…I was playing with a group of friends. We played AD&D 2ed (Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Birthright), Shadowrun, Call of Cthulu and Star Wars.
It was the ’90s, we were teenagers, gathering to play once per week.
Time passed, friends changed, TTRPGs were put aside, stored in a warehouse. Computer RPGs and gaming scratched that itch a bit.
More time passed, family came along. CRPGs no longer could scratch the itch, but there simply was no time. I remembered how hard it was to get to play once per week, even with that tight group of friends, even when our only responsibility was to studying for school. But the love for TTRPGs was still there.
One day I stumbled upon a reddit post on solo roleplaying. At first I was sceptical. Then I found a subreddit, blogs from other fellow lonewolves. Solo roleplaying was something that worked, and there were tools designed to enable it.
Finally I decided to give it a go. I pulled my old Star Wars the Roleplaying Game (West End Games) books from the storage, found my dice, got some pen and paper, and journeyed to my first adventure. So this is my blog, where I will talk about all things relevant to solo roleplay gaming from my perspective.
With Marie out on personal business, the rest of the crew runs various tasks. The new member, Aurquan, the engineer, proves his usefulness by repairing a damaged ripper sword. Atrin is very happy to equip himself with. His enemies, not so. He flashes it around, as he goes to find a good trade deal. No wonder, that some shady folks passed a kill warrant to him. The mark is some pirate from the Flamin Suns crew. Aren’t all suns flaming? Cyloo follows down his leads to find a job that pays well. The ship is still in debt. He got two offers. One from Officer Binson, another from Taka-Byrn Cybernetics corp. The latter seemed the better choice, so he went back to the Hard Bargain to brief the crew. The task seemed simple. Escort “Mr. Jones” to the Taka-Byrn’s safebox in Quain Sector. Someone wants him dead but Taka-Byrn wouldn’t say more. In any case it’s quite common for rival corps to hire criminal elements to do their bidding. This was a strict two-people only mission, as decoys would be sent and it’s best to lay low to avoid odds. As the Rogue Fists approached, they heard the sound of grav bikes. A handful of Flamin Suns pirates disembarked in the opposite side. Their leader pointed to the rogue fists. The four of them were armed with rifles, but one of them was sporting a heavy shell gun. Mr Jones dashed for the safebox, staying out of enemy LOS, while Cyloo and Atrin headed to the west wall for cover. The pirates moved forward, shooting and only hitting the wall. Cyloo kills the pirate with the shell gun while another one tries to circle around the safebox. Atrin takes whiff of him, and goes back and blasts a hole through hist chest with his hand cannon. Two pirates down, a third one flees, and the odds now are equal. Mr Jones reaches the safebox, but he punches in the wrong code and needs to wait for a reset. The pirates advance and shoot at Cyloo but once again, the wall proves to be a lifesaver for the Hakshan. Cyloo blasts down a pirate with his shotgun, while Atrin flanks them and finishes off the last of them. Mr Jones entered the safebox and the crew won the day. Some trinkets and shiny bits on the battlefield, along with the excellent danger pay by Taka-Byrn, provided an influx of cash. Cyloo was too early to celebrate. During routine maintenance by Aurquan, the gravitational adjuster got knocked out of alignment. The ship is damaged and they need to fix it before going off planet.
Session Summary
Another session where the underdog was the winner. These small-crew fights play really fast. I’m considering returning to detailed posts for these, writing it down step by step. I think due to the small number of combatants this is feasible.
Cyloo and Atrin spent a few days recovering from their injuries. Marie spent this time vetting possible crew hires. They reached an agreement with Aurquan, an Engineer. Once introductions were finished, they decided together in the mess hall, what to do next. The Rogue Fists decided that, in memory of Dany, they should at least try to follow up on the only lead they had. The journalist friend’s, Carly Marte’s last known location prior to disappearing. Zorga was a small, low-profile community on the frozen north pole of the planet. They took the Hard Bargain and landed nearby. Marie stayed behind to guard the ship while the rest of the crew disembarked to investigate. The community of Zorga was a mess. Blood trails leading everywhere, with no bodies to be found. The Rogue Fists unholstered their sidearms and held fast to their rifles. Movement was detected in the distance. As they walked around the small structures carefully, they saw two alien life forms rampaging towards them. Sharp teeth in strong jaws. Claws moving up and down as the beasts charged towards them. Atrin aimed his Blast Rifle carefully. The shot found the xeno dead in the head, and it jumped forward motionless, still moving by inertia. From the otherside the second monster headed towards Cyloo and Aurquan. Cyloo blasted it with his shotgun as it drew closer. It was ripped to pieces. Blood and gore everywhere. If he had paused for just one second, the beast would have torn him apart. They looked around, cautiously, but no more creatures where to be found. Searching through the buildings, they found a datapad that must have belonged to Carly. In between the notes, they found an excerpt stating that Maro had found the so-called hot information in Anith IV. Maybe they should head there to find what it was all about. Among the structures, they collected whatever could help them in their quest. Some trinkets, things worth a few credits and a damaged handgun and a damaged ripper sword. As they returned to the station, a message was waiting for them in the commpad. Wayne Nakada had introduced them to a new contact, Officer Rankenn Binson, working for the local government. Maybe it’s going to help having a few more friends, especially in the side of the law. Marie looked at her private commpad. She notified Cyloo that she needed some personal time, to handle some shit that came up. As was expected, Cyloo agreed, and gave permission. They did survive those vent crawlers on their own without Marie after all… what’s a few more jobs without her? Anith IV would have to wait until Marie’s return though.
Atrin took out the first vent crawler with his blast rifleCyloo took out the last vent crawler next to it with his shotgun
Session Summary
The quick fight against the vent crawlers was fast and furious. I was lucky to have spawned on the longer side of my table, with some open distance between my crew and the vent crawlers, so I could make a couple shots count. I’m getting a better feel of Five Parsecs as time goes by. It gives this Sci-Fi TV show feeling, where the session is a standalone episode. There is reference to previous episodes, and sometimes it can work into the narrative, but not necessarily continuously. Imagine a rival appearing in episode 3, and then again in 5 and 10. Imagine a story spanning in a few episodes, but in each episode the setting and theme are unique. I think understanding this, will help me better visualize the narrative and the world that expands.
Still trying to find my way to journal these sessions. I may try a few different styles as I attempt to find what suits better.
The Rogue Fists spent a hefty sum to reduce the debt on the ship. Money is running low. Cyloo hit the flea market. He found a worthless trinket that wasn’t what it seemed. It was a pocket knife with a story behind it. Only a handful of these were produced, by famed blacksmith Baen Cantos. Marie trained in the gym as always. Atrin hit the scrap yard. There he found the parts necessary for a stabilizer. But it needs some fixing. Dany hit up his contacts and managed to find the whereabouts of their rival, Clase Rigers, the leader of the cultists. The gang gathered around to check up on their last source. A famous journalist, Maro Bibblie, has gone missing. They were contacted by a friend of his, who wouldn’t say their name, and was afraid of their life. They wanted to get rid of Maro’s datapad, but also wanted to make right by Maro. They gave Dany the last coordinates before disappearing. It’s buried next to a tree in the middle of the Centrum Park. As they approached, corporate goons were detected. It was a handful of corporate security guys, 4 of them armed with infantry lasers, and one with a handheld flamer, accompanying them was a K’erin. Famous for their brawling skills, the K’erin are a foe to be feared. The fight in the park didn’t go as planned. The enemy was holed up well behind their cover. Dany was the first to fall to a searing laser beam. Cyloo blasted down a goon trying to flank them, and a fast footed goon, fled to safety. The K’erin brought Atrin down with a burst from his machine pistol. Something caught Marie’s attention, but the battle was heated and she sat tight, aimed at the enemies. The nanobots at work, quickly repaired any damage done. As the K’erin got out of the tree grove, Cyloo blasted him on the side with his shotgun, stunning him. Marie took two shots with her assault rifle, finishing him. The flamer approached and the searing blast burned Marie who immediately used a stimpack on herself. Only two of the Rogue Fists, stunned, couldn’t hold up for long. Marie used up another stimpack as she was getting pinned down, but soon, they both fell. A while later the corporate soldiers had left the scene, having gotten what they came for. A dead end on the Rogue Fists’ quest. Marie was in the best condition, only two of her grenades detonation mechanism was damaged in the fight. She quickly headed to check on the rest of her teammates. Cyloo and Atrin were lightly wounded. Some minor injuries, but Dany was unresponsive. They did their best to bring him back, but it was to no avail. The crew stayed silent as they recovered whatever they could from the field, in an attempt to find a clue to the quest Dany had lead them on. Some damaged gear was all they found. They called in an ambulance to take care of the body and left. Back in the Hard Bargain, they spent the night gambling together, drinking and sharing stories of their past. “To Dany!” they raised their glasses. After they passed out drunk, Cyloo sneaked off, but by daybreak, he was back. “Where you’ve been?” Atrin asked. Cyloo didn’t answer. Instead he just threw an ID tag at the feet of Atrin. “Clase Rigers” it read. Atrin needn’t worry about him anymore.
Session Summary
So many possibilities! So much variety! The tables and resolutions of 5P provide ample room for story telling. For example in this particular case I didn’t chase after the remaining rival, but a roll on the events table in the end, had him removed. Or about Dany, I rolled his death on the injury table, tried to change his fate by spending a story point, and still had the same result. Then in the events table I rolled that the crew spends the night drinking and gambling and won a story point. Such a great way to narrate the mourning of Dany, and restore the story point I lost. Fit like a piece to a puzzle. Now, I’m one member short, and need to recruit someone ASAP, won’t go far with 3 strong. With regards to following the rules and making mistakes, I’m still learning, and since I find reading through a PDF much harder than a hardcopy, I made some mistakes, some which I corrected on the fly, some of which I let go. I totally forgot about the K’erin Luck Point – which might not have made a difference as two shots hit – so I balanced it out by not using Cyloo’s Luck Point either. I also forgot about about the stimpacks, and their number (3). After I remembered it was not too late, and I used two of them on Marie, but it didn’t make much of a difference.
Continuing from the previous session, I need to see what happens with the license due to the Interdiction world trait.
Interdiction: we obtained the license Upkeep: -1 Credit Ship Debt: Pay 8 credits, Debt increased by +1, for a total of -7 credits
Tasks: Marie: Train: +1XP, Combat +1. Cyloo+Atrin: Trade: A personal weapon, Medical Reserves Dany: Track: Fail
Since I have a Quest (to be revealed) I decided to go ahead with it and not try to find a patron job. Nevertheless I need to check if any of my Rivals got the drop on me.
Check for Rivals: Rivals battle: Isolationists, Deployment Condition: Delayed (Atrin, Dany), Notable Sight: Curious Item: Can be sold for 1 credit, Brought Friends, 6 Enemies: Leader: Handgun+Blade, Handguns, Specialist: Hunting Rifle, Unique Individual: Hulker Brawler: Hand Cannon
Captain’s Log, Entry 2 I did spend an entire evening gathering the paperwork and trying to keep a straight face as the officer eyed me down when I exclaimed that “we don’t look for trouble, unless it comes looking”. Nakada must have put in a good word or two, because after a few calls, everything cleared. Seems he was happy to have us around. Atrin and I hit the flee market looking to barter. We split as I went looking for weapons. Dany set off to find if trouble was looking for us, and Marie, heck, she hit the gym. I scored a nice colony rifle, and caught up with Marie when something felt off. The street was awfully quiet. Marie nodded, pulled out her rifle, and affixed her bayonet. The girl means business. Through her scope she identified some of the figures. It was Heson’s isolationists. Half a dozen with handguns, and some hulking fella with a mean demeanor.
Seized Initiative
2 against 7SuppressonFlanked
We were severely outnumbered and took cover behind a power generator. I took one end while Marie the other. They moved under cover behind the crates but this hulker was in the open, looking ripe for a blast from my shotgun. He took it right in the face. The rest continued, but I could see them among the crates, I waited for the right moment, and as one of their riflemen tried to flank us from a vantage point, I blasted him down. Scared shitless, one of them fled. Marie kept exchanging fire under cover, suppressing their advance. Their lieutenant did the same mistake, and headed for the roof of the little control post, and I blasted him down. Marie held the other side, killing another isolationist. A stray shot ripped apart some ducting, as Atrin and Dany joined us, a bag of hot dogs in their hands. No time to explain. We blasted the last of the enemy. Let’s hope the one that got away will warn them to never come near us again.
Session Summary
I was really afraid going in 2 against 7, but taking cover and being better armed and skilled (and aided by some good dice rolls) not only helped the Rogue Fists win the fight, but at no cost, and we even removed the rival from the list! What will the next episode pit them against?
So still skimming through the pdf rulebook, I’ve followed the steps required. First of all I had to generate the World I’m in. Again, donjon to the rescue. I decided to go with generating world traits, silly me, and I rolled up that there is a state of interdiction, and the Rogue Fists are approved to stay for only 1 turn, get a license or get out.
Following the steps is quite easy peasy. The rulebook is well layed out, and having played 5L extensively helps a lot as the concept is similar. Relying on this experience can have several hidden traps though, as I may incorrectly take some things for granted.
New World Generation: Interdiction: Only approved to stay 1 turn. Pay Upkeep: -1 Credit Ship Debt: +1 Credit
With only 4 party members, I spread them around the various tasks. Cyloo to find a patron job, Dany to explore, Atrin to trade and Marie to train.
Cyloo: Find a patron: Found 2 Patrons Dany: Explore: I don't have a gambling problem: Discard 1 Scrap Pistol Atrin: Trade: Hot Tip: +1 Rumor Marie: Train: +1 XP Patron 1 (old): Wealthy Individual (Wayne Nakada): Danger Pay: Max, This Campaign Turn, Benefits (Company Store), Hazards (Veteran Opposition) Patron 2 (new): Private Organization (The Order of the Temporal Tower): Danger Pay: Max, This Campaign Turn, Hazards (Dangerous Job), Conditions (Demanding) Quests: Quest Given Rivals: No fight
So I choose to do the patron mission for Wayne Nakada, the odds seem a lot better.
Patron Job for Wayne Nakada: No deployment condition: Nothing Special: Deliver 5 Enemies (1 Lieutenant, 1 Specialist), No Unique Individuals Hired Muscle: Roid Gangers (6 enemies total): Weapons: Scrap Pistol+Blade, Specialist: Shotgun
Captain’s Log. 4391 Canum VII. Such a slum. Word has it there are ample opportunities for making a quick credit. That is if you get the license to stay. The starport officials were adamant. You need a form 523C, signed and approved. I hope I’ll be able to acquire it. But there was no time to waste. We gathered in the mess hall. I announced that I’d go to meet some people for potential job opportunities, and that the rest would be free to do as they pleased. I met up with my old contact, Wayne Nakada, a wealthy businessman. I never was able to find out what exactly he traded in, but I know not to ask too many questions. Wayne was too friendly. He wanted a package delivery to the Sleazy Barrel, a cantina in the Reincoor Badlands. He wouldn’t tell what the package is, just that there were others interested that might try to stop us. The pay was good. Too good to be true. On my way back to the Hard Bargain, a cloaked figure blocked my way. I was about to draw my sidearm, but they made it clear that they meant no harm. The Order of the Temporal Tower they called themselves. They were looking for a crew to undertake a dangerous mission, but I had already shaken hands with Nakada and turned them down. Back in the Hard Bargain we did a short briefing. I let the Fists know what we would do, and that it would pay well. They filled me in on their downtime. Marie had hit the gym, that girl would never rest. I guess being born in a war-torn hell hole leaves its marks on you. Atrin got a tip from a contact about a possible trail that we might want to follow, but there was no time right now, Nakada gave us a very short time frame. … and Dany, well he was skittish at first, so I talked to him one on one afterwards. He admitted to losing a pistol in a gamble. I didn’t scold him. Team cohesion is more important than a lousy scrap pistol.
I failed to Seize the Initiative, and the battle begins.
Battlefield setupMarie found something interesting – Frakk Grenades!Dany scores the first killThe Roid gangers approachThe grenade hits on target – don’t mind the template, it’s 1″ short4 birds with one stoneDany makes the last kill shot
We reached the destination point. At the other side of the community, 6 burly, armed figures were approaching. “Roid Gangers”, Dany said, in a soft voice. “Get’em boys!” the leader of the gang screamed, and they charged towards us. The community looked desolate. What few souls were already barred inside their houses, closed the shutters for that extra feeling of protection. I signaled for Marie and Dany to take the Eastern side, while me and Atrin took the West. The gangers split at first, but due to the plaza-like opening in front of the cantina, soon, they gathered together. We were outnumbered. The first shots we exchanged hit the void. Atrin took a shot at the gang leader, but his hand cannon barely hurt him. He fell back a bit and continued. Dany peeked out from the corner behind the cantina and shot a ganger down, burning him with his laser. Aggressively, they moved on, and took many shots at Atrin, whose cover in the side alley was looking now to be more of a death trap. I got shot too, and got knocked back behind my cover. Suddenly, as I was heads down, I felt the ground shake. A huge boom was heard. Peeking out, I saw four gangers blasted to smitherens, as Dany killed the last one with his laser. I looked at Marie, standing next to me. “Found some ‘nades boss.” She said and shrugged.
Post battle: No rivalry 9 Credits +2 Credits for Battle Event Battlefield find: Debris worth 2 credits Loot: Assault blade Benefit: 1 Quest Rumour Purchase 1 Blade, Sell 1 Scrap Pistol Campaign Event: The sector news networks are awash with rumors of war. Character Event: Dany: You make some local friends.
The battlefield held no more surprises. Several credits worth were found among our enemies belongings. It is highly likely someone had hired them for the job, just as Wayne had hired us. I delivered the package in the cantina. A calm barwoman was waiting for me there. She nodded as she took the briefcase, and slided a small piece of paper towards me. “Information that you might find useful.” She said. “Mr Nakada conveys his thanks”. We headed back to port, where news were flashing about the war fronts closing in on our world. I can only hope the front moves away. The crew leaves for some well rewarded R&R, and Dany sleeps off at a …friend. I check our account and Wayne has already transfered the agreed upon amount. Excellent, now we may be able to repay some of the debt on the Hard Bargain. Maybe 4391 Canum VII isn’t such a bad place to be after all. Maybe it’s worth it to get this license to stay.
Session Summary
Absolutely fun! Went in a fight outnumbered, and things were looking dire. Then, a grenade that *I found on the field due to a random event* goes BOOM! and it all changes in an instant. The tables and rules framework are much more bare than 5 Leagues, so you can put your story on top with ease. I need to get acquainted with this part a bit, and it seems that some solo RPG skills, generators and oracles would come in handy here. I’ve spent a bit more time here to set up the narrative than usual, but I think it will pay off in the future. I’m still learning the ropes, and looking forward to following the Quest that appeared. I did a mistake or two here and there. The rulebook is at a whooping 182 pages, so skimming through the pdf, I lost a note or two here and there. Looking forward to the next session. See if I can get that license to stay or need to leave the world, just I got on it.
Having played more than a dozen Five Leagues from the Borderlands sessions, I wanted a change of theme, before continuing. Extended lockdown has me mentally drained, so going back into my solo RPG is not an option right now. It’s been a while since I had played with my sci-fi miniatures, and the Five Parsecs from Home (I’ll be calling it 5P for short) pdf had been sitting silently in my hard disk.
I had already decided to give it a shot, when the news hit: Modiphius would be publishing the latest edition of 5P! New artwork and layout, a hardcopy pre-order with a free pdf and several new shiny changes. You can find the announcement here. As you may have already guessed, I went ahead and pre-ordered and I’m so glad I did.
The new layout is just beautiful and the artwork immerses you into the Unified Space world. As for the rule changes I can’t speak, since I hadn’t had a chance to play the previous editions, but from the history log, I really liked the smaller crew size option. Right now I can’t commit to as many miniatures for sci-fi as I have in fantasy. A 2’x2′-2.5′ board is my standard table, so a smaller crew would fit so much better to my needs.
Several rolls on the random tables later, my starship crew was all set up. I used donjon to generate the necessary names, and with the basic information and flavors from 5P, I have the following.
Cyloo
Cyloo, a Hakshan refugee, growing up in a backwater world, Tian-Mu II. His skills and commitment to find the truth were an important factor in joining the local rangers. Soon he caught caught attention of Obur, the local crime lord and had to run.
Name
Reactions
Speed
Combat
Toughness
Savvy
Luck
XP
Gear
Cyloo
2
4
0
3
0
1
0
Machine Pistol
Leader, Special Agent
Marie
Marie “Spacer” Tinez, a starship navigator, grew up in Humbaba Prime. She will never forget the countless waves of the Converted. Her planet was in war since before she was born, and they finally lost. Her CO, Captain Jerroy Heson, split off the rest of the fleet in a betrayal that cost them the war as the gap in the line could not be covered. The isolationists in the crew joined with Heson. Tinez and a few others tried to lead a mutiny, but they failed and not all of them managed to escape with their lives.
Name
Reactions
Speed
Combat
Toughness
Savvy
Luck
XP
Gear
Marie
2
4
0
3
1
0
2
Auto Rifle
Starship crew
Atrin
Atrin “Two Sights” Gonzal, grew up in Alkonost. A regressed planet where the Sky Children cult sends the toughest offspring as tribute slaves to pirates. Conscripted into the pirate ranks, Atrin managed to escape and from the hunted, he became the hunter… for a profit. He still wants revenge against Clase Rigers, the leader of the Sky Children. Sources have pinpointed him to the vicinity.
Name
Reactions
Speed
Combat
Toughness
Savvy
Luck
XP
Gear
Atrin
1
5
0
4
0
0
2
Hand Cannon
Bounty hunter
Dany
Dany “Graver” Youghel, grew up in Moru III. Just a scoundrel, trying to make ends meet in a frontier gang. Life always was hard for him, and many times survival was balanced on the edge of a razor blade.
Name
Reactions
Speed
Combat
Toughness
Savvy
Luck
XP
Gear
Dany
1
5
1
4
0
0
0
Infantry Laser, Camo Cloak
Scoundrel
Rogue Fists
Together they’re known as the Rogue Fists. They met here and there, and after a few jobs together, they realized they should stick. Felt a lot safer knowing that they had each other’s eyes looking behind their backs. One way or another their defiance for the law, snap-back attitude (and a couple missions for freedom fighter groups) gave them a reputation of hardened rebels.
Their ship, Hard Bargain is a second hand vessel, built from salvaged wrecks. They still owe a hefty sum to pay it off.
So, we’ve got 6 story points, 2 Local Rivals, 1 Local Patron, a debt of 26 credits on the Hard Bargain, and 2 rumours. In the stash there are 7 credits, 2 Shotguns, 2 Scrap Pistols, 1 Handgun, 1 Stimpack, 1 Stabilizer.
Looking forward to setting up the world and starting my first battle!
Village Events: Wandering healer. I don’t have any wounded Wardens. Agents and Adventurers: Bruno – Away on Quest, Alida – Found Loot: Tonic, Frans – Empty Handed Pay Upkeep: I send away on Questing as Agents: Bruno, Alida and Frans. Healing Up: Nothing. Actions: Ardus: Labor: +2 GM. Gustav: Tracking: Failure Roving Wanderer: Foraging: 1 Protective Herbs. Where are we going: Go adventuring Sell Unwanted Gear: Nothing. Trade: Bought Holy Water (Rare Item for -5GM)
Adventuring: Roadside Encounter: Soldier, Special: Generosity, Friend: +1 Ration I spend the Ration to continue adventuring: Roadside AND Combat Encounter: Roadside: Humble Priest, Special, Clue: Loot: Full Armor. Combat Encounter: Raiders: Located Camp: Last Stand: 6 Raiders (1 Archer), Boss (Captain), Lackey (Sergeant): 15″ combat distance: Seize Initiative: Failure.
Theme: Along The Road Oddities: Ladden Down By Spoils
Meeting the raider camp along the roadLeft to Right, Front Row, the Boss and his LackeyAdvancing behind coverRaider shot between the treesClosing in combatThe fight draws onArdus in close combat against raiders
Aftermath
Injuries: Gustav: KO Rudiger: KO Ardus: Moderate: 6 RT Wigmar: KO Roving Wanderer: Moderate: 3 RT Unusual Finds: Bounty on their heads: 6 GM Experience: Wigmar: +2 Speed Loot: Medicinal Herbs, Vital Information, Partial Armor, Soul Render (!) Threat: Border Tension Reduced to 0: Village Cleared: 11 GM, +1 Story Point
Journal
Who were these skirmishers? their uniform colors were foreign. We need to find out if they were scouts of a larger force. As we gathered together, I waited for news from the agents. Alida and Frans returned. Alida brought a nice bottle of tonic to share with the wardens in a time of need. Bruno was a no show. I hope he’s alright. He’s a tough man. The week passed quietly in Eerfeld. A wandering healer came to offer their services, helping the locals for free. The Wardens did some chores in and around Eerfeld. The Roving Wanderer found some helpful herbs, Ardus helped in the fields, while Gustav tried to find any tracks of the skirmishers, to no avail. Before setting off, we bought a flask of holy water to help in these dark times, and left for adventuring.
On the road we came upon a friendly figure. It was soldier, Rupert, once a member of the Eerfeld militia. We shared stories and news, and he gave us food for the road. With renewed strength and full bellies, we kept on the same path. Soon we met a member of the clergy. It was a priest of Adeus, returning from Heagrove. He told us how much he valued what we had done for Eerfeld and that he knew of a nearby abandoned altar that was dedicated to Adeus, and there was a set of gear there for the protectors of Eerfeld, bought by the donations. He said we had proven more than enough our worth. We parted ways and went to this altar to find a suit of full armor, hidden and tucked carefully under the marble steps. It was the middle of the day when far in the distance we saw the smoke of a campfire. We split and scouted ahead.
It was the same raiders. They wore the same colors as the skirmishers the other day. They had pouches full of loot from their raids. Who knows what farmstead they burned and what terror and pillaging they had caused. It was time we ended this once and for all. We made out that they had a leader, just as we were noticed.
Me and the Roving wanderer covered the sides with our bows while the rest of the wardens headed for the main camp. The cover of the trees, saved the raiders for only a short while, before they fell under our arrows, and one of them fled. The battle was bloody. Rudiger and Wigmar got locked into combat with the enemy captain and what seemed to be his bodyguard – a sergeant of sorts. The captain brought Rudiger down as we closed. Gustav took out his bodyguard in melee. Furious that his friend was killed, the captain attacked Gustav with all his might, bringing him down as well. Meanwhile Ardus flanked the rest of the raiders. The battle drew on, for every one of them, one of us went down. With a carefully placed shot I took out the captain, but his troops wouldn’t leave. It seems there was too much loot to be lost. As the battle went on, in the end, only I was standing. With the field clear, I went to check on my companions. Luckily, the wounds of Rudiger, Gustav and Wigmar were superficial. Ardus was wounded again at his old wound. It would take a while before he was back on his feet. The roving wanderer also was hurt, not as badly though.
We searched through the bodies and the crates. We found several gold pieces, even among the fallen enemies, a set of armor, some healing herbs, a sealed letter with important information, and a sword with markings, carefully tucked in a piece of cloth. This looked a lot like the legendary Fornaught.
Victorious, we returned to Eerfeld, only to be met with a rider. He claimed to be a messenger of Lord Ornfric. He had a bounty out for this band of raiders we just eliminated, and paid us the reward. It was a hard earned reward. For once we could rest, assured that nothing would bother the people of Eerfeld at least for the coming weeks.
I looked at my map, showing the location of the keep. Then looked at the Wardens. Joyful they were singing and drinking. Two of them were bedridden, taking their time to heal the wounds. Such is the fate of the defenders of the people. No matter what, we must press on.
Evie’s Journal, week 13
Session Summary
This game was thrilling. Bringing the boss down was really difficult – as it should be, even with my experienced warband. In the end it came down to a thread. It was 1 vs 1, with only Evie standing.
I hadn’t a count of where the threat point started (the rulebook states that only camp/lair fights of threats that started in 3 or more that are down to the last point trigger a Last Stand fight) but decided to go with the LastStand nevertheless. It was only fitting.
Despite trying to make the game harder, I rolled a loot result of the Soul Render. Easily the strongest weapon in the game. Decided it’s going to be a sword.
I’ll attack the Keep in the next session, before leaving Eerfeld and adding some expansion content.
Continuing my campaign, trying to clear out Eerfeld.
Campaign Turn
Village Events: Youthful Volunteer. I don’t need any more members, so I won’t take them in. If they had a chance for unusual backgrounds I might reconsider. Pay Upkeep: I send away on Questing as Agents: Bruno, Alida and Frans. Healing Up: Ardus -1RT=2RT Actions: Ardus (supported by Evie): Visit the town healer: (6): -2RT=0RT. Healed Gustav: Tracking: Failure Roving Wanderer, Rudiger: Visit the Village Priest: Both gain +1 temporary Luck. Where are we going: Go adventuring Sell Unwanted Gear: Sell 2 Swords. Trade: Nothing
Adventuring: Combat Encounter: Border Tension: Skirmishers: Attacked by Enemy: No leadership presence: No Personalities: 5 Skirmishers (1 Archer): 13″ apart: Didn’t Seize Initiative
Theme: Graveyard Oddities: No oddities
The two sides meet in the graveyardEvie and the Roving Wanderer take aim at the enemyThe two last skirmishers move forwardArdus fights a skirmisher in close combat
I was in the inn, right after giving Bruno, Alida and Frans their tasks to Quest away, that a youth arrived. He must have barely turned 18, his hair free flowing in his face. Wanted to join the Wardens. I was honoured that our name has travelled through the land and people come seeking for us. But this was no time to send a young boy to his death, especially when our roster is full. I sent him back to his folks.
Ardus is healing well, and after another visit to the healing lady, she prepped him up with some herbs, and he got back to his feet. I think he will be able to join us adventuring.
Once this was done, I gathered the remaining Wardens in the inn. Gustav reported that despite his tracking efforts he didn’t manage to find any tracks of the enemy. Rudiger and the Roving Wanderer arrived late, seems they had visited the altar of Adeus for a blessing.
We geared up and went scouting the countryside. Everything was quiet. No outlaws, no dark cultists. Except for the keep, that we intend to clear out. Then suddenly, as we checked the graveyard outside the village for any signs of trouble, an arrow hit next to me. Looking in the distance I saw them. Lightly armed troops, wearing foreign colors. We immediately spread, to hit them on three fronts.
The Roving Wanderer hit the enemy archer with the first arrow shot, and I eliminated another one. Two of the remaining three advanced, while one fled to safety. Most likely he will inform his superiors of our existence. I took another shot and brought another skirmisher down, while Ardus cut the last enemy in half, in just one strike.
Searching through their belongins to find out who they were and what they were after, we found 11 Gold Marks and a trinket, not something of commercial value, most likely something personal. We held on to it for the future and headea back to Eerfeld.
Evie’s Journal, week 12
Session Summary
I made a mistake (which was corrected in the report). The order in which the threats are displayed in the reference sheet is not aligned to the order in which they are displayed in the enemies table of the rulebook. I must have made the same mistake more than once, and that’s why I hadn’t fought any Border Tension so far, and only met Dark Secrets and Outlaws. I realized after playing this battle, which I thought was against Renegades instead of Skirmishers. Thankfully the two entries are identical, mechanics wise, and only the presentation changes. I took note of it for the future.
Still my warband is pretty strong. With 6 members, I eliminated the enemy force of 5 renegades in two turns with no losses. As I said in my last session, I’m looking forward to clearing this village so that I can start working with some expansions (though I intend to clear the Bleak Keep as well before doing so). 1 Threat point left. We’re almost there!
With the pill bases and some larger round bases, I proceeded with the rest of my Demonworld pile. A chaotic polar bear, two bears, a mountain lion and a couple of giant spiders.
For the polar bear I went with a snow textured base using cotton and pva.
The mountain lion came out a bit muddled, I’m not very happy with my final result there, but it’s okay for the table.
My warbases order arrived so I could work on my larger miniatures. Here are 2 Dire Wolves and 5 Wolves from the wolf pack of the Demonworld line of Ral Partha Europe.
I varied the darkness of the fur coat by diluting my final wash in different concentrations.
Shawn are discussing. 
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