Revolution Calling

It is September, 1777. The American Revolution is now in full swing.

New York City has fallen to the British. Gen. Washington retreats with his rag-tag army, hoping for time to replenish his numbers and strike a blow at the Redcoats when he has an advantage.

The Sons of Liberty are known to be very active in occupied NYC. They commit acts of sabotage, spy on British troops and their movements and generally try to make life miserable for the British leadership... especially for the Howe brothers.




The party receives notes (you can already be in a group if you wish unless any of you has a reason not to be)

Each note reads (in almost spidery script that is somewhat difficult to read) - "meet me at the Nag's Head Inn in the village of Kent's Crossing, burn after reading"

you recognize the hand-wrtiting as belonging to Edward Hawkins, a tanner and innkeeper from NYC that is known to have a personal hatred of General Howe.

Captain Coffin lingers near the lines of fishermen seeking day work down at the docks. He isn't looking for a job but it gives an older man a good reason to stand around watching the ships come in and out the harbor. He notes the numbers and sizes of any British ships he sees.

In a slow and measured manner, he takes a whale bone pipe from his jacket pocket, absently tapping it in his hand. The fine stand was lost long ago when the Hermes sank, but he managed to keep hold of the pipe.



Coffin loads a pinch of Martin's Best Virginia tobacco into the pipe. He deliberately lights the pipe slowly, burning the small note with the same match.



He enjoys a slow smoke. Hastily scribbled notes are no cause for a rush. Whaling is a patient hunt. Mistakes lead to widows and broken boats. No, "the slow way is the safe way."

Coffin heads towards the Nag's Head after his pipe is finished.

A nameless day laborer trudges up the street from the docks looking for another place to drown his sorrows after a hard day of unloading British ships.   Stopping to light his cigar, he absently settles on The Nag’s Head. He is not a regular. He sits in the corner, makes a poor pass at a wench, and orders a lager and the dinner special.

The Captain is known to King, he gives him a curt nod as he finishes stowing his gear and securing his skiff. He’s made his way up the coast these last few months, smuggling and raiding along the way. He’s uneasy in the city, preferring the tidal marshes of Long Island to the bustle of the New York docks, but now duty calls. He makes his way to the Inn as instructed.

sorry, I should have been more specific. Kent's Crossing is a small village outside of NYC. It's a safer place to meet rather than in NYC.

More to come this evening. Busy day

Assuming Kent’s Crossing is along one of the rivers, King would prefer to navigate upstream and dock there.

all of you arrive at varying times. The inn is comfortable and it looks to have a few of the locals present in the early evening.






within minutes of your arrival you each notice a man smoking a clay pipe at a corner table. He nods to you very slightly (each of you).

Do you join him?

Also, I would like a Perception check from all of you after you are inside.

Also, also, tell the GM if you are trying to conceal weapons or something else

GM - do we need to conceal weapons? I have no idea about open carry, concealed carry or other weapon laws for this time period.

Passive Perception = 13

Coffin will nod in return and join the man for a friendly pipe.  He shows the man the ink drawing of his old ship, the Hermes, on his whale bone pipe.  "Clay pipes can used as deadly weapons....or so I read in the daily post."

Coffin has his walking cane, if firearms are prohibited.

you don't necessarily need to conceal them. It was just a thought I had last night. It doesn't need to be a big deal though

"yes they can" the man answers - "I'm Hawkins... you must be Mr. Coffin."

King is armed with his sawtooth long knife in his boot sheath and coat pistol tucked away in his waistband under his broadcloth coat. His carbine is hidden in his skiff back at the docks.

Perception:
Tue Nov 07 2023 18:18:37 GMT-0700 (Mountain Standard Time)
Rolling line 1 : 1d20 + 5 to total : 18, + 5, TOTAL: 23

He ambles quietly over to the table, nods to the Captain once more and gives a quizzical look to Hawkins as he sits down. He leans back in his chair, angling his body away from the room slightly and resting his boot on the fireplace mantle, showing the whalebone hilt of his knife peeking from the top. He lets his coat fall open to scarcely reveal the butt of his pistol. The show is subtle and meant to be for Hawkins alone. King says nothing.

"Ah, Mr. King... silent as usual." He gives a wry smile.

(just waiting on Jeaupear)

Mr. King notices this symbol over the fireplace... it looks very worn, you reckon few notice it. It is very crude without the detail in the image below (best I could find)

Coffin returns the nod and raises his pipe to King.

"Is this Inn one of yours, Hawkins? I could use a warm meal after a long day at the harbor."

Jeaupear carries no weapons. They are at his meager apartment, a room at an old widow’s home. She is shrewd about rent money and noise, but minds her own business. He waits to be invited and joins with a foul limerick about a man from Nantucket. He wrote it. That’s where it came from. . He leers at the wench to send her scurrying so the group can talk business. “I suppose you all want to know why Jopah wanting to talk to all of you.”

He gets a 7 on his deception check for his joke and a 6 on perception. So he’s pretty sure you believed him. “A ha ha. Jopah, get you eh?” He chides with a stupid friendly grin.

Hawkins almost roars with laughter...  "I truly do love the French. Bienvenue mon ami."

He looks almost casually at the barkeep.  The barkeep makes a slight jerk of his head and a fiddle player starts up.  A few of the locals start to dance and sing.

Surprisingly, the area you are sitting in is somewhat quiet.  This allows you to hear Hawkins as he whispers to you...

"I'm glad you could all make it here.  As you well know, New York is under occupation and General Washington's army is in dire straights.  We need every patriot now more than ever."

(guy on the left for visual reference)



He looks around looking to make sure that no one is taking interest in your conversation....

... "The Sons have learned that General Howe is trying to bribe the various landed families around Albany.  Most are afraid of the rebels and what we might do (he smiles again) and they want to relocate to New York. Instead, Gen. Howe has decided to send a detachment of troops with 2000 pounds in silver to keep them where they are. The bribe is for lost slaves, damaged property and the like.  This is hard money that our side could sorely use, especially the Continental Army, so that they can buy food and supplies throughout the next few months or even a year, since everyone honors hard currency over that almost worthless continental script.  

The column is supposed to move on the morrow of the next day. My spies tell me it's only 10 men with a junior officer."

He looks up again... then turns to all of you.  "Well (he takes a drag off of his pipe), do I see three patriots that can pull off a highway robbery?"

The Ranger leans in to the conversation. “It’s just “King” Mr Hawkins. And you’ve found three patriots, it’s true. So where are we to intercept this column escorting the 1900 pounds of silver? And what of our escape? Making off with 1800 pounds of silver for the Continentals will be no easy feat. And who are we to sequester this 1700 pounds of silver with?” He sits back again with a quick half grin for his accomplices.

Coffin enjoys the ranger's skill at mathematics. "100 pounds of silver could build a fine new whaling ship..." he muses to himself. "Three against eleven is a hard task. It will require planning, preparation and more than a little help from the Almighty." He puffs his pipe, "A spot of luck wouldn't go unappreciated either. Hawkins, do your spies know which road they will take?"

"They will be taking the main road. There are multiple places for an ambush as the road winds north."

"May we have a few moments, Mr. Hawkins?"

Coffin will wait for Hawkins to leave.

"You two are the experts in traps and snares on land. If this were a naval operation, I would have a few ideas. Keep in mind, we have to use the wagon and the road to move the silver out afterwards, so we can't disable either permanently. What say you?"

King ponders the issues at hand, thoughtfully stroking the three days stubble on his jawline. “Main road to Albany follows the Hudson….perhaps there is yet to be a naval angle for us to exploit Captain.”

Whitey wrote:King ponders the issues at hand, thoughtfully stroking the three days stubble on his jawline. “Main road to Albany follows the Hudson….perhaps there is yet to be a naval angle for us to exploit Captain.”

Coffin's bushy white eyebrows perk up and he gives his mustache a gentle tug.  His grey eyes stare 1000 yards off across the Inn as if scanning the sea for a whale's exhale plume.  

"We could disable both the road and the wagon then and slip away by boat with the silver.  That would leave fewer clues for the British afterwards and we wouldn't need to take such care in our tactics.  We would need a small skiff capable of carrying 3 men and the silver.  There are small farming communities all up and down the Hudson.  Claverack Landing is about 10 families.  I only know it because its one of the bays off the Hudson river that is deep enough to dock a whaling ship.  I docked there a few times to take on supplies.  I haven't been there since '74 when the Colonies banned trade with Britain."  

He refocuses his eyes and addresses the Frenchman, "Et vous, monsieur... quesque tu pense, eh?"



note - Claverack Landing would eventually be renamed to Hudson Bay and the home of the Hudson Bay Whaling Industry after the war.

“Even if they left at first light they’d struggle to make it to Albany in a single day. Perhaps we can catch them as they prepare to fortify for the night and make our escape downriver under cover of darkness.”

“A Junior Offeesehr will like a long view, no? Probably deed not fight in zee last war. Too new from training, wants to shoot big salvos and not hide behind cover. He weel March down zee meedle of zeh road and tell everyone to ged outa heez way.  He weel stop in zeh town weess zeh most Torries and left zehm fawn oveir heem.”

GM's note:

I expected this from you guys and I love the planning. Just try to have a post that explains your plan so I know what you will be up to.

Note: The British sacked Kingston, NY on October 13, 1777 as an offshoot of the Battle of Saratoga. Kingston is about 90 miles north of NYC…a long day’s ride…

“It’s Kingston then…” King Ditzer’s normally dour face breaks into a broad, toothy grin. “…Perfect”.

King thinks back to his time as a river guide, “There is a tributary of the Hudson called Rondout Creek just below Kingston. They’ll have to cross the bridge there if they intend to make a grand entrance into town,” He nods to the Frenchman’s analysis, “or even if they just intend to shelter there quietly for the night. We spring our trap at the bridge and have the skiff waiting below to receive the coin…”

"If Kingston has been recently sacked, we may find some local support there as well.  I can try to rally support (He is a Firebrand class) while you two lay the physical traps.  Even a single barrage before the locals flee might be enough to turn the tide without endangering anyone."  Coffin puffs his pipe, "I love it when a plan comes together."


GM - so I think the plan would be for us to ride fast for Kingston today to get ahead of the British caravan that leaves tomorrow

King and Frenchie can setup snares or whatever at the bridge while Coffin uses his skills to try and gain some local support.  Coffin plans to distribute Broadsheets in advance of making an oral argument for support

Broadsheets. Large single-sheet prints of engravings,
announcements, or propaganda. Each set of broadsheets
you possess promotes a specific message or argument.
Once distributed, you gain a +2 bonus on Charisma checks
that relate to the broadsheet’s message for the next 7 days,
or until a rebuttal is distributed countering your claim. To
distribute the sheets, you must spend 4 hours handing out
or posting them. You can reduce the time by 1 hour for each
creature willing to spread the word, to a minimum of 1 hour.

the effect might be something like this Gambit

Order Volley
3rd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 8 hours, or until disrupted or triggered
You recruit a handful of noncombatants sympathetic to
your cause to aid you. While unwilling to risk their lives
in open combat, these creatures agree to fire a single
volley when the time is right, and then quickly scatter.
When you cast this gambit you must specify if you want
your allies to fire a volley with bows or with muskets.
By spending 1 attack or 1 action on your turn, you
can signal your allies to launch their volley at a point
within 60 feet of you. Each creature in the area of effect
of the volley must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking
4d6 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage
on a successful one. If you choose bows, the volley
does piercing damage in a 30-foot radius. If you choose
muskets, the volley does ballistic damage in a 20-foot
wide line 100 feet long—the line must begin behind cover
or some other obscuring terrain.

Jeaupear orders some food and drinks and begins using them to construct a crude map of the area near the bridge. “Tell Jopah where everyseeng eez and we make a plan.”

navyik wrote:Jeaupear orders some food and drinks and begins using them to construct a crude map of the area near the bridge. “Tell Jopah where everyseeng eez and we make a plan.”

Working from memory, King lays out the basic configuration of road, bridge, & town:






"I propose we lie in wait on the south shore and let them pass. I can set an Alarm on the bridge that will signal your followers to launch their salvo from the north, Captain. Jeupear, have you anything that might disable the wagon or horses? We step up to block their escape, laying waste to any who survive the first barrage. We transfer the silver to the skiff and escape through the estuary east to the Hudson. I can provide us with a Fog Cloud to obscure our departure should eyes sympathetic to the British bear witness."

“Jopah has just zeh seeng you say, ah ha ha. I will need to be close enough to throw it…”

*Mr. GM, looks like we have our plan. You have enough to go on?

I believe so. Give me a day or so and we'll get going

Hawkins returns after a few minutes, listens to your plan and smiles. "I think you will be quite successful!" He orders a round of drinks for you.



Are you heading out right away or waiting until morning?

Just let me know how you are getting to your ambush site and any preparations along the way or when you get there (I believe I saw quite a bit of that)

Coffin wants to head out asap as he needs time to distribute the Broadsheets and do his talking. "I require a horse to reach Kingston ahead of the British. Just tell me friendly stable in town and I will return it to the cause."

Hawkins took the liberty of getting horses arranged for you, should you need them. The local stable has them ready. A sympathetic rebel named Baxter runs the stable

“Should Jopah ride weess Coffin or ride skiff weess King?”

navyik wrote:“Should Jopah ride weess Coffin or  ride skiff weess King?”

"I've done a good job keeping my skiff's activities away from prying British eyes. I'd prefer to keep it that way. Let's all ride together and while the good captain posts his papers, I'll see about procuring something riverworthy in Kingston. I'll just need to grab my gear and pay the dock master here to mind my boat for a few days."

King will head off to do that and makes arrangements to meet the others at the stables shortly.

ok, broadsheets and horses secured.

Are you going to run the horses flat out?

whit10 wrote:

The column is supposed to move on the morrow of the next day. My spies tell me it's only 10 men with a junior officer."

The column, which I assume means they are on foot (right?), is not even leaving until tomorrow.  We have horses and can leave today.  And it takes them all day to get there, right?

We should be moving faster on horses.  We have a head start.  I have no idea what time it is or how long it takes to get there by horse.  

If it is possible to get to Kingston tonight, Coffin would prefer that so the Broadsheets can be distributed and he can do his Persuasion.  Then we have more time tomorrow to get setup.  

If it all has to be done during the day tomorrow, that's probably fine too.


EDIT - Coffin has no riding skills, so if "running them flat out" requires some kind of check then he isn't doing that and will go slow and safe

you could get there by late evening without breaking the horses (or needing any roles for untrained riders)

does that work?

whit10 wrote:you could get there by late evening without breaking the horses (or needing any roles for untrained riders)

does that work?

that is fine for me

Works for King.

“We post your Broadsheets at nighttime weess some sneaky sneak, no?”

I assume you are sticking to the main road on the way to the town and bridge?

Sure. Unless Hawkins has some intel for the party that would steer them away from that route…

The road should be clear but you might not want to make it obvious that you are rebels. At least on the road....

Good enough. King keeps a low profile anyways. Ready to go when the rest of the party is.

Jeaupear keeps his weapons stowed under the saddle blanket, backpack and a sack of old clothes that are strapped to the horse.

“Whad we say we are doing on zeh road? Are we on our way to someseeng?”

“On our way to Kingston to buy a new skiff? Technically the truth…”

The group moves out as the sun sets (you wanted to go ASAP).

The night is cold but clear. You can hear owls hooting in the distance and the occasional rustling of tree branches in the wind.

Since none of you can see in the dark, how are you navigating the road? The moon is only a sliver in the sky

Jeaupear has dark vision.