To Tharbad. Ep03

Although Tharbad is no longer the direct destination of Leowyn, I’m still keeping the same name for this adventure for posterity’s sake.

Forgot to make the development rolls. Leowyn is granted 2 Intrigue, 2 Rhetoric, 1 Initiative and 1 Unarmed development roll based on her skill use last session.
Intrigue: (42): 89,10: Increase to 43
Rhetoric: (33): 24,11: No increase
Initiative: (68): 26: No increase
Unarmed: (65): 24: No increase

So the distance she will have to travel is about 50 miles.
Again, what I’ll be doing is once I have reached the destination by approximation, I’ll ask the Oracle about it.

It’s an unpaved road. Depending on the weather conditions she might be moving up to 23 miles per watch.

Day 31st Hithui, 3rd Watch

Weather (19) stays the same. It is cold, and cloudy with no snow.
Encounter: 4: No encounter
She traveled 20 miles. (Reducing because she didn’t leave right away at morning).

Day 31st Hithui, 4th Watch

Weather (19) stays the same. It is cold, and cloudy with no snow.
Encounter: 3: No encounter
She traveled 23 miles and made camp.

Day 31st Hithui, 5th Watch

Weather (20) is cold, and overcast with no snow.
Encounter: 14: No encounter

Day 31st Hithui, 6th Watch

Weather (1) is freezing, and overcast and starts to snow.
Encounter: 19: Rural, Lawless /Night: 82: Reroll as Urban: 37: Lia-Kavair (Thieves): 45: Journeyman: 29: Burgling/Casing Job/etc.
When: At 20.17. I’ll decide that Leowyn isn’t yet asleep.

Leowyn: Awareness: 03: MS
Thief: Awareness: 89: MF

Leowyn has camped by the side of the road where, a low escarpment provides some protection from the cold winds. As the temperature drops to freezing point, she throws a couple blankets over her horse to keep it warm, and lies beside it, so that their combined temperature will help them through the night.
As she does so, she notices a torch carrying figure, trod through the road, slowly, crouched, a club at the other hand. ‘No peace-loving man walks, club at hand in the middle of the night’. She thinks. Considering how close she is to the battlesite where the Fennas Drunin guard overtook the bandits, she realizes this might be one of the bandits.
Perhaps one that fled the fight, or one that wasn’t there in the first place, returning to their camp. It could as well be the very man that killed her beloved. With these thoughts in mind, she slowly draws her blade, puts on her helmet, wears her shield, and sneaks towards the cloaked figure.

Leowyn: Stealth (39-25): 06: MS

Considering the thief’s lack of awareness, the overcast night sky and snowfall, and her stealth roll success (albeit not a critical success), I rule that she has reached the presumed thief undetected.

Paying no heed to her bruised thigh, nor to her heavy armor, moving fast, with the agility and grace of a cat, Leowyn reaches the figure, just a couple paces behind.
She puts her blade at the back of her foe’s neck, and shouts “That’s enough. Drop your club and turn to face me.”

Leowyn: Rhetoric (33-5): 06: MS
Success! The figure drops their club! Time to go to donjon for some information.

Donjon: Waerblu: Female Human Scofflaw, Evil. Waerblu has a round face, with thick silver hair and hazel eyes. She wears sturdy clothing and a yellow cloak. Waerblu has an animal companion, a sable ferret named Maly.

A woman turns around. Round face, thick silver hair, hazel eyes. She looks at Leowyn.

Q: Does she wear the locket? I’ll call it a 50/50.
A: No (at least there is no such thing visible).

“If you’re looking for your friends, they’re all dead. Feeding the crebain.” Leowyn continues, certain that the woman is part of the bandits. “Now show me your necklace, or by the ancestors, I’ll send you to join your friends.”

I need some info on how the woman will react to Leowyn. Will she plead innocence?
Q: Does she plead innocence?
A: No
So, she’s part of the bandits.

As if accepting her fate, the woman nods. “Did you kill them?” She asks.
“The town guard did.” Leowyn responds. She gestures up to her throat with her broadsword. “The necklace.” She adds.

Q: Does she wear a necklacke at all?
A: Yes, but, it’s not the one Leowyn gifted Argulf.

She slowly puts her hands around her neck, and brings out a necklace. Leowyn sees under the torchlight, that it isn’t the one she’s looking for.
“There were Rohirim amongst you. How many were there?”

Q: Does she say it was five?
A: No
Q: Is it more?
A: No: 1d4: 1. Intervention: 4: Advance Plot: He had a locket.

“It was just one, but he made some impression on the rest of our group. Some of the strongest men tried to immitate him. Dress like him, and fight like him.” She responds. “Will this take long? It’s getting freezing cold here.” She asks impatiently.
“Are you in a hurry to visit your friends in Fenas Drunin, or the afterworld?” Leowyn puts her back in her place. “Did he wear a silver locket with an intricate horse design?”
“He did wear a locket. What’s it to you and the lockets?” She asks.
“He’s a murderer who killed the man I loved.” Leowyn scoffs. “You’re coming with me, to the battle site.”

Leowyn will try to bind her hands.
Q: Does she try to escape?
A: Yes

I’ll roll Initiative for both of them.
Leowyn: Initiative: (68-5): 52: MS
Waerblu: Initiative: (55): 80: CF

So Leowyn realizes what Waerblue is going to do, and gets to make an opposed STR roll.
Leowyn: STR: 11+15-5: 21
Waerblu: STR: 8+10: 18
Leowyn wins.

As Leowyn starts tying up the thug, she instictively realizes the bandit will make an attempt to escape. The thug makes a quick move of her hands down to get away, but Leowyn grips her tightly. Her strength as a warrior is evident, and despite her opponent’s will to run free, she overcomes her.
“Next time it will be my blade on your hands.” Leowyn says grinding her teeth as she speeks. Revenge burns hot inside her.
The thug’s hands bound, both to a tree, and to Leowyn, they camp for the night.

‘I noticed I made a mistake with regards to the middle earth calendar, and it’s not New Years now. Hithui is the equivalent of November, therefore, with this in mind, I’m continuing the adventure.’

Day 1st Girithron, 1st Watch

Weather (20) is now cold, and overcast and snow stops.
Encounter: 7: No encounter

Day 1st Girithron, 2nd Watch

Weather (1) is now freezing, and overcast and starts to snow.
Encounter: 12: No encounter

Day 1st Girithron, 3rd Watch

Weather (1) is now cold, and overcast and continues to snow.
Encounter: 12: No encounter

Q: Did Waerblue attempt to escape overnight? I deem this unlikely, since there was already a failed attempt.
A: Yes, but, Leowyn realized it and she stopped short. Random event: Delightfully Heavy, Procrastinate Path.

After a freezing cold night where the bandit lady tried once more to get up, only for Leowyn to wake up because of the well tightened ropes, and put her back to her place, they start pacing towards the battle site.
The prisoner tries her best to delay them, slowing down whenever she can, and pulling back the horse.

Q: Do they reach the battle site? (I’d have this at likely where it not for the delay)
A: Yes

I rolled some descriptors as to what they’d find, but then I recalled that the town guard told Leowyn that they left the bandits’ bodies there for all to find, so I’m going with this.

Leowyn rides, with the bandit lady bound, and tied with a rope to the saddle, walking by the right side, when they reach the site.
Several bodies are hanging from trees, upside down, lining the sides of the road. They’re hanging just above a standing man’s reach, so that the wolves can’t get to them, but the carrion birds have already started working.

I’d say it’s 5d6 of them. 17.

They count almost a dozen and a half bodies hanging. If it weren’t for deep winter, the stench would be unbearable.
The bandit lady has turned white with horror of what she sees, and scared of the fate that might befall her.
“Do you see him? the Rohirim?” Leowyn asks as she takes a careful look at the bodies.

Q: Does she point out to the Rohirim bandit?
A: No
Q: Does she try to bargain for her freedom?
A: No
Q: Does she try to escape yet again?
A: No. Intervention: Regress plot.

She shakes her head. “I.. I can’t tell. They’re mangled, maimed. Crebain have done short work of their faces. I can’t recognize him amongst them.”
Leoywyn scoffs. “What did he look like? Hair? Beard?”

Donjon: Hylpre: Male Human Fighter, Evil. Hylpre is stout, with grey hair and soft grey eyes. He wears chain mail and wields a bastard sword and shield. Hylpre has a mild allergy to rodents.

Q: Is there any gray haired bodies? (Likely)
A: Yes, and there’s one wearing chain mail.

“Gray hair. No beard. He’d wear mail.” the thug responds.
Leowyn looks around and starts examining each and every hanged bandit corpse, until she finds one that fits.

Q: Is there any necklace hanging down?
A: No

She looks at it closer, and cuts down the rope. The body falls down with a thud.
She dismounts, and approaches the corpse.
“Don’t try anything stupid.” She warns her prisoner before leaning down on the body to search it.

Q: Is there the locket?
A: Yes, but.

I pause here because the “Yes, but” interpretation can either solve the quest or not.

  • Yes, but, it’s been damaged
  • Yes, but, it’s not the locket that Leowyn gave to Argulf
  • Yes, but, it’s bent so that she can’t tell for certain if it’s hers

Since it’s so important, I’ll roll 1d3 for the interpretation.
A: Yes, but, it’s not the locket that Leowyn gave to Argulf

She finds a locket, not the one she gave to Argulf. Her heart sinks.
She shows it to the bandit. “Is this it? the locket you were talking about?”

Q: Is it the locket she had seen?
A: Yes

The bandit nods. “That’s the one. You’ve found your Rohirim. Are you happy? can I go now?”
Leowyn sighs. She feels exhausted. Her path to revenge has led her astray. She abandoned her only friends back at the Last Bridge Inn while looking for a needle in a haystack.
She walks to the bandit, and cuts her free. “You may as well. You’ll only slow me down.”

Q: Does the bandit give any advice before fleeing?
A: No, but, she’s grateful for the chance she’s given.

Leowyn considers how her people stand out amongst the rest of the Eriadorians. Since he’s not been seen here, then he’s either hiding amongst his own people in Rohan, or hiding from the law in Gondor.
She turns her horse around and heads back South once more.

I really tried to hook the threads together into my protagonist’s goals, but the hooks didn’t catch on, almost to the point of frustration. I really wanted to give Leowyn a sense of closure, because deep down I was imagining she could possibly join her adventuring companions once more, and they could explore the Trollshaws together.
Nevertheless, the Oracle-master has different plans in mind, and this is very much realistic, even from a social TTRPG perspective. The player went on a wild goose chase, and paid the price. Leowyn has abandoned both her friends, and her not-so-good employer.
I’m now quite frustrated to say the least, as a player. Having Leowyn travel almost the entire distance that The Fellowship travelled over three books! even as a Rider, and even with the North South Great Road available, is no easy task. Especially considering the hexcrawl nature of Harnmaster.
And I do not want to spend my solo gaming time, grinding through random encounters and weather generation.

Therefore I need to improvise. I’m considering the following solutions.

  • Switch gears. Change the Timetick from the 4-hour watch, to a Day. I will need to make some calculations to make a single roll for the encounter probabilities, but that can be worked using e.g. anydice.
  • Use the BOLD Waylays mechanic. It isn’t fun to only crawl the entire distance without something happening to prevent Leowyn and generate conflict. Perhaps the Waylays are the tool to use to use a narrative description of what happened during her trip to her destination(s).

More specifically, I’m thinking of mixing them together. I’ll be flexible as the rolls progress.

BOLD: Waylay: Foreign deputies (Easy foes).
I’m also rolling the Solution (optional) mostly as inspiration. Overcome on accident.

So first of all, I need to determine the when.
I deem that the first Waylay is on the road to Tharbad.
It’s about 250 miles to Tharbad, so I’ll roll to see when it occurs: at 100 miles in her trip. That’s after Fenas Drunin, on the road by Mitheithel.

Foreign deputies, my interpretation is that it’s a patrol from a group whose lands do not belong to them. Right now Leowyn is in Cardolan which is pretty much headless, so that isn’t too far fetched. Therefore it can’t be from one of the factions aiming to get a grip on the region.
Since this is a Waylay, it must be an obstacle for Leowyn.

I rule that this is a group from ~Angmar~ Mordor.
Their number is going to be the lowest of 2d6: 2.
Considering the brutality of Harnmaster, two-to one can be deadly fast. I’m keeping the ‘overcome on accident’ as a possible (Oracle confirmation first) deus ex machina. Until then, it’s up to Leowyn and her skills.

Before I’ll go in with setting the battlefield, I need to complete some bookkeeping. Get on with Leowyn’s development rolls, and see if her bruised leg has healed.
Awareness (44): 50. Increase to 45.
Stealth (39): 85. Increase to 40.
Rhetoric (33): 43. Increase to 34.
Now for healing, there’s a heal roll every 5 days in Harnmaster. That’s kinda odd, but anyhow, I’ve decided to use this ruleset, so I’m continuing with this. Therefore, Leowyn is still injured, as she’s not entitled yet to a healing roll.

Q: Does the encounter happen during the day?
A: No

Day 5th Girithron, 1st Watch

Weather (6) is now freezing, and cloudy and has rain showers.

I decided to do some calculations, and it seems that the moon is waning. It entered the last Quarter at 2nd Girithron and will have a New Moon at 10th Girithron. There’s not much moonlight to help Leówyn see around.

Leowyn: Awareness (45/2): 78: MF
Orcs: Awareness (44): 55: CF

They’ve both failed their awareness roll (Leowyn with half skill due to sleeping), but the orcs had a critical failure, hence Leowyn detects them first.

It’s been four days of riding that Leowyn suffered through the cold winter of Cardolan. She went past Fenas Drunin without stopping there, only paying for a boat to carry her across, and then she continued by the old road on the western bank of Mitheithel.
The constant rain and freezing cold has exhausted her, to the point that she doesn’t care about her bruised leg anymore and falls asleep. The thought of revenge still burns in her mind as her eyes close.
Loud shouting voices and heavy footsteps in the mud wake her up. There’s only one kind of creature that speaks that hoarse and stringy, such an ugly language. ‘Orcs’ she thinks, and quickly grabs her sword and shield, and wears her helmet hastily.
It’s only a couple of them, but they’re twenty yards away. It’s a matter of seconds before they see her.

Considering Leówyn’s Move attribute equals Agility and is subject to Physical Penalty, so her modified move stat is 12 which means she can move 60 feet in a combat turn.

Due to their Critical Failure in Awareness, I’m giving Leówyn a surprise turn.
Therefore I need to decide if she’s going to get on her steed or charge at the orcs.
I’m feeling adventurous, she’ll charge at the orcs.

I couldn’t find anything in the Hârnmaster rules with regards to close combat difficulty when fighting in dim lighting conditions, so I wing it at -10 using some input from Mythras.
The orcs won’t suffer from this since they have better eyesight during nighttime.
Am I attempting to chew more than I can?

Turn 0

Leówyn vs Orc1: Broadsword (76+15-35): 02: Hit!: A3: Location: 04: Skull: Impact: 11+5-7=9: S3: Serious Cut to the Skull.

Shock Roll: 11/10: The orc is down due to shock.

She looks at her horse and then at the orcs walking by the riverside, and makes a quick call to jump at them.
She charges at the nearest one, before they have a chance to react. With a quick slash of her broadsword she hits the orc’s side of the head. The helmet takes the brunt of the hit, but Leówyn is strong. The blade cuts deep, and with blood spilt, the orc drops at once, from the shock of the strike.

Turn 1

Leówyn attack declaration vs Orc2
Orc2 defense declaration: Dodge
Leówyn vs Orc2: Broadsword (76-20): 8: MS
Orc2: Dodge (55): 83: MF
That’s an A1 strike. Location: 09: Face. 29: Left Eye. Impact: 4+7=11: S3: Serious Cut to the Face.
Shock Roll: 9/10: Saved.

Orc2 attack declaration vs Leówyn
Leówyn defense declaration: Block
Orc2 vs Leówyn (55-15): 05: CS
Leówyn: Block (78+20-35): 72: MF
That’s an A2 strike. Location: 61: Abdomen. Impact: 10+5-9=6: S2: Serious Cut to the Abdomen.
Shock roll: 9/11: Saved.

Orc1: Shock: 4. It has recovered. Shock: 5: Is not in shock.

With no hesitation, she turns to her other foe, and brings her blade in a quick overhead motion, hitting the orc at the face. His left eye gashed, the orc screams in pain, and strikes back wildly.
His curved blade hacks at the bloodthirsty Rohirim shield maiden, right at her abdomen, cutting through both the surcoat and her mail armor.
She gasps in pain. At the same time the first orc slowly regains it’s awareness.

Turn 2

Orc2: Initiative test: (55-15): 43: MF: Cautious for this turn.

Leówyn attack declaration vs Orc2
Orc2 defense declaration: Dodge
Leówyn vs Orc2: Broadsword (76-20): 36: MS
Orc2: Dodge (55-15): 14: MS
That’s a stand-off

Orc2 pass (cautious).

Orc1: Rise

His eye scathed, the orc has stepped back and isn’t willing to fight this furious foe alone. Leówyn hacks at him once more, but the goblin dodges and avoids the hit, while his friend rises and prepares to join the fight once more.

Turn 3

Leówyn attack declaration vs Orc2
Orc2 defense declaration: Block
Leówyn vs Orc2: Broadsword (76-30): 66: MF
Orc2: Block (55-15): 52: MF
That’s a Block.
I deem that Leówyn’s shield is higher WQ by +1 while the Orc shield is lower WQ by -1.
Orc test: WQ: Shield: 12: Pass
Leówyn test: WQ: Broadsword: 15: Broken.

Orc2 attack declaration vs Leówyn
Leówyn defense declaration: Block
Orc2 vs Leówyn (55-15): 77: MF
Leówyn: Block (78+20-45): 7: MS
That’s a DTA.
Leówyn will draw her dagger.

Orc1 attack declaration vs Leówyn
Leówyn defense declaration: Block
Orc1 vs Leówyn (85-15): CF
Leówyn: Block (78+20-50): 15: CS
That’s another DTA. I need to make some choices. Leówyn is wounded and is fighting two orcs equally wounded. Odds are against her. Her sword is broken. She’s fighting the dark. She might try for a lucky break with a dagger attack or disengage and go ride her horse.
I’ll try for a dagger attack.

Leówyn attack declaration vs Orc1
Orc1 defense declaration: Counterstrike
Leówyn vs Orc1: Dagger (70-10-20-15+5): 8: MS
Orc1 vs Leówyn (55-15): 34: MS
That’s an A1 strike to both of them.
Let’s see Leówyn’s strike first: Location: 28: Right Upper Arm. Impact: 6+5-2=9: S2 Serious Stab. Fumble: 9+5=14/11: Drops the weapon: 7 in the same hex. Shock Roll: 19/11: Orc1 drops.
Orc1 strike: Location: 4: Skull. Impact: 2+5-10=-3: No impact.

The shield maiden slashes once more at the orc, but he blocks with the shield. The shield boss hits the blade, and the sword breaks in two.
With reinforcements, his morale is bolstered and he steps up to strike at Leówyn, who blocks his hit, putting both her hands behind her shield. The reactive force of the blocked strike is such that the orc pauses for a few seconds, just enough for the shield maiden to draw her dagger.
The other orc hesitates before joining the fray and Leówyn immediately reads his movement. She blocks with her shield, pushing him in a clockwise motion, and getting a clear opening to his right side. She stabs as he tries to hit her first with his curved sword. Leówyn has positioned herself to his blind spot and the orc hits her helmet with an outward strike, while her dagger digs deep into his upper arm.
The slashed-skull orc winces in pain, drops his sword and falls down from the repeat wounds.

Turn 4

Orc2 initiative (55-15): 56: MF. Cautious

Leówyn attack declaration vs Orc2
Orc2 defense declaration: Dodge
Leówyn vs Orc2: Dagger (70-40): 60: CF
Orc2 Dodge (55-15): 3: MS
That’s a DTA.
Orc2 will attack back as part of the DTA.

Orc2 attack declaration vs Leówyn
Leówyn defense declaration: Block
Orc2 vs Leówyn (55-15): 37: MS
Leówyn: Block (78+20-45): 45: CS
That’s a DTA but can’t be more than one per character turn so it’s lost.

Orc1 shock roll: 15/11: still down.

His friend down, the one-eyed orc pauses and doesn’t move forward to deliver hit, but as she jabs air in a failed attempt he finds an opportunity. His blade is deflected by the maiden’s shield and they stand back looking at each other with deadly intent.

Turn5

Leówyn attack declaration vs Orc2
Orc2 defense declaration: Dodge
Leówyn vs Orc2: Dagger (70-40): 20: CS
Orc2 Dodge (55-15): 85: CF
That’s an A3 strike!
Location: 16: Right Shoulder. Impact: 11+5-5=11. S3: Serious Stab. Fumble roll: 9+6=15/11: Drops weapon.
Shock roll: 25: Orc2 is down.

Orc1 shock roll: 13/11. Orc1 is still down.

Leówyn hides her dagger behind her roundshield as she steps forward. The orc fails to notice her blade and she stabs him hard on his right shoulder. The orc opens his hand, dropping his weapon while moments later he drops from the serious wound.
Leówyn, seriously wounded, sword broken, grabbing her abdomen, is victorious.

Leówyn finishes off the orcs and searches them.
Orc1: Trade goods: 2 Furs. Silver: 12d. Weapons: 1. Round shield WQ+2.
Orc2: Weapons. Longknife WQ-2.
Q: Is the shield of sindarin make?
A: Yes

She leans over each of her fallen foes and gives them a coupe de grace with her dagger. They shall trouble the common folk of Cardolan no longer. Then she proceeds to search them.
Among their belongings she finds a farthing worth of silver, a couple of wolf pelts that will help in the winter cold, a longknife in bad shape, and a fine shield, both of elvish make. Their trophies probably, of an elvish warrior they killed.
She takes them. May they find revenge on her hands instead.

Development Rolls:
Dagger: 32. No increase.
Sword: 24. No increase.
Shield: 76. No increase.
Awareness: 47. Increase to 46.
Initiative: 90. Increase to 69.

Leówyn has 150 miles to go approximately to reach Tharbad, but she’s only 50 miles away from Fennas Drunin. She needs a healer. I need to decide if it’s best for her to head back or move on.
It’s about 4 days ride to Tharbad, so, she’ll risk it.

I’ll roll again for “where” a waylay will happen. If it’s at the first elapsed 100 miles, then, it’s not going to happen. Otherwise, I’ll roll for it normally.

Waylay occurrence: 120!
Waylay: perceiving mooks, overcome by scarce used ability.

Day 5th Girithron, 4th Watch

Weather (6) is now freezing, and cloudy and has rain showers.

With the furs, the night was a little less colder this time, but the humidity of the river somehow still managed to chill her bones. Leowyn continued riding south at first light.
It’s still the middle of the day, when four desperate looking men come charging at her from the undergrowth.
“Get the Rohirim bitch boys! she’s bleeding!” shouts one of them, while the rest yell in undefined vowels.

Leowyn: Awareness (45-15): 32: MF
Mooks: Awareness (44): 66: MF

34 yards away. Leowyn saw them first. She has the opportunity to outride them, or turn back.

Q: Is there an opportunity to outride them?
A: No. She must fight them, or turn back.

They broke from their hiding spots too early, ruining their ambush. ‘Idiots’, Leowyn thought.
But as she looks down, she sees the red in her surcoat, and knows she must either fight them, or turn back.

She’ll try to perform a mounted charge to get past them.

Turn 1

Riding EML = ((84-15)+60)/2=65.
Ridng: 73: MF: Steed performs action. Rider has -10 to AML

Q: Does the mook attempt to dodge out of the way? (Likely)
A: No, and, he tries to counterstrike Leowyn

Steed Trample: (65+20): 69: MS
Mook1 counter: 78: MF
That’s an A3 strike. Location: 19: Left Shoulder. Impact: 4+8=12. S3: Serious Fracture. Shock Roll: 6/9. Not shocked. Fumble roll: 9+3=12/12: No Fumble.
The steed stops in the middle of the crowd. The mook is displaced to the side.
The mooks move close to her.

Leowyn is too proud to let go of her task. No pitiful thugs will stop her. Instead of turning around she decides to charge onto them. The sheer weight of her horse to trample them down.
The horse falls with might onto the foolhardy mook, who tries to counterattack with his club, but doesn’t even manage to lift his hand in time, as the steed hits his shoulder. The bones fracture, but the man stays in place, and the small steed stops.
Worried, Leowyn sees the enemies close in to her from all sides.

Turn 2

Riding: 50: CS: Steed performs action. Rider has +10 to AML

Q: Does the mook attempt to dodge out of the way? (Likely)
A: Yes
Steed Trample: (65): 100: CF
Mook1 Dodge: 65: CF
Both Stumble.
Steed Stumble (65+20): 83: MS
Mook1 Stumble: 9+3=12. Success.

Leowyn declare Longknife vs Mook1
Mook1 will Counter.
Leowyn: (78-35+10+10)=100: CF
Mook1: 12: MS
That’s a D2 strike. Location: Right Hip. Impact: 10+4-3=11. S3 Serious Fracture. Stumble Roll: 12+6=18: Failure.
Unhorsing Roll: (65-50): 13: MS. Leowyn stays in saddle.
Shock Roll: 18: Shocked. She’s down.

She orders her steed to kick and trample the thug in front of her, so that she makes space to ride out, but the horse and foe loose their footing, and spend a few precious seconds to stabilize themselves.
Leowyn tries to follow up with a slashing strike at the thug, but he gets the best of her and hits her with a club to her hip. The hit is strong, and bones fracture. Her mail doesn’t offer much protection against bludgeoning damage. She almost gets unhorsed, by the sheer force of the strike. Worse comes to worse though, and she loses consciousness, dropping to the ground with a thud.

Q: Do the mooks kills her?
A: No
They take all her possessions, and leave her wounded, cold and hungry.
Q: Does Leowyn survive the wilderness? (Unlikely)
A: No

Having left her for dead, Leown, recovers her consciousness later, but she’s in shock. Dazed, confused, wounded, cold and hungry, she tries to reach Fenas Drunin, but she walks aimlessly in the rough countryside, and she’s lost…

Session Summary

This concludes the story of Leowyn, the Rohirim shield maiden. I know Harnmaster is an unforgiving system, and I shouldn’t push it with a lone character, but the odds were with her in that last encounter. The dice weren’t. Two 100s! and a mook standing against a horse where I rolled 4! on 3d6 in the impact roll. It was meant for Leowyn to perish here.

Harnmaster is an absolute marvel with regards to combat. Both combats in this session were so graphic! I love it so much.
But, it suffers a lot in the general skill uses, with minimal guidance as to the difficulty grades.
In combat I loved the injury levels, shock rolls, stumbles, bleeds and all the small rules that exist to make things interesting.
On the other hand, I find that encumbrance is very limiting, and they offset it by giving weapon attack bonuses. I think I prefer the way Mythras or even MERP handles encumbrance, which is more realistic.

I want to continue my adventures in the Trollshaws, so I may be switching to Dwalin and Camthalion for my next session. Again, I’ll need to decide to either use Mythras, Harnmaster, or a hack of Mythras with Harnmaster combat. Some hacking and conversions are in order to achieve this.
I also must not forget that Mythras also has a Luck point meta mechanic that could save Leowyn from such fate.

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