Yesterday saw it time to play RuneQuest with the Son unit. The daughter unit had managed to get herself some work so would not be gaming with us this week. I had really been knuckling down in the reading department with RuneQuest in the past week and I have only around a hundred or so pages left to go. The most recent material being creatures, cults and brotherhoods so I thought it time to introduce the son unit to a little bit of politics with a guild and also give him the chance to flex his muscles, this time while NOT surprised!
Sunday morning is a bit of a tradition in my house where I cook bacon, egg and mushroom for breakfast and we don’t eat until it is dinner time afterward. I was doing this and my son being the youngest gets his first. I was cooking my daughters next and then got on to my wifes and when I turned around I saw the dining table had been completely transformed! My son had finished his breakfast and was so keen to play he had cleaned the table off and set it up for the game! It made me laugh to see how keen he was because the game was not scheduled until after noon.
When we finally got to sit down and play I told him that his merchant companion (his sister) was not about for the day so what did he want to do? He headed out into the street and in the end made his way to the Gladiator Pits of Lothnar to watch them for the afternoon. I told him that while his character was there a big barrel chested man came up and introduced himself. Apparently he was the head of the Smithing guild and it had been brought to his attention that his character had been illegally smithing and selling goods in the market without a licence. This is a serious offence in a free city like Lothnar and could see the guild claim all of his goods, money and also indenture him into slavery for the insult. But he was willing to give him a chance and if he wanted to join in the guild then something could be done.
We played out a scene where four of the guild members questioned him and tested him to their satisfaction. But as he had committed a crime they needed something extra from him. They required him to follow up on some silver ingots a merchant was meant to deliver back from a mercenary camp in the hills where the merchant was to have taken a shipment of weapons.
He set off in the morning and made the mercenary camp that evening. On arrival he found out that the merchant had gone missing. My son had seen some horse tracks up the side of the mountain and so the next morning he went to see if he could find them again. He did and then lost them near a cave. He headed into the cave (he missed the signs of a struggle!) and heard someone snoring. Moving in to the cave he could make a humanoid shape out but that was about it. As he approached closer he tripped on something and caused an awful noise waking the figure.
My son told him he came in peace and was looking for a merchant. The figure, a Goblin, stood and attempted to knock my son’s character back with a shield missing. My son pressed the advantage and arced his hammer around and broke the Goblin’s arm with a single stroke. The Goblin begged for his life, apologizing that he had eaten the merchant as he had been so hungry. He offered my son back the weapons and he took them, leaving the Goblin with a broken arm behind. He returned the weapons to the mercenaries, got the silver ingots and created a dagger from them (as he had been told too do). The game ended as I gave him some experience rolls for his character.
We had a really good time. He was happy to use his hammer and had a lot of fun going over the play aid I made him for his character to be able to apply effects when the Goblin got hit (the Goblin was out of AP and so a hit gives an effect). It was good for me too as I am slowly working through the rules I am applying new sections every now an again and seeing how they run.
I am really enjoying the system and the game. My son is quite the little role-player and he is also very keen. I will have to see where it all leads! Until next time, keep rolling!