A Slight Detour - Mapping the Hex - Pt 2

We are back with the first official scene of of mapping the hex....without actually mapping the hex. But that is the world of Solo TTRPGs, you don't know what will happen! My commentary will be in italics!

Disclaimer: I utilize the Mythic Game Master Emulator (Mythic or Mythic GME) as well as The Solo Adventurer's Toolbox 1&2 (TSAT) & the Solo Wilderness Crawler (SWC) to supplement the adventure and build the terrain. I prepared little outside of the game world I already created, basic hex maps, and some lore that was already written from previous adventures. I will leave links to their respective links to support the authors at the end of this post. I encourage giving them a look!

Scene 1 - Back to the Safehouse - 8:30 am - 1st Day of First Blade - Day 1

Denckash has turned around and started the walk back to the safehouse.

CL=3, Chaos Roll d10=6, no modifications!

Locale: City, roll 8 random encounters (25%) per 12 hours. From the TSAT, book 1

Weather: 30 degrees colder than normal, 35 degrees I based average spring temps on my local region

It is heckin' COLD. I don't have cold weather clothes because, well, I didn't anticipate it being caught in freezing temps in the springtide. Unfortunately, the DMG only talks about extreme heat or extreme cold, nothing about middling temps. Thankfully, I am a big fan of tables, as well as loving homebrew stuff that is overly technical, so I found a table at https://rpgbot.net/dnd5/dungeonmasters/temperature-and-weather-rules/ about rules and how to handle various types of weather, because there may not be rules in the DMG for freezing temps (only temps 0 and below) but that is still cold, and sauntering through the wilderness in nothing but leather armor isn't going to help keep the chill off.

The First Blade could be cold, but today was especially chilly, and Denckash was without a cloak. He was sure he would pass a shop on the way to the safe house. Though, he wasn't as familiar with Lapoach as he felt he should be.

There is a general goods shop in the adventurer district, does he know of it? 50/50 25%, d100=96, exceptional no.

Not only does he not know about it, but the cold has left the streets barren with nobody to ask for directions. Well, he remembers walking past what looked like some market stalls about 8 minutes back. Not too far, he felt like he could manage.

Random encounter roll: d100=33, no 7/8 checks left

After about 8 minutes of walking, A few market stalls were open, their operators huddling at braziers they kept running under their canopies.

Does he immediately notice anybody selling cloaks or clothes? 50/50 25%, d100=28, no.

He walks around to inspect every stall. Are any of them selling general goods or cloaks? Likely 50%, d100=85, no

10 minutes elapse and, unfortunately, they are mostly food stalls and the like. He returns to finding the general goods store.

He checks around the various stalls and nothing was found, just a few necessities like food, magical supplies, and the like, nothing that caught his eye. He continues to search around for a general goods store, asking the stall workers of a nearby store that could possibly aide him. They pointed him to a building at the edge of the square called Shiney's. They advised him that the shopkeeper was a Kenku who could understand common, but couldn't speak it outright. The Kenku would either mimic words it's heard in response to questions or scrawl it on a slate to communicate.

I didn't roll for any of this, you don't always have to, the core rule in Mythic is the use of logic. It wouldn't make sense for him to ask every stall keeper if there is a general goods store only to have the chance that everyone says no. So, the logical thing was to ask around and just get directions. He isn't going to meander around Lapoach all day rolling on every district, it would bog the adventure down.

Random encounter= d100=61, no. 6/8 rolls remain

He arrives at the general goods store and is greeted by a Kenku shop keeper. It eyes Denckash wearly, makes a swallowing motion and croaks "Welcome" and returns to placing things on shelves, Denckash bids thanks and asks if they currently sell any cold weather clothes.

Does this establishment have any cloaks or cold weather gear? Very Likely 65%, d100=13, exceptional yes!

The Kenku raised the feathers around its head and croaked excitedly, "Yes!" and dug a gold coin out of its purse, pecking it 10 times.

Does Denckash understand what the Kenku is trying to say? Perception DC10, Passive Perception=14.

Denckash repeats what he thinks it means, "10 gold pieces?"

"Yes!" the Kenku croaks

"Perhaps you can see to letting it go for, say, 5gp, given the sudden weather?" Persuasion DC15, d20-2=1-2=-3, critical fail

The Kenku quickly shook its head back and forth while croaking, "No! no. NO!"

"Okay, okay, fine. 10gp. Here you go" he conceded, fishing for the coin in his purse before handing it over to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper bowed its head, opened its beak, and produced a strange warbly, "Thank you", then turning around and fetching a set of furlined gloves and cloak for him. He handed the goods to Denckash and uttered, "Come again" then cawing and returning to his work. Strange, the birdfolk's voice changed each time.

Loss: 10gp

Gained: Cold weather clothes (furlined cloak and gloves)

Satisfied with his purchase, even though it only left him with 5gp to his name, he left to head back to the safehouse, about a 15 minute walk. He dons his new gloves and cloak and heads off.

Random Encounter: d100=38, no. 5/8 remain

He returned to the door of the safehouse uninterrupted.

Is there a code word or secret knock to enter? Somewhat Likely 45%, d100=100, exceptional no!

There is not a secret knock or a passcode as it had the potential to draw unwanted attention, he simply walks upstairs to the room he stayed in to retrieve the blade. When he walked upstairs, there it was, laying on his bed for all to see. He counted his lucky stars it wasn't taken. Of course, there was honor amongst smugglers but he had a hard time trusting the elves of Lapoach, let alone the humans or occasional goblin that passed through here from one job to the next.

Was there anything else of note in this room? Unlikely 15%, d100=38, no.

He grabs the sword and leaves as quickly as he came. He would be more direct in his route, since it still differed from before.

Random Encounter: d100=12, random encounter! 4/8 rolls remain

Roll d100 on Urban Encounter Table in TSAT pg. 26-30. d100=87

About halfway back to the gate, a tattered cloak is blown toward in by a sudden, stinging gust of wind.

Of course, I just by one and this comes to me. Could use a backup, just in case! He thought to himself.

He began to put it in his backpack when he felt the firm bend of paper between his fingers. After searching it, he finds a note. He opens is.

Is it in a language he understands? Likely 50%, d100=35, yes! It is in common!

These are questions I will *always* ask, as I feel it is a bit ethnocentric to assume that everything that comes my way is in common. What fun would that be? Maybe I do find a note in draconic or dwarvish, it could open up new threads! There is a world of possibility out there of various twists and turns.

Story Element Interaction Table!

Roll 1: d20=13, Situations

Roll 2: d20=2, Events

Roll 3: d20=12, NPC

Roll 4: d20=4, Events

Situation: Experiment, antagonize, decree, joke

Events: Traffic Accident & Martial Law

NPC: Female human farmer

Does the note say anything about Scheck, the land his people were kicked off? Unlikely 15%, 22, no, Random Event!

I put the event on hold, because I had the unresolved issue of the note in the cloak. Let's check that out first and then trigger that event. For the record, random events in Mythic are determined by rolling doubles on a fate question where the value of the first number is equal to or less than that of the Chaos Level. I.e. our Chaos Level is 3, and I rolled a 22, that 2 is less than 3, so therefore it triggers a random event. Had it been 44 or anything more than that, it would not have triggered a random event. There, that is a thing you know now.

The note reads:

Dearest,

I apologize for my late return home, the fields are especially hard this year and do to do some recent horseback collision between my farmhand and a traveling merchant, the roads are being blocked off by the local gentry. Tis all a joke, it was a simple run in and they are wielding their swords, antagonizing anyone who tries to pass. I guess it's because the guard are, by decree of the captain, experimenting with younger recruits, but they all have all brawn and no brains, like they have something to prove. It would be easier for me to spend time in the barn until the situation is resolved. Thankfully, I can still send a missive out with the courier down here, they are at least allowed to pass through. Keep the fire warm for me, love, and tell the children Mummy loves them.

Your truest love,

Madeline

P.S. You'll be happy to know that the goose who was harassing the goats hasn't returned yet this year. You may have finally bested it!

"Interesting…maybe something to keep in mind when I am out and about" he thought. He was able to tuck the note into his pack along with the note.

Random Event: d100= 14, NPC Action, Action/Subject: Proceedings/Status Quo

When he was about half way back to the gate, not passing through the Market Square, but around it, he heard the croak of what sounded like the shopkeeper. He turned toward the sound and there the Kenku was standing there, running out of the back of his shop towards Denckash. It finally reached him and stared, seeming to be examining the Dragonborn, searching for words even before shooting its gaze are the dirt in the road. It began to etch out a message.

Take this. It may help.

It hands him a blank map of the province of Susshannah. He was a little disappointed he didn't think to get one of his own. He thanked the Kenku and continued to the gate, finally able to exit and begin his journey.

I didn't stick 100% to the suggestions because if a Kenku can only verbalize things through mimcry, I used this opportunity to give my PC a map. Behind the scenes, the Kenku wanted to help him further, since it assumed that Denckash was going on a journey or else he wouldn't need cold wear gear. It also say the Dragonborn as a fellow "outsider", someone who didn't fit in with the other humanoids based on appearance alone.

Summary: I feel this was barely chaotic. I did normal shopping and was able to retrieve my weapon without issue. But there was the business with the cloak and the Kenku giving me a map, so things are getting thrown at me a bit, not sure really what to expect next, so I will bump it up to CL=4

Chaos factor is determined by how much control one has in a situation, with 1 being the lowest Chaos Level while 9 tops it off as most chaotic. Mythic suggests avoiding extremes on either end. I set the tone originally as a CL 3 because I felt that while leaving the city was largely up to him and well within his control, it is an urban environment and with highly populated areas come more chance of an encounter. I raised it to 4 because things did, in fact, happen and it was an eventful hour. Had I just walked to the safehouse and back without stopping or running into anything I would have left it at a 3. In the next scene, the chances of random events increase and the probably of success has heightened. This may sound romantic but it also increases the chances of successes on questions you may not like the answer to.

End Scene: 9:30am CL =4

Links (I don't get compensation from these, I just want others to support the authors!)

Mythic GME: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/20798/Mythic-Game-Master-Emulator

The Solo Adventurer's Toolbox & others: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=5E%20Solo%20Gamebooks