Episode 54

full
Published on:

25th Sep 2023

Lonely TTRPG EP 54 - Sneaky Witches by M. Allen Hall

You can find Sneaky Witches at https://m-allen-hall.itch.io/witches?ac=pEV55vHqdvG

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Transcript
SteelStash:

Greetings, weary wanderer, and welcome back to Lonely TTRPG, the

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solo actual play and review podcast.

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Tonight, we are playing Sneaky Witches by M.

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Allen Hall.

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Everything was fine until that coven moved in.

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You are a witch with a witchy name.

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You live in a swamp.

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Life has been pleasantly wretched for some time.

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But three full moons ago a coven moved in across the swamp from you.

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Their influence has been creeping into your territory.

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You cannot let this stand.

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You know the ritual.

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It's not that difficult.

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It does require some rare components, however.

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Components that you can only find in the parts of the swamp where

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that coven is now operating.

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To get caught in their territory will be a death sentence.

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Or at least, a life as a newt sentence.

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You have a plan.

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You will sneak across the swamp, collect the necessary components.

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Steal something from their lair to focus the ritual.

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You will do it all under the cover of darkness, and you will

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do it before the next full moon.

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So, Sneaky Witches is a game where we are going to be sneaking through

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this lovely little hex here, and attempt to find some components in

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order to banish this rival coven.

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The game will be played over the course of three nights, every round will last one

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hour, every night will last eight hours.

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We will start off in our hut and for that first hour we will

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be able to move or creep ahead.

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And then we have the option to either creep ahead or search for components.

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Now, you can only do one per hour.

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So the first hour is kind of a freebie.

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You get to move ahead and search or move ahead twice.

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But for every subsequent one, you can only either move or search.

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If you decide to creep ahead, then you just move on to the adjacent hex.

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But, if you're searching for components, you're gonna roll a d6.

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And if that d6 is less than or equal to your zone number,

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congratulations, you find the component.

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Go ahead and roll on the component table and see what you get.

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If it doesn't, unfortunately, you don't find anything.

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Regardless of whatever you do at the end of your turn, you're

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going to do a sneakiness check.

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You're gonna check your sneakiness.

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And that you're gonna roll 2d6.

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Now, if both dice are less than or equal to your zone number,

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then you are not so sneaky.

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And you check a block on the not so sneaky table.

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And that does have some fun little prompts on it to respond to.

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At that point, you just keep on creeping forward and back.

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Now remember, you do need to get to your hut before the end of the eighth hour.

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If you don't, then you are caught.

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However, if you do make it back to your hut before the end of the night, then

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you have two options that you can do.

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You can either roll a D six and uncheck that many items from your not so sneaky

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list, or you can perform a ritual.

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From the ritual list, and to perform a ritual back at your hut, you're

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going to use the components you've collected to perform the ritual.

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Check your book of rituals for the effects and required ingredients.

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You may only perform one per day.

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Now for your banishment ritual to end the game, that will be

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at the end of the third night.

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If you do not have the necessary components by then, you have failed.

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And the coven will surely come knocking before you get another chance.

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For your component list, you do have six items that you can find as well as a

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2d6 table for some weirdness or oddities that happens when you go to pluck it.

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And for your rituals,

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There are four rituals that you can do.

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Banishment, of course, being the key endgame that we need.

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For all eternity, the target of the spell must use every waking moment

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to move further away from you.

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But, this is going to cost nine components, plus a special

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component that the target treasures found in the Coven's Lair.

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For the other rituals you have, you have a Potion of Invisibility.

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That costs one component.

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Consuming the potion at the beginning of a round for the next three hours, roll

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an extra d6 on check your sneakiness.

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All those dice must be less than or equal to the zone number

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to count as not so sneaky.

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You can enchant a broom of flying, which allows you to move two hexes

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for every creep ahead for one night only, and that costs two components.

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And then you have summon a helpful helper.

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For the rest of the game, roll 2d6 when you search for components.

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And you can find two components in one round, but this

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does cost three components.

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And that is the basic rules.

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This is just a one page game.

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It was part of the one page RPG jam over on itch.

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io.

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So, a very simple set of rules.

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Unfortunately, this is one of those games where you do need to have a strategy.

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And we're going to lay that out a little bit right here.

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Because

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the rival coven is six hexes away.

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It would take us six hours to get there.

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And that's not including getting back.

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So...

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Right off the bat, we know that we need to be able to move 12 hexes in eight hours.

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So obviously we need a broom of flying.

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Plus, when you look at the amount of components that you need,

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you need 10 components for the banishment and two for the broom.

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So that's 12.

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We only have 16 hours and some of those are going to have to be spent moving.

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So we will potentially benefit from Helpful Helper as well.

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So, that is our game plan.

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That is what our witchy witch is going to be doing.

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Oh, Witch Hazel will be her name.

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Nice little throwback for you classic Looney Tunes fans.

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But with that, let's go ahead and dive on into the game.

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Nyehehehehehe!

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These silly little witches!

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They think that they can move into my swamp.

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But I have something for them!

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Alright, and we're gonna go ahead and move into our first hex.

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And,

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actually we're gonna go ahead and move two hexes.

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Alright, so we've started off, we've crept ahead twice.

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We are now in zone two.

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And that is the end of our first hour of night one.

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So now we need to roll our 2d6 on our sneakiness table

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And we got a three and a four so we are still being sneaky.

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All right, so next up we are going to creep ahead into zone three just

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because a 50 percent chance is better than Trying to roll under a two, but

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unfortunately, that's everything we can do for this hour because we are

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being sneaky We don't want those other witches to find out what we're doing

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Rolling on our sneakiness table again, we got a 4 and a 5.

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So we are still being successfully sneaky.

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But that closes out Hour 2, it is now Hour 3.

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And now, we're going to search for components.

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And I got a 3!

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Outstanding.

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So, we found our first component.

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Rolling a 5 for the component list, it is an animal.

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That changes color to match what it's touching.

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So this is going to be a lizard.

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We're going to find, we found ourselves a little bit of a lizard.

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Ah yes, the camouflaging lizard.

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Just what we need, just what we need.

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And now, we roll our sneaky.

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We got a five and a two, so that was close, but we are still sneaky.

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And that ends

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hour three.

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Now we are going to continue to search in this area,

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because I got two hours left before I have to start heading home.

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And I got a 5, which means we don't find anything searching around.

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We haven't found anything else.

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Luckily for our sneak check, we rolled double sixes, which

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means we are still sneaky.

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But that closes out Hour 4.

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So for Hour 5, one more search for components, and no dice.

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We rolled a 4.

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Luckily, we passed our sneak check.

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Alright, so unfortunately, we have to start heading back.

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So for hour 6, we're creeping our way back home.

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And we successfully pass our sneak with another double 6 for zone 2.

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Closing out hour 6.

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We are in zone 1 now.

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And

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I did bad math.

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So, you know what?

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We're gonna go for it.

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We're gonna see if we can find anything here.

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Oh!

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We do not.

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We rolled a 2 for zone 1, so we don't find anything.

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Searching for components.

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But we do pass our sneak check.

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That ends hour seven.

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Hour eight.

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We return home.

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So we have closed out our first night and we have only found one item.

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We are not looking good for the home team.

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I gotta hope that I gotta hope that this next night is going to be better.

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Alright, so moving on to night two.

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Again, we are going to move to move into zone two.

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Gonna check our sneak, and our sneak is good.

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So that closes out our one.

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We're gonna cross into zone three,

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and that is all that we can do.

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But, unfortunately for us, we rolled a three and a one, so we were not so sneaky.

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So we're gonna mark one box on our not so sneaky.

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A raven flies overhead.

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Does it serve the other coven?

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It's been a long time since I've seen ravens in these parts.

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I wonder...

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Is it here because they are here?

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Did they send it?

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Do they try to spy on me?

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No.

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It can't be.

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Hee hee hee hee.

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Is it?

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But, unfortunately for us, that is how we end Hour 2.

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Hour 3, we're gonna sneak into Zone 4, cause we need, we need better odds.

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Once again, we're gonna roll for our sneak.

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And we got a 1 and a 4, we got another not so sneaky.

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Our luck seems to be turning.

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That's a lie, we haven't had luck to begin with.

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We notice footprints in the mud.

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They're fresh.

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Has someone noticed yours?

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Now,

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they could be out, they could be tracking me, but why would they?

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I am rather close,

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but it might be nothing.

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It might be me, it might be nothing.

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We must be careful.

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And that is how we end Hour 3.

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Alright, for Hour 4 we finally get to try to find a component.

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And of course I roll a 5.

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And another three and four, so another tick on the not so sneaky.

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You hear the rustle of movement.

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You hide.

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Did someone see you?

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I knew I shouldn't have been checking around when I saw those fresh tracks.

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Shh, witch hazel, it's gonna be okay.

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It's gonna be fine.

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They haven't seen me yet, have they?

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Curse these witches!

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And that is the end of hour four.

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And unfortunately, with that, we need to start heading back.

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So we move back into Zone 3, so hopefully our rolls go better.

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They do.

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We have not been caught.

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On Hour 6, we have moved into Zone 2.

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Ooh, good thing we left Zone 3, because we just rolled double threes.

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Luckily, it holds up for Zone 2.

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Moving back into Zone 1 for Hour 7.

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Once again, our sneak holds.

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And we return home.

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So at the end of Night 2...

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We have collected precisely one component.

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So now the question is, do we rage against the coming spell?

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Or do we accept our fate?

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And I think we're going to have to accept our fate.

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As we know, mathematically, we cannot do what we need to do on Night 3.

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We are unable to gather the components that we need for the potion.

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And it would seem that our activities have not gone unnoticed.

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Apparently our tracks were found, that's why we heard the rustle.

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They were searching for us that night.

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And it is not long before we hear the knock on our door.

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And then the incessant banging before a flash of light.

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And we are staring up.

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At what was once very normal sized furniture, but is now

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giant in its appearance.

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And...

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We find ourselves...

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We find ourselves at the same height as the lizard.

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Still waiting patiently in its cage.

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As we have been turned into a newt.

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Unfortunately, I don't think we're gonna get better.

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From this.

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But, that's Sneaky Witches.

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So, this is a fun game.

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I do like this.

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I do like the concept.

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It is a very fun, very cute concept.

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It does remind me a lot of Swamp Troll Witches.

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Which is another crafting game, where you need to search for the components

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in order to conduct your spells.

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Only with that one, you're selling them on the night market.

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With this, you're trying to banish another coven.

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But I do like this game.

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I do like the conceit of it.

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I do like the The concept and the world that has been built

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It's a very easy game to pick up.

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It's a very easy game to play again It is a one page rpg not a lot of rules not

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a lot to have to figure out so this is definitely something that you can just

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pick up and run and as you saw a game is not going to take You very long now

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I don't like games that are super hard to win Me personally I know some people

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go for that and it's, it's funny that I say that because I do like wretched

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and alone games, which those games are not designed to be won either.

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But at least with the story prompting element of that, you do get a,

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you do get some type of narrative sense and you know, it's going to end and

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you know that it's going to end poorly.

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So you can build this narrative leading up to that.

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This, you don't really have that.

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So yeah, I would say my biggest complaint is the fact that, you

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know, halfway through the game, whether or not you're going to win.

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And I don't know if it's just adding some more nights, you

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know, adding a couple more nights might be the difference to that.

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So by, by all means, when you're playing add a couple more nights, you know give

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yourself a, give yourself a chance.

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And if you're going to add more nights, don't change anything to anything else.

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Leave the not so sneaky counter as is.

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Leave everything else as is.

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Just add a couple more nights to see,

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you know, if you can even give yourself a chance.

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Because again, you need 10 components just for the banishment spell.

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And the only way to get the 10th component is to get a broom so that

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you can get to the witch's shack the rival coven shack, and back.

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So that is

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12 components necessary to win.

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And you have

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24 available slots, 24 available time slots,

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except you don't because you have to move, like you can

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either move or you can search.

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And I do like, I do like the moving and searching being.

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Separate actions, because again, you're sneaking around.

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So yes, it's going to take you an hour to creep into the next area.

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It's going to take you an hour to try and find something useful.

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But yeah, once you're looking at 24 slots and you need to hit on 12 of them, that

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means you only have 12 movement slots.

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And that's not a lot.

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That is not a lot of time.

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I mean, I guess you have 15 movement slots because you can

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double move on the first hour.

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But, yeah, that doesn't give you, that doesn't give you a whole

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lot of leeway for this stuff.

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Especially considering 6 out of those 15 slots you have are getting

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to the rival coven and back.

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So, that's, what, 7 movements for night 1 and 2 that you can do.

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In order to find 13 components.

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That's rough.

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That is very rough.

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The dice have to go your way a lot.

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So yeah, add some extra nights, long winded way of me saying

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that, but outside of that great game, really fun, really enjoy it

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again.

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I like the way they divided up the hexes into zones and how your

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roles are based on the zones.

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It makes a whole lot of sense.

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The closer you get to the rival coven, the easier it is, the more to get spotted,

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you know, the more dangerous it is.

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That is a great little bit of building in there.

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Really, really enjoy that.

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Really like that.

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I like the, I like the searching and the crafting.

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Bit.

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The component bit.

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Not a lot of, not a lot of games do a lot with components in crafting.

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And I got it.

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It can be...

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Crafting is always hit or miss in games.

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It's...

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There's just a level of accounting, basically, that it turns into.

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But having something like this, where, you know, it's the sole focus

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of the game, makes it really nice.

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This is definitely a great way to use that.

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This is a great little minigame if you just want to toss it into

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one of your larger campaigns.

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Because, again, it's not going to take that long.

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You can roll through, you can roll through this with some

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serious RP in 30 45 minutes.

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You know, as long as you're not getting, as long as you're not getting bogged down

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in the RP that is not part of the game.

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So, great minigame to toss into your larger campaigns.

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Or, you know, just a fun little thing to play by yourself when you got a half hour.

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You know, you're sitting there stuck at the doctor's office or whatever,

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waiting to be, waiting to be seen for something, you know, you're stuck at

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the DMV waiting for your number to be called, you know, all this takes is

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two dice and a little bit of paper.

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And what's great is when you pick up the game, they have printable play sheets.

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So.

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A,

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one page, designed as a trifold, folds up very nicely into a nice little pamphlet.

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B, you got the printable playsheets that also don't take up much space.

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It's actually divided up into,

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It divides the paper up into thirds.

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So, you could print off a playsheet.

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Cut it in three.

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A, that's three games.

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B, it'll fit in your pamphlet.

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So, very great very great options for just keeping it accessible.

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At that point, all you need is 2D6, which, you know, dice rolling

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apps, those are perfectly fine.

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You know, go ahead and use those.

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But, yeah, great game, fun game, highly enjoyable, and a great way to...

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Kick off your spooky season.

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So if you would like to pick up Sneaky Witches, you can find it at

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m-allen-hall.itch.io/ witches and you can get it for the low low price of 1

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Which is a very good deal on this So go pick it up If you do make sure you

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tell them that SteelStash sent you and remember I mustache y'all to stay awesome

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Lonely TTRPG
A Solo Play Podcast
Lonely TTRPG is a show where I play and review solo TTRPGs.

Every other week, we play another solo TTRPG from across the indie community.

So join us as we roll, draw, and journal our way through some fantastic games.

About your host

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John Stum

Black Dragon Dungeon Company is a TTRPG podcast. We do weekly actual play podcasts and bi-weekly discussion podcasts where we talk about certain things about the TTRPG world.

You can reach us at blackdragondungeoncompany@gmail.com or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bddc_pod