So the three newbies show up to make characters. These are the guys from the DnD group whose GM quit on them after playing Rolemaster. A little background on myself, I am 45 yrs old and have been gaming for 30 years about 28 of those as a GM. I have seen a lot of things and we all know some players want to think they are the be all know all. Plus I did 6 years in the Army and recognize new recruits. On to the story.
They show up ready to hear about this Rolemaster business. None of them googled it or anything! I give them the basic line, realistic combat and spell system with dedicated classes that you must stay in the whole time. They nod approvingly asking where the Feats are and such. Finally after an hour of explanation they get to it. Party comes out as a Dwarven Fighter who likes to throw his ax, a human fighter who likes to be a tank and a half-elven Ranger. Crazy the Ranger puts hobby skills in Climbing as word on the street is you can die from falling out of trees!!
We have some time to spare so I tell them that the local militia is conscripting them into action as it is mating season for the local Kobold tribe. When this happens all the Kobold warriors raid the village and they will need all the help they can get. It seems gold was struck about 100 miles to the North so all the adventurers who normally kept the Kobolds in check didn't spend a season killing Kobolds. There Sgt explained that since they seemed like a tough group he wanted them to do some guerilla surveillance and ops on the pathes the Kobolds use.
Once again a Ranger pipes up saying Eaaassssyyy! No problem boss we got this. They provision up and head out. The Dwarf says we should wait for morning, but he is overruled. I tell them it is dangerous at night, but they wave me off. The Ranger fails his Direction Sense and they head southwest instead of west, straight into the Dead Woods (named after the previous party). They miss all survivals and they lay out their bedrolls in some yellow gazer moss. This is a moss used by flying gazers (my creation-think blood wasps) to feed their young. They are insects about a foot and a half long. I figure this will be fun and being 1st level creatures may make for an interesting time.
Then the group kind of whispers together and says to me "Listen we don't like any punches pulled, we have played DnD for 3 years and can't get out of anything. Our old DM (now one of my new players) would roll all dice in front of us, no cheating. I said that isn't how I like to play, but if it makes you feel better get ready.
I use a random encounter deck ala Savage Worlds with my own chart. Any face card is an encounter then it goes to the type etc. I pulled a card for a random encounter. I decided to keep it low and it was those two orcs from before. So they put up the fire, start eating their rations and bsing. I ask them for a sit awareness guard duty (they wouldn't take it even after telling them). The dwarf miraculously open end's it and I give him a rank in it. He hears the orcs and tells the ranger. Once again I tell them solo 1st level RM characters die easily, the ranger puts his hand up and says, "I got this". He fails his stalk and hide, the orcs know he is there but play dumb. I say he steps on a stick and it snaps loud, the ranger looks at the orcs not moving, but they are fumbling with some long sticks (bows and arrows).
Well the Ranger who bought climbing goes for the tree. The dwarf and other fighter seek to flank the orcs to get them in a cross fire. I then have the orcs start acting out the death's of the previous party. The dwarf seems to understand this and gets pissed. He throws an axe and charges, but fumbles his Move and Maneuver roll hits a log and falls flat, stunned 2 rnds. The other fighter rushes in while the Ranger takes aim at an orc.
The two orcs turn to the fighter and unload arrows, one pierces his left leg the other his right wrist, he goes down in pain and stunndom. the ranger nails one orc in the left arm. The Ranger climbs higher in the tree and almost fails. The fighters lay there unable to move, so the orcs pounce on the human fighter and kill him. Then the dwarf gets up and runs. The ranger is so pissed he starts calling him names and such. Then the orcs start a fire, the ranger looses a couple of arrows but misses. He says they cannot burn a live tree down. I said I know that, they keep getting the fire bigger, the dead warrior pipes in " it is a signal you dummy" and I admonish him from the table, taking 2000xp from his next character.
The dwarf actually makes it to the road then remembers that the kobolds live in hills not a forest, flips the ranger off and runs. He says under his breath, this is brutal and I love it. The ranger decides he is going to throw his rope around another tree and swing down. Wait for it, he fails, falls from the tree and breaks his hip. The orcs pounce on him and bust him up mercilously. I give the rangers next character 1500 xp for good roleplaing and inventiveness.
He says he isn't ever playing again, motions for the others to leave with him for DnD. The dead warrior and dwarf just smile at me and say "No effing way, this is what we always wanted, consequences".....
So in the matter of a week I have a totally new group, consisting of a dwarven fighter, bard, monk, cleric, magician and a yet to be made character. They all want in and promise to abide by the game!! Pretty fun stuff. I will keep you up to date on the next adventure, which they want to do on Sunday already!!!!! Only one has any Rolemaster experience, but they have took all six of my RMSS main books home to study up.
