Session VI, Part II

In Medical (Room 6a), the PCs see a strange figure, who's apparently the médecin of the gold mine:

In addition to the scary médecin, inside Medical are also two Hell Goats in mine carts (giving 90% cover) in optimal firing positions, eight zombies performing live vivisections at the direction of the médecin, and eight test subjects.

The médecin looks at the party, who are aghast, and says "You don't understand... We mean you no harm.  We seek peaceful coexistence!"

[As DM] I say, "You suspect the médecin is impregnated by a Chryssalid embryo."

[OOC] K says, "Wait, so a Chryssalid embryo can access the memories of the host?"

[As DM] I say, "Yup."

[OOC] K says, "That's…not good."

The PCs are at a loss, so I remind them how to get rid of Chryssalid embryos, which they decide is a good plan.


Zakalwe rolls a crit success on his Charisma check!  Thus, Zakalwe regales the Chryssalid embryo and the Hell Goats with the tale of a mighty artifact: the Head of Vecna!

Meanwhile, the Nameless Magic-User and Aleena hide behind the wall next to Zakalwe, the former pulling out a Holy Hand Grenade and the latter preparing to cast Bless on the humans in Medical (to negate the effect of the Holy Hand Grenade).


[As DM] I say, "Remember, you have to get the timing right.  Bless takes 1 round to cast, whereas a Holy Hand Grenade goes off in 3 segments.  Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three."

[OOC] S says, "Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three."

[OOC] K says, "Five is right out."

In my game, a Holy Hand Grenade creates a sphere of divine energy, which is a magical effect akin to Silence, 15' Radius, rather than like a Fireball (a physical effect).  Thus, the energy passes through the wall into Medical.

The Chryssalid embryo is slain!

Hell goats #4 & 5 are slain!

Zombies #13-20 are slain!

The 30' radius also extends along the z-axis, into the shaft that Legionnaire #4 fell down, where the grey ooze that killed Legionnaire #3 is hiding, waiting for another chance to ambush the party.

The grey ooze is slain!

The party shoves the Chief Engineer's desk into the mouth of the shaft down to Level 3 and clamber over into Medical.

Médecin Remmick is tending to the test subjects and asks for his healing potions.

[As Zakalwe] K says, "Sorry, those are all gone."

[As Médecin Remmick, confused] I say, "But what about the healing potions in my office?"

[As Zakalwe] K says, "Nope, all gone.  They, uh, must have been stolen by the Chryssalids."

Meanwhile, the Nameless Magic-User sneaks into the médecin's office and steals the healing potions.  Sister Aleena folds her arms and looks crossly at the PCs, but says nothing.

Meta Review: Heir's Battle Basics

Merry Christmas!

Let's celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace with another helping of Total War: Rome II goodness:

In terms of beginnings, Heir of Carthage has a couple of good videos specifically aimed toward newcomers to Total War: Rome II that I wanted to discuss. Of course, you can pick up a significant amount of knowledge en passant by simply watching his online battles and such, but these videos approach the subject in a more systematic manner.  The first covers Army Selection Tips:

This video is designed for people who are beginners in the truest sense of the word, but Messr Heir does his typical excellent job of clearly and comprehensively explaining how to put together an army in Total War: Rome II.  He also prefaces the video by stating, "There is no one good army and there is no one good faction."  Messr Heir breaks down the various unit types, their different statistics, and comparative strengths.  He also briefly discusses how you might use certain units to your advantage in different situations.  Included is a quick battle where he attempts to illustrate these points.


As a companion to the first video, Heir of Carthage also put out another video covering Battle Basics, the basic mechanical issues for running a battle in Total War: Rome II:

In addition to expounding on some details from the first video (such as explaining various unit special abilities), here Messr Heir clearly explains the various screens, panels and buttons in the game interface, and also discusses information that might come up, and how to group, manage and maneuver your army in during battles.  Included once more is a quick battle where he illustrates these points.

So, for investing less than an hour, someone can watch these videos to pick up a basic overview of the mechanics Total War: Rome II.  These tutorials are an excellent springboard to better understanding how the game works and what you're actually seeing on screen.

Joyeux Noël!

SC's Parting Shot: 9 of 10

Session VI, Part I

For convenience, here is the map of the second level of the gold mine again:

Before the session starts, I do some calculation and decide the PCs need some more help to succeed in their mission, so I tell the PCs that they retroactively also found a Scroll of Earth Elemental Summoning in the General Manager's office.

[OOC] K says to S, "It's never a good sign when the DM suddenly gives out extra magic items."


The PCs raise a simple cairn of stones for Vasquez and observe a moment of silence.  Afterwards, two legionnaires take point, with Zakalwe close behind to support, as the party continues north and then heads west to Room 3 (Office Supplies).

In Room 3, the PCs find dozens more empty Chryssalid eggs and dead webbed up miners but still no survivors.  After they burn out the room, the party heads to Room 4 (the Panic Room):

The place is now empty but it shows signs of previous occupation.  The blood smears and signs of struggle outside the entrance suggest that the occupants probably waited until they thought the coast was clear and then tried a dash for safety.

[OOC] K says, "Who would be dumb enough to do that?"

[As DM] I say, "There's a sign that says 'EXECUTIVE USE ONLY'."

The party turns south and moves toward Room 5a (Engineering).  Forgetting to search for traps, the two lead legionnaires and Zakalwe all fail their Spot Checks and are drenched by the big bucket of industrial acid propped above the door to Engineering when it falls on them!  Shrieking in agony, the trio writhe on the floor, as the rest of the party stares helplessly.

Legionnaires #1 & 2 are slain!


Zakalwe is reduced to 1 hit point, just hanging on to life by his fingernails (my campaigns use the Death at zero hit points rule (i.e., there's no safety blanket bleed out rule)).  After drinking a healing potion, Zakalwe sits down to rest, while the Nameless Magic-User finds two more legionnaires to take point and leads the party into Engineering.

The room is ransacked but quiet.  As the new lead legionnaire approaches Room 5b (Chief Engineer's Office), he fails to notice that the door is really shiny and a giant grey ooze leaps onto him!  The legionnaire screams as the ooze burns through his skin and armor.  Again, the rest of the party stares helplessly.

Legionnaire #3 is slain!

[OOC] S asks, "Are these guys dressed in redshirts?"

[As DM] I say, "Well, they're equipped like Roman legionnaires."

[OOC] S says, "You know what color those guys wore a lot of?  Red!"

As the party rushes forward with torches, the ooze slithers south under the door to Room 6a (Medical).  The PCs halt pursuit and decide to clear Engineering first.


In Room 5c (Engineering Records), the PCs find their first survivors.  There are cheers, as Sister Aleena tends to their wounds and the Nameless Magic-User makes sure they are not impregnated by Chryssalids.  Spirits buoyed, the party decides to move south.  


The new lead legionnaire steps through the door into Medical…and plunges into the shaft that the Chryssalids have dug down to the third level of the gold mine, falling 70 feet into the ore processing facility and splashing down in the prepositioned vat of industrial acid underneath the pit.

Legionnaire #4 is slain!

Movie Review: The Eagle (2011)

Another excellent but underrated Sword & Sandal film is director Kevin Macdonald's The Eagle:

Based on Rosemary Sutcliff's beloved historical adventure novel The Eagle of the Ninth (1954), which in turn is loosely based on the disappearance of the Legio IX Hispana (purportedly during a punitive expedition to Caledonia (modern day Scotland)), The Eagle takes place in 2nd century AD and follows Marcus Flavius Aquila, a young Roman officer who has come to Roman Britain to discover his father's fate (a senior officer with the Ninth Legion) and to restore his family's honor. Receiving an honorable discharge after successfully defending his fort, the appropriately named Aquila heads north with his slave Esca, son of the slain chief of the Brigantes, past Hadrian's Wall to search for the Aquila (the eagle-shaped military standard) of the Ninth Legion.

The story is part Heart of Darkness, journeying into the unknown to the edge of the Roman world, and part Mismatched Partners, with two very different people having to work together.  It works for the most part- I felt the ending was a bit contrived.  The film looks great, with beautiful shots of mountains, rivers, and the grime and grit of Iron Age living.  Also, combat is appropriately desperate and deadly:

Director MacDonald's commitment to realism pays off in ways that working with green screen and computer graphics never could, painting a reasonably authentic picture of 140 AD Roman Britain: Roman values are different from modern values and The Eagle doesn't shy away from the uglier side of the empire.  The film commitment to details also shines when it uses real Roman lingo and tactics like Testudo formation:

By comparison, the contemporary Centurion (2010) is very much a Hollywood action blockbuster.

A few things are still a bit off, though.  For example, Marcus Aquila's father was Primus Pilus Centurion, so it's odd that he'd shoulder the blame for the loss of the Ninth Legion, as opposed to, say, the Legate.

Still, I quite enjoyed this under appreciated gem.  If you like historical, thoughtful tales of honor and adventure into the unknown set in the Iron Age, The Eagle is well worth your time.

SC's Parting Shot: 8 of 10

Session V, Part IV

For convenience, here is the map of the second level of the gold mine again:

The party heads back south to Room 1b (the ledge to the east and 20 feet higher than Room 1a), and Zakalwe  slowly peers around the corner again but the Operations Center of the mine is still dark, empty and eerily quiet.  Using rope, he rappels down to Room 1a to scout further.  The coast is clear and the rest of the party joins him.


The Nameless Magic-User surreptitiously looks through the records and makes sure that Vasquez's story checks out.  This adventure basically being an "Aliens" movie, while they search Operations, the party finds signs of a big "last stand" type struggle here.  They also find lots of evidence of corporate malfeasance:

After loading up with more oil, the party decides to leave Operations by the north corridor toward Room 3.  Vasquez and Zakalwe take point again, moving forward cautiously into the darkness.

Suddenly, zombies burst forth from the loosely packed wall to the fighters' right!  As debris fills up the tunnel behind them, Vasquez and Zakalwe are cut off from the rest of the party and surrounded.

The zombies start scoring hits on the fighters, who steadily put down undead in return.  Although they only do 1d4 damage per attack, the swarming walkers whittle away hit points from Vasquez and Zakalwe through several rounds.  Meanwhile, while the rest of the party frantically clears the rumble to reach the fighters.

Zombies #1-5 are slain!


As the rest of the party clears the debris and moves toward, the zombies turn towards them.  Meanwhile, three Hell Goats gallop toward Vasquez and Zakalwe.

Zakalwe throws a dagger and misses.

The Hell Goats concentrate their eye beams on Vasquez, who seems like the bigger threat.  Weakened by the earlier melee with the zombies, the elite mercenary crumples to the ground.

Vasquez is slain!

As the Iberian warrior goes down, S says, "NOOOOOO!!!!!"

As Zakalwe prepares another throwing dagger, I remind K about his PC's Wand of Lightning Bolts.

[OOC] K says, "Oh yeah."

Hell Goats #1 & 2 are slain!

Then I remember that, depending on the angle, when lightning bolts hit a wall, they can bounce back toward the source.  

Hell Goat #3 is slain!

[OOC] S says, "Vasquez is dead!   Why didn't you use your wand a round earlier?"

[OOC] K says, "Um, sorry.  I forgot I was carrying it again."

The party finishes off the rest of the zombies.

Zombies #6-12 are slain!


After Vasquez's death, Zakalwe loses his bravado.

[As Zakalwe] K says to the veteran legionnaires, "I need some volunteers to take point."

Session V, Part III

As the party packs their new shinies from Reverend Mother Guinan:

[OOC] K says to S, "Regardless of how this mission turns out, we're keeping whatever we don't use, right?"

[OOC] S says, "Of course!"

[As DM] I ask, "Is there any other gear that you want to take?"

[OOC] K says, "Fire has been our usual backup plan."

[OOC] S says, "Yeah, everyone's carrying lots of oil!"

The party also raids the infirmary for healing potions, grabbing two each.  With weather starting to look decidedly preternatural, the PCs ride out from the Keep:

The Colonel leaves a token force to monitor the Việt-Khmer border and a small strategic reserve at Fort Champa and then deploys the rest of the garrison around the gold mine, securing the entrance and first level of the mine:

Silently, the party tries to mentally work out the horrors awaiting in the depths as they enter the mine.  Heading toward the elevator, the winch creaks distressingly as the PCs meet the returning platoon of legionnaires who initially secured Level 1.  As the soldiers pass by the party, the Nameless Magic-User makes a Spot Check, noticing one of the legionnaires is acting a bit strange and surreptitiously trying to get close to Aleena.

Quickly, Vasquez and Zakalwe move to intercept, when they are showered with blood and viscera as a new Chryssalid bursts out of the legionnaire!

Suddenly, magic smoke fills the room and the PCs make out an insectiod figure fleeing for the elevator!  The party beats the Chryssalid baby on Initiative and Lieutenant Phùng zaps it with Magic Missile.

The Chryssalid baby is slain!

Following a rickety ride down the swaying elevator, the PCs meet Captain Đào on the first level of the mine, who tells them that it's all clear here and leads them to the entrance down to the second level:

Without further ado, the party heads down the steps to Level 2 after grabbing some miner helmets and canaries.  Vasquez and Zakalwe take point, and the veteran legionnaires surround the spell casters.  At the first fork, the party listens and hears something trying to get through the barricaded door on the left.  They decide to leave well enough alone and proceed down the slightly downward sloping right corridor.

Slowing down to search for traps, the PCs find a covered pit with scarab beetles scuttling around at the bottom.  Marking it off, they move around the trap and continue cautiously north, stopping before  they reach Room 1b (the ledge to the east and 20 feet higher than Room 1a).  Since there's no thief and Zakalwe has 18 DEX and Stealth, he shuts off the light on his helmet and crawls forward, slowly peering around the corner but seeing nothing.

Ready for action, Zakalwe crawls forward onto the ledge and turns on his light...but Room 1a, the cavernous Operations Center of the mine, is dark, empty and eerily quiet.  Offices are racksacked and equipment is smashed, but the party is alone, as far as they can tell.

After conferring for several minutes, the PCs decide to continue north to Room 2.  As the party passes  the north end of the ledge, an increasingly noxious stench of death and decay assails them.

Zakalwe crit fails his Save versus Fear!  He curls up into the fetal position and the Nameless Magic-User takes over, leading the party forward.  Rounding the corner, the party finds dozens of empty  Chryssalid eggs and dead webbed up miners:

There are no survivors.

[As the Nameless Magic-User] S says, "We burn it.  All of it."