Niv Lova: Searching (3)
Hunting Fedor
Previous Chapter: Searching for Home (2)
Codename: Gadyuka aka “Viper”
Background: Crime / Goal: Learn
+0 MUS +1 FIN + 2 VIG + 1 MIN +0 PRE/ HP: 8, FP: 1 / XP: 0 lvl: 1
Skill: Combat Master → Can defend an additional time before taking on penalties.
15c, 1 bandage, 0 Food, Knife, Bedroll, Backpack, coffee beans, detailed map, guitar, crowbar, 10ft rope
Revolvers(2) (d6, 11 rounds) SMG (d6/a 4 rounds)
“Fear Box” remnant: Dark, cubic, plastic, Weak, inspire fear, taste bile, Activation: concentration
Location: Parking Garage, in Abandoned Urban Area
Gadyuka waited. Those bandits might come investigate the noises…
Do they? d6 = 6 → Yes, and
Yes and they’re hostile
Bandit A: 2 hp, hand weapon: lead pipe d6
1xrandom: common → Matches
Bandit B: 6 HP, hand weapon: scrap metal d6,
1xrandom: rare → backpack +3
She heard careful footsteps coming up the garage and whispering, as she crouched by an old rusted-out SUV.
Hide: 2d6 + FIN = 10 → Success
They slowly pass the vehicle, shining a flashlight and looking around.
“You sure we should do this? Maybe we just get the fuck out of here,” one whispered to the other.
“All that action, there’s gotta be loot here. We just gotta finish off whoever’s left.”
Gadyuka stepped forward, pulling her SMG to her shoulder, aiming down the iron sights and firing at one of the bandits. She hit him in the back and he cried out, staggering.
They both turned around.
Gadyuka pulled the trigger again and the injured bandit went down, spitting up blood.
The other took off running further into the garage.
Gadyuka let him. Checking the dead bandit, she realized he was carrying a large backpack, which was useful considering hers was getting pretty full. She switched her things over, keeping an eye out for the last bandit, and leaving her pack behind.
Combat
Surprise round: Gadyuka fires from behind them.
Attack: 2d6 + FIN w/advantage = 12
DMG: d6/a = 5 (3 rounds left)
Initiative: d6 + FIN vs DC 4 = 6 → Success
Gadyuka fires again at the one she already hit.
Attack: 2d6 + FIN = 4 → Critical Failure! FATE POINT!
reroll: 2d6 + FIN = 12 → Success
DMG: d6/a = 6 + 2 → 8 DMG. Bandit dies (2 rounds left)
Morale Check: 2d6 + PRE vs Morale: 6 = 11
Bandit A runs
Gadyuka, satisfied with her haul, left the parking garage. Night was coming on quickly but she had no food. Those soldiers who’d shot at her, they’d have some for sure, but there were four of them and only one of her. Those ‘Freedom’ mercenaries who’d shot at her likely had some but there were four of them and one of her.
She knew her target, Fedor, was to the south. She decided to head out of town and she what she could scavenge before night fall.
Scavenge: d6 = 2 → nothing
Unfortunately she came up empty and had to go to bed hungry, her stomach rumbling. That night, she dreamed of Nikita, crowbar buried in her skull.
Nikita becomes hungry (disadvantage to all rolls until food is consumed)
Night encounter: Nothing
Weather: Cloudy
The next day, clouds covered the sky, the day grim and grey.
Gadyuka headed south, scrambling for any food she could find along the way.
scavenge: d6 = 6! 5 Food + 1xrandom gear
Random: Commmon → Food or Scrap(1) → Choose food
She spotted a large, gnarled tree with a hollow trunk, and some cans of food stashed inside. Breathing a sigh of relief, she opened one, artichokes, and ate them, before piling the rest in her pack.
POI: No
Encounter: yes → d66 = 66! → ABOMINATION
Size d6 = 2 → Small (d6/a HP (6)), Hide d6 = 6 → Metallic (+3 armor), Body shape d6 = 6 → Octopus/tentacled
Range: Far
Reaction: 6 → Angered/hostile
Has it seen her? d6 = 2 → No
Is it heading in her direction? d6 = 5 → Yes
In the distance, she spotted something strange, a dog-sized creature but it wasn’t loping like a dog. It had more than four limbs and they moved in odd, off-putting ways, as it crawled along the ground, heading in her direction.
She dropped down behind a patch of scrubby brush, hoping it would pass by.
Hide: 2d6 + FIN = 10 → Success
It passed close by, she heard it’s slimy pads touching the ground as it moved.
She suppressed a shudder and waited until it was long gone before moving on.
Did Fedor follow Nikita? If so, he could be in this hex. d6 = No.
That night, she slept with her SMG loaded and close at hand.
Night encounter: Yes
d66 = escaped prisoner(s). d6 = 6
Range: Close
Reaction: 8 → Neutral
Scuffling in the night. Eyes opened, she stayed still and listened.
Multiple sets of feet. Whispers. At least a handful of people. Close.
She raised the SMG in their direction. “I know you’re there and I’ve got a gun. Show yourselves.”
They shuffled into view, a ragged bunch wearing dirty clothes and looking thin. One, a woman, stepped forward, hands out. “We don’t mean any harm.”
“You’re clearly on the run from someone. Who?”
faction or independent group? d6 = 4 → Faction
d6 = 6 → Government. Influence in the area: Growing
Do they tell the truth? d6 = 4 → yes, but…not completely
“A mercenary group of soldiers led by a mad man,” she said. “Niv Lova has driven him paranoid and he arrests everyone he meets.”
2d6 + MIN = 3 → Critical Failure! Gadyuka is duped and extremely trusting.
Gadyuka lowered the SMG. Nikita flashed in her mind and she couldn’t help herself. “I’ve got food. You can rest here and eat.”
(-5 food. 0 left.)
As the group gathered around, sitting and eating their cans of food, the woman who was clearly the leader spoke up.
“Who are you, then?”
“Gadyuka,” she said. “I am a bounty hunter.” She tried to ingratiate herself to the group. Considering the number of them, they could overwhelm her and try to take her stuff…
2d6 + PRE = 8 → Success
They opened up, told stories, laughed and smiled as the night went on. She learned their names and more about them. The leader’s name was Nasta. Gadyuka offered a revolver and three bullets, which Nasta took, gratefully. “Should we meet again, we owe you,” Nasta said, with a bow. (-1 revolver, -3 rounds)
Gadyuka shrugged. “Not all in Niv Lova are killers,” she replied.
In the morning, they went their way and she went hers.
Weather: Heavy Rain, -2 navigate, -2 scavenge
navigate: 5-2 = 3, not lost!
Scavenge: 4-2 = 2, nothing
POI: No
Encounter: No
No Food. Gadyuka goes Hungry once more.
Night encounter: No
The day passed, the skies opening up and rain pouring down.
She made her way south, able to maintain her direction but found little in the rain-soaked debris she passed to help with her grumbling stomach.
She slept fitfully, nightmares or memories waking her up throughout.
In the morning, her rumbling stomach woke her. She needed food.
Weather: Moderate Rain, -1, -1
Navigate: 6 - 1 = 5 → Not lost
Scavenge: 6 - 1 = 5 → A stash (5 Food)
POI: No
Encounter: No
This is the hex where Fedor was left. Is he here? Unlikely → d6/d = 1 → No, and there’s no trace…
The rain let up but only a little. She felt as a ghost, passing through the rain-covered landscape, finding nobody, seeing nothing.
She came upon a turned-over truck, and looking in the cab, found some cans of food. “The zone provides…” she muttered, remembering the last words of the believer she’d executed. She ate a can of beans and packed the rest before moving on.
Searching the area as best she could in the rain, she saw no sign of her quarry, though she was certain this was the last place she’d been told he’d been.
Does she know of a settlement nearby? d6 = yes, but…they didn’t like her much there. One of her previous targets had been a well-liked citizen.
Distance/Direction: 4 hexes, South
Settlement: Small (handful → dozen), Surroundings→ plain Tundra
Authority: Elected Council/Leader
1 building: 6 story Hotel
Name: 45 + 13 = “Wild” “Woods”
Faction? d6 = 2 → No, independent
She knew of a place called Wildwoods, named after the large hotel the group stayed in. They didn’t like her much, she’d brought in one of them for a bounty, but it was the closest settlement and maybe where Fedor was headed. Even if not, they might have information.
It was a few days travel to the south.
She camped out in the ruins of a mobile home for the night.
Night encounter: yes
d66 = 52: Mercenary
Faction? d6 = 1 → No, independent
Range w/disadvantage (nobody on watch): 1 → Immediate
Reaction: 2d6 + PRE = 5 → Angered/Hostile
Gadyuka woke to a presence, hands going to her SMG.
“Oh shit, who are you?” the figure yelled, pointing a gun at her.
“Just holding up here for the night, that’s all, I don’t mean you any harm,” Gadyuka said, slowly standing up.
2d6 + PRE = 3 → Failure
Mercenary: 5 HP, Medium Armor (+2), revolver d6, 5 rounds of ammo, 4 scrap
“This my home!” the merc yelled.
Gadyuka brought up her SMG and fired, missing in the dark.
He fired his revolver, chipping away the wall by Gadyuka’s head as she ducked to the side.
She fired again, knowing it was her last round.
The man grunted, taking it in the shoulder and staggering to the side. “Fuck you,” he called out and turned, running off into the darkness.
Gadyuka let him go, taking deep breaths and trying to calm herself.
Combat
Initiative: d6 + 2 = 8
Attack: 2d6 + FIN = 7 → Miss (1 round left)
Merc pulls revolver and fires.
Defend: 2d6 + FIN = 8 → Success (4 rounds left)
Attack: 2d6 + FIN = 8 → Success
DMG: d6/a = 5-2 = 3. 2 HP left.
Morale Check: 2d6 + PRE vs DC 7 = 10 → Success
“Life in the zone…” She whispered, shaking her head. She stashed the ammo-less SMG into her pack, pulled out her revolver and made sure it was loaded. “Never gets old…”
Gadyuka is off to a fun start.
If you’d like to dive into Niv Lova, you can check out the Playtest Document. I’m using the finalized rules so a few minor things may be different but it’s overall very similar.
If you’d like, you can join my discord to provide feedback, thoughts and comments on any and all things PWM, including Niv Lova. Otherwise, you can always comment here or message me through Substack.
Working towards a June 1st release for the published version. Wondering how best to market it outside of continuing these chapters and seeing if people read/share them…
Thanks to Andrew Wylde, BuddhaRandom, and Eric, for being paid subscribers. Paid subscribers will receive the final version of Niv Lova, free of charge, when it’s available.
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Check out the Table of Contents for previous games I’ve played as well as other stuff I’ve written. It hasn’t been updated in awhile but does have some previous actual plays that I’m pretty proud of.
This is really good. A completely different vibe from my playthrough. Gadyuka's journey is taking her into urban areas with factions. Seeing you play that out instead of my character's mad dash through the wasteland is fascinating. Love the story, and I'm looking forward to more.
Gadyuka has a soft heart and bad luck haha, but luckily she's a pretty good shot. She's running out of supplies and clues though, so I hope the next session has a bit more luck for her.
One thing I really like about reading these is the different approaches each time you meet an NPC. Just because you meet someone who is angry or hostile, it doesn't default to combat, sometimes there's a negotiation, or stealth or just a tense agreement to go their own ways. It's very cool!