[Let's Play] Rider of the Black Sun

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Sun Jan 24, 2021 9:56 pm

Yes, take the bomb and go get drunk at the inns.

What could go wrong?

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Mon Jan 25, 2021 2:57 pm

502 With a nightmarish feeling you run along the waterfront's shabby alleyways. On the one hand, it is the first time since your ordination that you have been alone among strangers. On the other hand, you feel the dark accusing gazes the poor inhabitants give you. Their looks reflect their grief and rage at the bloody battle that took place some two months ago.

You are moving directly through a dark side alley past a rather shady ale-house when directly in front of you two weathered street toughs step from the shadow of a run-down warehouse. Their grins are disquieting provocation. At the same moment, in the light reflected in the wet cobblestones, two more ruffians appear, crossing your path. One of them, a tall gaunt man, brushes his greasy hair back from his scarred face using a rusty iron rod.
If you want to confront the thugs, turn to 406.
If you want to try to escape the tavern, turn to 459.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Mon Jan 25, 2021 4:50 pm

Test our fitness by beating up some fools.

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Mon Jan 25, 2021 6:42 pm

0.5 vote for running, I don't like 4-on-1 odds, but this is also probably a pretty good warmup fight.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Mon Jan 25, 2021 7:39 pm

Four "weathered street toughs" versus the Ugarith messiah. I like our odds and I don't see any escape routes. Fight.

Zaranthan · Post by **Zaranthan** » Mon Jan 25, 2021 9:44 pm

We have fairly reasonable weapon and armor now. It's time to chew ass and kick bubblegum, and I'm all out of ass.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Tue Jan 26, 2021 3:24 am

Confront. Ok, it's probably a fighgt, but we don't even know that for sure yet.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Jan 26, 2021 9:24 am

Go Go Barfight!

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Tue Jan 26, 2021 3:41 pm

406 The four thugs have surrounded you. Cautiously, you move backwards to an exterior house wall, trying to keep all your enemies in view. The gaunt man steps forward confidently, pointing at you with his iron rod.

He has his other arm hidden beneath his tattered woolen coat, but before he can even utter a threat you have landed a powerful blow to his dirty face. The two other fellows look at you in confusion as their leader slumps to the ground. Hesitantly, they draw their weapons.

THUGS (3 Enemies)
ATTACK 10 +1 +1 +1
DEFENSE 12 +1 +1
RESISTANCE 2 2 2

The fight has a flee option which I will use if it looks bad.

Our own attack value is 8 (strength) +3 (weapon) +2 training = 13, so missing is not a thing we do here. On the other hand, our defense value is 6 (dexterity) +2 (armor pieces) = 8, so getting hit is a possibility.

Round 1: A[6]/[6]/D[5], we hit and defend.
Round 2: A[5]/[3]/D[3], we hit and defend, one down, enemy loses attack and defense.
Round 3: A[3]/[1]/D[3], we hit and barely defend.
Round 4: A[1]/[4]/D[2], we hit and defend, two down, enemy loses attack and defense.
Round 5: A[6]/[6]/D[2], we hit and defend.
Round 5: A[3]/[2]/D[2], we hit and defend, all down.

547 Skillfully, you parry the violent attack of the robber still standing. Blocking his arm and seizing him by the neck, you fling him across the alley into a stack of fruit crates that collapse noisily over him. When no one moves anymore, you inspect the leader, who is just now regaining consciousness.

If you want to take his money, you can write down 6 Dinars (Money) on your adventure sheet.

Before you get into any more trouble, you decide to hide in the tavern's common room.

Turn to 459.

One of my dislikes for this book so far is how timid the flavor of our character is. We just kicked a four-to-one fight's ass. We are a magnificent holy warrior and a dread creature of the night. We should be striding into that common room like we own the place or at worst walking in like no big deal.

459 The entrance door has just swung open when you are greeted by a mixture that numbs your senses. Your ears strain to hear something in the chaos of voices, shouts, and raucous brawling while your nose is tortured in the sharp fumes of tobacco, alcohol, and sweat.

Dozens of sailors, soldiers, and bawdy women fill the common room. Almost no one notices you as you push through the crowd. Then suddenly the shifty gaunt leader of the gang of thugs stands in the entrance. He stares intently over the heads of the patrons, raps the door frame in frustration, and walks away.

Laboriously fighting your way through the common room, you notice a hooting laughing crowd gathered around a round playing table. It appears that the innkeeper has illegal gambling going on here. There is a rotating green wooden disk on the gambling table. The edge of the wheel of fortune, as the game master calls it, is separated into six numbered fields with long metal nails. When the master of the game spins the wheel, the nails hit a hard leather blade that slows it down. If you can guess where the wheel will stop, you receive six times your bet. All others lose.

If you want to try your luck, turn to 411.
If you want to try to watch, turn to 513.

Zaranthan · Post by **Zaranthan** » Tue Jan 26, 2021 4:05 pm

A 1-6 chance to win at 6-1 payout in an illegal gambling operation? Yep, I totally believe that's a fair wheel.

While you could theoretically get positive EV by betting late on the number with the fewest other bets, I doubt the book is going to let us do that. Let's just watch and see if something interesting happens.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:56 pm

Watch.

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:05 pm

Watch

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:23 am

Watch.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:32 am

Also watch.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 2:58 pm

513 With interest you watch the sleazy guests losing dinar after dinar at the wheel of fortune. Sometimes somebody wins, but in the end the house wins a lot more. You wonder why the numbers that win are mostly ones which only little money has been bet on.

If you have the ability Sharpened Senses and want to use it, turn to 436.
If not, you can try your luck (turn to 411)
or leave the tavern (turn to 375).

I'm just going to assume that we use our ability.

436 You concentrate on the wheel. Thanks to your trained senses you can perceive the spinning motion in slow motion. You notice that the disc behaves weirdly every time there's a low creak. But nobody seems to notice.

There's nothing strange under the table, however, except for a massive wooden base with a diameter of about five feet. Taking a closer look, you spot a hidden door in the box, one just large enough for a child.

If you want to confront the landlord, turn to 544.
If you want to crawl under the table and open the door, turn to 528.
If you still want to play a little game, turn to 411.
If you just want to leave the tavern, turn to 375.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 3:33 pm

Open the hidden door.

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 6:52 pm

Agree, hidden door.

Yeah, the landlord will probably just pay us off or yell at us, but maybe we can do something heroic by getting into the mechanism here.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:16 pm

Investigate the door.

Zaranthan · Post by **Zaranthan** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:32 pm

This is probably gonna end badly for the kid in the box, but let's peek anyway.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Thu Jan 28, 2021 4:46 pm

528 You glide nimbly under the table and pull the tiny brass knob. Two large catlike eyes stare at you. Before you sits a diminutive Mungol crammed into the hollow base of the table. His four hands hold fine iron chains which he apparently uses to manipulate the wheel of fortune. The terror of discovery is written on his leaf-green face. As you grab him by the collar, he pleads with you in a shrill undertone, "Please, please leave me be!"

With all six limbs he tries in vain to lessen your grip. Ten he makes you an offer: "Good, you've caught me. If you let me go, I'll tell you what the next number will be. It's a three!"

If you want to seize the opportunity and bet on the three, turn to 470.
If you want to reveal the fraud, turn to 441.
If you want to close the door in the base of the table and leave the tavern, turn to 375.

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Thu Jan 28, 2021 6:35 pm

Seize the opportunity.

I don't think revealing the fraud will make us friends in a hostile bar.

Zaranthan · Post by **Zaranthan** » Thu Jan 28, 2021 8:32 pm

Go on, take the money and run. Bet it all on three!

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 2:35 am

Get in on the con!

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 3:13 am

carpe diem

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 3:52 am

I vote for revealing the fraud, myself.

(Though was almost going to be "I vote for revealing, myself", but people could miss the comma.