For those reading the non-play posts: I decided to take Teviko604's advice in my as-yet-untitled ninja game, which you can find here. As of right now, Ness is by herself not least because the people around her keep getting killed. And I called it "Ness's Story," so I've painted myself into a corner. To paraphrase Ivan Drago: "If she dies, she dies."
---
Meanwhile, Ness is in a real situation: surrounded by speeding vehicles smashing into one another at high speeds. Blood spatters and jellied flesh color the sands as human hood ornaments are crushed for points. It'll be a miracle if she can get out of here in one piece herself. But she DOES have the Trait, "in the right place," which has served her well thus far.
There's also the question of Stress, which it turns out I've been using incorrectly. Rather than losing Stress like classic hit points, a character loses Stress AS THEY SUCCEED, thus making it more and more unlikely their luck will hold up. I completely misread the Stress rules on p. 7 of the Furious Roads rules.
Ness's Stress (it rhymes!) is 6. Because I made the mistake, I'm not going to penalize her for it by retroactively applying reductions, but technically she should have lost Stress both times she succeeded earlier. That's one point when she got loose of the hood rack and another when she avoided being crushed by the subsequent collision. We'll keep this in mind moving forward.
But enough about that. Let's get to the action!
Ness is on the ground, as mentioned. She springs to her feet and looks for an out. Does she see one?
(1[d10]) No, and...
... a vehicle bears down her!
She throws herself into a full dive to escape! During the course of this we're going to invoke "in the right place" for every roll, which means she gets a bonus die.
15 = 6[d6]+4[d6]+5[d6]
Two successes! The leap carries her clear of the rampaging vehicle. It roars past, and Ness gets a glimpse of the human hood ornament screaming in fear. Moments later, another derby car crashes into that one and the person is pulped. Score another one, the announcer calls.
She looks for another way out. She's still in the worst possible place. Anything?
(1[d10]) No, and...
... she's in immediate danger again! And let's not forget she lost a Stress point with that last success! Can she get clear before she falls beneath the knobby wheels of another vehicle?
12 = 3[d6]+4[d6]+5[d6]
Barely a success that time. Ness stumbles and falls to her knees, struggling to get back up. This auto comes so close it brushes against her.
There's GOT to be a way clear of this! Vehicles crisscross, circle and slam into each other. Some are disabled, others are still at full capacity and some even have living hood ornaments. It's a bloody, deafening chaos that would drive any one of us mad with fear. But a crazie in the wasteland has to deal with things like this as a matter of survival.
Does she have an out?
(3[d10]) No
If she stays on the ground, she's going to get killed. Her Stress has fallen to 4. Those points WILL run out, and soon.
Since Ness can't get OUT, maybe she can get UP, and that's exactly what she sets out to do. She looks for a vehicle moving slowly enough to mount. Is there one?
(5[d10]) Yes, but...
There's still dangerous ground to cover before she can get there. She dashes forward as two vehicles rush toward each other at top speed, looking to crash rear to rear and maybe break their opponent's axle. She moves to dodge between them.
7 = 3[d6]+3[d6]+1[d6]
Okay, that's bad. And here's where I'm going to deviate from the rules-as-written, because I believe in the "rulings, not rules" approach to roleplaying. And here's the deal: you lose Stress with every success in combat, but I think it makes sense that you can also TRADE Stress for successes you don't roll. It's a voluntary surrender, and has the same potentially deleterious effect in the long run. Meanwhile, it can keep a character running even through the occasionally unlucky roll, like this one. Fair? Fair.
Ness trades in a Stress point, reducing her to 3, but it's not that simple. As she runs between the hurtling vehicles, she realizes she's not going to make it and throws herself to the ground. The derby cars, jacked up on their suspensions as they are, roll OVER her and collide, showering her with shredded metal and rust. She's alive, but she isn't going to get that lucky too many more times before luck runs OUT.
But now the way is clear. The car she targeted before is still moving slowly enough that she can leap onto the side. She does, clambering up its protrusions and spikes looking to get on top and away from the immediate danger of being run over or crushed. It's then that she sees this vehicle's hood ornament is still alive. It's "Lord" Colossus!
This isn't the time for sentimentality, but Colossus did keep her alive when the motivation rolled on the table was "butcher her." That's one of the things which made her previous survival so unlikely. And this time his life is in HER hands, provided she can clamber over the roof and hood/bonnet of the auto without falling off. The thing is still in motion, you know, and there are the crashes to consider.
Can she get to him before the vehicle collides with another?
(2[d10]) No
WHAM! The car takes a hit! Ness is knocked clean off her feet and rolls off the roof onto the hood. There she can see the driver shouting at her through a rusted metal mesh. But at least he can't reach her where she is. Shake her off, maybe, but he can't shoot, stab or hit her.
Since there was no roll, there's no Stress cost. Ness makes another attempt. Can she get there this time?
(10[d10]) Yes, and...
... the setup for Colossus is not much different from that which held her. She doesn't need to break a lock somehow, or pick it without proper tools. She's able to pull a bolt and the chain comes loose. Colossus clings to the rack's upright as they turn into a sidelong skid. Their car is locked in a one-on-one with another determined driver. And since they're making their escape, their driver wants to see them killed, too.
The announcer loves this, as does the crowd. Usually the hood ornaments get squashed and that's entertainment enough, but Ness, and now Colossus, are putting on a show!
They need to leap down if they're going to escape. They can't ride this car forever. But they can't put themselves in the same situation Ness just avoided, touching down in the middle of this chaos. No, they have to wait to see if their vehicle gets clear enough for them to make a go for the edge of the sandy arena.
Does it?
(4[d10]) No
It stays in the thick of things, continuing its duel. POW! Another bone-shuddering crash that could potentially send Ness and Colossus flying. Do they stay atop the car?
(6[d10]) Yes
Whew. Ness has already been in the thick of that combat, and she doesn't need to plunge back into it. But she doesn't have any good choices here.
Colossus shouts that they should go for the inside. Through the driver if they have to. They could potentially get through the screens on the passenger and driver's sides, since the "windshield" is essentially impervious. The question is: can get into a position to do this?
(7[d10]) Yes
Ness scrambles to find a way in on the passenger side. The screen is just a flap made of light strips of metal, designed more to keep out flying shrapnel than provide cage-like protection. It'll take a daring maneuver to get it open, swing around from the roof and through the window, so let's have a roll.
14 = 4[d6]+4[d6]+6[d6]
She pulls off the trick and lands inside the grotty interior of the vehicle (Stress is now 2). The driver immediately tries to grab hold of her, but remember that Ness has "vicious fighter" as a Trait. She goes for the eyes.
15 = 4[d6]+5[d6]+6[d6]
That is not a good result for the driver. Ness's Stress may be down to 1, but the driver isn't going to be watching any sunsets for a while. The car veers out of control, careening through the melee. But does this sudden change throw Colossus from the roof?
(5[d10]) No, but...
... he's hanging on for dear life. There's no way he can get in and take the wheel.
SMASH! The other car plows into theirs. The opposing driver isn't stopping just because of what's happening. He's determined to win this thing.
Once more, Ness has to drive when driving isn't really her thing. With the driver still screaming, blood running from his ravaged eyes, Ness squeezes into the seat with him. Can she get this thing moving?
(4[d10]) No
The engine stalls. Not surprising, given the situation. And that makes them a sitting duck. The other driver circles around and comes at them full speed. There's no chance to restart their vehicle. They can only survive the impact.
---
Meanwhile, Ness is in a real situation: surrounded by speeding vehicles smashing into one another at high speeds. Blood spatters and jellied flesh color the sands as human hood ornaments are crushed for points. It'll be a miracle if she can get out of here in one piece herself. But she DOES have the Trait, "in the right place," which has served her well thus far.
There's also the question of Stress, which it turns out I've been using incorrectly. Rather than losing Stress like classic hit points, a character loses Stress AS THEY SUCCEED, thus making it more and more unlikely their luck will hold up. I completely misread the Stress rules on p. 7 of the Furious Roads rules.
Ness's Stress (it rhymes!) is 6. Because I made the mistake, I'm not going to penalize her for it by retroactively applying reductions, but technically she should have lost Stress both times she succeeded earlier. That's one point when she got loose of the hood rack and another when she avoided being crushed by the subsequent collision. We'll keep this in mind moving forward.
But enough about that. Let's get to the action!
Ness is on the ground, as mentioned. She springs to her feet and looks for an out. Does she see one?
(1[d10]) No, and...
... a vehicle bears down her!
She throws herself into a full dive to escape! During the course of this we're going to invoke "in the right place" for every roll, which means she gets a bonus die.
15 = 6[d6]+4[d6]+5[d6]
Two successes! The leap carries her clear of the rampaging vehicle. It roars past, and Ness gets a glimpse of the human hood ornament screaming in fear. Moments later, another derby car crashes into that one and the person is pulped. Score another one, the announcer calls.
She looks for another way out. She's still in the worst possible place. Anything?
(1[d10]) No, and...
... she's in immediate danger again! And let's not forget she lost a Stress point with that last success! Can she get clear before she falls beneath the knobby wheels of another vehicle?
12 = 3[d6]+4[d6]+5[d6]
Barely a success that time. Ness stumbles and falls to her knees, struggling to get back up. This auto comes so close it brushes against her.
There's GOT to be a way clear of this! Vehicles crisscross, circle and slam into each other. Some are disabled, others are still at full capacity and some even have living hood ornaments. It's a bloody, deafening chaos that would drive any one of us mad with fear. But a crazie in the wasteland has to deal with things like this as a matter of survival.
Does she have an out?
(3[d10]) No
If she stays on the ground, she's going to get killed. Her Stress has fallen to 4. Those points WILL run out, and soon.
Since Ness can't get OUT, maybe she can get UP, and that's exactly what she sets out to do. She looks for a vehicle moving slowly enough to mount. Is there one?
(5[d10]) Yes, but...
There's still dangerous ground to cover before she can get there. She dashes forward as two vehicles rush toward each other at top speed, looking to crash rear to rear and maybe break their opponent's axle. She moves to dodge between them.
7 = 3[d6]+3[d6]+1[d6]
Okay, that's bad. And here's where I'm going to deviate from the rules-as-written, because I believe in the "rulings, not rules" approach to roleplaying. And here's the deal: you lose Stress with every success in combat, but I think it makes sense that you can also TRADE Stress for successes you don't roll. It's a voluntary surrender, and has the same potentially deleterious effect in the long run. Meanwhile, it can keep a character running even through the occasionally unlucky roll, like this one. Fair? Fair.
Ness trades in a Stress point, reducing her to 3, but it's not that simple. As she runs between the hurtling vehicles, she realizes she's not going to make it and throws herself to the ground. The derby cars, jacked up on their suspensions as they are, roll OVER her and collide, showering her with shredded metal and rust. She's alive, but she isn't going to get that lucky too many more times before luck runs OUT.
But now the way is clear. The car she targeted before is still moving slowly enough that she can leap onto the side. She does, clambering up its protrusions and spikes looking to get on top and away from the immediate danger of being run over or crushed. It's then that she sees this vehicle's hood ornament is still alive. It's "Lord" Colossus!
This isn't the time for sentimentality, but Colossus did keep her alive when the motivation rolled on the table was "butcher her." That's one of the things which made her previous survival so unlikely. And this time his life is in HER hands, provided she can clamber over the roof and hood/bonnet of the auto without falling off. The thing is still in motion, you know, and there are the crashes to consider.
Can she get to him before the vehicle collides with another?
(2[d10]) No
WHAM! The car takes a hit! Ness is knocked clean off her feet and rolls off the roof onto the hood. There she can see the driver shouting at her through a rusted metal mesh. But at least he can't reach her where she is. Shake her off, maybe, but he can't shoot, stab or hit her.
Since there was no roll, there's no Stress cost. Ness makes another attempt. Can she get there this time?
(10[d10]) Yes, and...
... the setup for Colossus is not much different from that which held her. She doesn't need to break a lock somehow, or pick it without proper tools. She's able to pull a bolt and the chain comes loose. Colossus clings to the rack's upright as they turn into a sidelong skid. Their car is locked in a one-on-one with another determined driver. And since they're making their escape, their driver wants to see them killed, too.
The announcer loves this, as does the crowd. Usually the hood ornaments get squashed and that's entertainment enough, but Ness, and now Colossus, are putting on a show!
They need to leap down if they're going to escape. They can't ride this car forever. But they can't put themselves in the same situation Ness just avoided, touching down in the middle of this chaos. No, they have to wait to see if their vehicle gets clear enough for them to make a go for the edge of the sandy arena.
Does it?
(4[d10]) No
It stays in the thick of things, continuing its duel. POW! Another bone-shuddering crash that could potentially send Ness and Colossus flying. Do they stay atop the car?
(6[d10]) Yes
Whew. Ness has already been in the thick of that combat, and she doesn't need to plunge back into it. But she doesn't have any good choices here.
Colossus shouts that they should go for the inside. Through the driver if they have to. They could potentially get through the screens on the passenger and driver's sides, since the "windshield" is essentially impervious. The question is: can get into a position to do this?
(7[d10]) Yes
Ness scrambles to find a way in on the passenger side. The screen is just a flap made of light strips of metal, designed more to keep out flying shrapnel than provide cage-like protection. It'll take a daring maneuver to get it open, swing around from the roof and through the window, so let's have a roll.
14 = 4[d6]+4[d6]+6[d6]
She pulls off the trick and lands inside the grotty interior of the vehicle (Stress is now 2). The driver immediately tries to grab hold of her, but remember that Ness has "vicious fighter" as a Trait. She goes for the eyes.
15 = 4[d6]+5[d6]+6[d6]
That is not a good result for the driver. Ness's Stress may be down to 1, but the driver isn't going to be watching any sunsets for a while. The car veers out of control, careening through the melee. But does this sudden change throw Colossus from the roof?
(5[d10]) No, but...
... he's hanging on for dear life. There's no way he can get in and take the wheel.
SMASH! The other car plows into theirs. The opposing driver isn't stopping just because of what's happening. He's determined to win this thing.
Once more, Ness has to drive when driving isn't really her thing. With the driver still screaming, blood running from his ravaged eyes, Ness squeezes into the seat with him. Can she get this thing moving?
(4[d10]) No
The engine stalls. Not surprising, given the situation. And that makes them a sitting duck. The other driver circles around and comes at them full speed. There's no chance to restart their vehicle. They can only survive the impact.