Miniatures pt10 – Assorted 1
Here are a few single miniatures, that I got because I really liked the sculpts. Since then I’ve expanded their lines and have more of the same style, but I haven’t had the chance to photograph them.
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giorgis
Barbarian with Bastard Sword Ranger Captain Barbarian Princess -
giorgis
Week 1 of Worldbuilding
With some delay in posting (I did the work about a week ago or more) here’s the output of the first week of the challenge
Gygax Challenge WEEK 1: THE CONCEPT (16-22 november)
Pitch:
– Low Magic High Fantasy setting
– High Elves have an advanced civilization, at Renaissance equivalent level
– High Elves have conquered the land and enslaved most other sentient species
– Humans, still at Bronze Age, have a few semi autonomous city states that pay tribute to the Elves
– High Elves sacrifice slaves to their Dragon Pantheon
– Other demihumans and humanoids, Dwarves, Orcs, Goblins live in occupied communities or in slums at the High Elven citiesSources of inspiration:
– The Witcher Pen and Paper RPG
– Dark Sun Campaign Setting Expanded and Revised 2e
– Polis
– Aztecs -
giorgis
Miniatures pt9 – Peasants
My peasants set is quite small – only 5 strong. There wasn’t a peasant warband available as a pack in the Demonworld line (and why should there be?), so I got a peasants pack (10 models, 3 poses and a leader with torch) and added a single peasant with quarterstaff. A handful of angry villagers perfect for that you overstayed your welcome event.
I didn’t paint the entire set, so I can use the doubles to experiment with different techniques in the future.
I went with green colors and did a first attempt to a torch flame. I’m content with it, but it’s not anything to be amazed about.
Peasant leader with torch 
Peasant with club 
Peasant with club 
Peasant with trident 
Peasant with quarterstaff -
giorgis
In the Trollshaws. Ep05.
Spent some time reading and re-reading the sample adventure text, since there’s some mix ups in the descriptions.
I’ll be going with the same way I’ve been dealing with pre-written modules. Will have to be asking a lot more questions, once for each new room…that is if I get too far inside!
My party is lucky to have reached the keep early in the day. Orcs are nocturnal, and this might be an important advantage.
Now I need to consider the approach. By definition, we’ve reached the keep from S-SW. This means that the party might try searching for the entrance clockwise or counter-clockwise.
I’ll be rolling randomly.
Q: Does the party search clockwise?
A: No.We’re adventurers not fools. Though someone might call adventuring foolish. Nevertheless they have met orcs, trolls, and hillmen, all hostile. It’s likely they will go forward silently. I won’t roll for that choice. I will roll though for their skill. Orcs are supposed to have keen hearing.
Crouching, Camthalion and Leòwyn, reach Dwalin in height, and pacing each step carefully, reach the side wall of the keep. The two south towers are crumbling, and the party doesn’t consider climbing them, in case they collapse. The earth mounds higher on the southeastern tower and the party feels exposed for a minute before they descend.
The collapsed gate lies before them, the frozen stream passing through it. They hug the wall, as they see that they are in sight of the lookout window of the northeastern tower.Let’s roll. There’s no rules for party rolls that I have seen in MERP so far, so I’ll roll for each and every one.
At least I found the stalking rules. I’d expect them in a specific chapter, but they’re under the skills chapter. Thankfully there is a decent index at the end of the book to guide me.A quick measurement on my side shows that the party needs to go 80′ to get inside. I’ll be using the subterfuge skill bonus for the orcs against the stalk/hide skill of my party members.
Round 1:
Camthalion: Stalking: 75+40-12=103: 90: 85/2×90%: Camthalion moves 38′ and doesn’t get noticed
Leowyn: Stalking: 12+5-12=5: 10: 35/2×10%: Leowyn moves 2′ and doesn’t get noticed (barely)
Dwalin: Stalking: 98+39+2-12=127: 100: 45/2×100%: Dwalin moves 22′ and doesn’t get noticedRound 2:
Camthalion: Stalking: 75+40-12=103: 90: 85/2×90%: Camthalion moves 38′ and doesn’t get noticed
Leowyn: Stalking: 92+5-12=85: 60: 35/2×60%: Leowyn moves 10′ and doesn’t get noticed
Dwalin: Stalking: 87+2-12=77: 60: 45/2×60%: Dwalin moves 11′ and doesn’t get noticedRound 3:
Camthalion: Stalking: 94+40-12=122: 100: 85/2×100%: Camthalion moves 42′ and doesn’t get noticed
Leowyn: Stalking: 12+5-12=5: 10: 35/2×10%: Leowyn moves 2′ and doesn’t get noticed (barely)
Dwalin: Stalking: 83+2-12=73: 60: 45/2×60%: Dwalin moves 13′ and doesn’t get noticedRound 4:
Camthalion is safely inside the courtyard.
Leowyn: Stalking: 98+23+5-12=114: 90: 35/2×90%: Leowyn moves 16′ and doesn’t get noticed
Dwalin: Stalking: 25+2-12=15: 10: 45/2×10%: Dwalin moves 2′ and doesn’t get noticedRound 5:
Leowyn: Stalking: 28+5-12=21: 20: 35/2×20%: Leowyn moves 3′ and doesn’t get noticed
Dwalin: Stalking: 94+2-12=84: 60: 45/2×60%: Dwalin moves 13′ and doesn’t get noticedRound 6:
Leowyn: Stalking: 12+5-12=5: 10: 35/2×10%: Leowyn moves 2′ and doesn’t get noticed (barely)
Dwalin: Stalking: 27+2-12=17: 10: 45/2×10%: Dwalin moves 2′ and doesn’t get noticedRound 7:
Leowyn: Stalking: 82+5-12=75: 50: 35/2×50%: Leowyn moves 9′ and doesn’t get noticed
Dwalin: Stalking: 85+2-12=75: 50: 45/2×50%: Dwalin moves 11′ and doesn’t get noticedRound 8:
Leowyn: Stalking: 41+5-12=36: 20: 35/2×20%: Leowyn moves 3′ and doesn’t get noticed
Dwalin: Stalking: 21+2-12=11: 10: 45/2×10%: Dwalin moves 2′ and doesn’t get noticedRound 9:
Leowyn: Stalking: 43+5-12=38: 20: 35/2×20%: Leowyn moves 3′ and doesn’t get noticed
Dwalin: Stalking: 87+2-12=77: 60: 45/2×60%: Dwalin moves 11′ and doesn’t get noticedRound 10:
Leowyn: Stalking: 34+5-12=27: 20: 35/2×20%: Leowyn moves 3′ and doesn’t get noticed
Dwalin is safely inside the courtyard.Round 11:
Leowyn: Stalking: 94+5-12=87: 70: 35/2×70%: Leowyn moves 12′ and doesn’t get noticed
Round 12:
Leowyn: Stalking: 70+5-12=63: 40: 35/2×40%: Leowyn moves 7′ and doesn’t get noticed
Round 13:
Leowyn: Stalking: 72+5-12=65: 40: 35/2×40%: Leowyn moves 7′ and doesn’t get noticed
Round 14:
Leowyn: Stalking: 52+5-12=55: 30: 35/2×30%: Leowyn moves 5′ and doesn’t get noticed
The entire party is inside the keep and hasn’t been noticed.
Again, this is some really old-school tactical grid management. Success dictates how much you move. It took Leowyn 14! rolls to get inside.
Camthalion, swiftly with elvish agility, moves on the frozen ground, without leaving a trace. The heavyweight dwarf follows, but his training as a scout compensates, and not long after, he’s inside the walls. It takes Leowyn more than 2 minutes to cover the distance silently. She hears her boots sink in the ground, and does her utmost do stay silent.
Now we’re inside. Do we search the towers or go directly for the keep?
First of all, let’s check the scene.
Q: Is everything as expected?
A: No, and, roll 1d10 on TWENE: 9: Wild Positive!
No clue, what this can be, so I’ll roll on the d144 Idiom Portent Table.
2,11: Straight ArrowThe party sees a corpse of an armed man lying down, sitting next to the tower to their left. There is an arrow straight through his skull. It mustn’t have been more than a few days old. The arrow feathers are black Crebain feathers. Dwalin recognizes it for what it is. “Orcs.” He whispers and draws his mace. “We should search the place before going inside, or we risk ending up like this poor soul.”
Let’s see if the party realizes where the arrow came from:
Camthalion: Perception: 05-94+35+20+20=-14: Absolute Failure
Dwalin: Perception: 26+23+20+20=89: Partial Success
Leowyn: Perception: 26+5+20+20=71: FailureSo much for realizing where the arrow came from. Therefore I’ll roll randomly 1d4 to decide which tower they will investigate first: 3: Tower 3.
Lucky me, this is the tower with the Orcs.Weapons drawn, the party decides to enter the north eastern tower, next to the gate, with the window overlooking the entrance.
Q: Is everything as expected?
A: No. Roll 1d8 on TWENE: 8: Remove major element.
So the sample adventure dictates there are 5 orcs here, and an extra 1-7 orcs at any time of the day.
Now, this is a very important part and may change the entire adventure so I’m going to roll. 1-2: All the Orcs are missing. 3-4: The extra 1-7 Orcs are missing. 5-6: The secret passage isn’t there.
5: The secret passage isn’t there.
1-7 extra Orcs: 3.The party enters the tower, from the stairs, and the orc stench immediately fills their nostrils. Have they seen them? they are about to find out.
Camthalion: Stalking: 48+40-12=76: 60: 85/2×60%: Camthalion moves 25′ and doesn’t get noticed
Leowyn: Stalking: 41+5-12=34: 20: 35/2×20%: Leowyn moves 3′ and doesn’t get noticed
Dwalin: Stalking: 7+2-12=-3: 5: 45/2×100%: Dwalin moves 1′ and doesn’t get noticedI decide that the party enters the tower unnoticed, and have surprised the orcs.
Going through Herubar Gular in the Sample MERP adventure. Considering the odds I really wonder how did starting parties survive.
I have a party of 3 1st level adventurers, and entered a tower of 8 3rd level orcs with chain armor, handaxe, shield and short bows, equivalent to strong orcs.
Should I tone them down to weak orcs? It feels like cheating, but it doesn’t make sense to have those odds.
Maybe I can draw them out in the open daylight and take advantage of their activity penalties.
I’ll stay true to the deadliness of the adventure.Reading through the example actualy play report of MERP, I can see that the GM rolls a 1d100 activity roll for the Orcs. In general, the GM rolls 1d100 many times, to decide. So, since it’s day, I decide that the orcs are not active, and will only move around on a result of 80 or more, unless disturbed.
Activity: 56. The Orcs are still snoozing around.
So since only Camthalion moved this great distance, I deem that he managed to reach the 2nd floor and peek to see the orcs. Dwalin and Leowyn have only managed to enter the ground floor.
Camthalion, silent as a cat, walks up the stairs, and peeks his head off the staircase. He counts eight vile orcs, wearing chain armor, their wicked axes and bows next to them, at the ready. He turns to his companions and gestures them to be silent. Then he makes the number eight with his fingers.
Despite Camthalion’s stalking skills, he’s no good at Ambush, which is the skill required to backstab and kill those orcs without knowning what hit them. So here comes some intra-player talk. Talking to myself, I decide that the best tactic would be to draw them out, and maybe kill a few of them in the process. The party will try to light a fire with lots of smoke to make the orcs come out of the tower and pick them out one by one.
Camthalion: Stalking: 62+40-12=90: 70: 85/2×70%: Camthalion moves 30′ and doesn’t get noticed
Activity: 44. The Orcs are still snoozing around.Camthalion walks back down the stairs, and the party decides what to do.
“Let’s light a fire. I’m good at fire starting, but there’s a chance it might wake them up.” Dwalin says. “Leowyn, you stay next to the doorway, and Camthalion, you ready your bow, aiming at the opening. Let’s smoke them out.”
The party takes positions, and Dwalin begins working on lighting a fire with flint and steel.So I’ll reduce the chance for Orc activity to 70% considering the noise, but only for the first few rounds. Afterwards, it is just blowing air to make the fire grow. It will take Dwalin 1d3 rounds to get the noisy part out of the way.
Striking flint and steel rounds: 3Round 1:
Activity: 33. The Orcs are still snoozing around.
Round 2:
Activity: 57. The Orcs are still snoozing around.
Round 3:
Activity: 27. The Orcs are still snoozing around.
It takes Dwalin a bit longer than usual to light the fire, but eventually he manages to do it without rousing the sleeping Orcs. 3 minutes later he has a fire going on. He only needs to move inside the tower to place it in a suitable rag or cloth to burn it down.
Q: Is there combustible material in the ground floor? (Likely, the Orcs are not known for their clean living environments)
A: YesThe tower is 50 ft in diameter. Since I got a plain ‘Yes’ result, I deem that the combustible material is going to be inside these 50′ with a bell curve. I will roll 5d10: 40′ away.
Dwalin looks to the far end of the ground floor to find a good pile of hay, rotting wood, old rugs and torn rags. He knows it’s too far for him to get in a few strides. He fears his heavy steps might alarm the Orcs. He gestures to Camthalion. “Take the embers and place them in the pile next to the stairs. You elves are light footed, right?”
Camthalion thinks for a moment then rips a bandage, tightens it around an arrowhead and lights it on the fire. “I’m a better shot.” He says and aims at the pile.Camthalion: Shoots: 64+58: 122: Success
The arrow flies true and within a few minutes, the pile is on fire. The party covers the doorway, waiting for the orcs to come out. Dwalin and Leowyn wait on each side, while Camthalion has his arrow nooked, overwatching from a distance.
So now I have three different aspects to monitor. Fire, Smoke and Orc Activity. I will roll 1d100 for each, each round. On a 80+, the Fire will increase in intensity, delivering an A/B/C/D/E critical to anyone passing through them in the ground floor. It starts at A. On E. The Tower will collapse. On 80+ the Smoke will increase in intensity, delivering a -10 to activity for 1 round(s). On 80+, one Orc will become aware something is wrong, and start rousing the rest of his friends. Each increase in Fire or Smoke intensity will increase the Orc activity chance by 10. Each increase in Fire intensity will increase the Smoke chance by 10.
Round 1:
7/16/92: An orc, picks up the faint smell, and starts to raise a ruckus.
Round 2:
41/47/86: The orc, picks up his gear and goes downstairs to investigate. One more orc starts looking around.
Q: Is the orc within Camthalion’s LOS?
A: Yes, and Camthalion has a clean shotI deem that the Orc isn’t ready for combat, and won’t be able to use his DB.
Camthalion: Shooting: 19+58=77: 2 hits
As the fire starts to spread slowly, Camthalion keeps his gaze in the staircase, which is visible from outside. His keen elvish vision doesn’t miss a thing. He sees a crouching figure moving downstairs, and immediately he lets go of his arrow. The arrow finds the orc, but gets entangled in its armor, only barely scratching him.
“Goth! Nalt!” He screams in his black speech.So the rest of the orcs will spend one round picking up their gear. And then start descending. The hit orc continues his descend to get out.
Round 3:
87/11: The fire has spread, reaching a B critical status.
Camthalion nooks another arrow.
The Orc already inside receives a B critical: 80-10=70: Knocked down by fiery blast. Any organic foot and calf covering destroyed. +10 Hits.The flames suddenly lit ablaze, and the clothing on the orc’s leg catches on fire. It screams in pain and drops down, tumbling down the stairs.
Q: Do the rest of the orcs fear being burned, seeing the misfortune of their friend?
A: YesThe orcs in the second floor pause and stop mumbling, seeing their member burn and fall down. Leowyn and Dwalin block the exit downstairs.
Round 4:
8/56: Fire and Smoke remain at the same intensity.
I decide that the flames and smoke rolls will be open ended. Meaning a roll of 01-06 will bring the intensity down one level.Camthalion shoots the Orc1: 42+58 (won’t give the Orc a DB since it was knocked down)= 100: 8A: 93-20=73: Strike to lower leg. Tendons torn. +3 hits. -25 to activity. Stunned 1 round.
I will roll again for Orc activity, in order for them to decide to risk going down the flaming stairs: 24: They stay put.
Camthalion takes another shot at the advancing orc. His arrow strikes the lower leg, tearing the orc’s tendons apart.
Round 5:
32/26/30: Fire, Smoke and Orc activity stable.
Camthalion nooks an arrow.
The Orc is stunned.While the orc tries to recover from the fire and the arrow hail, Camthalion nooks another arrow and Dwalin and Leowyn wait patiently, in the advantage of the tight doorway and the daylight.
Round 6:
78/87/83: Fire remains at B and Smoke increases and the Orcs decide to move out.
Camthalion shoots an arrow to the orc: 17+58-5= 70: 0
Dwalin and Leowyn set up on defensive stance waiting for the orc to exit.
The Orc moves to the exit, attacking Leowyn.
Dwalin flank attacks: 45+51+15+15-5=121: 17C: 59=59: Blow to shield shoulder breaks shield.
Leowyn attacks: 11+38+15-5= 59: 1 hit.
Orc1 attacks Leowyn: 161+63+5-25-40-60=104: 10A: 54-20=34: Blow to upper leg. +5 hits. If no leg armor: +3 hits & 2 hits/rnd.So I decide that 1d100% (round up) of the remaining orcs will brave the fire.
05: 1 orc2: B critical: 12-10: Hot Air. +0 hits.
The orc passes through the flames and will suffer -10 to activity for 1 round due to the smoke.Camthalion shoots another arrow on the burned orc, but misses. The orc tries to exit the flaming tower and comes face to face with Dwalin and Leowyn. It aims for Leowyn, but Dwalin strikes from it’s flank, his mace crushes the shield. Leowyn tries to hit it, but only manages a flesh wound. The orc turns to her, and hacks his handaxe to her leg, gashing a wound open, blood spewing out. With the fire getting stronger, only one orc dares to brave the staircase, and manages to get downstairs without being burned. Just some smoke in his lungs.
Round 7:
69/28: Fire and Smoke remain at the same intensity.
Camthalion loads his bow.
Dwalin attacks the Orc1: 37+51+15+15-5=113: 15B: 96-10=86: Blow to weapon arm. +8 hits. Stunned 2 rounds. If no arm armor: tendon damaged, arm broken and useless. He has lost 64/79 hit points.
Leowyn goes back to bandage her leg.
The Orc2, drags the stunned orc back and attacks: Dwalin: 43+63+5-30-60(daylight)= 21: 0 hits.
1d100% orcs brave the flames: 45: 3 orcs. Each takes a B heat critical:
Orc3: 57-10=47: Blinded by hot smoke. +12 hits. Stunned 1 round.
Orc4: 59-10=49: Blinded by hot smoke. +12 hits. Stunned 1 round.
Orc5: 02-10=-8: Hot Air. +0 hits.Camthalion readies his bow, while Dwalin follows up with a strike to the orc’s weapon arm, crushing it to the bone. Leowyn steps back to bandage her bleeding leg. The other orc comes from behind, grabs his friends shoulder, and pushes his back, taking his place against the dwarf and the shield maiden. Three orcs brave the stairs, and two are burned by a gash of hot smoke as they go to the ground floor.
Round 8:
02/62: Fire goes back to A and Smoke remains at the same intensity.
Camthalion shoots Orc2: 14+48+10-5=67: 0
Orc2 attacks Dwalin: 56+63+5-30-60(daylight)=34: 0 hits.
Dwalin attacks Orc2: 24+51+15-30=60: 4 hits.
Leowyn moves back and puts aside her sword, drawing out her composite bow.
1d100% orcs brave the flames: 90: All four remaining orcs.
The two stunned orcs and three new orcs all receive a B heat critical.
Orc3: 17-10=7: Strong heat, little effect. +3 hits.
Orc4: 26-10=16: Strong heat, little effect. +3 hits.
Orc6: 24-10=14: Strong heat, little effect. +3 hits.
Orc7: 02-10=-8: Hot Air. +0 hits.
Orc8: 70-10=60: Knocked down by fiery blast. Any organic foot and calf covering destroyed. +10 hits.
Orc1: stands aside tending to his wounds.
Orc5: nooks an arrow.Camthalion aims and lets of an arrow to the orc at the doorway, and misses. It tries to attack Dwalin, but the daylight is blinding, and it fails aimlessly as the dwarf parries the blows. Dwalin hits back the orc, as his companion, with the broken arm moves to the rear. Five more orcs brave the flames and fill the ground floor, screaming shouts at their enemies as the fire burns the staircase. One orc falls down by the fiery blast, remaining at the staircase.
Round 9:
89/60: Fire increases in intensity to B.
Camthalion readies an arrow.
Dwalin attacks Orc2: 30+51+15-30=66: 6 hits.
Leowyn readies an arrow.
Orc5 shoots at Dwalin: 62+40-60-5=37: 0.
Orc2 attacks Dwalin: 47+63+5-30-60(daylight)=25: 0.
Orc3,4,6,7 take out their bows.
Orc1: disabled.
Orc8: 91-10=81: Fire engulfs back. Knocked down. All organic material on back is destroyed. 2 hits per round. Stunned 1 round.Dwalin faces off the orc in one to one combat. These are not the weak goblins they met in the forest. They have skill and armor. Dwalin barely manages to score a flesh wound while parrying successfuly the enemy. The orcs in the back of the tower draw their bows and arrows and load them. The orc trapped in the stair case is burned further as he fell on his back, burning further, it screams in pain.
Round 10:
04/46: Fire decreases in intensity to A.
Camthalion shoots Orc2: 41+48+10-5=94: 7 hits.
Dwalin attacks Orc2: 73+51+15-30=109: 14B: 97-10= 87: Shatter Knee. +9 hits. -60 to activity. Knocked down and stunned 3 rounds.
Leowyn shoots Orc3: 73+33-5=101: 10A: 76-20=56: Strike along side of chest. 1 hit per round. Stunned 1 round.
Orc1: Disabled.
Orc2: Stunned.
Orc3: Stunned.
Orc4: Shoots at Dwalin: 48+40-60-5=23: 0.
Orc5: Reloads.
Orc6: Shoots at Dwalin: 94+40-60-5=69: 0.
Orc7: Shoots at Dwalin: 100+12+40-60-5=87: 6 hits.
Orc8: 31-20=11: Strong heat, little effect. +3 hits. Stunned.Dwalin shatters his opponent’s knee, knocking them down, as an arrow from Camthalion lodges in the surface of their skin. Leowyn takes aim at another orc, and releases her arrow, which strikes along the side of the orc’s chest, stunning it. The orcs release a voley of arrows to Dwalin, and one scratches him. The orc in the staircase remains trapped there, unable to move.
Round 11:
20/97: Smoke Increases in intensity.
Camthalion reloads.
Dwalin attacks Orc2: 52+51+15-30+20=108: 14B: 47-10=37: Blow to forearm. +5 hits. If no arm armor, stunned 1 round.
Leowyn reloads.
Orc1: Disabled
Orc2: Disabled
Orc3: pushes aside Orc2, draws a handaxe and attacks Dwalin: 11+63-30-60-30=-16: 0.
Orc4: Reloads
Orc5: Shoots at Dwalin: 87+40-60-5=62: 0.
Orc6: Reloads.
Orc7: Reloads.
Orc8: 70-20=50: Blinded by hot smoke. +12 hits. Stunned 1 round.As almost all the archers are reloading, Dwalin follows up on the knocked down orc with the shattered knee, and blows his forearm, further stunning him. The orc whimpers in pain, and one of his kind, drags his back and attacks Dwalin with their handaxe. The orc in the staircase is blinded by hot smoke, still trapped, doesn’t know which way is up or down.
Round 12:
85/06: Fire increases in intensity to B, Smoke decreases.
Camthalion shoots Orc3: 54+48+10-5=107: 13B: 02-10: Glancing blow. No extra damage.
Dwalin attacks Orc3: 99+61+51+15-5: 150: 22E: 09+20=29: Blow to side. +4 hits. -40 to activity for 1 round.
Leowyn shoots Orc3: 14+33-5=42: 0.
Orc1: Disabled
Orc2: Disabled
Orc3: attacks Dwalin: 77+63-30-60-40: 10: 0
Orc4: Shoots at Dwalin: 96+94+40-5-60=145: 23E: 20-10=40: Minor forearm wound. +2 hits. If no arm armor: stunned 1 round.
Orc5: Reloads.
Orc6: Shoots Dwalin: 45+40-5-60=20: 0.
Orc7: Shoots Dwalin: 91+40-5-60=66: 0
Orc8: 21-10=11: Strong heat, little effect. +3 hits. Stunned.Camthalion delivers a glancing blow to the orc locked in combat with Dwalin. Dwalin delivers a blow to their side, remaing a stout obstacle to the exit of the orcs who still remain in the burning tower. An arrow hits Dwalin to the forearm, and the pain makes him lose concentration for a few moments.
Round 13:
49/36: Fire and Smoke remain at the same intensity.
Camthalion reloads.
Dwalin is stunned.
Leowyn reloads.
Orc1 is disabled.
Orc2 is disabled.
Orc3 disengages.
Orc4 drops the bow and switches to handaxe and charges at Dwalin: 90+63+5-30-60-30: 28: 0.
Orc5 shoots at Dwalin: 37+40-5-60: 12: 0.
Orc6 reloads.
Orc7 reloads.
Orc8: 65-10=55: Clothing catches on fire. Takes 2 rnds to extinguish. +12 hits. 8 hits per rnd afire. Stunned 1 round.The archers reload, while the orc in combat with Dwalin steps aside, fearing for its life. Another one takes his place, and Dwalin puts all his skill to block the strikes. The orc in the staircase has remained trapped for too long, and his clothing catches on fire. It screams in pain.
Round 14:
67/93: Fire remains the same smoke increase in intensity.
Camthalion shoots at Orc4: 96+89..: 25E: 51+20=71: Strike to lower leg. Tendons torn. +3 hits. -25 to activity. Stunned 1 round.
Dwalin attacks Orc4: 75+51+15-30+20=131: 19D: 51+10=61: Blow to shield shoulder breaks shield. If no shield: shoulder broken, arm useless.
Leowyn shoots at Orc6: 34+33-5=62: 0.
Orc1 is disabled.
Orc2 is disabled.
Orc3 is disengaged.
Orc4 is stunned.
Orc5 reloads.
Orc6 shoots at Dwalin: 55+40-5-60=40: 0.
Orc7 shoots at Dwalin: 05+40-5-60=-25:0.
Orc8: 39-10=29: Minor burns. +8 hits. 1 hit per round.
Orc8 goes downstairs.Camthalion takes aim, low, below the armor, and strikes the lower leg of the orc, his arrow, tearing the tendons, and stunning the orc. As the orc cries in pain, Dwalin finds the necessary opening, and hits the shoulder. The mace crushes the orc’s shoulder. Arrows fly everywhere, missing the targets, as the flaming orc manages to get a grip and get downstairs.
Round 15:
84/11: Fire further increases in intensity to D. If it increases further, the tower will collapse.
Camthalion moves to cast a healing spell on Dwalin: Spell: 99: Success: Heals 4 hits.
Dwalin attacks Orc4: 30+51+15-30=66: 6 hits.
Leowyn reloads.
Orc1 is disabled.
Orc2 is disabled.
Orc3 is disengaged.
Orc4 attacks Dwalin: 10+63-30-60-25=-42: 0.
Orc5 shoots at Dwalin: 40+40-5-60=15: 0.
Orc6 reloads.
Orc7 reloads.
Orc8 tries to put out his fire, but dies before making it.Camthalion goes next to Dwalin, he sees the dwarf holding the orcs all by himself. Concentrating, he whispers some elvish words, and the dwarf magically recovers some of his strength and continues his fight anew. He lands another hit on the orc against him, but it’s only a weak hit. Archers reload, others take a shot, but no shot meets the target. The flaming orc starts rolling around in the floor to put out the flames, but soon he expires, screaming, to the horror of his friends.
Q: Does the flaming death of the orc cause fear to the orcs?
A: False Presupposition: The orcs are locked in combat, and they don’t pay attention to the gruesome way of dying.Round 16:
08/44: Fire and Smoke remain at the same intensity.
Camthalion reloads.
Dwalin attacks Orc4: 68+51+15-30=104: 13A: 90-20=70: Blow breaks bone in leg. +12 hits. -40 to activity. Stunned 2 rounds. Orc4 is down.
Leowyn shoots at Orc6: 25+33-5=51: 0.
Orc1 is disabled.
Orc2 is disabled.
Orc3 is disengaged.
Orc5 drops the bow, draws a handaxe and charges at Dwalin: 100+35+63-30-60-30+5=73: 4 hits.
Orc6 shoots at Dwalin: 91+40-5-60= 66: 0
Orc7 shoots at Dwalin: 75+40-5-60= 50: 0Dwalin finds another opening on the broken orc, and breaks their leg, bringing it down. Another orc archer drops their bow and drawing their handaxe, charges in the fray, hoping for the opening past Dwalin. Leowyn and the other two orc archers exchange shots, but they all miss.
Round 17:
79/47: Fire and Smoke remain at the same intensity.
Camthalion shoots at Orc6: 31+48+10-5=84: 4 hits.
Dwalin attacks Orc5: 05+51+15-30= 41: 0.
Leowyn reloads.
Orc1 is disabled.
Orc2 is disabled.
Orc3 is disengaged.
Orc5 attacks Dwalin: 11+63-30-60+5=-11:0
Orc6 reloads.
Orc7 reloads.The fight continues. All the combatants are exhausted and no significant strike lands, except an arrow launched from Camthalion’s bow, that wounds lightly an orc archer. Yet noone gives quarter. They all know what’s at stake.
Round 18:
44/12: Fire and Smoke remain at the same intensity.
Camthalion reloads.
Dwalin attacks Orc5: 60+51+15-30=96: 12A: 32-20=12: Minor fracture of ribs. +5 hits. -5 to activity.
Leowyn shoots at Orc6: 58+33-5=86: 6 hits.
Orc5 attacks Dwalin: 83+63-30-60+5-5=-56:0
Orc6 shoots at Dwalin: 50+40-5-60= 35: 0
Orc7 shoots at Dwalin: 43+40-5-60= 18: 0With the fight going on for 3 minutes, the combatants are losing their wind. Dwalin’s mace fractures the ribs of his orc enemy, and Leowyn wounds with an arrow the same archer that Camthalion wounded just a few seconds before. The orc archers, blinded by the sunlight miss their targets.
Round 19:
67/32: Fire and Smoke remain at the same intensity.
Camthalion shoots at Orc5: 63+48+10-5=116: 16B: 01-10: Glancing blow. No extra damage.
Dwalin attacks Orc5: 43+51+15-30=79: 8 hits.
Orc5 attacks Dwalin: 51+63-30-60+5-5=24: 0
Orc6 reloads
Orc7 reloadsDwalin, immovavble as a rock, holds the doorway. Only three orcs are combat capable, and none can get past the dwarf scout, his shield and his mace. Supported by a glancing arrow hit by Camthalion, Dwalin, hurts his opponent without being hurt himself. The orc archers nook another arrow.
Round 20:
88/05: The fire increases in intensity, burning down the tower.
The flames have reached the foundations and the wooden beams on the top of the tower. The roof collapses with everything on top, and crashes down on the orcs, burying them under flaming rubble.
The party looks at each other. Bloody, and exhausted, having a slight smile on their faces. They are alive. The smoke has risen above the tower into the air. Any element of surprise they had is now gone.
Now I have a complicated topic to resolve. Reinforcements/Alarms.
- So any remaining orcs (10 to 12 orcs minus 8 killed) are either on the lookout tower or on patrol. So is the orc captain Thuk.
- Ar Gular may be on site.
- Crebain are on Tower 4.
My assumption is that if Ar Gular is on site, he would immediately come out to face the intruders once he realized what is wrong. Same as with the orc lookouts. But how can I deliver this information, and at the same time keeping it secret from myself.
Therefore, retrospectively:
I’m going to use a dependent clock relating to the Crebain activity. With a twist. I’ll draw a card, face up, each turn where the fire started. On three consequtive cards of the same suit (any suit will do), then the Crebain are triggered. This means I’ll ask the Oracle if the adventure regarding the Crebain is as expected.
Additionally, it’s 100% certain that from Round 6 onwards, the orc lookout may become aware of the fight going on. On the same drawn cards, any two consequtive cards of the same suit from Round 6 and on, will trigger the orc lookout. This means again I’ll ask the Oracle if the adventure regarding the Lookout is as expected.
The Oracle questions will come at the first possible time that an action from the trigger could have occured.
If (very unlikely) neither the Crebain or the Lookout are triggered until Round 20, then no alarm has been triggered.
So, at Round 18 the Lookout is triggered. An Orc will take at least 4 Rounds running to get downstairs. So the Lookout (if not a Scene Twist) would only come down to attack the party if they had reinforcements (Thuk, and/or the remaining 1-3 orcs). If the reinforcements and Thuk are on patrol, the lookout would want to warn them, but I doubt they’d risk going in the courtyard alone against triple enemies. So, at Round 22, I will ask if the Lookout scene is as expected, and also if Thuk and/or reinforcements are with the Lookout. If not, the Lookout won’t appear.
Also at Round 20, the Crebain are triggered.Q: Is the Crebain scene as expected?
A: No: TWENE: 7: Add Major Element. Portent: Make the hay while the sun shines. Figurative: Take advantage of a good opportunity. I’ll go with the literal meaning. The sun shines strong, upon the Crebain nests, and the party takes notice of the 3-30: 14 birds that take flight to the sky.As Camthalion looks up to the smoke, he can’t help but notice the northern tower. A bunch of black crow-like birds take off to the sky, cawing. “Crebain” he says. “There is a lot of evil involved in these parts. No point in hiding, they have seen us, and will notify their masters.”
Since they take notice, where do the Crebain head to? 1d8: East.
Q: Do all the Crebain head east?
A: YesAs the birds head off east, Camthalion turns to his companions. “They didn’t head inside the keep. Whoever their master is, isn’t inside.”
“Should we risk going inside? or leave while we have the chance?” He points to Leowyn’s bandaged leg.Q: Is the Lookout Scene as expected?
A: No, but. TWENE: 1: Increase Simple Element. We’ll find out if the lookout appears what the simple element is.
Q: Does the orc appear in the courtyard? (unlikely, since the Crebain headed off in another direction).
A: No, and, they won’t appear in the keep too. Most likely hiding and trying to flee.The party takes pause to consider how to proceed. The risk is high, but so is the reward, and the time for decisions, is now.
Bookkeeping
Name Days Rations Camthalion 7 Dwalin 7 Leowyn 9 Arrows: Camthalion is at 18 arrows.
Critical Delivered Orc1 Orc2 Orc3 Orc4 Orc5 Orc6 Orc7 Orc8 Camthalion 15 0 30 75 30 0 0 0 Dwalin 75 60 75 75 15 0 0 0 Leowyn 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 Kill Points EP Camthalion 0 Dwalin 150 Leowyn 0 Criticals Received EP Camthalion 0 Dwalin 500 Leowyn 100 Hits Received EP Camthalion 0 Dwalin 31 Leowyn 18 Spellcasting EP Camthalion 100 Maneuver Points EP Camthalion 50 Dwalin 50 Leowyn 0 Non-Idea EP Total EP Camthalion 300 Dwalin 1108 Leowyn 133 I’ll give the entire part half the total as idea points, because the whole burn-the tower thing was quite smart. 837 EP total, 279 each.
Summing up, from previous session.
Name Experience Points Camthalion 3188 EP Dwalin 4480 EP Leowyn 2544 EP Money: The party pool is 9sp, 4bp, 2cp and 3tp.
Hit Points: Dwalin is at 17 hit points, Leowyn is at 11 hit points, Camthalion is at full hit points.
Session Background
What a fight! I run it all in theater of the mind and it was exhausting. Don’t be fooled by the picture, it was taken after game, for presentation purposes. I had to go back and correct mistakes at least 3 times, turning the course of the battle as I rewrote the events (no new rolls were made though unless they were missing). If I made a mistake here and there, it could not be avoided, since I had to re-edit the text as many times.
I know that some orcs weren’t dead, but I doubt that anyone with broken shoulders, shattered knees, crushed forearms would stick to fighting. I didn’t roll for that, but instead decided that the more capable orcs would join the fight. That cost me the Kill Points of course. I tried to keep things as balanced as possible, and it all was very risky. If Dwalin ever fell, I don’t know for how long Leowyn would be able to hold them off without falling from bloodloss, or even getting wounded herself.
The more I play, the more I love some hardcore parts of MERP, how the bleeding wound took Leowyn out of the fight. I houseruled that she could use a bow without risking getting the leg wound open.
The hardest thing of all was trying to keep player, adventure module and game-master knowledge in their own separate boxes. I’m content with the results, but far from happy. -
giorgis
Five weeks of world building
So, a few days ago, I decided to join in a Gygax world building challenge, as proposed by John Lopez, in a repeat of the proposal by Ray Otus. You can find the challenge here: https://rayotus.itch.io/gygax75.
Since I felt that just by declaring my intentions to join the challenge was like being half way in, half way out, I decided to post about it here as a means of commitment.
I’m really curious as to where this challenge will take me, and who knows? Maybe by the end, I’ll have a world ready to be used in my next solo adventure.
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giorgis
d144 Idiom Portent Generator
Inspired by my latest actual play, went ahead and created a d144 Idiom Portent Generator. I’ve used many portents in the past, but the use of idioms was the most inspiring to me.
EDIT: updated to v1.2 for improved formatting
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Todd Zircher
Pretty cool, always like to see more love for the d12. My only gripe is the spacing on the contents of the table. It just strikes me as odd. Not sure if there is a better way. Maybe landscape to give you more room? Something to play with.
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Carl White
Very handy, thanks for sharing this! Always nice to have a new randomiser,. I can see this working nicely.
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giorgis
In the Trollshaws. Ep04.
Back to the MERP adventure. To tackle the exploration issue I will be using a combination of a hexflower with a known map.
So here, I took the Trollshaws map, and overlayed the hexflowers (with some additions) on top.
- Each hex represents an approximate one day walking distance.
- If for some reason the party doesn’t travel, they stay in the same hex.
- To determine the direction traveled when looking for the lair, the party will roll their tracking skill.
- If they succeed, they choose the direction. If they fail, then they roll 2d6, with the Intended Direction (6-7) being, the target hex (#5)
- Previously explored region doesn’t require a tracking roll. i.e. they can always navigate back to the inn.
- If they end up going to a ‘dotted’ hex, then they spend a day there, but next turn, I don’t roll, and they move to the other non-dotted hex adjacent to it.
- If they end up going to nowhere, then 1-3 goes to the clockwise dotted adjacent hex, while 4-6 goes to the counter-clockwise dotted adjacent hex.
Since the party was already roaming around, I will roll 2d10-1 to see where they pick up the hexflower (and not at 4): 9
The whole concept is that if they stray too far, they realize it and change direction. If one searches for a hill troll lair in Rhudaur, it’s unlikely that they will reach Rohan and keep going.
Watches/encounters as per standard rules.
Also I’ll start a Secret Clock, to determine if Leddon is still alive. It will be an Independent Secret Clock, triggered at three consecutive Hearts. I’ll draw two cards already for the days spent so far, and a new one.
Drew 3 cards face down.
I also decide to roll up 1d30 for the day, and it’s the 8th day of Hithui (we had established that before).
Going with BOLD again to roll up some connections.
action gerund subject address lying your nature proclaim repairing a possession speculate training friends or family Day 8, Hithui, 3rd Watch
As the party eats up their breakfast, Dwalin looks into his emptying Backpack.
“We need to replenish our supplies. It’s been two days already, and rations are running low.” He says to his companions.
Leowyn and Camthalion both agree, and they head back to the Inn.Watch: 32/13: No encounter.
Day 8, Hithui, 4th Watch
Watch: 32/88: No encounter.
It isn’t long before they reach the torch lighted windows of the Last Inn.
As they enter, the Grumms look at them with anxiety.
Dwalin shakes his head, and they turn back to service their guests.
“Will you be staying the night? Shall we prepare the same room?” Rubb asks them while he wipes a mug.
“We will.” Leowyn replies. “Also we’d like some dinner. It’s really cold outside and we could use something to warm our bellies.”Q: Is everything as expected?
A: No, but, it’s 1d4 on TWINE: 1: Increase Simple Element
I decide it’s the warmth of the place.“Come then, I’ll seat you by the fireplace. We’ve put more logs tonight, since it’s colder than usual.” Rubb signals for one of his daughters to take care of the party, and soon they are seated.
I roll to see who of the regulars is in the Inn, and find that only Grepp, drunk again is there tonight.
So we’ll be buying one meal for each (3 cp). 1 wk worth of Normal Rations (5 cp), and 2 wk worth of Trail Rations (2 bp). Separate Bedding for each (6 cp) and Stable (2 tp). This amounts to a total of 3 bp, 4 cp and 2 tp.
The party pool is at 9sp, 5bp, 3cp and 3tp.“There’s fewer people here tonight.” Camthalion states. “I doubt we can glean any information. There’s only that drunkard selling the map to the fort.”
“And he’s probably lying anyway.” Leowyn adds. “You all saw how dangerous it is to be out there. I doubt this man is in possession of a true map.”I think this covers the speculate lying a possession, for Leowyn.
action gerund subject address ~~lying~~ your nature proclaim repairing ~~a possession~~ ~~speculate~~ training friends or family Q: Does the night pass by uneventful? (Likely)
A: No, and it’s something dangerousSo now I’m thinking that it could either be a thief/assassin
Or the trail of orc bodies they left wasn’t left unnoticed and maybe there is an orc patrol after them daring to attack the inn
Also it could be the hillman they let live, maybe his friends are bent on revengeSo to start, I’ll first take a look at the Hârnmaster tables, see if the encounter tables cover the above situations
I think the ‘Lawful Highway Night’ table can lead to any of the above (and more)
75: Forester: To/From Visiting Friends/etc
Q: Is it the same forester from a few nights ago?
A: NoSo a lot of thoughts fly in my head. I’ll go with the first idea that pops, and ask the Oracle for verification.
Q: Is it someone who gets insulted by the party?
A: YesA nice heartwarming meal, and some mead later, and the companions are talking around the fireplace, sharing their stories about how dangerous the Trollshaws are, how they have killed a dozen orcs so far, and even fell a troll.
It all goes well, and the audience is captivated, until Leowyn opens her mouth.
“The orcs run abound in Rhudaur. And the men around here even if they weren’t self minded fools, caring for nothing but scaring poor travelers, they wouldn’t be a match for them. Bunch of cowards.” She spits out.
Suddenly silence.
A burly man pushes aside his table, making noise on the floor, as he stands up. “Who did you call a coward?!” He asks in a deep intimidating voice, as he puts his arms around his waist.Now, Leowyn is a proud shield maiden. She won’t be bullied, and stands up for herself. Nevertheless, her cautious Personality means she doesn’t want a fight in the only place for miles where she can rest safely. She’ll try to avoid conflict, while keeping her pride intact.
“The hillmen who thought less of the women of Rohan.” Leowyn says and stands up as well. “I spared their lives. Not sure if the wolves were as forgiving.”
Influence: 17: Failure. You have failed.
The man attacks. It’s going to be unarmed combat. I decide that the party doesn’t wear any armor, and since it’s a fistfight, Leowyn won’t draw a sword either.
Hillman attacks: 43+25-20 = 48: 1
Leowyn attacks: 06+35-20 = 21: –
Camthalion and Dwalin don’t intervene.Hillman attacks: 50+25-20 = 55: 2
Leowyn attacks: 16+35-20 = 31: –
Camthalion and Dwalin don’t intervene.Hillman attacks: 12+25-20 = 17: –
Leowyn attacks: 58+35-20 = 73: 8T: 29-50 = -19: Fairly Weak: +0 hits. Zip.
Camthalion and Dwalin don’t intervene.Hillman attacks: 86+25-20 = 91: 12A: 50-20 = 30: Leg Strike. +4 hits. If no leg armor, stunned 1 round.
Leowyn: Stunned
Camthalion and Dwalin don’t intervene.Hillman attacks: 93+25-20: 98: 14A: 70-20 = 50: Chest Strike. Knocked Back 3 feet. +5 hits. -10 to activity for 2 rounds.
The man throws a jab at Leowyn, but it’s fast and not strong. It barely shakes her. She tries to hit back but finds only air. He follows up with a left cross and hit her a bit harder this time, as she tries once more to hit back.
Now she has an idea about his opponent, and as he jabs once more, she steps aside and hits him with a strong punch to the side. He rotates his body and kicks her hard in the leg. She screams, and can do nothing but clench her fists in pain. As she lies there, he finds room and follows with a jumping kick right on her chest. The strike knocks Leowyn back 3 feet, and she falls on the floor unconscious.
“And stay down! Hah! Woman of Rohan!”. The man says haughtily, but dares not move any closer as he sees Dwalin’s hand resting on his mace, and Camthalion grasping his sword’s hilt.
The room runs cold. Not even the thick logs burning can warm the chill in their hearts.
In the silence, the two companions take the beaten Leowyn back up to the room to tend to her.Q: Do the Grumms intervene? I deem that Unlikely since the whole conflict resolved itself.
A: Yes, and they take a strong stance.
Q: Do they side with Leowyn?
A: YesCamthalion casts Surface Ways on Leowyn: 89: Success: Heals 10 hits.
Leowyn is at: 29-1-2-12-4-14-5+10 = 1 hit point. She regains consciousness.“No matter the insult, this is not a place to fight. You are not welcome here.” Rubb tells the man. “Keep your coin I don’t want it. You may spend the night in the stables, since it’s too cold outside, but after that I want you gone in the morning. I don’t want to see your face again.”
The man swears something between his teeth, but seeing as he has no support among the audience, he mumbles and picks his gear and heads outside.“We’ll have to spend another night and day here, master dwarf.” Camthalion says. “Until she recovers at least. We’re in this alltogether.”
Dwalin has no choice but to agree. “Let’s see if we learn anything more at least, during this downtime.I deem that Camthalion used the ‘address, repairing, friends or family’ connection.
action gerund subject ~~address~~ ~~lying~~ your nature proclaim ~~repairing~~ ~~a possession~~ ~~speculate~~ training ~~friends or family~~ Day 9, Hithui
I’ll be rolling in the Harnmaster Weather tables, since they’re more appropriate than MERP’s.
The Weather is Cold, it’s Overcast, Snowing, with Calm Winds.Q: Do any more people arrive in the next day?
A: NoI’ll roll an Influence roll, to see if they learn anything about hill troll lairs in the region.
Influence: 76: Partial Success: 73: Failure. They learned nothing new.I draw another secret clock card.
Q: Does anything happen during rest period?
A: No, but rumors abound regarding last nights events.Leowyn spends her day in bed. It still hurts a bit, but apart from some bruises, to remind her of the beating, it’s mainly her battered pride that worries her.
Camthalion and Dwalin try to glean any information regarding hill troll lairs from the guests to the inn, but all they care to talk about, was the fight between Leowyn and the Hillman.So during extra rest period, they have to pay one more night of lodging and food. This amounts to 6cp + 2tp + 18tp + 3cp = 1bp +1cp. The party pool is down to 9sp, 4bp, 2cp and 3tp.
Day 10, Hithui, 3rd Watch
The Weather is Cool, it’s Cloudy, with a NE Breeze.
In the morning, I draw another secret clock card, and the party continues their search.
Scouting for hill troll lair: 13+30+11: Failure. Can’t roll again for another day.
Hex: 2d6: Towards #7: 7: Going to Hex #7.
Encounter: 37/81: No encounterDay 10, Hithui, 4th Watch
The Weather stays the same.
Encounter: 30/90: No encounter
Day 10-11, Hithui, Overnight
The Weather stays the same (becoming cold for the night) for the 5th and 6th Watch, but strong winds and overcast skies storm from the North, during the 1st and 2nd Watch.
Encounter: 13/79: No encounter
For a whole day, the party searches the countryside, for any sign of Leddon or any troll that might have taken him. To vain. As the cold of the night sets in, they camp to a decent site. Leowyn picks the first watch, Camthalion picks the second and Dwalin the third.
When Camthalion goes to relief Leowyn of her watch duties he tries to explain about the previous night at the inn.
“We couldn’t have intervened without causing more trouble, or insulting your honor. I apologize if we let you down. We are all in this together.-” Leowyn interrupts him.
“Don’t. If anyone has let you down it’s me. I should have been able to fight it out on my own. It’s my honor and the women of Rohan that I have insulted. This won’t happen again. I will train harder and better. I am set on making them proud.” She says sternly. Camthalion doesn’t say another word.I deem that with this, the final connection plays out for Leowyn. Proclaim, training, your nature.
Day 11, Hithui, 3rd Watch
The Weather becomes Warm, with Clear Skies and Calm winds.
In the morning, I draw another secret clock card, and the party continues their search.
Scouting for hill troll lair: 24+30+11: Failure. Can’t roll again for another day.
Hex: 2d6: Towards #5: 3: Going to Hex #12.
Encounter: 36/02: Sighting by (wild beasts): Track: Reptile: Ordinary Reptile/Lizard: Sleeping/Hibernating/Dormant.In the morning, they return to their search. The strong winds from midnight have calmed, and the sun rays warm their bodies. Will they find Leddon? Wil they find Dwalin’s hammer. Sometimes it all feels futile, searching in the trollshaws.
Leowyn’s mind is hovers back to her lost love. Will she ever find his killer? The still morning floods her thoughts and feelings. A hibernating lizard in the dirt, under a big tree, doesn’t help take her mind of things. But then, Dwalin’s deep dwarven voice snaps her out of it.So the hex #12, contains the ruined castle! Here’s a chance to get away from the hexcrawl and do some dungeon delve! But first things first. I must ask the Oracle.
Q: Is everything as expected?
A: No, but: TWENE: 3: Add Simple Element.I roll up a portent: Break the Ice. So I deem that the simple element is Ice. Maybe the stream running in the ruined keep has frozen.
Q: Is the stream frozen?
A: Yes, but, still running underneathBefore them, at the top of a hill, lies a stone keep with several stories. A once sturdy structure, fallen in ruin.
“Come and see! It must have been the castle the drunkard was talking about! We don’t need no map!” Dwalin tells them. Leowyn seems worried, because if the existence of the castle was true, then so might be the traps.
“We must be careful, there could be traps.” She tries to calm him down.
“And riches!” Dwalins eyes glimmer with greed. He calms down. “I know my way around traps. Plus, we can’t pass the chance that maybe the relic I look for has ended here.”
Leowyn finds it far fetched, but she can’t deny a dwarf his treasure hunt. “Let’s go then, carefully.”I decide to stop here. Going into this castle is going to require at least one session dedicated to it.
Bookkeeping
Name Days Rations Camthalion 7 Dwalin 7 Leowyn 9 Arrows: Camthalion is at 28 arrows.
Hit Points: The party is at full hit points.
EP: Leowyn has gained 238 EP from the beating she received from the Hillman. Camthalion, with Spellcasting, has gained 100 EP. The party has traveled 30 miles, giving 60 EP to each since this is a moderately dangerous region. This gives 259 Idea EP. Camthalion gets 86 EP more for a total of 246 and Leowyn 173 for a total of 471.
Adding up the previous session’s EP.
Name Experience Points Camthalion 2609 EP Leowyn 2132 EP Dwalin 3093 EP Money: The party pool is 9sp, 4bp, 2cp and 3tp.
Session Summary
Another grand example of how this old school system, is not suited for well rounded gameplay. The chances of a successful influence roll were low. Around 15%. If one takes a look at the classes and pregens, they will see that there is almost no focus on secondary (I’d say tertiary) skill, like influence.
This is another testament to the old-school roleplaying style. All the interactions between characters were roleplayed and there were minimal in-system mechanics to resolve them.Next, I’d like to focus on the one-to-one combat between Leowyn and the hillman in the Inn. Even though Leowyn had a small advantage, the swinginess of this d100 system, is such, that she got her ass handed to her. This is not a game that can be played with one character. It is deadly. The swinginess is reduced by adding more characters in the mix. A party is necessary.
Now in this particular scene, I decided it would be best if the rest of the party wouldn’t intervene. It was a one on one unarmed combat, and it wouldn’t be honorable for Leowyn or the group to gang up on the hillman. Thankfully the consequences in unarmed combat, usually aren’t dire.
I enjoyed how the hex flower overlay starts to play out. I may have not found the hill troll lair, but I fell upon the castle which is so interesting! and it makes so much more sense to see my party moving around the map.
I know this is a starting adventure, but looking at the combined stats of the enemies and the lethality of the system, I’m well aware, my party might not make it out alive. We’ll have to see how it plays out.
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giorgis
Miniatures pt8 – Orcs & Trollbins
A decent set of fantasy wouldn’t be complete without a full greenskin variety.
In addition to the goblin warband, I’ve gotten single 15mm fantasy sculpts that I’ve collected together to increase my skirmish forces.
My pile of shame includes 18 more orcs, and I’ve ordered one big troll to join them.
Here are three Trollbins (lesser trolls) and three orcs from the Demonworld range of Ral Partha Europe.
Orc Swordsman 
Orc Skirmisher 
Orc Archer 
Trollbin 
Trollbin 
Trollbin -
giorgis
Miniatures pt7 – Lizardmen
Here I detail my Lizardmen Blighthaven warband from Ral Partha Europe.
I really enjoyed these sculpts. One thing that was a bit off, is how they were significantly bigger than the rest of my Blighthaven miniatures. Even their bases are different, than the traditional demonworld round bases. To address this I used larger basing materials, otherwise they would look a bit odd.
The archers didn’t have the quivers attached to their backs, so I followed the advice of a fellow warganer and put them on the ground in front of them.
I went with a simple paint scheme. The whole net and trident/fork attire gave me a swamp/fishing culture feel, so I chose my colors to represent this.
I painted their flesh green, again of sketching, but I washed the flesh with a blue-black wash. I wanted that green-blue hue. I painted the shirts and pants in yellow ochre for a ragged look, with a brown-black wash.
Lizardman Brute 
Lizardman Brute 
Lizardman Netter 
Lizardman Netter 
Lizardman Swordsman 
Lizardman Swordsman 
Lizardman Swordsman 
Lizardman Archer 
Lizardman Archer 
Lizardman Archer
Carl White, and 
Solo, Pen, Paper and Dice 
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