I wrote this for the Quickstart of Heroic Age of Tékumel. I hope you like it. Any comments?
Example of Play
Six friends gather to play a game of Heroic Age. John is the
GM and has an adventure ready. Jim is playing a scholar-priest devoted to Thúmis
named Balésh, Sue is playing a priestess of Avánthe named Dzái, Dean and Loren
are playing human fighters from the Temple of Thúmis, named Mígor
and Múkor respectively, and Tom is playing a Tinalíya named La-Go-Ki. The
characters are all 1st level. They've been playing for a couple hours and find
themselves in a room in the underworld.
John (GM): Okay,
you’re in a spacious room, maybe ten strides wide and twenty long, with high
ceilings -- maybe 4 or 5 man-heights high. The walls are covered with
brilliantly-colored frescoes depicting a crocodile-headed goddess eating
sacrificed warriors and causing the life-giving floods that irrigate and
replenish the land. In the middle of the room is a large statue of her standing
with large green faceted eyes and very sharp white teeth, probably a hundred of
them. On either side of her statue are two evil, nasty-looking Crocodiles from
Hell statues. It almost looks like these statues are drooling. Across the room
is an ornate doorway. The doors are covered in gold. At the base of statue is a
large ewer. What’s everyone doing?
Jim (Balésh): I
move toward the center statues. I’d like to cast Detect Magic on the area.
Sue (Dzái): I
look at the frescoes? What do I know about the crocodile goddess cult?
Dean (Mígor): I
walk to the gold door and see how thick the gold is.
Mark (Múkor): I
move next to Balésh. What’s in the ewer?
Tom (La-Go-Ki): I
move behind the statues and look for traps.
John (GM): Okay,
Jim, roll your spell chance.
Balésh (Jim): (rolls dice) I rolled a 9, plus 1 for my
level, plus 2 for my Psychic Ability of 96, making 12, which is equal what I
need. I successfully cast the spell.
GM (John): Balésh
detects a general aura of magic emanating from the three statues. You’re not
sure if this is from their sacred nature or something else. Sue, you need to
make a general knowledge roll, based on your religious education? Can you make
a 12?
Dzái (Sue):
(rolls dice) Nope, I got a 7. (She rolled a 6, plus 1 for her level, and +1 for
her INT Mod.)
GM (John): All Dzái
knows is what I’ve already told you.
Dzái (Sue): What
can I glean from the frescoes? (rolls dice) I rolled a 14 and my INT Mod is +1.
GM (John): That’s
enough. In every depiction of the goddess, you see water nearby, and she often
has other crocodiles with her. Dean, Múkor thinks the gold is more than gold
leaf.
Mígor (Dean): I’m
Mígor.
GM (John): Oops. Sorry.
(rolls dice) Múkor, the ewer is filled with a lot of coins of every type. Some
look to be very old and not of the present regime. Tom, (rolls dice) La-Go-Ki
detects no traps on the goddess statue. Okay, next round. Actions everybody?
Balésh (Jim): While
I’ve got the Detect Magic going, I’ll go around the room looking for more
magic.
GM (John):
Starting where?
Balésh (Jim):
Starting at the statues and moving toward the door in front of us.
GM (John): I’ll
let you know if you detect anything.
La-Go-Ki (Tom):
I’m also looking for any hidden latches or drawers or compartments around the
base of the statue.
Múkor (Loren): I
start filling my bag with coins.
GM (John): Your
bag is full of food, Múkor.
Múkor (Loren): I
dump the food and start shoveling in the coins.
GM (John):
Dumping it in your backpack?
Múkor (Loren):
No, on the floor.
GM (John): Okay. Mígor,
what are you doing now?
Mígor (Dean): I’m
digging in the gold of the door with my dagger to see how thick the gold is.
GM (John): Dzái,
you’ve been studying the frescoes and are now over near the door with Mígor,
and Balésh is arriving there as well.
La-Go-Ki (Tom):
So, Múkor and I are the only ones near the statue?
GM (John): Yes.
Whose turn is it to roll a d6?
Mígor (Dean):
Mine. (rolls) I got a 2. I hope that wasn’t Surprise.
GM (John): It was
Surprise. The two crocodile statues come to life. They are now actually
drooling, razor-sharp teeth gnashing. Deep growls rumble in their throats, like
rock grinding on rock. One charges Múkor and one charges La-Go-Ki. What armor
do you each have?
La-Go-Ki (Tom): Leather,
AC 15.
Múkor (Loren):
Chain and shield is 17.
GM (Tom): (rolls)
La-Go-Ki, your croc snaps at your arm, but misses. You can smell its fetid
breath. Múkor, your croc leaps at you, jaws snapping. (rolls) It connects with
your leg for … (rolls) … 2 damage.
Múkor (Loren):
(marks 2 off of his Hit Points) He drops the bag and switches to his sword.
GM (John): Hang
on. This is Surprise. You’ll have to wait till next turn. Which is now. Whose
turn to roll Initiative?
Múkor (Loren):
Me, and … (rolls) … we got a 4.
GM (John):
(rolls) Ah, 3. You go first. Start with Loren and Tom, then the others.
Múkor (Loren): I
switch to my sword, dropping the bag full of coins. I’m attacking the croc
statue, trying to knock its legs out.
GM (John): Make
your combat roll. Its stone body has an AC of 17.
Múkor (Loren): My
78 Strength gives me +1. (rolls) I got a 6 plus 1 is 7. Miss. Crap. Next!
La-Go-Ki (Tom):
I’m pulling my Eye out of my harness pouch. If I shift a step, can I make sure Múkor
is not behind the statue?
GM (John): Sure,
a sidestep means Múkor will not be in line. Which eye is that?
La-Go-Ki (Tom):
The Eye of Frigid Breath. I only have 5 charges left.
Balésh (Jim): You
have an Eye of Frigid Breath?! Oh, man! Sweet!
Dzái (Sue): I’m
jealous.
GM (John): Okay,
roll to hit, but ignore armor.
La-Go-Ki (Tom):
My DEX is 98, so +2. And without the armor the statue is 12. (roll) Aha! 15
with the +2 is 17. Whew!
GM (John): A
sparkling white beam shoots from the Eye and strikes the crocodile full in the
chest. The stone of its body goes white with frost. You feel a wave of cold on
your skin. So do you, Múkor. In fact, the beam only misses you by about a foot.
The beam continues and hits the wall, making the frescoes frost up as well. The
croc’s joints lock up. He’s trying to bite, but his jaw is grinding. It can’t
take a step either. It rolls its eyes wildly.
Mígor (dean): I
drop the dagger and draw my mace. I’m charging the one on Múkor, waving my mace
over my head and screaming, “Die for Thúmis!”
GM (John): Okay,
you close the gap and can roll your attack.
Mígor (Dean): I
smash the mace down on its head. +3 for my 100 Strength. Ooo, 13 plus 3 is 16!
Woohoo! (rolls) I got a 7 for damage too!
GM (John):
Excellent. You got its attention. Jim? Sue?
Balésh (Jim): It’s not a living thing, and I can’t use
Illusion on it, so I’ve got nothing in the spell department. I’m going to open
the gold door.
Dzái (Sue): I’m
moving close to Múkor and casting a Heal Wounds. I need an 12. (rolls) 15!
(rolls) I cure 3 hits, so you’re completely healed.
GM (John): The
statue’s turn. The one on Múkor has to decide between him, Mígor, and Dzái.
Dzái (Sue): What?
GM (John): You’re
in range next to Múkor. (rolls) It’s attacking Mígor. Its jaws snap. (rolls) A
hit. (rolls) It does 3.
Mígor (Dean):
Ouch, I’ve only got 1 left.
GM (John): The
other one is still frozen and can’t move. New round.
La-Go-Ki (Tom): I
give it a shove to knock it over.
GM (John): It
can’t move, so you don’t have to roll to hit, but it’s big and heavy and you’re
small, so treat it like an Open Door roll. Roll a STR Save. d20 plus Level plus
STR Mod.
La-Go-Ki (Tom):
(rolls) I rolled a 1.
GM (John): Aw, a
fumble. You hurt your wrist when you shove the thing and fall against it. But …
(rolls) … the thing is in mid-step, so it’s unbalanced. It tips over anyway.
When it hits the floor, it shatters into a dozen pieces.
All: Yay!
Múkor (Loren): I
swing at mine.
Mígor (Dean): Me
too.
GM (John): Okay,
make your rolls.
Loren: A natural
20! And a 6 for damage.
All: Hurray!
Dean: I got a 15
plus 3 for Strength plus 1 for level for a total of 19! 4 for damage.
GM: Roll again,
Loren.
Loren: A 19!
All: Instant
death!
GM: Múkor hits
the statue right at the juncture of its neck to its body, and the stone cracks.
The creature bellows and turns toward you, but its neck cracks further and the
head completely falls off the statue. It stops, shudders, and falls to the
ground, shattering into a pile of rubble.
High fives all around the table with much hooting and
hollering
GM (John): The
goddess statue now starts to move and a booming voice issues from its throat.
“THIS WILL BE THE LAST SHRINE YOU DESECRATE!” Enormous holes in the walls burst
forth from the frescoes and water begins to pour into the room from four sides.
What do you do?
Everyone starts shouting at once and hilarity ensues.
