Shine's Grand Adventure! Starring: Other People

[Mister Shine]

I am currently FMing a very fun campaign of TtB and thought it might be fun or helpful to other FMs to see what I've been doing and how I've been resolving issues/planning encounters with a bit of behind-the-screen knowledge of what I planned, what I didn't and what I stole from the people playing my campaign because their idea was just plain better than mine. I'll be Outlining the sessions below

 

 

Chapter 0: Prologue

 

I started off giving everyone a general rundown of how Malifaux works: Why soulstones are important. Why the Guild exists and why they are disliked but also why they are tolerated/feared. Who the other major players are in the city and most importantly: Why would anyone come to Malifaux. I felt it was very important for people unfamiliar with the setting (3/5 of the players) to know this information to develop a character that made sense to them and made sense in the setting.

 

I then started our faceless characters on the last stop Earthside before Malifaux. An invented town I figured would have to exist to try and squeeze every last dime out of travelers and for Guild resupplies. While waiting to board each player felt compelled to have their fortune told and from there we went into actual character development, walking each player through the Crossroads Tarot with the other players as well. Everyone got to experience everyone else's character development and add ideas or gain some for their own character, help explain why some skills were developed and others not. I find it very helpful to question the player about choices, "Was your Outlaw upbringing a point of pride? Or did you try and hide it?" that sort of thing. Help players get into the mind set of their characters. It takes awhile but we were left with

 

Gregori

Auma LeJeune

Dr Billingsly

Doc "Ironlung" Davidson

Liliana Pyke

 

Who proceeded to get drunk in town a bit, notice some religious fanatics handing out necklaces before boarding the train along with a highly guarded cargo. They entered the third train from the rear, cargo in the last train before the engine. Once the train hit the Breach there's a bright flash and the train is stuck crossing; still moving but not leaving the Breach itself. Also all the passengers who took necklaces are killed and raised as zombies and fighting with the Guild. Fated join up with a Guild Guard; Von Frank, who wants the group to move together towards the engine.

 

Combat for the prologue is easy, Minion Mindless Zombies let players test out the combat system a little without too much difficulty although the threat of being swarmed keeps them on their toes.  Some players have a swing of bad luck and continue to miss and miss the zombies so I let the miss carry through and crash through the floor of the train. This lets players confirm they are still moving as they can see theyre still moving. Player who kept missing feels like they've added to the combat now, which is good. As the Fated start getting into the swing of combat Im running out of zombies so Notice checks are called for and the Fated see zombies I've just added are now crawling beneath the seats towards them. Melee characters rush to crush them and the combat squeaks by for another few turns and feels robust, but not dragged out. Von Frank participates in combat but his presence is minimal. The Fated are the stars of the show, not the FM.

 

Gregori the Gypsy loots a lot of liquor on their way through the Dining cart (I couldnt justify no liquor in the dining cart so liquor the party has now!). On their way through the train an eagle-eyed player notes the mail sack seeming to grow hideous features and calls others over to look. They spy no mail sack and the party is on guard. The Fated make their way to the cargo hold at the front of the train and break the door down, the room is thick with fog. 2 players familiar with the setting want to back off so I have Von Frank push through and be decapitated by the Stitched. Combat ensues and the Stitched is given slightly higher stats and about 20 extra wounds to make it a nicer mini boss encounter. Fated find the Stitched had been eating the precious cargo: Prototype Logic Circuits (after a few quick checks to determine this) the party leave some with the Stitched and take one each before trying to stop the train.

 

With the fog lifted after the Stitched's death, Gregori tries the emergency brake and successfully stops the train, however his poor skill check results in the train derailing as it exists the Breach (A good example of skill use. The failure did not stop plot progression, but changed the outcome of that success). The Fated vacate the area quickly and enter Malifaux proper.

 

[Earlamin]

I would like to read more of this adventure, considering I just joined it on session 4...