The Lion’s Share

Hello, dear traveller, Darren here. Our adventures continue aboard Zenobius' ship, The Clytemnestra. Join us and visit ports around the civilised (but perhaps not so savoury) known Roman world...

Discover how Philamon began life in the article: Introducing Philamon: The Lion of Nemea”: From Concept to Creation.

Welcome to The Spartans’ Retreat:

Tucked away in amongst the sun-scorched streets of Port Oplontis, you will find a sprawling tavern known as The Spartans’ Retreat.
The noise from the bar indicates a newcomer to the tavern, boisterous and wearing a tatty rag of a lion's head, waving an amphora under the noses of some of your gang.

It seems this newcomer is after helping hands to 'recruit' crew for his ship's next voyage. Time to make some coin for yourself and see where this man named Philamon takes you.

Setup

Philamon has sniffed out promising new blood in a local tavern. Dockworkers, disgraced sailors, and exiled Greeks, but they’re reluctant to join Zenobius’ crew. Philamon insists they simply “need encouragement.”
Your gang must help him “persuade” the recruits, either through charm, bribery, or a good old-fashioned brawl. Unfortunately, a local gang leader has taken umbrage at his men being waylaid into a new career and has gathered his gang to stop you.

Scenario Requirements:

• A 2x2’ tavern interior layout on a 3x3' board, with long wooden tables, barrels of wine, and a central fire pit inside and cluttered streets on two sides.
• 3 Mobs: One mob inside the tavern to represent the drunken locals/off-duty sailors, and two mobs in the streets.

Objective

Recruit a minimum of 3 potential crew members for Zenobius

• Philamon can only recruit from the enemy fighters or any Incola you decide to place on the board.
• Drinking Challenge (Hermes’ Gambit): To recruit some stubborn locals, a drinking contest must be held. Philamon may elect to issue the challenge by using his special rule, Hermes’ Gambit; resolve it as you would a grapple, but should his opponent lose, the figure is removed and is now "recruited" into the crew of the Clytemnestra.
• Philamon must also be active at the end of the game.

Deployment

Place the Philamon or an Objective Marker to represent Philamon in one corner of the tavern.

Place one mob (to represent the drunk/sailors) in the centre of the table (inside the tavern)
Both players alternate placing the other mobs outside in the street, starting with the player controlling Philamon.
Place a coloured token for each Gang Fighter in the Draw. Both players alternate drawing tokens. As a token is drawn, the corresponding player places one of their Gang Fighters in their deployment area.

Philamon's allies must deploy outside the tavern and can enter through windows and doors, whilst the gang trying to stop Philamon must set up inside the tavern.

Victory Conditions:

• Success: Philamon gains three new recruits, and Zenobius gains a small favour with the Oplontis underworld.
• Partial Success: Only one or two recruits join, and Philamon must “convince” the others during the next mission.
• Failure: No recruits join. The tavern erupts into chaos, and local authorities are alerted to Zenobius’ operations.

Game End

The game ends after turn five has been completed or if one gang has been completely removed from play.

Let us know how your games went

We hope you've enjoyed our little scenario and have seen the extra twists I've envisioned with these unofficial test rules. Please drop me a line on our official Gangs Of Rome Facebook group and let me know how you fared, or indeed how the Philamon fared, in your games. Till the next adventure!

Darren Evans

See the previous scenario "Zenobius and the Bawdy Baboon" HERE