe-style play, where players might run one of their henchmen instead of their PC in certain situations, and possible even playing someone else's henchmen sometimes too. Thus if Rhyanidd and her bodyguard are sent off deep into the wilds of Gallia on some secret mission, each player picks up one of them as their character for that segment.

And there we have it.

We had the troupe play conversation last night. The verdict was that they were relaxed about roleplaying their own henchmen, but didn't want to do that for other players' minions. Happy enough to run them in combat to speed things up. The concern was mostly around potentially having to play twenty-odd characters who might have different characterisations depending on who had played them, resulting in a jarring to the sense of continuity about them.

We also talked about the loss of henchmen, the feeling there was a mixture of combat being dangerous and these things happen, and not wanting to be left undermanned/having the opportunity to replace them. I explained that they are headed to a settlement with Market Class II (second-largest) and several of them have class abilities which boost it to Class I for recruitment, so they won't be short of options to add more. I like that there's already some attachment to the people they have, too. We had some good interplay between the characters and their people as well, they're starting to feel like separate entities in their own right.

Managed to squeeze several trial combats (actually hunting) in, with everyone getting a chance to do a bit. We're getting more familiar now, but it highlighted how critical doing initiative fast is to keeping things flowing.

Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 2 – Part 1

On the final rest-day, there is more hunting, but this time more dangerous quarry than deer. There are contrasts between the Greek and Keltoi styles of hunting. Everyone returns with trophies and tales to tell. The first destination of their journey, the village of Nikaia is in sight, and waiting there is an extravagant gift for Rhyanidd. An envoy opens negotiations, promising to reveal just what Menesthios has in mind for the intrepid band.


Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 2 – Part 2

After oaths of secrecy are sworn, negotiations with Apollodoros, Menesthios’ son and envoy, begin in earnest and agreement is struck. Deals are made both for the benefit of Massalia and for Menesthios himself. An ominous warning comes in a dream and a more earthly warning is offered about the lands ahead. A short trip finds them in Antipolis, where a counter-offer is made which will have far-reaching consequences, as a Carthaginian senator shows his hand. Everyone is vigiliant, armed and armoured on leaving that village for the territory of the Oxubii.

Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 3 – Part 1

Almost as soon as they leave the village of Nikaia, the band feel the weight of impending danger. A chance encounter reveals some of the designs against them and several ambush sites are negotiated without incident. The ominous piping returns and a horn signals the commencement of battle in earnest. Outnumbered, they must fight for their lives against a determined enemy.


Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 3 – Part 2

In the aftermath of the battle an accounting is made, of both the butcher’s bill and plunder. A prisoner is taken and one of the instigators of the attack revealed. At a small fishing village up the coast, a chase begins and a previous adversary is captured. At Olbia negotiations are concluded with the Oxubii. A suspicious ship’s captain is met at Tauroeis, then their destination is finally in sight. There proves to be an unexpected welcome in Massalia.

Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 4 – Part 1

The quartet and their retinues are invited to the country estate of their employer, Menesthios, who plans to host a grand feast in their honour. Gifts await them, as do their companions shipped to Massalia with Apollodoros, who have not been idle. They outline the lay of the land from a number of perspectives, provoking suspicion and speculation as to what schemes are in motion and who might be driving them. At the meal everyone enjoys fine food and good company, and tales of past exploits are shared. The festivities wind down and a visitor arrives with urgent business. As everyone settles into sleep, there is a disturbance…


Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 4 – Part 2

The house of Menesthios is under attack! Hurrying into the fray, the mercenaries find themselves pitted against well-equipped and professional opposition. Not only that, sounds of fighting elsewhere in the house suggest their employer and his family are in grave danger. Fighting across the main courtyard, they come to the aid of Menesthios’ family, only to find their enemy prevails. The outcome brings grim tidings and oaths to seek revenge against whomever orchestrated the outrage. It has not even been a day in Massalia and already they are mired in a web of intrigue.

I was really unsure of just how the last session would play out. The first part was a lengthy introduction to their employer and his lifestyle, as well as an opportunity for the PCs to introduce themselves now the players had been with them a little bit. It was a bit heavy on the detail, both in terms of environment and a big info-dump of who's who, what's going on, and a lot of conveying just how complicated a place Massalia is. I hope I managed to do that with the briefings the henchmen sent ahead delivered.

The second part really was a gamble. See if the PCs ignored the danger to others in the house and got properly armoured up, they'd be completely safe as we saw in the last fight where they walked it. However, in doing so anyone else in the house could be dead by the time they were ready to stride out, which might mean they've come all this way for nothing. I was also interested in how invested they felt in Menesthios' cause and with the NPCs they'd already met. Never an easy thing to gauge.

As it was, they went for the "scoop up shield and a weapon" option, and got stuck in. The difference from the last fight was quite distinct. For one the PCs felt a lot more vulnerable; for another their opponents were much more capable, and they held them in the main courtyard for quite a while. The appearance of the assassin (who downed a henchman and nearly did a PC too on his opening attack) really scared them, and competent opposition really contrasted with not-so-competent from before. Though 1st level opponents still have a tendency to die in droves if one of the PCs gets their cleave-chain on (Meshullum machine-gunned four in one round at one point).

What was scariest for me as a GM was the medical attention offered to the critical NPCs after the fight, all of whom were taken out in the fighting. We rolled for each of the three, Menesthios, his partner Dianan, and their son Apollodoros. The first two survived (mostly because Abraham and Nikeratos, two henchmen, are really good physicians), but the roll for Apollodoros failed by 1. Which the players were disappointed by, they quite liked him (still, that gives a nice personal edge to investigating what happened). I have to say, though, I was really worried about what might have happened if Menesthios had been killed. He's their employer, the means for them to get involved in any/everything happening, and a significant motive force independent of the PCs.

As it stands, he'll be bedridden for the next month, and Septimus is also out for a couple of weeks. Septimus' player is talking about using one of his henchmen as a backup character for the next few sessions, so that's henchmen working as intended already.

We've ditched the Permanent Wounds part of the Mortal Wounds table as too silly and disconnected from what actually happened in-game for us. We're sticking with Condition and Recovery, just not bothering with the d6 roll for the other part. Instead, I think we'll decide as an when necessary what impact serious injury has once a character has recovered.

My players have described the Mortal Wounds table in many ways but “silly” is not one of them! Heh.

I’m glad that the rules are delivering a high-level of tension and fast-paced combat. It’s great to read about your party’s adventures.

It was the “genitals ruined” result coming from a backstab - it just didn’t make any sense in the context and some of the others similarly didn’t fit the fiction of what was going on in the fight. I must admit, as a general rule I’m not a big fan of random critical hit tables anyway, though at least the ones in WFRP (overcomplicated as they were) were limb-specific.

That aside, yes, the rules are certainly delivering both tension and fast-paced combat. It was pretty tense for me when I wasn’t sure if the main NPC was about to croak it having been barely introduced!

Though if the PCs are properly prepared, they can deal with almost anything available in a non-fantasy world. The only real threats to them are other hyper-capable people like themselves, they mow through Normal Men and 1st level opposition like chaff. It might help that they’re all Fighters or built off the Fighter frame. :slight_smile:

I can already see that whether or not a fight is something the PCs were prepared for is going to be a major factor in their difficulty. For example, if they are within the walls of Massalia itself, as non-citizens they are not allowed to bring weapons or armour through the gates. Which means unless they have help to stash things somewhere, they’re going to be unarmoured and possibly even unarmed any time they’re in the city. Obviously that’s a really bad time for them to get in a scrap.

Another instance is if they’re guests of someone at a formal function - again not a time when they’ll be armed or armoured. Which is quite different from the usual fantasy aesthetic where PCs all but sleep in their armour, only taking it off for their bi-annual baths.

My players are away at the Empire LARP event this weekend, meaning the podcast for Episode 5 will be a little slower in going up (and indeed my happen at the same time as that for Episode 6, assuming we meet as planned on the coming Thursday). Episode 5 was taken up by investigations into who was behind the attack on Menesthios' estate. I really wasn't sure where things were going to go, so had the sketchiest notes as to locations and people who might be visited in the city. What was interesting was that they were laser-focused on getting information and to the heart of the thing, even to the exclusion of everything else. I think being surprise-attacked, and losing an NPC they liked has really affected them. They want revenge; their employer, unsurprisingly, does too.

It's becoming something of the PCs modus operandi to kill off mooks and take leaders captive for questioning. To put that into the context of last game, the leader of the Iberian mercenaries who attacked had been taken prisoner, and was questioned. He gave them his employer, a middle-man called Abdeshmun. Said employer turned out to be dead in his bed, with his scribe Lysanias missing. Lysanias had fled to the docks, but was grabbed by a bunch of thugs working for Bolon, a crimelord. They tracked those thugs down to a dockside wine shop, and in trying to question them provoked a rather nasty knife-fight in which a lot of thugs died, but the PCs managed to take their leader away for questioning back at Menesthios' country house.

I should add here, I'm not intending to get them into dangerous situations in which they are not really prepared, but they certainly seem to manage it. In the wineshop fight, they were unarmoured, unshielded and armed only with daggers (and only armed at all because they all sneaked those daggers past the gate guards). So were their opponents. But they had two 5th level PCs and henchmen comprising a 2nd level Fighter, 3rd and 2nd level Assassins and a 2nd level Expert, up against a 4th and 2nd level fighter and about a dozen Normal Men. It was fast and brutal, almost everyone on the PC side was wounded, but everyone on the opposing side ended up dead. Maybe it was a perception of home advantage, but they rolled high on their morale checks each time, and opted to continue fighting.

They are now pretty certain that Metallo - who Abdeshmun works for - isn't behind the attack as some of the evidence would imply. However, even after a missive from that man to come meet him when they can, they seem to be avoiding him until they have all the information.

We had some amusing points too, like when they charged the hoplites at the games, scaring the crap out of them. That was Philipos demonstrating the necessity of the training he and his people will be providing fairly soon. Didn't get to a "training day" scene, but I hope to next session.

An optional rule I discussed with the players for Mortal Wounds was thus. Under normal circumstances, we only roll on the Condition and Recovery part. If that indicates the character is dead, they can opt to re-roll with the Permanent Wounds table instead, thus increasing the likelihood that there will be something lasting.

Thanks for keeping us posted. Your method of handling the Condition and Recovery table sounds good. It’s essentially giving everyone a bit of “Savage Resilience”. They can have a “serious wound” or “critical wound” even that does no lasting harm, but if the die they roll again and then might get a lost arm, etc.

Precisely. This is a game where dead means dead (no resurrection) and permanent wounds are genuinely permanent (no magical healing), so I’d expect it’s a real choice to make when in that position.

We’ve already had one player using henchmen in the last session, so they know if it comes to it, they can always have one of them take on the PC mantle.

Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 5 – Part 1

The investigation begins into who was behind the attack. Clues are examined, a prisoner is questioned and Menesthios gives his instructions on how to proceed: this insult must be answered, the shades of his sons cry out for vengeance. Septimus and Herakleides are bedridden for the time being, but will recover. Preparations are made to enter the city for the first time.


Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 5 – Part 2

Philipos causes a disturbance at the gates to get the measure of the men he is to train. Meshullum talks to Isandros, a prominent man amongst the artisan class, and Philipos visits Menesthios’ Greek son, Idomeneus. Following up on leads from the attack brings the pair to the house of Abdeshmun, and on the trail of a missing scribe. That brings them to the docks and a confrontation with men working for the notorious crimelord who rules the city’s illicit trades.

Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 6 – Part 1

Funeral preparations for Apollodoros and Lykon continue while a prisoner is interrogated, giving up a name: Bolon. He is sent away with an ultimatum from Septimus for his boss – assist in the investigation or be destroyed. Rhyanidd arranges the first meeting of the city hippeis. Philipos receives an invitation to the gymnasium. And at last a visit is paid to Metallo who broaches a mutually beneficial scheme.


Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 6 – Part 2

Plans are set in motion for training regimes for the task ahead. Meshullum continues to make preparations, enlisting the aid of the shipwright, Telekles. Rhyanidd visits the temple of Herakles, making new friends amongst the local Celtic population. Philipos attends the gymnasium, meeting Akestes and several influential men of the hoplite class and narrowly escapes humiliation at the hands of Glaukias.

Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 7

Bolon delivers his reply to Septimus’ ultimatum in gory fashion. Rhyanidd begins training the city hippeis, demonstrating to those worthy men just how unready for war they are. Plans are made for an appropriate response to Bolon’s the insult and allies enlisted in what will be a bold strike to change the playing field in Massalia.

Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 8 – Part 1

Matters of the heart and conflicts within the band arise, and Menesthios asks Septimus for advice on family matters. A delegation from the timoukoi tries to dissuade the PCs from the plan to send the militia in to the docks to hunt down Bolon, resolving to take the matter to a debate in the council. Rhyanidd brings funds and followers to Lugobelinus.

Tyche’s Favourites – Episode 8 – Part 2

The hoplites muster and Philipos puts them through their paces. Septimus is back on his feet, though not fully recovered. The council meets to discuss the attack on the docks. Rhyanidd receives a message from Metallo. The Cilician brothers return from the city wounded having had a run-in with Bolon’s men. A surprise attack is prepared while the council continues to debate, a direct strike to keep the crimelord off-balance.


This was the last session for the time being, with the arrival of my second-born, running a game won't really work for a while. As a group we're reprising our D&D4e Icewind Dale game for the third and final time, then moving on to a 13th Age game using a homebrewed setting.