After successfully sneaking into a caravan-bound covered wagon, the PCs are well on their way. However, the caravan's journey will take days or weeks, perhaps even months; the heroes can't simply hide in a wagon for that long. So, they'll need to blend in with their fellow travelers, avoiding raising any suspicions about their identities.

This sort of scenario is appropriate if the PCs are outlaws, spies infiltrating enemy land, or outsiders that need the safety of the caravan to avoid dangers, either natural or governmental. PCs should have little difficulty joining a caravan in friendly lands and wouldn't require a scenario such as this.

Intimidation won't work here, at least not solely, so the PCs can only win by the Debate Axis. If they take too long to fit in, they'll arouse suspicion. However, the fighters in the Vanguard respond favorably to rough back-and-forth, so damage-based PCs have an option there to contribute directly to victory (while also being vulnerable to the enemy doing the same).

Wagon  -  March  -  Vanguard

Wagon: Occupying entities cannot be affected by any plays or effects from entities outside the Wagon, regardless of range, nor can they affect entities outside the Wagon with any plays or effects, including Triggers.
March: No effect.
Vanguard: Dealing damage with an Action advances the Debate Counter favorably by 1 notch.

• Student
• Tough
• Goon
• Gossip

• Charmer
• Student
• Tough
• Goon
• Gossip

• Charmer
• Student
• Tough
• Goon x2
• Gossip x2

• The PCs begin in the Wagon.
• The Student begins in the Wagon.
• The Charmer begins in the March.
• The Tough and Goons begin in the Vanguard.
• The Gossip begins in the March. Any second Gossip begins in the Wagon.

Gossips will seek to block PC movement, but the remaining Opponents are disinterested in doing so. Opponents themselves typically won't Move unless forced to, after which they'll probably try to return to their starting position. Gossips will follow PCs if left alone, however (but only after starting to talk; the Gossip in March won't enter the Wagon in the first round if no PCs have yet entered the March, for instance).

Ranged Actions are an exception to this; if a PC in the March plays ranged Actions against targets in the Vanguard, the targets will likely Move in unless they're already engaging other PCs in the March.

Opponents won't try to work together in any particular manner. They're passive in this scene, not trying to get anything in particular out of the PCs.

The PCs have successfully blended in with their fellow travelers and may continue their journey. You might have the PCs make a friend or two.

The PCs raise suspicion. If hiding their identities was their goal, they are found out. Regardless, the PCs are likely to be kicked out of the caravan. If they choose to employ violence to force the travelers to accept them, they'll have to defeat the hired fighters in combat first. Starting such a fight should likely cost each PC a point of Karma.

If they're made to leave the caravan, the journey should become much more challenging. Difficult exploration and/or combat scenarios are appropriate.

If you think your PCs will choose to avoid the Vanguard and focus on the Counter elsewhere, you might need to change up the Opponent set a bit, as only the Student is adept at Counter movement. Consider including Cynics in place of one or more Antagonists.

Some plays deal damage flavored less as intimidation and more as using charms or wiles to get an Opponent to drop suspicions or give up on antagonizing. If your PCs have such Actions, you might allow defeating all enemies to be a valid victory condition. In this case, it's better to penalize Aggressive PC plays outside of the Vanguard (such as with dice level reductions). Eliminate the Vanguard position's effects, making it the place for Aggressive-themed PCs to go in order to avoid the penalties.

More level 2 interaction scenarios