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11/27/2020

Gauntlet Video Roundup - November 27, 2020

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[Gauntlet Calendar: Online Tabletop RPG Play]
​Greetings, and welcome to the weekly Gauntlet Calendar video roundup! Enjoy these recordings of online games organized through Gauntlet Calendar and the Gauntlet RPG Community. These recorded sessions represent only a portion of the selection of games available every week, and anyone is welcome to join the fun! If you'd like to play or watch more games like these, check out the links and information at the bottom of the post.

Gauntlet Facilitator Camp

Trophy Dark: Roommates Wanted
Shane runs for Alun R., Bodhi, and Joe A.
An elderly recluse is seeking housemates, and offering more than just his extraordinarily strange and luxurious estate at a reasonable price: anyone who stays a full five days and then decides not to continue will receive $10,000 compensation for their time. And these three acquaintances all really need that money.

Gauntlet Calendar

Electric Bastionland: Deep Carbon Observatory (Sessions 2 and 3)
Jesse A. runs for Fraser Simons, Nathan Harrison, Puckett, and Robbie Boerth
Session 2: In which our adventurers set out upon the Lock and decisions to intervene or not catch up with them. Session 3: In which our adventurers enter a church and a tomb, harried by scavengers.

Ultraviolet Grasslands: Season 9 - Silver Machine (Session 2 of 3)
Horst Wurst runs for Abe Lincoln Jr., Brandon Brylawski, Puckett, and Will H

Season of Dreams (Session 3 of 4)
Alun R. runs for Paul Rivers and usnavi
When Velura the Lugat and Fungo the Satyr see Kit the Viveru and Shelly the Human disappear just after being re-united with them, they decide to stay on mission and travel back to Murias...only to find that they get there several days before they will arrive there in the last session (it's all very timey-wimey). This gives them all the information they found from last time and a chance to exploit it. They charm a Merchant Lord while grinding his factotum's pride into the dust and impress a potentially merciless mother with their act of sheer kindness. Putting the pieces together they pursue a caravan they have already hijacked (it's all very timey-wimey) to stop a rendezvous with parties unknown that could destabilise the Gloom. Then there's a hill-fort, an approaching column of troops, illusory Griffins (there is a theme emerging), a fire and a 'call Formorii ointment' before...they arrive in the cathedral city of Salisbury in time for Xmas...don't ask...

3:16 Carnage Amongst the Stars: Rembrandt - Romeo Sector (Session 4 of 4)
Donogh runs for Bryan, Jim Likes Games, Leandro Pondoc, and Puckett
The Brigade has finally arrived at its target, Rembrandt. Its target all these long sectors as the alien conspiracy of attacks on Terra has been revealed. The Waterworld shows the aliens at the height of their power and trickery, but has it bargained for the ruthless brutality of the Troopers?

Scum and Villainy: I'll Always Remember Those Stars in Your Eyes (Sessions 4 - 7 of 7)
Rye runs for Bryan, Maria Mison, Richard, Steven S., and Terry (He/Him)

Lady Blackbird (Sessions 1 - 2 of 2)
Rye runs for Bryan, Jim Likes Games, Shane, and Shawn

Academy of the Blade (Session 3)
Lowell Francis runs for Darold Ross, Jamila R. Nedjadi, Patrick Knowles, and Sherri
We find out what Takahiro saw when he fell into the coffin of petals, witness betrayals and misunderstandings, and the gang has to put on a play.

Voidheart Symphony (Sessions 0 - 4 of 4)
David Morrison runs for Anders, Brandon Brylawski, Rob Ruthven, and Sabine V.
Former teen actress Katie Schultz is training for a hospital drama role at the hospital where the janitor Harly Boulder works; Lucid, a dream of hope given flesh, is in disguise as a student at the attached university, and she has helped guide the restless spirit of Jocasta, a murdered surgical resident back to the realm of the living. Together, they investigate mysteries taking place around the hospital and fight back against the corruption of the city.

Checkpoint Midnight: Uneasy Allies (Session 6)
Jim Likes Games runs for Alexi S., Brandon Brylawski, Puckett, and Richard Moser
In our sixth full episode (5 to go!), the supernatural operatives find themselves in over their heads both on-mission and off. We see the Court of Night for the first time, and Kate has the. worst. first. date. ever.

Hearts of Wulin: Coeur de l'Epee (Session 2 of 2)
Lowell Francis runs for Chris Newton, Patrick Knowles, and Tyler Lominack
The night of the Queen's Winter Solstice Ball arrives, bringing with it intrigue, romance, danger, lions, and betrayals. Yes, I said lions.

You can see all these videos (plus all the ones that have come before) on The Gauntlet YouTube channel playlists, and be sure to subscribe to catch all our great podcasts!

If you'd like to catch these sessions in an audio-only podcast, check out the community-run Hangouts Podcast at http://gauntlet.hellomouth.net/.

If you'd like to play in games like these, check out the calendar of events and the Gauntlet Forums where games are announced.

To support The Gauntlet, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon. Everyone is welcome to sign up for Gauntlet Calendar games, but Patreon supporters get extra options like priority RSVP for Gauntlet Calendar games and joining the Gauntlet Slack team where special events and pickup games are announced.

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

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11/20/2020

Gauntlet Video Roundup - November 20, 2020

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[Gauntlet Calendar: Online Tabletop RPG Play]
Greetings, and welcome to the weekly Gauntlet Calendar video roundup! Enjoy these recordings of online games organized through Gauntlet Calendar and the Gauntlet RPG Community. These recorded sessions represent only a portion of the selection of games available every week, and anyone is welcome to join the fun! If you'd like to play or watch more games like these, check out the links and information at the bottom of the post.

Star Wars Saturday

Republic Rifles (Session 2)
Rich Rogers runs for Anders, Cody Eastlick, and Josh H
The Republic Troopers of Section 10-Esk-Peth heroically take out some artillery to clear the path for AATs, but the cost is high.

Gauntlet Sunday

Academy of the Blade (Session 2)
Lowell Francis runs for Darold Ross, Jamila R. Nedjadi, Patrick Knowles, and Sherri
Our heroes try to make sense of their new life in the mysterious Fifth Dorm, but love and longing get in the way. Duel abound when they attend the Chairman's reception and uncover new secrets.

Gauntlet Quarterly

Checkpoint Midnight: Uneasy Allies (Session 5)
Jim Likes Games runs for Alexi S., Brandon Brylawski, and Richard Moser
Fallout from the Mission to The Murmur, and new missions on the board.

Gauntlet Calendar

Ultraviolet Grasslands: Season 9 - Silver Machine (Session 1 of 3)
Horst Wurst runs for Abe Lincoln Jr., Brandon Brylawski, Puckett, and Will H

Season of Dreams (Session 2 of 4)
Alun R. runs for Matthew Arcilla, Paul Rivers, and usnavi
While trekking back to the City of Murias, Velura the Lugat mis-reads the weather and is caught in a random 'rift-storm'. Faced with losing her, and the Golden Griffin egg, Fungo the Satyr and Kit the Viveru follow her through to encounter a suspicious group of humans. When they finally reach Murias, hoping to rendezvous with Shelly Widdershins and make a fortune, there's a Fomorii festival, a Mother with a protective & vengeful nature, and bad news about an egg...then gluttony almost turns nasty, and a portal resets events to zero...maybe...

3:16 Carnage Amongst the Stars: Picasso - Romeo Sector (Session 3 of 4)
Donogh runs for Bryan, Jim Likes Games, and Puckett
The Brigade has tracked down the paradise planet that those rescued Troopers told them about. They find several communes of humanoids and what appear to be AWOL Troopers, but the Special Studies Group has warned everyone that these are either aliens constructed to look like humans or their old buddies completely taken over by an alien infection...

Apocalypse Keys: Behind the Twelfth Door (Sessions 1-2 of 4)
Sam Zimmerman runs for Brandon Brylawski, Chris Newton, Dan Brown, and Jex Thomas
The doors of the end times are opening, one by one. The eleventh door almost wiped out humanity, and now the twelfth is creaking on its hinges. Humanity is desperate, and even the demons and monsters that once filled our nightmares are welcome allies. Time to prove that you are more than a monster; that you deserve this second chance.

Blood Ties: Welcome to King's Peak (Session 3 of 4)
Darold Ross runs for Jamila R. Nedjadi, Joel N., Leandro Pondoc, and Sherri
The Sweet Disaster - In which the witches present a clear and present danger...to themselves. In this session, our witches attempt to dive deeper into the magical conspiracy that surrounds the mounting deaths in the homecoming court. Beatrice sees the darker side of magic when her continued efforts compound to make matters worse. Miss Mercy accidentally lets the mask hiding her divinity slip to shocking effect. Sybil works to protect the community from magic and demands to speak to a supervisor. Balthazar comforts and courts everyone they cross paths with, even when traveling through time.

Hello, World: A Siren Song To You (Session 2)
Leandro Pondoc runs for Brandon Brylawski, Pawel S., and Steven S.
Above the busy conurbations of the Sirius server is the Golden Mile Raceway, a deathly playground for thrillseekers alike. With the threat of expansion into other neighborhoods, our dynasty has been contracted to ensure that its owner/operator doesn't survive the next race to seal the deal. Vortex unleashes chaos in an effort to contain their past, Foxtrot trades sword blows with an unexpected menace and clint-6 proves to be an adept driver with their feet.

You can see all these videos (plus all the ones that have come before) on The Gauntlet YouTube channel playlists, and be sure to subscribe to catch all our great podcasts!

If you'd like to catch these sessions in an audio-only podcast, check out the community-run Hangouts Podcast at http://gauntlet.hellomouth.net/.

If you'd like to play in games like these, check out the calendar of events and the Gauntlet Forums where games are announced.

To support The Gauntlet, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon. Everyone is welcome to sign up for Gauntlet Calendar games, but Patreon supporters get extra options like priority RSVP for Gauntlet Calendar games and joining the Gauntlet Slack team where special events and pickup games are announced.

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

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11/19/2020

Murder Among the Jianghu

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​Detective and mystery stories are one of my favorite wuxia sub-genres. In films we have the Detective Dee series, The Butterfly Murders, and Legend of the Demon Cat among others. In TV series we have an abundance of riches: Sheng Tang Huan Ye (titled alternately Magical Nights of the Glorious Tang or Oriental Odyssey in English); Justice Bao; The Four; and my personal favorite: Ancient Detective (Xia Tan Jian Bu Zhi).

This last one is especially awesome because it provides Agatha Christie-like cozy mysteries in the jianghu world. And cozy mysteries are in part what Brindlewood Bay does amazingly well. Stories of a group of detectives, a murder, and a colorful cast of characters. So could you bring some of BB's tech over to Hearts of Wulin? I think you can.

What follows assumes some knowledge of Brindlewood Bay and Hearts of Wulin. If you haven’t bought BB, you should. You can pick it up on DTRPG right now.

The Investigation
For a murder mystery investigation, substitute the following move for most instances of Study. GMs will have to adjudicate on the fly where one’s more appropriate than the other.

When you investigate the murder—through questioning, searching for physical evidence, or other means—roll.
  • On a 10+ you uncover a clue which the GM will provide and narrate.
  • On a 7-9 you uncover a clue but there’s a cost the GM picks. It could be ticking a clock towards a second murder, alienating someone important, using up time, alerting the killer that you’re getting close, or other similar things.
  • On a 6- you fail to discover anything and the GM makes a hard move as appropriate (possibly a darker version of the costs above).​

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The Solution
The mystery has a difficulty. Once they have a good number of clues, the players should have a freewheeling discussion about a possible solution. The GM may help focus and organize this conversation. Ideally each clue should be explained in this hypothesis (even if to show how it’s a red herring).

Once the group has agreed on a solution, subtract (the # of clues worked into the theory) from (the mystery’s difficulty). Then roll this move. Bonds may not be spent to improve this roll.

On a 10+, the solution is completely correct. The Killer gives themselves away during the investigators' presentation or the stage is set to catch the killer off-guard with the support of others.

On a 7-9, the players choose: the solution is partially correct or the solution is fully correct, but there’s a cost. For the former, the GM will say how one detail of their hypothesis in incorrect. This may allow accomplices to escape, implicate an innocent, or hide the face of the true villain. For the latter, the killer is exposed but something hinders the player’s ability to bring them to justice (for now). The GM chooses: the edict of an authority protects the killer, they have an elaborate escape they now trigger successfully, someone else steps in to confess and takes the blame, etc.

On a 6- things go wrong and the GM makes a hard move against the group (everyone may have to mark an element of their choice). The solution may be right but no one believes them and favor turns against them. The whole thing was a set up to implicate someone falsely and the players have done their dirty work. A trusted friend or lover turns out to be part of the killer’s conspiracy. GM may present some of this off-screen to the players rather than the characters, setting up a villain to be dealt with in the future.

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EXAMPLE MYSTERY
Set Up
This set up can be easily rewritten with your own characters and setting. The PCs are invited to attend a great ball or party being given by Prince Zemin. As they mingle and interact with the NPCs they will note friction between Locust Le-Ang and several other prominent persons. Le-Ang hints at old secrets, the repossession of valuable properties, and the like. Some ignore him, while others grow visibly angry as the night continues.

Later everyone hears a scream and they discover Locust Le-Ang's body in a garden within the palace walls, accessible from the event itself. A cup is still in his hand and poisoning seems to be the cause of death, but there may be more to it. (Note: this scenario set up could be undercut by the Five Deadly Venoms or The Promise playbook moves from the Aware. If a PC has one of this, talk to them about the set up and offer them some in-game compensation).

Victim and Suspects
Locust Le-Ang, Leader of the White Onyx Society: This wuxia faction has long been held in disrepute. They’re rumored to be involved with assassinations, but no proof has emerged. In recent years they’ve worked hard to appear more respectable. They’re acknowledged more openly, though some say only through a campaign of blackmail and intimidation. When the new Prince arrived, he recognized them as one of the important factions in the region and treated them as equals with others.

Le-Ang enjoys his new status and role. He throws his weight around. He has been calling in old debts and obligations to gain support and wealth. Rumor has it that he’s completed at least one secret mission for the Prince and that’s why he was invited to the gathering.

Prince Zemin: Sent to oversee this region by the Emperor. Speculation runs rampant about whether this is exile, a test, or something else. Was sick when he arrived, but has recovered after a period of seclusion and now seems hale and hearty.

Seventh Mountain, the Prince’s Childhood Friend: Raised alongside the Prince in the Palace. He returned from the military to serve his old friend in his new role overseeing the region. He’s devoted but also worried about the Prince’s illness and reliance on spiritual advisors.

Eighth Raven, Seventh Mountain’s sister: Followed her brother here to aid and assist him. Worries that his devotion to the Prince will drag him into a conspiracy or political plot. An assassin killed their older brother who got caught up in such a thing.

Pale Willow, The Prince’s Spiritual Advisor: From an obscure sect she doesn’t speak much about. Casts the fortunes for the Prince and is said to have been the one who cured him of his recent illness. Prince Zemin relies on her advice.

General Huan, The Iron Throated General: A powerful figure in the region. Huan has accumulated power and influence over the years, even more since he retired here. He suspects that the Prince has been sent here to either spy on or destroy him. His association with the White Onyx is an open secret.

Dai Shu, Representative of the One Soul Legion: She has risen to become influential within this sect which her father, General Huan, nominally heads. In this role she has butted heads with the White Onyx several times. Quick to fall in and out of love.

Minister Amber Chill: Before the Prince’s arrival had great influence and power in the region. He has shifted with the tides and works his best for the Prince, but has also had to divest himself of several opportunities and interests. A gourmand.

Minister Rong: A notably corrupt minister. The Prince has utilized him to undertake some questionable activities, but he’s also served General Huan in the past. The pressure of being caught between these two forces is getting to him.

Onyx Spider, a PC’s Romantic Interest: Ideally this character had an argument earlier in the evening with Locust Le-Ang. Decide what the circumstance of that was.

Crystal Lion, a PC’s Romantic Rival: It’s always good to have a rival on scene who can interfere and show up one of the PCs. If they turn out to be the killer, so much the better.

Dawning Sword Deming, representative of the Sun & Moon Masters: The Prince has moved to gain the fealty and obedience of the wuxia orders in the region. Deming’s order took to this easily, being ambitious and calculating. Deming, on the other hand, is devoted to his martial practices and bridles at all the political goings-on.

The Dusk Blood Sage, representative of the Autumn Leaves Savants: An order of scholar warriors. They have tried to find a middle ground in the face of the Prince’s efforts to bring the wuxia of the region in line. The Sage is here to observe and find an opportunity.

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Clues
  • An exquisite empty wine bottle hidden away
  • Two people argue but then speak in conspiratorial whispers when they believe no one is watching
  • A beautiful apple somehow frozen.
  • A ceremonial blade missing from its appointed place
  • Smoke stains in an unusual place
  • An anonymous love poem written in elegant verse
  • A broken arm
  • The missing royal cat
  • Rare incense from beyond the borderlands
  • A writ for a large sum to be drawn from a bank
  • The remains of a gown shredded or burned
  • The seal of a lost official
  • Secret passage to a hidden cave
  • A tattoo of striking skill and color
  • Golden acupuncture needles
  • A broken branch
  • A shattered porcelain mask
  • Silken threads of an unusual color
  • A guqin with a missing string
  • A writing brush dried with red ink
  • Bruises which mark the use of a lost or forbidden technique
 
Adjusting the Void
If you want to lean further into Brindlewood Bay territory, you might consider adding a larger conspiracy. In BB this is represented by two parts: the Void Clues and the Layers of the Conspiracy. It would be easy enough to add Void Clues and Signs of the Conspiracy. For the Investigation move on a 10+ they may gain a Void Clue or Sign instead. On a 12+ they gain two of the three.

For the Conspiracy layers, you’d have to choose how many you want and how many Void Clues you need to access that information. I would suggest only three layers and a modest number of clues needed, especially if mysteries are only part of the ongoing story. The first layer would be the mythic hints and history of the conspiracy. The second would be learning who is part of or controlled by the conspiracy. Alternately they could learn of lesser plots to stop. The final circle would be the revelation of the real threat behind the scenes and actions taken against the PCs.

But what is the Conspiracy? In Sheng Tang Huan Ye there’s a set of magical treasures sought by a sinister force. These grant immense power. In Smiling Proud Wanderer it’s the revelation of the betrayal by the main character’s master seeking powerful techniques. In Ancient Detective, it’s the secrets of what happened at a famous battle in the past and why people are trying to conceal that truth. If you’re using a Fantastic Wuxia setting, it becomes even easier to weave in strange details. ​

If you missed the Hearts of Wulin Kickstarter, we've now opened up pre-orders on the KS website.

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11/13/2020

Gauntlet Video Roundup - November 13, 2020

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[Gauntlet Hangouts: Indie RPGs, Story Games, OSR]
Greetings, and welcome to the weekly Gauntlet Hangouts video roundup! Enjoy these recordings of online games organized through Gauntlet Hangouts and the Gauntlet RPG Community. These recorded sessions represent only a portion of the selection of games available every week, and anyone is welcome to join the fun! If you'd like to play or watch more games like these, check out the links and information at the bottom of the post

Star Wars Saturday

Republic Rifles (Session 1)
Rich Rogers runs for Anders, Cody Eastlick, and Sabine V.
A section of war veterans in the division under General Hera Syndulla's command pound the ground in Lavisar to take it away from Warlord Zsinj.

Gauntlet Hangouts

Yokai Hunters Society
Lowell Francis runs for Abe Lincoln Jr., Donogh, Puckett, and Sherri
Our hunters travel to Naimura Village to uncover the truth behind a set of hushed-up killing and find themselves on the doorstep of an angry recluse who ties into things in many ways.

3:16 Carnage Amongst the Stars: Renoir - Romeo Sector (Session 2 of 4)
Donogh runs for Bryan, Jim Likes Games, Leandro Pondoc, and Puckett
The Company are sent to investigate the disappearance of the fuel harvester ship Ararat, overdue and out of comms. On the gas giant Renoir they find more than they bargained with, even as Crestmeyer deals with mountains of fanmail!

Electric Bastionland: Deep Carbon Observatory (Session 1 of 9)
Jesse A. runs for Fraser Simons, Nathan Harrison, Puckett, and Robbie Boerth
As a flood sweeps through Carrowmore, our adventurers are caught up in the fast moving currents of the town.

Blood Ties: Welcome to King's Peak (Session 2 of 4)
Darold Ross runs for Jamila R. Nedjadi, Leandro Pondoc, and Sherri
Death Tolerates Her - In which we flail around in homages to all the witches we've loved before. In this session, our witches attempt to uncover the reason behind a prom queen's magical murder. Beatrice tumbles through disaster after disaster in an attempt to save future victims while Miss Mercy navigates chaotic relationships with Death themselves and those damn Greenwoods. Meanwhile, Balthazar careens through hearts and lips like a wrecking ball. But as the body count climbs, the situation grows more dire by the moment.

Hearts of Wulin: Paradise of Dragons (Session 1 of 3)
Dan Brown runs for Chad, Drew, Jo Lene, and Michael
Bao, our erstwhile exorcist who heretofore has been running scams, is hired to remove an actual demon from the premises of most famous restaurant Dumpling Den. He invites Gentleman Yu along, which turns out to be very fortunate. Meanwhile, at a benefit concert for the Physicians of Grace, Jin finds herself face-to-face with the object of her affection, the Princess Shu, while Xia performs. Xia almost makes it through the whole performance when she sees a corrupt noble in the audience, one who she apprehended last week as her alter ego, Autumn Fox.

Hearts of Wulin: Hearts of Wulin vs the World - Season 2 (Session 4)
Jim Likes Games runs for Philip Rogers, Puckett, SalamanderJames, and Sawyer Rankin
A cut-throat record sale turbo-charged by free energy drinks, and the climactic benefit concert to Save the Garage!

Checkpoint Midnight: Uneasy Allies (Session 4)
Jim Likes Games runs for Alexi S., Brandon Brylawski, Puckett, and Richard Moser
In this episode of our story of Supernatural Operatives in Cold War Vienna, a mission to The Murmur, and we see The Device for the first time, and are assured It Will Change Everything.

Hearts of Wulin: Couer de l'Epee (Session 1 of 3)
Lowell Francis runs for Chris Newton, Daniel H., Patrick Knowles, and Tyler Lominack
After escaping across rooftops from an unfortunate disagreement, our heroes find themselves drawn into the whirlpool of drama which is the Queen's Winter Solstice Ball.

Trophy Gold: Hester's Mill (Session 2 of 3)
Mike Ferdinando runs for Abe Lincoln Jr., Bryant Durrell, and Mark
On the outskirts of the abandoned village of Hester's Mill, treasure-hunters Estefen, Orlen, and Akaleh have a tense but cordial meeting with a mysterious stranger who gave cryptic warnings. Pressing on, they explore an abandoned shrine to St. Hester...where Akaleh summoned magic more powerful than he could control. They then found records of horrific rites in a crypt below the shrine...

You can see all these videos (plus all the ones that have come before) on The Gauntlet YouTube channel playlists, and be sure to subscribe to catch all our great podcasts!

If you'd like to catch these sessions in an audio-only podcast, check out the community-run Hangouts Podcast at http://gauntlet.hellomouth.net/.

If you'd like to play in games like these, check out the calendar of events and the Gauntlet Forums where games are announced.

To support The Gauntlet, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon. Everyone is welcome to sign up for Gauntlet Hangouts games, but Patreon supporters get extra options like priority RSVP for Gauntlet Hangouts games and joining the Gauntlet Slack team where special events and pickup games are announced.

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

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11/11/2020

Gourdian Not: A Yokai Hunters Society Scenario

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Yokai Hunters Society is a rules-light ttrpg about hunting monsters in Meiji-era Japan. It's a sharp little game and while it can be "monster of the week," there's room to deal with political changes, the rise of nationalism, industrialization, and the impact those things have on a secret society. This scenario can easily be adapted to other games like MotW, Silent Legions, or the like. 

Buy Yokai Hunters Society here.

Naimura Village
Last few months several people have gone missing. Leaked out that a couple of them had been found, but reports have been suppressed.

The Pitch: The players contact meets them at a watermill which has been abandoned in the face of more modern technologies. Another society member travelled to Nobu Valley which has grown due to new industries (lumber and mining).

About a day out from there, the agent stayed over at Naimura Village and picked up on local hushed whispers. Apparently some strange deaths had been kept quiet by the village leader and others—a pair of lovers and another person. Locals avoided discussing the manner of their deaths. Since the agent had to continue on to Nobu Valley, they sent word back asking for the Society to dispatch other hunters to investigate. aka the PCs. 

TIt’s about a day’s journey to Naimura from where they are now. If you have time, have the players give a brief travel montage.

Naimura itself: A growing village. It lies on a road which supplies to new mining and logging sites further north—Nobu Valley and the coast. So they’ve had more traffic in recent years. It's a one street village with a newly spruced up travelers’ inn, a roadside station for overnight sleep, and a drinking house. PCs can see evidence of change—there's a mix of some modern fashions; telegraph poles lying on the roadside waiting to be set up; an abundance of printed materials (newspapers and books) around.

To the east of the village lies a small mountain, covered by woods. A small river runs through the town. They can spot a disused road going up the mountain. Following that leads to an unmarked split, where they have a choice of three routes. First, to some of the cliffs of the mountain (north), second to the Okubo house (east), third to the pond (south).

People of Naimura
  • Headman Asai Mojiro, The Headman, who is determined to keep a lid on things here. He just wants everything to go smooth. New telegraph stations to be built. Dislikes Gotaro the Inspector. 
  • Gotaro Taisuke, The Inspector, a local official doing surveys and enforcing the new codes from the government. Technically has oversight for what passes as local law enforcement. Will take to those who seem to have some offical position or assignment. 
  • Iyzumi, The Headstrong Youth, Resentful of Whitebeard and wants his money and treasure. Will organize a bandit attack. Has some followers and runs the gambling at the drinking establishment.
  • Dcotor Yoshigi, The Town Doctor, who disbelieves superstitions and gossip, but knows all of it. Saw all the bodies. 
  • Okubo Nambu aka Whitebeard. He comes from a former samurai/noble family. The nickname comes from his beard which has always been pure white despite his dark hair. Bear of a man, gruff and angry. His overgrown estate is outside of town in the mountain woods. Whitebeard has buried three wives, the last of these over a year ago. Rumors about him killing some of his household staff (this comes from Natsuko going missing). He stays apart and only sends his servant, Hito, into town. From time to time does receive visitors—merchant collectors for pieces from his family’s estate. (wives: Fuku, Den, and Fude)
  • Hito, The Mute Servant, doesn’t think Whitebeard has done anything wrong—he was raised within the household. Avoids going out at night. Tends to the garden along with Whitebeard. Isn’t aware of what happened to the housemaid.
  • Natsuko, The Angry Ghost, the dead housemaid for Whitebeard’s estate. She killed his three previous wives, poisoning them slowly. Each time she tried to comfort Whitebeard and gain his affections but to no avail. After the third, she shrieked a confession at him. Enraged, Whitebeard killed her  and tossed her body into a crevice in the mountainside. She arose a couple of months ago and began to try to get to Whitebeard. So far she hasn't gotten past his protection, theGourd Spirit. Natsuko killed a pair of young lovers in the woods (Chiyo and Sho) and (maybe) a young woman (Hiwa) gathering mushrooms. She poisoned and hung in the lovers in the trees.
  • Sonojo, The Gourd Spirit, a yokai who lives in the Whitebeard's garden. Kinds of gourds: bottle gourd (shishigatano squash), green and orange kabocha squash, red kuri aka orange Hokkaido squash. Whitebeard followed his first wife’s practices, honoring and keep the garden. In return the Gourd Spirit has secretly protected him from the ghost and other predations. Sonojo recently killed an an armed robber who tried to break into the house. Strangled and buried him—which was one of those found (Dairoku).
  • Mishime, The Pond Keeper, an old woman in the woods who tends to the pond which comes off the river which runs through Naimura. She has been trying to appease and exorcise the spirit of the Angry Ghost because she was her daughter. She knows the story of Natsuko’s killing of Whitebeard’s brides, and this can be gotten out of her. Mishime doesn’t blame Okubo for Natsuko’s death.
If you want to have an NPC who has dealt with Okubo, Collector Masuda Takuya is present having recently concluded the sale of some old swords from him.

Places
The village itself (Headman Asai Mojiro), the provincial office (Gotaro Taisuke), the inn (Innkeeper Inada), the common drinking and gambling den (Iyzumi), woodcutters hut (Genzo), the pond (Mishime), the woods themselves, Okubo Nambu’s house.

Physical Details
  • Woods path—shows that mostly only Hito comes and goes from Okubo's house. A cross path has been worn from Mishime walking to the base of the cliff to try to appease her estranged daughter’s spirit with offerings.
  • The Pond—small pond with a shrine kept by Mishime. Villagers provide her with food, but generally keep clear of her. Picture of Natsuko in her tiny house. Evidence of her hiking to the cliff base every day or two.
  • The Cliff—Lovers were killed in woods nearby. Maybe evidence of unnatural hair or poison here. There’s a “lookout point” just above a gap in the cliff. It would be easy to drop a body in there (as Okubo has).
  • The Okubo House—walled around the outside. Front and side gate. Side gate opens out into a magnificent gourd and vine covered garden. Squash blossoms and gourds everywhere. Robber was killed a distance away from here (the Gourd Spirit chased him before killing him). House itself has seen better days—one wing has been abandoned and left to the elements. It they’re hospitable, Okubo will offer them pumpkin and squash-based food.

What’s Going On?
There have been killings by two different Yokai. The lovers (spiritually poisoned and hung in the trees) have been killed by the ghost and the would-be robber (strangled and mysteriously buried with only the top of his head showing) by the gourd spirit.

The first is a Yūrei. This is an angry spirit Level 1 (or more depending on group). Can grab with tendril-like hair and spit a blackish poison in people’s mouths. This is Natsuko mentioned above. Depending on how you want to structure it the missing young woman may be alive and hidden away in the gap in the mountain Okubo threw her body into. Dealing with her bones will give advantage on fights against her.

One possible result for a 9 or a failure roll against Natsuko is that they have a vision of her killing Okubo’s wives and being rejected by him each time. The kidnapped young woman’s death can also be a cost.

The other killer is the Gourd Spirit mentioned above. It will only act against the group if they seem to be threatening Whitebeard or trying to break into his house. They are a level 1 spirit who can trap with vines, hurl squash, drag people under the earth, and move just below the ground. If the Hunters seem to be looking to deal with Natsuko, it will try to quietly give them hints—like a trail of gourds. If desperate (or it the time is growing tight), it will directly speak to the group.

Whitebeard is unaware of the Gourd Spirit, but Hito suspects. If attacked, the Gourd Spirit will retaliate. If destroyed, Natsuko will try to kill Okubo soon after. 

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11/6/2020

Gauntlet Video Roundup - November 6, 2020

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[Gauntlet Hangouts: Indie RPGs, Story Games, OSR]
Greetings, and welcome to the weekly Gauntlet Hangouts video roundup! Enjoy these recordings of online games organized through Gauntlet Hangouts and the Gauntlet RPG Community. These recorded sessions represent only a portion of the selection of games available every week, and anyone is welcome to join the fun! If you'd like to play or watch more games like these, check out the links and information at the bottom of the post.

Star Wars Saturday

Teens in Space (Session 4)
Rich Rogers runs for Greg G., Sabine V., and Sherri
The crew of the Screaming Sunspark compete in the Tour de Minos space race, deal with the Zygerrian Empire, bounty hunters, and a brat sister.

Gauntlet Sunday

Academy of the Blade (Session 1)
Lowell Francis runs for Darold Ross, Jamila R. Nedjadi, Patrick Knowles, and Sherri
We meet our heroes, just returning from break to discover their living arrangements have been shaken up. Why are these four alone in the mysterious fifth dormitory? What are these tarot cards with their images on them? Will they have anything to wear to the Chairman's Reception?

Gauntlet Comics

Escape from Dino Island: Lake of the Lost (Session 2 of 2)
Alexi S. runs for Chris Newton, Jon Grim, Rich Rogers, and Sam Zimmerman
In the exciting conclusion of our two-parter, not everyone makes it off the island. Dr. Kal Sharma reveals how far he's willing to go for knowledge. Cori sounds the alarm as a fire-breathing T-Rex attacks! Alya takes a leap of faith. And Freya grapples with whether the outside world has anything left to offer her.

Gauntlet Hangouts

Ultraviolet Grasslands: Season 8 - Strange Geometries (Session 3 of 3)
Horst Wurst runs for Abe Lincoln Jr., Chris Thompson, Puckett, and Will H

Checkpoint Midnight: Uneasy Allies (Session 3)
Jim Likes Games runs for Alexi S., Brandon Brylawski, Puckett, and Richard Moser
The supernatural agents of Checkpoint Midnight encounter psionic ex-Nazis and sinister Cathedral eavesdroppers as they continue to feel each other out for just how much they can trust their peers.

Masks: Neighbourhood (Session 10)
David Walker runs for Gerwyn Walters, Lara Boerth-Dryden, Pawel S., and Will H
Blind Justice - Romance is dead, Isabella Torres is a wanted woman. Will Paladin bring her in and will Nox let him? The Scarlet Lady confronts Dynamic - and his fiery personality causes tensions to escalate.

3:16 Carnage Amongst the Stars: Matisse - Romeo Sector (Session 1 of 4)
Donogh runs for Bryan, Jim Likes Games, Leandro Pondoc, and Puckett
The Troopers, now part of an independent Recon company start to track down those responsible for uplifting alien races, keen to find those putting them and Terra in danger...

Season of Dreams (Session 1 of 5)
Alun R. runs for Greg, Matthew Arcilla, Paul Rivers, and Sabine V.
We meet Shelley Widdershins the human musician with a golden tongue who was drawn to the Gloom to play at a Princess' wedding and tried to save some servants of the Court; Fungo Smedley, the Satyr who enjoys his grub but is surprisingly light on his feet when on mountain crags; Velura the Lugat (bat folk) who can't resist an opportunity or the thought of profit; and Kit Baxter the Viveru (fox folk) who values her friends as much as mere riches, something her previous employers no doubt worry about. There's a competing group of faeries, a risky location, and Golden Griffins...both real and illusory.

Blood Ties: Welcome to King's Peak (Session 1 of 4)
Darold Ross runs for Jamila R. Nedjadi, Joel N., Leandro Pondoc, and Sherri
In which Darold bleeds his love for the witchy genre all over a game. Blood Ties is a Powered by the Apocalypse game with roots in Hearts of Wulin and Brindlewood Bay for stories about witches living, loving, and fighting evil in their quaint New England hometown. Play as the heirs to powerful magical dynasties, each with their own special brand of witchcraft and create your own world of drama, suspense, romance, and enchantment. Blood Ties draws inspiration from Practical Magic, Witches of East End, Charmed, and The Secret Circle. In this session we made our characters, brought our town to life, and set up the mystery we will be investigating for this series. In our next session we'll jump into the mystery and the tangled web of romantic tensions we created.

Hello, World: A Siren Song To You (Session 1 of 7)
Leandro Pondoc runs for Brandon Brylawski, Pawel S., Puckett, and Steven S.
Character creation and crew formation as we put together a ragtag Dynasty comprised of an amnesiac Capacitor bristling with power, a gunslinging Seeker with a shady past involving the Administration, a respec'd cyber-knight Breaker with a flirty living weapon and a buzzing, iconoclastic Wielder long turned their back on their brethren.

Trophy Gold: Hester's Mill (Session 1 of 3)
Mike Ferdinando runs for Abe Lincoln Jr., Bryant Durrell, and Mark
A bankrupt merchant, a disgraced gladiator, and a former Kingsguard on the run venture into Torin's Bend seeking the riches left behind in the long-abandoned village of Hester's Mill. Between setting a blighted cornfield aflame, a severe case of poison ivy, and finding a nest of vipers the hard way...their quest is off to an inauspicious start.

You can see all these videos (plus all the ones that have come before) on The Gauntlet YouTube channel playlists, and be sure to subscribe to catch all our great podcasts!

If you'd like to catch these sessions in an audio-only podcast, check out the community-run Hangouts Podcast at http://gauntlet.hellomouth.net/.

If you'd like to play in games like these, check out the calendar of events and the Gauntlet Forums where games are announced.

To support The Gauntlet, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon. Everyone is welcome to sign up for Gauntlet Hangouts games, but Patreon supporters get extra options like priority RSVP for Gauntlet Hangouts games and joining the Gauntlet Slack team where special events and pickup games are announced.

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

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