Champions of Lemuria » Thanks to the venomous pao, Narmer, and G-Man

Gruntfuttock · 5/31/2016 1:46 am

Firstly – many thanks to the venomous pao and Narmer, whose blog posts, ‘BoL: Sacred Restoration’ and ‘BoL Egyptian Style’ respectively, provided PCs and NPCs and inspiration. Also thanks to G-Man, who’s ‘The Sea Devil's Debutante’ gave me BoL Deep Ones while his ‘Armies of Five Eyes’ also provided a Shoggoth!

So, in another thread I said that my next game was to be the first in a run of Heroes of Hellas games. However, scheduling issues meant that I could run a game yesterday, but there would have to be a break of a few weeks – not so good for what I’ve got planned for HoH. So I needed a one shot. I’ve always wanted to run a game set in Ancient Egypt, so quickly ripping off…er…borrowing from Pao and Narmer, as well as acquiring the HPL goodness from G-Man, I had the basis for a game, with minimal work (just converting some LE stats to Mythic).

I added a map from ICE Campaign Classics (published 1990 – I told you I wanted to run an Egyptian game for a long time, didn’t I?), a tomb plan from GURPS Egypt, and a political framework/setting from three old historical mystery novels I bought in the 1970s (yes, I am old).

I provided my two players with three PCs each to choose from – the four unused PCs were replaced by four Toughs versions of the same characters. These became the other members of their team – working for General Horemheb, one of the two co-Regents of Egypt, ruling on behalf of the 9 year old Tutankhamun.

So, a Medjay (necropolis policeman) and the tomb robber he was about to execute, joined a noble charioteer, a priestess of Bast, a Sherden slave swordswoman, and a priestly political prisoner – in pursuit of another condemned priest, up the Nile and across the desert to the Red Sea port of Koser. They faced river pirates, assassins, and a trap set by ghouls (or rather ghuls), before cornering the fugitive deep underground in a salt water lake under a 7th Dynasty tomb. He was dispatched quickly, but not before the Deep Ones – lots of them – came splashing out of the water. The party ran like hell, and as the Deep Ones couldn’t catch them, they called up a Shoggoth. The prisoner priest collapsed a roof trap on top of himself to save the others and plug the tunnel. Phew!

The game was a blast – and the players want to stay in Egypt with their characters. So the Medjay and pardoned tomb robber will have further tasks to perform for the Regent of Egypt.

God knows when we’ll get back to Heroes of Hellas now.

Last edited by Gruntfuttock (5/31/2016 1:48 am)

G-Man · 6/01/2016 6:06 am

I started out actually trying to stat up the shoggoth using CoC rules as a reference, but it struck me that without powerful magic, even heroic-style BoL PCs wouldn't be able to kill one of the damn things. So I came up with the version used in 'Army of Five Eyes." I'm glad it got some use elsewhere, too.

Could you post the PCs you used in your game? They sound really inspired.

Gruntfuttock · 6/02/2016 9:45 am

Well, I don’t know about inspired. The PCs were from Pao’s post (Narmer provided 2 major NPCs and you provided the monsters). I was putting a game together fast, so just stole what was available. Luckily for me, all three of you had posted quality material. I just reskinned them for my purposes, changing gender in a few cases, and switching names around – PCs need to have names players can easily pronounce!

The warriors were changed in role (one a nobleman and another a barbarian foreigner) and weapons. All the rest of the team were issued with some textile armour by their ‘employer’, General Horemheb. The Medjay replaced Pao’s architect. Medjay were necropolis police, but in the game they also had more of a general police role within Thebes.

The players picked the Medjay and Tomb Robber pregens to play. The unused PCs had ‘Tough’ equivalents, which were the versions used in the game. This seemed to work well, as they had useful skill sets, but as Toughs did not compete with the two PCs (the dreaded GMPC malarkey).

The game took place after the death of Smenkhkare, the successor to the heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten. Smenkhkare had just a short reign of just a year or so, and has been succeeded in turn by the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Egypt is ruled by two co-Regents, Ay (the boy king’s grandfather) and Horemheb (General in Chief of the Army). Akhenaten’s state worship of the Aten (Solar Disc) has been renounced, and the old gods of Egypt have been restored. But worshipers of yet older gods are trying to exploit the religious and political turmoil of these years.

The versions of the characters available to my players:
Seneb – Disgraced priest of Aten
Lifeblood 11 / Hero Points 5 / Arcane Power 11 / Fate Points 2
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 0 Mind 3 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Initiative 0 Melee 2 Ranged 0 Defense 2
Careers: Noble 0, Priest 2, Physician 1, Magician 1
Boons: Learned (Religion), Detect Deception
Flaws: Elderly
Equipment: Staff (d6), Knife (d6L), Light Textile Armor (d6-3)
[General Horemheb’s half-brother, unrepentant Atenist priest – due for execution.]

Mauadu – Priestess of Bast
Lifeblood 10 / Hero Points 5 / Arcane Power 12 / Fate Points 1
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 1 Mind 1 Appeal 2
Combat Abilities: Initiative 1 Melee 2 Ranged 0 Defense 1
Careers: Noble 1, Scribe 0, Priest 1, Magician 2
Boons: Attractive, Silver Tongue
Flaws: Arrogant
Equipment: Short Sword (d6), Knife (d6L), Light Textile Armor (d6-3)
[A beautiful young noblewoman, destined for high office in her temple – a skilled magician.]

Ramessu – Noble Chariot Warrior, a loyal soldier of the Regent
Lifeblood 11 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 1 Agility 2 Mind 0 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Initiative 1 Melee 1 Ranged 2 Defense O
Careers: Noble 1, Hunter 1, Sailor 0, Soldier 2
Boons: Alert, Keen Eyesight, Master of the Bow
Flaws: Arrogant, Heavy Drinker
Equipment: Kopesh Sword (d6), Bow (d6), Medium Scale Armor (d6-2), Helmet (1)
[General Horemheb’s nephew and hunting companion – dutiful, but vain and arrogant.]

Kuva – Captive Sherden Swordswoman, and a favored slave of the Regent
Lifeblood 13 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 3 Agility 1 (0) Mind 0 Appeal 0
Combat Abilities: Initiative 1 Melee 2 Ranged 0 Defense 1
Careers: Farmgirl 0, Slave 0, Pirate 3, Soldier 1
Boons: Fearless, Poison Resistance
Flaws: Illiterate
Equipment: Sherden Longsword (d6), Sherden Medium Armor (d6-2), Shield (2)
[The General’s right hand – she amuses him, and he values her ruthlessness and loyalty.]

Djehuti – Honest Medjay
Lifeblood 10 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 1 Agility 1 Mind 2 Appeal 0
Combat Abilities: Initiative 1 Melee 1 Ranged 1 Defense 1
Careers: Laborer 0, Merchant 1, Physician 1, Medjay 2
Boons: Friends in Low Places, Friends in High Places
Flaws: Superstitious
Equipment: Cudgel (d6L), Short Sword (d6), Bow (d6), Knife (d6L), Light Textile Armor (d6-3)
[Reports suggest he is one of the few honest Medjay on the force – intelligent for a commoner!]

Het – Condemned Tomb Robber
Lifeblood 10 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 2 Mind 1 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Initiative 1 Melee 1 Ranged 1 Defense 1
Careers: Peasant 0, Beggar 1, Prostitute 1, Thief 2
Boons: Sneaky, Friends in Low Places, Seductress
Flaws: Untrustworthy, Fear of Water
Equipment: Thieves Tools, 4 X Daggers (d6L), Light Textile Armor (d6-3)
[Sentenced to death, her skills could be vital in stopping a great horror being unleased on Egypt.]

Last edited by Gruntfuttock (6/02/2016 9:46 am)

G-Man · 6/02/2016 11:15 am

Ah, I recognize these NPCs now. I've got GURPS Egypt, too, but never thought to mash the setting with HPL monsters before. Egyptian-themed magic must be a blast to run during play!

Narmer · 6/02/2016 9:19 pm

I'm glad to hear that someone is getting use out of stuff I've posted. Sounds like a fun game. I hope to actually play an Egyptian themed game someday. Oh, I've got GURPS Egypt too. And crossing Egypt and HPL has never crossed my mind either.

Gruntfuttock · 6/03/2016 10:16 am

Just got back from the British Museum, where my wife and I visited an exhibition on a sunken Ancient Egyptian city not far from Alexandria - spooky or what? The city dated from the Ptolemaic period, rather than the earlier New Kingdom, but even so...when watching the films of the divers finding the treasures on the sea bed, I did wonder what they might find next -brrrrr!

The magic for the game was mainly quickly cribbed from the ICE book mentioned above. I'll need to work up some more sample spells for any further games.

Narmer, your two characters provided the basis for two assassins sent to take out the leaders of the party - the noble charioteer and the barbarian swordswoman (the assassins identified them as the leaders, as they were always bickering!) The PCs both independently managed to save the targets from assassination, so increasing their prestige within the group.

Highpoints of the game included the Medjay saving the charioteer, and in the final showdown with the Deep Ones, the thief blowing herself up with an improvised explosive charge (she spent a hero point to say that she had a bag of experimental black powder on her) after rolling double 1 on her re-rolled attempt to throw the improvised grenade into the midst of the charging monsters!

You'll be glad to know that she survived the experience, but I think an Egyptian alchemist she knows is in for a good kicking.

Last edited by Gruntfuttock (6/03/2016 10:18 am)

Index
» General discussion
» Thanks to the venomous pao, Narmer, and G-Man

5/31/2016 1:46 am #1

Thanks to the venomous pao, Narmer, and G-Man

6/01/2016 6:06 am #2

Re: Thanks to the venomous pao, Narmer, and G-Man

6/02/2016 9:45 am #3

Re: Thanks to the venomous pao, Narmer, and G-Man

6/02/2016 11:15 am #4

Re: Thanks to the venomous pao, Narmer, and G-Man

6/02/2016 9:19 pm #5

Re: Thanks to the venomous pao, Narmer, and G-Man

6/03/2016 10:16 am #6

Re: Thanks to the venomous pao, Narmer, and G-Man

Index
» General discussion
» Thanks to the venomous pao, Narmer, and G-Man

Board footera