Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 7

I've posted before about bringing new players into existing games, and once again after finding myself at the whims of opposing schedules, I've found myself introducing a new player into a weekly gaming group. This time we welcome Cubbie in as Minnie, the aged ex-madame and no-shit taker.

Somehow my love for Fallout (apparently a shared love) has immunized me to the pitfalls of the unfamiliar player and allowed a solid (if short) session to come through.

This time, the party crosses paths briefly with a wasteland superpower and arrive in Junktown by way of a very truncated travel time. Alliances are made, foes are created, and new love blooms in this week's episode of Savage Fallout.

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 7: Junktown Junction

Overseer: David Schimpff
Wastelanders: Russell, Clint, Joseph, Sage, and Cubbie.

You can download the episode here.

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 6

So tonight we tested out some Mass Combat rules, seeing as we were down two players. Everything went pretty smoothly, though it was less interesting for the players themselves, seeing as they weren't leading the battle. However, the combat ended much more swiftly than it would have under standard rules, which gave some time to do some exploring and roleplaying. Apologies for the short episode; next one should be the proper length.

Also to note, the players have now just realized exactly what kind of scale of game they are going to be playing. And they still don't know the half of it. Should be fun.

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 6: The Battle of Shady Sands
Vault Dwellers: Scott, Joseph, Russell, Sage
Overseer: David Schimpff



You can download the episode here.

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 5

I've always been a bit nervous about bringing new players to the table, but tonight's game went off without a hitch. The takeaway from this game is that I've allowed my players to become something violent and blasphemous, and even their previous failures haven't taught them that jumping right to the bloodshed isn't always the correct choice.

In either case, shit gets burned down, Chekhov's Gun has been fired, and the people of Shady Sands have taken their first step towards their inevitable fate.

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 5: Pros and Khans
Vault Dwellers: Aidan, Scott, Clint, Russell, Sage
Overseer: David Schimpff



You can download the episode here (right click, Save As)

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 4

It was really only a matter of time before my players got back to their old mercenary ways; I suppose it's a bit too much of a stretch for them to play any kind of role even resembling a white knight. People in RPGs always seem to want payment for their actions, especially if they're the ones coming up with all the dialogue.

I did get some good opportunities to create some foreshadowing for my players this week, however, but telling you how would be spoiling the fun for my group, which occasionally reads this blog. Veteran Fallout players will recognize it, though!

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 4: Wrath of the Khans
Vault Dwellers: Aidan, Scott, Clint, Russell, Joseph
Overseer: David Schimpff



You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 3

"Into the Wasteland" by Dem0ralizeD

Well folks, here we are with the third session, our players are fully immersed in the wonderful world of Fallout, and their quest to save Vault 13 just got a lot harder.

It seems like my players are picking up the Savage Worlds ruleset a lot faster than I expected, and they are simply trouncing everything I'm throwing at them, which is nice for the flow of the game, but I'm really thinking I'm going to need to come up with something to challenge them and add some tension, or they're going to eat each other alive.

Regardless, we're about to get into the meat of the story of Fallout 1, so I'm super excited for the next few weeks, and I hope you all are, too!

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 3: Shady Business
Vault Dwellers: Aidan, Scott, Clint, Russell
Overseer: David Schimpff



You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 2

And here we are, a couple weeks after our first session of Savage Fallout and we have Session 2: Brak Gets a Dog. No, but seriously, I'm having so much fun taking the framework of the first Fallout game and throwing players through it like a sieve.

First impressions on the second episode: combat is very easy, which I have no issues with currently, seeing as the players are just getting started out in the wasteland. Sure, having the Savage Worlds mechanic of Extra/Wild Card enemies makes it so some of the more nerve-wracking enemies in the traditional Fallout sense get a little nerfed so others can really shine, but I think once my players encounter a Deathclaw, they'll be shitting their pants realizing that 'holy fucking shit that thing can spend goddamn bennies.'

I think I'm actively not trying to kill my players in this game, and that doesn't bother me as much as I think it used to. Really, I'm kind of hoping to see how they do without the constant adversity I throw their way in games. Plus they're sitting on alien technology. And rolling like goddamn pros.

The wasteland doesn't have a fucking chance.

Take a listen and enjoy, folks!

Savage Fallout Episode 2: Out of the Wasteland, Into the Vault (15)
Vault Dwellers: Aidan, Scott, Clint, Russell, Joseph
Overseer: David Schimpff



You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: Scrolls and Swords IV

I've been dropping the ball on uploading my games for a while now, hopefully I've figured out how to not do that anymore. But then again maybe I haven't. Who knows? In any case, here's an oldie back from February of the group getting together to ridiculous it up in some Scrolls and Swords.

Enjoy!

Scrolls and Swords Ep 04: Stuck-U-Buses


You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 1

Well folks, here I am, back again, with a brand new Actual Play series (I know, I know, I'll get to posting the remainder of my IKRPG games...sometime. When I have time. Which will be...sometime.)

Anyway. New shiny! Some backstory: after basically ignoring Fallout 4 for, um (December, January, February, March...) four months- heh, so many fours- I started playing again, got sucked in, then realized exactly how much I really dislike the entirety of that game. Like, so much. So, I started listening to some Fallout Let's Plays on YouTube, and I discovered that there are like TWO Fallout LPs! Maybe more, but I saw 2 after googling for like five minutes! Imagine my shock!

So I started my own Fallout LP, and decided that if I was gonna play through Fallout 1, I'd make my Thursday game play through Fallout 1 right along with me.

Well, after pulling up the latest update to Savage Fallout, I modded a few options on the character sheet and in the various handbooks, and suddenly had a general direction to move in for a five-player team of Vault Dwellers! Also, I had a pre-written campaign that:
a) I know like the back of my hand
b) One of my players knows just as well but also knows not to mess with the meta
c) A group of players who know how to have fun in the gritty wastes of California!

Also, after playing for a bit, I started wondering exactly how much FO 1 and 2 managed to...mess with geography. Like, Vault 13 is apparently almost directly east of San Francisco, but Bakersfield is like a short walk from Vault 15? I dunno, I'll have to look at my official map (which I'll likely need to use for this campaign...maybe. Or I'll keep using the Savage Fallout hex map. Seems more fun that way.

In any case, I'm having so much fun with this game already, it feels completely different than any other pre-gen campaign I've ever run, so hopefully I can keep up the steam. I'll also be posting my first LP pretty soon, so look forward to me linking that, too.

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 1: Out of the Vault, into the Wasteland
Vault Dwellers: Aidan, Scott, Clint, Russell
Overseer: David Schimpff



You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Game Notes:

• Around 1:57, I mistakenly tell Savage Hank not to add his damage dice together; this is in error. However, his modified damage roll of a 10 would still not have been enough to pierce the Radscorpion's Toughness.

Personal Notes:

Okay, I lied. There are like a million Fallout 1 LPs on Youtube. I'm just really lazy, apparently. Too lazy to keep looking, but the opposite of lazy when it comes to actually starting up a Let's Play? I don't fucking know....STOP LOOKING AT ME!

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 7

Here it is, our first entirely combat episode. It's also the last episode of the season so, you know, make an educated guess.

Episode 7: Cephalyx Blues (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 6

The party momentarily forgets their woes as they pillage anything perceived to be of worth in the Orgoth maze. But are they the only ones raiding this tomb?

Episode 6: Blinded by Greed (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 5

Lost in an Orgoth labyrinth, the Immoren Liberation Front must avoid heinous traps (and their mutual distrust) in order to survive and see the sun again.

Episode 5: Lost in the Dark (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 4

The group descends into the blast site to discover its perpetrator and bring him to justice. But will their path be as straight forward as they hope?

Episode 4: Into the Sewers (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 3

With their marching orders set, the Immoren Liberation Front decides to take care of the High Captain's problem the only way they know how: but will their heavy-handed tactics defuse the powder keg politics of Chaser Island?

Episode 3: No Hope for the Future (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 2

Arriving in Five Fingers, the ILF honors their strange invitation and encounters a figure from their recent past, who appears to be strangely...altered.

Episode 2: My Dear Komrades (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 1

Welcome back to IKRPG! Season two kicks off with the Immoren Liberation Front receiving a mysterious and threatening missive.

Episode 1: Every Story Begins With a Journey (download)

Actual Play: Scrolls and Swords III

This Week's Intrepid Party

My god, it's been almost five months since the last Scrolls and Swords episode. This time, I rolled the dice awesomely again and generated yet another exciting adventure to tie into our returning characters, while offering new players the opportunity to shine a bit in the system.

Once again I'm pretty astounded at the ability of everyone at the gaming table to pretty much pick up the bare bones of a game and create something really engaging and entertaining from a 4d6 roll on a static table, and we really had some standout roleplaying from our vets. Excitingly enough, we also had a bit of a newbie at the table with us, our friend Clint deemed to join in the fun and really rock out some exciting decisions during the game's climax.

I'm definitely a little rusty at running games, and now that I've got a bunch more free time I'm super excited to finally be getting back to running IKRPG next week, so expect more constant updates with Actual Plays on the blog real soon!

...and another hex is filled in!

Scrolls and Swords III: Almost Ready for a Reboot


You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: IKRPG Session 13

Well here it is, finally. The end of an era, or at least a campaign arc of thirteen (really 14) episodes that managed to last for what, like 20+ weeks?

I entered into these finale sessions, completely abandoning a final twist that would have probably broken what was left of my players' spirits, instead deciding that after beating them down so continuously for session after session, it was time to give them something badass to do. It was time to roll out an iconic set-piece, and it was past time for the players to take a little vengeance on everyone who thought they were better than the Immoren Liberation Front.

I will say that I definitely enjoyed these last two sessions, enough that I am super pumped to get back into the setting (after finally reading through Unleashed, of course) and coming up with plot lines related to things that each of the players revealed to me throughout our story arc. I will say that I am exceptionally pleased that Privateer Press is about to release a bunch of new minis, as a fair few of them are Hordes specific, even Minions specific (so Gobbers and such. Sweet.)

I think, in terms of plotting out what will be happening in what I've been secretly dubbing Season 3 of IKRPG (Yeah, I know, this was Season 2 because Season 1 was the one that Susan was running. And now I need to look for that.) Anyway. Words. Plotting. I'm thinking of making season 3 a super open-world aspect for my players. They've set up these great relationships and conflicts, so I'm going to give them a state of the world every few sessions, but basically just let them run buck-wild through everything they want. There will obviously be places they just plain don't want to go, and that's fine, but meh, I suppose that's life. There's plenty more trouble for them to get into.

Final thoughts before I consider recording a GM aftermath for Unabashed Gaming...I think four players is pretty ideal. Though I kind of wish I could bring someone new into the game every arc. That would be cool.

Eh, whatev's.

Session 13: The Siege of Fellig

Actual Play: IKRPG Session 12

The penultimate episode of Season 1, and the players are in for a rollercoaster ride of red hot chile proportions....or something.


Session 12: The 180 Turnabout

Actual Play: IKRPG Session 11

Well, here we are a few weeks later. I suppose it's only to be expected, these two sessions are kind of examples of a GM taking an idea too far and running with it. In two weeks we've basically passed two days of sessions, because I was too focused on creating consequences for characters instead of moving plot. This could partially be because we haven't been at a full table for more than a month now, but one should place the blame where it belongs, on the vengeful GM.

It's not a bad stance to take, really, but in these two games I violated my stance of 'moderation in everything.'

Hopefully they're still interesting to listen to.

Episode 11: More and More Trouble

Actual Play: IKRPG Session 10

Originally posted as a two-parter, episode 10 is the beginning of where I really let myself fall into the trap of just creating consequences for characters, instead of introducing consequences during the normal phase of just going through the plot.

But I suppose that's a pitfall of off-the-cuff GMing, stuff tends to be a bit slipshod.

Episode 10: Trouble