Learn to Play: Adventure
Objective: play a simple Squawk adventure
The Adventure Begins
The possibilities of adventures are endless: they can be simple for beginners or very complicated for more advanced players and GMs. The complexity of an adventure can also depend on the amount of time available to play it.
A simple adventure may involve obtaining an item, or slaying a monster with a reward at the end - a bounty or a item. Simple adventures can be linked together to create long stories (campaigns), or played individually when there are time constraints. Battle in simple adventures is basic, with no more than a few simply equipped opponents.
Complex adventures can be very exciting to play, and take longer to play so the details are not lost. In complex adventures, larger battles can take place, with a greater variety of weapons and armor to consider. Complex adventures can also incorporate the more complex skills of each character. For example, a battle in a swamp or near a lake could give characters who can swim an advantage. A densely forested area would be difficult for flying characters. Complex adventures can also branch into side quests that could possibly make the PCs missions easier, or more difficult.
The GM, Jenni, and Mike sit down to play the Port Thundertail adventure. The GM starts off my allowing a few days to go by, letting the players understand how the flow of the Port Thundertail adventure works: each day each PC can basically do one action (such as shop for an item or train.) After having to spend some of their money for food that week, Jenni and Mike decide they want to try to get more money for their characters. The GM explains that the Guards in Port Thundertail get paid for days that they keep the Vigilantes from loitering in the Town Square. Jenni and Mike decide that their characters will try to do just that.
Combat
On that day, their characters are not joined by any of the other guards, since they haven't had a day off in a while (because Jenni and Mike's characters have been goofing off, not guarding the town square.) They are jumped by the stealthy vigilante Fut Chow, and a long grueling battle begins. (See the Mano a Mano combat rules and example to see how Squawk RPG combat works.) Jenni and Mike's characters manage to barely drive off Fut Chow, but sustain wounds from Fut Chow's razor-sharp machete while doing so.
Character Development
The GM awards each character with five extra experience points for successfully defeating their opponent, as well as their money they earned for protecting the Town Square for that day. The PCs spend a few weeks healing at the clinic, and spend the rest of their money on food while they train at the Guard Hall.
Out of Time
The GM and Players have ran out of time for playing for this session, but they schedule a time next week to continue playing the adventure. Between playing sessions the players think about how to better protect the town square. They decide to only try to protect the Town Square when other Guards are also protecting it. They also decide to try to isolate wounded vigilantes and over kill them, so that it will take longer for those characters to return to the Town Square as formidable opponents. By the next time they play the adventure, their characters have serious agendas.