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14 And the Monster of Amristar Chapter 13-15

Chapter 13 Being Earnest

It comes time for the play. Symbolically, it is not just about dual or hidden identities but the importance of family and that an identity can be restored through a sudden revelation and that all will turn out right. The play has been altered slightly to enhance the latter aspect, but I’ll stress some aspects of the former so that the players can see the parallels to the situation.

On the actual day of the play Honoria Glory, the 5^th year Ravenclaw who had been cast as Miss Prism, slips and falls down the stairs – she had been so absorbed in a last minute learning of her lines (alongside studying for Ancient Runes– Honoria has independently focusing eyes that lets her read two things at once, and her general goggle eyed look has had her cast in any number of ditzy parts over the years) that she didn’t notice that the staircase had moved, sending her falling 30 feet. This school is a dangerous place!

In any event, she broke her leg and, at Pomfery’s assistance, is not able to perform tonight. Jasmine takes the stage, alongside Castor, and the stage is set! There will be a quick run through of the play in the afternoon, followed by the admonition from Prof. Ogham and Madam Hooch that the first performance in front of an audience is the one that matters, with everyone intoning their ritual magic and preparing for the spell.

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13: And the Monster of Amristar Chapter 11-12

Chap. 11: Corruption's Touch

Fame's Tasty fruit

The next class they have to deal with is Hufflepuff Herbology with the Gryffindor's cheering the audacity of the Hufflepuff's plan of action. Gryffindor are always down with the "deeds not rules" ethos.  This is a brief chance to introduce some of the Gryffindor kids, who will have the task of being a bad influence later. The class starts with a description of the Argusatos project and the fact that they have to repot them. The PCs will be told to go to the cupboards and get the next largest pot size, but be careful not to disturb the row further back, as it contains the second year's Mandrake roots, which were also just re-potted. They might see Rowan idly stroking one of the mandrake plants.

Argusatos are key ingredients in potions sharpen eyesight and reverse blindness. They also, in theory, will give the ability to temporarily see through earth & stone if eaten raw (they might think to use this later), though eating them raw requires a Bravery check to make the first bite and a Fortitude check to finish it.

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12: and the Monster of Amristar chapters 8-10

Chapter Eight: Drama!

A Storm of Dragons!

The first sessions of the Dramaturgy club show it to be a chaotic mess, but the sort that always coalesces into a single whole, as is the nature of theater. The class doesn't get into any of the specifics of Dramaturgy as a magical form - changing the world through theater - but over the years Jasmine will be able to learn more about it if she chooses to do so. There's a classic battle going on between Professor Ogham & Madam Hooch, where Hooch wants to do Dragons! & Ohgam wants to do the Tempest. Being unable to reconcile, they are leaving it to a student vote. Both stories focus transcendent changes at the end of one’s life: Prospero's tragic abandonment of magic & Grizzledbellow's ascension into the heaviside layer. Both are intended to lay the ghost of Voldemort, to make you know who reflect on his life and actions, if he is even still alive.

Neither will work - you know who is just too big a target. Still, all the club members are told to read both plays and vote on the decision. Until that decision the students do some general auditions and basic drama. I know that Jasmine will be here, but I don't who else.

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11: And the Monster of Amristar Chapters 5-6

Chapter 6: The Second Day

This is the beginning of the second session, which I hope will cover from the beginning of classes to the end of Christmas break. This was the start of our second session so I had a chance to ask the players what they intended to do with the day in advance and plan accordingly. These notes should give you an idea of what you might need to do to prep.

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10: And the Monster of Amristar Chapter 3-4

Chapter 3: The Banquet

This chapter completes the general exposition.

In the waiting room

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the great hall you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slyterin and Ravenclaw. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding wizards & witches. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs earn your house points while any rule-breaking will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting ceremony will take place shortly in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you're waiting."

As the PCs fret or make themselves more present-able, the Grey Lady will slip in through the back of the room, looking pensive and clasping a large text to her chest. Her appearance will freak out the first years no end, calling for a general Bravery check on d6 to keep from yelping - Peri and Rowena miss theirs, Grendel makes his. She will approach Castor and whisper in his ear "Be not afraid. A ready mind is humanity's greatest weapon and strongest shield, so you are well armed. But be vigilant. Older troubles seldom rest easy, even as new life is born." Castor will feel that his head has been struck by a boreal wind as the Lady's lips brush his ear.

At that the Grey Lady disappears and McGonnagal returns to bring them into the hall and the hat

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9: And the Monster of Amristar Chapters 1-2

Chapter 1: Diagon Alley

We open in Diagon Alley. The PCs can meander, but there are a few key scenes for the major arc.

Who is that strange man?

Also present that day will be Dr. John Plain, who is walking furtively around, taking notes, taking pictures of things, and otherwise trying not to be noticed. He is wearing wizarding robes over muggle clothes. Once one of the PCs notices him his behavior will be suspicious indeed. He knows enough to not be one of the slack jawed Muggle parents, but is obviously doing some sort of spying while trying to not be noticed. If they actively approach him he'll do his best to get away without speaking to them. Eventually the PCs will lose sight of him as he ducks into some shop or another. Basically, he's here to establish his presence on the scene for later.

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8: …and the Monster of Amristar Introduction

The remainder of the month is a detailed adventure for the first year of adventure at Hogwarts. This is based on actual play, so I’m going to quickly detail the original PCs key points and trust that a clever GM will be able to update the scenario to deal with the variation between characters

Daisy and Jasmine Fontaine: the older (5^th year prefect) and younger (first year) daughters of the wizarding theatrical couple “the fabulous Fontaines” (their mother is a muggle actress, singer and escape artist, their father is a wizard version of the same), Daisy and Jasmine have travelled the world but are educated in jolly old England. Daisy has a professor enmity with Trelawney, Jasmine has a special pet (a ghostling ferret, which can turn intangible). Both are Ravenclaws.

Castor and Pollux Dee: the twin sons of a pureblood Slytherin family that never served You-Know-Who, their father is now one of the judges on trying the captured death eaters, and earning some ire from his housemates for handing down guilty verdicts. Castor is a Ravenclaw and an accomplished liar with an interest in Dramaturgy and a deficiency in herbology. Pollux is a Hufflpuff with a Grymalkin (a cat that can mimic other cat’s attributes such as size and weight) as a pet and an interest in Magical History.

Juliette Moore is a Pureblood whose mother recently died and his being raised by her now overprotective father. She has a magical aptitude for music and a student enmity in Peri Undulata, a Slytherine first year. She is a Ravenclaw

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7: Design the Game Mechanics: Magic

As discussed in spellcasting, there are both standard spells and general magic. Here's what you can expect your character to be able to do with general magic, divided up by class

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6: Design the Game Mechanics: How Things Work

Hufflepuff & Ravenclaw uses some simple rules

When trying to do something of more than moderate difficulty, where a skill would be applicable, add the character's skill to the statistic or quality that best fits the situation. If the character has any Advantages or Disadvantages that apply, or there are any situational modifiers (provided by the GM), add or subtract  those as well. This is the Target Number.

If you roll the Target Number or less in a d20, the character succeeds. A roll of 1 is not always a success - it is possible for a disadvantage or situational modifier to reduce the character's Target Number to below zero.

Normally skill use is yes/no - the character either did it or she didn't. In cases where two people are competing, such as a brawl, the winner is whoever beat their Target Number by more points - this is called the degree of success. Someone with Target number of 17 who rolls a 16 might succeed, but she would lose a contest to someone who had a target number of 5 who rolled a 2, as she only made her roll by 1 point while her competitor made it by 3.

The GM might use the degree of success to see how well a character did something, or how quickly, but any roll that beats the target number is a success.

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5: Design the Game Mechanics More Skills & Sample Characters

General Common Skills

Athletics: The character's ability to run, climb, jump, catch, throw, and do other basic physical action. It alternates with Broomstick  when playing Quidditch, but can be replaced by Muggle Sports for specific acts related to "football" or "cricket".

Brawl: The character's general ability to fight, bare-handed or with small weapons. This is a distinctly non-optimal  means of combat unless she has a high Size (or her opponent is equally small).

Deceive: The ability to convincingly lie. It is also the character's ability to disguise herself without resorting to magic.

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4: Design the Game Mechanics – Disadvantages and Skills

Defining Disadvantages

Disadvantages are the opposite of advantages, at least in theory. In practice they are the opposite in one way - they give the character a penalty where an advantage gives them a boost, but serve the same function when it comes to distinguishing the character. After all, being an insufferable know it all is clearly a disadvantage, but it does serve to neatly spotlight Ms. Granger's character.

At creation a character has at least one disadvantage, and possibly more if she also has additional advantages. It is very possible, indeed probable, to gain or lose disadvantages in play. Hogwarts is a place of growth and self-discovery, and that means overcoming one's perceived limitations - and possibly creating new ones in the form of enemies or curses! Many of the following disadvantages are meant to be overcome in play.

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3: Design the Game Mechanics - Advantages

About Advantages

Advantages are things that give the character a little bit of an edge and often a lot of distinction. In theory, the list of advantages is limitless. In practice, most of them have similar mechanical traits. This rules packet lays out a list of advantages so that you can either pick one (or more) if what you want is already here or give you a framework for designing your own.

At creation a character starts with at least one advantage, and can get up to two more by taking more disadvantages. Characters can gain or lose advantages over time - some of them anyway - most often in the form of advantageous equipment or allies. Many of the advantages listed here are only available at character creation, as you can't be mis-sorted after the fact.

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2: Design the Game Mechanics - Basics

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Dear Student,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary rules and dice. The term begins on January 27th. We await your owl by no later than January 26th.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

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Back in 1997 a British writer on the dole published a slim volume of fantasy, a coming of age tale set in a magical academy. The book broke little new ground but the author had a pleasing style and…

Oh, you’ve heard of it? In that case…

The Sorting Hat noticed your steadfastness or intellect and placed you with the Badgers or Ravens. While the foolhardy and power-hungry snipe away, Hufflepuff & Ravenclaw expand their educations against a backdrop of strange mysteries. Comb through Professor Binn's lectures for goblin treachery. Uncover the mirrored secrets of Professor Spout's greenhouses. Turn Professor Flitwick's charms against the entity stalking the library. Face the fangs of Professor Kettleburn's magical creatures. Feel the star-crossed passion of a centaur romance. Battle other schools in the cutthroat Q&A Witches' Bowl. Oh yes, and play Quidditch. All this and more awaits you at Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry! (Griffindor & Slytherin need not apply.)