07-29-2013, 06:05 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Caravan to Hermosillo
A new FLGS recently opened near my home, but currently all of their on site games are D&D 4.x and D&D Next, whatever the deuce that is. I am hoping to find/recruit some GURPS players for a game there, in the service of which I am adapting Caravan to Ein Arris to a weird west setting (Low-grade supernatural effect, probably dinosaurs; I am inspired by the Big Lizzie adventure currently on e23, but my present budget doesn't stretch to luxuries, so I'm adapting the free adventure for now). I am seeking advice/suggestions for doing so, as well as sharing my work for those who may wish to use it. For those giving advice, please bear in mind that the only 4e books I own are the 2 parts of the Basic Set, although I do have most of the relevant 3e books (Old West, High-Tech, etc).
Here's what I have so far: The year is 1876, TL is 5 ETA: CFs will be Anglo, Latin, Continental, Chinese, Shoshone/Comanche, Dine(Navajo and Apache), Tarahumara (Copper Canyon and surrounding areas), Ute/Paiute, Pueblo, and Pima. There are many other Native CFs, but none of them will be relevant to this adventure or near-future ones, so I'm not worrying overmuch about defining them right now. I'm replacing the Broadsword skill with Guns (pistol) and replacing Bow with Guns (Rifle), changing the weapons appropriately. All references to riding camels are removed, all references to pack camels are replaced with mules. Use Animal Handling (Horses) or Teamster (Horses and Mules), at -1 due to contrariness, as well as an additional -1 familiarity penalty to Animal Handling for those who haven't worked with them before (Teamster automatically includes familiarity with mules, as any drover will have worked with them). Languages Lantrai=English Shadrassa=Spanish Catho=French NPCs I notice that no CFs appear on the NPC writeups in the adventure, and I'm not certain what CFs I'm using yet either. Suggestions are welcome. Halmaro the Red= Colonel Harold Rufus, a New Orleans shipping magnate branching out into the cattle trade. His daughter Ciara is marrying the son of the Governor of Sonora, and he has chosen to combine the trip with his first major cattle drive, which he's overseeing in person. Katsaya=Catalina Rufus, Harold's wife, a cousin of the late Emperor Maximilian of Mexico (Since the character is listed as coming from a third country that isn't where the caravan starts or ends, she is French originally, and periodically claims loyalty to that nation.) Falvaro=Francoise Picquery, a French Creole with many contacts in the Rio Grande area Tsorvano=Teodoro Acosta, story unchanged Karhan the Bandit Cheif= Carlos Banderas, story unchanged Kira=Ciara Rufus, story unchanged Geography Khedris=New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. The PCs will go in advance to Tatsori:=Nuevo Laredo, Texas, U.S., Aghnara=Batopilas, Chihuahua, Mexico Bandothru River: San Pedro River Ein Arris=Hermosillo, Sonora, Republic of Mexico Events: The tavern scene (p 6) is unchanged, except that no false rings of invisibility are on offer; snake oil, treasure maps, and belligerent drunks are unchanged. The name of the bar is the Mississippi Queen. Chapter 4 Sandstorm (p 9): Replace with a rainstorm and flash flood. Encounter table ( p.10): The riders are not wearing cloaks. Chapter 5 : Nuevo Laredo (p 11) Day 1: Assorted low-quality guns and knives replace the swords. Tea is replaced with coffee. Otherwise unchanged. Day 4: The race is a horse race, not camels. The members of the caravan will be taking steamboats up the Rio Grande from here to Ciudad Juarez. Francoise will arrange for passage if the party arrives on time. The steamboats are a chance to use any tavern encounters that weren't used earlier, and offers the same recreations. This trip will take 3-4 days. In Ciudad Juarex, the caravan will meet up with Harold's cattle herd, being driven West to graze. Cowboys and drovers will have to earn their keep from here on. Chapter 6 (p 12) The wedding is between the son of a prosperous Spanish rancher and the daughter of the headman of the local Tarahumara village. The gift animal is a prize stud bull and pair of Merino sheep. The bull is extremely rambunctious and ill tempered. (-2 to Animal Handling rolls to deal with him) Chapter 7 (p 13): This mission involves heading North into Arizona. Chapter 8 (p 13): The first group of tax collectors works for the local Don. The second group works for Porfiro Diaz. Depending on political sympathies, either group (or both) could be considered legitimate tax collectors or bandits. The stockade (p 14) is located in Cananea, Sonora, and in the hands of Diaz loyalists. Broadsword skill on fighter templates becomes Guns (Pistol) (E), bow becomes Guns (Rifle) (E), and all skill levels go up by 1. Broadswords are replaced with S&W Model 3 revolvers, Bows are replaced with the Spencer M1860 Carbine Chapter 12 (p. 18) Haggling in Tucson Besides the stockade, all other references to Ayun take place in Tucson, Arizona. Chapter 13 (p 19): The Abbey is the Mission San Pedro y San Pablo del Tubutama, in Tubutuma, Sonora. The nuns are Catholic. Riana's Story (p. 22): due to local custom not allowing polygyny, Riana is the product of a love affair conducted immediately prior to a political marriage to Catalina. Otherwise unchanged. Last edited by Dalillama; 08-05-2013 at 08:33 PM. |
07-29-2013, 10:23 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Denver, Colorado
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Re: Caravan to Hermosillo
Throughout most of 1876, Mexico was in the middle of a violent revolution led by popular retired General Porfirio Diaz, against the autocratic Presidente Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada. Diaz, who supported those who favored a Mexican Republic in the revolution against France, joined rebel leader Fidencio Hernandez' "Plan of Tuxtepec," which called for no more than a single term of office for the president of Mexico. Lerdo de Tejada was a reformer who made positive contributions to Mexico, but refused to step down at the end of his term of office, and that triggered the revolt.
At this point, few of the "dons" in Mexico have any real power, and most are not very popular with the peons or the growing republican middle class. Mexico is trying to modernize and industrialize, but the nation's woefully inadequate transportation infrastructure and backwards financial sector, as well as decades of upheaval, mean Mexico is poorer in 1876 than it was in 1821. I'd think banditry would be rife, with broken troops and bands of "Indios" roaming around. Moreover, the intense dislike of the dons means anybody doing business with them is likely to be seen as a legitimate target for just about everybody. I'd say you picked a good time for your conversion. Lots of potential for death and chaos. :)
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-- MXLP:9 [JD=1, DK=1, DM-M=1, M(FAW)=1, SS=2, Nym=1 (nose coffee), sj=1 (nose cocoa), Maz=1] "Some days, I just don't know what to think." -Daryl Dixon. |
07-30-2013, 04:13 PM | #3 | |||
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Re: Caravan to Hermosillo
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08-05-2013, 08:46 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Re: Caravan to Hermosillo
Since this question(s) is directly related to the adventure adaptation, I'm putting it here instead of a new thread:
Are there published rules for seriously inclement weather/natural disasters anywhere, or is that more of a matter of winging it based on the specific situation? Dangerous sandstorms don't appear to be a feature of the area, despite the desert setting, but dangerous flash floods are completely appropriate, from both realism and narrative perspectives. I'm thinking a Survival (Desert) roll to know the flood is coming, with the amount of warning depending on the margin of success, but I'm not sure how fast the water will be moving, which will affect how long they have to get away, or what rules would be appropriate for dealing with being hit by the water. |
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adventure, ein arris, old west, weird west |
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