Tuesday, May 4, 2010

One Session Down, and Counting.

As the old adage goes:

"In the city, if your players are psychotic-sociopaths, the story will write itself."

So my party is had the misfortune of drawing "A Band of Thugs" as their Party Sheet. Though, true to form, they are playing it out to a tee.

The party: A murdering/thieving lout (High Elf), A compulsive liar (Dwarf)(and his little dog too), and two unknowns - though they are likely rapists, pillagers, or worshippers of the dark powers.



First session turned out to be quite memorable:

The party started the game flush with cash, spending much of their time drinking and carousing with the village locals, Ratting, and being a general menace. Growing bored with the routine and with the locals getting low on cash to gamble away the 4-some were determined to find some other action.

A sign tacked to the local bulletin board promised a paltry 6 silver per day for some hard labor to help move some rich old duffs private possessions to the country.

After some dickering on the issue a plan was resolved -- they would accept the job as a ruse to get into the mansion and pilfer as much loot as possible to sell to their fence in the city.

The dwarf, not the most charismatic of the group, decided to secure opening for day-laborers with the Lord's right-hand-man, Herr Heindrick; who a sharp-eyed and dodgy character with little patience for rowdy, lying, dwarfs. He was already in an ill-mood to boot.

Needless to say the dwarf grew unruly and was denied the job and proceeded to cause a ruckus in the local tavern. He was warned to leave. Not one to stand down from a fight the dwarf sic'd his dog on the bouncer. Unfazed as the scrappy little mutt sank his teeth into his side, the tuff proceeded to punt the dog into the corner, knocking it out cold.

After a couple rounds of fisticuffs the dwarf had had enough and shrank from the challenge, though still talking up a big game, ran from the bar taking his dog under one arm.

Once outside he commenced to tell his compatriots that he secured the job and they would all be well paid to boot. They decided to bed down for the night, the dwarf in the alley amongst the trash and the rest in the local opium den / hippy commune.

The following morning the group showed up at the manor fully expecting to be admitted and only then finding out that the dwarf had been lying to them the entire time. Amusement followed.

The Elf, a much more charming fellow, decided to go it alone and get the work papers from Herr Heindrick himself, enter the mansion, and do a bit of scouting before they determined how to burglarise the place.

And that's about where it all ended.... This was a pre-written adventure and we managed to get to page 2. Not even on the first encounter. I really didn't mind though as I usually allow a lot of leeway for my players to do as they wish and only push them towards the GM-Train from time to time if they get too far off track.

As it is, they have found out bits and pieces of the plot by overhearing the conversations of other hirelings and can do with them as they please. For the most part I feel a lot more comfortable running free-flowing sandbox adventures with the pre-written adventures only serving as a guiding-light somewhere off in the far distance.

More to come.

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