Save the Princess

For 4 or more heroes

By Paul Beakley

Skills required (check for "exotic skill" and/or "stacked roll" penalty):
Lore
Carouse, Bargain, or Deception
Mapping
Survival
Climbing
Dodge
Stealth

Best places to adjust the costs:

1) Eliminate the map penalty in Event 1 (20 pts.)
2) Eliminate the ambush penalty in Event 1 (25 pts.)
3) Eliminate the stealth penalty from the avalanche in Event 2 (33 pts.) and add 2 oz. silver to the loot at the end (-2 pts.)
4) Reduce the stealth roll difficulty to 6 in Event 3 (40 pts.)

Event 1: Tracking down the villains

Last night, bandits swept into your town. They did the standard bandit things - looting, pillaging, otherwise respectable Viking vocations - and then they crossed the line. They kidnapped a young woman who was already promised as a bride to the village chieftain. These bandits are fast and cunning; rumors have abounded about them for years. One thing is true: Nobody has ever found their hideout. On the other hand, these bandits have never stooped to kidnapping the chieftain's bride, either.

Carrot/Stick #1 - Hey, I think I know where they are!

Everyone has heard something about these bandits, and rumors abound of where they're really holed up. Standard roll vs. Lore, Difficulty 6. On a success, the hero has a good lead on where the bandit camp is and gains a +4 to Map rolls during the second event. On a failure, he's got really bad information, and suffers a -4 penalty to his Map rolls during the second event. Track each hero's bonus/penalty.

Points spent: 20 (-4 Map rolls)
Points gained: -20 (+4 Map rolls)

If anyone knows how to find these creeps, it'd be someone at an unnamed tavern up the road a ways that is frequented by disreputable types - even those more disreputable than typical Vikings. You go there to gather more information.

At the tavern, some cursory nosing around will put the heroes in contact with Olaf the Belly, a greedy trader known to accept goods from even the foulest of thieves.

Carrot/Stick #2 - A lead... Or a spy?

When the heroes are ready to press Olaf for information, make a Singular Dogpile roll, Difficulty 6, to talk with Olaf the Belly. They may use Carouse, Bargain, or Deception. On a success, Olaf confesses what he knows about the bandit hideout and the hero gains +4 to the Map rolls during the second event. On a failure, Olaf excuses himself, leaves quickly, gets on his horse, and warns the bandits there's trouble coming; heroes get -5 to their Stealth roll during the ambush in event 3.

Points spent: 25 (-5 on ambush)
Points gained: -40 (Singular dogpile roll, alternate methods, for +4 Map rolls)

Event 2: A long, cold hike

The heroes go north, where they suspect the bandit hideout is hidden. Depending on how well they rolled in the previous event, they may either have a very good idea or no idea at all - or, perhaps, bad information.

Trap #1 - It's getting cold out here!

To get to the hideout, the heroes must succeed a total of 4 times (or as many times as there are heroes) at a Countdown roll against Mapping, Difficulty 7. Each hero gets a standard 3 attempts. On a failure, the heroes get lost (see "getting lost" rules). Also, having spent too much time in the wild, they begin suffering from cold and exposure; go to trap #2.

Points spent: 40 (Countdown), 30 (chance to get lost), 10 (failure leads to trap), 20 (combo trap surcharge on Countdown), 20 (surcharge for increased Mapping difficulty)

Trap #2 - The great outdoors

If the heroes failed at Trap #2, they must make a Standard roll vs. Survival, Difficulty 6, or suffer 3d10 damage that ignores armor.

Points spent: 25 (3d10 damage, ignores armor).

As the heroes get close to the bandit hideout, they spy a climb up to a snow-covered overlook. This vantage point could provide excellent information about the bandit hideout and its defenses - but the climb looks treacherous.

Carrot/Stick #3 - The snowy overlook

The heroes make a conditionally avoidable (i.e. they don't elect to make the climb) Weak Link roll vs. Climbing, Difficulty 6. On a success, the heroes successfully reach the top of the overlook from which they can easily see the enemy camp; each hero who made the climb gets +6 to their Stealth roll during the ambush in Event 3. On a failure, an avalanche is triggered; go to trap #3.

Points spent: 50 (Weak link, difficulty 6, failure leads to trap)
Points gained: -40 (Conditionally avoidable, +6 to ambush)

Trap #3 - Avalanche!

Any hero caught in the avalanche must make a Standard roll vs. Dodge, Difficulty 6, or take 25 damage. In addition, the bandits are alerted to trouble and the heroes suffer a -2 to their Stealth roll during the ambush in Event 3.

Points spent: 35 (DAM 25), 10 (-2 Stealth), 23 (surcharge for 2 hazards)

Once through the forest, possibly worse for wear, the heroes come upon the bandit hideout.

Event 3: The bandit camp

Finally, the heroes sneak up to the bandit camp. Other than being well-hidden in a canyon, it's a simple affair. The camp is surrounded by dense forest. There are two huts and a corral; a rickety platform is built into a big old tree at the edge of the camp clearing, where a guard stands watch, bow in hand.

Gain #1 - Ambush the bandits

The heroes sneak up to the camp, hoping to get the jump on the bandits. Be sure to apply any individual gains or penalties acquired from the previous two events. The only guard is the guy up in the tower. The sneak roll is a Weak Link roll vs. Stealth, Difficulty 8. Don't forget any bonuses or penalties from events 1 and 2!

Points spent: 20 (Difficulty 8)
Points gained: -50 (Ambush)

Once the ambush has either succeeded or failed, combat ensues.

Combatants
3x Dark Vikings, weak, predictable
1x Dark Viking, weak, predictable, adjust: +3 ATK, -1 soak, -2 DFN (the guy in the tower), armed with a crossbow
1x Dark Viking, superior, self-willed

Points spent: 25 (self-willed superior leader)

Terrain #1: Snowy ground

The snow on the ground covers everything except the ground inside the huts.

Points gained: -15 (slippery ground, 2/3 of area)

Terrain #2: Trees at the periphery

The tree cover at the edge of the camp obstructs missile fire (-1 penalty to missile fire) and is considered to take up half the area.

Points gained: 0

Terrain #3: The huts

There are two huts, which provide full cover for three people, either inside them or behind them.

Points gained: -72 (-36 for each hut)

Terrain #4: The Scout Tower

This tower provides a vantage point 20' high, and half cover to whomever is in the tower. Takes a standard Climb roll, difficulty 6, to get up to the lookout.

Points gained: 0

Terrain #5: The corral

The horses are kept in a small coral. The corral walls are barriers, Difficulty 6 to climb over.

Points gained: 0

Terrain #6: The princess

Finally, there is the kidnapped bride. She is a hostage; the superior Dark Viking bandit leader will use her for his own protection

Points gained: 0

Gain - The bandits' booty

If the heroes succeed in dispatching the bandits, they can ransack the huts. They will find a single Category C treasure, two Category B treasures, one Category A treasures, and 1 ounce of silver.

In addition, the bandits' hideout will make an excellent, well hidden yet easily accessible loot cache (recovery difficulty 4).

Points gained: -30 (Treasure type C), -40 (Treasure type B x 2), -10 (Treasure type A), -1 (1 oz. silver), -40 (loot cache, dif 4)

Tally for all events