Preparing for an expedition?

[Caesar_X]

I am playing some one-on-one BW with a friend in the same world that I used with several other friends earlier this year.

http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5196&highlight=ghazan

Robert wants to play a former scribe who owns his own business, but wants to abandon it over to his 14 year old son to run while he journeys inland to the ruined city of Aziza to prove that the Gods had nothing to do with this apocalypse. Robert's character has almost no adventuring skills and only Resources of B2, so this will be a true crusade for him.

So I am curious what preparations/challenges that you think would come with finding a group of people (believers, perhaps?) to join him and getting all the necessary supplies, maps, money, etc. He would like to be out of town on his way by the end of the first session. So I wanted to come up with some interesting logistical challenges while he deals with the ramifications of leaving a young man in charge of his business.

Any thoughts?

[zabieru]

Well, Circles is obvious for gathering followers, but some kind of preaching as a linked test (Oratory is the obvious skill, but a couple others might work in a pinch) could help that along. Resources for gear, but linked tests to pick the right gear would be awesome (Soldiering, Road-wise, Iron-Rations-Wise, Expedition-Wise, Tavern-Stories-About-The-Ones-Who-Never-Made-It-Home-Wise...) and you could also make some more Circles tests for an advisor on that subject or for someone to advise your kid.

[zipht]

and a failed Circle Test, is the perfect time to add rival, or a traitor.

[luke]

Oh man. Preparations could be a whole adventure in and of itself!

The important thing, I think, if you're going to play out a journey story, is to make sure each preparatory roll foreshadow some event along the road.

Resources, Circles and linked tests can all be used to great effect here.

[Caesar_X]

The important thing, I think, if you're going to play out a journey story, is to make sure each preparatory roll foreshadow some event along the road..

Luke, when you refer to foreshadowing; do you mean actually telling the player "man you failed that Cartography roll, that is going to cause you some trouble down the road"? Or more about creating related bangs for the actual journey that the player won't hear about until later?

Great suggestions about linked tests and Circles. I'm guessing he's going to want a Research/Writing/Cartography test to make some decent maps.

And on another note, I wonder if his girlfriend's father has Dowry-wise or Shotgun-Wedding-wise? :)

[luke]

Heh.

I mean both! Lay some obvious things out for him like, "you're going to need to have warm clothes for the mountain crossing." Those can be dealt with via Resources tests. But also keep a list of possible events/encounters/obstacles that you think are necessary for the journey like an uncharted swamp, for example. Those can be discovered beforehand by diligent research, and if he does, he can prepare for them. But if he doesn't, then you have a whole adventure seed ready to go!

-L