Play by Forum: Hexplore It - The Sands of Shurax

Games
81

Okay, there’s now links to the Rulebooks and character sheets, + all the major reference placards in the first post. Which is now very image intensive.

So, we retconning to double-crit on @Thraeg’s explore and survival so he gets another gold and you all can just outright choose a Circumstance? If so, which one? The Soaring City was proposed. The Cave of Eajayib is also really good - you kinda suck at skills but I think you’re officially mildly Righteous so you would only be risking 2 energy drain a pop and if you don’t all die you get any one treasure they’ve made. Treasures are potentially crazy good. An example we just got in the live TTS game my friend and I started tonight: the Ring of Shadows, a magical artifact made by the level 7 boss, Magnus Grim, which gives +health to the wielder, makes all heroes deal Piercing (no defense) and Corrosive (no healing it the same turn, no raising the affected stat) damage to Spirits and Undead, provides a defense against Grim’s passive and his possession ability, and the first time you would gain a Power Up card or cards on a game turn, lets you draw another one and apply the effect to everyone. (!) (We escorted a Divine One caravan master who was possessed by a devil, and got stupendously lucky events so he was totally unscratched and like 6 vitals over starting by the end.)

Whichever one you encounter will be replaced by the Plague of Locusts once you’ve encountered it. If this sounds like a plan.

82

[Actually, with the double-able skill reductions, if we actually are Righteous – did you randomly roll that for us, malkav? – then the Cave is pretty excellent, come to think of it. I’m okay going either way, but I’d switch my vote to the Cave. What say you, @Thraeg, @Ormus, and @Matt_W?

Dooooo iiiiiit

Yeeeeeeeee

YEEEEEEE

Y’all this game is great. Completely insane, but great :-D

I’m very bad at movies. I saw a few minutes of Casablanca one time, but there weren’t enough laser elves, alas.

Bless you, sir]

Chimminy notices Orion’s extraordinary luck during the first day of their journey; despite the salesman’s seeming poor business decisionmaking, he seems to unerringly take to the desert. He stumbles upon a handful of surprisingly edible cacti almost immediately, and kicks a handful of gold coins out of a dune just an hour later. Eager to capitalize on his preternatural burst of good fortune, Chimminy begins to focus intently on him, muttering absurd rhymes under his squeaky breath, when he stops short, noticing Akbar’s face taking on a more pointed shape, his eyes turning a few shades darker toward black.

“Ah, you’re a shifter, newfound friend? Well, 'tis better your soul’s expenditure than mine, trapper. Carry on then,” Chimminy said, almost entirely to himself, watching the swirl of fairy magic float way from Akbar, catch on the wind, and billow around O’Brien like a glittering dust devil. Sure enough, within minutes, the group hears a shout from the outlandish Drian. It seems that he’s found something there, amidst the twisting, blinding sands.

83

Could switch to the cave, it seems strangely worded. “Any hero” may choose to enter the cave followed by “If at least one hero survives”.

It won’t be me entering however, my energy is already down to 2 and my skills are pathetic. It takes a lot of effort to shift from an Ogre to a Fairy, my intestines may never recover.

Also the reward of 1 Treasure of YOUR CHOICE from any Hexplore It game doesn’t seem ridiculously broken at all, no siree. This game really is superbly balanced, it reminds me of Chess or a finely tuned Euro.

84

[ooc: I think this means any or all of us can enter, roll our checks, and take the energy damage. If any of us survives, we get the treasure. Chimminy can take the 6 energy hit best (provided we are actually Righteous.) And even has about a 50% chance of only taking 4.]

Cheya wiped sweat from her brow as she and the others gazed at the mouth of the yawning cavern: a nearly round hole in the desert floor with steps descending into blackness. The party had clearly stumbled on the legendary Cave of Eajayib. “Well I’d assumed this explorin’ business was gonna be tougher’n this.” Orion surged ahead, headstrong, clearly intent on recovering whatever treasures lay within and Cheya pulled him back with one large hand on his shoulder. “Look there friend.” The party could see a shimmer in front of the cave mouth. The barest suggestion of laughing eyes and a dangerous grin appearing and disappearing like a mirage in the desert heat. And the wind occasionally seemed to make the sound of sharpening scimitars. “I’d spec’ Chimminy you might be able t’bend your charmin’ and lively self to distractin’ that spirit from its duties for a bit, d’ya think?”

85

It’s Energy Drain, not just energy damage, which means it will wrap around to health and can kill you. And I am wrong, y’all are considered Neutral. You had me roll for your starting reputation, which moves 1 point towards a City-State…but that’s just horizontally or vertically, it’s not diagonal. So you are 1 point towards Phorora (which is Rebellious and Righteous) but you are still on the dividing line between the Rebellious and Righteous quadrants, like this:

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As such I can no longer recommend the Cave. The Soaring City does seem like a fine bet. I’ve adjusted the sheets to reflect Akbar having made the roll adjustment and Orion having gotten an extra gold from the newly produced crit, and if there’s signoff on the City we’ll go ahead and make that change.

86

[ooc: I approve of the city]

Cheya staggered a bit. “Sorry 'bout that folks. I thought… I mean I really… Hoo boy, this desert. The shadow that giant dome way up there is casting really does look like a cave entrance don’t it. Don’t it?”

87

[Beam me up, city!]

88

City my face!

89

Okay. Nothin’ to resolve there. You have the Soaring City card, you have the ability to reroll any die 6 times over the course of this game. Circumstance slot 1 is now the previously posted Plague of Locusts.

Ravager Phase
On the first turn of the game, the Ravager appears on a HEX result on the Pyramid die. But I rolled a 2.

Turn 2
Movement Phase

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Camp, Cautious, Normal or Reckless movement, and which way? (I assume the plan is still heading to the Silt Sea mission space?)

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We could go direct to the silt sea mission space. If we got terribly unlucky and wandered into the Boss we could always use a reroll from the city card. If the Ravager appears on our hex we can escape freely (move one hex) in Acts 1 / 2.

91

I’d choose to move normally to the caravan spot, place a tile and see what it has, then potentially continue to the northern-most spot to place another tile.

The more tiles we have down, the more options and the longer until Act II begins.

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"Do. . . do ya think tha city’s just gonna keep, ah, followin’ us, like that, then? Sort of a baleful ‘over it’s got there. Bit like a puppy dog that’s justa bit too keen, eh? Mind, the dogs never seem ta care for me. Always yappin’ their fluffly lil’ heads off.

“Err, sorry. Right. I propose we do indeed see what these traders 'ave ta offer and what lands lie beyond. While I’m always terribly eager ta explore the depths of a tomb, it’s been a powerful long while since me wings had a proper chance ta stretch ‘n’ soar in the sun!”

[Onboard with regular move to caravan to reveal + further move to reveal more if that physically can fit]

93

“Why, you’re right, my fine fae friend! My problem must have been that I didn’t commit hard enough to my business model. Why, I could get towels for dryin’, a glass for magnifyin’, linens for dyin’, and masks for terrifyin’!” He pulls out a notepad and absentmindedly wanders into the desert while scribbling on it, by chance narrowly avoiding a tumble into a nearby ravine.

I’m also on board with regular movement to the caravan.

94

Caravan is good.

95

[I think that’s a quorum, @malkav11! HOTtile us, baby!

(not trying to rush, but also trying to help keep track of sprawling discussions where I can, because I’m working very hard at ignoring my job today)]

96

So, the moment you move onto the Caravansary, you meet the Caravan Master whose caravan is currently encamped there:

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I forgot to generate the destination of the Caravan but my sense is that you were not planning on actually journeying with the Caravan. If that changes, I’ll let you know before you commit. If you remain on that space you can purchase Bazaar items with a list cost under 3 from the Caravan (at Melhin’s +2 gold markup each), which includes Hardy Ration - 2 gold (4 from Melhin) for 5 food. You wouldn’t have to take the Caravan to buy items, but you’d get a chance before embarking if you do.

Otherwise, here is the new tile (which you can rotate if you want but I assumed this would be the preferred position:

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Continue? Reveal a new HOTtile or move onto the Silt Sea mission?

97

[Oooo, mission mission!]

98

Let’s mission, baby.

99

Works for me.

100

Okay, moved to the Silt Sea Mission Hex. It would take an extra hex of movement if you had any left, but you do not. (Specifically, it’s not that they cost 2 to move into, but that you lose a hex of movement when entering if you have any remaining. But that was #3.)

Skills Phase
Cheya: Rolls Navigate, Explore, and Survival
Navigate: skill 3, result 9. Fail.
Explore: skill 1, result 8. Fail.
Survival: skill 2, result 8. Fail. 3 food consumed.

Akbar: Rolls Navigate, Explore and Survival
Navigate: skill 1, result 8. Fail.
Explore: skill 1, result 4. Fail.
Survival: skill 3, result 4. Fail. 2 food consumed.

Orion O’Brien: Rolls Navigate, Explore and Survival
Navigate: skill 3, result 3. Pass
Explore: skill 3, result 6. Fail.
Survival: skill 1, result 7. Fail. 2 food consumed.

Chimminy: Rolls Navigate, Explore and Survival
Navigate: skill 2, result 6. Fail.
Explore: skill 3, result HEX. Critical Success. 3 gold gained.
Survival: skill 1, result 5. Fail. 0 food consumed.

3/4 Navigate rolls failed and none of them by little enough to be Fairy-massaged into success. You need at least 2 of the 4 to succeed to stay where you wanted, so, you Wander.
Wander Roll: HEX. So you go straight north.

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Circumstance Phase
Circumstance roll: 2.
So you remember those Scarabs? Yeah, you blundered right into them this time. What’s everyone’s battle strategy?
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(Also, @ArmandoPenblade, do you want to bonus Akbar’s survival into succeeding? It’d basically be 3 energy for one less food spent.)