26. A Continuing Brief Interlude

After my foray into Dinosaur hunting at Texicon (see last post), I bought the rules in order to play again.  I was really excited about "Adventures in the Lost Lands" because I realized I have everything I needed to actually be able to play RIGHT NOW.  No need to go buy more miniatures; I had figures painted and ready.  Plus, I didn't even need to buy dinosaurs.  I simply raided my son's old tub of dinos and away we went!

I played a few solo games to get a better grip on the Two Hour Wargames reaction system, then coerced persuaded my wife and two oldest offspring to play too.  Here's what happened.

Please forgive the poor quality of photography.  I took the pictures "on the fly," as it were, without stopping to pose them (or for that matter, frame them well) mainly because I didn't want to slow the game down any more than necessary.

I decided to play a Dino Safari, just as I did at Texicon.  This would give me the added benefit of having something familiar to compare my game to, as well as letting my family experience something like what I did at the con.  There were three Big Game Hunters, each with a Native bearer, an Askari guide and a Foreign Legion mercenary.  The Hunters all had modern Big Game Rifles, and the Askaris and Legionnaires each had a Bolt Action Rifle.  The Native was unarmed.  I gave them the mercenary as an added gun, because at Texicon we could really have used one!  I had been playing up the "You're gonna get eaten by a dinosaur" angle leading up to the game, so I felt justified in giving them the extra firepower.

The Hunters had to explore all nine areas of the table, and kill and skin at least one dinosaur as proof of their existence.  Plus, each kill was worth points, and the player with the most points at the end of the game would be the winner.  But if the table remained unexplored, then no one would win.  My wife (who is not a gamer) was a real trooper, and kept the game moving by embracing the spirit of the scenario.  My daughter, the younger of the two kids playing, is very cautious by nature, and didn't really want to shoot anything, or move too far away from the other Hunters.  She was really good at "watching our backs" (her words).  My son, on the other hand, had no problem about staying on his own, making kills, and then being ready to bolt off the table as needed.

The danger level of the Safari was determined by dice roll to be 3, so three PEFs (Possible Enemy Forces) were placed out of LOS (Line of Sight) in randomly-determined Areas.

Above:  I rolled for terrain setup and got mostly clear-type terrain.  This is the left half of the table, showing Areas 1, 2, 4, 5, and part of 7 and 8 (at the bottom of the screen).  That's a trail on the left and a fordable river on the right.

Above:  This is the right half of the table, showing Areas 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 and 9.  Yes, the river is construction paper.  But it served it's purpose.  The little grey crosses indicate the Areas that the table was divided into.

Above:  The Hunters entered Area 8 and proceeded to pass through Areas 7 and 4, whereupon they caught sight of their first PEF.  It was determined to be four medium-sized Feeders, docile plant-eaters.

Above:  While my son plinked away and got his first kill (worth 3 points), my wife and daughter decided to continue exploring.  They headed toward Area 5 (the center of the table) where there was another PEF.

Above:  Here they are cautiously approaching Area 5.  You can see the black sphere I used as the marker for the PEF (leftover from spaceship combat games, but still good for representing something that is unknown).

Above:  This PEF was determined to be 4 small Feeders.  My wife and daughter moved closer, and my daughter got a one-shot kill, worth 1 point.  My wife also got a kill, but since it was a multi-shot kill on a small dinosaur, it netted her zero points.

Above:  Here they are harvesting the kill, while half the group watches for danger.  The two remaining dinos ran for it when their buddies bit the big one, and try as they might the Hunters couldn't get another hit.

Above:  Meanwhile, my son had been trying...and trying...and trying to kill any of the other medium Feeders from the first PEF.  But every time he shot at them and missed, they ran away.  Even though he got in two or sometimes three more rounds of firing before they fled the table, he STILL missed.  He was getting very frustrated, and bored, and making comments like, "I don't like this game.  It's boring.  It's too hard to hit anything.  D&D is better because it's easier to do good dice rolls."  I was biting my lip so hard it hurt.  Here he is shown harvesting his one kill.  Minutes later, he finally got a second one-shot kill, scoring 3 more points (totaling 6 now).  He was in the lead, and still complaining!

Above:  My wife, still trying to get her first points, knocked down and wounded the small Feeder at the river.  The third PEF burst into view on the left side in Area 6, but it wound up being a result of "nothing there now, but the next PEF is automatically a dinosaur."  The trouble was, there were no more PEFs on the table!  Since there had been kills, the "Scent of a Kill" rule was in effect, meaning that anytime the Activation dice totaled 7 then a new PEF was generated.  But I couldn't roll a 7 to save my life!  If I'd been playing craps, I'd have lost my shirt.  I mean really, the single number on 2d6 most likely to be rolled, and I couldn't do it.  What's more, all the Hunters had to do was explore Areas 6 and 3, and the table would be explored, so after that no more PEFs could be generated at all.  This was verging on boring!

My son, meanwhile, had finished harvesting his two dinosaurs and had retreated back to the table edge of Area 7, ready to run off the table as soon as the rest of the table was finally explored.  My daughter had already retreated off-table too, her nerves shot from the possibility of meeting more dinosaurs; fortunately her 1 point was enough for her personal morale.

My wife, though, was determined to explore the table, thereby fulfilling the requirements of the scenario, and trying hard to get the kids into the spirit of the game play.  So I did what any self-respecting GM would do at a time like this:  I fudged a die roll.  I rolled the Activation dice, and one of them came up 5, but the other wasn't 2...so I re-rolled it until it was a 2.  I needed another PEF, and I made it happen.

Above:  Here it is, in all it's PEF unknowable glory.  I also needed it to be a Ferocious dinosaur.  I was prepared to shred my credibility yet again by fudging the die roll, but I was spared that horror as it legitimately came up as a Ferocious.  Then it got interesting:  not only did I honestly roll for the Ferocious to be gigantic size, I also honestly rolled for it to be Gigantosaurus!  How could this be any better?  Here the Hunters thought they were getting a cake walk, and now I was worried about them ALL being eaten!  How could they stop Gigantosaurus?  Did my wife have any idea how dangerous this critter was?  Luckily for everyone, I only rolled for ONE Gigantosaurus (which was good for me, too, as I only have one plastic model that size!).

Above:  The Gigantosaurus moved from Area 3 to Area 2, and my wife followed from Area 6 to Area 3, thereby exploring all the Areas on the table.  But the game wasn't over until she decided to leave the table, and she was bent and determined on bagging that Gigantosaurus.  Normally, on-table Ferocious dinos behave the same as PEFs do, meaning they move directly toward the nearest players or other dinosaurs.  In my solo prep games, I had decided to modify that rule, and went with my house rule of:  if the Ferocious has the other players/dinosaurs in its front half LOS then it will behave as a PEF; otherwise, it will move in a random direction based on a d6 roll (after all, it doesn't have eyes in the back of its head, and my Hunters needed all the help they could get).  So, after one random d6 roll Giganto pushed forward, spotted the remains of the medium Feeder my son had killed earlier but not harvested, moved towards it and began to eat it.  Something that small would not last it long, however.

Above:  My wife's Hunter tracked the Gigantosaurus from across the table, keeping plenty of space between them, and taking pot shots at it each chance she got.  I was really worried about what would happen when Giganto had finished his appetizer.

Above:   And then, just as the Gigantosaurus was finishing it's meal...BLAM, a hit; WHAM, a six for Ranged Combat Damage; and WHAMMO, boxcars for maximum Dinosaur Damage!  (Boxcars, for you uninitiated out there, means two 6s.)  12 + 5 (for the Hunter's Rifle's Impact rating) = 1 Obviously Dead dinosaur!

Above:  Called shot to the head, apparently.  From waaay across the table, no less.  That's 7 points, baby!  Way to go, Mom!  Unbelievable!  Astounding!  Hoody-hoo!

Above:  Final score:  Mom 7, Son 6, Daughter 1.  My son was...upset, shall we say?  Since there were no more unexplored Areas, there could be no more PEFs, ergo there was no way for him to earn more points.  So he did the only thing a frustrated 12-year old boy could do:  he tried for a kill on Mom's group.  We weren't too worried, based on his dismal dice-rolling previously, but when the smoke cleared he'd knocked the faithful Askari OOF (Out of the Fight).  Mom promised retribution back at the Sportman's Clubhouse.  We tried to explain to him that when you hang back right on the edge of the table, ready to run, it smacks of being chicken and that you shouldn't be surprised when the people who TRY, actually get results.  His response was, "I wasn't hiding, I was playing it safe."  Whatever, Sport, whatever.  We ended up laughing about it, though, so it's all good.

The end result was a fun game...for me and my wife.  I think while the two snotlings didn't hate it, they didn't enjoy it much either.  I put this down to a lack of gaming experience (my fault for not getting them more), as well as to it being my first public game, coupled with uninteresting dice rolls.  Next time (if there is a next time), I think I'll fudge a few more rolls so as to guarantee more Ferocious types.  There's nothing more fun than running for your life through the jungle from something bigger than you that wants to eat you.

Thanks for reading!

25. A Brief Interlude - Dinosaurs and Wizards!

We'll return to our semi-regularly-scheduled cannibalistic pygmies in a moment.  First, I'd like to report on some great games at a great convention.

The weekend of May 21-23, 2010 saw the inaugural days of Texicon in Ft. Worth, Texas.  This was a full-fledged game convention, featuring miniatures, RPGs and board gaming.  It's good for the Dallas/Ft. Worth area to finally have its own con again; it's been far too many years otherwise.

For a first event, I thought things went pretty well.  True, it was a small set of rooms, with a limited number of attendees allowed due to the hotel regulations, but it was constantly and consistently as full as possible all day long the entire time I was there.

So first, congratulations to Texicon!

Second, I had a blast attending.  I played a CR3/Swordplay game that was a hoot, with most excellent terrain, run by Ron H.  (I hesitate to use anyone's last name without permission; this is, after all, the big bad world wide Internet.  However, if any of you want to contact me and say it's o.k., I'll happily give you the credit you deserve!)  We had to get inside the wizard's tower, go down to his dungeon to retrieve dungeon-y type stuff.

Here's some pics of it:

Above:  The approaches to the Wizard's tower.  The portals at the corners provided access for our two parties.

Above:  The dungeon below the tower.  Each room was painted with magnetic paint, so doors would stick to them.

Above:  My group of fearless adventurers.  A Dwarf, an Elf, a Cleric, and a Paladin.

Above:  We're besieged by Merry Men look-a-likes.  That's the other party in the game rounding the Kraken's pool in the background.  Sure looks like Robin Hood to me.  Are we sure these aren't his men after all?

Above:   So we finally make it to the stairs...

Above:   ...and after beating off the Kraken, the bandits and a whole lot of wolves, we get inside.  The game went a lot faster after I realized you don't have to kill everything:  you can run away!

Above:   The rooms/corridors were revealed as we went:  open a door, and Ron placed the "terrain."

Above:   We actually weren't competing with the other party of adventurers, but we got to play the bad guys whenever they attacked, and vice versa.  Here it looked pretty bad for old Robin, until I rolled very poorly on the dice roll for the not-Skaven.

Above:   With our backs to the wall, Legolas ended up Out of the Fight after this.  Unfortunately we had to end before actually completing the game.  To be continued?

Next day I played a terrific Pathfinder RPG game, DMed by Peter Y.  Let's not get started on the relative merits or lack thereof regarding D&D4.  I will simply say I won't play D&D4 anymore.  Pathfinder, though, is the cat's meow!

RPGs are much harder to take good photos of:

Above:  Believe it or not, that knight with the red shield, I painted over 20 years ago for my friend, who was also playing in the game.

After that it was off to an Old West skirmish game using "The Rules With No Name" ... er, rules, GMed by Adam V.  He's a teen who built everything on the table, and is strongly supported by his family.  He also runs a fun game; really kept things moving.  Alas for me, only the legendary leader of the banditos escaped with the gold (meaning, not my characters).  My two ne'er-do-wells met an untimely end in the dusty streets, although I did make sure one lawman won't ever be able to get a date with Miss Kitty again!  He's got a yellow stripe a foot wide now.

Pics:

Above:  Paper buildings from Whitewash City, a paper train, but good looking stuff.  One of my characters is watching the horses while the gold approaches from the upper right.

Above:  Here comes the Law!

Above:   Yep, that's me, watchin' those horses.  Then I get on one and try to ride off.  Eventually I am gunned down.

Above:  This was another outlaw about to make his getaway, when Miss Kitty (a citizen, not in the picture) took a max range shot through intervening terrain...and got a kill!  The lawman picked up the gold and headed back to town.  My second bandito, who was about to survive by leaving the table, decided to see if he could take out the deputy with a quick kill and steal the gold for himself.  It was not to be.  Then I ran around the corner to give chase...right into the arms of Miss Kitty and another lawman!  I wounded him, making him run away, but another lawman filled me full of lead.  A painful death it was, but spectacular.

Last but not least, I played a dinosaur hunt game, using Two Hour Wargames' "Adventures in the Lost Lands," GMed by Ed T. himself.  It was a blast!  Our three hunters, plus attendants, only wanted to salvage a simple kill to prove dinosaurs exist.  The trouble was, the meat-eaters kept trying to prove we don't exist, by eating us.

Pictures:

Above:  There's the Scotsman on the left, myself in the middle, and my friend Tom (a former Foreign Legionnaire, don'cha'know) on the right.  We're here to bring back evidence of dinosaurs, and must explore each section of the table.  We decide to cross the river.

Above:  We've crossed the river, and detect something ahead of us.  Quiet!

Above:  It's a feeder dinosaur.  Kinda big, so we decide to explore some more before gunning him down.

Above:  In fact, it's a whole herd of dinosaurs.  Herd of dinosaurs?  Of course I've heard of dinosaurs, everyone's heard of dinosaurs!

Above:  We are set upon by cute little vicious, toothy bastards...

Above:  ...who we take out with one shot.  Other feeders arrive.  This is gonna be eeaassyy.

Above:  We decide these guys will make good evidence.  We shoot, one runs away, but we get one kill.

Above:  The Hunters are very sensibly on the far side of the river from the next approaching dinosaur, while the hired help tries to carve up the dino as fast as possible!  (Ed, I don't know what you mean, calling us chicken.)

Above:  Being on the far side didn't help, in the long run.  Here, Tom tells us, "I got this one."  He did, too, although just barely.  Two different times, even.

Above:  Later Billabong and Bouillabaisse decide to high-tail it out of there, only to be cut off by more of those toothy little meat-eaters.

Above:  They opt to join us on the other side of the river, where we've been successful in carving up a sabre-tooth tiger.  Bouillabaisse is wounded, but Tom is a good man and carries him along.  Either that, or he's saving him in order to make a quick get-a-away if need be!

Above:  More bearers go down.  It's so hard to find good help these days.

Above:  Now we're in trouble.  We've got multiple meat-eaters approaching.  The big one ends up getting shot by, you guessed it, Tom, but the medium ones...well, we decided to hoof it.  See ya!

Above:  After a chase in which Tom advantageously drops Bouillabaisse to save his own sorry self, and by extension, us too, we make it to the river.  Only Billabong is still with us.  It's a good thing, as he's carrying all the proof we need to show that dinosaurs exist!  We'll be rich!  All we have to do is get across the river and we're home free.

Above:  That's when greed reared it's ugly head.  The Scotsman decided to explore just one more area.  He got a nasty surprise.  Is he up to the challenge?

Above:  Nope.

Above:  But Tom and I are.  The dino goes down!

Above:  Then greed reared it's ugly head, yet again.  I, yes even I, decided to check out that (certainly unguarded) nest of eggs.  I got a bit of a surprise too.  Was I up to the challenge?  Er, no.

No worries, though, right?  Since Tom was dependent on me for a ride home that night, surely he would drive off the critter, before saving himself.  Riiight?  Nope.  Two close calls earlier, plus the lure of claiming ALL the fame and fortune, proved too much for such a selfless act.  He skedaddled faster than a long-tail cat in a rocking chair factory.  Ah well, I gave him a ride home anyway.

So there you have my fast and furious Texicon report.  Can't wait for next year!

Later this summer is Skirmish, but since it's all miniatures, mostly all historical, it's almost a completely different animal.  Last year's was fun, though, so I'm looking forward to it, too.

24. Death in the Jungle: Part 10

[Turn Ten Begins]

Caporal Chien, though wary, lead his Tirailleurs Sénégalais in an advance towards the newest Natives ahead.  Taking up their firing positions, they blasted the quiet of the jungle with rifle fire.  These strange new Natives were almost completely fearless, standing as they were, practically avoiding the jungle's cover.

Their bravery was well earned, too, as all of the tirailleurs' shots missed.  To Chien's surprise, the Pygmies -- who already seemed desperate to shoot back with their blowguns, but were out of range -- now came at him at a steady trot.  Chien's men raised their guns to shoot, but Chien called out to them to hold their fire, not to waste their ammunition on a rushed shot.  The Cannibals, seeing the raised guns, halted.  Chien decided not to waste the chance overall, and gave the order to fire.  Yet again, even though they were not rushed, the tirailleurs missed.  L'indigènes moved not a muscle; their stillness made them all the more terrifying to the squad.

Sergent Cur, leading the nearby squad 'A' of la légion étrangère, decided to add his weight of fire to the mix.  Hoping to drive the Natives away, instead Cur's men inflicted a definite three casualties!  Cur laughingly suggested to his squad that would be enough for them today.  However, the words died in his throat as these fantômes not only did not run away, but made no reply whatsoever.  They merely stood perfectly still, cool as cucumbers.

With some aggravation, Cur felt he had no choice but to shoot again.  He had to either kill them all or drive them away.  This time one Pygmy fell, and to Cur's relief it was the Brown-shield leader.  Not bothering to watch, Cur turned away, expecting the rabble to disappear into the jungle.  Yet again he was surprised, when one of his troopers gestured for him to look.  The Natives fell back in good order, even firing a blowgun salvo at la legionnaires, although it caused no damage.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cur also caught sight of the only other remaining squad of Pygmies threatening him.  To his right -- and to the front of Lieutenant Frye -- l'indigènes advanced from their hiding place at their detestable shrine, having apparently taken courage from it, to a place of comparative safety behind the ruined walls surrounding the shrine.  Cur cursed in several languages; now they would have to evict them from thick cover, which would probably require his men to make physical contact.  This mission just kept getting worse and worse.

Frye had seen the Natives advance, too, and his anger at the loss of his "easy" mission was phenomenal.  He quickly rapped out orders to the senior trooper of 'B' legionnaires, Cane, determined to regain the initiative and prevent those Pygmies from feeling any sense of security there.  'B' changed formation to an open one to better navigate the jungle scenery, advanced as far as practical, and then reformed their firing line.  From this forward position, Cane brought his weapons to bear and fired, causing at least one Native to drop to the dirt.

While l'indigènes seemed shaken yet they did not flee.  They merely huddled closer to the stone walls.

Lt Frye then brought his Marines up, without wasting time changing formation.  They advanced as far as possible in support of the legionnaires.

As the Lieutenant looked around, surveying his position, he was satisfied once more.  No more gunfire had occurred from his left for nearly a minute, and no Natives threatened his control of the immediate jungle.  It appeared the dead Native at the shrine wall was dead after all, a fact which finally convinced these l'indigènes to flee farther away than before, quite scared.

Sgt Cur, on the other hand, was feeling distinctly uncomfortable about this newest squad of Natives.  He had seen the Brown-shield leader shot with his own eyes, yet now he watched him rise up from the thick carpet of long grass, seemingly unharmed, as well as three of the four other casualties he thought his men had caused.

"Aucun bien ne peut venir de ceci," -- "No good can come of this," he muttered.

[Turn Ten Ends]