A cataclysm has struck and every civilized nation you know about has been destroyed. You can't manage magical contact with your Guild either, so the thing must have been worldwide. Monsters show up all over the place.After running for many days, you find a small enclave in the woods who seems to be surviving, but only barely. After using your magic to repel the attack of some monsters, the locals decide to make you their leader.You are Shoshana Darkberg, the Beguiler.There are about thirty or forty people total, hard to tell.How will you survive the post apocalypse?> Get everyone together around a fire to do some headcount and skill assessment> Find a safer place to spend the night, the middle of the forest seems dangerous> Put people on watch and go to sleep, tomorrow you will see what you do> Write in
>>6133589>Get everyone together around a fire to do some headcount and skill assessment>Write in - sing a merry song while we get together
>>6133600As the evening settles in, you bring everyone into a warm circle around the fire, the flames casting dancing shadows on tired faces. You know that morale is low, so before beginning the headcount and skill assessment, you strum a lively tune on an old lute, encouraging everyone to join in with a few merry songs. The music drifts through the gathering, easing the tension and bringing faint smiles to even the most somber faces. Laughter rises with the melody, and for a moment, the weight of recent hardships feels a little lighter.Once the songs fade, you invite each person to share their story and their skills. They speak of the lives they left behind, most coming from a nearby town that was struck by a star that fell from the sky like a vengeful god. Many of them survived only because they were out in the wilderness, fishing in distant rivers, hunting in quiet woods, or gathering timber on the far outskirts. They tell of seeing the blaze in the sky and hearing the distant crash, but they never expected to return to find their homes gone.You start the headcount, asking each person to name any skills they might bring to the group. Some are simple folk with no particular trade, but a few possess expertise from their old lives: hands worn by craft, eyes sharpened by knowledge, voices seasoned by experience. Each skilled individual represents an invaluable asset, someone who could help transform survival into something more sustainable.---*For every skilled person added, reduce your total group size by 3, up to a maximum of 10 skilled individuals. Then, roll 1d20 for each to determine their specific skill from the following list:*1 - Miner 2 - Woodworker 3 - Stoneworker 4 - Ranger 5 - Doctor 6 - Farmer 7 - Fishery Worker 8 - Metalsmith 9 - Jeweler 10 - Craftsman 11 - Engineer 12 - Administrator 13 - Military 14 - Merchant 15 - Performer 16 - Scholar 17 - Noble 18 - Priest 19 - Bard 20 - Sorcerer
Rolled 5, 7, 10, 2, 8, 3, 10, 3, 4, 3 = 55 (10d10)determining the total amount of people you start with
Rolled 13 (1d20)>>6133614>>6133616Rollin
Rolled 11, 14, 17 = 42 (3d20)>>6133614Adding 3 more skilled people, the brothers Ronnigreek, Felleno, and Afkest
>>6133625Night has draped itself over the camp, and the crackling fire casts long, warm shadows over the gathered villagers. There are 52 souls here—ordinary people, each with a story of survival, and among them, a single leader, Captain Wilkins. With a seasoned hand and eyes sharpened by battles, he has been steering them through the chaos since the day they fled their homes. Under his guidance, they’ve found a fragile sense of order amidst the ruins of their lives.The villagers settle in, comforted by the fire's warmth, laughter and conversation lightening the heavy night. Stories are shared, and for the first time in what feels like ages, there’s a sense of safety. But then, as if the night itself carries a warning, a piercing scream shatters the calm.Everyone freezes. The scream is unmistakably human, but it’s laced with agony. A few of the villagers exchange terrified looks before Captain Wilkins, already on his feet, orders a small group to investigate. A dozen feet rush into the dark, torches casting shaky light on the trees. And there, at the edge of the camp, they see it: a nightmare in the shape of flesh.The creature stands hunched over the mangled body of a woman, its body a horrid mix of taut, sinewy muscle and scaled, oily skin. Six jagged, spider-like limbs sprout from its sides, clawing at the ground as it hunches over its victim. Its head is a grotesque amalgamation of animal and human features, with elongated, fanged jaws that drip with blood. Its eyes, dark and beady, shine with a sick intelligence as it glares at the onlookers, clutching its prize closer in defiance. Then, as the crowd swells with horrified villagers, the creature lets out a shrill hiss and bolts into the trees, dragging most of the poor woman’s body along with it. Her screams trail behind, a fading echo that stabs into the silence left by her absence.The group stands in horrified silence. Fifty-one remain now.A voice breaks through the stunned stillness. "We must go after them!" a young man says, his face ashen but resolute.Another villager, voice trembling, replies, "It’s too dangerous! That thing—whatever it is—will tear us apart!"The young man’s eyes flash with anger. "What if it were you? Wouldn't you want someone to come after you?"
>>6133631>>6133632"But that woman is gone!" another argues. "She’s hurt too badly. Even if we find the monster, she’s too far gone to survive!"A stubborn set to his jaw, the first villager shakes his head, stepping toward the dark. "I can still hear her screaming. I’m going, whether you help me or not."Tensions rise as arguments spring up, everyone caught between horror, fear, and the instinct to protect one another. Finally, you realize it’s up to you to make a decision. The camp looks to you, waiting.> Pick a few volunteers and go after the monster: Form a small, brave group and take up torches and weapons to track the creature.> Convince everyone to go after the monster: Rally the camp to act together, seeking strength in numbers to take down the creature.> Tell the people it isn’t worth the risk; she’s already dead: Persuade the group to stay put, reasoning that pursuing the monster would be a futile and deadly risk.> Write in
>>6133631shit man, let's say these folks are laying low for now, unwilling to share their story
>>6133636>> Tell the people it isn’t worth the risk; she’s already dead: Persuade the group to stay put, reasoning that pursuing the monster would be a futile and deadly risk.There's no use running out into the dark! What if there are more? We will prepare ourselves, and when we are ready, we will hunt that thing down and avenge the young maiden!>>6133638no worries :)
>>6133636> Pick a few volunteers and go after the monster: Form a small, brave group and take up torches and weapons to track the creature.We don't need everyone, we just need a few that will become the foundation for future warriors. The creature will be eventually return when it gets hungry again.
>>6133631I wonder how awkward that is for one of them to be a Noble but not the other two. Bastard halfbrothers?
>>6133677Heh heh. I could see a merchant being the brother of a noble - money ties and whatnot. Then you just have the one brother who likes to build aqueducts and stuff lol.
>>6133636>Pick a few volunteers and go after the monster: Form a small, brave group and take up torches and weapons to track the creature.We have a better chance of catching up as a small group.
>>6133636You good bud?
