My Pool Play

[lonefox]

Hi, I really wanted to try the pool online, so I decided to have a go at it, GMing on OpenRPG.

Well, actually my matrix campign was cancelled, and some people were really looking for a game to play. I told them I would GM any setting for a game they wanted, but they proably wouldn't like the rules.

There names where Nightwind, Rydath, and Cloud.

Anyways, one guy from my matrix camp came along, and another guy who was bored stiff. Another guy also came, but I dont remeber what for.

I posted the link to the pool rules, and they made there characters. They were both a bit skeptical about things... but we started.

As they made there characters, I decided I would set the setting... They wanted a DnDish place, so I made a little world that was controlled by powerful kings and dragons would usually attack villages. So we started in town I made up, (cant even remeber the name) and had it so a dragon had just burned the town to a crisp and someone was yelling out that he wuold offer good money to anyone who would slay a dragon. They accepted, and then Cloud started bragging about his wrist thing that could block fire. The Job offerer eyed this thing, and called some thugs over. He wispeared to them... and then Nightwind decided to try and hear what was being said. He failed the roll, and I made the guy freak out and the thugs get ready to attack. Then Rydath tried casting a spell at them, and failed that roll as well so I had them laugh and point. Then finally cloud succeded in casting a spell, and he chose to give a MoV.

Well, lets jsut say that they didnt really understanding MoVing yet. I told him to say ANYTHING he wanted for his success. He siad "I cast weakness on the thugs." I tired to re-explain the MoV to him. So he then said "I cast weakness two thugs and it makes them weak." I shrugged and acceptted that. Anyways, I took control again and made the thugs run off. This is when cloud quit without giving pool a chance...They then accepted the mans job and headed eastwards, towards where the dragon 'supposedvly was'.. So they headed out, and I told them they came to a bend in the road. I made three bandits jump out...

The bandits then tried to get money from the team, but was unsucessful. The two heros attacked the bandits, and both rolled failures! I knew I had to make it somewhat bad, so I made the lead 'bandit' say to a friend "get goli!" This made everyone a little scared.

The two headed east further and started hearing though the wind 'goli......coming....for......you'. It kinda freaked them out. They arrived at the base of a hill. Then the wind spoke again, "Goli...sees....you". This got them good, and I had them see 30 goblins march over the hill, with a mage-troll behind them. This was "goli". I had the goblins charge the team... Both rolled ones. This is when I decided to change something. When you get a 1, at the point where you decide if you want 1 more dice, or a MoV... I changed it so, when you choose dice you get the same amount of dice as ones you roll. So with 2 1's you get 2 dice instead of a mov . (unless you choose mov.) So anyways, Nightwind choose 1 dice and I told him that he hacked up about 12 of the goblins. Then Rydath choose a MoV, said he casted a firestorm and killed the rest of the goblins. Then I had Goli charge them and Nightwind killed himaswell. Then there was his staff.

Rydath went up, and I told him to roll to see if he understood what it did. He did, and obviously choose a MoV over a dice. He explained that it was used to control the winds, and gave him a +1 bonus to his elemantal trait. I liked this idea, and accepted it. Then, at the top of a hill, the players seen a dragon killing more goblins, then fly off towards the desert, in the south. The players followed her.

Then they got to nightfall, and decided to sleep. They found a HUGE mound of sand and slept near it. In the morning they woke up and discovered that the mound was actually breatheing! So obviously, they thought it was the dragon. Both attacked it, and both rolled 1's. Surprisingly, they were so confident it was the dragon, they both took dice... So I smiled. I made it turn into a huge sandworm that got stabbed and lit on fire, then it dug deep back into the sand. Then they looked to the north, where they came from and seen a HUGE army of gob's (goblins) marching towards them. They decided to keep heading south. I had a cave show up and the gob army getting closer and closer to them. So they went spulunking in the cave. It went DEEP down... and soon they oculd hear the chanting of the gobs outside the cave. They hit a shallow lake and started swiming across. Then somethign caught there eyes and I had them roll... Both failed. Then I told them what it was..

Infant dragons. They were munching away on a corpse. I then reviled that the corpse was none other then the man who gave the PC's the dragon hunting mission. No money from him... Then one of the babies spotted the PC's and seemed afraid. Then Rydoth decided it would be fun to yell at the dragon, and did so. all three started skreeching to the mother, and the PCs were backing away slowly. One of the three infant dragons cahrged Nightwind and he sliced it, then Rydoth finished it with an ice attack. The other two charged and Night slaughtered both of them. Then the mother started charging down the cave... When it arrived, It seen Rydoth, and he rolled and got a 1. He choose a MoV, and it was the first mov that was a TRUE mov. He described in detail how he and Night slaughted the dragon, and turned it to ice, shattering it. Then he said a red gem came from where the heart of the dragon was, and handed it back to me. I was very happy with them at this point.

So they picked up the gem, and started back up the cave, and on the way up it was very erirre becuase there were MANY dead gobs, over 200. At the top, the cave entrance, 50 gobs were standing at attention. Then a familar guy came down to talk to the PC's. It was the lead bandit. I then explained how he was the leader of the army, and wanted to over throw all the kings in the land. He wanted to rule the new land with an iron fist, and wanted the PC's to join with him. At this point a new player joined, leanred the rules, and made a character. He was ready to join in.

After a long chat with the players about the war coming, (I 'talked' to them though Meriak, the 'bandit' leader) They decided to join the Side of men. I described the confilct so it was very lords of the ringsy... It was hordes of creatures veruses the army of men. The players choose men, so I said the new player was a prisoner general who was captured by the creature army. They threw him down at the other PC's and then I released the 50 gobs on the players. Then I decided on a cool thing in combat. we started off, and if the players got a 1, tehy decided on MoV or dice. If they chose MoV i told them how many creatures they could kill. It turned into, "GM how much carnage can I do?". They really liked it. Anyways, after a few minutes of heavy MoVing, (the new guy MoVed really nice, like a natural.) I was really impressed. They went outside the cave, and found 300 dead gobs around, slaughtered by the now dead dragon. Also I described the PCs current state, which was there armor and clothes were utterly covered in gob blood.

Then I had the sandworm return. Tehy fought it for awhile, then Nightwind made the killing blow. He rolled 4 1's and said he wanted to take the 4 extra dice instead of a MoV. I was thinking, greedy bastard, so I had him climb the worm, and stab it in the heart, sending him flying and the worm coming down on him. I made him roll, and he lost his 4 new dice and failed the roll. I told the new guy hw could try and pull him out of the way. He failed at his roll aswell. So finally Rydoth, he tried to actually blow the worm in half, and succeded giving a awesome MoV, AND introducing new characters, a noble dukeish guy. Finally my guys were understanding the power of the MoV.

Anyways, the duke gave them horses and started riding to the city that was going to be attacked first by the army of creatures. Then the new guy asked to see the red gem from the dragon, and rolled 1's. He obviously gave a mov of what it did, it opened a portal to the city for them to jump though. It was under attack so they hurried though, the duke going off to warn other cities. They entered and foughts some gobs, then went on... A giant and many gobs poured in from the cracks and it was really lords of the ringy which they loved. I set 'carnage' rates and they loved doing cool movs. Nightwind was attacked and failed a roll and I cut his leg a bit ago. The whole team was literally covered in blood from all the slaughter... Anyways, after finishing up the giant and about 20 gobs, nightwind MoV'ed his attack, then said how he drops his swords from bloodloss and almost faints, and introduces town guard to save them. Its been about 6 hours now... Then i explain how a gate busts though and Gobs start pouring though, like 90 per round and the team runs. The new guy has to go, so he says he'll mov his death. IT WAS AWESOME.

I'll just paste it since its so damn awesome.

(1819) Mesia: As the goblins begin pouring in, Mesia turns to see that his friends safely make it out of the area alive. once he sees that they're a safe distance away, he turns to suddenly notice the horde of goblins that are staring at him eagerly. Resigning himself to the inevitable, he makes his peace with the gods and draws in the final stores of his magical energy
** (1819) Mesia draws forth the primal forces that exist within his soul. suddenly, with an eary, pulsating light, he beigns to glow. as the light pulsates faster and faster, screams of rage can be heard from somewhere. when the light apperas to be pulsating so fast that individual counts can no longer be seen, ta pillar of energy engulfs him, coming from the sky down. the pillar of energy plunges into the ground, and out of that very spot, a dragon takes flight. it bursts from the ground, killin g 40 goblins just bry cracking the ground under it, as it soars up, it lets out a screech which makes several dozen other goblins flee. Yet as it circles around, those that remain see death in its eyes. With a final roar, it lets loose with a blast of fire which enflames the entire area, burning another 70 goblins alive. the dragon then plunges back down into he arth, killing another dozen goblins. behind it, are only death and carnage. Mesia, however, is no where to be seen. **

Then the guys ran down a street to the rest of the town guard and we finished.

Then we ended it there. They other two guys begged for a next game, so Im doing another one this coming tuesday. The reason why Mesia cant come is his vacation.

Anyways, EVERYONE loved the POOL. They loved how it didnt have classes, or races. Nightwind was so happy, he played a new race he created called the Dlf. Only near the end did they udnerstand fully the power of a MoV... and they addmitted to.

My changes that I liked.

1: If you roll more then one 1 on a die, and you opt to take dice over a MoV you get the number dice equal to the number of dice you roll. However if the players get greedy, I usually make what they want to happen, happen, but with a deadly twist.

2: Carnage rates, if a players going to MoV some combat, before hand tell him the carnage rates. For example when fighting the gobs and the giant, I told him he could ehiter kill 12 gobs, or wound the giant. It took actually 4 wounds until I let them kill the giant, which I think is the best way to keep someone like a major villian alive. Heck, you dont even need to send carnage rates on everything, just important things. But with my story, when your fighting about 100 gobs at once, its important to, otherwise you got a guy with one sword ripping apart the army.

Whatcha think? My hands are about to fall off.