Playing a skirmish with Mages
Get Loaded
Our first Skirmish (short Adventure) is bundled within the pages of our inaugural issue of LoadOut zine. “Module B2” is a Spacefaring Skirmish (well, technically Lower Orbit Earth Atmosphere Adventure) that comes complete with a cut-out Map with a scripted story, and is bundled with a bag containing a couple of Monster Cards, handful of Monster and Player cardboard Figurines, and a copious set of 24 Loot Tokens (including a Pet). The Skirmish can be played on its own as long as you have a set of RPG dice. Get the issue, download the Ampersand Rules PDF and FREE Lite Character Folios, and get playing.
A complete Skirmish Adventure is bundled with the first issue of LoadOut zine.
Get a ScreenBox
But for a better game play experience, you can repurpose elements of your purchased Ampersand RPG ScreenBox game, namely Mages & Macrophages. Plus, you can take your existing Characters and continue their journeys to gain more Experience Points (XP) from the “Module B2” skirmish. Here are some helpful tips to do so.
ScreenBox games like Mages & Macrophages unfold to serve as the GM Screen
With your box of Mages, you can play with the aforementioned Player Characters, their accumulated Loot Tokens, Figurines, a bunch of the Figurine standees, the Dry-Erase Pen, and the ScreenBox itself. Set the other game pieces of Mages to the side.
Carefully cut out the Play Map from the middle of LoadOut
The whole centerfold script for “Module B2” should now be visible
Open and set up your ScreenBox normally
Prop up the LoadOut skirmish front and center
Fold all the Figurines and attach them to the standees (if you have them)
Invite players to switch-out or use their existing Player Figurines
Gather the Loot Tokens, all black Monster Figurines, 2 Monster Cards behind the screen (see image below)
Place the Map, a pair of d20s, and the Dry-Erase Pen in front for the Players
You’re ready to play!
Behind the ScreenBox, the GM hides the Story, Loot Tokens, Monster Cards, Figurines, and Dice (that came with Mages & Macrophages).
If you own Mages & Macrophages, use the Figurine standees, but you can also just use the folded Figurine by itself.
Mini but Mighty
The skirmish story is pretty short. It is micro-sized, after all. But it should be a good 30 minutes of suspense and drama. We jam-packed it full of fun Loot Tokens. While setting up all the elements behind the screen, we recommend the GameMaster (GM) organize or stack the Loot Tokens by room on the map like in the above photo – it will make game play easier later on. The GM should peruse the text and group the tokens which are singled-out in blue text.
For new GMs, simply read the black text out loud to the players. And then read all the red text to yourself. These are games notes and secrets. The story is intense and brief. GMs, feel free to embellish or ad-lib as you see fit. If this is truly your first time, definitely download our free six-page Rules PDF to get the full overview on how to play. It’s painless. Honest. And you’ll be up and running in minutes!
The cut-out “Module B2” map sits in front of the players.
What's Next?
We hope you enjoyed your brief romp into outer space. Once you’ve reached the end of the story, make sure to flip over the map and assign Experience Points (XP) accordingly. With “Module B2” we really wanted to demonstrate that Ampersand games don’t always have to occur in a dank and dark dungeon. And Players can accumulate some quality loot even in short gameplay to use in their next Adventure in the Ampersand RPG realm. Stay tuned for future skirmishes and our next ScreenBox Adventure. The mysterious desert secrets of Snakes & Sarcophagi are next on the docket. So be sure to sign-up for the Newsletter to be on top of upcoming announcements, blog posts like this, contests/give-aways, or crowd-funding events.
[ written by a human with no use of AI ]
Ampersand RPG LoadOut zine is bundled with the skirmish adventure “Module B2”. You can play it as-is, but for the best gameplay experience, pair it up with a ScreenBox.