[The Mountain Witch] Session One: Four Ronin, Three Peaches

[Willow]

See also my pre-game thread:
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=19023.0

We gathered at my apartment for a rousing game of the Mountain Witch. No one had ever played before, and I had never run it, altough both Daniel and myself had read the rules.

After going over the rules, and some of the concepts (3 of the 4 players had never played any games with PC-narrative power before), we got into character creation.

Characters:

Daniel: Yoshiro, who slept with the wife of a provincial governor, bringing shame to his lord and causing his downfall. Yoshiro wants the money so he can restore his lord to his rightful place, afterwhich he will commit sepukku. Dresses simply, tries to comport himself to high standards of honor. Abilities: Spirit strong enough that he can attack Ghosts, Honorable enough to withstand temptations, Can deflect arrows with his blade. Ram Sign.
Matt1: Matsuo Shigeru, who killed his older brother and refused to explain his actions to his family, (I'm guessing there's a dark fate link here) and was cast out. Wants money so he can found his own dojo. Wears armor and wields his weapons, but lives somewhat spartanly. Comports himself honorably. Abilities: Skilled Archer, Mystic Healer, ?????. Dragon Sign.
Matt2: Kasuke, who accumulated wealth and (I think) chose to leave his lord's service, snubbing the samurai path, who already is wealthy, but hungers for more wealth so he can live a life of luxury and decadence. Dresses and is equiped very finely, comports himself overly honorably but is going through the motions. Abilities: Honor Reading (can detect if people are trustworthy, typically so he can take advantage of them), ?????, ?????. Snake Sign.
Matt3: Matsumoto Hiroshi, who aided his lord in a plot to overthrow the Emperor himself. Hiroshi's lord was executed, and his vassals were made ronin. Hiroshi wants to get money to fund the beginnings of his army so he can overthrow the Emperor and avenge his lord. Comports himself somewhat honorably, but not with as much rigor as Yoshiro or Shigeru. Abilities: Trustable Face, Scrying Trance, Precognitive Trance. Monkey Sign.

(For those familiar with my other actual play writeups, Matt1 plays Loki in Everway. Matt2 plays Drake, and played Paris in Savage Worlds. Matt3 plays Flameseeker, and played Sam Silver in SW.)

Pretty much everyone had a cool mix of mundane and light supernatural abilities. (I don't remember what all of them were.)

Dark Fates in the Game:
Desperately in Love
Past Allegiance
True Motives
Worst Fear

(The players were all dissapointed that neither Revenge nor Unholy Pact were in the game.)

I set the following requirements for the First Chapter:
*Everyone must put in some detail about their Dark Fate, possibly by using the narrative powers granted by it.
*Everyone must use an ability. If possible, it should be used to initiate a conflict.
*Everyone must narrate a conflict outcome.
*At some point, the company must split up.
*Chapter will end with a cliffhanger to be named later.
(Because, if they know what it is, it's not really a cliffhanger, is it? And plus, that way I can change my mind if something else cool comes up!)
I also made it clear that the purpose of this Chapter was to establish the characters and familiarize people with the rules. (Advancing Dark Fates was a secondary objective.)

The game started with dawn, with a prayer shrine at the base of the mountain. I suggested that everyone describe their character praying/not praying at the shrine before their journey. Everyone choose to pray, and things like Yoshiro's piety and humility, Kasuke's false-honor and stuff really were shown to the players.

They traveled up the mountain in the light rain, and came across a peach tree with three delicious looking peaches. There was a brief pause while everyone looked around, counted the ronin and the peaches, and realized they had no idea at all what was going to happen next. Shigeru, Yoshiro, and Kasuke each went up and picked peaches (in that order.) Hiroshi claimed to be allergic, but wanted the peach pits for an unspecified reason. Yoshior offered to give Hiroshi half of his peach, but Hiroshi again declined.
A bloodless encounter, but one that I think was really cool nonetheless becuase of it's sheer simplicity and the complete openendedness of how it could turn out. (And I got the idea from the Chinese proverb "two peaches kill three Knights.")

Traveling further, the company hears what could be children or small animals? Cautiously moving forward, they see a group of four goblins! After a brief rules discussion, the group initates a challenge with the goblins. They decide that instead of a 4 v 4 group conflict, they'll split up a bit to potentially finish the fight earlier. Yoshiro starts by aiding Shigeru.

The dice fall terribly. Kasuke easily takes out one goblin. Yoshiro and Shigeru make no significant progress against theirs, getting some partial successes.

Hiroshi rolled a one, opposed by the goblins six, and was taken out in his very first roll of the game. I had the goblin crotch-shot him with an axe, temporarily incapacitating him. Discussion ensued about possible deadliness of game mechanics.

One detail: I ran the goblins slightly wrong. They were weak, and the PCs only needed regular successes to Take them Out, but I forgot that Partial Successes do Chapter Wounds to weak monsters, not Flesh Wounds. This seems like a minor detail, but read on:

Now with three ronin and three goblins, the ronin tried a variety of formations, used aid dice all around, and whittled down the goblins. Due to low and close die rolls, all the PCs ended up taking a chapter wound. Eventually they killed one and then decided to change the stakes of the conflict to "if we win, we push the goblins off this cliff," and I said, "well if they win, they take one of you with them." With two players aiding the third (Shigeru?) the goblins were defeated.

If I had been giving the goblins chapter wounds instead of partial ones, they actually could have gotten ground down, instead of it feeling like the reverse was possible. Of course, it would have absolutely no effect on the biggest thing about the encounter: Hiroshi's 1st roll take-out. All in all, I don't regret running the encounter wrong. It established that teamwork is good, and set a dark mood for the start of the game.

Other notable things that happened: flubbed aid rolls resulting in Yoshiro looking stupid infront of Kasuke, Kasuke getting beaned in the forehead by a goblins sling stone (taking a Flesh Wound from the sheer embarrasment.) Dramatic tension and teamwork at the end.

Discussion followed about whether or not it would be wise to go back and rest up (Kasuke's plan.) Yoshiro said that he was not going to retreat, and Shigeru agreed. Hiroshi (able to walk some and in less pain from Shigeru's healing magic, but still unable to fight) said he would continue on.

Next, they came upon a rope bridge across a chasm, guarded by a fearsome oni. The wind and rain were picking up. Shigeru used his archery ability to take a shot at the Oni at range. My stakes were that if I won, his bow would be unusable for some ammount of time. There was a tie, and some discussion about the possible outcomes of mutual failure (I told him that my ruling would be that the winds were too strong for a good shot, but his bow would be fine) and the mutual-strike rules. Shigeru choose for a mutual partial success, nicking the Oni, and making his bow unusable for the rest of the conflict.
The follow-up conflict involved the Shigeru and Yoshiro luring the Oni away from the bridge so Kasuke could guide Hiroshi across. My stakes were that the Oni would throw someone into the chasm. (Everyone thought this was cool- either way, the split up goal would be achieved.) Yoshiro, aided by Shigeru got a tie against the Oni, and choose a mutual-Regular Success, narrating that he distracted the Oni, went over the edge with it, and was seperated when they hit the water.

(Matt2 had a phonecall from his girlfriend at this point, so the focus was all on Yoshiro. He was having such a good time that he had to tell her all about the game. I don't know if that's a good thing, or a bad thing.)

Yoshiro, dragging himself out of the riverbank, used his Dark Fate narrative power to say that he had grabbed a tatter of cloth off of the oni's possessions, and it was clearly a potion of his house Mon.

Continuing, Yoshiro saw a beautiful forest made of crystal, on the potion of the mountain going uphill. Entering the forest, he heard a woman singing, and then a quick glimpse of a woman's kimono, and the sound of giggling. Yoshiro said that he recognized the voice, but could not place it.

Yoshiro started a conflict to get out of the forest. My stakes were that the woman would somehow put him in a "compromising position." The dice were rolled, and there was another tie, and another Mutual Sucess! Daniel asked me how much I cared about my plans for the woman (i.e., her fairly obviously being a seductive ghost/monster/oni thing). I told him not at all. Yoshiro began to meditate, and then when he sensed the spirit was near, he reached out (and using his power to damage ghosts), struck it with his sword. Opening his eyes, he noticed that it was the face of his Mother! (How compromising!) Daniel said that Yoshiro took a chapter wound from this (from the shock), and that his hands were permanently stained with blood. (I think this was a little too much; hands being permanently stained with blood seems more like a critical sucess level thing to me. But hey, if that's what the player wants, I have no qualms about giving it to them.) And for his trouble? Yoshiro was out of the forest, but still on his own.

Some discussion between the Matts as their characters met up about how long they should wait for Yoshiro. Kasuke used his Honor Reading ability (Yoshiro chose not to oppose) to determine that Yoshiro would do his best to meet up with them, were he still alive.

Yoshiro started a conflict (versus the mountain): if he wins, he gets to the company before they move on. If I win, the company assumes he's dead and moves on. Kasuke and Shigeru aided Yoshiro, partially because they trusted that we would come back.

Yoshiro won, and narrated that it took two days of rain for him to make his way back, and that he couldn't have done it without the campfires of that Kasuke and Shigeru lit to guide his way. Without them he would have been lost in the mountains forever! Hungry and tired, Yoshiro agreed to rest for the night. The others didn't ask about his bloodstained hands. (Well, Kasuke did. Yoshiro didn't answer.)

The next morning, it began to snow softly, and while packing up camp, the company noticed an old man walking up the path, aided by a walking stick. Matt2 used the Fate power to say that Shigeru's eyes went wide with recognition.

Some discussion with the man, who identified himself as a monk and pilgrim, looking to travel to the top of the mountain to pray. Matt2 involved him more, using his narrative powers to play both sides of the conversation, establishing the old man as Otaki, a figure from Shigeru's past of some sort. Shigeru then left, not wanting to speak to the old man further. Matt3 also had Otaki noticeably recognize Hiroshi, but not say anything further about it.

Yoshiro and Otaki had a tense conversation, with Yoshiro asking if the old man had encountered any dangers. Otaki suggested that the Mountain Witch had no reason to interfere with a pilgrimage of the faithful. Yoshiro took the allegation that he was not faithful as an obvious insult, and challenged it, to which Otaki suggested that the problem was not Yoshiro, but Yoshiro's companions. After some tense back and forth, Otaki refused to answer any more of Yoshiro's questions and went on his way. (Yoshiro's last question was "what spirits do you intend to worship.")

Getting together again, they went on their way, and saw two tengu coming down the path. (Note: in other TMW Actual Play reports I've read, Tengu seem to be used as a bit of comic relief. Not in my game. They're the Witch's militant quasi-samurai retainers.) Before they could be seen, Yoshiro iniated a challenge: if the company wins, they are able to get past the tengu without a fight. My stakes: if the Tengu win, the find the party (which was going to be a default part of the scene) AND get damage based on their success level. The last few points of trust were spent to aid Kasuke. They got a Double-Success, and Matt3 bought narration (fufilling the chapter requirements so the chapter would finally end!) He had the company hide Hiroshi, and then spring an ambush on the Tengu (allowed by the Double Success), killing one and capturing the other. (It's one way to get past them without further conflicts!)

Although immediately after the narration, Shigeru decided to kill the Tengu anyways. Nobody wanted to contest it.

The cliffhanger: the snows suddenly pick up and get worse, and it becomes clear that the company needs to seek shelter in order to survive!

End of Chapter!

Matt1 (Shigeru) decided that Kasuke and Hiroshi hadn't really done anything particularly good or bad in their eyes, so kept their trust constant (2, 3), but had fought alongside Yoshiro on multiple occasions, and felt like he was a friend. (+1, 3)
Matt2 (Kasuke) decided that as a ronin, he has very high standards for who he does and doesn't trust, and kept his levels constant. (2 all around.)
Matt3 (Hiroshi) was at the mercy of everyone else the entire chapter, and was dependent on them, and they took care of him. Especially Kasuke, who was alone with him at one point and could have easily finished him off. He gave +1 to eveyrone (3 for Kasuke and Yoshiro, 4 for Shigeru)
Daniel (Yoshiro) couldn't get too much of a read off of Hiroshi, and kept his trust constant (2). He also identified heavily with Shigeru, and felt that Shigeru was unpredictable. (+1, 3) He felt that he didn't understand Kasuke at all, and found Kasuke unpredictable, and took ALL his trust away (-2, 0). Matt2, by the way, thought this was really cool, because he wanted Kasuke to be the kind of guy that people don't trust!

Afterwards, I had Hiroshi make his recovery roll immediately. Yoshiro and Shigeru both spent trust from Chapter 2 to aid him, and Hiroshi recovered. (Albiet with a now permanent wound.)

All in all, I thought this was a really fun session. The players all seemed to have a blast, and I've got some cool fodder for the next couple of chapters.

Thought for discussion:  what do you think of my Chapter one requirements?  The text implied that the GM should require certain things during certain chapters, but leaves it very vague.  I think that they added to the structure of the chapter, giving everyone certain duties and making sure that the agenda (get the basics about people's characters out in the open and help new people learn the game) really worked well.

[Willow]

(For those familiar with my other actual play writeups, Matt1 plays Loki in Everway. Matt2 plays Drake, and played Paris in Savage Worlds. Matt3 plays Flameseeker, and played Sam Silver in SW.)

Pay no attention to that line.  I crossposted this to www.indiegamingunderground.com where those actual play reports are.

[Willow]

I got in touch with Matt1:  Shigeru's third ability was Acrobatics.  It didn't come up yet.

[coffeestain]

Thought for discussion:  what do you think of my Chapter one requirements?  The text implied that the GM should require certain things during certain chapters, but leaves it very vague.  I think that they added to the structure of the chapter, giving everyone certain duties and making sure that the agenda (get the basics about people's characters out in the open and help new people learn the game) really worked well.

I was the Daniel who played Yoshiro in this game.

Personally, the Chapter One requirements were what made this game finally "click" for me.  I understand it better and feel like I can run it now that I've seen these in action.  Frankly, I wish this was emphasized in the book and that a sample outline had been given.

In any case, this one thing turned The Mountain Witch from a really cool book on my shelf to a game I'd like to run.

Do you have any idea how you're going to structure the following acts?  Would you have done the first act any differently now that you've seen it in action?

Regards,
Daniel

[Willow]

I have a pretty good idea about what the requirements for chapter two and three are going to be.  Two's going to require some more of the same:  an ability that hasn't come up yet needs to come up, everyone needs to narrate something about their dark fate, specifically using their power to do so, and there has to be a PC vs. PC conflict of some sort.  The chapter's going to focus on building up the fates and setting up future conflicts for the ronin.

I will probably keep this requirements for any Mountain Witch game I run (possibly minus "everyone must narrate a conflict" if it's a group that's played Mountain Witch before.)  I would have sent only 3 bakemono against you instead of 4.  Those little buggers were nasty.