Rad Rats on the Lucky Strike

Rad Rats Attack!

Situation: aboard the Lucky Strike, an outbreak of Rad Rats!

The only crew up and about are the two Lupine brothers Rex and Fidel. They are going about their business when the first Rad Rat pops its head through a doorway.

Reminder: Savage Worlds uses a deck of playing cards to determine initiative.

1. Rex draws Joker, enters upper cargo bay and sees a Rad rat. Rat acts on 8H, attacks but fails.

2. Rex draws 7C, rat 7H. Rat attacks, fails. Rex (attacking at -2 for size of rat) aces his d8, for 13 total. Making that 11, still a raise over the 5 needed to hit the rat. Damage with blaster: pathetic roll; spends a 'bennie' and gets a hit with a raise. Rat is dead. Alarms ring after weapon fire.

   Fidel climbs down from engine room to join Rex.

3. Fidel draws 10, rats 6, Rex 2. Fidel holds. Rat in lower cargo hold climbs the ladder, using his turn. Fidel and Rex both fire, Fidel first. He shoots (d6) and aces 3 times! giving an adjusted total of 18, so many raises! Hits for 42 points. (Can that be right? several damage dice aced, one twice.)

   Rat is dead.

4. Rats get Joker, Fidel 7, Rex 5. Rats in "basement" activate, climbing stairs to main deck. Rex heads back to check "basement"; Fidel descends to main cargo floor, sees a rat.

5. Fidel Jack, rats 7, Rex 4. Fidel fires! Miss. Rats ascend to confront Rex, only one can attack. Rat gets a 9 (a raise) and bits at Rex; it rolls 17, kills Rex. (Well, I let him use a wild die, so let's say he's got two wounds and though "down", isn't really dead.)

6. Rats 10, Mavis 9, Fidel 4. First rat gets raise, stuns Fidel. Remaining two rats are stumped by doors: one climbs to the galley, one stays in the hallway. Mavis draws her ray gun, starts aft. Fidel rolls spirit, fails.

7. Rats king, Mavis 5, Fidel 3. Rat attacks stunned Fidel, gets a hit but can't penetrate space suit. Mavis opens door, sees the rat waiting. She rolls two raises on wild die, for 13, a hit with two raises: 26 pts! Dead rat. Fidel tries Spirit again, staggers to his feet.

8. Rats 10, Mavis 5, Fidel 2. Rat runs down from galley, bites at Mavis but can't get a hit. Rat in lower cargo bay attacks Fidel, fails to get a hit. Mavis fires, rat stunned. Fidel fires, misses. Rat in front of Mavis stays stunned.

9. Rats Ace of Spade, Fidel Ace Diamonds, Mavis Queen. Rat recovers; neither attack succeeds. Fidel fires yet again, misses again. Mavis shoots, misses.

10. Rats King, Fidel 9, Mavis 8. Rats bite again: both fail. Fidel fires: miss (rats are -2 to hit so will need a raise). Mavis fires, getting a raise and hits, for 17 points! Dead rat.

11. Mavis King, Rat 10, Fidel 2. Mavis descends to basement, looking for rats. Last rat attacks Fidel, fails. Fidel remembers his claws, but misses.

12. Fidel and Mavis draw 6s, rats a 5. Mavis checks basement. Fidel uses claw attack: 9, a hit. Stuns the rat. Rat makes its Spirit, gets back up.

13. Mavis J, Fidel 8, rat 4. Mavis returns to main deck. Fidel claws again, misses. Rat gets raise, stuns Fidel. Fidel recovers.

14. Fidel ace, rat Q, Mavis 5. Fidel claws again, a hit! Rolls 9, kills rat. Barely.

That's the end of the Rad Rats as far as the crew can tell. A good practice run through the rules, IMO.

The Lucky Strike

Lucky Strike

Captain Salihah Khaa commands the Lucky Strike, a salvaged gunboat with almost all of her guns removed. Captain Khaa uses her to maintain independence from any government in the Slipstream.

The Lucky Strike spends her time sliding between fragments, looking for the big hit, a treasure trove of alien technology that will bring in enough money for the Captain and her crew to live a life free from stress.

Crew

Captain Salihah Khaa (Gyptosian nomad), Second Mavis Dilapree (Valkyria), brothers Rex and Fidel Araroo (Lupine)).

Salihah Khaa, Gyptosian

Salihah is a Wild Card, Captain and owner of the Lucky Strike. Her past is that of a Gyptosian nomad, escaping the rising power of her fragment's next ruler, Ramenhotep XXX.

Her band of nomads was ambushed by Pharoah's troops while she was on a mission in New Gyptos City. Word reached her before the Pharoah's agents could capture her and she used the proceeds of her "mission" to hire passage on the first ship outbound from Gyptos.

Agil	Smart	Sp	St	Vig
d8	d8	d6	d6	d6
Ch	Pace	Parry	Tough
+0	6	6	5
Name	Dmg	Rng		Notes
Knife	str+d4
Cutlas	str+d6
ray gun	2d6	12/24/48		ROF 1

Skills: Lockpicking d6, Stealth d6, fight d8, Pilot d10, Repair d8, shooting d10. Knowledge: Slipstream d8, Survival: desert d8, taunt d8, notice d6

Edge/Hindr.:
Criminal upbringing, Fence (see p21), Poverty, Racial enemy (east-side Gyptosians). Major enemy: Pharoah of Gyptos. Trademark spaceship: Lucky Strike. Command.

Mavis Dilapree, Valkyrie

Agil	Smart	Sp	St	Vig
d8	d10	d6	d8	d6
Ch	Pace	Parry	Tough
+2	6	6	6(1)
Name	Dmg	Rng		Notes
Knife	str+d4
raygun	2d6	12/24/48		ROF 1

Skills:
Fight d8, Intimidate d8, Notice d6, shoot d6, Stealth d6 Driving d6, Knowledge (Slipstream) d6, Notice d6, Piloting d1-, Repair d4, Taunt d6

Edge/Hindr.:
Charisma +2, Arrogant, Loyal (to Buck), Quirk: men inferior

One Man Crew, Statuesque

Points: 22; Seasoned.

Rex Araroo, Lupine

Oldest of the brothers, Rex is intensely loyal to the Captain (and his brother Fidel if pressed).

Agil	Smart	Sp	St	Vig
d8	d6	d6	d8	d6
Ch	Pace	Parry	Tough
+0	6	6	5
Name	Dmg	Rng		Notes
claws	Str+d6	-
bite	Str+d4	-
raygun	2d6	12/24/48		ROF 1

Skills: Fight d8, Intimidate d8, Notice d6, shoot d8, Stealth d6, Gunner d6

Edge/Hindr.: Competitive (always has to prove he's top dog), Fleet Footed, Keen Senses (d6 Notice), Loyal to Captain.

Fidel Araroo, Lupine

Youngest of the brothers, Fidel is loyal to his brother Fidel.

Agil	Smart	Spirit	Str	Vig
d10	d6	d6	d6	d6
Ch	Pace	Parry	Tough
+0	6	7	5
Name	Dmg	Rng		Notes
claws	Str+d6	-
bite	Str+d4	-
raygun	2d6	12/24/48		ROF 1

Skills: Fight d10, Intimidate d6, Notice d6, shoot d6, Stealth d6, mechanic (spaceship) d6

Edge/Hindr.: Competitive (always has to prove he's top dog), Fleet Footed, Keen Senses, Loyal to brother.

Ship Stats

The Lucky Strike was originally constructed by the Skalin as a small (for them) messenger boat. Like all Skalin ships, it is angular, many-decked, and was once well armed.

Since being lost to pirates, the Lucky Strike has passed through many owners and a number of modifications.

Acc/TS	Climb	Travel Spd	Handling
30/100	25	3	1
Tough.	Crew	Cargo	Cost
18(7)	2+6	8	$30k

Gar't in the Dungeon

WH:L AAR 03: Dungeon

Gar't tries his luck in a Capalan Cavern

Leaving Durkenwall with his pride intact, Gar't follows his nose into the mountains. His dwarven skills lead him quickly to a cave opening that reeks of Orc.

[Roll on p.94 gives a Big Bad of 'Orc'. We go see just how bad it is.]

[We find on p.80 that the Big Bad is a Black Moon Orc, M+ Soldier, 1HW, Rep5, AC4. That's the maximum. Other beasts will have to be less than that. We also learn that it's to be ER4.]

1. First card is 4D, equal to the ER so Random Event! Secret Passage! Draw QC; stairway down a level! Cards drawn until stack = 8.
2. Descend to level 2. KD! Another branch, going down. Replenish to 8.
3. Descend again. Draw 6C: PEF! I pass 2d6 finding a denizen. It's another dwarf! (Twilight Alignment). I roll a 2, plus 2 for levels plus 1 for Twilight meeting Red Sun. Enemy! Perhaps a rival delver?

There's just one and we must fight.

Turn 1: Roll 4/5. Gar't tries a challenge of People skills! Success means neutrality for now, TD leaving. Failure means combat. He passes 1d6, choosing a re-roll. He passes 2d6! Success and the TD hurls a warning to Gar't suggesting he return to the surface, then he trots off into the darkness.

1. Next turn: 5D.
2. Next: 3C: PEF. Pass 1d6: ER goes to 5. Two cards added.
3. JH: descend to level 4. 8 cards in deck.
4. KC: descend to level 5. 10 cards in deck.
5. 2D. 9C: PEF. Pass 2d6: denizen. 7-4 = dwarf. The Twilight Dwarf won't be talked out of fighting this time.

Turn 1: Roll 4/5. CIM test is equal wins, so melee. 6d6 vs 5d6. Gar't is pushed back, TD doesn't follow up (evenly matched).

Turn 2: Gar't charges into contact. Wins combat by 2, consults damage. TD is OOF!

Gar't takes his Talos, leaves him behind.

1. QD. Gar't descends to level 6.
2. 7C: PEF. Pass 1d6, but ER already at 5. 2 more cards.
3. QH: level 7. 6D. 4S: PEF. Pass 1d6. Add 2 more cards.
4. AS: The Big Bad Orc! (Remember the size difference is 2 so Orc gets +1 impact if it wins)

Turn 1: Evenly matched. Again: Orc wins by 1 success: with size difference and Orcish power, effective impact is 3. Gar't is knocked down! Gar't is OOF! Star power roll: 2,3,4,6. So damage is reduced to Carry On, Star Power reduced to 3.

Turn 2: Roll 6/1, only Orc activates. He fights! Tie on activation, so both fight at once. Gar't wins by 1; Imp=2. Pushes Orc back. He continues, but evenly matched this time.

Turn 3: Roll 1/6. Gar't attacks. Evenly matched.

Turn 4: Roll 4/6. Gar't wins, Orc is OOF! He was carrying 2 gold Talos.

In the next space, he immediately meets another Orc, a clone of the Big Bad.

Turn 1: Gar't wins and charges! Tie, evenly matched. Second round, 4:2. Rolling vs. 3, opponent is OOF! That's two Orcs down.

1. AH! The treasure! ( On p.99, I roll a 7. Plus level 7 gives 14. That's 5x BB's rep in Talos [25], plus 2 rolls on Magic Items. I roll 3 & 11. Jewelry and a book.)

   He finds a Ring of Invisibility and a book of power (Level 2).

Exiting the dungeon, Gar't draws a 3D, meaning he escapes without further contact.

Post Adventure

Gar't tries to improve his people skills of 2, but rolls a '1'. No change.

Next he'll try heading into a town to barter his Magic Book for something more useful, and to get enough gear to establish a "home" in the caverns he just cleared.

---

Gar't Thorn, Star

A member of the Thorn Clan, Gar't Thorn is a dwarf and a star. Fed up with the restrictions of the clan-hold and finding his reputation poisoned by a disgruntled clan brother, Gar't has left the clan-hold and struck out on his own to seek his fortune.

Before leaving the Thorn Clan, Gar't made a quick sweep through the unwatched portions of the clan-hold and picked up whatever he could find that might be of use in his new career.

Type	Rep	Pep	Sav	Weapon	AC
Melee	4	2 (3)	4	2HW	4
InSight	RC	RCD	CIM	M	MD
Ignore low light	-	-	free pass 1d6	-	+1 impact
QRS	Food	Talos	Size	Gen	Age
Soldier	2	4	m-	m	mid

• Exceptional vision: Able to see normal distances in low light conditions.
• Magic Resistant: Counts double its Rep when attacked by a Spell.
• Slow: Only rolls 1d6 when taking the Fast Move Test.
• Stout: Whenever Stunned roll 1d6 versus Rep.
  • If pass 1d6 will ignore the result and Carry On instead.
  • If pass 0d6 will remain on feet and cannot react but will be able to act when next active.
• Strong: When melee is won, count Impact at one higher
• Strong Willed: Add one passed d6 when rolling on the Charge into Melee Table.

Twilight Dwarf

Type	Rep	Pep	Sav	Weapon	AC
Melee	4	2 (3)	4	1HW	4
InSight	RC	RCD	CIM	M	MD
Ignore low light	-	-	free pass 1d6	-	+1 impact
QRS	Food	Talos	Size	Gen	Age
Soldier	1	2	m-	m	mid

• Exceptional vision: Able to see normal distances in low light conditions.
• Magic Resistant: Counts double its Rep when attacked by a Spell.
• Slow: Only rolls 1d6 when taking the Fast Move Test.
• Stout: Whenever Stunned roll 1d6 versus Rep.
  • If pass 1d6 will ignore the result and Carry On instead.
  • If pass 0d6 will remain on feet and cannot react but will be able to act when next active.
• Strong: When melee is won, count Impact at one higher
• Strong Willed: Add one passed d6 when rolling on the Charge into Melee Table.

Black Moon Orc

Type	Rep	Pep	Sav	Weapon	AC
Melee	5	2 (3)	3	1HW	4
InSight	RC	RCD	CIM	M	MD
-	-		+1d6	+1d6 unarmed	+1impact
QRS	Food	Talos	Size	Gen	Age
Soldier	1	2	M+	m	m

• Brawler: +1d6 in Unarmed Melee
• Dim: Counts a -1d6 when taking a People Challenge.
• Resolute: +1d6 when rolling on the Charge into Melee Table
• Strong: When melee is won, count Impact at one higher

Robbery attempt in a Capalan Village

Gar't Thorn faces two Capalan thugs in a dark alley. One has a club, the other a battered sword. Neither wears armor and have clearly never faced a dwarf before.

"Drop the sack, Stumpy, and walk away," the Youth drawls, waggling his club. The Mature partner draws his battered sword.

Gar't grins as he shakes loose his great axe. "Stumpy? We'll see who's left with stumps in a moment or two."

1. Roll 3/4. Gar't rolls 3 wins, Youth 2, Mature 1. Gar't charges into melee. He rolls 6/6, but gets an automatic +1 pass d6 for being a star and another for being a dwarf. Pass 2d6. Youth passes 3d6, Mature passes 2d6. They meet in the middle. Melee: 4/1/2 (G/Y/M). Gar't gets +1 impact for fighting AC2, and another for being a dwarf. That gives him impact=5 vs. Y, impact=4 vs. M.

He pushes back the Youth but puts the Mature opponent OOD. Gar't follows the Youth. Gar't gets 7d6, Youth gets 5d6. Gart wins by 1 giving an impact of 3. He rolls 5, the youth goes down. The youth passes 1d6, OOF.

Gar't searches them, finds 4 Food and 2 Talos. He can't carry it all, so he leaves a Food, taking sympathy on the poor thugs.

Gar't takes advantage of his good night vision and slips back out of the village before anyone finds the bodies.

---

This one-round combat was fought with the new Warrior Heroes: Legends rules from Two Hour Wargames.

Warrior Heroes: Legends. AAR 1

Warrior Hero: Legends

After Action Report

Challenges are part of everyday life for members of the Silverthorn clan. It was the severity of his failure that stunned Gar't Thorn. He had thought his ranking in the clan was higher than that. But when Chief Durolbanaki'l Thorn sends you to all the way to the South Gate to make sure the door is locked, you have to resist.

• Gar't challenges the Chief: Success means someone else has to go; failure means simply that he must comply and go himself.

• Chief's People skill is 5. Gar't has People 2, reduced to 1 because it's lower than the person he's challenging. Chief rolls 4 successes; Gar't rolls a 6.

Gar't selects his clan brother Dan'g to go along, and they set off to the South Gate.

1. Encounter rating 2. PEFs in sector 1, 2, and 6. First roll: 2/3. PEFs fail to activate, we move from sector 8 to sector 5.

2. Roll 6/4, no one moves; Roll 5/1, we look about, the PEFs may move but with low encounter rating, they do not.
3. Roll 2/2. Double, equal to encounter rating! Another PEF in sector 2.
4. Roll 6/6. Double, no PEFs added.
5. Roll 1/4, we move to sector 6 to investigate PEF. 2d6 vs. ER2: roll of 6/6, nothing there.
6. Roll 4/5. We move to sector 3. Nothing.
7. Roll 4/3. PEFs don't activate, we move to Sector 2. Two PEFs! Neither turns out to be anything. (6/6, 4/6).
8. Roll 2/1. We move to sector 1. Resolve PEF roll 1/6. Something in the area, ER goes to 3. But no PEFs remain, so we'll start back.
9. Roll 2/6. We move to sector 4.
10. Roll 2/2. Double and new PEF appears in sector 5, just ahead of us and to the left. We'll go investigate.
11. Roll 3/1. We move to sector 5, but PEF moves away (we couldn't get LOS; PEF moved away on roll of 4/4)
12. Roll 6/2. PEF activates, rolls 3/6 so doesn't move.
13. Roll 3/3. New PEF in Sector 2!
14. Roll 3/1. We get in sight of a PEF. Nothing (roll 6/6). Last PEF activates, moves deeper behind cover.
15. Roll 2/2. New PEF, Sector 1.
16. Roll 2/2. New PEF, Sector 1. I know. Duplicate sets of die rolls!

17. Roll 6/3. PEFs activate. Nearest moves toward us, into open! But it was nothing (pass 1d6. ER now 4!). One of remaining PEFs moves into sight toward us. Contact! It's a Rock Beast! (roll of 9 on my encounter table gives Rock Beasts. I roll that they are Neutral to us, the How Many roll of 3 says there is only one. Neutral reaction roll is bad, the Rock Beast will attack.)
    Insight: RB is Rep6 and active: 5d6. Gar't is Star. Dan'g is Rep4 dwarf: 4d6. Result: RB goes first, charges the dwarves. CIM test, dwarves actually move to RB, but same effect.
    Combat: RB 8d6, Gar't 6d6, Dan'g 6d6. Result: 2/4/3 wins. Dan'g wins by 1 (Impact target = 1 for margin, +1 for dwarf, -2 vs Massive = 0) Effective impact is 0 so Evenly Matched. Gar't gets (impact target=2 for margin, +1 for dwarf, +1 evenly matched, -2 vs Massive, -1 vs AC6 = 1), rolls a 2. RB stunned, takes Recover from KD test. Rolls 2d6, passes 2d6: stunned.



18. Roll 5/4. Dwarves catch their breath, RB recovers.

19. Roll 3/5. RB attacks. Rolls are 2/3/4. Dwarves win again. Dan'g goes first. (impact = +2 for margin, +1 dwarf, -2 vs Massive, AC6 penalty can't reduce below 1 = 1). He rolls 5. RB takes RKD, down and Stunned. Now Gar't goes. (imapct = +1 for margin, +2 prone, +1 dwarf, -2 Massive, -1 AC6 = 1). He rolls 1! Would have been OD, but RB is Hard as Nails, so Knocked Down instead. RB passes 2d6, stunned and prone.

    
    

    But now the dwarves are active, and combat continues against a prone, stunned, and out-numbered opponent. The Rock Beast is dead.

20. A bit anti-climactic, but the last PEF turns out to be nothing.

Victory to Gar't and Dan'g!

On their return, they present the Rock Beast's head to Chief Durolbanaki'l. Neither succeeds in gaining further reputation however. Dan'g takes this opportunity to leave the company of Gar't, deciding that anyone who runs into a Rock Beast when he's just going to check on a door lock is not the kind of person he wants to be around.

Gar't Thorn, Star. Dwarf

Type	Rep	Pep	Sav	Weapon	AC
Melee	4	2 (3)	4	2HW	4
InSight	RC	RCD	CIM	M	MD
Ignore low light	-	-	+1d6	-	+1impact
QRS	Food	Talos	Size	Gen	Age
Soldier	0	0	-	m	-

• Exceptional vision: Able to see normal distances in low light conditions.
• Magic Resistant: Counts double its Rep when attacked by a Spell.
• Slow: Only rolls 1d6 when taking the Fast Move Test.
• Stout: Whenever Stunned roll 1d6 versus Rep.
  • If pass 1d6 will ignore the result and Carry On instead.
  • If pass 0d6 will remain on feet and cannot react but will be able to act when next active.
• Strong: When melee is won, count Impact at one higher
• Strong Willed: Add one passed d6 when rolling on the Charge into Melee Table.

Dan'g Thorn

Type	Rep	Pep	Sav	Weapon	AC
Melee	4	3 (4)	3	2HW	4
InSight	RC	RCD	CIM	M	MD
Ignore low light	-	-	+1d6	-	+1impact
QRS	Food	Talos	Size	Gen	Age
Soldier	0	0	-	m	-

• Exceptional vision: Able to see normal distances in low light conditions.
• Magic Resistant: Counts double its Rep when attacked by a Spell.
• Slow: Only rolls 1d6 when taking the Fast Move Test.
• Stout: Whenever Stunned roll 1d6 versus Rep.
  • If pass 1d6 will ignore the result and Carry On instead.
  • If pass 0d6 will remain on feet and cannot react but will be able to act when next active.
• Strong: When melee is won, count Impact at one higher
• Strong Willed: Add one passed d6 when rolling on the Charge into Melee Table.

Rock Beast

based loosely upon Hill Giant

Type	Rep	Pep	Sav	Weapon	AC
Melee	6	1 (2)	2	2HW	6
InSight	RC	RCD	CIM	M	MD
-1d6	-	E: imp-2	-	-	Imp+2; E:imp -2
QRS	Food	Talos	Size	Gen	Age
Warrior	0	0	Huge		unk

• Dim: Counts a -1d6 when taking a People Challenge.
• Hard as Nails: Once during each Encounter the character will treat its first Obviously Dead result as a Knock Down result instead.
• Massive: Count Impact at two lower but not less than Impact of 1 when taking damage and count Impact 2 higher when delivering damage in Melee.
• Slow Mover: -1d6 when taking an In Sight

Encounter Table

Roll	Encounter
2	Elves
3-4	Human Adventurers
5-8	Orcs
9	Rock Beasts
10	Bear/Lion/etc
11	Giant Spider
12	Giant Lizard

Shootout in Gunsight

As an agent for the White Star Society (precursor to SAGE, the Strategic Authority for Global Equality), Sir Reginald Swanleigh is ordered to the frontier town of Gunsight to investigate rumors of a major villain causing trouble in the Gold Country.
Sir Reggie takes the train from Monterey to the edge of the Crown Colony of California territory. Known as the Gold Country after Lord Sutter's discovery of gold, England's frontier area is a prime target for spies from across the border in the United States.
During the trip, Captain Chapelump of the CCC army introduces himself and, despite repeated hints to the contrary, decides to accompany Sir Reggie to Gunsight. Sir Reggie prefers to travel with no one but his valet, the taciturn Mooshu Tsing Tao.
The train depot at Gunsight is on the edge of town. We join the action as Sir Reggie, Mooshu, and Captain Chapelump walk over the rise and get their first view of the quiet town.

It does not remain quiet for long...

[The plan placed Juan dosTrece and his group in the bank; his #2, Tiburcio Tiburon and two more were in the tavern, robbing the safe. Good guys are in the hotel and the sheriff's office. They were to emerge from their various points as the game progressed.]
Sir Reggie's group moves first, then Juan's group emerges from the bank. This triggers an insight test for Sir Reggie and the shooting begins.

[There was no chance for a second initiative roll! A second round of shots were actually exchanged, with Sir Reggie's Star Power saving him from certain death. Juan also was saved by his Star Power in the process.
Note that I forgot the "outgunned" rule; Sir Reggie should have ducked back behind the wall when Red Tongue fired his rifle...]
Juan dosTrece rolled "retire" and beat a tactical retreat before things got any more frantic. There's always other banks to rob, and his boss Professor Hollister McAllister takes the long view in his campaign to forge an independent society where he can pursue his research undisturbed.

By the way, big thanks to whoever it was that started the comic book style of BatRep. It's almost as much fun as playing the game. Almost.

Rolling dice is like adding salt

Alton Brown said "Salt is what makes your food taste bad... if you don't add it!"
If the life of a solo gamer is a meal, rolling dice is the salt.
I was all fired-up about getting in a game; I'd put the buildings out for an Old West town called Gunsight. I'd even settled upon the rules to use: the free Chain Reaction by Two Hour Wargames.

I set up the camera and took a basic shot (above). I selected my figures and put together the stats for them. I planned to produce a nice write-up for the blog.
Then I froze. Well, I got distracted. I played with the picture. I made new scenery. I painted a few more figures. I read alternate rules.
I stalled.

It turns out that I was avoiding playing because deep down, I was afraid it might not be fun. It took three days for me to realize what was going on. I'd made it too important. It wasn't a game any more.
And that's stupid. Who will know if my Star gets killed in the first round? Only the people I tell. The point is supposed to be to play, to have fun. So I declared a "practice game" and just started rolling dice. My Star, Sir Reginald Swanleigh, member of the secret White Star Society, was killed three times in a row.

But I had fun. And it turns out that the figures on the table don't hold it against me if I kill them. Certainly, the thousands of readers of this blog won't know if I don't tell them.
So add some salt. Roll the dice! As any good GM will tell you, sometimes a quick toss of a few d6 answer a question faster than an hour of research ever will.