The Monastery I

Morning finds the party in poor spirits. The weather took a turn for the worse (14) during the night, and threatens to throw the whole plan off - they hadn't planned for a long journey, and the weather would slow them down. Though they can all afford another night at the inn ($25, at such short notice), they would rather not risk it. Werner rolls for his Impulsiveness and fails (18), declaring "we're leaving, and that's final!" before storming out of the door into the rain, covering his previous book under his cloak. The party groan and catch up with him, which isn't an especially difficult task. They trudge through the mud and the rain towards the foothills where the monastery lies, but pass through a small copse on the way, where greedy eyes watch. 

A small group of bandits are sitting in the woods, camouflaged in the bushes. They hadn't intended to attack anyone today. The leader's reaction is amenable (14) - they let the party pass without incident. Good thing, too, as the rain, the shadows, and the shrubs of the forest (-1, -3 and -4, respectively) mean that Werner is unable to see them. The bandits wait for the party to pass and raise a mug of rain-diluted ale to their foolishness. Maybe there'll be something of value for them on the way back. 

The chapel

The party arrive at the monastery at lunchtime, and are thoroughly soaked. Werner is eager to get inside, but he holds back his Impulsiveness (9) and graciously allows Miguel to go first. "How kind," he grumbles, as he pushes the door open with the leading edge of his shield. The door opens, with some resistance, and the main hall is revealed, in all of its incredibly dilapidated glory. Holes in the roof let the rain in, and rot is beginning to work its way through the pews in the absence of their owners' maintenance. Candle-holders lie on the floor gathering dust and dripping rain, while rats scatter into the darkness at the disturbance. Seeing that Miguel hasn't been attacked, Werner pushes past him, looking for any sign of life - or loot. Lottie pokes around carefully and reveals the obvious - the place is empty. Whether the monks took everything with them when they went, or it's been picked over more recently, is impossible to tell in its current state. Werner isn't satisfied with this - there's no way the abbot would have had time to remove all of the books from the reputedly huge library. He suggests that there might be a hidden door, rolling against Architecture-14 (10) to point out locations on the walls where it might be, giving her a bonus to her roll. He then begins to poke around himself, encouraging Miguel and Elias to join in. Miguel refuses, preferring to hold his shield and look gruff. 

Lottie: Per-based Traps, vs 13, +1 (complementary skill), -4 (task difficulty) = 10: 13, failure by 3
Werner: Vision, vs 14, -4 (task difficulty) = 10: 7, success by 3
Elias: Vision, vs 13, -4 (task difficulty) = 9: 8, success by 1 

Werner's search comes to fruition first, peeling back a frayed wall hanging to reveal a colony of moths and a mechanism of some sort. Werner considers giving it a go himself, rolling against his Overconfidence-12 (7), but thinks better of it and passes it off to Lottie, who takes off her gloves and begins fiddling with the mechanism. 

Lottie: DX-based Traps, vs 14, -2 (TD) = 12: 12, success by 0. 

After about a minute of everyone else standing around awkwardly while the wall clicks and Lottie tuts, a louder clank is heard and the wall swings back under its own weight, accompanied by the groan of unlubricated hinges. Stairs a yard wide lead down into the darkness - no light is visible below. Miguel suggests Lottie go first, to watch for traps, followed by himself, then Elias with the lantern, and finally Werner. She rolls for Cowardice-12 (12) and just about manages to steel herself for the danger. After a deep breath, she descends into the darkness, with the party close behind. 

The stairs go down for 20 feet or so at a roughly 30° incline, the flagstones of the walls cool and damp to the touch. At their base, a hefty wooden door (DR 3, HP 33) stands on the right, while the yard-wide corridor continues straight on into the darkness. 

The dining hall

Werner: Hearing, vs 14, -3 (TD) = 11: 9, success by 2. 

The scholar hears scratching around and squeaking on the other side of the door, and relays this to the rest of the party, mouthing: "Rats." He opens a space between his palms, then widens it. Miguel and Lottie are trained in Stealth - they could attempt to surprise the rats, but Werner has no idea what he's doing, and would certainly ruin the attempt. Elias raises the lantern towards the open corridor and tilts his head quizzically. Lottie agrees vigorously - she doesn't want to fight. Werner is quite sure they can take the rats, and tests his Impulsiveness-12 (13): a failure. He places his book on the floor, grips his staff, and bursts through the door.

The hall appears to be some kind of dining room. Elias' lantern reveals two long tables aligned with the room, extending off into the darkness, surrounded by chairs, cutlery and crockery that will certainly make combat treacherous. The beady eyes of a giant rat, about four foot long, shine in the glare, filled with rage and hunger. This skinny adventurer would make a good meal, it thinks. Combat begins, with neither party achieving surprise.

Turn 1

The rats start with a higher speed of 6.50 to Lottie's 6.00. The closest rat, whose snuffling Werner interrupted, rushes towards the interloper angrily, entering close combat, and tries to take a bite out of his leg:

Rat 1: Brawling, vs 15, +4 (All-out Attack), -2 (Leg), +1 (relative SM) = 18: 8, success by 10.

(The rat's Night Vision 3 cancels out the -3 for being in the periphery of Elias' lantern.)

Werner: Staff Parry, vs 8, +2 (staff) = 10: 12, failure by 2. 

Rat 1: Bite damage, 1d-1 cut: 1, - 0 (DR) x 1.5 (cut) = 1 injury. 

Werner flails around with his staff but fails to connect, and the rat runs inside his guard and latches itself onto his calf. It's not a deep wound, but the rat holds on, preparing to worry until its prey falls. The other rats in the room - for there are others - begin to emerge from under tables and behind fallen chairs, although the difficult terrain means that they're moving slowly. 

Lottie: Fast-Draw (Knife), vs 14 = 14: 10, success by 4. 

Lottie draws her knife rapidly - instinctively - and takes a Wait. Once Miguel and Elias have entered the room safely, she will All-out Defence (Increased Parry) and creep into the room, blade ready to swipe at a rat. Miguel steps behind Werner and readies his club - he doesn't want to risk swinging into the scholar and making things worse. His plan is to enter close combat and boot the rat, but he can't do that (safely) within a turn. Elias takes a Ready to step carefully into the doorway and shift his quarterstaff into a spear grip so he can use it in one hand. Lottie's Wait triggers and she steps towards the room carefully, blade low and ready. The beset scholar can see the rat better now - he swings his other boot towards the rat.

Werner: DX, vs 10, +4 (Telegraphic), -1 (relative SM), -4 (grappled), -1 (shock), -2 (kick) = 6: 5, success by 1!

(The rat cannot defend - it used an All-out Attack last turn.)

Werner: Kick damage, 1d-1 cr: 1, - 1 (DR) = 0 injury. 

Against all odds, the kick connects, but fails to do anything of note against the rat's thick fur. It will certainly leave a bruise, if the rat survives to see another day, but not much more than that. 

Turn 2

The rat hanging onto Werner takes an Attack manoeuvre to worry at his leg. 

Rat 1: Bite damage, 1d-1 cut: 5, - 0 (DR), x 1.5 (cut) = 7 injury. 

Werner: Major wound, vs 11 = 11: 9, success by 2. 

Werner remains conscious but his leg is crippled - he falls to the floor screaming in pain, blood spattering across the stone floor as the rat tears into his leg like a dog with a bone. The other rats smell blood and advance, the closest one fast enough to enter close combat and make an attack for his other leg: 

Rat 2: Brawling, vs 15, +4 (All-out Attack), -2 (Leg), +1 (relative SM) = 18: 10, success by 8. 

Werner: Staff Parry, vs 8, +2 (staff), -3 (posture) = 7: 10, failure by 3. 

Rat 2: Bite damage, 1d-1 cut: 5, - 0 (DR), x 1.5 (cut) = 7 injury. 

Werner: Major wound, vs 11 = 11: 13, failure by 2. 

The second rat lunges for Werner's leg and rips into the thigh, holding on and growling. Can rats growl? This one growls. Werner, so shocked is he that rats can growl, is stunned - his staff clatters to the ground and he loses consciousness momentarily, his legs being shaken around like a chew toy in the pitbull pen. Lottie rolls against Cowardice-12: 10. She manages not to turn and flee. "Bollocks," says Miguel. He lunges at the rat that just bit for Werner, swinging his club down onto it. 

Miguel: Broadsword, vs 15, +4 (Telegraphic), -1 (relative SM), -2 (striking into close combat) = 16. 

Miguel: Club damage, 2d cr: 10, -1 (DR) = 9 injury. 

Rat 2: Major wound, vs 13: 15, failure by 2. 

The club lands with a sickening crunch and the rat flies off of Werner, taking a yard of knockback. Miguel takes the opportunity to step into the room, shouting, "Elias, with me!" The monk steps after him, using his staff to poke at the rat still hanging from Werner, and choosing to take a random hit location: 

Elias: Spear, vs 11, +4 (Telegraphic), -1 (relative SM), -2 (striking into close combat) = 12: 12, success by 0. 

Elias: Hit location, 16 = foot

Rat 1: Dodge, vs 9, +3 (retreating) = 12: 16, failure by 4. 

Elias: Staff damage, 1d cr: 4, -1 (DR) = 3 injury. 

Rat 1: Major wound, vs 13: 12, success by 1

The rat releases its hold and squeaks backwards just a whisker too late, and gets a staff to the foot for its troubles. As the rat has four feet, its crippling threshold is only 2 HP, so it gets its toesies broken. Poetic, really. Werner rolls to break stun. 

Werner: Stun, vs 11 = 11: 12, failure by 1. 

He remains unresponsive, but at least his legs are on the floor now. 

Turn 3

Rat 1, its foot broken, retreats, rushing past the twitching heap that was Rat 2 and under the table into the darkness, as fast as its limping leg will carry it. Rat 3 attempts to rush Miguel. 

Rat 3: Brawling, vs 15, +4 (All-out Attack), -2 (Leg), +1 (relative SM) = 18: 15, success by 3. 

Miguel: Broadsword Parry, vs 10, +2 (DB) = 12: 12, success by 0.

Note that as I'm using Damage to Shields, since the DB made the difference, the bite hit the shield - but then it was parried with the club, so Miguel gets to deal damage to the rat with his club, so he must have hit the rat with his club. The latter is more fun and has less book-keeping, so I'm using that.

Miguel: Broadsword, vs 15 = 15: 5, success by 10. 

Miguel, Club damage, 2d cr: 9, -1 (DR) = 8 injury. 

Rat 3: Major wound, vs 13, -5 (face hit) = 8: 11, failure by 3. 

The rat has its pointy teeth shattered and it goes flying one yard, collapsing in a heap at Werner's feet.

Rat 5: Brawling, vs 15, +4 (All-out Attack), -2 (Leg), +1 (relative SM) = 18: 6, success by 12. Critical hit!

Rat 5: Critical hit, 15 = Maximum normal damage.

Rat 5: Bite damage, 1d-1 cut: 5, -1 (DR), x 1.5 (cut) = 6 injury. 

Rat 5 attempts a similar trick simultaneously, and finds significantly greater success. Distracted by his home-run swing, Miguel doesn't notice the second rat slip under his shield and gnaw through his padding. Luckily, Miguel is made of sterner stuff than Werner, so this isn't a major wound. Rat 4 advances through the mess, but thankfully for Miguel, doesn't quite have the pace to reach him. Lottie rolls against Cowardice-12 once again: 10. She remains in the fight, as much as she ever was. She continues to advance into the room cautiously, stepping over Werner's body with an All-out Defence (Increased Dodge). 

Miguel: Brawling, vs 13, +4 (Telegraphic), -4 (grappled), -1 (relative SM), -2 (DB in close combat) = 10: 15, failure by 5. 

Miguel's High Pain Threshold prevents him from taking shock penalties.

Elias: Spear, vs 11, +4 (Telegraphic), -1 (relative SM), -2 (striking into close combat) = 12: 16, failure by 4. 

Miguel tries to kick the rat off of himself, but fails. Elias tries to help by poking at the rat with his stick, but sees no greater success. 

Werner: Stun, vs 11 = 11: 10, success by 1. 

Werner breaks stun, finding only his legs unresponsive now and, shockingly, Lottie in front of him. 

Turn 4

Emboldened, Rat 4 attempts to slip past Miguel's shield and get him as well, but he meets the same fate as Rat 3, although he doesn't go as far. Rat 5 continues to chew on Miguel's leg. Luckily, he already went pretty deep last time, so he ends up chewing mostly on bone. 

Rat 4: Brawling, vs 15, +4 (All-out Attack), -2 (Leg), +1 (relative SM) = 18: 11, success by 7. 

Miguel: Broadsword Parry, vs 10, +2 (DB) = 12: 10, success by 0. 

Miguel, Broadsword, vs 15 = 15: 8, success by 7. 

Miguel, Club damage, 2d cr: 7, -1 (DR) = 6 injury. 

Rat 4: Major wound, vs 13, -5 (face hit) = 8: 9, failure by 1. 

Rat 5: Bite damage, 1d-1 cut: 2, -1 (DR), x1.5 (cut) = 1 injury. 

Lottie spots an opening - she steps over the pile of rats and Werner legs to her left and swipes at Rat 5's side with her long knife. The rat releases Miguel but again, it's too late to prevent her blade from sinking into its side. 

Lottie: Knife, vs 14, +4 (Telegraphic), -1 (relative SM), -2 (striking into close combat) = 15: 12, success by 3. 

Rat 5: Dodge, vs 9, +2 (Telegraphic), +3 (retreating), -2 (side hex) = 12: 13, failure by 1. 

Lottie: Long knife damage, 1d-1 cut: 3, -1 (DR), x 1.5 (cut) = 3 injury. 

Finally released from his torment, Miguel swings for Rat 5, almost faster than the eye can see, and lands, cracking bones and bursting blood vessels. The rat screeches in pain. Elias turns towards Werner and kneels beside him: "You're going to be okay, lad." For his part, Werner mostly just screams because Lottie just brushed past his leg. 

Miguel: Broadsword, vs 15, +4 (All-out Attack), -1 (relative SM), -2 (Deceptive 1) = 16: 8, success by 8. 

Rat 5: Dodge, vs 9, -1 (Deceptive 1) = 8: 11, failure by 3. 

Miguel: Club damage, 2d cr: 7, -1 (DR) = 6 injury. 

Rat 5: Major wound, vs 13 = 13: 11, success by 2. 

Turn 5 

Rat 5 attempts to retreat, dragging its wounded body amongst the shattered plates and dented goblets. Lottie stands and watches it go, preferring instead to watch the exits, but Miguel gives into his Bloodlust and shouts after it, "You're not getting off that easy, rat bastard!" He steps after it and swings again, this time for the skull. 

Miguel: Broadsword, vs 15, +4 (All-out Attack), +4 (Telegraphic), -1 (relative SM), -7 (skull), -3 (darkness) = 12: 7, success by 5. 

Rat 5: Dodge, vs 9, x0.5 (reeling), +2 (Telegraphic), +3 (retreating) = 10: 14, failure by 4. 

Miguel: Club damage, 2d cr: 5, -3 (DR), x4 (brain) = 8 injury. 

Rat 5: Major wound, vs 13, -10 (skull hit) = 3: 11, failure by 8. 

Combat ends. 

Miguel continues to dash the rat's brains against the flagstones for a few seconds while the party takes stock, pausing only to smack one of the other rat corpses for good measure. Elias binds Werner's leg wounds, asking Lottie to bring the light closer so he can see. Too occupied with making rat jam, Miguel doesn't think to offer the first aid kit in his backpack. 

Elias: First Aid, vs 14 = 14: 8, success by 6. 

Werner: Crippling injury, vs 11: 12, failure by 1. 

Werner: Lasting crippling, 5: 5 months.

Werner: Crippling injury, vs 11: 12, failure by 1. 

Werner: Lasting crippling, 6: 6 months.

Elias shakes his head. "You'll have plenty of time to write your thesis, Werner." He mumbles a few words of prayer over the wounds, casting Minor Healing to return him to positive HP. 

Elias: Minor Healing, vs 14: 8, success by 6. 

Returning home

Frustrated, Miguel kicks one of the more intact rats and looks around at the crockery. He pulls the sack from his bag and, together with Lottie, sweeps as many of the valuable-looking items from the table - candlesticks, metal plates, silver cutlery - into the sack as it can hold (which is 40 lb). This takes about 10 minutes of loud clanging and rattling, and by the end of it Lottie looks fairly worried that they'll attract more rats, so she ties the sack around Werner's quarterstaff and hurries the party towards the exit. Miguel kneels down so Elias can lift the unfortunate scholar onto his back, whereupon he stands up and walks out of the monastery's lower level. Werner demands that Elias grab the book that he placed on the floor before the battle, which he does, placing it in Miguel's backpack.

Lottie waits for the three men to come up the staircase - with great difficulty, as it happens - before activating the hidden mechanism to close the door. She lets the wall hanging drape back over it, although it's not as well-hidden as it was when they arrived. Rain still pours through the broken roof, and they consider waiting in the monastery for the night. While they discuss, Elias places hands on Miguel and restores 6 HP, taking the opportunity to rest a little and regain his FP. 

Elias: Major Healing, vs 13: 13, success by 0. 

After much deliberation, they decide to head back to town for the evening. Lottie's very worried about carrying the sack, although Miguel assures her that nothing would bother attacking them in this rain. Thankfully, the bandits on the road have since moved on, probably to find a drinking spot less miserable than a rainy clearing in the woods. Sadly, the party trudge through the mud twice as slowly as they did before, reaching the inn deep into the night. They sit around the tavern communal fire, shivering as Werner picks through the crockery they found and values it for sale the following day. 

Werner: Merchant, vs 13 = 13: 10, success by 3. 

Spoils: 

• Silvered place settings ($225, 30 lb)
• Silvered candlesticks ($108, 9 lb)
• Gilded candlestick ($80, 1 lb). 
• Grand total: $413, 40 lb. 

Kills:

• Miguel:
• 4 giant rats
• Elias
• 1 giant rat

Werner declares he's going to put his feet up for a while, but will put in a good word at the College if the other three continue to help him with his thesis. There must be more loot, they reason, and agree - although they resolve to put out the word for a more competent adventurer before they go. 

Today's Lesson: Impulsive people should be armoured appropriately.

Commentary: There's a rat in my kitchen

Armour your legs! Especially at low levels, limb armour is one of the easiest things to overlook. A rat that tried to hop up and gnaw on Werner's flank would have found itself with a mouthful of metal - only dealing any damage on a 5-6 - but his hose were just the right height (rat height) to grab a mouthful of, and boy, did they. This works in both directions, of course - Rat 1 had what would have been an annoying injury turned into a fight-ending one by it landing on its foot. It helps that I run major wounds as instant fight-enders (hence Rat 1's retreat. Ratreat), although we'll probably end up seeing why GURPS is a bad system to surrender in very quickly. From the GM side I considered having the rats break after the short flight of Rat 3, but it just doesn't feel right to have them attack for 2 seconds and run away on the third. They would barely have had time to notice the demise of Rat 2, let alone Rat 3! I was planning on having them run after that turn but Rat 5 got a lucky critical hit anyway, and then you may as well push it to the end. 

We also saw the importance of bringing in a close-combat weapon. Werner managed a miraculous hit on the rat but didn't achieve anything. Even the veteran mercenary Miguel couldn't do anything in close combat, but Lottie could lean in with her knife and take a chunk out of the rat and would have been just as happy doing it if it was in her face (well, Lottie wouldn't). Close combat is where fodder really shines - you can retreat from the first grab, but guys 2 and 3 can lean past and now whoops, you're surrounded. Bad day.