Kovag-Re

[Supplement Four]

I've read Kovag-Re a couple of times now, in preparation for our campaign kicking off in a week. It's a short, simple story, and I must admit, while some may think it "too simple", I think it's perfect for a first-time game using the rules.

Our first game session will include character generation before we get started. So, the PCs, once created, can swoop right down into the mystery.

The first part of the adventure involves detecting clues and tracking, which is good because we can move through that pretty swiftly while giving my players (who haven't played d20 in 15+ years either) some simple throws to learn the Skill system.

There are ample opportunities for role-playing, especially in the villiage near the Pass of the Goat. (And, if the adventure goes that way, the players will learn the grappling rules--hth combat.)

And, finally, there's the big climax in the hidden cul-de-sac. This is where we'll get into learning the combat system. Depending on how the adventure goes (especially, if the PCs end up befriending the "bandits"...I don't plan on making that easy for them), I'm thinking of breaking up the fight so that each player gets to run several of the combatants.

Normally, with so many combatants, I'd usually use a mass combat system or some other abstract method for describing the events (I thought about the system outlined in Free Companies). But, we're just learnig this combat system, so many swings with relatively little pain (mistakes will lead to NPCs dying) is just what the GM ordered.

I've got a twist I'm going to use in the adventure. Oleksa, the governor of Arenjun, isn't going to the climatic battle. Heck, he's the governor. Why should he?

I'm going to use Oleksa as an on-going nemisis, and he'll be the reason the PCs need to flee Arenjun (and possibly Zamora) after we've completed the Kovag-Re adventure.

I'm allowing only Commoners, Thieves, Solidiers, and Borderers as 1st level characters on this kick-off adventure, but I plan to get the PCs involved in sorcery and other types of character classes later (with either additional characters, replacement for dead PCs, or multi-classing options) as the story progresses.

I'm very into "story" guided campaigns, and this Saturday kicks off the first chapter.

 

[Supplement Four]

When reading Kovag-Re, though, this, from pg. 2, made me laugh...

"Since it is better, perhaps, to give the hard-working Games Master too much information than too little...."

Then, I look at the area map provided in the module and see that it doesn't include a scale.

And, there is no map for the interior caverns and Kovag-Re shrine. No map for the bandit camp, either, where the climax takes place. Heck, a simple sketch of the villiage at the Pass of the Goat would have been nice.

I'm not seeing an over-abundance of "too much information" in this module.



That leads me to a question...

Before I create some of this stuff from scratch, has anybody else run Kovag-Re and already created some of these maps?

 

[flatscan]

I've got a twist I'm going to use in the adventure. Oleksa, the governor of Arenjun, isn't going to the climatic battle. Heck, he's the governor. Why should he?

I'm going to use Oleksa as an on-going nemisis, and he'll be the reason the PCs need to flee Arenjun (and possibly Zamora) after we've completed the Kovag-Re adventure.

When I ran the Black Stones of Koveg-Re for my group, Olenska went because he's an arrogant noble, who wanted to see his bride punished for running off and the rebel killed that ran off with her. The PCs are just a bonus. The governor then died in the cave-in. I then set it up that a lot of merchants in Arenjun were pissed at the governor's death as they had paid substantial amounts of silver for kick backs, bribes and the like. With the governor's death, all that money was wasted. So they'd hired assassins to find the PCs and murder them in addition to the city watch hunting them. The PCs were looking for a way out of Arenjun, they met a smuggler who said he could get them out for a price. He didn't want silver, he wanted the Heart of the Elephant in Yara's tower (yes I know the name Arenjun was created in a pastiche, but I used it for the City of Thieves nonetheless ). This led into the next adventure being the Tower of the Elephant.

 

[Supplement Four]

This led into the next adventure being the Tower of the Elephant.

I'm going to run that one too...but I'm going to run Book of the Elephant, from S&P, first.

While I'm waiting for that three-parter to be finished, I'm going to run The Coming of Hanuman.

By that time, my characters should be high enough level to attempt Tower.

 

[flatscan]

This led into the next adventure being the Tower of the Elephant.

I'm going to run that one too...but I'm going to run Book of the Elephant, from S&P, first.

While I'm waiting for that three-parter to be finished, I'm going to run The Coming of Hanuman.

By that time, my characters should be high enough level to attempt Tower.

I ran Coming of Hanuman first. Then dealt with the 2 adventures in Arenjun, then the adventure in the Shadizar boxed set. I had 5 players for the Tower of the Elephant so it wasn't too big a deal to have them all be 3rd instead of 4 4th levelers. Using a mixture of the Mongoose published adventures with the old TSR ones and the players are slowly moving westward.

 

[Supplement Four]

I had forgotten how long it takes to create a d20 character. Sheesh! I had a player come over tonight to create his. We started working, spent a long time on it. Then, broke for dinner. Afterwards, it was back to the kitchen table for more work on it.

And, we're still not done.

Great Bel's bumpy arse!

We spent hours on this guy, and we still haven't finished feats!



But, he's shaping up pretty good. His name is Daggeri. He's a 1st level Thief. Zamorian, as all the PCs will be.

Daggeri is 16 years old, 5' 8", and 140 pounds. He's a thin, small, wirey type of guy. Light brown hair, dark brown eyes, and ruddy dark caucasion skin.

You can tell by the way he looks that he's got some mixed blood in his ancestry. He's not a true-blood Zhemri.

We used the descriptive tools in the 2E Players Guide to put a lot of "meat" on him. His physical description comes directly from an interpretation of his stats. We also used that book to shed clues to his personality. Daggeri is a logical-obsessive. Plus, we used the optional modifiers found in that work to alter some of Daggeri's skills based on his stats (for example, his physical make-up gives him a +1 bonus to Escape Artist checks while also penalizing him -1 STR checks when victim to Bull Rush and Overrun).

The personality make-up based on the stats is interesting, because it also suits Daggeri's player. It won't be a stretch at all for him to play giving the logical-obsessive guidelines.

I gave the player three choices when it came to rolling Daggeri's stats. He could use the first method straight out of the book (4D6, drop lowest, without arrangement). Or, he could use Conan 321, which provides limited arrangement. Or, he could just gamble, throwing 1d7 -1, for total choice of arrangement barring 0-6 randomly rolled stats.

The player went for Conan 321.

Stats for Daggeri look like this:

STR 7

DEX 14

CON 13

INT 15

WIS 12

CHA 11

Of course, Daggeri will be a Finesse fighter. In fact, the player is thinking of specializing in poisons.

We used the Players Guide to roll up some background for Daggeri. We didn't have enough time to "finish" his background, but we do have the broad strokes.

Daggeri is the fifth of seven children. An older brother and his two sisters died during child birth or at a young age (details to be determined).

The remaining four brothers are alive and well--barely. You see, Daggeri's parents have been sold into slavery. They operated an herbal store in Arenjun. Something (still yet to be determined) went south when dealing with a greedy bandit. Details are still hazy until we can put some more meat on Daggeri's backstory, but we do know that Daggeri was there when it went down with his parents. And, Daggeri kept his youngest brother from slavery with the parents.

All this stuff was generated using the 2E Players Handbook, so all we have to do is throw some more meat on that skeleton to make it look good.

Daggeri will use a poniard, and he starts the game with no armor and a single silver piece to his name. We know that he's been running with group of Arenjun thugs--street kids his own age or there abouts.

We did finish skills, and Daggeri has a ton of them:

Appraise +4
Balance +4
Climb +2

Craft (Herbalism) +7
Disable Device +9
Disguise +3

Escape Artist +4
Heal +2
Hide +6

Jump -1
Knowledge (rumors) +4
Knowledge (Arenjun) +4

Listen +6
Move Silently +6
Open Lock +10

Search +6
Slight of Hand +6
Use Rope +3



Daggeri speaks Brythunian, Corinthian, Hyrkanian, Kothic, Ophirean, Shemitsh as well as his native Zamorian tounge. He's got 9 HP, no amor, and 1 piece of silver to his name.

Yeah, baby! This is CONAN!!

 

[VincentDarlage]

We used the descriptive tools in the 2E Players Guide to put a lot of "meat" on him. His physical description comes directly from an interpretation of his stats. We also used that book to shed clues to his personality. Daggeri is a logical-obsessive. Plus, we used the optional modifiers found in that work to alter some of Daggeri's skills based on his stats (for example, his physical make-up gives him a +1 bonus to Escape Artist checks while also penalizing him -1 STR checks when victim to Bull Rush and Overrun).

The personality make-up based on the stats is interesting, because it also suits Daggeri's player. It won't be a stretch at all for him to play giving the logical-obsessive guidelines.

I am glad you found that material useful! I use it a lot in my campaigns (even non-Conan campaigns), especially for my NPCs. The character sounds interesting and should be fun for your friend to play.

 

[Supplement Four]

I am glad you found that material useful! I use it a lot in my campaigns (even non-Conan campaigns), especially for my NPCs. The character sounds interesting and should be fun for your friend to play.

Yeah, that's a pretty neat section of the book. I've played a lot of rpgs, and typically, when you find sections like that, its a random roll list. What I like about your list in the Players Guide is that it bases its description on the character's stats.

And, there's the added benefit of putting a picture on a guy that used to be a couple of numbers. Daggeri, for example. Low STR. High DEX. Mid CON. This guy is lean--probably pretty skinny. Maybe long fingers (which already makes me think there's a possibility of Hyperborean blood in his ancestry!), very dextrous and agile.

But, there's room for the player to input as well. The 2E Book gives a guide line, and the player can adjust. With Daggeri, the book said he may be tall and lanky, but the player pictured him short and small and skinny (5' 8", 140 lbs).

You did a good job on that section, Vincent. I'm going to use it with each PC in my campaign.

 

[Verderer]

We used the descriptive tools in the 2E Players Guide to put a lot of "meat" on him. His physical description comes directly from an interpretation of his stats. We also used that book to shed clues to his personality. Daggeri is a logical-obsessive. Plus, we used the optional modifiers found in that work to alter some of Daggeri's skills based on his stats (for example, his physical make-up gives him a +1 bonus to Escape Artist checks while also penalizing him -1 STR checks when victim to Bull Rush and Overrun).

The personality make-up based on the stats is interesting, because it also suits Daggeri's player. It won't be a stretch at all for him to play giving the logical-obsessive guidelines.

I am glad you found that material useful! I use it a lot in my campaigns (even non-Conan campaigns), especially for my NPCs. The character sounds interesting and should be fun for your friend to play.

We used the PC background material from the Player's handbook as well, it's nice to have some background for the player to build on. It's lot like the old Central Casting's Heroes for Fantasy book, if you're familiar with that one? I happy to say we got all af the books (Fantasy, Moderns, Scifi) they're cracking stuff. :wink:

 

[VincentDarlage]

We used the PC background material from the Player's handbook as well, it's nice to have some background for the player to build on. It's lot like the old Central Casting's Heroes for Fantasy book, if you're familiar with that one? I happy to say we got all af the books (Fantasy, Moderns, Scifi) they're cracking stuff. :wink:

I am glad to hear that! I will have to look into Central Casting. I've never heard of them before. I created my tables by doing a ton of research into psychology and personality types.

 

[rabindranath72]

I had forgotten how long it takes to create a d20 character. Sheesh! I had a player come over tonight to create his. We started working, spent a long time on it. Then, broke for dinner. Afterwards, it was back to the kitchen table for more work on it.

And, we're still not done.

Eh. Imagine if the character dies at the first session.

 

[Supplement Four]

Eh. Imagine if the character dies at the first session.

That's a very strong possibility (as it is with any 1st level character in a d20 game).

I will do what I can as GM to make sure my players realize the danger, reinforce that they play "smart", and go overboard a bit on rolling checks to help keep the PCs from being surprised, since all are new to this game.

But...

I could very well be reporting that half or more of the party was wiped out after our first session.

If we end up rolling up new characters, then that's what will happen.

 

[Ichabod]

Can always develop backstory, motivations, and whatnot after the campaign begins to make more effective use of character creation time, and it gives on stage stuff more opportunity to define a character than off stage stuff, which I think is terribly interesting.

But, also, with three Fate Points, there should be a reasonably good chance of player survival. Though, I think it's important that Conan games have outs from combat, primarily the ability to run away. I see failing in one's goals to be sufficiently penalizing without the further penalty of character death and going through character creation again.

 

[Supplement Four]

Though, I think it's important that Conan games have outs from combat, primarily the ability to run away.

There's not a whole lot of opportunity to run away in Kovag-Re. The scenario is a mystery, with the PCs following the clues. All the action takes place in the last encounter, where the PCs are stuck in a cul-de-sac with bandits on one side of them and city watch (trying to kill the PCs too) on the other.

It's this no-win fight that forces the PCs to retreat into the caves in the side of the mountain that allows the PCs to discover the hidden temple of Kovag-Re.

Let's see...

20 guards trying to kill them on one side.

12 bandits trying to kill them on another side.

Temple of Kovag-Re where their only retreat place is.

It's going to be brutal.

 

[Verderer]

We used the PC background material from the Player's handbook as well, it's nice to have some background for the player to build on. It's lot like the old Central Casting's Heroes for Fantasy book, if you're familiar with that one? I happy to say we got all af the books (Fantasy, Moderns, Scifi) they're cracking stuff. :wink:

I am glad to hear that! I will have to look into Central Casting. I've never heard of them before. I created my tables by doing a ton of research into psychology and personality types.

I should have mentioned that the Central Casting books are probably out of print, we bought them sometime in the early 90s.

 

[Supplement Four]

A good GM rules fairly on both sides of the PC/NPC line.

For example, Kovag-Re reads, to me, that the PCs will have surprise as they come down the trail towards the bandit camp to kick off the climax of the scenario--unless, in game, the PCs just step on their man parts as they approach.

With regard to the bandits...they're sitting around the fire. They're "in camp". And, the module even says that the location is so remote that guards are lax.

Why would people be walking around in full armor and weapons?

They wouldn't. These guys are resting. Laying about. Joking. Eating. They're not all decked out and ready for battle.

I have to adjust the DR, Dodge, and Parry numbers for these bandits based on their situation. Their bows will probably be in their tents. Some may carry a sword, and some are likely not to. There will be only one or two of the dozen that make up the "loose" guard.

And...this makes it a bit easier for a group of 1st level characters, doesn't it.

I'm not above making things harder for the PCs when the circumstances call for it. But, likewise, I think this scenario calls for a bump in the PC's direction, allowing them to catch the bandits with thier pants down.

Now...when the City Watch attacks, those guys will get surprise on the PCs/Bandits. And the Watch will be ready to fight.

At least, that's how I "read" the scenario.

 

[Supplement Four]

I don't like the stones in Kovag-Re. It seems a bit silly to me (not scary or "dark fantasy cool") that the rock-like stones all of a sudden, once they are touched with blood, can swing and bend about like a tongue. In addition, the tones move, yet the scenario really doesn't tell you how they move (float on air? roll? what?).

So, in my game, the five stones will be stationary. The Bandits will know about them, too, except they won't take much notice. The just looks like some carved monoliths from an age forgotten--a fairly familiar sight in the Hyborean Age.

Once blood touches the stones, though, all those in the caves and even outside in the camp will all of a sudden feel as if they are encased in water. It's hard for them to move. In fact, they're being pulled--almost as if they were "magnetized" and being pulled towards a magnet--towards the stones.

As they get closer, even their skin will pull away from the bone, towards the stones. Their hair will "fall" that way. Their cheeks will look as if they were under extreme centrifugal force.

And, once the stones do damage, a piece of dermis will rip from the body, fly through the air, blood trailing, and stick to the stones, sucked into its swiss-cheese like orifices.

Eventually, the stones are so "hungry" that they will pull down the cavern, crushing the stones forever.



In game terms: I'll describe the feeling of being underwater with movement hindered when the stones become blooded. Hair and equipment, like scabbards, will fold up and stretch themselves towards the stones.

People (bandits, PCs, and city watch alike) will have to roll STR vs DC 20 each round. Failure means movement is reduced to 5 feet, and the character cannot take another other actions during the round because he is struggling agains the force.

Success means each character gets one standard action only.



The stones can attack people. They will focus the "force" harder on this victim. And, they do not discriminate. Whoever is closest to the stones gets attacked, although only one person can be attacked per round.

When the stones attack, I roll a standard attack throw for them.

If they hit, the damage is done normally. And, the victim gets a STR throw vs. the attack throw total. Failure means the character cannot take actions and he is physically pulled 5 feet closer to the stone.

Success means the character can take a standard action only.

Odd successful attack throws divisible by 3 (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27) means a piece of the character's equipment (sword, armor, etc) is attacked rather than the character. (Daggers can fly out of hands. Armor is damaged. Etc.)