Chapter 2: The Road to War

[back to Kings of Tyranny]

This chapter details the various challenges that the refugees from Grovecleft experience on their way to Palask. The first section of this chapter contains a variety of random encounters that you can use as you deem appropriate. The next three sections contain particular challenges that your heroes will have to overcome on the journey.

First, a social conundrum due to lack of food and shelter will challenge your heroes’ survival instincts and leadership skills. Second, the heroes will arrive at another poorly defended small town that oversees a ferry across a major river. The heroes must first convince the commoners to flee the Brazodiran army, and then must help evacuate everyone across the river before the army slaughters them. The heroes level up after doing so successfully.

Finally, with the river between them and the Brazodirans, the heroes have a bit of a respite. Traveling on the large, well-marked roads towards Gilgalon’s capital is relatively safe, and you can montage a couple weeks’ journey. As they reach the heartland of Gilgalon, however, larger towns begin to take notice. The heroes will have to convince local lords not to give the refugees a difficult time as they press deeper into populated country. Hungry evacuees might pilfer food from local farms, complicating the heroes’ efforts to keep peace.

Once the heroes overcome each of these three major challenges, the heroes and all of their surviving refugees arrive outside Palask, the capital of Gilgalon. At this point, proceed to Chapter 3.

Tracking Refugee Population Be sure to keep track of how many followers your heroes have in their protection. At the beginning of this chapter, the number is 95. Over the course of the journey, the number may shrink or grow based on decisions that they make. Managing a larger group of people will result in the heroes gaining more fame and being taken more seriously once they reach Palask.

Random Encounters

As your heroes progress through the events of this chapter - particularly after they cross the river but before they reach the heartland of Gilgalon - feel free to use any of these random encounters to spice up the journey. They are weighted on bell curves, with the more extreme rolls being more difficult than those closer to the middle. Feel free to roll on the tables, to select specific encounters, or to make up your own as you see fit.

If you want to play out the trials of a single intense day, roll two survival encounters, two social encounters, and two combat encounters. Or, play out the trials of two difficult days by rolling three encounters each, split into four encounters on day one and five encounters on day two.

Combat

2d6	Encounter
2	Pair of Hostile Dinosaurs
3	Pack of Creatures
4-5	Solitary Creature
6-8	False Alarm!
9-10	Brazodiran Scouts
11	Brazodiran Shock Troops
12	Solitary Dinosaur

Social

2d6	Encounter
2	The Tyrant King
3	Bandit Camp
4-5	Family Argument
6-8	Crisis Averted!
9-10	It’s Too Much
11	We Should Strike Back!
12	Who Are You to Lead?

Survival

2d6	Encounter
2	Heat Wave
3	Cliffs
4-5	Clearing the Way
6-8	That was Easy!
9-10	Lost the Trail
11	Food Shortage
12	Deadly

Combat Encounters

If you rolled or selected from the combat table, consult the matching subheading to set up the combat encounter.

Pair of Hostile Dinosaurs

Two Parasaurolophuses feel threatened by the caravan and attack it. They will flee once either one of them is Bloodied.

Pack of Creatures

A pack of hungry animals attack the traveling party. The heroes must intervene and protect their wards.

There is one Wolf per hero, plus one Dire Wolf. Feel free to reskin these wolves as Cynognathuses or Velociraptors to immerse the heroes more in the prehsitoric setting.

Solitary Creature

A single creature accosts the traveling party. The heroes must step in and intervene. The specific creature depends on how many players the party has:

Players	Creature
3	Castoroides or Gallimimus
4	Parasaurolophus or Pteranodon
5	Velociraptor
6	Dilophosaurus

False Alarm!

Someone thought they heard an approaching carnivorous beast. It must have been farther away than it sounded.

Brazodiran Scouts

A Brazodiran scouting party catches up to the heroes. They have to fight off the scouts. Once more than half of the Brazodirans are killed, the rest will flee. If left alive, they may cause problems later.

Players	Brazodirans
3	Two Thugs riding one Gallimimus
4	Two Bandits riding one Gallimimus
5	Two Thugs riding two Gallimimuses
6	Four Thugs riding two Gallimimuses

Brazodiran Shock Troops

The heroes lead their party upon an exploring contingent of Brazodiran foot soldiers. They will have to fight off the soldiers. The soldiers will tactically retreat when over half of their forces are killed, but will continue to make ranged attacks against the party until they are out of range, whereupon they will complete their retreat. If left alive, they may cause problems later.

Players	Brazodirans
3	Two Bandits and four Thugs
4	Three Bandits and four Thugs
5	Four Bandits and six Thugs
6	Five Bandits and six Thugs

Solitary Dinosaur

A single dinosaur accosts the traveling party. The heroes must step in and intervene. The specific creature depends on how many players the party has:

Players	Creature
3-4	Dilophosaurus
5-6	Allosaurus

Social Encounters

The following social encounters can (and generally should!) be resolved without resorting to combat. Heroes should think creatively about using their influence skills or abilities to diffuse these situations. If they fail, then combat may break out anyway in some cases.

The Tyrant King

Read Aloud: A massive, trumpeting roar echoes across your ranks. The trees rustle as birds take to the air.

The heroes can infer that a tyrannosaurus rex is nearby. Their followers are incredibly fearful, and the heroes can make checks to determine the wisest course of action.

A DC 10 INT check allows a hero to recall that tyrannosaurus rexes have a difficult time discerning prey if it stands still. Steeling your resolve and remaining immobile might cause the tyrannosaurus to move along in search of other victims.

A DC 13 AWR check allows a hero to discern that tyrannosauruses are also used to other creatures fearing them and not opposing them. A display of fearless force might be enough to chase the dinosaur away.

Allow the heroes to make AWR, INT, CHA, and/or LUCK checks, adding any relevant skills. Each hero may make two checks. These checks represent the heroes’ capacity to encourage their followers and give everyone a cohesive plan, whether that is to intimidate the tyrannosaurus or remain perfectly still in hopes that it moves on.

Take the average of the heroes’ rolls.

Read Aloud: Minutes pass, and you hear thudding that causes the gravel on the ground to bounce. A tyrannosaurus rex, its gray-green scales glistening in the sunlight, crashes through the foliage and bellows again.

The Tyrannosaurus makes a STR/Menacing roll when it arrives. If it rolls higher than the heroes’ average roll, then the collective will of the refugees does not hold, and some of the heroes’ followers flee. If this happens, subtract the heroes’ roll from the Tyrannosaurus’s, then add +1d6 as other commoners are horrified and begin to flee as well. That is the number of NPCs that are devoured by the Tyrannosaurus before it has eaten its fill and moves on.

Bandit Camp

A group of bandits try to bully the heroes into paying a fee to pass through a region. There are a number of Bandits equal to the number of heroes +2.

Heroes can make INT or CHA checks to persuade the bandits that this is foolish. If three heroes roll higher than the bandits’ WILL, then the bandits back off.

If any of the heroes crit or roll 20 or higher on their checks, then the bandits will become nonviolent and will join the party of refugees if they are given the chance. If the heroes allow this, then two such bandits will become NPC allies that fight on the heroes’ side whenever asked.

Family Argument

Two families in the refugee group get into a heated dispute. The nature of the dispute is relatively petty, but short tempers are exacerbated by difficult conditions on the road.

The heroes can intervene and make INT, AWR, and CHA checks to attempt to mediate the conflict. Each hero may make one check. If your players enjoy in-character role-playing, feel free to count empathetic and logical in-character arguments as a roll of 18.

Take the average of all the checks that your heroes made. The result determines whether they are able to assuage both parties completely, partially, or not at all. Failure to assuage both parties in any capacity will result in some of the refugees striking out on their own.

DC	Result
6 or less	2d6 NPCs leave the refugees.
7-11	1d4 NPCs leave the refugees. The heroes suffer a -2 penalty to all AWR, INT, and CHA checks for the next 48 hours when dealing with their followers.
12-16	The conflict is averted for now, but breaks out again 1d4 days later.
17+	The conflict is completely mitigated.

Crisis Averted!

For a moment, it seemed that a serious argument was bound to break out among your followers, but they resolved it on their own.

It’s Too Much

Several families from Grovecleft feel overwhelmed at the prospects of continuing their flight away from Brazodiran aggression. Having gone a few days without being attacked, they wonder about just setting up camp and starting over with a new town, or even returning to Grovecleft.

The heroes must convince them to keep pressing on towards Palask, for their own safety. Each hero can make an AWR, INT, or CHA check. If any heroes roll a crit fail, then 2d10 NPCs leave. If any heroes roll a crit or roll 20 or higher, then all the NPCs remain, and if you roll this random encounter again, treat it as a Crisis Averted! encounter.

Otherwise, nobody leaves the party, but  the heroes suffer a -2 penalty to all AWR, INT, and CHA checks for the next 48 hours when dealing with their followers.

We Should Strike Back!

Some of the folk of Grovecleft feel resentful that they are fleeing instead of fighting the Brazodirans.

The heroes can resolve this conflict in the same mechanical fashion that they would resolve the It’s Too Much encounter.

Alternatively, they may seek out a battalion of Brazodiran shock troops and help the commoners of Groveclerft sate their vengeance. If they do this, conduct a Brazodiran Shock Troops encounter, but add additional Thugs to the Brazodiran forces based on the number of players.

Players	Thugs
3-4	+4
5-6	+6

If the heroes conduct a counteroffensive against the Brazodirans in this way, then this encounter does not happen again; treat it as a Crisis Averted! encounter if rerolled.

Who Are You to Lead?

One or more NPCs among the refugees challenge the heroes’ authority to lead them. The most outspoken NPC has the stats of a Noble. This NPC can make a CHA/Persuading check, contested by any of the heroes’ own INT or CHA checks.

If any of the heroes fail, then they are no longer seen as credible leaders, and the challenging NPC will repeat the attacks on the following day. On each subsequent day that this goes on, heroes that failed this contested check can no longer participate in this contest.

Once every remaining hero defeats the NPC in a contested roll, then the NPC concedes defeat and stops harassing the heroes.

Heroes may also come up with creative solutions, such as holding impromptu elections or town hall meetings. Doing so will get the NPC and their following to back off as well.

If the NPC defeats every hero, then the refugees are thrown into chaos as loyalties are split. Half of the refugees split off from the heroes, following their new leader.

Survival Encounters

The following encounters generally tax the heroes’ resources and may force them to make hard decisions if they cannot overcome these challenges. A couple have the potential for combat as well, though this is not a guarantee, nor is it the focus of the encounter.

Heat Wave

The blazing late spring sun overhead parches the throat, and you are running low on water.

Each hero must make a DC 14 END check or gain 1 Fatigue due to the extreme heat.

The NPCs inform the heroes that they are exhausted and low on water. The heroes must then decide if they should press on, or if they should seek shelter.

If they press on, then 2d6 NPCs die of heat exposure and lack of water. The heroes must deal with the Who Are You to Lead? random encounter the next day.

If the heroes look for shelter instead, then they may each make a survival skill check, or an AWR check if they have no survival skills. Take the average of the heroes’ rolls. On a roll of 8 or higher, they find adequate shade from the sun. However, they must face a Brazodiran Scouts encounter as they are attacked while resting. On a roll of 7 or lower, they find mostly adequate shade, but 1d6 NPCs die of heat exposure and lack of water. They must still contend with the Brazodiran Scouts encounter.

Cliffs

The heroes come to a stretch of treacherous cliffs. They aren’t terribly tall, but navigating the switchbacks with a large following proves difficult.

Each hero may either forge a trail or help any struggling NPCs traverse the tricky terrain. First, have each hero make a DEX, AWR, or INT check if they are forging the trail. Then, have each remaining hero make a STR, END, or CHA check if they are helping the NPCs. Consult the tables below to determine the results.

DC	Trailblazing
4 or less	Treat each roll for assisting NPCs as though it met the next lower DC. The hero that made this check gains 1 Fatigue.
5-10	All DCs for assisting NPCs are increased by 2. The hero that made this check gains 1 Fatigue.
11-16	The hero can offer a +2 bonus to one other hero of their choice when that hero makes an attribute check for this skill challenge (either for trailblazing or for assisting the NPCs).
18+	All DCs for assisting NPCs are reduced by 3.

DC	Assisting NPCs
8 or less	The path is particularly treacherous. Resolve this challenge as though you rolled between a 9-13. Additionally, 1d10 NPCs fall to their deaths.
9-13	Several NPCs struggle with their footing and nearly fall. 1d4 times, you can allow an NPC to fall or you can take 2 (1d4) damage and gain 1 Death Point as you exert yourself to keep everyone safe.
14-19	No NPCs are injured thanks to your help, but you have to catch several people, preventing them from slipping. Suffer 1 Fatigue.
20+	No NPCs are injured on your watch.

Clearing the Way

A dense patch of overgrown briars and fallen trees is a significant challenge to the older, younger, and more sickly members of your contingent. You’ll have to clear the road to continue.

Each hero must contribute to clearing the path. This can be accomplished with STR, END, or AWR checks. Players may also make arguments for INT or CHA to help oversee NPC laborers.

After each hero makes an attribute check, then they clear the way. However, this takes a variable toll on the heroes. Any hero who rolled below a 15 gains 1 Fatigue. Any hero who rolled below a 9 also suffers 2 (1d4) sharp damage from thorns and scraping twigs.

That Was Easy!

For a moment there, it looked like you were coming up on some really rough hiking, but it turned out that it wasn’t so bad.

Lost the Trail

After wandering through some dense foliage, the heroes realize that they’ve lost their sense of direction.

Have each hero make a check using a Survival skill, if they know any. If they do not know any, they can make an AWR check. Take the average of their results. On a result of 13 or higher, they find their bearings and only lose about half a day’s worth of travel time. On a result of 12 or lower, they find their bearings, but they drift so far off course that the DCs for the next social or environmental challenge that they face all increase by +3.

Food Shortage

Rations are running low. The heroes must facilitate a day of gathering food.

The heroes must delay their progress to hunt and/or gather some rations. The NPCs will pitch in and help.

Heroes can make a STR, DEX, INT, AWR, or LUCK check to hunt or gather food. They can make an INT or CHA check to better organize the efforts of their NPC allies.

Take the sum total of rolls that the heroes made, and add +1d20 to represent the NPCs’ aid. Then, double the result for your final total. That is the number of NPCs that can be fed.

Subtract the total number of NPCs from the number of NPCs that could be fed. The difference is the number of NPCs that die of starvation.

After this challenge, the heroes move into more fertile countryside, so you do not need to repeatedly worry about food shortages unless you roll this challenge multiple times.

Swamp

The heroes have to navigate a large stretch of swamp. Poor navigation here will result in a difficult combat encounter.

Have each hero make a check using a Survival skill, if they know any. If they do not know any, they can make an AWR check. Take the average of their results and consult the table below to determine what happens.

DC	Swamp Navigation
7 or less	Treat this as a roll of 8-12, but additionally, the heroes must fight two Swamp Crocodiles.
8-12	The heroes lead their following through a very messy area of swamp. Everyone suffers 1 Fatigue, takes 2 (1d4) poison damage, and the heroes must deal with the Who Are You to Lead? encounter on the following day.
13-17	The heroes are mostly successful in navigating the swamp, but it is a messy and difficult affair. Everyone suffers 1 Fatigue.
18+	The heroes navigate the swamp uneventfully.

Many Mouths to Feed

Read Aloud: After days on the road, everyone is weary and irritable. Worse, your food supplies are running dangerously low. Multiple refugees have approached you with concerns that they or their friends have no more rations.

Double check the current number of refugees that are following the heroes.

Roll 1d10 per player. That is the number of refugees that no longer have access to rations. All other refugees only have one day’s worth of rations remaining.