Nonagon Olympics
This is intended as a demo game to let new players get familar with Scarterra's dice system and get a cursory overview of Scarterra's nine deities and religious factions.
The nation of Talama has a tradition of having their religious factions compete in a series of contests for prizes every year. Five of the Nonagon factions are guarding a flag of their deity and four Nonagon factions are competing to collect flags.
This year, the four teams represent Scarterra's goddesses: Mera, Nami, Khemra, and Greymoria. The five flag defenders are representing Scarterra's gods: Maylar, Korus, Zarthus, Hallisan, and Phidas.
At the Game Master's discretion, if any of the teams were especially annoying or hostile, the enemy teams might seek revenge against them for personal reasons and not for tactical reasons.
Inital Set-up
Pick your Team
The players can pick any of the four teams, or the Game Master can assign the Players team, or you can draw the player's team out of a hat. For the purpose of this adventure for those who don't want to read all my amazing lore on the Nine, You can use these Pokemon Go allegories. Team Mystic: Khemra Team Valor: Mera Team Instinct: Nami Team Rocket: Greymoria Mera and Greymoria are traditional rivals. Khemra and Nami are traditional rivals. The four Teams are playing to win, but they might forgo logical tactics in favor of settling old grudges if they are provoked enough. This isn't exactly how the religious factions normally pan out, but every religious faction handpicked members that they thought had a good chance of winning this contest. Whichever teams the players don't pick become NPC teams. So the Game Master doesn't have to improvise everything, the NPC teams will follow a standard set of actions and outcomes. The Game Master only needs to adjust the behavior of the NPC teams when the PCs are changing the script. The player characters do not have to follow their team's playbook if they don't want to. If the players play the Greymoria team and what to play them as polite sportsmen, they can. If they are the Mera team and want them to be ruthless they can do that.Pick your Characters
Each of the Teams has five character options that are broadly similar. The five roles are Brawns, Brains, Nimbleness, Theurgist (spell-caster), and X-factor. TheX-factor is someone who embodies the stereotype of his/her respective religious faction. All four Brawny characters are broadly similar in capabilities to their counterparts in the other teams. Same with the Brains and Nimbleness characters. You get a little bit more variation with the theurgist, and a lot of variation with the X-factors. None of the characters are one-trick ponies and they all have different secondary skills. The Mera team has a slight overall bias towards brawn. The Nami team has a slight bias towards nimbleness. The Greymoria team is 100% made up of theurgists (though most aren't very powerful theurgists). The Khemra team has a slight bias for brainy characters. Players can play whatever characters they want. For NPC teams, use the following guidelines for which team members are included or left out.3-man teams (4th member)
Team Mera: Brawns, Nimble, Theurgist. (X-factor) Team Nami: Nimble, Brains, X-factor, (Brawn) Team Greymoria: Theurgist, Nimble, X-factor, (Brawn) Team Khemra: Brains, Brawn, Theurgist, (X-factor)Introduction
Representatives from the five Nonagon factions not competing will describe their challenges. Then the teams can plot their strategy. The Game Master should probably give the players ten minutes to make a plan at most. Then the event organizers ring the bell and the contest begins in earnest.Challenge Overviews
The Maylar Flag
"We tied the Maylar Flag around the collar of a great beast and set the beast loose. You can get the flag by any means you see fit."The Korus Flag
"We put the Korus Flag at the end of a plant-based obstacle course."The Zarthus Flag
"The first team defeat two of our members in a challenge gets the Zarthus flag"The Hallisan Flag
"The first team to pass our test of strength and endurance gets the Hallisan Flag."The Phidas Flag
"The Phidas flag is locked in a vault. If you solve our puzzle, you get a key to the vault."Starting the Challenges
If two Teams or two characters are going after the same challenge, you roll competing Dexterity + Athletics to see who gets their first. Any team that delays their initial sprint to assess what the other teams are doing suffers a two-dice penalty on any race roll. If any team is going after a Flag uncontested, they do not roll Dexterity + Athletics to get there. If two NPC teams are fighting and the PCs are not nearby, you don't need to roll anything out. The Game Master can flip a coin or make an arbitrary decision on who wins. If the PCs have a natural rival, it might raise the stakes to let their natural rival automatically win whenever the PCs aren't invovled. NPC behavior (if the PCs don't force a change) Initial Actions The Greymoria Team will go after the Phidas Flag but send their X-factor to the Zarthus Flag to use hexes and poisons to interfere with what the Mera team is doing. If the PCs make a play for the Phidas Flag, they will not sabotage the Mera Team and try to hex or hinder the PCs while still going after the Phidas Flag. The Mera team will go after the Hallisan Flag. If the PCs make an obvious play after the Hallisan Flag, the Mera Team will try to beat them fair and square. The Khemra team will go after the Zarthus Flag. If the PCs make an obvious play after the Zarthus Flag, they will go after the Maylar Flag instead. The Nami team will wait long enough to see where the other teams are going and pick an uncontested Flag, preferably not the Maylar Flag. By default this means they will probably go after the Korus Flag.Phase Two default
The Greymoria team is taking on a challenge a man short and the Mera team is taking on a challenge with active interference, eventually they will get the Flags they are going to be slower than the other teams. The Khemra Team will get the Zarthus Flag and the Nami team will get the Korus Flag at roughly the same time. They will then both go after the last uncontested Flag (probably the Maylar Flag) and fight the challenge while also trying to undermine each other. If the last Flag is the Maylar Flag, the Nami Team will get it barring PC interference. If the last Flag is any other Flag, the Khemra team will get it barring PC interference. The Greymoria Team will show up later. Regardless of whoever defeats the challenge, the Greymoria will try to snatch the Maylar Flag when the victors are distracted and tired. The Mera team will show up later. They are angry that the Greymoria team was interfering with their Flag acquisition and will make a play to steal the Greymoria' s team's Flag. If for whatever reason, the Greymoria didn't try to sabotage the Mera Team, the Mera Team will get their first Flag relatively quickly and then make a Phase Two play for any open Flags, preferably by fair means.Phase Three default
If one team somehow gets three Flags, all the other teams will target them. If one team has two Flags and the other teams all have one, the teams might gang up on the winning team or they might fall back on their traditional rivals. If two teams have two flags and one team has one Flag, the two two underdog teams will after separate two-Flag holding teams. The Nami Team and Greymoria team will default to sneaky tactics to try to steal enemy Flags. The Khemra and Mera teams will default to brute forth tactics to steal enemy Flags. by Zeta Gardner
The Flag Challenges
A little Flag represents the McGuffin that the Teams are competing for. Each of the stations (except the Maylar station which is a mobile creature) has a large flag on a pole. Once the prize Flag is claimed, the priest attendants will lower the decorative Flag. That way no one will be baited into undergoing a challenge without a Flag at the end though if two Teams are trying to complete the challenge simultaneously, it's first come first serve. In the event of a tie, the priestly organizers can improvise a tie-breaker competition.The Maylar Flag
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If the players come up with an unorthodox way to de-collar the beast, the Game Master should try to accommodate their plan.
There are some orthodox plans the players (or NPCs) might try to attempt.
Kill the Beast
You would run like this a normal encounters, rolling initiative and whatnot. A dead beast is not going to be able to stop a character from de-collaring it, though another team could try to steal the collar from another team's kill.Placate the Beast
The beast doesn't want to have a collar on. If the PCs come up with a plan to calm or placate the beast, they can remove the collar. One character can roll Charisma + Animal Ken to try to remove the collar. Other characters that provide tangentially helpful actions that make their dice rolls with their successes turning into bonus dice for the character removing the collar. Default difficulty roll for the Charisma + Animal Ken roll is difficulty 7. If the players come up with a very brilliant or well-roleplayed plan, it can be difficulty 6. If the players come up with a somewhat questionable scheme, it can be difficulty 8. Add +1 to the difficulty is the beast is wounded. Add +2 the difficulty if the beast is wounded and the PCs did the wounding (or looked liked they did the wounding). Botch: You fail the remove the collar and the beast will be hostile to your team for the rest of the contest. The would-be collar remover gets attacked with no dodge or parry possible for the initial attack. Failure: The beast attacks the would-be collar remover and no doge or parry is possible. The beast then wanders off. The PCs can try to placate the beast again iwth no penalty. One success: The character fails to remove the collar and gets attacked. But the character can dodge or parry with no penalty. The beast will probably run away rather than continue the attack in subsequent rounds. Two success: The character removes the collar and then gets attacked. The character can dodge or parry with a two-dice penalty. The beast will probably run away rather than continue the attack in subsequent rounds. Three successes: The character removes the collar and then gets attacked, fully parry or save may be rolled. The beast will probably run away rather than continue the attack in subsequent rounds. Four successes: The character removes the collar and the beast does not hostile or defensive, then wanders off. Five successes+: The characters remove the collar and the beast is positively disposed towards the character for the rest of the game. This doesn't exactly mean you have a loyal minion but you might be able to coax it to do some things on your behalf.One team member distracts the beast, the other goes for the collar
The beast doesn't want to keep its collar, but it will instinctively view strangers going for it's neck as an attack unless calmed or placated first. If one or more team members get the beast's attention, another teammate can physically remove the collar. Removing the collar requires an A-action and B-action both succeeding in one round. The character needs three or successes on Wits + Athletics roll (difficulty 6) and three or more successes on a Dexterity + Legerdemain roll (difficulty 6) That's assuming a teammate is able to distract the beast. Otherwise, the collar remover will have to make both rolls while being attacked. If the character wants to defend himself, that means he has to split one of his dice pools so he can dodge or parry while trying to remove the collar. To be a distraction, a character can roll Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty 6) to goad the beast into making him the target and then make a dodge or parry roll against the provoked attack.Strike the Collar
You can engage the beast in combat without killing it by removing the collar violently. Any combatant with a bladed weapon can make a strike against the collar itself though the beast is still going to defend its neck. Attacks against the collar are at difficulty 8. If the attacker gets three net successes they can break the collar which will then fall it. If they get one or two successes, the collar is damaged. This means it will fall off on a second hit.The Korus Flag
TBDThe Zarthus Flag
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Zarthus' priests and priestesses are nicknamed Lanterns. Counting, Feodor, their leader, there are nine Lanterns are standing at the ready to accept challenges. If a challenge is given, one of the Lanterns (who is reasonably skilled at the thing being challenged) will step up and take the challenge.
Several priests and priestesses of Zarthus will accept challenges. The first team to win two challenges wins the Flag. There are many challenges set up as options, but the Lanterns value improvisation.
If a PC comes up with an improvised challenge, on the spot, they can persuade the Lanterns to accept said challenge with a simple Charisma + Expression roll, difficulty 6. Only one success is needed though if you roll very well issuing a challenge, you might be able to set more terms for the challenge though the Lanterns have the final say for the challenge. In most cases, default to six dice for the dice pool of the Lantern a character is going against.
Characters can cast spells or take other actions to help their teammates in challenge. The Lanterns will not tell the players this, but they will not stop most forms of interference unless they are really blatant and/or violent.
There are lots of Lanterns here. If two teams arrive at the same time and choose not to interfere with the other teams, both teams can independently challenge Lanterns peacefully.
If it's not obvious to see who completed their second challenge first, put the winners of the second challenge from both teams against each other in an opposed roll.
Dance-Off
Roll Dexterity + Performance, Appearance + Performance, Dexterity + Athletics, or Appearance + Athletics. (player's choice). Lantern has six dice. You need to win two out of three rounds. A tie adds a new round.
Improvisational Poetry or Music
Wits + Performance or Wits + Expression (players choice) against six dice. You need to win two out of three rounds. A tie adds a new round.
Tug of War
All the PCs roll their Strength attribute and add their successes together. A botch counts as (-1 successes). There are an equal number of Lanterns on the other side and they average Strength 3.
A duel of honor
One-on-combat against a Lantern with a six die combat pool and 6 Initiative pool. Combat ends at first hit.
Foot Race
Character rolls Dexterity + Athletics against a Lantern with a six dice pool. If the character is still winded from running to the Zarthus station, he or she may suffer a +1 penalty.
Barrel throw
Character throws two barrels, Strength + Athletics difficulty 7. Taking the better of two rolls. Lantern does the same thing with six dice pool.
Let's Mug 'Em!
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Feodor the Lantern is running this challenge and is carrying the Zarthus Flag openly. In theory, one of the Teams can beat him up and take the flag or just snatch the Flag and run.
Feodor is a formidable person, but he can't defend himself against three to five adventurers in one go, but there are eight other Lanterns nearby. All of them are wearing light armor and carrying swords. Besides Feodor, one of them is an expert sword fighter with a six dice combat pool. The rest have four-dice or five-dice combat pools. If a Team tries to simply rob Fedor, all the Lanterns will rise to Feodor's defense.
Because the Maylar Flag is tied around the neck of a dangerous monster, the Lanterns built a wooden stockade with wooden spikes and bells as a precaution in case the monster wanders towards them. They left a small gap so Teams can enter their testing area to challenge for the Zarthus Flag, but the same anti-monster fence will also make it hard to rob Feodor. If one of the Teams just tries grabbing the flag and running, the Lanterns can bodily block the exit.
And if the Lanterns attack one of the Teams, the other Teams are free to take advantage of this and help the Lanterns beat up the would-be cheaters.
Buttering up the Judges
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The Lanterns believe challenges are sacred and will yield to anyone who beats them in a fair challenge. That said, Lanterns are human and biases shown.
The Lanterns will be insulted by an attempt at bribery but they are rather susceptible to flattery or flirtation. They also appreciate music, poetry and chutzpah.
If someone challenges a Lanterns and the contestants tie, the Lanterns can choose whether to count it as a win or not. They may say "I respect your valiant effort, but you haven't beaten me" or they might say "You are worthy opponent, I yield".
This is where biased referees might come into play. Characters are free to use flirtation, flattery, bravado or any other social technique to try to win over the Lanterns, the Game Master can pick the attribute + ability based on what the players are describing. The base difficulty to try to sway the Lanterns is difficulty 6 for the Mera and Nami Teams, difficulty 7 for the Greymoria and Khemra Teams.
If players are get one or two successes in an attempt to butter up the Lanterns, their team will win ties.
If the players get three or four successes in an attempt to butter up the Lanterns, they can run their next challenge with a bonus die. If they get five or more successes, they can get two bonus dice.
The Hallisan Flag
TBDThe Phidas Flag
Phidas' priests and priestesses are nicknamed the Masks because they usually wear ceremonial masks when on duty. There are five masks, Tikhon the priest is their leader. He has two honor guard (one man, one woman) and two teenaged acolytes (one boy, one girl). The honor guard are wearing closed faced helmets with mask designs, the other three have small masks over their eyes but leaving most of their faces exposed. Tikhon ordered his entourage not to talk to the players unless absolutely necessary. Tikhon will relay instructions and possibly hints.Buttering up the Judges
The players might be able to trick one of the teenaged acolytes into blurting something out that they shouldn't, but functionally buttering up the judges means buttering up Tikhon. Tikhon is shrewd and paranoid, so this is no easy feat, but it not impossible to use flattery, trickery, bribery, or some other verbal trick to get him to dispense a hint. Tikhon pretends to be unbiased but he wants Team Khemra or Team Greymoria to win. Whatever social trick the players try to use, it's difficulty 7 for the Greymoria or Khemra Team to manipulate him, or difficulty 8 for the Nami or Mera team to do likewise. You need three successes for him to give a hint.Let's Mug 'Em!
The flag is in a small wooden strongbox, the sort that merchants keep their valuables on long wagon rides. The normal process is to solve the puzzle to get the key to unlock the chest. It is not possible to mug the Masks and steal the key from them because the Masks aren't carrying the key. They hid the key and the puzzle reveals the hiding place. The chest is in clear sight, so the players can just go after the chest and skip the puzzle. The box is heavier than it looks, at least one person in each team saw the set up and this obvious from watching the Masks move the box in a hand cart rather than carrying it. It's not a magic trick, the box is full of rocks and the Flag is on top of the rocks. A character with Strength 4 can push or shove the box slowly. A character with Strength 5 can pick up the box and carry it short distances. Carrying the chest off is not very feasible unless the players defeat all the Masks in combat first. Any character with Divination ● can examine the box and notice that it has Transmutation magic on it. It's making the wood stronger. Smashing the box open barehanded or with a sword or rock is a level 8 Feat of Strength check. Using an axe or mace to smash it open is a level 6 Feat of Strength. If a character with Purification ●●● gets three successes on a Purification roll, they can remove the Transmutation spell. At this point this lowers the Feat of Strength levels to 7 and 5 respectively. The Transmutation spell has no effect on the lock. It seven successes on an extended Dexterity + Legerdemain roll (difficulty 7) to pick the lock. Each attempt takes 30 seconds and requires the full concentration of the would-be lock picker. There are two armed guards wearing medium armor and carrying battle axes and shields. They have five-dice combat pools. They are not going to stand by twiddling their thumbs while a Team is trying to pick the lock or smash open the chest. That means they have defeated or distracted. Perhaps one player goes for the chest and the others run interference. There is the option to wait for another Team to solve the Phidas puzzle and then snatch the key or the Flag from them. If one Team solves the Phidas Puzzle and has not gotten the Flag out of the Phidas Area yet and another Team is directly interfering with the Team that solved the Puzzle, the armed guards will back the Puzzle solving Team up as long as the Teams are in the Phidas area of the game grounds. Tikhon is carrying an arming sword, but he's not a brave man. He won't fight the players unless forced, but he is clever and paranoid. If he suspects one of the Teams is going to try something fishy, he will use his theurgy to buff the honor guard. If there is trouble, the two unarmed acolytes will run and/or hide. The Teams all know that the key is hidden somewhere in the Phidas Area. If any of the Teams starts tearing up the area at random looking for the key without trying to solve the clues first, the guards will response hostilely just like they would for a direct attack on the chest.Pacing
Ideally this adventure will take about four hours, the normal time frame for a convention or game store TTRPG demo. There are five Godly Challenges., but he PCs do not have to undertake all five challenges. With the way the game is setup, It is functionally impossible for one team to go after all five challenges. While the PCs are going after one challenge, the NPC teams will be working on other challenges and at least one or two of them will get a flag before the PCs can stop them. The PCs will probably be able to hit two Godly Challenges. If they are very efficient and/or lucky they might be able to hit three Godly Challenges. After this, there is a brief free-for-all as the Teams enter a free-for-all and try to steal the other team's Flags. After all five flags are picked up by one or another, the event organizers will throw up a fifteen minute warning bell. The winning team is whoever has the most flags after the fifteen minutes. signalled by a closing bell. If things don't go as smoothly and the GM and players are nearing the four hour time window before all five flags are collected, the Game Master can declare that the Nonagon event organizers will hit the warning bell early. At which point, the PCs can enter the free-for-all or try to make a mad dash to catch the last free flag.
Reccommended Schedule Guidelines
Introductions: Hand out characters explain premise 30 minutes Challenge Phase: The characters go for the challenges, GM covers what the other teams are doing in broad strokes 110 minutes End of Tournament Free-For-All, 90 minutes Midgame recess/pee break, 10 minutesAltering the Adventure to make it longer or shorter
Show spoiler
If you want to squeeze this adventure into a smaller time slot, you can three teams compete for four Flags or two teams compete for three Flags.
If you want to make this a two or three session adventure instead of a one-shot, you can have two Maylar Flags, two Korus Flags, two Hallisan Flags, and two Phidas Flags. A team would not be allowed two of the same Flag
In this variant, there would be two loose monsters with a Maylar Flag and for the other Flags, the first and second Teams to complete the challenge would get a Flag.
This will let the PCs take on more challenges and it will delay the final free-for-all. Also it will make inter team dynamics more complicated,
If you want to make it really complicated, you have two different groups of players compete in the same tournament. You'd probably need two Game Masters so the two PCs can go after separate challenges and separate NPC teams for portions of the adventure.
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