Neil Amswych

With all the traveling from

Khitai to Nordheim (for @Matt John S‘s scenario) to Stygia for the final showdown, I feel it would be totally remiss to not do a scenario on the ships. Last week I suggested an ambush by Stygian Assassins but I think something slightly more creative may be in order if my ambush in a tavern scenario is accepted. I can’t think what yet but I’m working on it.

On 1/13/2018 at 6:25 PM, Primeval said:

Actually I would prefer to use my ideas to tell the story I intended with my scenario; no problem if it doesn't fit the campaign but please don;t use any of the specifics I posted for other scenarios as I will be writing mine as a kind of "return to the tower of the elephant" standalone. If it does fit into the campaign, great.

 

Probably won't have time to come up with another idea before tomorrow but will post if I can.

Given that Dan’s scenario starts with Yogah, the two are incompatible. That’s a bummer.

On 1/13/2018 at 6:25 PM, Primeval said:

Actually I would prefer to use my ideas to tell the story I intended with my scenario; no problem if it doesn't fit the campaign but please don;t use any of the specifics I posted for other scenarios as I will be writing mine as a kind of "return to the tower of the elephant" standalone. If it does fit into the campaign, great.

 

Probably won't have time to come up with another idea before tomorrow but will post if I can.

Given that Dan’s scenario starts with Yogah, the two are incompatible. That’s a bummer.

My second scenario suggestion. This could be an optional one.

KILL THE TRAITOR (Tavern map)

Hadrathus, Ikhmet, Yogah and Zelata are racing to Nordheim for some exciting reason but an elite Cushite group loyal to Thot Amon have been tracking them. As the heroes rest for an evening, the inn where they’re staying is surrounded and the death squad enter, knowing that if Ikhmet can be killed, it will be harder for the heroes to find Thot Amon in Stygia.

Heroes: Hadrathus, Ikhmet, Yogah and Zelata

Tiles: (not in order) Shubba, Shafiah, Ghayoor, Afari, Belit’s Guard (two of whom hold torches (from Stygia box)), Special Tile

The Heroes win the game if Ikhmet makes it out of the tavern alive.

The Overlord wins the game if Ikhmet does not make it out of the tavern alive.

If one of the Overlord’s characters holding a torch ends a turn without attacking, they may set fire to the area they are in. Anyone caught in fire takes three damage (the Overlord may spend gems to mitigate against this damage). Anyone who ends their turn in an area adjacent to fire takes one damage. If one of the bar spaces catches fire, all of the bar spaces immediately catch fire. If a character holding a torch is killed, their torch is dropped but not extinguished. Any of the Overlord’s characters may pick up a torch for free. A hero may extinguish a torch on the floor with a simple manipulation. An area on fire may be extinguished from an adjacent area with a complex manipulation with a difficulty of 3.

3 minutes ago, Primeval said:

Whatever is best for the campaign is fine with me. But there are a couple of narrative questions that spring to mind here:

Why is Conan in Khitai? At the point this campaign takes place he is King of Aquilonia, correct? Not that it couldn't happen, but it needs clarifying unless I missed something (with my old man brain that is distinctly possible).

The idol as I have it was designed by Yara, why would it be in Khitai? I know there would certainly be such things there, since Yogah spent much time there, but it seems that such a thing should be closer to Yara's tower where he held Yogah.

If these narrative issues make sense then I am all for whatever works best for the campaign.

I would agree - Conan isn't in Khitai. These are long-distance merchants, like old eastern merchants along the Silk Road.

In terms of why the idol should be in Khitai, perhaps because it's a place with a strong centralization of magic? It wouldn't have to be the idol in mine, though. That'll be @Matt John S's call on Sunday.

Funnily enough, I just came online to say that Sunday is going to be tricky for me because I'll be with the kids, so I was wondering if I could post my pitch early. But since someone else has, I think I will, too!

ESCAPE FROM KHITAI (Khitai Streets Map)

Hadrathus, Yogah, Shentu and Ikhmet are fleeing from the tower where Hadrathus accidentally summoned a powerful Dark Demon protecting Thoth Amon, whose evil plans Hadrathus had worked out with Ikhmet’s help.

Now they flee through the streets of Khitai, quickly looking for a merchant who might know the location of Conan himself. The heroes know that if they can also raid the Shrine of Shanloc on the outskirts of the town, they might be able to take some ingredients that will allow them to magically defeat the Dark Demon, but they also know the shrine is well guarded.

The heroes win 1VP if they obtain the two items from the Shrine of Shanloc and/or 1VP if they escape with the merchant. They may also use Conan in the final battle if they escape with the merchant.

The Overlord wins 1VP if they stop the heroes from raiding the Shrine and/or 1VP if they kill the merchant identified by the heroes.

Heroes: Hadrathus, Yogah, Shentu, Ikhmet

Tiles: (not in order) Dark Demon (does not start in river), Regular Crossbowmen (guarding docks), Elite Crossbowmen (guarding docks), Javelin Throwers (guarding shrine), Crows (in town), Special Tile 1, Special Tile 2

Special Tile 1 allows for normal unit reinforcements, Special Tile 2 allows Dark Demon to appear

My hope with this scenario is that is gives a difficult choice for the heroes because there's more than one objective. If they split up too much they might fail at both, but if they stay together they might only succeed at one.

This scenario really clashes with Primeval's because of Conan's presence. I do like the idea of the statue that can be used to control Yogah, and wonder if it can be used in my scenario instead in the Shrine of Shanloc (basically, the shrine in the corner of the Khitai streets map) - that is, they recover the statue instead of two other items. Knowing they want to get Yogah on their side in the final battle makes it all the more important for them to recover it. @Primeval, would you be okay merging the two scenarios like this? I really like the idea, although I appreciate the added complexity, of the final scenario having Conan's presence variable and having Yogah as a hero or a tile as variable too.

5 hours ago, Primeval said:

What heroes do you plan to use Dan? Depending on what you do with the first one I may pitch mine as the second.  Yogah figures in mine but could either be in it or simply a reason for it (that'll make more sense later I hope!).

I was going to pitch mine as second - escape from Khitai trying to find the merchant who knows the way to Conan, while avoiding the Dark Demon. I’ll fight ya!

My sense here is that a number of scenarios, starting with Dan’s, are going to need to bring in Yogah. I could see Hadrathus and Yogah being the stable element in the hero pool tbh. 

1 minute ago, Primeval said:

 

Skuthus is a core box hero, Pelias was a stretch goal though. I would kind of like to use a "not-Taurus" for mine but if we decide to not allow those figures I'' figure something else out.

 

If Skuthus is a core box hero, why would someone need to proxy him?

17 hours ago, Matt John S said:

Better to offer Skuthus as a substitution as we've come to the consensus that we stay away from any needed proxies. 

But Skuthus was in the original box. Was he a Stretch Goal?

What about Pelias?

On 1/9/2018 at 4:59 AM, Matt John S said:

...-Heroes to use: Amra Conan, regular Conan, Yag (he's technically dead, but we're writing him in with our creative gymnastics), Hadrathus (to be used in most scenarios as he's the narrative through-line), Zelata, Inkhmet, Niord, Shentu... Belit, N'gora, Shevatas, are able to be used, but they are technically dead. So we may want to use them as stand ins, or just ignore the fact that they're dead and don't write too much about them in the scenario itself. 

....

What did I miss? @Ken @drmauric @Primeval @Neil Amswych 

Skuthus as a possible hero as well.

Thanks for feedback. @Matt John S you said it seems a bit long. It’s 8 adventures so how many would you rather us have or did you mean because there are too many variants in that one?

Its going to be much harder for everyone to create scenario that connect with each other without basing it, even loosely, around an overarching narrative but you’re the boss so please ignore my narrative arc if need be and perhaps we can write something once everyone is done. However, Nordheim, Stygia and Khitai are three totally different areas of the world and having the same characters visit all three in the space of one campaign is going to need a lot of narrative explanation, otherwise it’s not going to hold together well.

Similarly, if we’re writing something we need to know what victory conditions are as @drmauric  mentioned. I think community-written can still have some top-down guidance, as happened with the pool of heroes.

I totally missed the pitch your ideas in a week’s time bit. Sorry!

4 heroes. Thanks.

I’ll consider one or two adventures and pitch them in a week!

@Primeval, actually there's loads you could test, even with only minimal proxying. 

3 and 4 could be proxied. 7 (Skuthus as hero) you could do instead of me, and that uses KS stuff. 8 could be proxied. 9 and 10 could easily use Barbarian pledge stuff. So even if Matt approves of this narrative, there's still loads you could contribute.

3 minutes ago, Primeval said:

Certainly an interesting campaign - lots of expansion and add on material though, will this turn off too many people? Nothing wrong with aiming this at the crowd that has those but just wanted to make sure that is considered.

 

Having said that, none of these look like scenarios for me to write, as I don't have the expansions or those materials and they are mostly claimed already it seems, so I should probably bow out and cheer you on from afar.

 

No no! Don't ever let something I write be something to put you off or make you bow out! This is just a suggestion. And there are loads of these scenarios that haven't been claimed by anyone.

That said, the intention mentioned earlier strongly seemed to be to include the three boxes and other things. I did raise the concern that you just have, though, about excluding people from the campaign by having so many extras.

Definitely lots for @Matt John S to think about in terms of direction.

I should have been painting my Bossonian Guards this evening. Instead, I've come up with a narrative that tries to combine as many of the previous suggestion as possible. It's an 8-game campaign for the players that involves us creating 11 scenarios. Feel free to use, modify or ignore as you wish. Obviously, it needs fleshing out. One thing I would say - I would absolutely love to play this campaign.

Introduction: Hadrathus’ magic has allowed him to divine an evil plan by Thoth Amon. But the same magic accidentally summoned a vile and powerful protective demon that Hadrathus knows he is not powerful enough to defeat, a demon that Thoth Amon himself has summoned to protect anyone who gets close to the plan.

1: Khitai Tower (Dan): Hadrathus knows that he has to stop Thoth Amon no matter what, and that to do so he will have to not only stop the vile wizard but also the protective demon that is going to try to stop him at every turn. But first, he has to get the word to Conan of the evil plot and to do that he has to escape down to the ground level and out before the Dark Demon can catch him.

Question: How is this scenario multiplayer? How do we bring in the other characters immediately? What were they doing in the tower?

2: Khitai Streets (Neil): Same heroes as previous scenario. A merchant in the nearby town is likely to know where Conan can be found. The heroes rush to the town to try to locate such a merchant. But Thoth Amon has used dark magic to contact local individuals who are loyal to him. The heroes have to find the merchant and escape with them before Thoth Amon’s people kill the merchant, or before the Dark Demon arrives.

If the merchant lives go to 3, if not, go to 4 and the heroes cannot bring in Conan in the final scenario:

3. Inn. Hadrathus and friends find Conan at Ye Olde Inn and tells him of the plan. But he’s been followed, and quickly some Stygian Assassins pour into the Inn to kill the heroes before they can do anything else. The heroes must fight their way out. Once they do, Conan pledges to go to Stygia to try to find Thoth Amon, while Hadrathus knows that in order to defeat the Dark Demon, he is going to need some magical help. The two heroes pledge to meet again in Stygia. Continue on 5.

4. The Ships. Hadrathus takes a ship to somewhere he believes Conan may be found. He is wrong, and nearly pays for it with his life as Stygian Assassins and pirates draw a ship up next to his to try to board and kill him. Hack and slash to survive. Continue on 5.

5. Pict Village (Dan). With many of Thoth Amon’s Stygian Assassins dealt with, Hadrathus knows that he has to find an item that can help defeat the Dark Demon that protects Thoth Amon. He knows that the Witch Hunters of Somewhere Mythical have access to said item, and Hadrathus knows he must steal it from them. If successful, after adventures 6 and 7, go to 8, if not after adventures 6 and 7, go to 9.

6. Nordheim (Matt). Part of Thoth Amon’s plan to spread evil is to bring back the Frost Giants from some other realm. Hadrathus knows that he must make haste to Stygia to stop Thoth Amon, so he sends word to his trusted friends (other heroes like Niord and Zelata) to deal with the Frost Giant threat. Success affects the next scenario.

7. (Neil) Skuthus had been magically helping bring the Frost Giants into this plane for his own reason. If Frost Giants were defeated, Skuthus is equipped poorly, if not then he is equipped well. Hadrathus and Skuthus both need the map to Thoth Amon in Stygia, for differing reasons. They work together. Once the map is recovered, though, they realize that they cannot both have it, and so turn on each other and fight for it. If Skuthus gets the map, Thoth Amon is stronger in 10 and 11, if Hadrathus gets the map, Thoth Amon is surprised and is weaker.

8. The item from #5 brings back Yoga of Yag. It’s a big showdown with the Dark Demon. If unsuccessful, go to 10. If successful, go to 11.

9. Without the item from #5, the heroes have to use their wits and send the Dark Demon to another plane. They have to lure it into some kind of portal (are such things in Conan?). But it is not alone. If unsuccessful, go to 10. If successful, go to 11.

10. Ruined Fortress. Thoth Amon has been successful in releasing the evil and has brought the Dark Demon to Tarantia and destroyed it. All the heroes can do now is exact revenge on Thoth Amon amongst the ruins. The heroes have lost the campaign but at least can stop Thoth Amon from spreading any further evil.

11. Stygia Streets (Ken). Hadrathus races to Stygia to stop Shuang Mian, who is arriving by boat, from meeting up with Thoth Amon. Shintu and Ikhmet join. Conan too if the heroes won #2, but someone else if not. If Thoth Amon and Shuang Mian meet and remain together, they finish an evil ritual and win the campaign. If they are stopped, the heroes win.  

Next question. How many heroes? This might be an easier campaign if it's two or three heroes instead of four, especially with the slightly limited pool of heroes. Also, with fewer players, it makes it easier for people to be able to gather a group together to play the campaign. So, can we go down to two or three heroes for the campaign?

47 minutes ago, Ken said:

Maybe we can have the demon being the recurring bad, and use the witch hunters in a scenario as a competing group for a resource (rather than working directly for Thoth).

I nominate Dan to create that one, too!

1 minute ago, Ken said:

Maybe we can have the demon being the recurring bad, and use the witch hunters in a scenario as a competing group for a resource (rather than working directly for Thoth).

This

I don’t think Thoth should be in until the end. Penultimate adventure they slay the demon. Before that a bad-ass tile.

Just as Dan is on the Witch Hunter I am on Stygian Assassins because it’s a nice pointer to the end.

7 minutes ago, drmauric said:

Alright... I'm going to be that guy...

I've read and acknowledge and appreciate and understand everything that's been said about the Witch Hunters. I see how in the previous suggestions and ideas it wasn't going to work.

 

Here is a new direction for consideration. I think someone may have kind of said this. But maybe using a different single hunter through out a couple different scenarios and spread them out through the campaign.  Just to keep an ominous presence going.

 

Not trying to force the issue. Just putting an idea out there.

It’s totally okay to be that guy. I was that guy for years when we playtested X-Wing. But I think the suggestion of a terrifying demon is far better, and from what I’ve read so far seems to better match the original texts’ fear of the supernatural and dark forces.

4 minutes ago, Ken said:

 

Thematically, a demon might fill this role better. 

 Hadrathus’ magic has allowed him to divine an evil plan by Thoth Amon. But the same magic accidentally summoned a vile and powerful protective demon that Hadrathus knows he is not powerful enough to defeat, a demon that Thoth Amon himself has summoned to protect anyone who gets close to the plan.

Hadrathus knows that he has to stop Thoth Amon no matter what, and that to do so he will have to not only stop the vile wizard but also the protective demon that is going to try to stop him at every turn. I LOVE it.

1 minute ago, Ken said:

Considering Shevatas is 25% of the core game heroes, I vote we allow him for this campaign if someone wants to include him.

 

Renaming him might cause more confusion that just implying he survived somehow.

I vote no. There was so much Shevatas in the core set. Let the players diversify.

1 hour ago, drmauric said:

Great point. Noted. I can see how this could be limiting for other writers.

I really like the idea of running from instead of hack and slash, though, and then facing that big boss at the end. If it’s not the Witch Hunters (sorry, Dan!) then is there a tile we can be encouraged (but not forced) to use as a thread throughout the adventures? Something that they may not want to face straight away but might later?

I’m a fan of Stygian Assassins as a thread but they’re not terrifying. Depends on which narrative route we want to take with this.

31 minutes ago, Matt John S said:

Neil, you mean can we swap Heroes or out from scenario to the next? I think, yes. You as the writer choose which Heroes you want in the scenario, just stick to the pool we've decided on (or provide a substitute) and try and have a narrative reason for them being there. I'd like to see Conan only show up in a few just to keep things new and less Conan focused (needs to be in the last scenario, I think). Hadrathus may be good to have in most as well just to stick to our story through line, but I say go where the idea takes. 

I like the idea of a Hadrathus storyline. He could be the one permanent character in all adventures with the others being flexible.

Shevatas died after one page!!!

I’m not mad on renaming. I think it suggests that there isn’t enough stuff to work with, and that’s not true.