Overview of Part 5: Toward the Whispering Peak — Starter Kit (Numenera)
This episode (GM Monty Cook running the Numenera Starter Kit) follows the party as they leave Rusk and head toward the Whispering Peak, a mysterious mountain filled with ghosts and danger. The group deals with travel hardships, an ambush by small abhuman creatures using poison darts, and a collapsing rope bridge before forcing their way past the ambush and arriving at the base of the Whispering Peak — a cliff with floating rocks, unintelligible whispers, and a huge metal door. The session highlights several Numenera mechanics (notably Might Defense), creative use of ciphers, teamwork in tense moments, and a cliffhanger opening a big door.
Plot summary / Scene-by-scene highlights
- The party departs Rusk carrying the injured Morrow. The players pick “flex skills” for the day (examples: ghost vision, potion-making).
- A player with potion/plant skill gathers roots and brews a salve that produces two doses; one is used to stabilize Morrow.
- They travel through difficult terrain, camp, and continue the next day. Midday they reach a ravine with a rope-and-plank bridge leading to a cave in the opposite cliff face.
- One player uses a gravity-nullifying cipher to fly across and ferry teammates to the opposite height so the party can avoid the cave/bypass the cliff.
- Davalu (player character) charges across the bridge into the cave and is set upon by several small, bestial abhumans armed with blowguns.
- Combat: two blows from the blowguns force Might Defense checks because darts carry a toxic greenish goo. One player achieves a high roll and grabs a dart midair, throwing it back (a special-effect result).
- The ambush escalates: a creature cuts a bridge rope, the bridge begins to collapse. A risky grab-and-kick maneuver succeeds; the creature falls into the ravine and the PC clings to the remaining rope.
- Everyone scrambles free. Initiative and several short combats follow. The party uses ciphers and abilities: a huge frigid wall projector (massive cold damage), Onslaught, a buzzer, and a force field for armor.
- The abhumans are largely defeated, the rest retreat into the cave. The party rests briefly and then approaches a strange mountain — floating boulders orbiting the peak and pervasive whispering voices. At the base is a huge metal door set into the rock — session ends on this cliffhanger.
Mechanics & rules illustrated
- Flex Skills (for Jacks): players choose a daily flex skill (e.g., “ghost vision,” tracking, herbalism). Flex skills reduce task difficulty for related actions.
- Effort + Skill: Using effort (spending points from the appropriate pool: Intellect, Might, Speed) reduces task difficulty; being trained also reduces difficulty.
- Pools and actions:
- Pools: Might, Speed, Intellect are used to spend effort, power ciphers, or fuel special actions.
- Damage track: Pools dropping to zero cause impairment -> debilitated -> dead (0 in one pool = impaired, 2 pools = debilitated, 3 = death).
- Might Defense: a specific defensive roll to resist poisons and certain non-attack effects (you can spend Might points to lower difficulty).
- Speed Defense / Attack / Initiative: Speed is often used for initiative and defensive reactions; spending Speed can improve initiative or defense but is a finite resource.
- Ciphers: their “level” is determined by d6+2 for that use; effects scale with the cipher level (e.g., carry capacity, damage from frigid wall). Ciphers have durations and usage limits.
- Special effects on high rolls:
- Rolling a 19 can grant a minor special effect (immediate creative bonus, often an extra throw/attack).
- Rolling a 20 yields a major special effect.
- GM Intrusion: The GM can impose complications (intrusions) and grants XP when accepted. Players may refuse an intrusion by spending XP.
- Edge and weapon types: edges reduce costs; light weapons and edges alter difficulties.
Key moments / notable lines
- Monty Cook on Might Defense: “Sometimes characters need to survive hardships that have little to do with combat. Their might is tested, and it is met with a mechanic called Might Defense.”
- Dramatic PC moment: grabbing a poison-tipped dart midair and throwing it back (minor special effect from an excellent roll).
- Cipher showpiece: frigid wall projector doing massive damage to the ambushers (cipher level roll = big effect).
- Cliffhanger: arriving at Whispering Peak — floating rocks and a massive metal door — closes the episode.
NPCs / party (as presented)
- Morrow — injured companion who’s stabilized by a salve.
- PCs (names as heard in episode): Bix, Ediron, Ajnia, Davalu (D'avalu/Davaloo variations in transcript), Shonza/Ashanza (names appear with slight variation).
- Antagonists: small abhuman creatures (goblin-like bestials) using blowguns and poison.
Sponsors & ads (brief)
The episode includes multiple sponsor reads: Progressive Insurance; Quince (clothing); Chime (banking); ASPCA Pet Health Insurance; Rocket Money. These are interleaved with the episode.
Player / GM takeaways (actionable tips)
- Jacks should pick a situational flex skill that complements the group — it can be a noncombat niche like “ghost vision” or herbalism.
- Use effort strategically: spending Intellect/Might/Speed can make hard tasks feasible, but pools are valuable and tied to survival.
- Ciphers can change encounters dramatically; always roll their level (d6+2) and plan use accordingly.
- High rolls (19/20) are an opportunity for creative special effects; encourage cinematic use of those moments.
- Manage Speed carefully — it’s used for defense, initiative, and movement; losing it can change encounter order.
- GM intrusions add stakes and XP; players can accept for reward or spend XP to refuse.
- Poison and similar effects use Might Defense; carry/develop resources to counter these (salves, medicines, Might pool reserves).
Final note / teaser
Episode ends with strong world-building: the Whispering Peak’s floating rocks and whispering voices hint at deeper Numenera mysteries. The next session will reveal what lies behind the massive metal door.