Chapter One: Seeking a Course

[ffilz]

Khûdrarn stares into the distance for a moment, abstractly sipping his drink, ignoring the cards in front of him.

Rally round me fellow Khazad. We have suffered loss, but there is yet hope. While Dvalen's abode is far less than anything I could even live in, he must be wise in the ways outside our realms. I say we listen to his ideas on how we might journey through this foul forest to find a new home. We must stand together. Chumly has graciously shared his brew and Dvalen has found repast among the trees and shrubs. Let us fill our bellies.

With that, he casually lays a fine dagger on the table as his stake, picks up his cards, and begins to play in earnest.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Blundrin stares intently at the beautiful knife, twisting his beard around his fingers. He sees the game is already out of his league but does a mental inventory of what he might have that could be played against this knife. Not Mug. Out of the question. But... His greed overtakes him and he opens a satchel on Mug's back. With a loud clank, he sets down the lower half of his armor. Cracking his knuckles, he sits down again. It's all I've got that's worth anything. Mail pants. Dwarf made, of course.. ...And if I lose, maybe you'll let me work to earn them back, he adds silently.

The greedy dwarf with the knife skill and an instinct to go with it is IN!

[ffilz]

Blundrin stares intently at the beautiful knife, twisting his beard around his fingers. He sees the game is already out of his league but does a mental inventory of what he might have that could be played against this knife. Not Mug. Out of the question. But... His greed overtakes him and he opens a satchel on Mug's back. With a loud clank, he sets down the lower half of his armor. Cracking his knuckles, he sits down again. It's all I've got that's worth anything. Mail pants. Dwarf made, of course.. ...And if I lose, maybe you'll let me work to earn them back, he adds silently.

The greedy dwarf with the knife skill and an instinct to go with it is IN!

Ooh, sweet, I hadn't even noticed you had shoddy arms and knife skill... I'm leaving some room for his Thousand Yard stare to cause problems and who knows if he'll come off with a colorful insult (he restrained himself for the speech..)

[Craigers07]

Thrim thanks Chumley for the drink. He enjoys the taste more than usual after being without a drink for a few days.

He listens intently to the hermit dwarf as he speaks and moves about the dwelling.

"Dvalen, Thank you for your hospitality. Being among friends is as close to home as we are going to find now."

"I have a difficult time believing the answer is to return to our home after this attack. What good would that do?"

[Marullus]

Verrain: Go ahead with your description and then make the Foraging roll with FORKs from Scavenging and Herbalism to see how far Dvalen's food and hospitality can extend.

Spectremn17: Durgar never has to intend to get drunk. It is a player, not a character choice, when you wish to invoke the trait. If you as a player choose to roleplay Durgar as drunk and it sends the story in an unforseen direction, I'll give you the fate point. If that's not worth the risk, you don't have to.

The Card Game:

So we have Chumley in for a sack of coin (1D cash), Blundrin putting in his armor-pants, and and Khudrarn wagering a fine knife (superior dagger: Pow 1, Add 1, WS X, VA 1, +1D balance, shortest, one-handed). This can go two ways: we can use the current RP wagers only and determine the winner of the three items. Or, we can set an Ob 1 Resources test for the losers because the bidding went higher - this allows the benefit of a Resources test (and the risks thereof), and impacts chances of future wealth. Player's call - which do you want? If the latter, roleplay bidding-up in your post (and tell me OOC).

It will be be a versus Games of Chance contest for playing cards. For Blundrin and Khudrarn, that's beginner's luck based on Perception. You can add any relevant FoRKs and if you spend a Persona, you can add in your Greed dice, too (as this obviously applies). Winner gets the three items. (Nobody has beliefs, yet, about Dwarven Greed. Participating or watching this contest is a good reason to develop some!)

Dvalen begins setting the table with the foodstuffs gathered in his arms. With mugs full and people seated, Chumley is pleased to see that Blundrin and Khudrarn ante into his proposed card game. He drops a sack of coins on the table with an evocative clinking sound. "Friendly game, of course, I'll match your odds... unless you wish to up the bids, of course. I can handle it," he says, flashing a winning smile and taking another swig of his beer. Throfroin watches his father join the game, then hurriedly sits as well. He looks at the fine knife and sack of coins uncomfortably, then produces a worn and beaten wooden box from his own pack. He looks uncertain, then with a sideways glance at Khudrarn, he holds his box out reverently, offering it for the ante. "I'm no stranger to strategy, nor games of such skill," he says, lifting his chin and sitting up straight as he reveals the contents of the box - a well-worn set of wooden chess pieces and a folding board. "Every soldier should learn of strategy, I say," he adds, nodding once to his father.

Rusty and Ffilz: Please roleplay your participation in the card game over dinner. Set your pools and go ahead and roll.

Making the plan and moving ahead:

Chapter One: Planning

In the current scene, you need to arrive at a planned way ahead. In doing so, you will establish assumptions and facts about what you hope or expect to find ahead and what you hope to avoid.

Wises define what you know. When you are defining something consequential to the plan, use a wise. State what you think you know in your roleplay and identify the wise you are using in an OOC note. I will give you the obstacle and you roll. Success means you're right. Failure means I have a place to play a twist or complication in your plan as it unfolds.

Be bold and creative! Remember you can also use beginner's luck to open new wises you don't currently have.

So, beyond the card game, this is what I'm expecting.

• Dvalen proposes a course of action. Blundrin wants to help convince the party to go along with it. You can resolve that among yourselves via roleplay, or if you prefer you can use a Versus test or a Duel of Wits to handle the ability to convince each other. Say what you'd like and I'll arbitrate the solution.
• Dvalen says what he expects to happen during his plan. He can suggest which Wise he's drawing from. I'll have him roll his wises.
• Everyone else then chimes in with what they know, to help flesh out the plan. Identify your wises and I'll have you roll them.
• We then move to chapter 2, executing your plan, with consequences built-in based on what you think you know (and if the rolls showed you were right!)

Make sense? Questions?

[ffilz]

Verrain: Go ahead with your description and then make the Foraging roll with FORKs from Scavenging and Herbalism to see how far Dvalen's food and hospitality can extend.

Spectremn17: Durgar never has to intend to get drunk. It is a player, not a character choice, when you wish to invoke the trait. If you as a player choose to roleplay Durgar as drunk and it sends the story in an unforseen direction, I'll give you the fate point. If that's not worth the risk, you don't have to.

The Card Game:

So we have Chumley in for a sack of coin (1D cash), Blundrin putting in his armor-pants, and and Khudrarn wagering a fine knife (superior dagger: Pow 1, Add 1, WS X, VA 1, +1D balance, shortest, one-handed). This can go two ways: we can use the current RP wagers only and determine the winner of the three items. Or, we can set an Ob 1 Resources test for the losers because the bidding went higher - this allows the benefit of a Resources test (and the risks thereof), and impacts chances of future wealth. Player's call - which do you want? If the latter, roleplay bidding-up in your post (and tell me OOC).

It will be be a versus Games of Chance contest for playing cards. For Blundrin and Khudrarn, that's beginner's luck based on Perception. You can add any relevant FoRKs and if you spend a Persona, you can add in your Greed dice, too (as this obviously applies). Winner gets the three items. (Nobody has beliefs, yet, about Dwarven Greed. Participating or watching this contest is a good reason to develop some!)

Dvalen begins setting the table with the foodstuffs gathered in his arms. With mugs full and people seated, Chumley is pleased to see that Blundrin and Khudrarn ante into his proposed card game. He drops a sack of coins on the table with an evocative clinking sound. "Friendly game, of course, I'll match your odds... unless you wish to up the bids, of course. I can handle it," he says, flashing a winning smile and taking another swig of his beer. Throfroin watches his father join the game, then hurriedly sits as well. He looks at the fine knife and sack of coins uncomfortably, then produces a worn and beaten wooden box from his own pack. He looks uncertain, then with a sideways glance at Khudrarn, he holds his box out reverently, offering it for the ante. "I'm no stranger to strategy, nor games of such skill," he says, lifting his chin and sitting up straight as he reveals the contents of the box - a well-worn set of wooden chess pieces and a folding board. "Every soldier should learn of strategy, I say," he adds, nodding once to his father.

Rusty and Ffilz: Please roleplay your participation in the card game over dinner. Set your pools and go ahead and roll.

I'm pretty sure I'm remembering, but want to check that you can't fork into beginner's luck so Khudarn will be rolling 5 dice against double obstacle for Gambling.

[Marullus]

I'm pretty sure I'm remembering, but want to check that you can't fork into beginner's luck so Khudarn will be rolling 5 dice against double obstacle for Gambling.

I just checked forks and beginner's luck and neither says you can't. So, I say you can. I want to see all FoRKs convincingly in your narrative, and you are fine.

[Spectreman17]

Page 37: under Exponent 0

"You may not recieve help, FoRK into it or spend artha on it."

Not to be that guy

Durgar

I've never been good at those games of chance, cost me too much beer money. That game though, what is it? I'll take a swing at it if you'll teach me. You never know when we might need a little strategic thinking along the way. Hell, even crossing Mirkwood is going to be a challenge. Not only do we need to find ourselves a way, but when our friends and family follow, they will be bringing their wagons. We'll need to find a trail that'll support a whole caravan.

I knock back the rest of my mug of Chumley's ale and set myself down rather roughly across from Throfroin.

Is this a game where I can drink while we play? or should I get the drinking out of the way before we start I say with a wink.

I have both Cargo-wise and/or Road-wise, which I propose to know what kind of road or path we need and what our followers are bringing and how big the caravan is.

[Marullus]

The key phrase there is:

If your stat, skill or attribute is currently exponent 0 you may not test this ability. You may not receive help. FoRK into it or spend artha on it. It is unavailable until you advance it, replenish it or recover.

I believe that applies when your skill is reduced to 0, not to a beginner's luck learning situation, where you are both testing and advancing. In any case, I am okay with FoRKs. They are only half-effective already with Beginner's luck and I want to encourage creative writing as you try to incorporate them. Using FoRKs pushes you to incorporate more aspects of your character.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Blundrin's Perception is B4, correct? FoRking in Coarse Persuasion, Appraisal and Haggling would be 7D. Halved wold be 3.5D, rounded up to 4D? And yes, I might be extrapolating some of these rules from Torchbearer, so correct me if I'm wrong, please.

I'm happy to take an Ob1 Resources test, but Blundrin has Resources B0, so I don't know how that works.

Blundrin
Blundrin welcomes Durgar to the game with a slap on the back. There's a good dwarf! I've put my pants on the line. What's your wager, friend? He encourages Durgar to have another drink. Drunks are terrible at cards.

Picking up his cards, Blundrin spends time arranging, and then rearranging them, in his meaty hands. He looks out at his companions, Appraising their card values based on their dour, bearded faces. A twitch here, a squint there... telltale signs of good or bad hands. Once he has decided who is holding the best cards, he focuses some attention on them, almost bullying them into realizing their ante is more valuable than the cards in their hand, hoping his Coarse Persuasion can coax them out of the game, Today looks to be my lucky day, alright. With the rest, he tries to make them see his dwarf-made, mail pants are quite valuable, and they should put more on the table, Haggling them to wager more.

[Spectreman17]

Durgar

Blundrin, You've been drinking more than I have, me thinks. I want to learn Throfroin's game. I've never been any good at gambling. You all enjoy, but I only have a few pennies left, and I'm not wasting them on a game of cards

[Marullus]

*bump*
Verrain: Go ahead with your description and then make the Foraging roll with FORKs from Scavenging and Herbalism to see how far Dvalen's food and hospitality can extend.

Rusty and Ffilz: Please roleplay your participation in the card game over dinner. Set your pools and go ahead and roll.

After gambling is handled, we're waiting on the negotiation of future plans with Dvalen (you can begin that RP any time).

Throfroin

Throfroin brightens excitedly as Durgar shows interest in his strategy game. He is about to launch into an explanation of it when the young dwarf looks aside at his father Khudrarn. He raises his chin and puffs his chest a bit before answering, "I'm afraid that lesson must wait... I must use my board as the wager for this card game, amongst the warrior men." He closes the chess set's wooden box reverently and places it in front of himself on the table, his hands folded protectively on top of it.

"Anyone going to help the kid with his ante? I appreciate he loves his toys, but the wooden box doesn't match up with that knife or this fella's pants..." jokes Chumley at Theofroin's expense. Theofroin flushes in his cheeks, looking a bit embarrassed at his box. He seems about to object but then clamps his lips shut, looking about a bit plaintively at the others, having little more to offer of his own.

[Marullus]

Blundrin's Perception is B4, correct? FoRking in Coarse Persuasion, Appraisal and Haggling would be 7D. Halved wold be 3.5D, rounded up to 4D? And yes, I might be extrapolating some of these rules from Torchbearer, so correct me if I'm wrong, please.

I'm happy to take an Ob1 Resources test, but Blundrin has Resources B0, so I don't know how that works.

Rusty's OOC questions:

In Burning Wheel, you double the obstacle, you don't halve the dice. (It is mathematically a little harsher.) So, you'll roll all 7D. If you spend a Persona you can add your Greed dice, but it looks like you need to recalculate that. I'll post on the other thread about checking that value.

This is a Versus test, so the obstacle for your roll will be the result of the other PCs roll. You and Khudrarn are both Beginner's Luck, so it will just double Chumley's result. (I'm not having him add Greed, but his belief is to treat you like suckers. He'd get a number of FoRKs to win by cheating, but he's confident enough to not need it: he's got Games of Chance 4D +2D Stonefaced trait +1D FoRK Observation = 7D.) We'll multiply his successes x2 to be your Obstacle.

Resources test!

If you win the card game, you get his sack of coins (1D cash).

If we raise the ante and you lose the game, you have to do an Ob 1 Resource test.

If you have 0 Resources, you need to spend 1D Cash or get a loan from someone who does have cash or resources (PC or NPC) to get you 1D Cash or you can't make a roll. You then roll your cash dice (spending them). There are no FoRKs but you can get Help. You can do a Haggling test before a resources test (if appropriate) and if you win, you reduce the Obstacle by one. You can use his Appraisal, Stuff-Wise, or Cargo-Wise skills (if appropriate) to perform a linked test before a resources test. If successful, they give you +1D. If you succeed on the roll, then that is all you need to advance to having 1D Resources going forward.

[ffilz]

Khudarn picks up his cards and peruses them. He will talk his hand down and generally talk a friendly talk and soothe any ruffled feathers (forking in Soothing Platitudes - the only other skills I could fork would be Sing and Stentorious Debate but either of those is stretching things).

I'm torn about Throfroin, the game doesn't really play into any of my beliefs or instincts about him, and isn't something he's going to risk one of his treasures on. I could use Soothing Platitudes instead of forking into the gambling roll to let Throfroin play with just his chess set as a wager.[/color]

[Marullus]

Good point for a conversation! If you're feeling torn, it probably means you need a Belief there. Your first belief was originally about keeping your son safe, which resulted in him coming along to challenge you in that (He's looking up to you and following your example in hazardous ways). You've modified it a bit since then, but perhaps you still need something in that vein? I suggest you roleplay and let it evolve - you can modify your belief based on the scene and what is coming out as more fun for you (or not).

[ffilz]

Good point for a conversation! If you're feeling torn, it probably means you need a Belief there. Your first belief was originally about keeping your son safe, which resulted in him coming along to challenge you in that (He's looking up to you and following your example in hazardous ways). You've modified it a bit since then, but perhaps you still need something in that vein? I suggest you roleplay and let it evolve - you can modify your belief based on the scene and what is coming out as more fun for you (or not).

Yea, let me give it some more thought. It may also depend on whether I stick with B7 Greed or go to G2 Greed... I don't see B7 Greed risking one of his few remaining treasures very easily...

BTW, these "I'm thinking on it" bits are fine places for other players to give thoughts to...

[Rusty Tincanne]

...roll all 7D. If you spend a Persona you can add your Greed dice, but it looks like you need to recalculate that.

We started with 2 Persona and 2 Fate, correct? Blundrin will use his Greed 3 for 10D.
[1d6] = 5, [1d6] = 6, [1d6] = 6, [1d6] = 1, [1d6] = 1
[1d6] = 5, [1d6] = 4, [1d6] = 5, [1d6] = 1, [1d6] = 5
7 successes!
It looks like the he could spent Luck to reroll all the dice of any value, not just 6's. Is that right? If so, one Fate could reroll four 5's, which seems greedy. So...
[1d6] = 5, [1d6] = 1, [1d6] = 2, [1d6] = 4
Adding two successes for 9 total. Unless that 5 can be rerolled, too.
And I really only did that to learn the mechanics a bit. I'll probably want the Fate later.
If he can reroll all 5's:
[1d6] = 5
[1d6] = 5
[1d6] = 4
Edit: If I understood the rules right (that I can spend a Fate to reroll any die value I choose, and that that "explodes" to any subsequent rolls of that value, that will be 12 successes.
But that seems too good to be true, so I expect one of you to clarify all this.

[Craigers07]

"I would bet there are no restrictions on drinking to play this game!"

"Durgar brings up a good question though. Are there any good trails for us to get through Mirkwood?"

[Marullus]

Blundrin's Roll:

So, you got 7 successes on the first roll and spent 1 Persona to activate your greed. You spent a fate for Luck, which only allows you to reroll the 6s:

Luck- A player may spend a fate point to make the dice of a single roll open-ended (6s rerolled as new dice for additional successes). If the roll is already open-ended -- Perception, Steel, Faith, Sorcery -- then the player may reroll a single traitor (which is not open-ended). Luck is purchased after the dice have been rolled.

You only re-roll only your 6s with the spent fate point. You don't get to re-roll all dice. (With a Call-On you can re-roll all failed dice once per adventure - that is what your Charismatic trait will allow for a Persuasion or Oratory roll.)

So, that's two more dice for one per success. A total of 8 successes with 1 Persona and 1 Fate spent.

The root of Games of Chance is Perception which means your Aptitude is 10-4= 6. You have one test towards opening it, and need five more.

You caculated +3 greed, but you start at 1, not 0, so you should have a B4 Greed. (adding in the extra die in sequence doesn't result in more than 8 successes here, just make note of it going forward.)

Now, we look at advancing his greed.

Any time dice are added from Greed to another ability., it counts as a test for Greed. Compare the dice added to your current Greed exponent. The dice used count as the obstacle of the Greed test for advancement.

That means it is 4D vs Ob4, which is a difficult test on page 41. The text for advancing greed implies it advances on the skill table (p. 42) rather than the stat table (p.43) - any thoughts on that? In that case, you will advance to Greed 5 when you have 2 difficult and 4 routine tests.

The Card Game:
Since you guys have the option of spending Artha to beat Chumley, I'll not wait for him to roll last. Since Ffilz says that Khûdrarn isn't going to risk one of his treasures on the game and Blundrin lacks the collateral to attempt the resource test if he loses, I'll proceed with the current wagers on the table and no escalation to a Resource test for the losers.

Having cajoled the others into a card game as their host spreads the meal, Chumley deals the cards with a steely glint in his eye. He tries to cajole Durgar to join unsuccessfully and the others into raising their wagers, but backs off, letting the easier wagers stand amongst friends as they show their reticence. He cajoles them in friendly fashion, his own stone-faced expression unreadable his observant gaze reading the tells on each of the amateur players. Each hand comes up worse than the last for him, however and he ends with a shrug and a tight-lipped smile, showing yet another hand without even a single pair. "So it is with chance, lads... sometimes the deal doesn't favor ya."

Chumley's roll:

This is a Versus test, so the obstacle for your roll will be the result of the other PCs roll. You and Khudrarn are both Beginner's Luck, so it will just double Chumley's result. (I'm not having him add Greed, but his belief is to treat you like suckers. He'd get a number of FoRKs to win by cheating, but he's confident enough to not need it: he's got Games of Chance 4D +2D Stonefaced trait +1D FoRK Observation = 7D.) We'll multiply his successes x2 to be your Obstacle.

Chumley - Games of Chance [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 1[1d6] = 1[1d6] = 2[1d6] = 2
Chumley - Games of Chance [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 2

1 success, so 2 Ob. Blundrin already beat him, it is up to Khûdrarn to beat Blundrin.

Throfroin tries to hide his nervousness as he enters the game, particularly after Chumley criticized the value of his most prized treasure - the wooden chess set he put up as wager for the friendly game. As Chumley tries to cajole the others into higher wagers, Theofroin looks smug. "It is not in the nature of dwarves to be good liars; the tells on your faces are exactly what Drumbrin the Sage documented in The Nature of Dwarves; faces of our Forefathers," explaining at length as he is wise in the way of Dwarves. He increases in confidence as more hands are played, finding the courage to explain to his father, "It is not so dissimilar from strategic games of war..." he nods in the directions of the other players, "predicting the choices of opponents helps win in either case." He lays down decent hands, and one time succeeds on a bluff against Chumley. At first he is considerably brightened as he sees he bested the professional gambler, but returns to being nervous as he sees the glint of overpowering greed in Blundrin's face and predicts that he'll lose his chess set after all...

Throfroin's roll:

Perception root: B6. FoRKS from Falsehood (he's bluffing himself), Strategy Games, and Dwarf-wise. Total B9.
Throfroin - Games of Chance [1d6] = 6[1d6] = 1[1d6] = 1[1d6] = 2[1d6] = 3
Throfroin - Games of Chance [1d6] = 3[1d6] = 4[1d6] = 6[1d6] = 5
4 successes total. He beats Chumley as well, but loses to Blundrin. Now we see how Blundrin's greed fares against Khudrarn as the final roller....

[Marullus]

"Durgar brings up a good question though. Are there any good trails for us to get through Mirkwood?"[/color]

I'm considering this a "Say Yes" for things that I consider an Ob1 wise roll. Here's some basics to build from. You can claim to know more specific things than this and roll your wises to make them true.

As the hands of cards continue and each dwarf partakes of Dvalen's foraged fare, the conversation continues. The dwarves know the caravan is behind them, locked in indecision, and hoping the old dwarf will give them a way forward through the woods to somewhere safer on the far side. The other side has the Misty Mountains, not to mention the ancient ruins of Khazad Dum, now called Moria, while this side of the forest has wide trackless plains that inspire anxiety in a dwarf and animosity from the humans who already populate it in small family settlements. Dvalen, however, speaks first of the ruin that follows when dwarves flee their problems, causing consternation among the party... who are loathe to face that they're doing just that.

They party compares the basics of what they think to be true: (Map and known detail here)

They are southwest of the long lake, facing the forboding boughs of the Mirkwood. Where once it was called the "Greenwood," the creeping evil has twisted it and made its inner glades magical and forboding. None but elves and wizards remember what it once was. The sylvan elves now sequester themselves north of you. The magic of a necromancer is rumored to infect the south - fears of Mirkwood are told to all children, both human and dwarf.

The common knowledge of roads is known to those more well-travelled: There is an elf road to your north, if you trust the elves more than the other evils in the wood. There is the old dwarven road to your south, where goods came east to the River Running from old Moria but which hands have not kept safe for centuries. Most tradesmen would rather go around the forest than through it, but that is over 200 miles northwards and twice that to the south. All other roads through the wood are better termed paths -- made and known to the human woodsmen who make their communities on the forest's edge. It is likely that those among you have a few of these you have knowledge of.

Though they are mere foothills compared to the Misty Mountains or Lonely Mountain which stretch to the sky, there are records of the Mountains of Mirkwood which lie ahead of you. Theofroin speaks of records in the archives that indicate that dwarves once mined there, but is certain of little about them, or where, precisely, to seek them. He speaks also of the great kingdom that once was in Khazad Dum ahead of you and encourages the group to continue that direction. Chumley suggests that the best thing to do is the unexpected - there is such fear of venturing further south towards the darker forest that it is likely the safest and least likely to be beset by bandits and those seeking to waylay the caravan.

Verrain: Go ahead with your description and then make the Foraging roll with FORKs from Scavenging and Herbalism to see how far Dvalen's food and hospitality can extend, so we can put that in as a pre-cursor.

We're then looking for Dvalen's proposal based on his own knowledge of what lies ahead. Make up something creative and tie it to your wises - I'll give you obstacles and we'll roll them.