Date: Sat, 25 Oct 1997 17:57:15 +0100 From: Peredur Glyn Subject: Arabian Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiights, like 'Rabian Daaaaaaaaaaays... Hi there! It's me! I'm back! I recently took a holiday (vacation, that means :), and had a chance to think over a new idea for a place to go - Araby! Warriors could adventure in Pyramids and travel across barren desserts and trade with Arabian merchants. Yeah, cool! Here is the travelling bit of it, and more descriptions will be given later. Here we go, say what you think! :) THE LAND OF ARABY ARABY SETTLEMENTS The people of Araby are generally Nomads and live together in camp settlements known as encampments. There are many encampments dotted around the desert's sandy dunes, and are easily spotted from afar by the lines of tents and shelters, and also the banners flapping on high spiked poles that signify the tribe that dwell in these camps. Warriors who have travelled to Araby to adventure might want to travel to these encampments - the only settlements in Araby they can visit after an adventure - to heal, restock on supplies or seek advice. In Araby Encampments come in three variants - Nomad campsite (Village), Settlers' camp (Town), and Tribe-hold (City). These take less time than usual to travel to, because if the warriors were to travel for more than a week in the desert they would almost certainly perish. Thus the times to travel are as follows: Nomad Campsite = 1 Day Settlers' Camp = 2 Days Tribe-hold = 3 Days When the warriors travel to a settlement, they will need to make two rolls for hazards for every day they travel; one Morning Hazard and one Night Hazard. When the party begin the journey, roll a D6 to find out whether they start out at night or in the morning. 1-3 = Morning 4-6 = Night So, for exapmle, if the party travels to a Settlers' Camp, then they would need to roll a D6. If they roll a 2, then they would have to roll a Morning Hazard, Night Hazard, Morning Hazard and a Night Hazard - in that order! After that they reach the Settlers' Camp. What happens in the settlement after that depends on whether they arrived in the Night or in the Morning (the Morning is considered to signify the whole day, i.e. Daytime). Here are the two Hazard Tables for Araby. Make sure you roll on the Night Hazard Table if you are needed to resolve a Night Hazard, and the same for the Morning Hazards. MORNING HAZARD TABLE (D66) 11: Sand Drake! - The warriors are attacked by a gigantic Dragon of the Sands who leaps from within a sand dune. Each warrior makes a Strength Test difficulty 8. Any who fail roll 3D6. If this is euqal to or less than their Toughness, they are eaten and killed! Otherwise, they are at -1 Toughness next adventure. 12-14: Sandstorm! - Each warrior must discard one Treasure (at random) as the storm blows it away. In addition, all warriors are at -1 Starting Wounds next adventure. 15-16: Whipping Sands! - Sand flies in the warriors' eyes. All warriors not wearing a Helmet must make an Initiative test Difficulty 7 or be at -1 Initiative next adventure. 21-22: Carnivorous Lizards - The warriors are assaulted by lizards who are eager for their blood, for that is what they drink! Each warrior must make a WS test (Diff 7) or lose 1 Starting Wound for the next adventure. 23-24: Uneventful Morning - You watch the sun rise and find it a very hot day, but nothing untoward happens to you today. 25-26: Gipsy Nomad - You meet an Araby Nomad who is hooded and leaning on a staff. The warriors can ask him for help or ambush him. If they ask him for help roll a D6 on the table below: 1: The Nomad is angry that they disturbed him and he attacks you! Roll a D6 on the next table. 2-3: The Nomad pays them no attention and goes on his way. 4-5: The Nomad eyes them suspiciously but tells them of a danger that he met with on the way. This journey, the warriors may ignore the next hazard that befells them on a 5/6 (D6). This does not apply later if it fails the first time. 6: The Nomad is a rich merchant and is walking in disguise so as not to be attacked by raiders. He shows the warriors a way to the next settlement - ignore the next hazard the company faces this journey. If the warriors attack him, roll a D6 on the table below: 1: The Nomad is a dignitary who has bodyguards close by! Each warrior must roll a D6, and add all the numbers together. If the result is greater than 13, then the warriors manage to flee with their lives. Otherwise, each warrior loses 1 Starting Wound permanently as they leg it! 2-3: The Nomad is a mighty warrior who is seeking blood! The warriors flee, each dropping 1 Treasure at random in their haste. 4: The Nomad turns and flees when the warriors draw their swords. 5-6: The Nomad gives a good fight, but is overwhelmed and slain. The warriors find D6x30 gold on his body which they can share. 31-32: Wall of Swirling Sands - the sand is being blown about so much that the warriors cannot carry on until it has died down. When night comes they are able to carry on again. Roll a Night Hazard immediately to replace this one. 33-34: Cave - in a pile of rocks the warriors find a small cave. They can go in and exploreif they wish. Roll a D6 if they do: 1: Sand Drake! - A Sand Drake leaps out of the shadows and attacks you - see result 11. 2-3: Nothing. 4-5: Hermit - He tells the warriors to go away, but when they pester him he gives the leader a bottle of spicy brew, which heals D6+2 wounds when drunk. 6: Glittering hoards... - the warriors find half-buried in the sand, a gleaming object. Take a Treasure (1-4 Dungeon 5-6 Objective). 35-36: Uneventful Morning - You have a tricky morning clambering over rocky dunes and slipping down dusty plateaus. 41-42: Camel Herders - You meet a troupe of robed men guiding a train of camels. Following them you are able to find a route to a small Nomad Campsite. You may stop your journey here now, if you wish, or you may carry on. 43-44: Ambush! - You are surrounded by masked bandits, who demand gold off you. Each warrior must give D6x100 gold or fight. If they fight, each warrior roll a D6 and add all the numbers together. If the result is greater than 12, the bandits are beaten off. Otherwise, the bandits laugh and demand D6x200 gold each instead! 45-46: Ravine - A jagged ravine blocks your path. You can either go around it, which means rolling another Morning Hazard, or discarding a rope to climb across. 51-52: Uneventful Morning - You can spy the settlement in the distance from the top of a hill. Not far to go! 53-54: Sabre-toothed Tiger - A massive tusked creature leaps from an overhanging ledge at your warriors. The warriors manage to kill it after a massive struggle. If they sell the skin at a Settlement in Araby they can receive 1000 gold for it (to be shared between them). 55-56: Mirage - Each warrior must make a WP test Difficulty 7. If more than 50% of the party fail, then the warriors think they see a Settlement in the distance. They go towards it, not realising until it is too late that it is only an illusion. Add one Morning Hazard and one Night Hazard to the journey. 61-62: Sandwiches - The warriors wake up in the morning to find their backpacks full of sand! All provisions and bandages the warriors have perish. 63-64: Pyramids - Mighty pyramids rise from the horizon to bar the warriors' way. The warriors can go immediately into an Araby Adventure or carry on with their journey. 65-66: Travelling Gipsy - The warriors meet a man in a cart laden with wares. The warriors can buy Trinkets, Cram, or Lucky bracelets from the Gipsy at 10% lower than the normal price. However, after they have bought the stuff, roll a D6 for each item. On a 1 it is badly made and is useless. You can chase after the cart if you like... Well, that's it for today, I'll give you the Night events table tomorrow (possibly), and soon I'll have the tents and stores you can visit in an Araby settlement. TTFN! Peredur. -- Peredur Glyn