Niv Lova: Searching (4)
Making Friends?
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, 4 Food, Knife, Bedroll, Backpack, coffee beans, detailed map, guitar, crowbar, 10ft rope
Revolver (d6, 8) SMG (d6/a 0)
“Fear Box” remnant: Dark, cubic, plastic, Weak, inspire fear, taste bile, Activation: concentration
(noticed I called Gadyuka ‘Nikita’ once during the last chapter. Whoops!)
Gadyuka headed south, towards the closest settlement, Wildwoods, to get more information on her target, Fedor.
Weather: 5 → Raining
Intensity: 3 → drizzle, no effect
A light drizzle made the ground soft and wet, but otherwise didn’t bother her.
Unfortunately, the rain did make it difficult to get her bearings, and she found herself lost, walking in wide circles. She swore.
Navigate: 2 → Lost
POI: None
Encounter: None
She huddled underneath the remains of an old barn, out of the rain, eating a can of peas, before going to sleep. (3 food left)
Night Encounter: No
In the morning, she left the barn behind, wanting to make up time for being lost.
Weather: 1 → Clear. +2 Nav, +2 scav
Nav: Not lost
Scavenge: 3 + 2 = 5
The sun finally made an appearance, though seeming to hold it’s warmth back, a pale orb in the sky.
Gadyuka found her way and decided to keep an eye out as she went, finding a small pack of food(2) and scrap(3).
POI: No
Encounter: Yes
d66 = 46 → Scavenger
Range: 1 → Immediate
Reaction: 10 → friendly
NPC - Name: Svitlana
Goal: Acquire remnant
Trait: Bold
Detail: Whistles often
Faction? No, Independent
Just over a hill, she heard the whistling before she saw the scavenger, a woman with a buzz-cut and military vest, baring her arms.
The woman smiled, raising her hands to show she wasn’t a threat. “Hello there?”
Gadyuka lowered her revolver and gave a nod. “Name’s Gadyuka, and yours?”
“Svitlana,” the woman said. “Just another scav out here making a living.”
“Is it living?” Gadyuka asked, with a sigh.
“It’s better than the alternative, no?” Svitlana smiled.
“Have you seen or met a scavenger by the name of Fedor?” Gadyuka asked.
Has she? d6 = 2 → No
Svitlana shook her head. “No, but if you’re the one looking for him, I’m glad I’m not him.”
“I’m headed south, to Wildwoods. How about you?”
Svitlana shrugged. “I’m just another scav looking for a remnant.”
“You can travel with me, for a few days at least,” Gadyuka said.
Flash of Nikita, crowbar embedded in her skull.
Gadyuka shook it away.
2d6 + PRE = 7 → Fail
Svitlana shook her head. “Unfortunately, I’m headed a different direction. But we could share a camp for tonight. It’s nice to have someone to watch your back.”
“I would appreciate the warmth,” Gadyuka said.
Night Encounter: None
-1 Food (4)
Weather: 1 → Clear
Navigate: Not lost.
“Two clear days in a row?” Svitlana asked, waking up. “This is not normal.”
“A better couple days than I’ve had in awhile,” Gadyuka agreed, as they packed up.
“Perhaps we shall see each other again,” Svitlana said, hoisting her pack on.
“Until next we meet,” Gadyuka replied and they parted ways.
POI: NO, Encounter: no
She made good time, passing a copse of barren trees, an overturned car and the remains of a house, only thing left the foundation.
At night, she had to sleep in the open, with no cover around. She missed Svitlana. She missed Nikita, as short as her experiences had been with either.
Night Encounter: No
-1 Food (3)
Weather: 5 → Rain, Intensity: 2 → Mild
The slight drizzle continued on into the next day.
“Great,” Gadyuka said. “More fucking rain.” She noticed she tended to talk to herself, the more time she spent alone.
She continued south.
POI: Yes → Graveyard
Encounter: Yes → Veteran Scavenger
Range: 2 → Close
Reaction: 8 → Neutral
NPC - codename: Warlord
Goal: Seek Protection
Trait: Energetic
Detail: Missing an ear
Faction? No, Independent
Action + Theme → Betray + Jealousy
What faction did he betray? Vlast, “Authority”
Influence in the area? Huge. Biggest faction in the area. Control most of the settlements
Veteran Scavenger Stats
3d6 = 5hp. Heavy Armor +3
d6 = 4 → combat shotgun (2d6 DMG)
Gear: Various
“Stop right there,” the voice came out from behind a large gravestone, stopping Gadyuka in her tracks.
A man wearing heavy armor stepped into view, combat shotgun trained on her. He moved quickly, eyeing her up and down.
She kept her hands up. “Your name isn’t Fedor, is it?” she asked, hoping the answer was no.
He shook his head.
Has he heard of him? Yes, but not in awhile
“I ran into him about a month ago, far from here. Haven’t seen him since.”
She shrugged. “Worth a shot.”
“You seem capable,” the scavenger said, lowering his shotgun.
Gadyuka lowered her hands to her sides. “You could say that.”
“I need help. Protection. Someone to watch my back.”
“Protection from who?”
He shrugged. “Does it matter?”
“I need to know what I’m signing up for,” she replied.
He spat on the ground. “They call me ‘Warlord’ around here.”
Has Gadyuka heard of him? No
“I did some work with Vlast, who have got their hands in just about everything around here. One job was to take out this group of scav’s that wouldn't move out of a bunker that Vlast wanted. I was sent with some of their mercenaries to clear ‘em out. I didn’t realize it was a family. The mercenaries were ready to kill them all. I killed them first.”
“Now Vlast is after you,” Gadyuka muttered. It would be great to have a guy like him watching her back, but it would also put her in the cross hairs of the most powerful faction in the region. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. You’re already damned, you’re in Niv Lova she thought to herself. “Fine,” she said. “But I’m heading south to Wildwoods for information on Fedor. You can come along.”
Warlord nodded. “Fine by me, I ain’t got nowhere better to be.”
Short update but I’ll be sending another article out later this week showing off some pages from the final version of Niv Lova, before officially releasing it on Sunday, if all goes well!
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.
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.
Good that Gadyuks has a friend, but he has a mark on him. Too bad her trail has run cold on her bounty as well. Maybe she will find something out in the settlement.
The trail for Fedor feels so cold with how the rolls have turned out, I feel like Gadyuka will be wrapped up in a few more dramas before she can track down her quarry. I like how her character is turning out! She is a little odd, but who wouldn't be in Niv Lova?