Chapter 3 - City of 10,000 Guns (D.T.)

[Thumper]

DT will want to accomplish a few things on Saturday:
1) At first light, ride from the rail work camp to the site of the previous night’s gun battle to see what happened and render any needed assistance.

2) Visit the comatose horse rancher

3) Visit the 3 convalescing Rangers. I believe one of them (Frank Denton) DT failed his medicine check the day prior. I’m uncertain if any follow-on care was needed or whether DTs treatment was not successful…or whether another check today could help.

4) He’d wonder how the boy Tom Dwyer is healing up.

5) He’d find a time to work with William or Paladin (once he’s back from San Marcos) to step outside of town and work on quick draw shooting (another 30 rounds of pistol and carbine ammo deducted).

6) Buy Doos’ lunch or dinner as payback for Wednesday.

[jemmus]

DT will want to accomplish a few things on Saturday:
1) At first light, ride from the rail work camp to the site of the previous night’s gun battle to see what happened and render any needed assistance.

2) Visit the comatose horse rancher

3) Visit the 3 convalescing Rangers. I believe one of them (Frank Denton) DT failed his medicine check the day prior. I’m uncertain if any follow-on care was needed or whether DTs treatment was not successful…or whether another check today could help.

4) He’d wonder how the boy Tom Dwyer is healing up.

5) He’d find a time to work with William or Paladin (once he’s back from San Marcos) to step outside of town and work on quick draw shooting (another 30 rounds of pistol and carbine ammo deducted).

6) Buy Doos’ lunch or dinner as payback for Wednesday.

1) Need an observation roll. If DT has the Scouting, Tracking or Orienteering skill, rolls for those can be supplements.
2) Would require a meeting with the doctor in Austin to get information on the location. That could require visiting is office and/or inquiries to find him on a Saturday.
3) DT can visit them, but Medical treatment rolls wouldn't gain XP. They're getting treatment from a doctor in Austin. But from the last visit to them, it seems like having a outside visitor was very welcome for relieving the monotony of being laid up in bed.
4) DT doesn't know much about the where Tom Dwyer's family farm-ranch is. We'll say that it came up during the encounter in the shootout crowd that it's not an especially far ride north of Austin. I'd guess that tracking down that information would take a succession of successful skill or attribute rolls, at a half day per each.
5) The quick draw practice won't gain XP or practical progress toward the Fast Draw skill. But the expenditure of time and resources will gain XP in the "Game Hours Played" XP category. Which here in the PBP game, includes contributions to RP and realism and immersion.
6) Thar we go!

DT rises at the crack of dawn, has a breakfast of bacon, buttermilk biscuits [any extra Tonkawa cup-dipping flavors undetectable], a pond of runny, salt and peppery red [pinto] beans, collard green sauteed South Texas German style, and black, black coffee with Andreas, Doos, Gideon, Paladin, William, and the two railroad employee guard in the camp guards tent. Gideon of the big mood swings seems chipper this morning. He's goes to the cook tent, comes back with a whole pot of coffee, and starts examining working the mechanisms of his new scattergun at the breakfast table, while pouring and drinking more cups. A camp guard (the one who works on his guitar strumming and picking while giving his horse its head to walk around the camp all night says) Damn, son! Do ya have to bring a dolgarn scattergun to the breakfast table almost bafore light? Gideon grins a big grin, rapidly bouncing his jittering knee up and down under the table and says, Wait! Ah forgit. Did I forgit ta put that big ole 10 gauge buckshot shell in the breach er not? He feels around the inside and outside pockets of his not especially recently bought nor laundered coat with both hands. Hmm. Nope, cain't find it. Maybe I jist lost it along the way, er forgot whar I put it. Well, only way ta make sure it ain't unsafely loaded into the breech is ta pull this trigger. He point the muzzle of the sawed-off shotgun under the table. The diners scramble to raise their boots up or move them well to the side of their chairs. Gideon grins a crap-eating grin, winks an amiable wink, and pours himself another cup of mud.

Which brings us to 1)-- DT's ride to the previous night's gun battle, and then the rest of Saturday.

[Thumper]

Firefight location:
Observation 15: [1d20]=13

He does not have Scouting or Tracking.

viewtopic.php?p=686638#p686638

DT and the Doc had been speaking of DT visiting the comatose rancher on behalf of the Doc. Perhaps on Saturday. Directions had previously been requested.

DT’s purpose in visiting the Rangers is two-fold: he views the only truly trustworthy law enforcement here as the Rangers and the Feds. He’s going out of his way trying to build a relationship with the Rangers. Second, he’s a little arrogant and knows most frontier doctors are not formally educated and trained…so he’s just double checking their work. He’ll make the visit despite any XP considerations.

He has no reason to seek out the boy Tom. As far as DT knows, his treatment was sufficient. And he told Mr Dwyer where he was staying at the Drover, in case he’s needed again. Just thought of him now that he has a day to kill.

As far as the practice drawing and shooting, I am just trying to place a realistic pathway to eventually developing an unusual skill for a physician. I have a difficult time with PCs just suddenly and spontaneously developing a new skill that’s unrelated to their past or the story to date…so building realism into the story related to this skill development.

[jemmus]

Appreciate the RP. In this game XP are awarded for that when we reach milestones, under the rules' category "5 points for each hour of game time spent."
It makes sense that DT would have inquired with Dwyer about the bedridden rancher's location.
When we know whether anyone accompanied DT to investigate the area of the sound of the shots, we'll continue.

[Thumper]

Ooh, something is brewing!!

[jemmus]

No, I wouldn't think so.

[cybersavant]

So, the current situation for the Austin area PCs: Paladin rode out of the camp directly for Austin. DT will check out the area of the sound of the shots, then ride to Austin. Andreas, Doos, and Gideon can join either, or do something else.

Andreas Larson "I vhill come und check der horse tracks." He saddles his horse and follows the doctor north to see if they can find evidence of the shootings.

[jemmus]

Gideon says, I believe I'll ride directly on to Austin with Mr. Paladin and let y'all check out that shootin last night. Travelin single on these roads might not be prudent. Could tempt some otherwise yella fellas to try somethin foolish.

Need rolls from Andreas on any skill he thinks might be of use in locating the area(s) of the gunfire. The PCs know that the shots came from north of the rail camp, maybe a little north northwest. A mile or so out.

[cybersavant]

Andreas Larson

[Thumper]

******Extensively Re-Edited******

Saturday morning off in Austin and Agreeing to ride to Burnet Saturday afternoon:

If he was to spend Saturday in Austin, DT had previously committed to his Doctor friend to visit the comatose horse rancher 10 miles outside of town. So, that’s what he’ll do for his Saturday morning. He’ll plan to get back in time for lunch meeting. He previously requested directions to this horse ranch from the other Doctor. By road on a gallop, it’s less than a 40 minute ride on his horse. Time there resting the horse while treating any medical or equestrian health needs, and a 40 minute ride back (1hr 20 minutes total transit time plus treatment time- so ~3hrs total?). Since so far from town, he’s expecting $5 pay for the extended distance visit ($3 is minimum office visit fee) and while he’s there a standard $3 for the equestrian care. If time constrained, he’ll just treat the patient and forego treating horses…making it back to town in time to meet the party is his priority. He buys Doos’ lunch.

Medicine 15 [1d20]=10 Horse Doctor 10 [1d20]=8


Upon arrival back in town, he’d get lunch with the whole gang and decide to ride to Burnet. Using fair horse Strategic Movement Rules, the 55 miles would get covered fastest by 2hr hard ride (20mi), 1hr rest, 2hr hard ride (20mi), 1hr rest, 1.5 hr hard ride (15mi). Leaving at 1pm would put them in Burnet at 8:30pm.

Fast draw shooting practice for today would take place enroute to Burnett on a 1 hour horse rest break. Rifle draw at one stop and pistol at another. He’d seek William and Paladin’s advice in this training. (30 rounds of each deducted).

After 6 years of duty out in the remote Texas Forts and fort towns, a long ride from Fort Concho/San Angelo to Austin, then a couple days pinging back and forth from Austin to the rail camp, and today’s VERY hard rides, have all taken a cumulative toll. He wants to relax a little. He’s celebrating his mustering out while preserving the opportunities to find some information on their bounty. He wants to enjoy the evening…he has some money in his pocket, new friends, and a new mission without the constraints of the uniform. Plus he senses Doos’ need to cut loose a little.

Additionally, doctoring events the past couple days demonstrated his ability to aptly commercialize his medical talents.

[jemmus]

For reference, the strategic movement rules are on p. 93. thumper's post has applied them appropriately.

I'm a little behind on GMing tasks, so I'll have to skip any narrative paragraph (which might be a welcome thing or break for everyone) and reply OOC. DT gets $5 for the medical treatment (for minor bedsores) and 10 XP for successfully using the work skill. The fast draw practice is good RP and in practice doesn't get any closer to learning the skill. That will come with buying it with XP. He'll get XP for treating himself to some good rest and recreation Saturday in Austin. But not the maximum of 15 XP, because of it was a partial day of rest.