TVtTF III: The tomb of terror [completed LoP]

[Tsune]

Hi,
Last weekend our group met in Barcelona to continue the Valley that Time Forgot campaign. These three scenarios were originally planned to continue the last one, but I was not able to make them in time. So, we decided to finish and play them in our meeting at Barcelona. As Rich recently published a free advance of the second edition of his rules, we were able to test them.

Intro:

Ten months ago, our heroes entered the Valley that Time Forgot.  A lot of adventures and dangers later, the expedition left the prehistoric valley with fewer members and without proofs of its discoveries. For major scorn, the rival expedition, lead by the mysterious Prof. Beef, betrayed them at last moment taking with them some dangerous seeds of the zombie plants to the civilization.

Being afraid of the use that such a diabolical mind could do of the seeds, the services of intelligence of the main countries try to locate him and, soon after, it is found that he was in Shanghai six months ago, from where he went to the Tibet accompanied by some of his followers. The British agents inform that, in the last six months, the Chinese-Tibetan border is quite hot. Apparently, a new warlord has rise using as much the brute force as subtle methods to silence his opponents.
Our heroes follow him into the Tibet in order to prevent his evils plans.

Scenario 5: Towards the Pass of the White Death.

Only a few days before the heroes arrive the Kuan-Lin-Poh Pass (Pass of the White Death), where they expect to find the Warlord camp, the heroes’ caravan makes a halt at dawn in a sacred area for the locals.



As some are mounting the camp, Miss Yelena Checkmeneva sees some monks praying in a chorten close to the camp. Thinking that to film their rites is a good idea, she and her assistant approach the monks with the camera, infuriating the monks with their disrespectful manners.



The cries of the angered monks are not heard in the camp because, at that precise moment, some bandits make an assault to the camp, trying to rob the equipment. Before the heroes can arm themselves, some of them leave the camp with some baggage, including the maps, whereas others continue to harass the camp trying to take the rest of the goods.

So, the scenario objectives the heroes have to accomplish before the night comes (12 turns) are:

- Find the six yaks carrying part of the equipment before the bandits take them off the board.
- Calm down the monks, as they would have a lot of difficulties travelling through this area with the religious against them.
- Capture one bandit, so they could know where their camp is and recover later the maps and goods.

[Tsune]

In the first moves, the heroes run to the markers (there are 12 of them) trying to find the yaks, as the mounted bandits enter the board. Soon, the firefight starts, with the heroes getting the upper hand. The bandits seem no match for the game hunter.



At the other side of the board, more bandits appear, but viewing that the monks are arguing with the heroes, decide not to shot them and look for the yaks. The monks, on the other hand, try to catch the camera to break it.



The heroes seem to have the situation under control, and run to the markers. Soon, some of them are found, and with the help of the Tibetan guides accompanying them, star to carry them to the center of the board.



Meanwhile Yelena and his assistant, Bruno Meier, try to calm the monks, but without speaking his language (they didn’t had the skill), it is impossible. They are going to need some help from their educated friends, and call them. At least, they have saved the camera, although she receives a blow in the head with a monk’s sandal (the heroes could defend themselves, but not to attack the monks).



But the bandits continue to assault the camp (there was a counter each turn to see if more bandits enter the board) and manage to steal a yak. Here you can see the whole board.



Meanwhile, as Benito is trying to locate more yaks, he steps a nest of vipers! The snakes bite him, but he can resist the venom. A sorrow because it was an hallucinogen venom that would cause the victim to think he was Genghis Kahn, and it could have been a lot of fun.



Only two turns last to end the scenario and the heroes have only lost one yak. In a side of the board, the Professor is calming down the monks (he had to pass three Brains vs. Brains tests as he has the language skill), but at the other, three bandits are causing too much trouble. The big game hunter kill two of them and manage to capture the third one (with the new surrender rule), but not before they killed their native guide that was aiding him.



In the last turn, the hunter manages to arrive to the last marker, which is a bandit with a prisoner.  After shot the bandit down, he found that the prisoner is a noble Chinese woman called Li Tang Mei.



This ends the scenario and, as the dark comes, the bandits move back to their camp.

As they have lost one yak, they lose one of their special equipment purchased at the start of the expedition. Li Tang Mei joins the expedition (she is a grade 2 heroine) and, as the monk have been calmed down, they avoid being cursed (it could have been a lot of fun, too). With the captured bandit, they know where their camp is and, when thinking how to enter it, they hear the sound of an old car approaching them. It is the Mage Kellar’s transport that is going to the bandit camp to entertain them. They have the solution: they will pass themselves as part of Kellar’s troupe to gain access to the camp!

[Criamon]

Great report! and great pictures!

PD: Esta de lujo 

[Burgundavia]

Great pictures and lovely table. What manufacturer are those tents from?

[Tsune]

Thanks, they are the plastic ones from Renedra.

[Tsune]

Second scenario: Into the fangs of the Mad Baron


The heroes, disguised as part of the Mage Kellar’s troupe, enter the bandit camp in order to recover the maps and continue with his mission. But the bandits, in fact, were part of the Mad Baron’s army, a bloody ex-official of the white army. He is well-known for having paid a lot of money to who can entertain him, or cut the head to who cannot…


So, the main objective of this scenario is simple: some of the heroes have to entertain the Baron and his men, giving time to the others to recover the maps from the bandit camp.


This is a picture of the board:





At the centre, the Baron and his guard are waiting for the show in the Tibetan house that they use as base camp. They are uncivilized, drunk and armed! (Each turn, with a 1 in 1d10, a drunken bandit shots the showman for joy). Each turn, one hero has to be acting in front of the Baron, and each of them could act only for three consecutive turns (and pass a Will vs. Will test to see if the bandits like the show or not). If in a turn, the show stops, or they fail three consecutive tests, the bandits enter in rage and the scenario ends with bad consequences for the heroes. Ah, and each player has to think what his show is.


The rest of the board is the camp, with some unsuspecting bandits that has not interest in the show. The heroes has to avoid them in order to get the markers (they can not get a marker if a bandit is looking at them in 6”, or have to pass a brains vs. brains test if in view but more than 6”). The heroes are unarmed, as they are disguised as actors (they can be armed if had the conceal weapon skill).


The Baron and his men waiting for the show:





The first one acting is Kellar the Magician, chanting old Russian songs, and it seems that the bandits like them. The game hunter gets a marker and he finds one ineffable Yellow River weasel! Bad news, as it runs to the centre of the board to kill the chickens, causing chaos in the middle of the show. The heroes have negatives to their tests for some turns!





Three turns has passed and they have not found the maps, so another hero replace Kellar at the show. The rich Harry Devil gets the car and stars to drive in circles. The bandits did not like it and one of them shot the hero, but being drunk, fails.





Meanwhile, the others continue to search for the maps discretely, but only find the maps bag empty and one chicken herder. Bad luck, as the weasel do more chaos!!





As Harry sees that the bandits want something more risky, he gives it to them. He ask for help to Kellar who lay at ground. Then in a risk maneuver, steps a big stone with the car, lifting one side of the car and pass over him!! (It was a very risk manever, but the hero pass the test!!). The bandits applaud in ecstasy!

[Tsune]

In his third turn of show (and last), the hero wants to repeat his maneuver one more time, but this time going in reverse! Kellar, seeing the risk, uses his deceive skill to do that one bandit replace him eagerly! The hero passes the test again, but the bandits want something else!





Meanwhile, some of the heroes continue to search for the maps. Benito is waiting the bandit to be distracted to get the marker when he sees someone known to him: it is Pico, the evil monkey that accompanied Beef expedition, who is searching for the markers too and gets one in front of his nose. At least, they are sure now that Prof. Beef is near!





They have decided that the next one in the show order was Miss Chekmeneva (after see how the old Russian songs were liked) but, where is she?? Her figure was placed at the house entrance, as you can see in the pictures, but now she has vanished! (This was a premeditate event that the players did not know). The only chance for not stopping the show (and the scenario) was that the hunter, Dubois, replaced her at the stage and so runs towards it. He can not  run enough to enter by the door, so he tries to jump the wall…





…And fails, hitting Bruno Steimer to the floor. At least, the bandits think that this is part of the show, but don’t like it enough and someone shots the hunter, but fails.





Looking for the markers, the heroes know that he can not find the maps (as Pico has robbed them an important one: there were three markers with the maps that they had to find to get them, and the evil monkey just get one of them). So, they only have to finish the show the best they can. In his last turn, the hunter shots an apple placed in the head of his mate.





This ends the scenario. At this moment, shots are heard and someone attacks the camp. Soldiers of the warlord, aided by some white-haired beasts enter the camp and rout the bandits, that rout crying “Yeti, Yeti!”. In the chaos, the heroes manage to avoid them and from a safe distance can see how the Chinese soldiers plunder the camp before going back to their base. The Chinese assistant of Kellar says that he has seen how some of these white-haired beasts and soldiers have kidnapped the two girls (Ms. Chekmeneva and Li Tang Mei). Now, it is easy to follow them to the warlord base and, besides stopping for his evil plans, the new warlord (Beef?) has to pay for taking away the girls!!

 
Unknown to the players, finding the maps was unimportant at the scenario, as it would end with the warlord attack. The real objective was not to be mauled by the bandits not liking the show!! Or they would start the next one wounded in two locations (that, and test their creativity with the show acts!!).

[Tsune]

Next one, the third and last scenario (by now): The tomb of Terror!

[infelix]

That table sure has a lot of atmosphere, it looks great and it sounds like a lot of fun!

[Amalric]

What a fun looking game!
Thanks for posting the inspirational pics.
Amalric

[Bravo Six]

WOW Just WOW Excellent looking game indeed.

Say, who makes the figure with the beard holding his pith helmet against his side? Don't recognize that chap.

-Todd

[Tsune]

Thanks for your kind words.

The miniature is a German seabattalion officer from Brigade Games WWI.

[Colonel Tubby]

Great looking tables and figures.

That second encounter at the bandit camp was really different, sounded like great fun!

Who makes the guides and yak figures?

[Tsune]

Thanks! That was the idea of the second scenario, to make it different from the first one avoiding only combat.

The minis of the yaks and guides are from Copplestone.

[Colonel Tubby]

Tsune - thanks for the reply.

Never noticed them on Copplestones site - will investigate (and invest in some) later!