Session XI, Part I

Normally, I'm not keen about roleplaying one (DM) on one (Player), since it feels to me like mental quickdraw with the contest weighted unfairly in favor of the DM.  However, since I've played Arkham Horror solo before, I knew that the board, by taking discretion away from the DM, would rebalance the scales.  

S and I had a lot of fun last session.  A couple of the house rules that worked really well were:

o The fog of war: limiting how far S could see on the board added a lot of tension to the game, as every Movement Phase became a risk/reward calculation!

o The randomized drawing of Mythos cards: by only drawing a Mythos card, with a Doom Track of 12, S knew the game would run between 12 and 48 rounds (later extended to 14 to 56 rounds, after she used two Elder Signs). Consequently, S became increasingly nervous after round 25!

For the last session, I credit the PC with experience for one major achievement:

•  saving the city.

This brings Nausicaä up to 3rd level!

M, a new player, joins the group!  Like D, M is a long time gamer and like D and K, he is an old friend of mine.  M is playing the Second Nameless Magic-User:

o  Str 12, Int 17, Wil 17, Dex 16, Con 14, Cha 11

o Base HP: 7

o Proficiencies: Additional encounter HD, Bow

o Skill Points: Has one point each in Misdirection, Research, Medicine, and two points in Stealth

[As DM] I ask M, "What spells will you prepare before the session?"

[OCC] M says, "Burning Hands..."

[OCC] S says, "Hey, I don't have Burning Hands.  How about we trade?"

[As DM] I say, "Whatever PCs do is their own business."

[OCC] S says to M, "Okay, I'll take all the spells in your spell book."

[OCC] M says to S, "Okay, I'll take all the spells in *your* spell book."

As High Priest Kanye flees Buôn Ma Thuột, the Lieutenant-Gouverneur, who turned around and returned to the city instead of stopping the prison break at Terrible Injustice Prison, moves to intercept.

Suddenly, a war elephant ridden by a fierce warrior woman appears!

The war elephant ROFL-stomps the Lieutenant-Gouverneur and his elite bodyguard!

The fierce warrior woman stares at the party for a few moments and then motions them over, saying, "I don't have all day, you know.  Hurry up and come over here, so I can kill you!"

[OCC] M says, "Okay, I go over there."

[OCC] K says, "Well, given this campaign, I'm pretty certain that that would be an instadeath."

The party flees!